Launched in 1998 with two home computers, a used copier and some freelance income, the Seattle-based Copacino & Fujikado has evolved into a $4.8 million-revenue agency, with more growth on the way. The shop works with clients in industries ranging from travel to health care, taking pains to prescribe the right media for the advertising job. It has even dissuaded clients from using traditional advertising when live events or employee-motivation programs will do the trick.

For the Seattle Convention & Visitors Bureau, it helped lure travelers in the off-peak winter months with its "Two Days in Seattle" campaign. Tactics included using free trips to attract heavy social-media users from other large West Coast cities. It paid off when the visitors spread news about their trip online, generating plenty of free publicity. The shop is also well-known in the Pacific Northwest for its annual campaigns for the Seattle Mariners, which includes putting players in skits -- like having a pitcher pitch High Heat hot sauce.

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