Boston– Gupta Media announced the signing of a 10-year lease at 131 Dartmouth Street in the Back Bay. This strategic move will more than double Gupta Media’s current footprint, expanding from 12,000 square feet at 200 Berkeley Street to a spacious 25,000 square feet.
Amidst a trend of downsizing, Gupta Media is growing. With expanding accounts from clients like Fender, Sony, Disney Music Group, the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, Island Creek Oysters, Boston Calling, and Stanley Cup champions the Florida Panthers, the agency has broadened its offerings in performance media, data analytics, creative, and social media. The new office will accommodate a headcount growth of 50% over the next several years.
“This move represents our commitment to our employees, our community, and the power of being together,” said Gogi Gupta, Founder of Gupta Media. “We’re more than doubling our space, from 12,000 feet to 25,000 feet. And that means we’re placing a 10-year bet on our company culture and the power of being together. We have found in-office to be a competitive advantage—we can draw a direct line to the quality of work we produce that begins with the power of in-person collaboration, and the sense of culture and community we build on a daily basis.”
Analysts say Gupta’s confidence is refreshing in a marketplace where more than half of the space leased this year in the city consists of simple renewals with a modest 12-15% downsize in footprint. Where most other companies lack a clear roadmap on return-to-work in the aftermath of the pandemic, Gupta has bucked that trend and is backing the belief that the office plays a central role in building its culture and identity by committing to the largest relative office expansion in Boston so far in 2024.
Gupta Media’s new office was developed and selected using a wish list of employee requests, including a library, an outdoor deck, and a layout that strikes a balance between collaborative and quiet spaces. “Since the pandemic, we’ve seen our culture become a competitive advantage—not just with our clients but with our employees,” says Kelly Heath, Head of People at Gupta Media. “In interviews, we hear employees at all stages of their careers craving more face-to-face interaction at work. Recruitment has been strong, particularly with younger workers looking to experience and build their work friends and networks. Being office-first with flexibility has aided tremendously with the retention of our staff and successful recruitment over the last two years.”
Gogi Gupta adds, “The demand to work here is intense. You are more likely to get into Harvard than get a second-round interview at Gupta. By signing a new lease with a bigger footprint, we are investing in our people and fostering the kind of collaborative culture that you need to build a truly integrated agency. We’ve worked hard to create an environment that nurtures exceptional creativity and innovation. The teamwork we cultivate by being together is a cornerstone of our operational excellence.”
Gupta Media’s decision to remain in Boston underscores its belief in the city’s vibrant community and cultural base, a world-class workforce, and a unique history and legacy. “While we are proud to work with community partners including the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, our business is global. We could choose to be anywhere. But we choose to be here,” said Gogi Gupta. “Re-planting our roots here is a bet on all of the tangible and intangible benefits we see in Boston. We never considered leaving Boston. We looked at more than a dozen spaces, all of them in the Back Bay. Our employees live all over the Greater Boston area. We’re currently within a short walk of the Green Line, Red Line, Orange Line, and Commuter Rail, and in our new office, those walks get even shorter.”
The Back Bay is the premier office market in Boston, reflected by rental rates for best-in-class space throughout the submarket increasing 20% since 2020. “Now more than ever, tenants are looking to provide their employees with a best-in-class work environment,” said Bryan Sparkes, Senior Managing Director at JLL. “That applies to both the physical work environment being exceptional, but also an ecosystem outside of the building with which employees want to engage. The Back Bay checks all the “live, work, play” boxes and continues to outperform, despite the headwinds of the last 4 years.”
The JLL team of brokers representing Gupta Media included Senior Managing Directors Bryan Sparkes and Ben Heller, and Vice President of Workplace Strategy Zoe Benson, in partnership with IA Interior Architects, Avail, and Newmark, who manages the building for ownership.
