Global Ad Source, the St. John’s-based advertising database with over 30 million ads, has added a new insight-based feature to its services.

Formerly called Adfinitum, Global Ad Source originally offered a database of global advertising when it began in 2007. It later added weekly reporting to show its clients the campaigns of their competitors.

CEO Ed Clarke said that his clients wanted insight around the weekly reports. The insight service consults other sources outside the Global Ad Source database to explain to the client how its competitors position themselves in the market and how they design their campaigns to espouse their brand.

“They’re asking us to actually decipher and tell them how their competitors are being positioned,” Clarke said. “Seeing cultural nuances, and ways that the same product is advertised in 50 different markets.”

Though much of the database is automated, the new insights service is done by humans.

“This is going to be a practice that’s not super scalable,” Clarke said, “but it’ll be interesting because it allows us to offer more to our clients.”

With 20 clients, all of whom are global brands, Global Ad Source is making a profit now. The Newfoundland and Labrador Angel Network, the company’s original investors, continue to support the company. It also raised money in the past from GrowthWorks Atlantic.

Global Ad Source continues to grow. Clarke said that the company’s staff could go from seven to 14 people by next year. He plans hire a new salesperson in St. John’s this year, and hopefully hire another one in Asia. He also hopes to expand his development personnel in St. John’s.

Clarke wants to start exploring verticals of the different industries, such as the confectionary, automotive and consumer electronic products industries.

Carol Morrison, VP Development of Global Ad Source, is based in New York, and Clarke said that as they hire more salespeople, they’ll start expanding into the U.S.

“It’s a global advertising industry, and frankly, we’re in St. John’s, and we’ve proven a lot of things,” Clarke said. “We can win global clients,—which we’ve done—we can retain global clients—and we’ve retained all of our clients—and they give us fantastic testimonials.”