Columnists :: In Business
Espresso gives the South End a jolt of energy by Mike Roberts
MySouthEnd.com ContributorTuesday Mar 16, 2010 Last year’s economic bombshell, reminiscent of The Great Depression, caused an alarming number of layoffs and cutbacks. Yet, as the dim light at the end of the tunnel slowly brightens, many companies still find themselves on the operating table patching holes in their budgets from the shrapnel-particularly in marketing and advertising budgets. Espresso, an integrated marketing agency expanding in a time that others are shrinking, may just have the surgical tools companies are looking for.
With plans to eventually pervade the United States, the Toronto-based company initially entered Boston virtually for a testing period given the down economy. However, within a year the firm created a physical location at 580 Harrison Avenue.
"We were searching for a city filled with talented, ambitious people for recruiting purposes, and Boston obviously met that criteria with ease," explained Espresso’s CEO and owner, Jacquelyn Cyr. "We also wanted something close to New York, but not in New York, as that would provide a sustainable foundation while still allowing for business building opportunities for a new office."
The last and possibly most important reason for setting up shop in Boston wasn’t a what, but a who. Espresso’s boarder-crossing exploration found a strong match in terms of talent, potential, and location, but it also resulted in the acquisition of a truly valuable asset, Marta Kagan, Espresso’s U.S. Managing Director.
"Marta’s done a fantastic job contributing to Espresso’s strategic direction, building the agency’s reputation and landing new clients," said Cyr. "We’re thrilled with the progress and excited about the potential Espresso has in Boston."
Kagan, who’s lived in Boston for 16 years, including three years in the South End, has an excited interest in the convergence of marketing and technology and a vision aligned with that of Espresso’s.
"For nearly as long as I can remember, I’ve had a passion for marketing, communication and branding. I’m slightly obsessed with social media, the whole ’2.0’ phenomenon-web 2.0, advertising 2.0, business 2.0, branding 2.0, etc.-and the way that Millenials are changing the world," she said.
The firm focuses on creating solutions that maximize its customers’ return on investment (ROI). It does this with a combination of two concepts, web 2.0 marketing and a philosophy created by the firm, brand infiltration.
Web 2.0 marketing is the utilization of next-generation online services, such as social media and networking sites, where marketing materials aren’t meant to be merely conveyed, but also interacted and participated with by target consumers.
"Because we’re no longer living in a world where we can just talk at people (Web 1.0), Espresso’s style of marketing is more about talking with people and understanding how their contributions and information-sharing is a big part of generating sales and brand loyalty for our clients," said Kagan.
Web 2.0 complements brand infiltration, which is Espresso’s philosophy of learning every possible angle of its customer’s industry, brand, and target. Then the firm formulates a specific plan to leverage this information to reach the full potential of the campaign.
"We study social and human behavior-everything from values held by certain demographics to the way different people use technology-and show our clients how to connect with consumers in a meaningful way that is completely unique to their brand," explained Kagan.
According to Cyr, in 2008, realizing a need in the market, the firm completely rebranded itself around the brand infiltration philosophy when it saw companies expressing frustration with their marketing ROIs.
This came at a perfect time because as the recession created budgetary constraints, companies needed affordable, yet effective marketing campaigns to increase sales without decreasing the bottom line. Espresso excelled.
"Some of the methods we use to do that cost a fraction of the standard media campaign but result in far, far more actual sales and brand loyalty," said Kagan.
Espresso’s short time in the U.S. has already proven successful as it has acquired business from eBay, LocaModa, Jive Software and Blade Games World. The firm plans to expand and hire as new business permits.
"Ultimately, we’ll be looking to expand across all disciplines-creative, accounts, strategy, and technology. But we’ll be taking it step by step, bringing on new staff as the business demands it and working collaboratively with the Toronto staff to grow smartly, not quickly," said Kagan.
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