In the latest show of evidence that Cincinnati is truly a consumer marketing hub,
Rockfish Interactive, one of the fastest growing ad agencies in the country, is setting up shop in the city.
The Northwest Arkansas-based, multi-media consulting and technology agency is among Inc. 500's fastest growing companies in the U.S. It counts Fortune 500 companies like Walmart, Kimberly-Clark, Nickelodeon, Sara Lee, Sam's Club, Tyson and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group among its clients. Rockfish already has offices in Little Rock, Dallas and San Francisco.
The company has tapped two local P&G execs, Dave Knox and Bryan Radtke, to help lead the Cincinnati branch. The company has indicated a third executive is set to move here as well.
A third company executive Michael Stich, will come to Cincinnati as chief operating officer.
Knox, former P&G brand manager for global branded entertainment and a well-known
blogger,is Rockfish's VP-Chief Marketing Officer. Radtke, formerly P&G brand manager for retail innovation and scale, is VP Strategy & Client Services. Knox and Radtke officially started work about a week ago out of the
Brandery office in
Longworth Hall. (Knox is the co-founder of the Brandery, the Region's first consumer marketing startup accelerator.)
Knox said the entrepreneurial spirit and resources in Cincinnati, as well as the potential for expanding its work with top brands, sold Rockfish on the city. Cincinnati is home to Kroger, P&G, Macy's and other top brands.
"When they looked at the area they really wanted to expand into branding, research, analytics and design. Cincinnati really interested them," he said.
The growing company plans to create more jobs in Cincinnati, though the exact number is still being worked out.
Over the summer the State of Ohio announced the city would be Ohio's Hub of Innovation and Opportunity in Consumer Marketing. Along with that designation came a $250,000 state grant to help startups and create new business and jobs in the consumer marketing industry.
Writer: Feoshia Henderson
Source: Dave Knox, Rockfish VP-Chief Marketing Officer
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