Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Corey.
Christopher, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I moved back to Miami in 2011 after a successful start in entrepreneurship flipping restaurants, lounges and nightclubs. My twin boys were one year old and we moved to be close to family. I did not have a job lined up or a venture in mind. My youthful enthusiasm toward venture-hunting quickly turned into panic as months passed without any real progress.
In late 2011 my brother and I decided to launch a digital marketing agency with a unique model. At the time, agencies sold individual services on annual contracts (many still do). Our model provided for a full suite of digital marketing services for less than most were paying for SEO and we would offer this service on a monthly basis. Many people told us we would be out of business within 6 months. Well, that almost happened. By March of 2012, I was staring at my bank account with $50 in it.
With my back up against the wall and two children to feed, our company, which was run out of my brother’s condo, started to really gain traction. I’ll never forget it, we had 5 clients and they started to see results from our full services digital model. On the back of those case studies, I was able to sign more clients. Finally, I had a little room to breathe but not much. Things were very difficult and peanut butter sandwiches for dinner was not uncommon.
Our first big break was when we were signed on to assist in the re-launch of Eastern Air Lines. Eastern is an iconic brand that means a lot to people who worked for the company and were entrusted with bringing that back to life and back to the market as a Charter Air Line. The launch was a huge success and I’ll never forget being in the hanger party when our first 737 pulled right up to the hanger. How did we get here? From $50 in the bank to coordinating a 737 up to a gigantic party.
In the recent past, we have been blessed to work with Carnival Cruise Lines, The Florida Panthers, Swift Air, Havana Air, beIN Sports and many others. Our agency model is built to move faster than the speed of business. I contribute our success to sticking to this model since our inception in 2011.
Has it been a smooth road?
The advertising industry changes rapidly. If you are not innovating, you’re irrelevant. Our company owns several patents for marketing technology and we are always staying on the edge of the up and coming tech. The ever-evolving industry brings challenges but nothing like running a business.
In 2013, we changed our accounting service and the new company did not cover the worker’s comp insurance like the last service did. Well, the city of Miami walked in one morning and sent our entire staff home. I spent the rest of the day chasing paperwork around Miami to get approved to operate again which we did by the next day.
We moved into our first office in late 2012 and it was 600 sq feet total. We were so proud of that office! It came with furniture which was fantastic! However, on the first day, we moved in a gentleman showed up with a few guys and said the furniture was his and the landlord was not allowed to let us use it. Well, there went the furniture! We spent the rest of the day putting together furniture from Office Depot.
My brother and I are obsessed with advertising and that has kept us relevant, so the client side of the business has always grown but the day to day of running a business is a scary prospect sometimes.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Corey Advertising story. Tell us more about the business.
Corey Advertising is a marriage of Branding and Digital Advertising. We are known for the ability to take on and be successful in special projects that escape the capabilities of most agencies. Personally, I am most proud of the fact that we still have our first 3 clients: Nicamaka Hammocks, Therapy IV Fishing Charter and The Jills. All of our clients are special to me but these 3 took a chance on us when we were just starting. I pay it forward to entrepreneurs just starting whenever possible.
Second to that, in 2014 my brother and I co-authored a book: E-dapt. Digital Marketing for Business Owners. That was an amazing experience writing a book to assist our clients.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
We are predicting two main shifts in the coming years. Voice technology is going to change the way consumers use the internet to buy products, book flights and search the web.
Voice search already accounts for a substantial portion of searches on the web (Alexa). Secondly, AI/AR is already a huge component at conferences and many event activations. As AI/AR becomes more accessible to consumers, the advertising industry will have a new channel to reach consumers on a deeper engagement level.
Pricing:
- Minimum Digital Campaign Budget $50,000 (local to South Florida)
- Minimum Traditional Campaign Budget $150,000 (local to South Florida)
- Minimum Guerrilla Campaign Budget $75,000 (local to South Florida)
Contact Info:
- Address: 1501 Sunset Dr. Coral Gables, FL 33143
- Website: www.advertisecorey.com
- Phone: 3059781830
- Email: chris@advertisecorey.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christopherbrycecorey/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coreyadvertising/
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