DAC Group (Digital Advertising Consultants) is a premier global digital performance agency that has successfully navigated the transition from the analog to the digital era. Founded in 1972, the company originally specialized in print directory advertising, eventually becoming one of the largest Yellow Pages agencies in North America. Today, DAC Group is a full-service marketing powerhouse with over 600 employees across 12 offices in Canada, the United States, and Europe (including London, Paris, and Munich). The company's strategic vision is centered on 'Enterprise-to-Local' performance, bridging the gap between global brand strategy and local consumer intent. TransparenSEE serves as the technological backbone of this vision, embodying decades of directional advertising intelligence in a modern SaaS platform. DAC has been recognized by Forrester as a significant performance marketing agency and has won numerous accolades, including Agency of the Year at the US Agency Awards.
The DAC Group story began in 1972 when Wayne Fulcher founded the company to help businesses navigate the then-complex world of print directories. For two decades, DAC was the dominant force in directional advertising. A pivotal moment occurred in 1996 when Norm Hagarty, a veteran of PepsiCo and JWT, joined the firm. Recognizing the impending digital disruption, Hagarty and his management team executed a buyout in 2006 to pivot the agency toward the internet. This transition was not merely a change in medium but a total reimagining of how local data connects brands with buyers. Under Hagarty’s leadership as CEO, the company evolved from a traditional ad agency into a technology-driven performance partner, launching proprietary tools like TransparenSEE to solve the emerging challenges of the digital local search ecosystem. The founding ethos of 'connecting people with businesses' remains, though the tools have evolved from paper to pixels.
DAC Group is a mature, privately held organization with a stable financial history. According to investment records, the company was formerly VC-backed, having raised approximately $76.2 million in later-stage venture capital rounds between 2007 and 2010. These investments were instrumental in funding the agency's digital transformation and the initial development of its proprietary software stack, including the TransparenSEE dashboard. Notable investment activity includes a major $28.9 million round in May 2009 and a subsequent round in December 2010. These funds allowed DAC to expand its geographic footprint and acquire specialized firms, such as the digital agency adxmedia. Today, DAC Group operates primarily as an independent agency, reinvesting its service and software revenue into continuous product innovation and R&D for its AI-enabled marketing platforms.
DAC Group’s product ecosystem is anchored by 'IRIS', an integrated marketing suite that synthesizes media, strategy, and reporting. Within this suite, 'TransparenSEE' is the flagship offering for local search and reputation management. The platform is modular, with core components including 'Listing Management' (for directory synchronization), 'Reputation Management' (for review sentiment and AI responses), and 'Enterprise Social Manager' (for localized social content). Another critical offering is 'Proove Intelligence', the agency's dedicated analytics division that provides advanced business intelligence and attribution modeling. For brands focused on organic growth, the 'TotalSERP' solution integrates paid, organic, and local search platforms into a single visibility strategy. These interconnected offerings are designed to provide a holistic 'full-funnel' experience, from initial discovery on a map to final conversion in-store.
DAC Group has maintained a steady geographic expansion strategy for over 50 years. Starting from a single office in Toronto, the company expanded across North America throughout the 1980s and 90s. In the last decade, DAC has significantly increased its European presence, establishing key hubs in the United Kingdom, Germany (Munich), France (Paris), and Spain. Each new market entry is characterized by a 'think global, act local' approach, often involving the hiring of regional experts to ensure localized SEO strategies are culturally and linguistically accurate. In 2022 and 2023, the agency further broadened its horizons by exploring global partnerships and expanding its service capabilities to support international brands entering the North American and European markets. With 12 current offices, DAC continues to eye growth in high-demand markets where complex multi-location management is a primary business pain point.
In the last 18 months, TransparenSEE has undergone a significant AI-driven transformation. A major recent addition is the 'Enterprise Social Manager', which allows multi-location brands to manage organic social conversations at scale, featuring a collaborative 'create-and-approve' workflow for localized content. The platform has also integrated ChatGPT-based generative AI to assist in review response management, allowing for faster, more personalized engagement with customers while maintaining brand guardrails. Another significant release is the enhancement of 'Local Rank+', which now provides even more granular proximity data, helping brands visualize their 'share of voice' on a block-by-block level. Furthermore, the platform recently added a direct API integration for Apple Business Connect, giving brands more control over their presence in Apple Maps, Siri, and the wider iOS ecosystem than was previously possible through third-party aggregators.
DAC Group's culture is built on a 'blueprint for brilliance' that emphasizes four core values: Enthusiasm, Execution, Curiosity, and Courage. This culture encourages employees to 'stay forward' by continuously learning and adapting to the rapid changes in digital marketing. The company is notably committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), fostering a workspace where 'bringing your whole self to work' is a foundational principle. DAC holds regular company-wide conferences—such as their 45th and 50th-anniversary celebrations in Toronto—to align their global team and celebrate shared milestones. The work environment is described as a 'dynamic mix' that combines the stability of a 50-year-old firm with the agility of a tech startup. They also emphasize remote and hybrid work flexibility to attract top talent across their international office network.
TransparenSEE and DAC Group maintain an active presence within the global marketing and SEO communities. The agency produces the 'Shift Happens' podcast, which explores emerging digital trends and features interviews with industry leaders. They also publish a 'Media Forward' thought leadership series and annual marketing trend reports that are widely cited in the industry. DAC is a frequent finalist and winner in high-profile awards like the Digiday Technology Awards and the Search Engine Land Awards, often presenting case studies alongside major clients like The Fresh Market. The company also engages in certification programs and maintains partnerships with tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Meta. Locally, each office participates in community-specific initiatives, and the agency provides learning resources through its website to help marketers stay abreast of the evolving local search landscape.
TransparenSEE
By DAC Group
