Grapevine, Tx – December 5, 2024 – Ascend Marketing, a leading provider of marketing services and strategy, proudly celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Founded in 2004, Ascend Marketing has consistently delivered innovative solutions, helping clients navigate the evolving marketing landscape with cutting-edge strategies and impactful results. Over the past two decades, Ascend Marketing has become a trusted partner to a diverse range of industries, from tech startups to Fortune 500 companies.
To mark its 20-year milestone, the firm has launched a new website and earned a place on the Inc. 5000 list once again, recognizing its growth and expansion.
Reflecting on the journey, Rich Herbst, CEO and Founder, shared, “When we started Ascend, we weren’t trying to be a large organization. We wanted to create something distinctive—work that we felt good about and that made a difference in the lives of everyone we touch. We made that our focal point, and we’ve run our business that way ever since. It’s a special celebration as we’ve grown so much, and it feels like a blessing that it has unfolded this way.”
One of the reasons why many employees and leaders have long tenure at the company is Ascend Marketing’s unique culture. As Rich Herbst reflected on the company’s history, he noted, “In the very early years of Ascend, we hadn’t yet articulated values, but we worked on principles. Principles like transparency, being frank, being open; principles like integrity, building trust with our clients and teammates, and putting people first. People-centricity is a core operating principle for us.”
“Out of that, our values emerged,” Herbst continued. “We put ‘heart’ first, caring for people, looking out for others, and showing genuine compassion. Our second value, unsurprisingly, is ‘integrity’— we strive for integrity in everything we do, top to bottom. The third value is ‘excellence’— we want to deliver work that we’re proud of, that is truly excellent, and state-of-the-art. Lastly, our final value is ‘spirit,’ which captures the energy, passion, and deeper purpose that our team brings every day.”
As a way to give back to the community and share knowledge and best practices with fellow marketers, Ascend Marketing launched Martechify.com, a free educational forum where leading martech experts share their case studies and insights to help others stay current in today’s fast-evolving martech landscape. Over the past four years, Martechify has grown into a national community with close to a thousand members, featuring insights from leaders and practitioners at companies such as Nvidia, Dell, 7-Eleven, Verizon, HP, PayPal, Jason’s Deli, Marriott, and many other innovative organizations.
Since its inception, Ascend Marketing has expanded its portfolio of services to include digital marketing strategy, campaign management, marketing automation, content creation, social media management, and data-driven analytics. The firm is also recognized for its proprietary technologies, which have helped clients enhance customer engagement and improve campaign performance through real-time insights.
“I’m thrilled that we’ve received numerous awards over the years,” said Rich Herbst. “Some recognize Ascend’s growth, like the Inc. 5000, while others celebrate innovative work we’ve done. However, the most meaningful award is the BBB Torch Award for Ethics, as it acknowledges our commitment to being a human-centered organization that genuinely strives to do right by the people we serve.”
