At the start of 2020, Jonathan Jadali already had a very clear vision for changing the Public Relations (PR) game, then Covid struck hard, and everyone scampered for safety. The pandemic didn’t become a setback; it became an immense opportunity to try out his ideas. It was the best time for companies to come online. As more and more businesses began building a stronger online blueprint and visibility, it became the perfect recipe to grow Ascend Agency.
Through sheer determination and a clear passion for Marketing and PR, Jonathan has built Ascend Agency, using the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic as a springboard to radically grow the agency into the go-to brand in his industry.
Jonathan Jadali is an American entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Ascend Agency.
The Rise Of Powerful PR Brands
The sheer necessity of the right kind of visibility brought about by the pandemic has resulted in the birth of a staggering number of businesses coming into the PR and marketing space. Some of these brands have been more successful than others, but the trend is worth noting. In 2021, Jonathan and Ascend Agency had a wildly successful year earning over 5 million in revenue doing PR for thousands of brands in a year where online visibility became a must-have.
In his own words, “One of our values is giving the same level of energy and attention to delivering for a small startup or individual brand as we would give for our Fortune 500 clients. This simple resolve has given us two amazing years of revenue with a $0 Ad spend, which is crazy all by itself. All our business has come from word of mouth, and it’s really satisfying to realize that this model is sustainable.”
Jonathan and many experts believe that for brands to excel in the PR space, they need to discover the gold mine that lies in small businesses and individual brands. In Jonathan’s words; “We don’t pick up fortune 500 companies every day, but in the last two years alone, more small businesses and individual brands have launched online than we have ever seen, its quantity over quality right now as long as your service delivery remains spot-on despite the client’s size.”
While many businesses like Ascend and the clients they represent have hit it big in this last year, many have spent their marketing dollars and gotten nothing in return. The reason seems to be a wrong approach towards getting visibility.
Redefining Social Impact
After a period where the world and businesses have suffered like never before, it has become difficult for people to take businesses seriously if they are not doing something to alleviate their pain. In Jonathan’s words, “This is a higher calling with immense benefits. In 2022, it is unlikely that there would be any successful PR campaign without a social impact plan or angle.”
Ascend Agency was one of the few businesses that thrived massively during the pandemic, so Jonathan figured that it was only fitting to give back in some way. This desire to share his blessings with the community birthed the Ascend Gives Back (AGB) initiative.
AGB is a platform for Ascend to give free publicity, marketing, and PR to mom-and-pop shops and small businesses most hit by the pandemic as well as social initiatives. When this initiative was launched last year, the last thing on Jonathan’s mind was the benefits it could bring his company.
In Jonathan’s words, “I have always felt that the best thing to give someone is not money alone, but a service that they cannot render to themselves. Likewise, Businesses can start social impact programs that offer free services to other businesses. What I found most interesting was how this initiative brought goodwill and a stunning rush of business back to the agency. It’s been a classic case of reaping the rewards of a good seed.”
AGB worked with the Los Angeles National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, helping them to get the word out about their work in major publications like LA Weekly and LA Confidential Magazine. Jonathan considers this project and the opportunity to contribute to the amazing work they do as the highlight of 2021 for Ascend and the move that brought in the most goodwill and benefit.
The Right Kind Of Visibility
Getting visibility is one thing, but getting it in the right places and from the right sources is an art that businesses need to master in 2022. Jonathan has long been an evangelist for targeted visibility and discourages businesses from using the “scatter and hope” strategy that many businesses use.
“What platforms fit with your message, and where exactly can you find your most likely audience? With the evolution of social media and big data, answering these questions has become a pretty precise science. This precision is what brands like Ascend and many other top brands bring to the table. Who talks about your brand, where they talk about your brand, and most especially how they talk about it will either give you huge credit or leave a nasty aftertaste, both tend to spread fast. This is a secret that the big corporations know and use.”
Perhaps Jonathan’s most relevant move of 2021 was entering a partnership with the sponsored content and advertising division of two of America’s biggest media companies; Tribune Publishing and Hearst Group. Hearst group owns about 26 newspapers and publications across the United States, while Tribune publishing owns over six, including the Chicago Tribune.
The partnership makes Ascend Agency the exclusive gateway agency for any brand or individual seeking to advertise on these over 30 publications using sponsored content. Achieving this as a young company with a 24-year-old CEO only makes this story even more exciting.
However, what is more exciting than this, is Jonathan’s resolve to use his now expanded platform to mentor small businesses and individual brands, leading them to what works instead of just doing the job.
Ascend Agency has become the first company of its kind to achieve full exclusivity with two of America’s top media publishing companies, and this has gotten him a lot of plaudits. He is determined to continue to share his secrets freely with all who care to listen.
Jonathan regularly publishes in magazines like Entrepreneur magazine, where he shares the marketing secrets to Ascend’s rapid success. Jonathan and his team of 15 employees have a goal to take over the PR space in 2022, and at this rate, it is rather difficult to imagine them failing.
In Jonathan’s words, “Focus, Passion, empathy and genuine love for what you do are traits that everyone is attracted to. It’s our secret sauce at Ascend, and it will bring the right kind of visibility for any brand that cares to grow in 2022.”
