A Q&A with Emily Parli, Director of Business Development
By Calvin Scharffs
Orange 142 has long been recognized as a trusted ally to agencies. It seamlessly steps in to serve as an extension of their teams when needed and gracefully steps back when the work is done. This balance is crucial—some agencies prefer Orange 142 to white label their services, while others have them work directly with their clients. Orange 142 is happy to work in any way the agency chooses.
We take pride in this flexibility and place enormous value in it. About half of Orange 142’s business involves this kind of partnership, and its success hinges upon agencies knowing they can trust Orange 142 to handle their clients’ work with the highest level of expertise and care—all while adhering to the agency’s guidelines and preferred tech platforms.
To explore what makes this approach so effective, I sat down with Emily Parli, Director of Business Development at Orange 142, to discuss how the company collaborates with agency clients and ensures successful engagements every time.
CS: As the Director of Business Development for Orange 142, you work closely with agencies to support their programmatic campaigns and other technical aspects of audience development. Given that agencies often worry about partners overstepping boundaries, how does Orange 142 position itself as a trustworthy extension of an agency's team?
EP: So this is one of the biggest challenges we face in new business development—conveying our role as a supportive partner without seeming competitive. The landscape has shifted over the years, with more agencies hiring in-house staff to handle digital media, but many still lack the budget to expand their teams sufficiently. This is where Orange 142 steps in; we fill those gaps with our team of 55 experts who bring deep industry knowledge and experience.
We’re highly adaptable in how we approach partnerships, tailoring our collaboration to fit precisely what the agency needs. Some clients want us to pitch a campaign to the client with them, which is fine by us. By partnering with us, agencies can promote themselves as full-service providers, even if they don't have all the capabilities in-house.
For example, a PR specialist might need to gain expertise in digital media. Still, with us working in the background, they can confidently present themselves as offering a comprehensive range of services.
CS: What unique capabilities and expertise does Orange 142 offer that set it apart from other digital agencies?
EP: At Orange 142, we stay in our lane as media experts and do it well. Unlike many digital agencies, our experience spans nearly a decade across various industries, where we’ve consistently delivered top-tier media performance.
For instance, when managing digital campaigns like Google AdWords, we have an exceptional team led by Emily Dominguez, whom I often call our Google guru. She has never encountered an AdWords account where she didn’t find some low-hanging fruit or quick optimizations that others might miss. Her experience and understanding of these platforms are unmatched in the industry.
We’ve also honed several tailored approaches, like our intent targeting, which leverages a vast database of consumers to identify the right audience. Our strong B2B experience and success in ROAS-focused e-commerce campaigns further distinguish us, allowing us to offer tailored solutions that drive results and bring significant value to our agency partners.
Lastly, we bring another significant benefit to the table through our sister company, Colossus SSP. One of the biggest challenges media agencies face is reaching and engaging multicultural and inclusive audiences. Colossus SSP excels in this area, enabling us to achieve these audiences at scale. Additionally, Colossus SSP works closely with small and mid-size publishers, helping them actively participate in the programmatic ecosystem and broadening the reach and impact of our campaigns.
CS: How does Orange 142 ensure that agency clients stay informed and in control of their campaigns throughout the entire process?
EP: We understand that agencies need to stay highly responsive to their clients, so we tailor our level of communication and reporting to match their needs. This can vary depending on the campaign and how frequently they want to connect with us. One of the key tools we offer is a 24-hour real-time dashboard, which gives them immediate access to media performance data. This dashboard is customizable to align with their KPIs and media goals, whether that’s ROAS or other metrics they’re focusing on.
Typically, we contact our agency clients monthly to provide detailed reports and a comprehensive end-of-campaign report.
That said, we’re very flexible and can set up a customized communication cadence that suits their preferences, whether that means more frequent updates or a more hands-off approach. We’re here to support them in whatever way they need during, before, and after the campaign. If it helps, we can also provide screenshots of the dashboard to give a better sense of the insights we provide.
CS: How does Orange 142 adapt to agency clients' specific technology and communication preferences?
EP: We’re highly adaptable. Whether it’s choosing the best-performing DSP for a campaign or using specific communication platforms like Slack, we tailor our approach to fit the client’s needs. Our technology-agnostic stance and proficiency in various tools allow us to integrate seamlessly with any system the agency prefers, eliminating red tape and making the partnership as smooth and effective as possible.
CS: Sounds fantastic. How can agencies learn more about the services your team provides?
EP: They should get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to provide them with a free consultation.
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About Emily
Emily is a Senior Digital Media Strategist at Orange142, a Direct Digital Holdings (DDH) company, where she leverages over a decade of experience in media and advertising strategy. DDH is the ninth Black-owned company to go public in the US and is traded on NASDAQ as DRCT. In partnership with Colossus SSP, Emily is sourcing unique digital inventory to elevate minority-owned publications and target diverse audiences.
As an OMCP (Online Marketing Certified Professional), Emily has a proven track record in developing successful digital media initiatives across various industries. Her expertise includes managing high-revenue vital accounts in the Travel and Tourism sector and crafting comprehensive marketing strategies. Emily is dedicated to continuous learning, personal growth, and collaboration in the ever-evolving media landscape.