History

Marcel Media, whose name came from a particularly colorful client, was born in the early winter months of 2003. Six months earlier, Kelly Cutler and Ben Swartz were coworkers, where prospects were repeatedly asking them how to achieve top rankings on Google and other search engines. Working from home offices, they slowly secured a few solid clients with a strong product offering.

In November of 2003, Marcel Media opened for business in its new home, The Factory Building at 445 W. Erie in the River North neighborhood of Chicago. Over time, Marcel Media has become a leader in the Chicago online marketing space, providing a strategic and thoughtful approach with a strong focus on search engine marketing and website development. In less than 5 years, Marcel Media has grown beyond web development into a strategic interactive advisory firm. Kelly and Ben have built a team focused on delivering results based solutions to its clients through ongoing innovation.

Marcel Media continues to educate the Chicagoland business community on the latest online and Web 2.0 marketing trends through its seminar series and the outreach of the officers of the company. We begin with one fact: 80% of all Internet traffic begins at a search engine.

Milestones in Marcel Media History

2003

 Right Align
  • Marcel Media is formed by Kelly Cutler and Ben Swartz.
  • Evanston Northwestern Healthcare and Residential Loan Centers of America are Marcel Media's first clients.
  • Marcel Media opens office in the Factory Building.

2004

 Right Align
  • Marcel Media hires its first employees.
  • Marcel Media signs on local Chicago Ryland Homes office as a client.
  • Marcel launches Search Marketing campaign with Rush University Medical Center and online advertising campaign for Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund.

2005

 Right Align
  • HUB International hires Marcel Media for Search Marketing services and new international website with regional, sales and investor focus.
  • The 2005 U.S. Healthcare Websites Resist Natural Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Online Sales Lead Study finds that 72% of U.S. healthcare sites do not use effective key words in home page title tag, over 80% don not use a suitable title on primary interior pages.

2006

 Right Align
  • Marcel Media kicks off seminar series focused on educating the business community on technology, Web 2.0 and online marketing trends.
  • Marcel Media launches new innovative website for client HUB International.
  • Marcel Media launches Search Engine Optimization strategic campaign for client Rush University Medical Center.

2007

 Right Align
  • Marcel Media becomes search agency of record for national branch of Ryland Homes with local and national focus.
  • Marcel Media hires additional staff and moves to larger office space in the Factory Building.
  • A 2007 research survey by Forrester and Evaluservice indicates that more than half of all CMOs prefer creative boutique agencies that are proficient in emerging digital media over traditional, larger agencies who have difficulty thinking beyond traditional print and TV media models.
  • Cost Per Action (CPA) measurement generates buzz, going beyond traditional Cost Per Click models which merely seek to drive advertising traffic. CPA decreases advertiser risk and eliminates click fraud.