The most expensive
market to get wrong
US digital advertising is the largest and most competitive market on earth, which means inefficiency costs more here than anywhere else. We run US B2B programmes on overlap hours, transparent USD retainers and claims that survive FTC scrutiny.
What makes the US market structurally different
The United States is the largest digital advertising market globally, with internet ad revenue reaching $258.6 billion in 2024 according to the IAB/PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report. Competition compresses margins, so US B2B growth depends less on channel access than on efficiency: precise intent capture, disciplined attribution, and claim governance that meets FTC standards.
Scale, and the cost of that scale
Every US category worth entering already has well-funded incumbents bidding on it. Efficiency is the only durable advantage available.
The IAB and PwC put US internet advertising revenue at $258.6 billion for 2024, growing 14.9% year over year. That growth is concentrated: search, social and retail media absorb the majority of spend, and the auction dynamics in each have pushed costs up faster than most B2B contract values have risen.
The practical consequence for a B2B company entering or scaling in the US is that broad-reach strategies fail expensively. Programmes that work here tend to be narrow and deliberate — specific intent capture, strong bottom-of-funnel content, and attribution good enough to defund what is not working before it consumes a quarter.
The second factor is regulatory. The FTC has been considerably more active on advertising claims, testimonials and review practices than most non-US teams expect, and the rules apply to how you describe results as much as to what you sell. We build claim governance into US programmes from the start rather than retrofitting it after a complaint.
US market at a glance
🇺🇸- Internet ad revenue (2024)
- $258.6B
- Year-over-year growth
- +14.9%
- Primary source
- IAB / PwC
- Our overlap window
- 4.5 hrs daily
- Billing currency
- USD
- Contract minimum
- 3 months
- Claim governance
- FTC 16 CFR 255
Market figures from the IAB/PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report, full-year 2024. Engagement terms are ours and are fixed at contract.
US buyers research hard before contact
The US B2B buyer is the most self-educated in any market we work in, and the most likely to have already formed a shortlist by the time you hear from them.
Comparison intent is contested
US categories almost always have competitors, affiliates and review sites already ranking for your comparison queries. Entering without comparison content means competing on terms someone else wrote.
AI recommendation is a live channel
US buyers were early to assistant-led research. Being absent from AI recommendation sets removes you before evaluation begins, and there is no page two to be found on.
Claims get checked
US buyers and regulators both scrutinise performance claims. Vague superlatives damage credibility with sophisticated buyers and create exposure under FTC endorsement rules.
Relative influence weighting used in US engagement planning. Directional, drawn from Oneskai audit findings rather than a published survey.
Real overlap, not “we’ll respond overnight”
Our delivery team is IST-based. Rather than pretend otherwise, we structure the day around a guaranteed live window with US Eastern and a secondary window with Pacific.
Daily overlap with US business hours
EST / PSTTimes are indicative and shift with daylight saving. Escalation paths outside the overlap window are agreed at kickoff — including who to call and what response time to expect.
Published USD retainers, not “contact us”
Scope is fixed at contract. If a project needs more than the tier includes, we say so before signing rather than raising a change order in month two.
Focused
$4,500PER MONTHA single channel executed properly — usually SEO or AEO — for companies validating whether the channel works before committing further.
- One primary channel
- Monthly reporting to CRM outcomes
- Frozen baseline and success criteria
- Quarterly strategy review
Integrated
$9,500PER MONTHMulti-channel growth for companies with an established motion who need organic, AI visibility and paid working as one programme.
- Up to three channels
- GEO benchmark cycle each month
- Full CRM attribution build
- Bi-weekly working sessions
- Dedicated strategist
Embedded
From $18,000PER MONTHEffectively an in-house growth team, for companies where marketing capacity rather than strategy is the binding constraint.
- Unrestricted channel scope
- Fractional CMO involvement
- Weekly leadership reporting
- Dedicated pod
- Priority escalation path
Media spend is separate and paid directly to platforms — we do not mark it up or take a percentage. Audits are fixed-fee and available without a retainer commitment.
FTC rules apply to how we describe results
US advertising regulation covers marketing claims as much as products. This is what it means for the work we publish on your behalf.
Endorsement & testimonial rules
The FTC’s Endorsement Guides (16 CFR Part 255) require testimonials to reflect genuine experience and typical results, with material connections disclosed. Cherry-picked outcomes presented as representative create exposure.
Substantiation of claims
Performance claims need evidence held before publication, not assembled after a challenge. Every statistic we publish for you carries a source, a date and an internal owner.
Fake reviews rule
The FTC rule on consumer reviews and testimonials prohibits fabricated reviews, undisclosed insider reviews and review suppression. Our review programmes solicit but never incentivise or filter.
State privacy laws
California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut and a growing list of states impose consent and opt-out requirements. We build tracking to the strictest applicable state standard rather than maintaining variants.
CAN-SPAM & TCPA
Commercial email requires accurate headers, clear identification and functioning opt-out. SMS and calling carry stricter consent requirements under the TCPA, with meaningful statutory penalties.
Sector overlays
Healthcare, financial services and legal advertising carry additional federal and state requirements on top of general advertising law. Sector rules take precedence where they conflict.
This is how we work, not legal advice
We build campaigns and content designed to meet these standards and flag claims we consider risky. We are not attorneys, and US advertising and privacy law is your counsel’s domain — final responsibility sits with you.
Where we fit against US agency options
Written to be useful rather than flattering. There are situations below where another option is genuinely the better choice.
| Consideration | Oneskai | Large US performance agency | US boutique specialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical monthly retainer | $4.5K–$18K+ | $15K–$60K+ | $6K–$20K |
| Time zone | IST with 4.5hr US overlap | Fully US-based | Fully US-based |
| Channel breadth | Search, AI visibility, paid, CRO | Full service including brand | Deep in one channel |
| AI visibility measurement | Documented 2,500-run protocol | Emerging, rarely documented | Varies widely |
| Pricing transparency | Published tiers | Custom quote | Usually published |
| Media markup | None — you pay platforms directly | Often 10–20% | Sometimes |
| Best when | Efficiency and measurement matter most | You need scale and brand together | One channel is your whole problem |
| Choose elsewhere if | You need same-timezone daily presence | Budget is under $15K | You need integrated channels |
Retainer ranges for other agency types are general market observations, not quoted figures from named competitors. Our own pricing is published above and fixed at contract.
Where our US work concentrates
These are the categories where we have the most depth in the US market specifically.
B2B SaaS & Technology
The largest share of our US work. Comparison-query capture, AI recommendation presence and CAC payback reporting for companies from Series A through enterprise.
Fintech & Financial Services
Trust-query ownership and funnel measurement through KYC to funded account, built for US advertiser verification and state-level privacy requirements.
Healthcare & HealthTech
HIPAA-aware measurement and clinician-reviewed content for US providers and health technology companies operating under YMYL scrutiny.
US questions
How does an India-based team serve US clients properly?
With a structured overlap rather than a promise of availability. Our delivery team runs a shift that guarantees roughly four and a half hours of live overlap with US Eastern business hours and a shorter window with Pacific. Escalation paths outside that window are agreed at kickoff, so you know who to contact and what response time applies.
Are your rates lower because you are offshore?
They are lower than comparable US agencies, and we would rather explain why than pretend it is a coincidence. Our cost base is different. What we do not do is staff engagements with less experience to hit a price — the published tiers reflect the actual senior time each includes.
Do you mark up media spend?
No. Media is paid directly by you to the platforms, and we take no percentage. Our fee is the retainer shown in the pricing table. Percentage-of-spend models create an incentive to increase spend regardless of whether it is producing return, and we would rather not carry that conflict.
How do you handle FTC compliance on claims?
Every statistic or performance claim we publish for you is tied to a source, a date and an internal owner before it goes live. Testimonials require documented permission and must reflect genuine, representative experience. Where a claim cannot be substantiated we rewrite it as an estimate or remove it.
Can you handle US state privacy law variation?
We build tracking and consent to the strictest applicable state standard rather than maintaining separate configurations per state, which is both simpler to operate and safer as more states pass legislation. Where sector rules such as HIPAA apply, those take precedence.
What is the minimum commitment?
Three months on retainer, which is roughly the shortest period in which search and AI visibility work produces signal worth judging. Audits are available as standalone fixed-fee projects with no retainer commitment, and a number of clients start there.
Do you work with US enterprise procurement?
Yes, including security review, vendor onboarding and standard MSA processes. Enterprise procurement adds several weeks to start dates and we plan for it explicitly rather than discovering it after a verbal agreement.
Related capabilities
Sources & references
- IAB / PwC, Internet Advertising Revenue Report, full-year 2024 — US internet ad revenue and growth rate.
- US Federal Trade Commission, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (16 CFR Part 255).
- US Federal Trade Commission, Rule on the Use of Consumer Reviews and Testimonials.
- California Consumer Privacy Act and subsequent state privacy statutes.
- US CAN-SPAM Act and Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) requirements.
- Oneskai GEO testing methodology — protocol behind the AI visibility measurement referenced here.
Start with a US market audit
We map the comparison and evaluation queries that decide your US shortlist, benchmark whether AI assistants include you, and review your current claims against FTC endorsement standards.