Martin is Richmond. And Richmond is Martin

I’m sitting on my deck writing this. Our mid-century home overlooks the James River. It’s spring. The birds are chirping. A nice breeze is in the air. I’m 10 minutes from my downtown office. But it feels like I’m a million miles away.

Here’s where the action happens. The creative professionals that Martin attracts to Greater Richmond serve clients like GEICO, Walmart, Kraft, Discover, Comcast, and PING.

That’s the beauty of Richmond. Literally and figuratively, we live and work in an incredible part of the world.

When we bring candidates in (I head up recruiting with my CCO John Norman at Martin), I always try to spend as much time as I can with them. To be honest, we don’t talk a lot about the work. What I like to talk most about is Richmond. The city, the arts, the music, the schools, the people, the politics, the creative critical mass being assembled everyday. Because I believe Martin is Richmond. And Richmond is Martin.

Corporate culture at the Martin Agency at its finest. The agency has played host to international art gallery events, such as “RE:” featuring renowned artists Dalton Ghetti, Charles McGill and SIBLING London.

Here’s what I mean:

Richmond is not LA, NYC, Chicago, London, Milan, Amsterdam or any other center of creativity in our business. The fact is, Martin is an international agency in Richmond, Virginia. That geographical fact is just going to make us very different than anybody in the business. We are scrappy, independent, quirky, diverse. Just like our city. We are full of world-class talent, in many cases, just waiting to be discovered. Just like our city. We are recognized around the world, yet we are the best-kept secret in the country. Just like our city. And we are a tad insecure and driven to prove how amazing we are. Just like our city.

When you start a creative company in Richmond, Virginia, it is just going to make you a different kind of place. Clients aren’t going to be attracted to you because you’re located in a big city with all its bright lights. Instead, they’re going to be interested in you for all the right reasons: your talent, your brains and your ideas. Isn’t that the way it should be?

I believe this great little city has even helped shape and define the award-winning work we’ve made over the years. Our business is notorious for turnover, especially among creative knuckleheads like me. We are constantly attracted to new shiny objects.

But here’s what’s happened at our place. People stay. They plant roots. They raise kids. They stick around. And that means that clients like GEICO, Walmart, Kraft, Discover, Comcast, PING and so many more at our place have stability in the creative teams. In turn, those creative teams are invested in the client’s business, getting to know it not for 12 months, but 10 years in row. The trust level between client and agency grows stronger and stronger. And when trust is high, clients have the courage to green light big, Cannes award-winning ideas like wechoosethemoon.org, pop culture icons like the GEICO Gecko and innovative business ideas like the Mentos Spider Swiper App

So the sun is starting to go down. A flock of cyclists speeds past the house. A family strolls by, walking off dinner, no doubt. I can smell my own dinner coming from the grill out back.

Just another day living, working and creating in Richmond, Virginia.

Article from Issue #15