Marketing

How We’re Evolving with the Marketing World

October 3, 2018 by Andrew Woods

Duckpin, which has humble beginnings as a three-person team operating out of partner Andrew Woods’ guest bedroom, now consists of 11 individuals. Each ‘Roller’, as team members are referred to, brings something unique to the table, be it years of studying their craft or honing their skills in various settings. With the company’s fifth anniversary approaching in a few weeks and the 2018 AMA Marketing Week happening now, it felt like the right moment to reflect back on Duckpin’s journey to-date and how we’re evolving in response to a changing marketing landscape.

The State of Marketing

Before recounting our own story and where we’re headed, it’s beneficial to provide a brief overview of modern marketing for the sake of context. With digital platforms, such as Google Ads, websites, and social media networks being central to marketing strategies for organizations of all sizes, the need for expertise in effectively leveraging them continues to grow. Add into the mix these tools’ ever-changing algorithms and features and consumers’ expectations for easy, high-quality interactions with brands across a variety of channels. You can see how quickly agencies and clients alike can become overwhelmed.

Duckpin 5th Anniversary
(Source: https://www.bigbrothercanada.ca/)

But what is to be done in this situation?

If we take a look at what is happening globally within the industry, you’ll see that the digital revolution has led to some entities closing, which our home city of Baltimore witnessed in the early to mid-2000s. Of the agencies still operating, one trend emerges that is shared by all of them: innovate or get rolled over. Innovation has taken on many different forms, including roll-outs of streamlined company structures and services as shown by Ogilvy’s 2018 campaign, merges between firms, and our favorite, an internal shift in how to grow a team.

A New Direction

Mentioned above, the Duckpin story mirrors that of the wider marketing landscape as our founders started the company with a focus of what they knew best, design and web development. Duckpin’s evolution to a full-service integrated agency, however, has thankfully largely been an organic one. We’ve operated with a “get it done” attitude for our clients since opening, doing whatever it takes to meet their goals and overcome any challenges. The difference now is our growing team of Rollers; each offers a unique perspective and skillset. It’s through this kaleidoscope of experiences and Duckpin’s commit to hiring individuals with diverse backgrounds that we’ve been able to continue operating and establish a foundation for sustained growth.

Here’s to another five years!

Duckpin 5th Anniversary