WHERE We Are, WHERE We’ve Been and WHEN It Began.
Since 1976, when Jacob Ruf Sr. and his wife Sondra started the company, Ruf has been helping results-oriented marketers achieve their goals with rich consumer insights and intelligent tools that engage their audience, drive conversion and maximize marketing ROI.
Over the years, there have been many events that have shaped who we are as a company and the products and services that we offer. Read on to find out more about Ruf's history and the key milestones that punctuated our 37-year odyssey…
2013
- Ruf launches its Marketing Intelligence
Engine platform
- Ruf establishes data partnership
with Mediamark Research, Inc. (MRI)
- Ruf establishes data partnership
with KBM Group
- Ruf introduces its Connex brand
and rebrands existing “Smart” products
2010
- Ruf introduces SmartMD CRM
and intelligence solutions
for the healthcare vertical
2007
- Ruf introduces Performance-based Marketing featuring eLeads
- Ruf introduces Smart Travel Targets
for the travel vertical
2006
- Ruf celebrates 30 years in business
- Ruf introduces Visitor Analysis
for the travel vertical
2004
- Ruf introduces Travelytics CRM and
intelligence solutions for the travel vertical
2001
- Ruf celebrates 25 years in business
2000
- Ruf introduces Navigator CRM
& Marketing Automation software
1999
- Ruf brothers Kurt, Brian, Eric and Jake II
execute a management buyout and
reacquire Ruf Strategic Solutions
1995
- Company founders Jake Sr. and Sondra
Ruf retire
- Ruf becomes a subsidiary of Morgan
Stanley, Dean Witter and Discover & Co.
1993
- Ruf enhances its business clustering
system with proprietary Corporate Lifestyles
1991
- Ruf partners with Experian Marketing
Services and Simmons Integrated
Marketing Solutions to develop Smart
Targeting Tools for business
- Ruf introduces its Geographic Information
Systems (GIS) mapping
- Jake Ruf, Sr. uses Smart Targeting Tools
with great success and becomes the
mayor for Olathe, KS
1986
- Ruf launches its first consumer targeting
and segmentation system Bullseye
1982
- Ruf develops ZIP+4 modeling software
1976
- Jake Ruf, Sr. and his wife, Sondra, start Ruf Corporation
- Ruf develops IMPRS, the first
commercially available relational database
1968
- Jake Ruf, Sr. partners with future direct
marketing hall of famer, Martin Baier,
to create the first ZIP code model