Today we’d like to introduce you to Blake Pettit.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have been in the marketing & advertising industry for 11 years, I got my start working for a custom publishing and website development company based in Franklin, TN back in 2007. In 2010, I helped launch the Nashville office for ReachLocal, which was the nation’s largest internet marketing company at the time and Google’s first Premier Partner.
In 2011, I was hired as Regional Sales Manager for G/O Digital (formerly GannettLocal) to help build out the outside sales team for this division of Gannett (which was the largest local media company in the nation at that time). G/O Digital, with over 100 Google Certified employees, served as the digital advertising fulfillment division for Gannett’s clients across 100+ newspapers and 40+ broadcast station properties throughout the country.
In 2012, I was hired by Gannett Corporate as Regional Digital Director for their Broadcast Division, where I was responsible for leading seminars, product training and digital revenue growth across ten markets – including WFAA-TV in Dallas, KENS5-TV in San Antonio, KVUE-TV in Austin, WKYC-TV in Cleveland and WUSA-TV in Washington DC).
After the birth of my son, who is now 4, I was ready to “get off the road.” Family is everything to me, and I felt I was missing too much.
After a lot of contemplation, I decided to move from Nashville to Dallas in January 2015 to accept a position with WFAA-TV. I worked with a team of 6 Broadcast TV Account Executives to increase digital advertising revenues. My time at WFAA-TV was great, and the people I was so blessed to work with will be lifelong friends, but after 2.5 years at WFAA-TV – I knew it was the right time to fulfill a dream by starting my own advertising agency!
Where did you come up with the name Muddy Waters Marketing?
The environment for advertising in today’s world is extremely confusing to most business owners. There are new advertising platforms, new advertising technologies, new targeting capabilities, etc., The waters are muddy. We are here to help clients navigate the “Muddy Waters” of marketing.
Has it been a smooth road?
For the most part, it has been a smooth road. As it relates to the marketing/advertising services we provide to our clients – it has been a breeze (because of my experience). The biggest challenge is the many little unknowns of starting your first company – which can all take up a lot of your time as you figure it out. What type of company insurance do I need? Where can I find a good CPA? How about a bookkeeper? Interviewing potential employees. Hiring only the best. Employee benefits? Financial modeling. etc. etc. etc.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Muddy Waters Marketing story. Tell us more about the business.
In May 2017, I launched Muddy Waters Marketing! My motivation for starting Muddy Waters Marketing was to help small businesses navigate the “muddy waters” of marketing by consulting with business owners to develop effective marketing/advertising plans that reduce waste, generate higher returns for their investment and eliminate the confusion of advertising in today’s world (especially as it relates to digital advertising and new media platforms).
Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate enough to do work for numerous large national and regional brands, as well as hundreds of small businesses. I am passionate about helping small businesses grow, and I have always taken the approach to do what is best for my clients. If I ever had a solution to sell that I didn’t feel was the best fit for helping my clients achieve their goals, I did not sell it. This mindset is a requirement of any employee of Muddy Waters Marketing. I am confident that this approach is what has allowed us to achieve the success we have throughout this first 17 months of being in business.
In May of 2018, Muddy Waters Marketing earned Google Partner status – which is the highest status an agency can earn with Google after being in business for only one year. While this is an amazing accomplishment, I’m proudest to say that Muddy Waters Marketing has not lost a single client since launching in May of 2017! This in itself, is a testament to the integrity and expertise of our employees, the quality of our work and the real results we generate for our clients.
We are passionate about helping businesses, small or large, generate higher returns for their marketing/advertising investments. Business owners are tired of talking about digital performance metrics; they want real results that positively impact their bottom-line. Real results are what we generate.
At Muddy Waters Marketing, we build recommendations based on a strategy I developed back in 2011 – which has proven itself time-and-time again. We call it the “B5 Marketing Strategy”:
– BE KNOWN by people who are most likely to need or want your products/services.
– BE FOUND by people who are searching for your products/services.
– BE ENTICING to people once they find you.
– BE REMEMBERED by people who have shown an interest in your products/services.
– BE RECOMMENDED by people who are past or existing customers.
By focusing on mastering these five core elements of an effective marketing strategy, advertisers will achieve incredible results.
Our core specialties are: Website Design/Development, Logos/Branding, Creative Design, Search Engine Marketing (SEM/PPC), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Targeted Display & Pre-Roll Advertising, Social Media Advertising, OTT Advertising (Connected TV) and Traditional Media Buying.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
There will always be new advertising platforms and technologies along the way. To stay current, it is important for anyone in this industry to always be a student of the industry. What is new? What is changing? To excel in this industry, you also need to have some common-sense.
There are new, pretty, shiny platforms/technologies that become available in this industry regularly. Just because something is new or cool, does not mean it is effective or worth the investment.
On the contrary, being first in your industry to embrace a new platform/technology can create a huge competitive advantage for our clients. This is why I feel it is very important to remove emotions during the evaluation process of new platforms/technologies.
In the end, the systematic approach to marketing that great agencies take will not change. There will always be consumers, and there will always be advertisers. Where, when and how to best connect advertisers with their target audience – that is what is important for a great agency like ours to always know and recommend.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.MuddyWatersMarketing.com
- Phone: 972-483-9686
- Email: [email protected]
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
