Change isn’t new for us. It’s in our DNA.
In 2003, Brad Surkamer bought WRC Advertising and transformed it into Closed Loop Marketing, built around the concept of closing the loop. I joined the agency a couple of years later, and we’ve been on this journey together ever since. Brad’s passion for the closed loop philosophy stemmed from his days at large technology companies, where he often found himself on the client side of what felt like open loop marketing relationships.
The idea of closing the loop is rooted in continuous measurement, learning, and improvement. It wasn’t just a clever name. It shaped a philosophy that would guide our approach to marketing for many years to come. Over time, Closed Loop became CLM, and in those early years we built expertise not just in media and creative, but in strategy backed by research and continual learning.
Since then, we’ve evolved again and again. CLM joined Ivie & Associates, an agency that introduced us to an embedded-agency mindset through their relationship with Albertsons and the grocery vertical market. Later, Ivie sold to Quad Graphics, and Brad had the opportunity to bring CLM back into independent hands once again.
Through every chapter, one constant remained: we didn’t just react to change. We leaned into it.Today, we’re launching the next evolution in our story: Fusion, a CLM Company.
Why Fusion?
Marketing in 2026 looks nothing like it did even a few years ago. The landscape is more fragmented, customer expectations are more personalized, and the pace of technology and platform change is faster than ever. Agencies that cling to transactional deliverables like a website or a campaign find themselves outpaced by partners who understand business outcomes and shared accountability.
Clients increasingly want partners who meet them where they are. Not just vendors who deliver projects and campaigns, but a team who will challenge assumptions, pressure test the approach and find new and innovative ways to solve problems and create growth opportunities.
We’ve seen this in our own work. Over the last 18 months, we’ve leaned into what Ivie taught us and what two of our client relationships taught us: the embedded partnership. We didn’t just adopt it. We refined it into a model that works for our clients and our team.
Some of our longest client relationships have been built this way, with mutual trust, shared goals, and daily collaboration. We often have dual titles, offices in their space, and a level of team integration that differs greatly from the traditional agency approach.
That’s what Fusion truly means: fusing our team with our clients’ teams for better business outcomes.
How We’ve Reimagined the Agency Arms
To deliver this kind of deep partnership, we’ve organized around three core strengths.
Data & Insight: We help establish shared SMART marketing objectives, define meaningful KPIs, and design MarTech solutions that work. This team runs our analytics and dashboards, providing insights, recommendations, and adjustments that align marketing activity with business outcomes.
Strategy: Our strategists aren’t behind glass. They sit in our clients’ leadership meetings, help build plans, provide mentorship, and collaborate on decisions. From segmentation to pricing strategy to go-to-market planning, they align thinking from the inside out.
Implementation: This team includes creative, media, web, project management, and extended partners who bring enterprise-level solutions to mid-market organizations. They execute with excellence, but always with purpose, not just activity.
A Culture of Change, Learning, and Leadership
Our commitment to evolution comes straight from Brad’s leadership, our company’s culture, our commitment to continual learning, and our passion for embracing the next frontier. That culture has shaped who we are. It’s why we don’t just follow trends. We anticipate them and align our work to outcomes that matter today and in the future.
We are still the team you know – strategic thinkers, data nerds, and doers, but with a sharpened focus on Fusion, not separation, and leadership, not just service. The world of marketing is changing rapidly, and so are we. We’re excited to walk into the future building our business and our clients’ businesses together.
Today marks more than a name change. It’s a reintroduction, and the next evolution in our story so I’d like to extend a hello to you from Fusion. We’re ready to continue building something remarkable together and can’t wait to chat with you about it.
