Data driven

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BLASTmedia evolves for changing media landscape

By Beth Taylor

From product launches to retail sell-through initiatives, global brands such as adidas and GE partner with Fishers-based BLASTmedia to create digital advertising, social media and public relations strategies that help reach sales goals.

“For us, the challenge is staying on top of all the new methods available to help clients sell more product. The landscape is ever-changing; there are new social networks popping up every day.” said Kelly Hendricks, founder and CEO. Traditionally, PR firms would target magazines, TV and radio advertising. “Now we do YouTube advertising, Facebook ads and Google Adwords to catch folks at all phases of the buying process.”

Hendricks started BLASTmedia as a PR agency ten years ago, finding opportunities to build the business around national and global technology companies.  “As marketing evolved and as the way consumers buy products has changed, we evolved,” said Lindsey Groepper, president of BLASTmedia. “We still have a robust PR division, but we now have social media, digital advertising, video production and graphic design. The growth happened very organically into those practice areas.”

Within the last two years, BLASTmedia has added local companies, including Formstack, Steady Serve and HAVEN, a Launch Fishers start-up company, to its growing client list.  “It’s been nice to work with local clients to have more face-to-face interaction. At least half of our clients, we never meet–we primarily work by phone, email and Skype. That’s been a nice change,” said Groepper.

Located in the FORUM building, the company has grown to 30 people and will move into The Switch building in downtown Fishers in the summer.

“Last summer, we were looking at a space to move to in the mid-town, Broad Ripple area. I was approached by the Town of Fishers to look at staying in Fishers,” said Hendricks. “I really like what Scott Fadness is doing with this city, and I like his approach to entrepreneurs. Not a lot of cities are doing what he is doing. You’ve got a forward-thinking city council, and I thought I wanted to get on board with Scott and his team.”

BLASTmedia uses advanced analytics tools to help clients find out which advertising tools are making the most impact. “When we started out as a PR agency, there really was no measurement or metric. Today, you have any number of different analytics tools that you can use to track any touch point online and see what is influencing consumers,” said Groepper. “If you get a story in the New York Times for a client, and hit the consumer on Google and on Facebook, and then the consumer types directly into a company’s website to make a purchase, we can track from that first touch point. We are in analytics for clients every day figuring out what’s making impact. We are very data-driven agency, so we’re able to track everything-what’s working and what’s not.”

Hendricks believes that his employees’ Midwestern work ethic works in the company’s favor. “Our clients on both coasts give us feedback about how hard our team works for them. It’s particularly noticed by our West coast clients,” said Hendricks.

BLASTmedia employees four interns at any given time. “Sometimes we do hire from that internship pool, and we enjoy hiring someone who is new because they don’t preconceived notions. We’ve been really lucky because we have hired good people who have stayed with us.” said Groepper.

“The environment is top-notch. This company is unique. It makes me excited to come to work every day,” said Kathleen Shurtz, an account executive.

About Kelly Hendricks

Age: 46

Resides: Fishers
Family: wife Cheryl and 3 daughters Libby, Emma and Hadley

Education: IU

Hobbies/Interests: hunting, art, guiding young entrepreneurs, travel

Life philosophies or quotes: “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

About Lindsey Groepper

Age: 36

Resides: Indianapolis
Family: husband Corey and twins, Riley and James

Education: University of Georgia

Hobbies/Interests: college football (Go Dawgs), running, reading

Life philosophies or quotes: “DON’T PANIC” – Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy


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