• by Larissa Faw , August 27, 2015

Austin-based Rock Candy Media (RCM) is shaking up its business structure to land more national clients. The digital advertising agency is teaming with San Antonio-based production shop Geomedia to introduce a fuller suite of services. In addition, RCM is launching Diet RCM, a new unit that will to offer a slimmed-down version of its digital marketing services at lower prices.  

Geomedia will provide virtual reality and production capabilities, while RCM will focus on content-driven organic search-engine optimization, design and web development. The two agencies--which aren’t merging-- will also be neighbors. Geomedia, based in San Antonio, is opening an Austin office to enable closer collaboration by the agencies as they jointly pitch national clients.  

The move is intended to help both shops move beyond their Texas roots. "We grow by growing our clients, so it made sense” to form the alliance, said Rock Candy Media CEO Annie Liao Jones.

In addition, RCM is expanding with the launch of Diet RCM, a new division to offer RCM's digital marketing services at lower prices.  

“We built our name on helping small businesses and startups get name recognition and most of all, conversions, so we’ll often get calls from people that are just starting out. Sometimes they can’t justify the spend for our full retainer services quite yet,” says Jones. “Diet RCM gives them access to some basic digital marketing services at a lower price point and allows us to grow their businesses as they grow into full retainer clients.”

Diet RCM clients will receive the basics of digital branding from the same creative team that execute Rock Candy Media’s full campaigns. Diet RCM services include initial content strategy for social platforms based on messaging and positioning, custom social artwork and the creation and execution of a strategic social media marketing plan. 

“The goal is to grow clients through Diet RCM to the point where they can afford to take advantage of everything that we offer,” Jones said. “At that point, there’s a level of trust developed that pays off in a big way creatively.”