FLAGSHIP DIGITAL LIVING UP TO ITS NAME

A LOCAL creative agency is proving the Gold Coast can be competitive in the digital world, with big names globally seeking out the Burleigh Heads branding and advertising agency for its services.

Flagship Digital, founded in 2011 by Fady Hanna, recently took a leap into Hong Kong's competitive creative market following a partnership with exclusive restaurant VCNCY.

Flagship completed the brand and fitout for the venue, which is the brainchild of Justine Lo, the daughter of Hong Kong hospitality icon Dennis Lo, the man behind the Fairwood fast-food chain.

Founded in 2011, Flagship focuses on providing successful business solutions for clients in all aspects of branding, design, marketing and consultancy.

In addition to VCNCY, Flagship clients include Jarryd Hayne, Telstra, Virgin Money, Groupon, Dodo and Red Cross.

The agency is also in the midst of setting up an office in London, with staff already on the ground.

Hanna says it is humbling that high calibre businesses are seeking out the services of a Gold Coast agency.

He says it has been a wild ride and even though Flagship has grown turnover year-on-year, sometimes by up to 300 per cent, its client base hasn't. 

"Even though our client base has only grown 20 per cent, by getting tangible results for those clients it is a lot easier to justify a much bigger spend," says Hanna.

"One of our biggest clients started out with a $300 marketing budget, that went to $1000 the following year, that went to $10,000 the following year and this year they are spending $2.3 million with us.

"Because we stewarded that $300 well and we actually did something that actually returned a lot more than their investment, year on year they have been able to allocate more budget."

Hanna says Flagship's strong focus on return on investment is what has led to the success of the business.

"Prior to starting Flagship Digital I was contracting to several companies in a marketing capacity and struggled to find design companies that understood marketing principals and marketing companies with a strong emphasis on ROI," says Hanna.

"With that void, I ventured out and started Flagship Digital with the intention of everything being a focus on ROI - all design and marketing is tracked and measured and all branding is focused around consumer action as opposed to just a great looking logo."

Hanna says, unlike traditional agencies, Flagship is better referred to as an investment firm.

"If you ask any of our staff members what we do, they will always let you know that we are an investment firm - we just happen to operate within branding and advertising," he says.

Flagship was recently announced as the 47th fastest growing company in Australia, the seventh fastest growing company in Queensland and number 100 in regards to revenue from the BRW Fast Starters list 2015.