Smith & Jones and Burst Marketing Officially Merge as The Guesty Corp

Local marketing firms merge as one company with three agency brands

Smith & Jones, Burst Marketing and Wanderlust made their strategic partnership official earlier this month after the three agencies merged under The Guesty Corp. The company will operate as one agency with three brands (Smith & Jones, Burst Marketing and Wanderlust) providing three different areas of industry expertise.

Smith & Jones specializes in healthcare marketing for hospitals and large physician practices, Burst Marketing specializes in finance and manufacturing marketing, and Wanderlust specializes in travel and tourism marketing.

The three agencies have been operating as one fluid team since they formed a strategic partnership in November 2013, and have brought in a number of new clients together, including Pioneer Bank, Columbia Memorial Health and Champlain Valley Physicians’ Hospital. Together, their work has won numerous awards, including Gold and Silver in the 2015 Healthcare Advertising Awards and the 2015 Aster Awards.

“When we first moved into the office of Smith & Jones, we knew our strategic partnership could go one of two ways, but thankfully, it’s been a great match for both agencies,” said Dave Vener, President of The Guesty Corp. “Together, our team is stronger than ever before and we’re extremely proud of the great work we’re producing.”

The four principals of the company are: Mark Shipley (CEO and Strategy Director), Sara Tack (EVP and Creative Director), Dave Vener (President and Marketing Director) and Sharon Lawless (VP and Client Relations).

“While we have been operating as one agency for the last 18 months, now all of the paperwork is in place for single, effective operations,” said Mark Shipley, CEO and Strategy Director of The Guesty Corp. “We built a great team with excellent creative chemistry and we are excited to continue to work together to produce results-driven campaigns for our clients.”