Keeping up with shifting trends in advertising, especially advertising in the global context, requires fast reflexes. Ed Clarke’s livelihood depends on having speedy reactions. Fortunately, the CEO of GlobalAdSource, a company that monitors advertising activity around the globe, is able to swiftly spot and react to trends.

St. John’s-based GlobalAdSource gathers and sells information on advertising so global brands and advertising agencies can plan their own campaigns and monitor what their competitors are doing in new and traditional media. The company covers 75 countries with a team of just nine people. Most team members are based in St. John’s, with others in New York, Amsterdam and London. The team is supported by a network of affiliates around the world.

 “We created this company to offer a choice in how brands and agencies buy competitor advertising intelligence,” Clarke said. “Companies spend billions of dollars in advertising. We are able to offer a custom tracking service for competitive advertising creative, which is a valuable service to global brands and agencies.”

Formed by Clarke in 2008, GlobalAdSource spent the last several years developing infrastructure and database content and only began selling access to the service early last year. The company now has nine easily recognizable global clients. The company’s very first client has just signed a multi-year renewal agreement, which Clarke says feels awesome.

 “We have the fastest-growing advertising and most comprehensive database out there,” he said, comparing his outfit to his three main competitors.

Last summer, GlobalAdSource got a useful boost when it was one of six companies invited to participate in the Canadian Technology Accelerator, or CTA, program in New York.

The CTA is a three-month program organized by the Canadian Consulate that helps Canadian tech startups learn from the digital industries clustered in the largest U.S. city. The program offers communal office space to the qualifying entrepreneurs, as well as introductions to potential mentors and investors, and support from the Trade Commissioner Service.

New York was a great experience, Clarke said. “There is no bigger place for advertising, outside London, perhaps. We’ve been back six times since and built solid connections. The Canadian Trade Commissioner Service in the New York consulate is very good. It’s a great opportunity.”

GlobalAdSource had intended to use the CTA program to increase its links to investors to assist its next round of funding. The company’s early investors included GrowthWorks Atlantic, the Newfoundland and Labrador Angel Network, and a group of Japanese clients.

But the company’s performance and outlook are so promising, Clarke said he is not sure he will be looking for another round of funding in the near term. “We may double or triple our client list in the next year,” he said. “And automating many routine tasks means our team can be kept small and our solution is scalable.”

For Clarke, the success of his second company is sweet and continues the narrative he started with inewsnetwork, a global news monitoring venture he founded in 2002. That company carried media data from over 84 countries on a single, common database. In 2006, Clarke sold the balance of inewsnetwork shares to an early-stage investor.

GlobalAdSource was born after he spotted a fresh opportunity in the advertising monitoring sector and he and a development team custom-designed software to pursue the project. Prior to that, Clarke worked for the telecommunications company that became Bell.

Clarke’s focus may be global, but his success is built on the loyalty of his St. John’s-based colleagues. He still works with many of the same people who toiled with him on his first start-up. “Our core team has been the same for years. It’s neat. We still enjoy working together. We’ve been through a lot but are still having a blast.”