Today we’d like to introduce you to Marci Ikeler.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have been working in the world of digital since 1999, back when people were telling me that the internet was a fad. My career has evolved as the industry has expanded.
First, I was a webmaster (still my coolest title ever!), and then I moved to the world of design. I found my footing initially in User Experience Design – before it had a name – for complex internal systems for large corporations, such as Citibank, Goldman Sachs, and Pfizer.
In 2008, I was looking for more variety and moved to the world of advertising. I quickly realized that User Experience design didn’t have the respect it deserved in most agencies, and so I pivoted to focus on digital strategy. Done correctly, the two skill sets are incredibly intertwined – my approach has always been to look at the intersection of human behavior, digital tools, and business objectives.
After a brief stint freelancing, I became the first Director of Digital Strategy at Publicist, where I helped the agency take on digital and social responsibilities for several large contacts, particularly P&G brands. From there, I moved to Grey – as the Director of Digital and Channel Strategy, I grew their digital department from an unprofitable, unorganized team of 4 people to a highly efficient and profitable team of 12. My role was instrumental in developing channel and digital processes and integrating them into the broader agency. I also developed their social media process, which allowed the agency to handle social media for several large-scale accounts (Canon, Red Lobster, Ally Bank, etc.).
Despite this success, over time I became frustrated with the agency’s silos and politics. Since my background was in design, I found that the enforced separation between strategy and design limited our ability to create great work.
So, in 2012, I left Grey to found Little Arrows. Our guiding principle has been merging strategy and design to create great digital experiences. Over the past 5 years, the company has evolved from essentially just myself consulting to a team of 10 people focusing on digital and social strategy for ambitions, upcoming brands.
We positioned ourselves in the world of social strategy because we see a huge gap in the marketplace. On one end, you have snake-oil salesmen who don’t understand 360 marketing or business goals, and on the other you have multi-million dollar agencies like Edlemen, 360i, and Vayner Media. There are few agencies that serve the middle – nationally distributed brands who are looking to grow, but aren’t quite Fortune 500.
Little Arrows focuses on achieving measurable business results through strong strategy and creative that work together and fit into a marketer’s overarching goals. We provide end-to-end services, including social and digital strategy; design, illustration, copywriting, photography, and video; community management; paid social; and detailed measurement and analytics. We primarily serve clients in the CPG and Wine industries, including thinkThin, Olly Vitamins, Bare Snacks, Rodney Strong, Davis Bynum, Piper-Heidsieck, Raybern’s Sandwiches, and Villa Maria Wines.
Has it been a smooth road?
Moving from being a senior manager and expert in digital strategy to a CEO has been extremely challenging. Suddenly, I needed to learn the basics of HR, operations, finances, and business development in addition to creating great work and mentoring my team. In the early days, I certainly made a number of missteps, but our growth has allowed me to hire experts that support me and keep things running smoothly.
Another key struggle is the sense of responsibility I feel towards my team and the need to keep growing the business. Scaling from a small-and-scrappy agency to a full-time team with larger clients has been a challenge that can be extremely stressful!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Little Arrows – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Little Arrows is a boutique content marketing agency obsessed with creative social media that drives real business results. We provide end-to-end social marketing – in-depth research and strategy, content planning, social videos, photography, community management, paid media, and measurement and analytics.
Our clients appreciate our strong strategic insights, detailed analytics, and highly efficient approached to paid media. Our creative is also extremely strong, and we’re able to create assets like video at competitive price points.
We are extremely high-touch with all of our clients and adapt our processes to fit their business needs. We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach: it’s critical to support each client in the way which works best for them.
I’m extremely proud of the team we’ve built, our sophisticated understanding of the changing social market, our growth, and the quality of our work.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I am from NYC and moved to LA four years ago.
I’ve found Los Angeles is a fast-growing market where there is lots of excitement around digital and not enough expertise to go around. Because the market is growing so quickly, clients and agencies are more willing to be experimental and not follow the big-agency status quo. It’s been exciting to be involved in such a vibrant and growing community.
Pricing:
- Social & Digital Strategy, including Paid Media Test-and-Learn: $35k
- Annual Retainer (strategy, creative services, community management, paid social, and analytics): $125k/ year
- Annual Retainer Plus (same as above, but including custom photography and 12 videos): $200k/ year
Contact Info:
- Address: 4136 Del Rey Ave, Suite #618
Marina del Rey, CA 90292 - Website: http://littlearrows.com
- Phone: 9176043769
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/littlearrowsla
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/littlearrowsla
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/littlearrowsla
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2650082/
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
