After 13 years of working for some of the largest advertising agencies in the industry, Maranda White packed her bags and set out on a journey to start her own agency. It was not her lifelong goal, but the opportunity presented itself after freelancing and white labeling her media buying talents part-time for many years while working full-time.
After assuming she would retire at LSU in her role as the Director of Communications and Marketing, she was laid off. White then took a leap of faith which landed her on the path of a new beginning. White began devoting all her time, more than 70 hours a week, to her own company delivering on the promise to provide strategic marketing and advertising solutions. The foundation for the company was built on the basis of getting only the best results for clients. Her hard work and dedication paid when Octagon Media began as a media buying firm in November 2012.
Soon thereafter in July 2013, she rented a one-room office on Sherwood Forest Boulevard in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. At that time the client list included the Baton Rouge River Center, River Parish Foods and Party Time, which were a few of the larger-scale clients who enlisted the firm’s services. In 2014, just two years after being founded, Octagon expanded into a full-service agency.
Of the numerous successes, one proud moment included the first sell out of the WWE in Baton Rouge in over 30 years and achieving three and a half million impressions as well as increasing sales 6.8% year-over-year for Party Time, more than double the goal of the campaign. The company continued to grow and moved to a larger office suite in 2016. In 2020, the agency was nationally recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the 12 fastest growing businesses in Baton Rouge and ranked in top half among the nation.
Octagon Media recently relocated to a 3,000 square foot office space that White purchased in July 2021. This has cast a wider net of prestigious clients, all while continuing to serve small mom and pop businesses alongside state agencies and municipalities.
Despite the rapid growth and success of the company, White has maintained her passion and drive. Now in the industry for over two decades and an entrepreneur for nine, White can be considered an advertising veteran and media guru. Every decision she has made is centered on a desire to watch the agency's clients and her team succeed. When asked her thoughts on the path of her professional journey, she replied, “I wouldn’t change it for the world, but it wasn’t easy. I overcame obstacles because I love what I do!”
