thought leadership
Welcome to our blog …a space designed for Fifteen4 news, advice, commentary, storytelling, and well, how our entire team of leaders think. Here is where we keep all the content that gives you a clearer picture of who we are, what we do, how we think [about the industry we love] and the many ways to tell a brand story, without resorting to buzzwords like “data-driven paradigm shift” or “brand story.”
Why Simple Websites Win (and Complicated Ones Make Users Cry)
In a world overflowing with content, choices, and distractions, simplicity in web design isn’t just a trend—it’s a necessity. A cluttered website is like a noisy restaurant: overwhelming, disorienting, and an instant reason to leave. On the other hand, an intuitive,...

Why Simple Websites Win (and Complicated Ones Make Users Cry)
In a world overflowing with content, choices, and distractions, simplicity in web design isn’t just a trend—it’s a necessity. A cluttered website is like a noisy restaurant: overwhelming, disorienting, and an instant reason to leave. On the other hand, an intuitive,...
How Our Baltimore Animation Team Kicked Ass in New York and Philly
That’s right. The Fifteen4 animation team, a crucial group within our Baltimore agency, won a District 2 Gold ADDY for Ciena's The Adaptive Network launch video. And that means beating out some pretty great work from agencies in New York and Philadelphia. Check out...
Crafting the right branding message without breaking your back
Justin Klugh, one of Fifteen4's copywriters, shares with it's better to have an idea of who you are as a writer before you help a client figure out who they are (after all, crafting the right branding message makes all the difference). I was standing between two x-ray...
What B2B Marketers Can Learn from a ’70s Film Icon
Our VP of Business Development, Will Smallman, shares our take on B2B strategy for content marketers: develop a content niche for top-of-the-funnel engagement that is highly personal and catered to your B2B buyers (humans). There’s a tendency for B2B tech marketers to...
4 Reasons Spec Work Doesn’t Work (and Why it’s Bad for Marketers)
Matt DeVille, VP of Digital, shares why any experience that is worth having takes time and thought to create (and that means saying no to spec work and yes to discovering, diagnosing, gaining consensus, and building a strategy—together). Spec Work. Virtually every...
Fifteen4 Wins Award from AMA Baltimore for Marketing Excellence
On May 16th, Fifteen4 was recognized at the 34th Annual American Marketing Association of Baltimore’s MX Awards. The MX Awards celebrate outstanding marketing campaigns in the Baltimore region across 17 categories. This year, Fifteen4 was awarded the trophy for ‘Best...
We Asked Our Moms What They Think We do All Day. Here’s What They Said.
Moms. They’re basically responsible for the world going around each day. From the time we were toddlers through becoming parents ourselves, it seems like we just can’t give enough props/love/recognition to all the amazing Mothers in the world. In honor of the Moms...
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thought leadership
Thoughts, opinions, education...things that will make your professional life better.
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podcast
Every episode of the branding world's greatest podcast: The Design of Experience.
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news
The latest happenings within and around the agency.
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culture
Employee and office musings. Usually humorous, always feel-good.