Connect
To Top

Meet Kate Robitello of Crawford & O’Brien in Lohi

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Robitello.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Kate. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Crawford & O’Brien is a branding, marketing and consulting firm that originated in Phoenix. Purchased by Kate Robitello and Josh Paterson in 2017, the company quickly shifted gears from an “agency” approach to a full scale, integrated, consultative firm that partners with those who seek to make an impact in the world, most of which are impact-driven products and services. In addition to impact, our unique approach prioritizes revenue-centricity, scalability and allows our clients to evolve from a one-dimensional product or service focus to a long-term, comprehensive brand focus.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road has been a curvy, bumpy and at times, nerve-racking adventure! But every struggle has brought forth a new opportunity or realization which has allowed our company to be a leader in our space and for that, I am ever-grateful.

The struggles that initially faced were primarily based on the fact that the former agency approach did not align with our long-term goals. With that, we really deconstructed the existing model and completely rebuilt a new business. In addition, what we still find is the abundance of “marketing agencies” who operate without full transparency, expertise or a consultative/forward-thinking approach. Many of our the interactions that we have with prospective clients is just learning about the struggles they’ve had with agencies, how they’re spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and have little to show for it or simply that the agency did little to support their business beyond driving traffic, leads, followers and other vanity metrics.

Fortunately, our model is quite a bit different than 99% off those agencies we find the marketplace. We’ve been able to learn quite a bit from our clients regarding the obstacles that are faced with when it comes to branding and marketing – but perhaps more importantly, we’ve learned about the challenges they are faced in all facets of their business, such as sales, overhead, systems and processes, personnel, budgeting, etc. and with that, we have been able to create specific programs that support our clients in all facets of their business while focusing on profitability, scalability and long-term sustainability.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Crawford & O’Brien – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
We are a full-scale branding, marketing and consulting firm. We have a broad range of services, many of which are what you would normally find with an agency like SEO, Social Media Management, Digital Campaign Management etc. – all of which are managed by incredibly versed and experienced experts who stay in their lane, meaning someone who manages Facebook Ads for E-comm does just that. Nothing else. This applies to all of the positions within our company who aren’t on the leadership team.

As for branding, we take a comprehensive approach which includes a deep dive into market research, target market analysis and segmentation, ideal customer avatar development, brand tone, language, photography guidelines, social media guidelines and identification of new trends and future opportunities. I think a lot of people still think branding means “logo and a website”. We include those elements too. But with our strong focus on brand building, we take a lot of pride in our process which is really taking the approach that big brand agencies are using and apply it on a micro-level. I formerly worked with big brands like Grey Goose, Ketel One, Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark and Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, so I’ve seen what it takes to create a successful brand and has provided that to my clients.

Every facet of our business is data-driven, even the creative side is fueled by data and thorough research. We are an interesting fusion of left and right-brained individuals, with almost exactly 50% on each side, which creates a beautiful team balance of artists and scientists.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We are in the process of our own rebrand, as we feel as though we could improve the way we convey our unique approach across all platforms.

As I am writing this, we are in the midst of one of the most historical moments known to mankind (COVID-19) so to state plans that we had even a week ago would not be 100% transparent or timely, as the marketplace is dramatically shifting. We are still running full steam ahead and are working closely with our current and prospective clients to ensure that they are fully supported during this time.

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
Elemental Photo, Scott (Image of me + Josh and the one of me blowing glitter)
https://www.elemental-photo.com/

Suggest a story: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in