Toronto-based content marketing company Fifth Story has announced three new business development hires and an internal promotion, reflecting a growing demand for its services.
The new business development hires include Alana Horn, who most recently worked in the same role at the influencer and content marketing technology companies Influicity and Atomic Reach; Nadine Hoffman, who has custom content media and agency experience with Spafax (now Bookmark) and Redwood/Totem; and Chris Sheldon, who has more than 15 years of marketing and account management experience, with previous roles including director of marketing for The Stronach Group Racing and Gaming in Florida, and head of sales and marketing at Yamaha Music Canada.
Fifth Story has also promoted Paul Abrams to vice-president of marketing and custom sales solutions. Abrams, who joined the company as a director in 2015, has also hired Michelle Grace to enhance the company’s social and creative capabilities – including photography and marketing and sales coordination.
Abrams said job postings for the business development roles attracted a “wide array” of applicants. Fifth Story now employs six business development leaders in Toronto, as well as one in Ottawa.
Abrams said Horn’s experience in influencer marketing dovetails with the company’s continued expansion in that area, while Hoffman brings a “great understanding” of content marketing and Sheldon boasts extensive senior-level experience.
Abrams said the hires reflect growing demand for Fifth Story’s content marketing expertise. The company worked with more than 275 clients spanning multiple business sectors – including pharmaceutical, health and QSR – in 2015, with about two-thirds of those clients having worked with Fifth Story before.
“There’s no question that marketers are taking note of the power of content marketing, and we’ve been lucky enough to ride that wave and see substantial growth in the need for our services,” said Abrams, adding that the company continues to see increased adoption by companies in sectors such as financial services.
“They’re slowly, subtly trying to get into the game,” said Abrams. “Advertising is no longer king – creating valuable content for consumers is the name of the game.”
Abrams said while legacy services such as article writing and audio news releases continue to represent the majority of Fifth Story’s business, the company is also seeing increased demand for its video production capabilities.
The company produced approximately 220 pieces of video content last year, and that number has already increased 25% this year, said Abrams.
