Two marketing and communication firms have proven that a successful merger of staff and business cultures can lead to something greater. In July, Meridian Group and WB Marketing announced a rebrand under the new name Qantm Creative. The company, located at 427 Granby St. in Norfolk, provides traditional and digital advertising, marketing, and public relations services to a variety of clientele, from politicians and government agencies to businesses and organizations large and small in Coastal Virginia and across the globe.
Virginia Beach-based Meridian Group served the community for more than four decades before being acquired last year by Five Hill Capital, the parent company of WB Marketing. Originally known as Waters Advertising, WB Marketing was a staple on the Peninsula for more than 60 years. Qantm Creative CEO Jean Matacunas, formerly of WB Marketing, says the merger of the two companies was more than a year in the making.
“We didn’t want to move too fast on it,” she says. “We were intentional about rolling out the new business because we wanted to do it right. We wanted to make it clear to our clients and the community that we were joining forces.”
Jean Matacunas
Involving team members from both companies was also integral to the process.
“When WB Marketing approached Meridian Group about building the strongest ad agency in Southeast Virginia, we jumped at the opportunity,” says Bill Brunelle, who previously worked at Meridian Group and now serves as president of Qantm Creative. “It helped us build a stronger team because everyone was a part of the rebranding.”
The merger has been the perfect blend of staff, talent, and combined strengths, with 25 employees comprising Qantm Creative, and an additional two soon to be hired. Qantm Creative’s team bonded prior to the relocation to their new Norfolk office earlier this year in an effort to make the transition as seamless as possible.
Bill Brunelle
“That was one of our first steps toward integrating,” Matacunas says. “We spent time together, collaborated on presentations, and took personality tests so that we could learn how to appropriately communicate with each other. That was a big learning aspect for us, because everybody works differently and we had the chance to see how everyone works best. It’s been great because now everyone bounces ideas off of each other and they share their knowledge. They really take it to heart.”
When Qantm Creative launched, it was also important for the entire staff to move to a fresh space in order to “change it up for everybody and have that mindset shift that we were now one team,” Matacunas says. “We paced our move because we didn’t want to risk losing people by moving too quickly. I think moving at the pace that we did really helped make the transition more gentle and smoother for everyone.”
The new team also collectively set five goals for the new business by year’s end: delight current clients; gain new clients; grow the brand; improve productivity internally; and grow the company’s involvement in surrounding communities.
“Some seem like a stretch, but if you don’t stretch, you are not growing,” Matacunas says. “It’s been remarkable how much they’ve been able to accomplish in less than a year. Our goal at Qantm Creative is to continue to promote the businesses, organizations, and agencies that we serve. We are all about raising up the people in the community that we live, work, and play in. We are excited about this next chapter.”
