One direction: Marketing firm's business surges amid pandemic

During economic downturns like this one from COVID-19, the natural inclination for many businesses is to cut costs — and such trimming often starts with marketing and advertising budgets. Consequently, ad agencies take a financial hit. 

Not so for St. Petersburg-based Marketing Direction, a 10-year-old company that has thrived on a business model that provides outsourced chief marketing officers to businesses that don’t have the need or budget for a full-blown marketing department.