Gravity Marketing LLC
Address: 305 N Plankinton Ave, Suite 100, Milwaukee
Year founded: 2009
Product or service offered: Insourced marketing. Most small and medium-sized businesses don’t have an internal marketing executive, let alone a comprehensive marketing and sales strategy. That means marketing efforts are usually recommended by the same outside vendors trying to sell you their website, advertising, social media or creative services. Gravity’s virtual marketing officer service is completely independent and delivers full-time marketing results at a part time price, acting as internal employees.
Projected 2014 revenue: $1.1 million
President: Michael Kuharske
Target clientele: Executives and owners of small and medium-sized organizations with annual revenues between $2 and $40 million. Our primary focus is on organizations selling business-to-business, with an outside sales force including manufacturing, technology, and business services, to name a few.
Business organization memberships: MMAC, Council of Small Business Executives, Business Marketers Association of Milwaukee, Local First Milwaukee, Midwest Business Brokers and Intermediaries
What has fueled your company’s growth? “Creating a new approach means there is an inherent lack of competition in the marketplace. We deliver the right mix of ongoing strategic direction and tactical execution at an unparalleled price point and with the tangible results small businesses demand. Milwaukee’s cost of living and affordable talent relative to other markets across the country has also driven substantial growth outside of Wisconsin. In 2010, we launched a complimentary event/venue management division, first with the Historic Pritzlaff Building and now with our exclusive Rail Hall venue.”
What is the biggest obstacle to your company’s growth? “As a young growing company, acquiring and retaining talent is the biggest challenge. The sales-focused culture we’ve built tends to be at odds with the experience most candidates gain from marketing roles at other firms. Therefore, investment in younger staff and the commitment to their professional development is a considerable ongoing investment.”
Do you plan to make any changes in your company in the coming months? “We are continuing to add coordinator level staff as well as experienced marketing executives. A considerable investment in both a new facility for our marketing offices as well as an additional event venue near downtown Milwaukee is imminent.”
Who are the business people, locally or nationally, whom you admire? And what traits do those people exhibit that make you admire them? “To paraphrase Sir Richard Branson, he describes choosing new markets and industries for his Virgin companies based on two primary factors. First, that the competition is complacent or stuck in the status quo, and second, that the customers aren’t being served well. What I really admire is the concept that innovation isn’t always something brand new; sometimes, it’s just doing something better or differently. “
What is the outlook for the business conditions of your industry over the next several months? “Gravity’s growth is only limited by our ability to continue to scale our staff and operations. As the chief marketing officer for a variety of clients with collective revenue near $750 million and well over 1,000 employees, the general outlook is positive across the myriad of industries and markets we’re in.”
What is your company’s most important growth strategy right now? “Smart scaling is our primary strategy. Adhering to our ideal client profile and onboarding new clients at a pace that supports stellar marketing results is key. “
