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Idea Rebel Interactive Inc.

Congratulations to Idea Rebel Interactive Inc., #9 in 2012's Most Innovative Companies in B.C. It’s easy to get excited about a local digital marketing company that is succeeding internationally while changing industry standards at the same time. And that’s precisely what Idea Rebel is doing.

By Kate MacLennan /

BCBusiness Innovators 2012, Idea Rebel Interactive Inc. | BCBusiness
Back: 2012 BCBusiness Guide to Innovation

Congratulations to Idea Rebel Interactive Inc., #9 in 2012’s Most Innovative Companies in B.C.

It’s easy to get excited about a local digital marketing company that is succeeding internationally while changing industry standards at the same time. And that’s precisely what Idea Rebel is doing.

Idea Rebel has been profitable since its launch in 2008, doubling its revenues each year to hit $2 million in 2011, and all that growth has come without a single printer, fax or paper contract. The company does all its work digitally, from presentation of concepts to the actual campaigns and invoicing. The 20 employees of Idea Rebel don’t even drive to work; they bike or take public transit. They only turn on the lights in their bright Gastown office on Vancouver’s darkest winter days.

President and CEO Jamie Garratt emphasizes that Idea Rebel is “not a discount shop,” but that these sustainable business practices result in low overheads and minimal administration costs, which translate to value that is passed along to clients.

Idea Rebel’s environmental agenda certainly makes the company attractive to businesses concerned with social responsibility, but its success – and its place as a finalist in this competition – isn’t based on green merit alone. It was one of the first companies to identify a gap in the market when it came to content management systems that enable clients to maintain their own social media campaigns (read: so clients aren’t going back to Idea Rebel with every little question and change). The solution Idea Rebel created for one of its clients, Electronic Arts (Canada) Inc., worked so well that the agency has shared it among several of its clients, a roster that includes the PGA Tour, Sleeman Breweries Ltd. and Quiksilver Inc.

“They’re cutting edge in delivering what companies need today in an all-encompassing solution,” says Innovators panellist Brent Holliday. “They’re fast-moving and nimble and right on the bleeding edge.”