SmartBug Media reviews

2.5

22% would recommend to a friend

(159 total reviews)

Adam Bleibtreu

Not enough data to show CEO approval

22% positive business outlook

SmartBug Media has an employee rating of 2.5 out of 5 stars, based on 159 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an average working experience there. The SmartBug Media employee rating is 29% below average for employers within the Media & Communication industry (3.5 stars).

Reviews by job title

159 reviews
1.0
Jun 5, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Talented coworkers, strong legacy culture, great learning opportunities, historically excellent client relationships.

Cons

Steep declining culture, lack of trust in executive leadership, poor support for delivery teams, CEO disconnected from employees and the company's history. There was a time when this company stood out for all the right reasons. The culture genuinely valued work-life balance, leadership trusted employees, and the company attracted exceptional talent. I had the opportunity to work alongside some of the smartest, most dedicated colleagues in my career, and many of our clients were long-term partners who respected the expertise we brought to the table. Unfortunately, much of that has changed under the current leadership. Since the arrival of the most recent CEO and sales leadership, there has been little effort to understand the company, its people, or the culture that contributed to its success. Any employee who had been part of the company for over a few years are completely devalued and written off. Decisions often feel disconnected from the realities of the business and the experiences of employees who have spent years building client relationships and delivering results. One of the most troubling aspects has been the leadership style. The CEO frequently speaks differently about people in private than they do in person, creating an environment where trust is difficult to maintain. There is a great deal of discussion about vision, values, and transformation, but far less follow-through or meaningful action. The client-first mentality has also become unhealthy. Rather than establishing reasonable boundaries or supporting employees when clients behave unprofessionally, executive leadership often expects delivery teams to absorb the pressure and "do whatever it takes" regardless of the impact on workload, stress levels, or employee well-being. The message is clear: keeping clients happy matters more than protecting the people doing the work. The most disappointing part is knowing what this company used to be. The foundation was strong, the people were talented, and the culture was something employees were proud of. It is difficult to watch those strengths erode because leadership seems more focused on appearances and short-term demands than on the long-term health of the organization.

2.0
May 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The people are some of the best coworkers you could ever have. They are the most supportive and encouraging team ever. It’s also very flexible during the day and leaving your computer.

Cons

I would run in the opposite direction. The company itself, for lack of better terms, is a dumpster fire. The clients themselves are easily some of the most difficult and rude that I’ve ever dealt with in a client facing position. excessive turnover with no support from point success/Smartbug back filling roles. The paid media department is largely unsupported from the company, which I think is what they were trying to solve with the whole point success rebrand. The cycle of people quitting and piling more work and accounts onto existing people with literally no relief never ended. Also, the pay sucks for the work you put in. And the “raises” that are literally just laughable

2.0
May 4, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

If there’s one good thing about working at SmartBug, it’s the people you’re in the trenches with. Everyone is paddling up the same creek together, and that shared struggle creates a bond. Your coworkers get it. No one has to explain the stress or the chaos because everyone is dealing with it at the same time. That leads to real compassion and support at the peer level. But that’s where the positives stop. That support doesn’t really extend upward. Middle management might try in small ways, but it feels limited and inconsistent. And executive leadership is disconnected from what employees are actually experiencing. So yes, the coworkers are empathetic, supportive, and doing their best in a tough environment. Just don’t expect that same energy from leadership.

Cons

My time at SmartBug was a huge letdown. Whatever made the company great is long gone. Everything changed after several rounds of layoffs. Morale tanked and never recovered. People who had been there 6+ years started leaving, and not quietly either. When your most loyal employees are walking out, that should tell you everything. The biggest issue is leadership. Executive management is toxic and out of touch. They prioritize numbers over supporting the people doing the work. The founder built something really solid at one point, but that got lost somewhere along the way. Most likely corporate greed, but what do I know? I only lived it...along with hundreds of other past and current employees. Day to day, you don't get support from managers. You’re expected to hit KPIs that either don’t make sense or can’t realistically be measured, and then you’re still held accountable for them. It puts you in a position where you’re set up to fail. A lot of the people who have been there for ~5 years are actively trying to leave. They’re not staying because it’s great; they’re staying because they haven’t landed something else yet. That says a lot. I wouldn't recommend applying unless you’re okay with a frustrating environment that's more focused on metrics than people.

Viewing 1 - 3 of 159 Reviews

Glassdoor has 161 SmartBug Media reviews submitted anonymously by SmartBug Media employees. Read employee reviews and ratings on Glassdoor to decide if SmartBug Media is right for you.