Zeta Global raises Q3 2024 guidance, expects 35% revenue growth
AI-Powered Marketing Cloud firm Zeta Global announces increased Q3 2024 guidance, projecting revenue of $255 million and 35% growth.
Zeta Global (NYSE: ZETA) this week announced an increase in its third quarter 2024 financial guidance. The New York-based firm, which leverages artificial intelligence and consumer signals to enhance marketing efficiency, revealed expectations for substantial revenue growth and improved profitability for the quarter ending September 30, 2024.
According to the press release issued by Zeta Global, the company has raised its revenue guidance for Q3 2024 to at least $255 million, representing a significant increase of $15.8 million from the midpoint of its previous guidance of $239.2 million. This revised projection translates to a year-over-year growth rate of at least 35%, showcasing the company's strong performance in the evolving marketing technology landscape.
Zeta's updated guidance reflects several key factors driving its growth. The company attributes this positive momentum to the increasing adoption of its Zeta Marketing Platform (ZMP), which integrates identity, intelligence, and omnichannel activation into a unified system. This platform is powered by one of the industry's largest proprietary databases and artificial intelligence capabilities, enabling marketers to personalize consumer experiences across various channels more effectively.
In addition to the overall revenue increase, Zeta has also revised its expectations for revenue from political candidates. The new guidance projects at least $10 million in revenue from this segment, a substantial $5 million increase from the previous estimate of $5 million. This adjustment highlights the growing importance of sophisticated marketing tools in political campaigns as the 2024 election cycle gains momentum.
Excluding the political candidate revenue, Zeta's revised guidance still indicates a robust year-over-year growth of at least 30%. This underscores the company's strong performance across its diverse customer base, which spans multiple verticals beyond the political sphere.
Profitability metrics have also seen an upward revision in the updated guidance. Zeta now anticipates Adjusted EBITDA of at least $50.2 million for Q3 2024, an increase of $3.1 million from the midpoint of the prior guidance of $47.1 million. This revised figure represents a year-over-year growth of at least 49% and implies an Adjusted EBITDA margin of 19.7%, demonstrating the company's ability to scale efficiently while maintaining healthy profit margins.
David A. Steinberg, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Zeta Global, emphasized the role of the company's core strengths in driving this growth. According to Steinberg, the combination of data and Artificial Intelligence at the heart of the Zeta Marketing Platform is fueling the company's expansion. He also noted an acceleration in the marketing cloud replacement cycle, suggesting that Zeta is benefiting from companies upgrading their marketing technology stacks.
The increasing adoption of generative AI technologies is another factor contributing to Zeta's positive outlook. As businesses seek to leverage advanced AI capabilities in their marketing efforts, Zeta's AI-powered solutions appear to be gaining traction in the market.
Chris Greiner, Zeta's CFO, provided additional context for the guidance increase. He cited accelerating growth through the first two months of the quarter and high visibility across the customer base as key factors instilling confidence in the revised projections. Importantly, Greiner stated that the company believes the current uplift reflects new growth rather than a pull-forward of activity from the fourth quarter, indicating sustained momentum in Zeta's business.
It's worth noting that while Zeta has increased its guidance for the third quarter, the company has not updated its full-year 2024 guidance at this time. Management expressed the intention to discuss fourth quarter and full-year guidance during the third quarter earnings release, once actual results for Q3 are finalized.
The updated guidance provides insight into Zeta's financial metrics, but it's important to understand the context of these non-GAAP measures. Adjusted EBITDA, a key metric highlighted in the guidance, is defined as net loss adjusted for various factors including interest expense, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, and other non-recurring or non-cash items. While this metric provides useful information about the company's operating performance, investors should consider it alongside GAAP financial measures for a complete picture of Zeta's financial health.
Zeta Global's positive guidance update comes amidst a challenging macroeconomic environment, where many technology companies have faced headwinds. The company's ability to raise its outlook suggests resilience in its business model and the growing importance of AI-powered marketing solutions in the current business landscape.
As with any forward-looking statements, Zeta's guidance is subject to various risks and uncertainties. The company acknowledges potential impacts from factors such as global supply chain disruptions, macroeconomic trends, changes in interest rates, and inflation. Additionally, the evolving nature of AI technologies and potential regulatory changes in data privacy could affect the company's performance in future quarters.
Key facts from Zeta Global's Q3 2024 guidance update
- Revenue guidance increased to at least $255 million, up from previous midpoint of $239.2 million
- Projected year-over-year revenue growth of at least 35%
- Political candidate revenue expected to reach at least $10 million, up from $5 million
- Excluding political revenue, year-over-year growth projected at least 30%
- Adjusted EBITDA guidance raised to at least $50.2 million
- Adjusted EBITDA growth expected to be at least 49% year-over-year
- Implied Adjusted EBITDA margin of 19.7%
- Guidance update announced on September 4, 2024
- Full-year 2024 guidance remains unchanged at this time
- Company cites accelerating growth in first two months of Q3 and high customer visibility
- Zeta attributes growth to AI-powered marketing platform and increasing adoption of generative AI