TAMPA, Fla. (Feb. 12, 2021)—In a year plagued with economic uncertainty one Tampa Bay-based company was able to persevere and grow their bottom line. Marketing Direction, an outsourced marketing company headquartered in St. Petersburg, FL, broke the magical seven-figure mark, earning more than $1 million in revenue for the first time in the company’s 11-year history. The record-breaking year marks a 97 percent increase over 2019, according to President & Founder Christy Vogel.
“Less than three months into the pandemic we were holding steady while preparing for the worst with a prediction of losing 50 percent of our clients,” explains Vogel. “Like many companies, we were focused on surviving the economic turmoil brought on by COVID-19.”
Marketing Direction’s ability to thrive amid challenging conditions in the market was the result of continued marketing efforts to potential as well as existing clients, and adhering to a strategy of ‘accept and adapt’ as new developments unfolded. “Instead of hunkering down we kept getting the word out,” explains Traci Tucker, Marketing Direction’s Vice President of Client Service. “We adjusted our messaging based on the changing priorities of what our clients and prospects were experiencing in order to stay relevant…in other words, we practiced what we preached.”
Automating the company’s processes—from marketing automation to scheduling to follow up—was also critical. “We had to automate or stop marketing in order to catch up and stopping the marketing wasn’t an option,” states Vogel.
While Marketing Direction currently has a team of 18 fractional Lead Marketers and Strategists, Vogel alone drives sales, something she wants to change in 2021 by adding two sales representatives. She is also engaged with a government contracting business development consulting firm this year. These moves could favorably position the company to reach another milestone–$3 million in revenue by the end of 2021. Vogel is also always on the lookout for talented marketers to add to the company’s team of marketing executives and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)-level professionals.
Founded in 2009 during an unstable market with recently laid-off marketing consultants, Marketing Direction positioned itself as a fractional marketing solution, allowing it to thrive when many were cutting their marketing budgets. In 2020, amidst a global pandemic, the forward-thinking company succeeded despite market conditions with a unique, yet proven, business model.
“Our team strives to provide the best solutions for our clients every day,” Vogel states. “And in the midst of this exceptionally challenging time, we are very fortunate to have a great group of clients who believe in the value marketing and public relations can bring to their businesses.”
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About Marketing Direction
Marketing Direction provides outsourced marketing experts to companies that can’t justify the expense of a full-time marketing department. They provide their clients with a senior-level marketing professional who functions as a Lead Marketer to a team of marketing experts. They begin their long-term relationships with their clients with a proven process called the Marketing Direction Strategic Blueprint™.
Marketing Direction provides complete marketing resources from research and strategy to marketing plans, advertising, media buying, direct mail and public relations support for both digital and traditional marketing efforts. Among the firm’s services are direct marketing, website design, search engine marketing, social media, creating and implementing webinars and workshops and developing sponsorship and partnership opportunities for its clients. For more information, call 888.495.4441.
