Despite a downright sluggish economy, Avon integrated marketing communications firm Adams & Knight has grown significantly over the last two years, adding 15 new positions.
“Last year was the best year ever in our 25-year history,” says CEO Jill Adams. “Of course, the challenge is sustaining that growth. We know we have to be continually vigilant about delivering the most effective marketing strategies that deliver measurable results for our clients.”
With an increased demand for marketing strategy, Adams & Knight is devising more holistic connection plans for its clients, Adams says, helping businesses determine what to say, and how to say it, using an integrated array of tactics.
Adams says more organizations are turning to content marketing to help them build their business by sharing their expertise. In response, Adams & Knight recently announced the expansion of its copywriting department by adding two new writers and creating a new position specifically focused on content marketing.
“One hot trend focuses on helping organizations ‘tell their story,’” Adams said. “We always say emotion drives motion. So if companies want to generate better marketing results, they need to create better emotional connections with their audiences. Creating a consistent, compelling story about the value they bring to customers is key.”
Adams & Knight is also looking to hire two senior-level executives who will work directly with clients to develop integrated marketing plans.
So, is the increased hiring the result of an improving economy, or is it purely related to natural business growth?
“It’s a mix of both,” Adams says. “The economy does seem to be improving, slowly. But there’s also a new normal related to marketing investments. Clients are more concerned than ever about doing things efficiently. And they want work that works. We’ve grown because we’ve been successful in helping our clients generate measurable results.”
Down the road in Glastonbury, marketing and communications agency Cronin and Company experienced the largest staff expansion in its 65-year history in 2012, growing from 52 full-time employees to 64. Cronin has since grown to a team of 70 and hopes to increase that number to 75 by the end of the year.
“Our growth has been fueled by both new business and organic growth from existing clients,” said Steve Wolfberg, Cronin’s principal and chief creative officer. “The latter is always extremely satisfying for us because it means we’re delivering results for our clients and they have the confidence to invest more in what we’re doing.”
The digital space is one of Cronin’s biggest growth areas, and Wolfberg said he expects that trend to continue as more clients are moving money from traditional media to the digital arena via online, search and mobile.
“Everyday we’re exploring and doing more things in the space,” Wolfberg said. “Video ads are exploding in the online, tablet and mobile space and more and more advertisers are beginning to capitalize on the demand for video consumption to increase engagement with their brand.”
Cronin’s hiring is directly related to client needs, Wolfberg says, so the company traditionally won’t increase staff unless there is actual demand for work.
“Our business depends on attracting and maintaining high-caliber talent and we work hard to ensure we find and keep top talent,” Wolfberg said. “We’re a general agency by design because we believe the best talent out there likes the variety that a general agency offers. We’re fully integrated so our team isn’t confined in anything they do, which means more opportunities.”
Meanwhile, business at Farmington full-service ad agency Keiler has been solid with the company seeing a great deal of growth in its strategy and planning areas both for existing and new clients.
“We have stayed steady in the total number of staff, but have had several new hires as folks have left, or as opportunities have enabled us to add staff in some areas,” says Lynn Taylor, Keiler’s president and CEO.
Seeing a tremendous opportunity, Keiler unveiled a new healthcare marketing unit in April, a strategic move into a sector the company believes will grow substantially.
Taylor believes the Affordable Care Act will bring with it a new era in healthcare marketing.
“Pharma, medical device manufacturers, alternative providers, insurers, providers all will be affected,” Taylor said. “These types of clients often look to agencies who understand their needs, including how the changes and legislation affects them. We weren’t thinking of ourselves as specialists, but discovered when we polled our staff that nearly everyone had healthcare experience in their past, some of it quite specific and extensive.”
While Taylor says obtaining new business is always the greatest challenge for any agency — particularly during an economic downturn when advertising and marketing budgets are tight — she is optimistic that as things improve, marketers will be more interested in spending money against their brands and their futures.
“As the economy continues to improve, we see opportunities in manufacturing, technology, education and financial services,” Taylor said. “We stay connected to the broader business community and are ready to seize opportunities when they present themselves.”
John Lahtinen is a freelance writer/editor based in Farmington. Follow him on Twitter @johnlahtinen or reach him at lahts@yahoo.com
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