Farris Marketing, founded in 1982, continued sustained growth in 2016 as full-service marketing and branding consultants. Farris Marketing prides itself on strong relationships with its both corporate and non-profit clients — some going back almost 15 years.

“You can’t retain clients for as long as we do with service alone,” says CEO George Farris. “While service is important, when you’re providing marketing and branding advice to organizations — essentially helping them to grow and sustain growth — you have to stay ahead of the curve. That means digital and traditional marketing as well as social media and technology.”

New For 2016: Outsourced Social Media And Video

In 2016, Farris began offering “outsourced social media” to help clients make inroads in social media marketing. “Effective social media campaigns can be amazingly effective,” says Farris. “But they are neither free nor easy — although that is a common misconception,”.

Clients using Farris’s new social media service work with Farris to develop the core messages and themes. Then they basically turn over their social media efforts to Farris, whose staffers develop and produce posts, and also launch paid social media campaigns on behalf of clients. Clients are advised and given mutual control, access and an ongoing live overview of what is being done on their behalf.

Also in 2016, a new in-house video studio was opened at the Farris offices. “Video is essential to businesses and non-profits today,” Farris says. “It’s the most effective way to get almost any message out.” The video studio is primarily used for social media and web videos, but also has produced animated commercials and “explainer videos.” Most larger TV campaigns and commercials are produced at a dedicated studio.

New and returning clients who enlisted help from Farris in 2016 include:

Alta Care Group

Comprising Alta Behavioral Healthcare, which provides counseling services to a yearly average of nearly 2,000 children, adolescents and young adults and their families; and Alta Head Start, which operates the federal Head Start/Early Head Start program in Mahoning County, serving 845 children birth through age five and their families.

Diamond Roofing Systems

A full-service commercial and residential roofing company with locations in Warren and Akron.

Help Hotline Crisis Center, Inc.

Northeast Ohio’s 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week comprehensive crisis intervention and community information and referral center.

Mickey Mart Food Stores

Operating 38 convenience stores in north-central Ohio from its headquarters in Milan, Ohio.

Northeast Ohio Development and Finance Authority

The economic division of the Western Reserve Port Authority, dedicated to promoting financing and economic development activities in Mahoning and Trumbull Counties, with a primary focus on job creation.

RothBlair

One of Youngstown’s oldest law firms, providing a full range of legal services to individuals, families and businesses in Mahoning, Columbiana and Trumbull Counties, as well as Western Pennsylvania and surrounding areas.

Rescue Mission of Mahoning Valley

Offering help for today and hope for tomorrow to individuals and families who are homeless or at risk, with overnight shelter and counseling and education programs. [returning client] Road Systems, Inc. – A Texas-based manufacturer and distributor of roadside terminal and guardrail systems. [returning client]