Noble People increased its revenue to $16 million in 2018 from $14 million in 2017 and expects sales rise another $2 million this year. Of its total 2018 revenue, $5.2 million came from new business. The shop was awarded Venmo’s full media account after previously handling its brand budgets, while winning new business from Zendesk, MoneyLion, Oscar, Bumble, DeBeers, Hallmark Channels, StreetEasy, Coca-Cola’s Peace Tea, Dana Farber, ASOS and Jamaica Tourism. 

To handle the influx of new business, Noble People grew its staff to 70 from 40 and bolstered its data and analytics team.

When asked what he did differently to achieve such a successful year, Noble People CEO Greg March suggests that the agency is finally gaining the recognition it always deserved for being a “creative media shop,” a stance it was founded on that has become increasingly attractive in the industry.

“I always feel like I’m doing the same thing,” March says. “Sometimes you make good calls, sometimes bad.”

Last year was seemingly a year of good calls, one of which was hiring Guen Yi as the agency’s first chief analytics officer. Yi is an alum of IPG Mediabrands and also worked at the Children’s Place, Zulily and the Walt Disney Co.

“It was an expensive hire for us and a bold hire for us,” March says, but ultimately worth the investment.

March credits Yi with using calculus to assess how specific investments made by clients can increase awareness levels and therefore sales. He says since Yi joined, new business opportunities have increased dramatically as he has added sophistication to the agency’s analytical approach to media.

Still, March maintains that Noble People will never rely strictly on the “math side” of media.

“Our founding is really on this creative media intention,” he says. “We [founders] worked as media people inside creative agencies. … I don’t think we’re declaring perfect solutions, but we’re saying, ‘This is our approach and this is what we believe, and we’re laying it all out on the table.’”