Business Talk Magazine

Ever since we reached widespread adoption of the internet, marketing practices for businesses of all shapes and sizes (MNCs, SMEs, and MSMEs) have changed dramatically. Particularly post-2000, the influx of technology and data resources have forced brands to shift the way they think about marketing – with a newfound focus on digital, the possibilities have expanded tenfold. The digital realm’s ever-growing opportunities have inspired many startups, the most innovative of which have piloted the marketing space with bespoke solutions. A benchmark-setting marketing agency, Megaphone is one such name that rises to the occasion. It is a full-service marketing firm based in Australia that, having been crowned the country’s #1 Social Media Agency in 2021, is widely recognised as the best in the business. 

The firm is led by a dynamic trio: Max Hertan (Director), Lauren Oakes (CEO), and Josh Gowing (CMO). The following article summarizes Megaphone’s rise from pint-sized startup to pioneering powerhouse.

THE EARLY BEGINNINGS  

The story of Megaphone began with “Melbourne Young Entrepreneur” winner, Max Hertan. In 2013, he founded the agency with a dual vision: one, to help businesses surpass their goals and reach their potential, and two, to create a working environment where learning and self-development flowed through the team’s DNA. Three years after joining Megaphone as an Account Manager, the vision became abundantly clear when Lauren stepped into the role of CEO. Her ambition was to create the best workplace in Australia: an ecosystem where the brightest minds in Australia could thrive and be the best versions of themselves. With time, that vision took shape, and the agency excelled in leaps and bounds. Megaphone has mushroomed into a full-service agency that services some of the world’s biggest brands, with expertise in social media marketing (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok), Google Ads, SEO, content creation, digital strategy, B2B marketing, and lead generation. 

With Lauren steering the ship and Max’s entrepreneurial mindset unwavering, Megaphone has grown rapidly across three continents with over 120 employees. Lauren has a 70% female representation in leadership roles at Megaphone and earned second place in the Global Stevie Awards for Women-Led Businesses. She has also been shortlisted in the B&T Women Leading Tech Awards in the Executive Leader category and was the driving force behind Megaphone’s award as Australia’s #1 Social Media Agency in 2021. Since donning the CEO hat in 2018, she has also been a formidable mentor to many businesswomen both inside and outside of the company walls.

AN EXTENDED PARTNER TO CLIENTS

Innovation and people are two core pillars of Megaphone. Their services are driven by a holistic approach and strong knowledge of business aspects beyond just marketing – providing guidance in business development, hiring, post-purchase experiences, community building, branding, content, and much more. “We act as a second marketing arm to the business, making clients part of the team,” says Lauren. The holistic approach and diverse knowledge bank allow Megaphone to overcome clients’ issues no matter in which area they arise. By helping clients stand out and grow for the long term, the agency carves a distinction for itself in a crowded field. Meanwhile, the team’s ability to constantly learn and update their skills plays an instrumental role in overcoming hurdles head-on. 

Long story short, Megaphone is a disruptive business entity. By always scouring for emerging innovations and trends, and seeing new marketing challenges as opportunities, the agency’s clients don’t just grow, they thrive. Consistent with its path, the firm has grown to become more than just a business entity and marketing agency: they are a dynamic community where marketing minds seek knowledge, where passionate individuals build industry-leading skillsets, and where clients achieve exceptional ROI.

MegaVortex^© AN EXEMPLARY INNOVATION

Digital marketing is a constantly transformational landscape, forever introducing new platforms that drive customer habits. However, while the landscape goes through transformational shifts, one thing marketing agencies haven’t proactively addressed is the underlying marketing philosophy and framework. Acknowledging this industry shortcoming, this realisation inspired Megaphone’s disruptive and novel innovation, the MegaVortex^© – a much-needed step forward from the traditional “marketing funnel” approach (attract, engage, encourage action). By contrast, the MegaVortex^© overhauls the linear marketing framework, taking an omnichannel approach to cleverly test creatives and messaging in greater, more sophisticated quantities, sparking higher-converting ads at every single user touchpoint. Its introduction has been a stepping stone for Megaphone to propel its – and its clients’ – growth even further. 

Since launching the MegaVortex^©, Megaphone has benchmarked its excellence and left competitors playing catch-up. The system has sparked a 9x return on advertising spend (ROAS) across the client portfolio, a momentous step above the 2.87 average (per Nielson). As Lauren echoes, “It’s sending a clear message to the marketing industry that there’s no room for outdated practices.” 

CONSTANTLY PROTOTYPING

Megaphone’s inherent innovation pursuit and regular market research enable it to be flexible in every market. The agency is constantly experimenting with ideas, and pushing boundaries is encouraged across all departments. This offers an opportunity for its people to spearhead different projects and imbibe learning as a fundamental part of their careers. This consistency contributes to their employees’ development; nourishing, challenging, and reimagining their limits. By developing its people, the agency is in the driver’s seat to always find competitive advantages, no matter the geography at play. For instance, Brisbane has a completely different market from a faster-paced city like London (both of which have Megaphone offices). So, it’s essential to have a strong understanding of the priority (services, culture, and results) and act accordingly.

The constant experimenting bolsters the firm’s reputation and strength, ensuring they’re always ahead of the pack. Innovation is not just their core but also their way of life. The agency’s processes embody its 5 values: proactivity, authenticity, excellence, innovation, and enjoyment. The constant innovation cycle helps Megaphone introduce new resources that can improve the company’s efficiencies, expand its solutions portfolio, keep the team battle-ready at all times, and, ultimately, deliver long-lasting and strong growth for its diverse clientele. 

OUTSMARTING COVID-19 

“View every challenge as an opportunity to grow and separate yourself from the competition.” This thought kept the agency motivated through the entire COVID-19 crisis. Understanding that the traditional B2C market was about to be turned on its head, and that ecommerce was going to be accelerated with years worth of natural acceptance in the span of months, the agency focused on adaptation and turning a hurdle into a springboard. Like many, the team in Australia (headquartered in Melbourne) shifted to working from home. The leaders made a serious pivot in their culture; constantly challenging, motivating, and educating the team online – “In the face of challenges, we not only survived but thrived by putting our team first,” says Lauren. 

To make the most of an unforeseen and, admittedly, uncertain and difficult situation, Megaphone provided everyone with plentiful resources that helped create positive outlooks amid the trying times. The focus on collaboration – on people first – helped Megaphone grow exponentially. Because only by creating the best possible environment and habits for its people could the team then deliver the best possible results for their clients. Since the pandemic, the firm has grown by over 200% in size, from roughly 30 employees prior to the 2020 pandemic to over 100 as of April 2022.

A ‘LEARNING & INNOVATION’ CULTURE

“Innovation isn’t an action by choice, it’s ingrained in our company from the ground up,” states Lauren.

Megaphone’s rapid success stems from its emphasis on in-house development. Everyone shares a similar vision, keeping them rooted in delivering nothing but the best. The focus on creating a progressive culture starts right from hiring resources: they look for people who can shake things up at the agency, those who can become the best version of themselves both professionally and personally. They put a huge amount of effort (and money) into training candidates, not only to create incredible marketers but holistically sound professionals and flourishing individuals. Their training principles mostly focus on interpersonal skills, teamwork, and proactivity, going above and beyond the typical marketing education. This fosters flexibility, which helps to understand and respond to the transforming market landscape. While they are ambitious, they embrace both their strengths and weaknesses and constantly work on them.

Led by Lauren and the leadership team, Megaphone also runs various growth initiatives to foster innovation, such as a week-long “Think-tank” in April 2022 during which leaders from all cities came together to create groundbreaking solutions to catapult the business forward across five core factors: client satisfaction, employee satisfaction, brand growth, workplace culture, and mindset. They also have dedicated “Learnings and Innovations” Slack channels, welcome professional and personal development tips from guest speakers, provide mentoring sessions, offer leadership training, run book clubs, and plenty more.

A MAGNANIMOUS JOURNEY 

Setting sail with a vision to transform the marketing industry, Megaphone is enjoying phenomenal growth. It won the title of 2022’s Leading Social Media Marketing Agency – Australia (Corporate Excellence Awards) and is rated #1 on Clutch, among a host of other accolades. The fruits of their labour are best illustrated in their client retention. The agency boasts a 96% client retention rate (an impressive industry benchmark) earned by delivering blockbuster results in terms of key growth metrics for its slew of clients. Megaphone is also continually expanding. It has recently landed in the UK, continues to spread its glowing reputation in the USA, and eyes potential locations in Asia, Europe, and Canada. They are continuously seeking opportunities to maximise the possibilities of the ever-changing landscape with proactive in-house innovations.

These milestones speak a lot about Lauren’s invaluable leadership. Starting as an Account Manager and now a thought-leader, mentor, motivator, and CEO, she sets a shining example for her team to follow. Her consistency and burning desire to innovate and build is propelling Megaphone toward its two ultimate goals: to be the world’s best marketing agency and the world’s best place to work.

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