by threshold | Oct 30, 2017 | General
AUSTIN, Texas – Oct. 30, 2017 – Threshold/Carve, a full-service marketing agency, has been named No. 5 among companies with revenue from $500,000 to $9,999,999 on the annual Fast 50 list, which highlights Austin-area private companies that have grown rapidly in the past three years.
The recognition underscores the agency’s tremendous success as it expands into new markets and industries. Threshold/Carve was one of only four marketing firms making the list and topped many other marketing firms by demonstrating a 96 percent compounded annual growth rate from 2014 to 2016. Company rankings were announced at an Oct. 26 reception and awards presentation at the Hilton Austin hosted by the Austin Business Journal. Fast 50 companies were ranked in two groups – the top 25 firms with revenue from $500,000 to $9,999,999 and the top 25 firms with $10 million-plus in revenue.
“We are honored to be included with such an amazing list of companies in this years’ Fast 50,” said Billy Wilkinson, chief of everything else at Threshold/Carve. “Our team has worked hard to drive results for our clients which, in turn, has driven continued success for our company. Now that we have completed our acquisition of Carve, we look forward to the rewards of driving incremental success for our clients.”
The original firm, Threshold, acquired Canadian boutique marketing agency Carve Creative + Strategy in June. The new Threshold/Carve agency has produced a broader agency group better positioned to serve clients in the United States and Canada with a vast offering of services. Both agencies come together with strong reputations for their creative campaign solutions and proven digital marketing strategies. The newly formed group has an impressive track record of high-profile clients that span from national brands to local retailers to technology start-ups.
The new agency also has a broader client base that includes healthcare, technology, consumer brands, retail, B2B and financial services. The firm continues to grow its capabilities in the real estate industry where Threshold is already a leading agency.
The naming of the company among Central Texas’ Fast 50 is just the latest accolade earned by the firm, which also has won awards for projects such as Brochure Excellence for Arbor Company Senior Living Brochure, Website for Station at MacArthur and Campaign Distinction for Citizen Park.
Qualifications for Fast 50 nominations include:
- Demonstrate annual net revenue in each of the past three fiscal years. Net revenue is what was derived from sales of products or services.
- The company must have minimum net revenue more than $500,000 in each fiscal year of 2014, 2015 and 2016 and be willing to publicize this information.
- Independent, privately held corporation, proprietorship or partnership (not a majority-owned subsidiary or division) with headquarters in Travis, Hays, Williamson, Caldwell Bastrop or Burnett County. State agencies, government and print media are not eligible.
by threshold | Sep 25, 2017 | General
In the latest blog from Threshold/Carve, we break down three new digital apartment marketing ideas that we’re rolling out for our clients. These new services are part of our agency’s broader effort to keep our clients five steps ahead of their competitors.
New Service: Gmail Ads
Here’s a number to consider: 900 million. That’s the number of Gmail users worldwide. With an audience like that, it was only a matter of time before Google allowed advertisers to serve ads within Gmail. We’ve been serving Gmail ads for clients for a few weeks now, and they’ve already proven to be highly effective.
People click on these advertisements at a surprisingly high rate. One reason could be that the Gmail ads look less like advertisements and more like emails. The ads appear at the top of the user’s inbox and can include a 25-character headline and a 100-character main body.
Gmail ads offer endless targeting opportunities. Our favorite targeting method is something called, “contextual keyword targeting.” Although this sounds complicated, it’s really not. This feature allows advertisers to target people who’ve gotten emails that contain specific keywords — a useful feature for targeting people who are searching for apartments and condos.
New Service: IP Targeting
Everyone knows that location is the most important factor in the real estate market, but it may soon be the number one tool for marketers as well. With that in mind, let’s take a look at one of our newest digital marketing services; IP Targeting.
The IP Targeting systems at Threshold/Carve allow advertisers to deliver personalized content to specific users. As you may know, every Internet-connected device has a specific IP (Internet Protocol) address that is tied to its location. Advertisers used to be limited to targeting cities or regions, but now they can put ads in front of specific households, neighborhoods and apartment complexes based on an IP address. That’s right — you can now place your ads in front of the competitors’ residents.
Everyone is looking for ways to make marketing more efficient and effective. IP Targeting is one way that Threshold/Carve clients stay ahead of the curve on this issue. After all, it’s easy to craft persuasive messaging when you’re targeting specific individuals.
Let’s say a competitor of yours is behind schedule on renovating their pool and workout facilities, and residents-to-be are upset about having to wait. With hyper-targeted apartment marketing, you can serve ads to these people with messaging that speaks to their pain points. This is a far more effective marketing method than simply running a generic advertisement to promote your property.
New Service: Facebook Lead Gen Ads
Facebook advertising is hyper-effective because it allows for so many levels of targeting. Marketers can target their ads based on people’s interests, age, location, and university— all of which are especially useful targeting tools for our student housing marketing clients.
Facebook lead gen ads add another component to the traditional Facebook advertisement; a contact form. By serving a contact form to Facebook (and Instagram) users, marketers can collect contact info and follow up with potential customers.
As is the case with most Facebook ads, the lead gen ads are highly customizable. Marketers can tailor the contact forms to ask questions that pertain to their specific industry. Plus, the leads can be connected to a CRM like Salesforce or MailChimp. People have never been more willing to share their personal information, and Facebook lead gen ads make it easy to collect that info.
For more information on the digital services offered by Threshold/Carve, send us an email or give us a call.
by threshold | Sep 22, 2017 | General
The 9 @ West Campus is the 5th property from 908 Development Group that Threshold/Carve has had the privilege of marketing. This stunning new property near the University of Texas boasts an ideal location and upscale amenities but has dozens of competitors in the crowded UT housing market.
We knew we needed to hit an apartment marketing home run if we were going to catch students’ attention.
The eclectic city of Austin proved to be the perfect starting point. The brochure design was driven by bold, colorful branding and straight-to-the-point messaging. The same is true for the website, which is bolstered by large rendering photos and useful functionality.
The 9 @ West Campus opens in Fall of 2018.
by threshold | Sep 22, 2017 | General
Threshold/Carve nominated in Austin for Fast50
Every year, Austin Business Journal ranks the fastest growing companies in Austin over the previous three years. Known as the Fast 50, this list shows which companies are thriving in the booming Austin economy.
The 2017 Fast 50 has just been revealed, and we’re proud to announce that Threshold/Carve is one of the 50 fastest growing companies in the highly competitive Austin market. This is based on our company’s growth from 2014-2016, a three-year period in which the agency doubled revenue every year.
Some of Austin’s best and brightest companies are featured on this list, and we’re proud to be a part of it. The numbered rankings will be revealed until October 26th at 6 p.m. at the downtown Hilton Austin.
We’re excited about the recognition, and want to thank our clients in apartment marketing, student housing marketing, hospitality marketing and all other industries for the mutually beneficial partnerships that have helped Threshold/Carve grow at such a rapid rate. In October, we’ll find out where we rank on the Fast 50!
by threshold | Aug 30, 2017 | General
Threshold/Carve welcomes new faces to the team.
Account Management Team
Meghan May has been added to our Account team. She started her career in Austin, TX working at a marketing agency that specialized in residential marketing. From there, she moved to a digital marketing agency where she spent 3+ years creating successful digital marketing strategies for her clients. Meghan utilizes her passion for digital marketing and client success to assist clients in meeting their marketing goals.
Creative Team
Mike Lee has joined the creative team as Art Director, and works in the Canadian office. For over sixteen years, Mike has worked as an award winning art director and creative director at some of the top advertising agencies in Canada including Leo Burnett, McCann Canada, TAXI Canada, and Bensimon Byrne. He has created memorable campaigns for some very big brands including MasterCard (Canada and globally), Kraft, Capital One, Koodo, MINI, Trillium Gift of Life, CFL, Ontario Ministry of Health, and Joe Fresh to name a few.
Operations Team
Cassidy started out with Threshold/Carve as an intern as she completed her degree in International Business at St. Edward’s University in Austin. She joined the agency full-time a few months ago. She now works in traffic management with both our Austin and Waterloo office.
