U-M Dearborn grad launches Traffic, grows it to 13 people

Jacob Zuppke is not only one of the first graduates from the University of Michigan-Dearborn with a bachelors degree in digital marketing, but he graduated last year with employment options. He had job offers from a number of large local creative agencies, and he turned them all down. Instead he started his own company with the director of U-M Dearborn's Digital Marketing program. Traffic Digital Agency started out with one customer last spring. Today it has 38 clients, ranging from Cottage Inn Pizza to 1-800-LAW-FIRM, 13 employees and eight interns in downtown Royal Oak. "It (the initial growth) is significantly faster (than what I expected)," Zuppke says. "We didn't anticipate to have this many members on our team by now." He adds that at the current rate of growth, his business will have a staff of 35 people by next year. Traffic Digital Agency works out of Venture Park, a new co-working space on the outskirts of downtown Royal Oak. Zuppke and his partner, Jeremy Sutton, built it as not only the home for their company but as a hub for other creatives and entrepreneurs that will help grow everybody's business. "We want creative people that are willing to inspire each other every single day," Zuppke says. Source: Jacob Zuppke, co-founder of Traffic Digital Agency Writer: Jon Zemke