This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the creation of Red Shark Digital, and we’re celebrating in style. Later today, we will be hosting our friends, family, clients, and local area chamber of commerce to celebrate this milestone. The balloon arch is ready, the food will be here soon, and the agency is buzzing with excitement. All week, the staff has felt like kids waiting for Christmas morning; reminiscing the past, celebrating the present, and eagerly anticipating the future.

Our Roots

After being informally referred to as Red Ball Agency by our founders, Red Shark Digital got its name with the help of our former CEO’s favorite color and a reality show on ABC called Shark Tank. Once we established a name for ourselves, we took off as a small app design and development agency in eastern North Carolina. We then quickly expanded to offer a variety of marketing services to companies all over the country. Since our humble beginnings as an app development and design agency, we’ve expanded our services to include website development, SEO services, paid advertising, creative services, production and so much more.

Then and Now

This agency has grown exponentially over the last decade, but not just financially. We have had the pleasure of introducing new people and ideas to the team while also feeling a mixture of sadness and pride as some of our sharks venture into new opportunities. Our team has also earned an impressive amount of awards with the help of our graphic designers, website developers, social media gurus, project managers, and more.

For those who don't know, our unofficial team motto is "work hard, play hard," and we take this very seriously. Along with the trophies proudly displayed around the office, we also take pride in our hidden stash of Nerf guns and ammunition for spontaneous ambushes and afternoon brain breaks (thank you Sawyer’s Fun Park for one of the most fun team outings in RSD history). Here are just a few stats for how Red Shark Digital has changed from 2013 to 2023.

Number of Employees

2013: 2

2023: 20

From 2013 to 2023, we have employed many talented individuals who brought their strengths, ideas, and skills to our company. We are grateful for everyone who spent part of their professional career helping us grow into the company we are today.

Clients

2013: 0

2023: 150+

Nerf Guns

2013: 0

2023: 10

Office Group Chats

2013: 1

2023: Too many to count!

We have a variety of work-related and non-work-related group chats we utilize daily. Take our Lady Sharks channel for example, which consists of all the women in Red Shark Digital. This channel gets a lot of action; from Taylor Swift memes and Spotify playlists to encouraging each other before events and sharing wedding memories.

Our Core Values

Over the last 10 years, we have developed core values that have guided us in our journey to growth and excellence. These values are at the heart of everything we do, and we strive to:

Be Better

Through learning opportunities such as providing workshops and webinars, exploring interdepartmental collaboration, and individual training opportunities, we strive to continuously improve and push the boundaries of what is possible. We believe in challenging ourselves to learn and grow, both individually and as a company.

Give Back

We are committed to positively impacting our community and the world around us. We believe in giving back through charitable initiatives like adopting a shark from Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium, volunteer work in Greenville and Pitt County, and supporting causes that align with our values.

Excessively Collaborate

Collaboration is at the center of our success. We believe in the power of teamwork, communication, and the sharing of ideas internally and with the world. At Red Shark Digital, we continuously seek out opportunities to work together in different departments, like our content creators working with our graphic designers to build out a social calendar or our SEO team working with the website development department to optimize websites for search engines. By working together, we achieve our goals as a company and as individuals.

Champion Growth

We are dedicated to the growth and success of our clients, employees, and company. From providing advice on buying a house and sharing college textbooks with other Red Shark Digital students to suggesting resources for professional development, we strive to provide the resources, support, and opportunities needed to help everyone reach their full potential.

Foster Excellence

We have a relentless pursuit of excellence in everything we do. We hold ourselves to the highest standards and are committed to delivering exceptional work, outstanding customer service, and measurable results.

As we look ahead, we will continue to live out these core values and build upon the strong foundation we have established.

Services Offered

Over the past 10 years, we have expanded our service offerings to better meet the needs of our clients.

• App design and development (2013)
• Social media management (2016)
• SEO services (2017)
• Paid advertising (2017)
• Photography and Videography Production (2019)
• Content marketing (2020)
• Web App Development (2022)

These additions have allowed us to provide a comprehensive range of digital marketing opportunities to our clients, connecting brands to their customers through innovative solutions.

Major Milestones

Throughout the years, we have reached several significant milestones as professionals and as a company that has shaped our growth and success. Here are some of the notable milestones we have achieved.

2013

• Creation of Integrative Mobile as an app design and development company, marking the beginning of our journey

2014

• Began offering website development services

2015

• Won the Greenville-Pitt County Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year award

2016

• Partnered with Viamark Advertising to offer more services
• Began offering full-service marketing services
• Opened first Raleigh office

2017

• Received our first awards, including two Davey Awards, recognizing our excellence in website design
• Expanded our office space
• Opened a second Raleigh office

2018

• Named one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in North Carolina by Business North Carolina magazine
• Chris Rupp was recognized in East Carolina University’s 40 Under 40 List

2019

• Named to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. We ranked 1,319th on the list, with a three-year revenue growth rate of 311%
• Spencer Bunting named Chief Operating Officer in November
• Opened a third Raleigh office

2020

• Spencer Bunting introduced Webflow to the agency, becoming a Webflow-first company

2021

• Alaina Corsini was made our Marketing Director, making her the first woman on the leadership team
• Named to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America, ranking at 2,913th in the nation and 77th in North Carolina

2022

• Spencer Bunting on the panel of judges for the AIVA Awards
• Alaina Corsini recognized as a one-in-a-million Marketing Director by the TITAN Women in Business Awards
• Delivered our 50th Webflow website

2023

• Spencer Bunting was named President and new CEO later in the year
• Abby Costello on the panel of judges for the AIVA Awards
• Became an official Webflow partner
• Moved all operations to our Greenville headquarters
• Named on the Inc. 5000 list for the third time
• Over 15 design, development, and marketing awards YTD
• Shortlisted for US Search Small Integrated Agency of the Year
• Established our official Board of Directors

Getting Personal

As we think of the past 10 years, we think about how much our lives have changed. We’ve had three of our own get married, six engagements, two families grow with a new baby, and many others with furry friends. Many of our staff members started off as interns, got their degrees, and started working here full-time. Others have furthered their education with certificates and graduate degrees, traveled the world, and moved across state and county lines. Houses have been bought and sold, businesses have been started, citizenships have been earned, and fears have been conquered.

“I’m very proud of the team members I’ve worked with over the years and consider those living their dreams in careers that launched from RSD an accomplishment, truly.” - Spencer Bunting

Looking Ahead

We remain committed to our core values and the pursuit of excellence. In the future, we plan to further specialize and niche into our core services, with a primary focus on search engine optimization, PPC and search engine advertising, and Webflow development while also branching out to include potential new services. Our goal is to become the leading Webflow SEO agency while continuing to offer full-service digital marketing to our existing and local client base. By staying true to our core values and embracing these strategic directions, we are confident in our ability to thrive and make a lasting impact in the industry.