wegg® showcase: Choose a market, show up consistently, build relationships, and let your results speak for themselves.
- Posted by Bob Marovich
- Categories Featured, Scale, wegg® showcase, weggs
- Date June 1, 2026
Issue 25: June 2026
Sponsored By: 
Tell us about the business and what prompted you to start it?
I started Hoffmann Murtaugh in my hometown of Pittsburgh 22 years ago this August. The agency’s name combines my maiden name and married name. We help organizations use marketing as a growth engine by connecting strategy, media investment, and business outcomes. Our job is to help clients understand what’s working, what’s not, and where to invest next. We treat every marketing dollar like it has to earn its place.
Ironically, I always wanted to work for an advertising agency, but early in my career I didn’t fit the traditional agency mold. Instead, I found my way into media sales, where I learned how marketing investments really worked and what clients needed from their agency partners.
Over time, I noticed many clients needed someone who would advocate for their business as fiercely as they did. One day, I approached a car dealer client and told them I wanted to start my own agency and represent them. It was a bold conversation. They said yes.
I resigned from my job on a Friday and opened my business on Monday.
Like most entrepreneurs, I’ve experienced plenty of highs and lows along the way. But that decision changed my life and ultimately led to building an agency that has now served clients for more than two decades.
And Hoffmann Murtaugh is now global!
Yes, and that growth happened organically through relationships, referrals, and results.
Several years ago, we were hired by a UK firm to launch a media campaign for a French tire company to run in Montreal. That work led to relationships with agencies in the United Kingdom and opportunities to support international brands entering or expanding within the North American market.
Today, we help global partners navigate the complexity of the U.S. media landscape, which is significantly different from many other countries. Whether it’s audio, video, out-of-home, digital, or integrated media strategy, our role is helping international clients make smart investments and achieve measurable outcomes.
Even before our recent international growth, we worked with Merck Animal Health, helping train teams across 20 countries on media buying and reporting strategies. Looking back, that was really our first experience operating on a global scale.
What advice would you give a woman entrepreneur who has a service business and wants to expand internationally?
Start with one market and learn it well.
For me, expanding into English-speaking countries created an easier entry point because the language and business practices were more familiar. But regardless of the market, relationships matter. You have to spend time there. Meet people. Join industry organizations. Build trust before you expect business.
In our industry, many international agencies prefer to work with local experts when entering the U.S. market because the media landscape here is incredibly fragmented and complex. That complexity creates opportunity for firms that can provide clarity and guidance.
My advice is simple: choose a market, show up consistently, build relationships, and let your results speak for themselves.
Starting out, was it difficult, as a woman, to get into the business you are in?
I think women face challenges in almost every industry, and marketing is no exception. Historically, many leadership positions in advertising and media were held by men.
That said, I never wanted to spend much time focusing on what might hold me back. I focused on what I could control: delivering results, building relationships, and creating value for clients.
Were there obstacles? Absolutely.
But I’ve also watched many women build extraordinary businesses and become exceptional leaders. I’ve always believed that while barriers may exist, they don’t have to define your future. What ultimately matters is your ability to create value, earn trust, and continue showing up when things get difficult.
Tag:wegg showcase
Bob Marovich is wegg's® Chief Operating Officer (COO) and has more than 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector.
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