Fluent, Inc. (FLNT): Marketing Mix Analysis [Dec-2025 Updated]

You're trying to map out the true value of Fluent, Inc. (FLNT) as they execute a massive strategic pivot, and honestly, the old playbook doesn't cut it anymore. As of late 2025, the real story isn't the consolidated Q3 revenue of $47.0 million; it's that their Commerce Media Solutions-the new Product-now accounts for 40% of that total, with an annual run rate exceeding $85 million. This shift in Place and Product is what drives the Price discussion, especially since that segment delivered a 22% gross margin in Q3, directly supporting the expectation of positive adjusted EBITDA by the end of the year. Let's dive into the 4Ps to see exactly how their current Promotion efforts are fueling this transformation.

Fluent, Inc. (FLNT) - Marketing Mix: Product

You're looking at the core offering of Fluent, Inc. (FLNT) as of late 2025, which is a clear strategic pivot away from legacy digital media toward Commerce Media Solutions (CMS). The product suite is now heavily weighted toward performance marketing technology designed for customer acquisition.

Proprietary performance marketing platform for customer acquisition

The central product is the Commerce Media Solutions platform, which leverages proprietary machine learning and first-party data to drive monetization and customer acquisition for partners. This platform is the engine behind the company's growth strategy. The financial success of this product line is evident in the Q3 2025 results; Commerce Media Solutions revenue reached $18.8 million, marking an 81% year-over-year increase for the quarter. This segment now accounts for 40% of consolidated revenue, up from 16% in Q3 2024. The platform's Annual Revenue Run Rate (ARRR) surpassed $85 million as of September 30, 2025. The company secured a new $30 million financing facility in early December 2025 to support continued investment in this business.

The platform's capabilities are enhanced through strategic integrations, such as the partnership with Databricks, which expands data intelligence and collaboration capabilities.

Data-driven digital advertising services across multiple channels

The digital advertising services are built around connecting brands with high-intent consumers across the customer journey, from the first click to post-purchase. The focus is on delivering measurable growth through efficiency and scale. The gross margin for the Commerce Media Solutions segment was reported at 22% in Q3 2025, showing a sequential improvement of 400 basis points compared to Q2 2025. The media margin for this segment in Q3 2025 was $4.6 million, which is 25% of that segment's revenue.

Lead generation and direct response marketing solutions

Fluent, Inc. positions its offerings as solutions to maximize Return on Investment (ROI) and increase Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) through performance marketing expertise. While specific lead generation revenue is not broken out separately from CMS, the overall segment growth indicates success in direct response outcomes. For example, past performance metrics cited for their solutions include:

Consumer-facing media properties and owned-and-operated websites

This represents the legacy product line that Fluent, Inc. is strategically de-emphasizing to focus capital on CMS. Revenue from Owned and Operated (O&O) properties saw a significant contraction in Q3 2025, declining 52% compared to the prior year period. Management projected this year-over-year decline of roughly 50% to continue into Q4 2025 as resources are reallocated.

The O&O segment is still noted as being profitable, but its shrinking contribution is central to the product strategy shift.

Focus on high-intent customer data and audience segmentation

The core differentiator for the product is the use of first-party data for advanced targeting and personalization. The AI Engine is powered by over 200M+ first-party profiles. This asset allows the platform to intelligently identify and engage high-intent consumers with relevant offers. The company also highlighted new partnerships, such as the one with Authentic Brands Group, which generates more than $32 billion in global annual retail sales, to expand data and audience reach.

The strategic partnership with Rebuy Engine provides access to over 12,000 Shopify brands for post-purchase advertising initiatives.

• Proprietary AI Engine utilizing 200M+ first-party profiles.
• Partnerships expanding data intelligence capabilities (e.g., Databricks).
• Focus on post-purchase and loyalty initiatives for data capture.
• CMS is expected to surpass O&O as the main revenue contributor in Q4 2025.

Fluent, Inc. (FLNT) - Marketing Mix: Place

You're looking at how Fluent, Inc. (FLNT) gets its Commerce Media Solutions (CMS) and other offerings in front of the right people. The distribution strategy is clearly centered on digital channels, reflecting the company's strategic pivot away from its legacy owned and operated business.

Primarily a digital-first distribution model

The distribution backbone is the Commerce Media Solutions platform. This segment's revenue growth shows where the focus for placement and accessibility lies. In the third quarter of 2025, CMS revenue surged by 81% year-over-year, growing its contribution to total consolidated revenue to 40% from 16% in Q3 2024. As of September 30, 2025, the annual revenue run rate for CMS surpassed $85 million. This heavy reliance on the CMS platform dictates a digital-first distribution strategy, where product availability means platform access for advertisers and placement within partner media flows for consumers.

Global reach for both advertisers and consumer traffic sources

While the primary operational footprint data points to specific US states, the nature of commerce media implies a broader digital reach, facilitated by key partnerships. The company is actively onboarding top-tier media partners, such as Authentic Brands Group and DICK'S Sporting Goods, which suggests access to large, potentially multi-jurisdictional consumer bases. The platform's technology is designed to monetize partner media by placing relevant ads at contracted moments of consumer engagement.

Direct sales team engaging large enterprise clients

For the largest advertisers, Fluent, Inc. employs a direct sales approach, which is evident in securing major accounts. The confirmation of DICK'S Sporting Goods as a new enterprise client in Q3 2025 highlights this direct engagement channel. Management noted the mix includes working directly with brands in what they term the enterprise channel. This high-touch sales effort is crucial for locking in the larger, often longer-term, media partner contracts that feed the CMS engine.

Programmatic and self-service access for smaller advertisers

To service a wider array of advertisers, the platform supports programmatic and self-service access. The strategic partnership with Rebuy Engine is a key distribution element here, providing access to the large Shopify ecosystem, which typically involves self-service integration for merchants. This allows smaller advertisers to utilize the platform without requiring the same level of direct sales support as the enterprise clients.

Headquarters in New York City, serving as the central hub

The central operational hub for Fluent, Inc. is its headquarters located in New York City. This location serves as the core for managing the digital distribution network and enterprise sales efforts. For context on the physical footprint related to other business segments, as of September 30, 2025, the company operated a total of 37 retail locations and 8 production facilities across Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

The distribution structure can be summarized by the key revenue segments and their associated reach metrics as of the latest reported periods:

The operational deployment across physical locations, though secondary to the CMS pivot, shows a concentrated presence in specific US markets:

• Total active retail stores in Florida (as of Q3 2025): 31.
• Total retail locations across all key markets (as of Q2 2025): 42.
• Total production facilities across all key markets (as of Q2 2025): 8.
• Key Operating States: Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

Fluent, Inc. (FLNT) - Marketing Mix: Promotion

Promotion for Fluent, Inc. (FLNT) centers on communicating the value of its strategic pivot toward Commerce Media Solutions (CMS), emphasizing performance and data leadership to a sophisticated B2B audience.

Business-to-business (B2B) sales focus on Fortune 500 brands

The promotional narrative strongly targets top-tier brands, positioning Fluent, Inc. as a critical partner for customer acquisition and monetization at key points in the consumer journey. This focus is evidenced by recent high-profile collaborations. For instance, the expanded partnership with Authentic Brands Group brings a portfolio of iconic brands generating more than $32 billion in global annual retail sales into Fluent, Inc.'s network. Fluent, Inc. is also promoting its work with other major entities, including Fanatics, Vivid Seats, Barnes & Noble College, Forever 21, Belk, Bealls Florida, and Hammacher Schlemmer. This roster reinforces the message that the Commerce Media Solutions segment is designed to connect these leading advertisers with highly engaged consumers at scale. The goal is to establish Fluent, Inc. as a leader in the performance marketing sector among both media partners and advertisers. The company's Commerce Media Solutions (CMS) segment is the primary growth engine, with its revenue reaching $18.8 million in the third quarter of 2025, representing 40% of consolidated revenue, up from 16% in Q3 2024. The annual revenue run rate for CMS now exceeds $85 million.

Here is a look at the scale of some key partners and the segment growth:

Participation in industry conferences and trade shows

Direct engagement through industry events is part of the promotional strategy to connect with partners and demonstrate market presence. For example, Fluent, Inc. announced its plan to attend the Rebuy Momentum Innovation Summit NYC on October 21 in the run-up to its Q3 reporting cycle. This type of participation helps solidify relationships, such as the one with Rebuy Engine, which powers Rebuy Ads through Fluent, Inc.'s technology, targeting Shopify merchants.

Investor relations communications highlighting growth and strategy

Investor relations communications serve as a formal promotional channel, detailing the strategic shift and financial performance metrics that validate the promotion of the CMS business. The company reported its Q3 2025 results on November 13, 2025. Key figures highlighted to investors include:

• YTD 2025 consolidated revenue of $146.9 million.
• Q3 2025 consolidated revenue of $47.0 million.
• CMS gross profit (exclusive of D&A) YTD 2025 of $9.8 million, an increase of 38% over YTD 2024.
• CMS media margin for Q3 2025 was $4.6 million, up 32% over Q3 2024.
• Adjusted EBITDA loss for Q3 2025 was $3.4 million.
• Management guidance projects positive adjusted EBITDA in Q4 2025.
• The company secured a new $30 million financing facility on December 2, 2025, and completed a $10.3 million equity raise to bolster its financial standing.

Performance-based marketing itself acts as a proof-of-concept

The core offering, performance-based marketing within the CMS segment, acts as its own proof-of-concept by delivering measurable results for advertisers. The focus on measurable outcomes like cost per acquisition and return on ad spend is inherent to the model. The financial results directly reflect this performance focus. The CMS segment's gross margin was reported at 22% in Q3 2025, which reflected a sequential improvement of 400 basis points compared to Q2 2025. This demonstrates an internal drive to improve profitability on performance-driven revenue streams. The company leverages its expertise in performance marketing to drive monetization and increase engagement across the customer journey.

Public relations focused on data privacy and compliance leadership

Public relations efforts emphasize Fluent, Inc.'s differentiated technology, which is crucial in a market increasingly focused on privacy. The promotion highlights the use of robust first-party data, a privacy-first infrastructure, and proprietary machine learning algorithms. This positions the company as a responsible steward of data, contrasting with potential industry headwinds. A tangible, non-financial PR achievement noted was the inclusion on Crain's New York Business 2025 Best Places to Work List, announced on September 17, 2025, which supports the narrative of a stable and well-managed organization executing a complex pivot.

• Leverages robust first-party data.
• Employs privacy-first infrastructure.
• Utilizes advanced AI-driven algorithms.
• Recognized on Crain's Best Places to Work List.

Fluent, Inc. (FLNT) - Marketing Mix: Price

Price for Fluent, Inc. (FLNT) centers on performance-based models within its Commerce Media Solutions segment, which accounted for 40% of consolidated revenue in the third quarter of 2025.

Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) and Cost Per Lead (CPL) models

• Pricing is fundamentally tied to campaign outcomes.
• The business model emphasizes performance marketing executions.

Performance-based pricing aligns client spend with results

The Commerce Media Solutions annual revenue run rate surpassed $85 million as of September 30, 2025, reflecting client investment based on delivered results.

Average revenue per user (ARPU) is a key internal metric

Specific ARPU figures are not publicly itemized, but revenue generation is driven by connecting brands with consumers at scale.

Pricing tiers are customized based on volume and data needs

• Flexibility in the pricing structure was used to secure long-term partners.
• Margin compression to 20% in Q2 2025 reflected short-term pricing incentives.
• Margins were expected to normalize as top-tier partnerships expanded.

Gross margin was approximately 25% in the last reported period

The table below details relevant margin and revenue figures from the third quarter of 2025, the latest reported period.

The company reported a Commerce Media Solutions gross margin of 22% in Q3 2025, showing a sequential improvement of 400 basis points compared to Q2 2025.