Press Release

The following press release is about the Bartolotta's ad agency.

Democrat & Chronicle (Rochester, NY)

You can't stop singing that commercial jingle you heard on the radio this morning.

That's music to the ears of brothers Steve and Jim Bartolotta, owners of Markethold Productions Inc. in Fairport.

Their company develops, records and markets advertising from a music and audio studio set in the serene backdrop of the Erie Canal in the village of Fairport.

Steve Bartolotta is a musician who played in bands before settling down to start a business. He got the idea for the business from some voice-over work he did when he was a musician.

His collaboration with Jim, whose talents are in sales and marketing, started when phone voice systems were in their infancy.

"Ten years ago it was earth-breaking," said Jim Bartolotta.

The business started in 1994 offering message-on-hold, audio, composition and scoring for television, radio and video and has transitioned into a full-service marketing company, adding public relations, print advertising, corporate identity programs, designing brochures and newsletters.

Considered soft-advertising, the message on-hold division involves choosing the voice, writing the scripts, procuring voice talent and the production of the company's phone system.

"We write and script everything based on a client's specific need," said Steve Bartolotta.

They create their work based on a questionnaire that asks clients to specify everything from the type of business to the voice quality desired to the mood the company is trying to convey.

The message on-hold division now has about 500 to 600 clients in 42 states.

"It built a good basis for our business, a good foundation because we were able to fund our business from that, by not borrowing money," Jim said.

He attributed the company's growth to the knowledge they gained while projecting clients' images on audio.

Wilson Farms Ja-va-na Coffee, Brockport Ford, Soyata Computers and Frontier (phone books) are some of the companies for which Markethold has produced distinctive jingles.

About four months ago, Tolga Soyata, owner of Soyata Computers in Henrietta, began working with Markethold on jingles.

"We were thinking about focusing in the corporate world ... corporate business is growing by leaps and bounds,'' said Soyata. The first of a series of jingles is scheduled to air in the next few months.

Soyata said he's confident in a long-term relationship with Markethold and feels that the equipment the company uses is of national quality.

Although most of its jingle work is local, about 15 to 20 percent of its business comes from outside New York state. They work with advertising agencies in Rochester, such as the Saphar & Associates, Media Matters, Infantino McDermott and Roberts Communications.

Steve says that their in-house marketing team contacts outside markets to introduce the company's services. After producing a jingle for the Erie County Fair in Buffalo, Markethold got a contract to produce a jingle for the Delaware State Fair.

Chip Partner, president of Saphar & Associates, is one of Markethold's new clients.

"There are two things that distinguish them from others in the business," he said. "One is because of the quick access to voice talent. And second, the strong emphasis on music."

"It's very rare to have a recording facility that can accommodate people to come and do voice-over work and have a composer. That's two different things,'' says Steve Bartolotta. "That whole versatility permeates our facility."

Steve and Jim aren't the only family members among Markethold's 14 employees.

Their sister, Jeanne Menafo, leads the marketing department. Aunt Jo Bartolotta works in writing and proofing. Jean Roets, Steve's mother-in-law, handles customer service while working the reception desk. Jim's son, Mike Bartolotta, who has a background in layout and design, does the company's writing and graphic design. Steve's wife, Liz Bartolotta, works part-time and his sister-in-law, Dodie Bartolotta, works out of the company's Virginia office.

The team at Markethold is always thinking ahead and pursuing new business.

"I think if we have a goal it would be to take the company more national as far as our message-on-hold product is concerned, and one of the things that Steve wants to do is movie scoring,'' said Jim.