Fast-growing media and marketing agency Potenza Inc. just sprouted its fourth arm, Potenza Innovations, acquiring software developer Information archiTECH earlier this week, establishing parent Potenza Inc. and Potenza Innovations with a sweep. With all of Potenza’s arms now on the same administrative body, CEO Frankie Russo says the company is primed to deliver comprehensive services in marketing, advertising, digital media and now custom software development.
The catalyst in all this is the growing popularity of Potenza’s marketing attribution software Potenza Intelligence. Two years ago, Information archiTECH designed and built the software for Potenza to provide their clientele a way of connecting the segmented and splintering dollar streams that result from a multimedia approach to marketing and advertising. With Intelligence, companies could track clicks and searches by region, day of the week or web platform, alongside tracking ad buys and air time in traditional media. The product became especially popular among broadcast media outlets looking to fold upstart digital media services into their marketing divisions. The ability to demonstrate the value of an ad dollar split among a rapidly multiplying network of streams is an essential tool for a TV station mutating into a one-stop media agency, which according to Russo is a trend across media.
“Everyone is trying to become an agency. Traditional media is not going away, but it’s definitely being affected by digital media,” says Russo.
Potenza’s custom Intelligence software has been licensed as a “white-labeled” and exclusive service in 78 media markets nationwide. Companies purchase Intelligence and re-brand it with their own media label, reinforcing to their respective clientele prowess as multi-media agencies. Potenza’s purchase of Information archiTECH allows Russo’s newly umbrella’d Potenza Inc. to more quickly update and adapt Intelligence to the shifty media marketplace, as well as create customized software as part of unified marketing services.
“Clients don’t want to spend a lot of time doing marketing. They just feel like they have to because there’s money involved and this [Intelligence] makes it way easier.” says Russo.
Aaron Lozier, who worked closely with Russo on Intelligence as CEO of the former Information archiTECH, will serve as chief technology officer of Potenza Innovations. The acquisition adds Information archiTECH’s team to the Potenza Innovations staff portfolio as well as brings a second software service to the fold: project management program The Hub.
“Intelligence is about getting more dollars out of your marketing. The Hub is about getting more dollars out of your employees,” says Russo.
For the second year running, Potenza has made INC.com’s INC 5000 magazine’s list of fastest growing companies in Louisiana. At no. 18 (no. 2138 nationwide) Potenza posted a three-year growth of 183 percent with a 2014 revenue of $3.5 million. That’s after a banner 2013 year that boasted 447% growth and revenue of $2.1 million, a development which earned Potenza the no. 1002 spot nationwide.