We recently connected with Dee Marsh and Dana Mihaly and have shared our conversation below.

Dee and Dana, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us about a time where you or your team really helped a customer get an amazing result?

Color World Housepainting is a national company with local franchises throughout the United States. To establish Color World as the go-to for residential and commercial painting services, gutter replacement and holiday lighting within the communities of Southwest Austin and Dripping Springs, owner Jeff Hendricks reached out to Marsh and Mihaly Marketing Group. Together, we formed a collaborative strategy that included social media services and marketing, digital advertising and community relations efforts.

Goals: With the highly competitive Austin market just miles away, it was essential to establish Color World as a local service provider who cares deeply about the residents of those markets in which he services.

Tactics: With children in Dripping Springs schools and a spouse who taught in the Austin area, it was natural to focus philanthropic efforts on the students and faculty within the local school district. Color World became a sponsor for high school athletics, and Hendricks sought positions on booster club boards and devoted efforts toward supporting the Dripping Springs Education Foundation. In addition, donations were continuously collected at neighborhood events to supplement classroom funding for teachers.

In addition to supporting sports and academics, we established a social media-based recognition program to highlight unsung heroes within the community. Residents were encouraged to nominate fellow neighbors who “Paint the Town Proud” with their volunteer efforts, acts of service and ongoing dedication. We used social media channels to expand Color World’s reach and engagement and promoted Color World’s involvement within the Dripping Springs and Southwest Austin communities. A carefully targeted advertising campaign helped further publicize the franchise’s goodwill program and expand its audience. These feature stories were also used as fresh content for his website.

Finally, Hendricks enrolled in Leadership Dripping Springs, a hands-on, eight-month course hosted by the Dripping Springs Chamber of Commerce that’s designed to introduce residents to the multifaceted aspects of the community that make up the city. The program provides a deeper knowledge and understanding of the local community’s challenges and opportunities. Hendricks was able to establish a broader network of professional colleagues and associates throughout the Dripping Springs area and create awareness for Color World Housepainting among dozens of business owners.

Outcome / Results: In the past year, Marsh and Mihaly Marketing Group has grown social media impressions by nearly 1000%, grew fans by 153% and grew post organic reach by 9,000 users.*
*Based 2021 vs. 2022 Facebook analytics

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

At Marsh and Mihaly Marketing, a digital marketing group based in the Texas Hill Country, our mission is to give small businesses a big voice.

We marry tried and true traditional practices with the infinite power of the internet. We offer comprehensive marketing plans and strategic services that are affordable and effective for those with limited budgets.

Representing decades of experience in the industry, our skills are as diversified as our clients. We’ve worked in virtually every facet of the marketing industry–from advertising and public relations to social media and SEO. Whether digital or traditional marketing, we’ve tackled it all.

What binds us together? The desire to pursue our passion for promoting local business in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. It’s where we live, raise our families, dedicate our hearts and invest our time. And it’s what uniquely qualifies us to understand the opportunities, and challenges, facing small, local businesses.

Though our day-to-day is filled with digitally focused tasks, we truly enjoy the core of marketing: relationship development. Whether connecting non-profit agencies with local business owners or simply encouraging clients to engage in good old-fashioned networking, we bridge the gap between the digital world and community connections.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The story is not uncommon: launching a new business and then pumping the brakes due to the 2019 pandemic.

A small business ourselves, we quickly realized the devastating impact Covid-19 could have on our local community. In addition to the health and welfare of our neighbors, the health and welfare of our thriving economy was also at risk. We turned our talents to promoting a positivity campaign, “Drippin’ with Support.” Two other local businesses joined our efforts, and together we launched efforts to stir up good vibes in the community! Our initial goal was to help keep spirits up and our local economy functioning through an unchartered pandemic.

With the help of artist Cathy B Design and promotional products company OSO Marketing, Marsh and Mihaly Marketing Group produced yard signs, stickers and window decals to display throughout the community. We dispersed them, free of charge, to the small businesses and local restaurants who continued to serve, despite the risks, just to stay afloat. The businesses were able to use them as tokens of gratitude for patrons who support them. In turn, patrons could display the sign or sticker, showing that they were part of the local economic recovery process.

Thankfully, we’re now able to get back to normal and put the pandemic behind us. But never fear—Drippin’ with Support is still alive and well. The positivity keeps flowing through social media channels and goodwill encouragement as we continue to highlight the people and places that make our hometown great.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Several years ago, while lending a helping hand to the Dripping Springs Elementary PTA, we met at the popcorn stand and shared our professional and personal passions. In addition to having sons that were the same age (as well as younger daughters), we discovered we shared a similar career path prior to motherhood. We launched our careers in the television news industry and over time transitioned our writing and networking skills into marketing.

Over the next several years, our professional endeavors, volunteer work and personal lives continued to overlap and we began plans for a future entrepreneurial partnership. In 2018, Marsh and Mihaly Marketing Group LLC was officially launched.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.marshandmihalymarketing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshmihalymarketing
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marshmihalymarketing
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marsh-mihaly-marketing-group
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarshMihaly

Image Credits
Kelly Smith Photography