CYRUS MEDIA: Company History
My name’s Andrew. This all started with a simple idea and my cell phone. Fed up with how advertisements spoke to us like complete fools, I saw an opportunity to do things differently and couldn’t imagine the results…
My first client was a quaint little shop in Ottawa’s Byward Market called the “teastore.” I loved the concept, layout and staff.
The pitch was a modest budget of $200/month plus $50 for Facebook & Instagram ads. I was an electrician before trying this and had no diploma for marketing. Until getting my hands dirty, I was going to have to charge less.
Well, I pitched the idea. The owner was game.
Every 30-days he’d get 1 Photoshoot (with my phone), 8 posts and social media campaign management. We crafted an ad showcasing their blueberry tea, alongside a few others, and launched it into the social media world.
As I sat in that tea shop nervously awaiting the results, I couldn’t have imagined what would happen next. A lady walked in, phone in hand, pointing to the ad they had just seen online. They never heard of teastore and wanted to try the blueberry tea…
I was floored. The owner got a new customer after $1.70 in ad spend. That was the spark that ignited this journey.
This client is still a great business partner and even better friend. We’ve helped each other grow substantially and it’s a honor to know him. Here’s a recent banner photo I shot for his new website:
I slowly scaled and always focused on creating more value for my clients; adding new services, techniques and higher quality content.
My idea of good marketing was to make more money for the client than they invested. You’d think that’s common practice, but since starting this company, I’ve had conversations with both marketing execs and fresh graduates who don’t understand this basic concept.
Before we move on, here’s a few more pics from my phone before upgrading to a professional camera. It’s a subtle reminder that it’s not the gear but the eyes behind it.
THE TEAM
Meet my lovely wife Alexis – scriptwriter, set PA and our office manager.
In addition to having artistic skills, she’s also a pro at managing Facebook and Google PPC ad accounts. I couldn’t handle our current workload without her help and she makes this boat run smoothly. Oh, she is also a published author.
Now I want to introduce you to Kevin. He’s a gearhead + VFX extraordinaire and we’ve been friends since grade 1.
Kev’s always had a keen interest in film and tech, so when he saw what I was up to, naturally he wanted in. I’ve helped him to create his own VFX suite where he not only helps our company with various projects, but also works with many other businesses across the world.
He’s quite skilled in Adobe After Effects. The PPC Party in Canada run by Maxime Bernier needed an updated animated logo. I came up with a concept and Kevin was able to pull it off beautifully. We incorporated the cylinder effect to animate the leaf in their logo alongside some simple motion blur to achieve this sleek modern look.
He’s also responsible for the VFX motion tracking & green screen replacement you see in this ad we filmed for Pierre Poilievre:
Fast forward to today – we’ve done some insanely lucrative social media campaigns, magazine publications, plus worked with some of Canada’s biggest politicians & businesses. I’d say it’s a dream come true but honestly never saw this coming.
We now hire large crews & actors for bigger film productions, plus recently launched our own subsidiary brand “Kitchen Pirates” where we are propping up the restaurant industry in an extremely unique way.
Our mission remains unchanged – to deliver exceptional results and drive massive profits for our clients.
As I glance back at that teashop where it all began, I’m filled with gratitude for the journey we’ve embarked upon. While the road ahead may be uncertain, one thing is for sure – we’re just getting started.
Get in touch today and let’s elevate your brand to the next level.
