35 years ago – 1982 – was, apparently, a great time to launch new restaurants. Olive Garden, Spago, and Zingerman’s all opened their first locations that year. They have all resoundingly beaten the odds regarding food industry longevity. According to studies by the IRS and Michigan State University, most foodservice businesses fail within a year. Of those that survive beyond a year, 70% go under within 3-to-5 years. Tough arena.
We can’t locate much in the way of data on the sustainability of marketing and communications firms that debuted during the first Reagan administration. Going by the statistically insufficient sample of our Dearborn-based agency, we’d have to conclude that 1982 was also a great time to start one of those. It has sure worked out well for us.
To be fair, we’ve had plenty of ups and downs over our first 35 years. Being a largely automotive-centric enterprise, cyclicality is part of our life. Beyond that, the Great Recession did its darnedest to grind us down. But here we are, alive and well.
Three primary factors – requisite elements of success for most any business, we reckon – are the key drivers of our staying power:
- Great clients
- Great colleagues
- Adaptability
Some of those clients, and some of those colleagues, have been with us just about the entire time. We value longstanding relationships built on integrity, mutual respect, and excellence. Those pillars also happen to be our core values.
So, as we take a moment to pop a cork and celebrate hard work and good fortune, we would be remiss if we did not say a heartfelt “Thank You” to our clients and our colleagues. We would not be here without you, and we salute you.
As for the Adaptability factor, consider that when Rod Campbell founded the company, “interactive marketing”, “social media” and “e-commerce” weren’t even terms. Today they’re centerpieces of much of what we do. Food for thought.
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