08/15/23

Inc. 5000 2023: Celebrating OBI’s Impressive Growth

At OBI Creative, we’re driven by a singular mission — empowering our clients to grow their brands and businesses through strategic customer led insights, creative innovation and more. As we’ve helped our clients scale new heights, we’ve also witnessed our own business flourish year after year. 

Today, we’re thrilled to announce that our unwavering commitment to growth has earned us a place in the prestigious Inc. 5000 Class of 2023, a list that ranks the 5000 fastest-growing companies in the nation. 

Celebrating Exceptional Growth Amidst Challenges

Despite the global pandemic, inflationary pressures and dynamic market shifts, OBI Creative has demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability. We have grown more than 150% from 2019 to 2022. This exceptional performance has not only landed us on Inc.’s illustrious list but also secured our place as one of the fastest growing companies in America.  

How did we get here? One word — trust. 

OBI Creative is one of the nation’s leading advertising agency brands serving medium- to enterprise-level organizations seeking meaningful growth. Using a customer first, insights and innovation driven approach to determine customer motivations, behaviors and key consideration drivers, OBI starts and finishes each assignment with the customer at the center.    

Our award-winning work and exponential growth it has powered has only been possible because of the trust our clients place in us to steward their brands. From rewiring the health care industry to building a comprehensive brand position and identity for a global travel solutions provider to executing multichannel advertising campaigns for the country’s largest privately held bank, we can only execute our work because of our relationships. 

Want to see what else we’re doing? Download our capabilities deck here!

Understanding the Significance of the Inc. 5000 List

What does it mean to make the Inc. 5000? Since 1982, Inc. Magazine has been compiling its annual list of America’s fastest-growing privately held companies. Initially featuring the top 500 companies, the list expanded to include the top 5000 in 2007. 

Over the past four decades, the Inc. 5000 has evolved into a reliable barometer of large-scale success, offering a data-driven snapshot of the most successful companies within the most dynamic segment of our economy — entrepreneurial businesses. 

The Criteria for Inc. 5000 2023 Recognition

To secure a spot in the 2023 Inc. 5000 list, companies needed to rank among the top 5,000 privately held U.S. firms by percentage revenue growth from 2019 to 2022, thereby exhibiting sustained growth over a three-year period. Being included in the Inc. 5000 is a testament to a company’s stability, prolificacy and innovative prowess in today’s business landscape. 

Previous honorees of the Inc. 5000 include household name brands like Facebook, Chobani, Under Armour, Microsoft and Patagonia, many of which gained their initial national exposure as recipients of this coveted award. 

A Validation of OBI Creative’s Unique Approach

This recognition underscores our unique approach at OBI Creative. We craft customer research–based marketing strategies for each client, driven by a customer-led approach. This distinct methodology has been instrumental in fueling our growth — and the growth of our clients. 

Using a customer-first, insights- and innovation-driven approach to determine customer motivations, behaviors and key consideration drivers, OBI starts and finishes each assignment with the customer at the center.   

Armed with the knowledge to align those motivations with clients’ products and services, we design and deliver relevant and actionable brand positioning, messaging, marketing plans and creative advertising campaigns that work.  

At OBI, we believe in the power of customer insights to drive exponential growth. We have done this for our clients, and they have done this for us in return. As creatives, writers, digital engineers and brand strategists, we believe that asking questions of — and listening to — your customers is not just the right thing to do for your business, it’s the right thing to do, period. 

Knowing what motivates customers provides the inspiration that guides us in everything we do. It’s what lets our creative minds soar. It allows us to take creative risks that other agencies might not, because they can’t know if it will connect with the customer. At OBI, we know because we ask. 

Our work doesn’t just inspire our creative; it inspires our clients. We help them see that connecting with customers doesn’t have to be as complicated as it may initially seem; rather, we know it’s important to keep it simple. The secret to getting customers to fall in love with your brand is as simple as asking them what they want … and then then giving it to them.  

“We are truly humbled and elated to have earned our place among the nation’s most dynamic companies on the Inc. 5000 List,” said Mary Ann O’Brien, OBI Creative’s CEO and founder. “This milestone would not have been possible without the extraordinary dedication of our exceptional team and the unyielding support of our valued clients.” 

Looking Ahead with Excitement and Determination

OBI Creative remains steadfast in its commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation and delivering unparalleled results for its clients. Always exploring new technologies and tactics and expanding our capabilities to achieve the greatest impact, we live to build today’s brands into tomorrow’s powerhouses. 

“We’ve entered a new era at OBI Creative. Over the past year we’ve ventured into new markets and embraced new technologies and collaborations,” said Vice President of Client Services Karisa Malchow. “Our team’s dedication and relentless effort have truly set us apart, and we are eager to seize the opportunities that lie ahead.” 

On behalf of the entire team at OBI Creative, thank you to our many clients and partners who have been an essential part of our remarkable journey. 

We don’t want to be the only ones celebrating. Review our capabilities and then let’s talk about how OBI can help your company make the list.

See the full 2023 Inc. 5000 list here.