Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing

Our Story

Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing: Navigating the Waters of Change with a Smile - Our Story Starts

In the bustling world of media and marketing, where the tides of change can be as unpredictable as the wind off the Great Lakes in the middle of winter, Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing emerged as a beacon of hope and humor. This is our story. We were founded by seasoned professionals who have collectively worked for nearly every major media and communications company in the United States—think newspapers, TV, radio, and cable TV—this company is not just another player in the game; it’s a game-changer.

The Founders’ Journey: From Corporate Giants to Independent Mavericks

Picture this: media veterans, with a resume that reads like a who’s who of the industry, sitting around a table, sipping coffee and reminiscing about their days at the big leagues. They’ve built state-of-the-art marketing departments, served as consultants for clients across the country, and even guided those same media companies they worked for through their own digital transformation. It was a wild ride, filled with late nights, tight deadlines, and the occasional existential crisis over whether to use “affect” or “effect” in a press release. They still aren’t quite sure. Thank you spell and grammar check!

But as the media landscape began to shift, so did the objectives of the major players. Advertising costs were decreasing, and suddenly, it was less about helping clients succeed and more about keeping the agency’s bottom line healthy. The founders of Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing found themselves in a world where maximizing advertising spends took precedence over genuine client success. They could no longer work in an environment where the focus was on profit margins rather than meaningful results.

There's a new way to market your business using traditional and digital marketing. We had to break away to do it right.
Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing stopped doing things the way big media companies want ed to do business. Our founders wanted to teach you and tell you the truth. To do that, they had to break away.
Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing stopped telling you what big media and marketing companies wanted you to know and told you what you need to know. A rebellion from the way it's normally done.

A New Dawn: The Birth of Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing

And so, Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing was born—not out of a desire to simply make money, but from a passion for teaching and helping clients navigate the murky waters of traditional media strategies and digital marketing. The founders wanted to create a space where clients could feel comfortable incorporating new strategies into their existing marketing plans without the fear of the unknown.

 

Their mission was clear: to pause a campaign if it wasn’t working before it was too late, to ensure that clients’ advertising budgets were respected, and to provide results that were genuine rather than the corporate spin often found in boardroom presentations. They wanted to do marketing the right way, and they were determined to make it happen.

The Great Lakes Approach: Education Over Sales

At Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing, the mission is simple: “Do not sell anything to the client unless you know it will work.” This philosophy is not just a catchy slogan; it’s a guiding principle that ripples through every aspect of the company’s operations. If there’s any doubt about a strategy’s effectiveness, it doesn’t even make it to the meeting agenda.

The founders are passionate about helping clients understand the tactics at play in their marketing campaigns. They take the time to teach how these strategies work, how results will be monitored, and what adjustments might be necessary along the way. It’s not just about executing a campaign; it’s about empowering clients with knowledge so they can make informed decisions.

Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing works by teaching you how to use traditional and digital marketing not just selling it to you and asking you to trust us.
Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing will fill your brain with knowledge and information not just teach you how to write a check.
Don't just spend your marketing budget without learning how it works first. We can teach you.

A Commitment to Transparency

Transparency is at the heart of Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing’s philosophy. The founders believe that clients should always know what they’re paying for. They encourage clients to ask tough questions of their current vendors or marketing providers, ensuring they receive the value they deserve. Even if this means that Great Lakes Media doesn’t get to bring that business into their family, it’s a win for the founders. They believe that educating clients on how to protect themselves moving forward is just as valuable as landing a new account.

Humor in the Hustle

Of course, it’s not all serious business at Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing. The founders have a knack for humor, often sharing stories from their days in the corporate world. They joke about the time they had to explain to a client why using ads done in Spanish to expand to a new demographic, without having anyone on staff who spoke Spanish – might not be the best decision! No bueno! (see, we could have done it for them!)

This lighthearted approach helps to ease the tension that often accompanies discussions about marketing strategies. Clients appreciate the humor, and it fosters an environment where they feel comfortable asking questions and expressing concerns.

The Future is Bright

As Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing continues to grow, the founders remain committed to their core values. They understand that the media landscape will keep evolving, and they are ready to adapt alongside it. With a focus on traditional media strategies and digital marketing, they are well-equipped to guide clients through the complexities of modern advertising.

 

In a world where many agencies prioritize their bottom line over client success, Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing stands out as a refreshing alternative. Their dedication to education, transparency, and genuine client care sets them apart in an industry often riddled with confusion and complexity.

The story of Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing is one of a desire to promote honesty in traditional and digital marketing with a focus on the client and not our own bottom line.
Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing has a story of rebelling to teach clients how to use marketing and not just tell them to trust us and write a check.
The story of Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing breaking away from the traditional media company structure is one of a desire to teach marketing in an honest and responsible way.

Conclusion: The Initial Conversation is Free, but the Information is Priceless

That’s it! That’s our story! If you find yourself navigating the choppy waters of marketing and advertising (water reference, we are Great Lakes after all), remember that Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing is here to help. Their initial conversation is free, but the information they provide is priceless. Because if your email didn’t sing, the phone didn’t ring, and the doorbell didn’t ding, it doesn’t matter what the data says—the campaign didn’t work.

With Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing, you can rest assured that you’re not just another client; you’re a partner in a journey toward marketing success.

Great Lakes Media and Digital Marketing will not just sell you marketing and ask you to trust them, they will teach you how it works and then tell you the truth on the results