When Linda Anderson and her husband Michael founded the Anderson Group marketing company in 1987, they developed a five-year plan. Making a 10-year plan was deemed “too ambitious”, as most marketing firms would close or be sold after her 15 years.

This year, the Anderson Group celebrates its 35th anniversary.

“I always enjoyed writing, speaking, and solving other people’s problems,” said Linda, who became sole owner after Michael’s retirement.

Located at 879 Fritztown Road, Spring Township, the Anderson Group team offers a variety of digital and traditional marketing strategies and services to assist national and regional clients. The company has over 125 customers, including Bank of America and UGI. We have over 30 local clients, including Tower Health and local nonprofits.

In 35 years, Anderson Group has won more than 125 awards, has been listed twice on Inc.’s list of the 5,000 fastest growing private companies, and is frequently on the Lehigh Valley Business Journal’s list of Top 20 Women-Owned Businesses. has appeared in The company is nationally certified as a woman-owned business through the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and the US Small Business Administration Woman-owned Small Business (WOSB).

“The Anderson Group is proud to be a women-owned business, and we are pleased to see more and more women-owned businesses in our industry.”

She said she had faced sexism in the past, like many female professionals she knew, but that never stopped her. While she doesn’t expect her clients to choose her just because is women-owned, she admits the position has provided her with opportunities over the years.

“My advice is to keep your feet on the ground and be realistic,” Anderson says to women looking to start their own businesses. “Recognize that being talented at what you do is not the same as running a small business. Feel free to talk to other business women about how to keep it.”

Anderson wanted a career in law or medicine, but studied marketing, art, and psychology in college. Because of her experience, she tells aspiring marketers not to study marketing.

“I unwittingly built the ideal course for a career in marketing and communications,” she said. “Take classes in business, research, economics, psychology. Build your emotional intelligence. Learn to speak the language of business, not just the language of marketing.”

Award-winning graphic designer and musician Michael Anderson introduced Linda to the telecommunications industry. From there, we’ve seen it evolve from facsimile to instant girlfriend messaging and beyond.

“We were at the beginning of a digital transformation,” she said. “

As other marketing firms went bankrupt due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Anderson Group had to postpone or defer 60% of its projects. Still, the company says he won his eight new customers in 2020, and more in 2021. Anderson says it wouldn’t have been possible without her team.

“It was an easy transition to virtual offices, Zoom calls, and remote management,” she says. “Our team was united and didn’t skip a beat.”

The pandemic has caused Anderson Group clients to rethink their marketing strategies and media usage.

“One of the lessons that brand and product managers learned was the importance of knowing the customer beyond the usual data that reveals what happened, not why it happened,” Linda said. say.

Such research is expensive and time-consuming, so Anderson Group spent nearly a year developing a proprietary technology platform to streamline the process.

If Anderson could go back in time and talk to himself in 1987, he would say three things.

First, “Believe in yourself, believe in your motives, and believe in your staff.”

Second, “Keep your Type A personality balanced. Make it work for you, not against you.”

Third, “Even the darkest days will be bright — have faith.”

For more information about Anderson Group, please visit https://www.thinkanderson.com.