The Starr Conspiracy Saw Record Revenues, Impressive Growth, and Significant Transition in 2013
The Starr Conspiracy finished 2013 with its fourth consecutive year of strong growth. The firm’s revenues rose 22.9 percent and capitalized billings reached $31.35 million for the year ending Dec. 31, said agency partner and COO Dan McCarron.
“A few years ago, we said 2012 would be the year we primed the pump for growth, and that 2013 would be the year we took off and leveraged that revenue growth to make key transitions in our operations to be poised for our future needs,” said Bret Starr, agency founder, partner, president, and CEO. “I’m incredibly proud of the way the people at this agency have manifested our business plan each step of the way.”
The firm’s growth capped another year of milestones and recognition for the agency, including:
- Becoming the largest agency in Fort Worth and Tarrant County based on number of employees and capitalized billings, according to the Fort Worth Business Press.
- Opening a new headquarters in a 1920s industrial building on South Main Street. The agency co-owns the property in Fort Worth’s up-and-coming Near Southside neighborhood with Amphibian Stage Productions, a nationally recognized theater company.
- Joining the prestigious Inc. 5000 List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America. With three-year growth of 159 percent, the agency was No. 2,295 on the Inc. magazine list, and No. 79 among the fastest-growing companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
- Being named one of the 10 best private companies in the United States for taking care of its employees. The Principal® 10 Best Companies for Employee Financial Security — 2013 recognizes outstanding commitment to employees through company benefits, cultures that support work-life balance, and career advancement through training.
- Earning a finalist position for the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award among companies with 11 to 50 employees. Award recipients will be announced next month.
- Winning local ADDY® Awards across 10 award categories in 2013, for projects created and developed for a range of large, national clients. ADDY Awards won by the iconoclastic agency included a Special Judges Award and represented a variety of media, from billboards to logo design to video to music. The work was completed in 2012 for six national clients, as well as for a project that was part of The Starr Conspiracy’s own brand-awareness campaign.
“The Starr Conspiracy believes all business is personal, and anyone who knows us knows we hold that same belief about how we care for our employees,” Starr said. “It’s all personal for us. And it’s the right thing to do. Being formally recognized for taking care of our own is icing on the cake.”
The agency established a new business unit and expanded its roster of capabilities and talent across the agency in 2013. The Starr Conspiracy Intelligence Unit (TSCIU) was launched to deliver growth-oriented strategy, research, and advisory services based on its industry expertise. Led by Steve Smith, a partner at The Starr Conspiracy, TSCIU provides guidance and key insights for companies to grow market share and increase profitability.
“The protectors of the status quo in marketing fall back on outdated formulas that won’t deliver growth and aren’t sustainable,” Smith said. “We’ve seen it before, and that approach to marketing is dead.”
