25 years ago, I set out to create something great. I knew I wanted to be the leader of a company that valued its employees as much as it valued its customers. I wanted to harness the potential of the Internet to create solutions for clients that delivered results. And Imarc was born.
You can’t learn to swim with one hand on the side of the pool, and you can’t build something new if you don’t take a chance and believe in yourself. I was all-in, and I was fortunate to find outstanding people that shared the vision and the commitment.
When Imarc began, our core offering was a pioneering Digital Asset Management (DAM) platform that companies including Starwood (now Marriott International) and Hershey Entertainment used to power their marketing operations. We expanded into building websites for startups, B2B and B2C companies, and non-profit organizations and began building a name for ourselves from there.
On my first day at Imarc as a Junior Engineer, I was able to contribute scripts for Starwood Hotel's Digital Asset Management system. 16 years later, Starwood is now Marriott, and they are still a client. Today I am proud to lead our engineering department as Director and help deliver other great application and marketing websites for our clients.Jeff Turcotte, Imarc Director of Engineering
While we continue to create award-winning web and DAM projects, in recent years we’ve moved toward a 360-degree approach to client care. Our web and marketing projects are just the beginning of a more comprehensive, long-standing partnership integrated with our clients’ marketing and business objectives. This way of working increases the value and effectiveness of our collaborations and holds us accountable not just for successful projects, but also for strategic outcomes and business results.
As our clients’ needs have grown and changed, we too have improved our craft and expanded our capabilities. The willingness of our team to evolve along with our clients and our industry is what has enabled us to grow and flourish for 25 years, and counting.
In the early years, Imarc was able to level up because our clients and partners believed in us and took a chance working with a young agency. We made the most of these opportunities and never looked back.
Our founding clients were Starwood Hotels and a business publisher led by a gentleman named Barry Harrigan in Topsfield, Massachusetts that incubated us while we worked as editors and contributors for their magazines. We cut our teeth on several web projects for small businesses and member organizations, and we consulted for a few companies on early web strategy and IT. Whatever it took, that’s what we did!
They deliver on their promises. They have a long track record of pumping out bug-free products in a very timely manner. They give accurate and detailed briefs. We’ve established excellent communication where they ensure they understand our exact ask before launching into development.Jonathan Phillips, Senior Manager, Marriott International
We’ve worked on many projects over the years, but there have been a few key projects that have propelled our growth exponentially. Some of our milestone projects were:
EBSCO Publishing gave us a very innovative (for 1999!) project, building a standalone website to support their recruiting. That success led to several future projects with a company we grew to really appreciate and respect.
UPromise was a pure startup that we helped by developing their earliest branding materials, consulting on strategy and technology, and building the first two iterations of their customer-facing website.
Massachusetts Society of CPAs was our first not-for-profit client, and we rebuilt their website, which moved the bulk of their member service functions online. That led to the creation of other bespoke websites plus an entire membership management product for other AICPA affiliates. We now serve 29 of the 51 CPA societies nationwide.
Rapid7 hired us to create a new brand identity and to design and build out their complete web presence. This project was a turning point for Imarc, as it was a launching pad for additional technology clients and branding work.
Jetblue hired us to completely reimagine their employee intranet, HelloJetBlue. We did this with an innovative mobile-first strategy that connected their far-flung workforce with their operations and each other, resulting in an energized and empowered workforce.
Bright Horizons hired us to extend and maintain their growing Sitecore web platform, adding new web interfaces and functionality to their powerful backend web infrastructure.
Beacon Hill Staffing brought us into a true full-service role. We’ve redeveloped their public-facing website, created an entirely new intranet, and we manage marketing campaigns that have dramatically increased traffic and conversions while lowering their overall expense.
By now we’re well known as a Northeast regional powerhouse for digital business and marketing solutions. We serve hundreds of leading companies spanning many different industries, with a concentration in technology and professional services.
When I joined Imarc, we were a mighty team of 16 smart, talented individuals who were swimming upstream. I have always been proud to represent our agency and I believe in my heart of hearts that this team is unstoppable. Serving our clients effectively has always required a process of continuous improvement in every aspect of our work. Our fantastic team always rises to the challenge, exceeding my high expectations.Katie Desmond, Imarc Partner and CRO
Imarc began with two founding partners in 1997. In 1999 we moved to Newburyport, Massachusetts with two employees in tow.
Then we blinked, and we were a party of 20 in 2014, effectively making us a mid-sized company. In 2015 we moved from Newburyport to our present-day headquarters in nearby Amesbury, Massachusetts.
Today we have over 60 Imarcians working together from all over the country, spanning 16 different states. This incredibly talented group was the result of our innovative decision to hire the best people possible, wherever they were. They are our heart and soul.
Every person on our team is important. Everyone that we add must be committed to their own professional growth in parallel with the company’s, and use their skill and experience to deliver the best work for our clients. In this way, we ensure that project objectives are met, and that we are successful in creating strong client partnerships.
They deliver beyond our expectations. Everybody we've come across has been incredibly knowledgeable in whatever team they're a part of. They're all experts on specific subject matters that we can tap into, which has been great.Caitlin Antosz, Marketing Manager, Beacon Hill Staffing Group
Lots of things have changed over the years – we’re constantly challenged to learn and grow our skills, adapt to new technologies and standards in all areas of our practice.
In the early years, our work was mostly project-based. It had beginnings and endings. Now, we’ve become a long-term partner to our clients, responsible for the outcomes, and results. We’re solving business problems – strengthening brands, lowering costs of doing business, serving customers, and increasing demand. Being accountable to our clients for the ROI of our work – it's the grounding rod for everything we do.Dave Tufts, Imarc Partner and CSO
The changes and challenges have been their own reward over the years, as they’ve added greater depth and increased value to our work. And while a lot of how we get our work done has changed, our commitment to the success of our clients will not. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
