It’s hard to believe this year we celebrate our 10 year anniversary. When I started The Mather Group, I wanted a different kind of agency, one grounded in authenticity and real results. I had 20 years of digital strategy experience to draw on, experience that showed me both how to and how to not move forward if I wanted to deliver lasting results and build authentic relationships with my future team members and clients.
I’m grateful and proud that the hard work has built an agency that is what I wanted it to be. We now have almost 20 talented specialists working full-time and we’ve helped everyone from Fortune 1000 companies to major nonprofits and startups. I might be most proud that we’ve been named an Inc. Magazine Best Workplace three years in a row (and counting!) This is a testament to the positive and supportive culture the team has built together.
To all our clients, thank you for trusting us to help tell your story. Many of you have been with us for a long time and helped support us along the way. We’re proud to be partners with you.
To my team, you are the heart and soul of The Mather Group. Your expertise, hard work, and passion makes everything possible. The number of times you’re referred friends, family, and spouses to the company speaks absolute volumes about how you view your work and work environment.
To partners, mentors, and all other supporters, thank you for your advice, encouragement, and presence. We couldn’t do it without you.
Now, for a bit of history. Here’s a look at how things have changed:
THEN: Wikipedia Who?
Wikipedia was important but still largely viewed with skepticism.
NOW: Wikipedia the Awesomely Powerful
Wikipedia is a cornerstone for online reputations. It’s the basis for many Google Knowledge Panels, frequently a top 3 search result on Google, and a foundational source for AI tools. Wikipedia is 10x more likely than any other site to show up in AI snippets.
WIKIPEDIA THEN: Home of Trolls
Wikipedia had guidelines, but with less people paying attention to the encyclopedia, it was easier to slither through the many cracks and ignore guidelines if you wanted.
WIKIPEDIA NOW: Halt! Who Goes There?
Wikipedia has tightened its rules and has very passionate gatekeepers keeping an eye on things. Working with Wikipedia requires a graduate level degree in its policies, and our team has learned how to speak “Wikipedia” fluently in order to help clients navigate this important piece of online reputation management.
THEN: Google, The Simple Things in Life
In 2015, Google was almost simple. No one knew everything about it, but making it work for you didn’t require spending weeks of time digging through procedural documents.
NOW: Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
Google gives us thousands of changes a year thanks to algorithm updates. The rise of rich search results completely changed the way we think about and work with search. Aspects like featured snippets, knowledge panels, and of course, AI, have everyone constantly asking, “What do I do now?” We have to be agile and adaptive to keep our clients visible. Every change is an opportunity for us to evolve and keep our clients one step ahead.
CLIENTS THEN: Code Red, Emergency!
10 years ago, it was common for companies to go looking for an online reputation management company only after a crisis had struck. Reactivity was par for the course.
CLIENTS NOW: We’re Five Steps Ahead
Now, there’s quite a bit more proactivity on the client-side. Rather than organizations asking us to put out fires, they want us to plant forests. Everyone has seen that when you have things set up properly, it makes succeeding in the long-run much easier.
ETERNALLY TRUE
What hasn’t changed in 10 years? Our foundational qualities of trust and credibility. The team trusts one another to do their jobs exceptionally well, and clients trust us to help them in more ways than you might imagine. We’ve kept relationships front and center, and that is and will be unchanging.
Here’s to 10 more excellent years!
