“We teach each other every day, which lends to the strength of this organization,” Marcy says. “At the same time, we’re great friends, and we make each other laugh constantly. We have to enjoy what we’re doing if we expect to succeed.” The other major factor in the rapid growth of this Bethlehem, Pennsylvania–based agency has been the continuing evolution of both its capabilities and its workforce.

Unyielding innovation

Since buying out a third partner at the end of 2023, Marcy and Sprance have begun expanding the business into new directions. “This past year, we have definitely focused on product expansion and adding more things to our list of core services,” Sprance says.

One example is a product called Awestruck Streaming. This programmatic advertising campaign management system is designed to bring to the hospitality sector what Marcy and Sprance call an “audience-first and content-agnostic” approach to Connected TV and OTT advertising. The agency had long championed OTT branding as a critical element to an effective media mix, and the development and utilization of this streaming product has significantly moved the needle for Awestruck’s clients. In fact, Marcy and Sprance say Awestruck Streaming provides such a fresh and translatable approach to the programmatic landscape that it has started to garner interest from a wide variety of advertising verticals, even outside of the destination category.