25 moments that made The Martin Group – The Martin Group
A lot can happen in your first 25 years.
First job. First love. College graduation, marriage, kids. Maybe your first rental car. For some, it’s an optimistic quarter-life marker. For most, it’s an integral time of decisions and development, one full of moments that mold you into who you are—and set the stage for who you aim to be.
The Martin Group is no different.
Our first quarter century has been full of firsts and foundational moments, memories that’ve made us into who we are. Wins that have positioned us for what we’ll do next.
There have been plenty of big days in this agency’s existence. But to keep with this month’s silver anniversary celebration, we’ve decided to recollect and list 25 instances that propelled the agency forward—and built us into what (and who) we are today.
Ready? Here we go.
2001: The Martin Group is founded by Tod Martin as “one man and a desk.” Soon after, he hires his first employee, Art Director Dave Bellacicco.
2005: Lisa Bellacicco—future Chief Operating Officer—joins The Martin Group as an account executive.
2006: Tod and the team get an agency-changing assignment from client New Era Cap: Introduce the company’s new caps to Major League Baseball—and, by association, the rest of the world. Over the next 20 years, The Martin Group will become a central cog in the company’s branding and help the Buffalo-born cap company become a top name in sports fashion.
2010: Erie County Medical Center (ECMC)—built on Buffalo east side in 1905 and serving the eight counties of Western New York—joins The Martin Group’s growing client roster.
2011: Kaleida Health, Western New York’s largest healthcare provider, joins The Martin Group client roster, further deepening the agency’s representation of medical services across the region.
2013: After operating in a series of shared co-working spaces, The Martin Group moves into a new, expansive home at 477 Main Street—a former Wendy’s restaurant—in Downtown Buffalo.
2014: The agency makes its first expansion move, entering the Rochester market with new offices along suburban Victor’s East Main Street.
2014: The Martin Group acquires Tod’s former employer, Travers Collins & Co.
2015: In a major step toward becoming a fully integrated communications firm, The Martin Group adds Matt Davison’s AMDG Public Affairs to form Martin Davison Public Relations.
2016: M&T Bank—the Buffalo-headquartered community lender with locations across 12 U.S. states—joins The Martin Group client list, accessing public relations services from the agency’s Martin Davision addition.
2017: After nearly two years of work with architect Cannon Design, Lehigh Construction, and preservation consultant Preservation Studios, The Martin Group relocates to its new 18,000-square-foot headquarters at 620 Main St. The former Levi King & White Building (constructed in 1919) was maintained to reveal the locale’s original grandeur, and modifications were made to accommodate a modern workforce in the heart of Downtown Buffalo.
2018: Thanks to a strategic partnership with Hearst Corp., the agency adds a presence in its third New York market, Albany, with staff members working out of offices inside Hearst’s Times Union Building.
2018: Kaleida Health and The Martin Group received the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) prestigious Silver Anvil award for their integrated communications campaign around the relocation, rebranding, and grand opening of the former Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. Known as the “Children’s is Moving” campaign, this 18-month communications effort helped introduce and educate local, regional, and national audiences regarding the construction and completion of the new John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital.
2018: The Martin Group takes on social media and creative work with sportwear behemoth Under Armour. In the span of one calendar year, the agency handles social copy and creative related to the MLB All-Star Game, MLB and the World Series, NFL and the Super Bowl, NCAA Bowl Championship Series, various PGA Tour events, and international lacrosse tournaments.
2018: On what would’ve been the 100th birthday of Buffalo Bills owner Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., The Martin Group helps the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation announce $100 million for Buffalo’s parks and trails. The philanthropic gift is the largest in the city’s history and will eventually transform underused LaSalle Park into a marquee waterfront expanse, named after Wilson.
2019: After hosting and producing the year’s local American Advertising Awards, The Martin Group wins Best in Show for its work on the ASICS “Welcome to the Dojo” campaign, helping the well-known running shoe company break into the lifestyle brand space.
2019: The Martin Group welcomes new client Rich Products, the Buffalo-headquartered, multi-billion food manufacturer that boasts global associates across more than 110 countries.
2020: Hearst Corp. makes a strategic equity investment in The Martin Group, which furthers their partnership with the agency and, as part of the agreement, makes Lisa Bellacicco and Matt Davison equity owners in the agency.
2021: The Martin Group acquires Grammercy Communications, one of New York’s leading public affairs firms. The move builds on the agency’s standing as a best-in-class, full-service communications agency and creates the opportunity for expanded public affairs services and capabilities to its many existing clients.
2022: After collaborative work between executive leadership and staff, the agency launches “The Difference in Making One” (DIMO), an internal initiative to guide its agency culture, corporate values, and intent on making an impact for staff members, clients, and host communities.
2023: After working for five years across a shared space within the Times Union Building, The Martin Group’s Capital Region staff heads to their own locale inside the Troy Innovation Garage in nearby Troy, NY.
2023: The Martin Group acquires Albany’s Spiral Design Studios, an award-winning boutique outfit that specializes in the creation of logos and brand identity, website design and digital marketing, print, packaging, and more. With the addition of Grammercy and new offices in Troy, the acquisition further deepens the agency’s roots and commitment to NY’s Capital Region.
2023: After years of servicing clients and campaigns in New York City, the agency opens its first NYC office inside Hearst Tower on West 57th Street.
2025: Company revenue for the calendar year checks in at $25 million, a 22% increase from the previous year, and the highest earnings in the agency’s history.
2026: The Martin Group acquires Buffalo’s Mr. Smith, a highly regarded creative, brand strategy, and content studio with recent clients such as Delaware North, Seagram’s, and Labatt USA.
To learn more about The Martin Group and its work, click here.
