Velocity Agency Recognized by New Orleans City Business

Recently, Velocity Agency was recognized by New Orleans City Business as a top private company in New Orleans and the surrounding areas.  As a full-service digital marketing agency, we’re dedicated to utilizing both the latest technology and our in-house assets to get the absolute best results for our valued clients.

Below is the article from New Orleans City Business in its entirety.

New technologies boost revenues for ad firms

Editor’s note: This is one in a series of stories examining the Top Private Companies in the New Orleans area in 2016.

By: Quincy Hodges, Reporter March 22, 2016

While having the latest technology or unique strategy works in advertising, building brand loyalty, connecting with users and targeting a specific audience is becoming more important than ever for clients in New Orleans and around the country.

Bestie Gambel, president of Gambel Communications, said over the past year she’s seen an increased engagement and importance of social media. At her public relations firm, Gambel said social media activity continues to be strong and robust, along with the use of traditional media.

“What we do is integrate traditional and non-traditional media and definitely use social media to further enhance those messages,” she said. “What has been most interesting is that social media platforms are taking in the idea of boosted or promoted posts.”

Gambel said some clients are now willing to put money behind their social media content to boost their reach to customers.

“That is becoming more and more a best practice, especially for businesses,” she said. “You can really target who you want to speak to by doing that.”

Mark Mayer, president of Peter A. Mayer Advertising, said using 360 degree marketing for clients looks at all of the touchpoints that affect consumer choice and outcomes. It includes social media, digital marketing, public relations and placed-based marketing.

“I think we’ve developed a strategy in analytic capabilities and we have developed some proprietary strategic tools to unlock cultural brands,” he said. “Culture insights, proprietary to us, help brands use culture and that’s a large part of the work that we do.”

Mayer said those cultural insights simply help connect client brands to users, and that’s what is exceptional at the agency.

The agency did experience a loss in revenue compared to the previous year after losing a large client in fall 2015, but was able to rebound by adding some new clients and increasing work with existing clients. Over the past several years, the agency has grown its market client base from 25 percent to 50 percent. Mayer said their sweet spot is being based in the southern part of the United States and being able to market to the rest of country. That is a trend that he anticipates will continue due to the agency’s strong presence in tourism and hospitality.

Velocity Agency has evolved from a marketing and production company into a full-fledged, in-house advertising firm attracting customers from around the country in many different categories. Velocity’s revenue grew to $15 million in 2015, a 50 percent increase from the previous year.

“What it really comes down to is that Velocity Agency is a digital marketing agency at heart focusing on leveraging technology and the evolving digital landscape to get the best results for clients at the most efficient cost,” said Kevin Conway, Vice President of Velocity. “And being that we’re built on the foundation and evolution of Berning Marketing and Production, which has been around since 1975, we have three buildings with all assets internally.”

In this age of everything being about constant content and creation, Conway said Velocity has used its in-house assets to be able to create video, audio, graphics and smartphone apps, websites and social media faster than its competitors.

Conway said there are some emerging trends he’s noticing, including the ability for programmatic media buying, highly targeted geo-fencing, and geo-shaping with retargeting components.

“Those are unbelievable technologies that allow you to really drill down and not waste impressions, but only serve your target market; so you’re not paying for impressions that are wasteful,” he said.