Sagefrog is celebrating 20 years in business!
To commemorate this significant milestone, we’re looking back at our twenty most memorable moments. From our founding and various office spaces to exciting industry awards, events, and company celebrations that have made Sagefrog what it is today—we’ve loved these past twenty years.
Thank you to everyone who has been on this journey with us.
Let’s start at the very beginning—with our founding by Mark Schmukler and Suzanne Morris.
1. Sagefrog was founded in 2002
1. Sagefrog was founded in 2002The genesis of the agency happened in 2002 when Mark merged his strategic marketing firm, Doyle Consulting, with Suzanne’s design studio, Much More Creative. The two entrepreneurs worked remotely as a two-person team, developing a reputation that would follow them for the next twenty years: they were wise (sage) and adaptable in their approach (like a frog). Today, the two-person LLC is Sagefrog, a top-ranked B2B marketing agency in the region with 40+ people.
2. Our first office in New Hope
In 2006, Mark and Suzanne moved into their first office space. They occupied a renovated barn behind Mark’s home in New Hope, PA. During “the barn era,” they hired their first employees who helped shape Sagefrog into a fully-functioning marketing agency. It was during this time that our owners decided to take a leap and purchase our current headquarters in the Doylestown, PA borough.
3. Planting Doylestown roots
Our founders’ vision to grow their startup into a full-service B2B marketing agency required a suitable space to welcome employees and clients throughout the greater Philadelphia and New Jersey region. After renting a Doylestown-based office for a few years, Mark and Suzanne purchased our current headquarters at 62 East Oakland Avenue in Doylestown, PA in 2012—a 3,500 sq. ft. building that would eventually be home to 40 Sagefrogs, occupying all four floors.
4. The first B2B Marketing Mix Report
In 2006, Sagefrog released its first-ever B2B Marketing Mix Report to give marketers insights into the state of B2B marketing trends, priorities, and budget planning. The information was gathered by surveying B2B marketers from various industries and synthesized into a comprehensive report. The B2B Marketing Mix Report is now in its 16th consecutive year and has become an anticipated annual resource for our clients, industry publications, and peers. View the 2022 Report here.
5. Google certified partner status
Sagefrog was one of the first marketing agencies in the greater Philadelphia region to become a certified Google Partner. In 2010, the agency was awarded Google AdWords Certified Partner Status, which required us to have Google Qualified Individuals and minimum advertising spend under agency management. This status also granted us special access to Google agency-only research, training, and marketing resources.
6. HubSpot certified partner
6. HubSpot certified partnerWe started our HubSpot journey in 2014 as a certified partner, working our way to a HubSpot Platinum Agency Partner in 2018—proud to be the only B2B marketing agency in the Philadelphia and New Jersey region to represent this status. Being a HubSpot partner means our agency has met criteria, including managed revenue, clients using HubSpot, software engagement, and overall success in inbound marketing. Today, everyone at Sagefrog is HubSpot certified as we continue to grow and expand our HubSpot status and capabilities for clients.
7. The first Trusted Brands Report
The success of our annual B2B Marketing Mix Report inspired the creation of the annual Trusted Brands Report, which surveys and reveals the most trusted B2B brands of the year. Now in its 9th year, and with nearly 3,000 votes comprising the 2021 Report, the Trusted Brands Report has become a B2B benchmark of the factors that contribute to brand trust and what companies can learn from the most trusted brands in the B2B landscape.
8. Opening regional branch offices
With a growing roster of clients throughout Greater Philadelphia, New Jersey, and Lehigh Valley, Sagefrog decided to open regional branch offices that would offer greater convenience to clients for in-person meetings and increase our presence in major markets. Our first regional office opened in Princeton, NJ, followed by offices in Philadelphia and Center Valley, PA.
9. First HubSpot INBOUND conference
In 2015, Sagefrog attended our first HubSpot INBOUND conference in Boston. This event marked a significant milestone in our commitment to HubSpot and has been an anticipated week on our calendars each year since. INBOUND brings together all partner agencies, entrepreneurs, users, and exhibitors, helping the community get more capability and results from the platform.
10. Named to Philadelphia 100® & 50 on Fire in Philly
Our continued growth as an agency culminated in 2016 with two major awards, including Philadelphia 100® and 50 on Fire in Philly. This year, we were the only B2B marketing agency to make the Philadelphia 100® list and were proudly honored as the fastest-growing, privately held entrepreneurial company in Greater Philadelphia. At the same time, 50 on the Fire in Philly recognized us for driving the region’s growth through accelerated growth over three years.
11. Focus on company culture
11. Focus on company cultureThe agency’s rapid growth meant it was time to truly focus on cultivating company culture to give Sagefrog employees a great place to work. Team-building and parties to celebrate our success became a pillar of our culture. Some of our favorite memories included our first-ever Sagefrog Bar Hop, Post Malone Concert, Escape Room, and Axe Throwing.
12. 15th-anniversary celebration
12. 15th-anniversary celebrationFive years ago, we celebrated our 15th anniversary. Mark and Suzanne commemorated the milestone with a company party with dinner, music, and games for the team and their families. Philly Ad News featured Sagefrog’s 15th anniversary with an article highlighting our success.
13. EOS® implementation company-wide
In 2017, Sagefrog took major steps towards scaling the business by implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System®, EOS®—a comprehensive business system with a complete set of simple tools and a proven process to align and synchronize all the pieces of the business. The implementation of EOS® formed Sagefrog’s current leadership team and organizational structure and continues to provide all employees with a transparent company structure and direction.
14. First HubSpot & Google event
As one of the only HubSpot and Google certified partner agencies in the region, Sagefrog hosted a HubSpot and Google open-house event that welcomed marketers for an exclusive Google Partners broadcast and a live HubSpot demonstration. Attendees spent the afternoon at our Doylestown headquarters networking and learning how to grow their business with these tools and platforms.
15. Community give-back with Manna on Main
Giving back to the community has always been important to Mark and Suzanne. With a growing team of people who are also passionate about philanthropy, Sagefrog partnered with Manna on Main Street, a non-profit organization committed to ending hunger in the North Penn region. For a few years before the pandemic, Sagefrog volunteered our time to support those in need.
16. Named a Best Place to Work®
One of our favorite accolades to date, in 2018—and consecutively for the last four years—Sagefrog was named a Best Place to Work® in Philadelphia, and, most recently, a Best Place to Work® in Pennsylvania! This award is possible only through the endorsement of employees. It holds special meaning to our team as cultivating an empowering culture for our team has become a top priority.
17. Hosted first quarterly FrogForum
As an EOS® company, Sagefrog began holding quarterly State of the Company meetings in 2017 and expanded upon them in 2019 with our first-ever FrogForum. This event marks the end of a quarter, bringing together the company for a review of the prior quarter’s performance and plans for the quarter ahead. It also provides time for team members to share special projects (a.k.a., Rocks) that they’ve been working on to keep all departments inspired, aligned, and working together.
18. Transition to hybrid work model
In 2021, Sagefrog settled into our “new normal” following the pandemic by launching a hybrid work model that allowed employees to work remotely or from our Doylestown office, with in-person client and team meetings and planned team-building events each month. We were proud to launch this model as it put the power of choice in employees’ hands—letting them choose a work environment most conducive to their work style and personal needs.
19. Record revenue and team growth
Proving the success of our hybrid model, we achieved record revenue and team growth in 2021. We grew our top line by 28% and added ten new employees in just one year. Meeting this planned growth goal is a testament to EOS®, and we dedicated this record-breaking year to our tightly integrated team and clients who are doing amazing things in their respective markets.
20. And now, celebrating our 20th year
Counting through our top twenty most memorable moments and knowing it all culminates in our twentieth year, we’re so grateful to everyone who has been with us on this journey. We have a year of celebrations planned to commemorate this milestone, starting with an enhancement to our logo.
Thank You for 20 Years
We dedicated these past twenty years to our incredible clients, team, and partners who have worked with us along the way. We have big plans for continued growth and expansion and can’t wait to see what the future holds!
