Written by Mercedita Roxas-Murray, co-founder and CEO
It felt like the pinnacle of my career. After 20 years in the marketing services industry, I became a partner at an agency.
I earned it. I had produced some amazing work for some amazing clients over the years. I had worked across channels and for a variety of companies—government, big agency, big brand, emerging media, you name it.
I was thrilled when my big break came. But I quickly realized one thing: I was not happy. Around me, all the conversations centered on ‘I’. “How do ‘I’ make more money?” “How do ‘I’ get my client to spend more?” “How do ‘I’ grow?” It was never about what was best for the client or the customer or the team. It was never about anything more than revenue.
That made no sense to me. So, I quit and founded Montage.
From the beginning, my goal has been to do things differently at Montage, to start with someone other than ‘I’. As we debut our new website, one that showcases the dynamism, diversity and dedication of our work and our team, I wanted to simultaneously publish the principles that guide us—our ‘More’ Manifesto.
We support clients that contribute more to society than products and services alone.
Montage develops marketing solutions for major brands, government agencies and small nonprofits alike. Different as they may be, they share a common quality: All concern themselves with making the world a better place. Their products, services and organizational ethos are grounded in the intention to benefit their customers, constituents and communities. We seek their business because, like our own, it is purpose-driven. Being choosy about the clients we pursue involves risk, but it’s one we’re more than willing to take to keep our eye beyond ‘I’.
We believe consumers want more than transactions.
People are people. They laugh, cry, love, grieve, celebrate and sulk. They have hearts, minds, expectations and hopes. Above all, they want to connect. At Montage, we treat consumers as individuals, not walking dollar signs. Every project we take on begins with audience intelligence. We ask questions and observe behaviors to understand what consumers want. We discover needs our clients didn’t know existed. And we create immersive experiences that allow audiences to become part of a brand’s story. The goal and the result are one in the same: create ongoing relationships that benefit both our clients and their customers.
We bring together people who want to do more than a day job.
True to our name, we are a montage of talents, strengths and experiences. While the personal stories and professional paths of our team members could not be more different, we all believe that doing a job is so much more than ‘doing’ a job. We come together because we want to do more than punch a clock, collect a paycheck and tick things off a task list. We commit only to work we believe in. We take pride in the projects we tackle. We work smarter rather than harder, and with more heart.
We empower employees to be more.
Montage measures success in three ways: the satisfaction of our clients, the growth of our business, and development of our employees. The former cannot be accomplished without dedication to the latter. We encourage our team members to see more than what is in front of them, to ask questions, to explore opportunities and to take creative risks. We equip our people with tools to help them learn, grow and achieve their goals. And we empower each other to do more than our daily tasks, lending time, talent and resources to causes we care about.
We open more possibilities for fellow strivers.
Montage supports the strivers. We partner with small businesses to pursue more opportunities than can be achieved alone. We employ aspiring professionals who exhibit passion but lack experience. We provide guidance to entrepreneurs who have the desire but not the know-how. Circumstance should never stand in the way of talented, determined individuals, and we’re committed to ensuring it doesn’t. For those who want to create, for those who want to lead, for those who believe in more, Montage is here to help.
