Attributing her success to excitement for her work, Marianna Morello is a driven and determined leader who has established her own advertising and marketing business. She is the president and chief executive officer of Manhattan Media Services Inc., which sits high on the 20th floor of the landmark Rockefeller Plaza building in the heart of New York, New York.
Excelling in her industry for more than 30 years, Ms. Morello began working in the marketing and advertising field as an employee for another media buying service. The company eventually decided to relocate and leave New York City, where Ms. Morello’s family was deeply rooted. At the time, Ms. Morello’s husband was the chief of radiation at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and her son was attending a private school in the city, so she found herself completely unable to follow her employer and resolved to find a new source of income. Faced with this forced transition, Ms. Morello decided to start her own company with the help of her assistant. Her previous clients from her former agency followed her to her new venture, helping Manhattan Media Services Inc. establish its footing and beginning Ms. Morello’s trajectory of growth as an elite entrepreneur and business leader.
No stranger to professional upheaval and career changes, Ms. Morello is proud of successfully transitioning her company from a direct response agency to a branding agency. Among her clients, she has launched big brand names in the spirits and celebrity fragrance industries. Ms. Morello is unwavering in her drive and commitment to her profession. One of her oldest clients, who has been with her for more than 35 years, has expressed amazement at her ability to maintain enthusiasm in her work even after all this time. Ms. Morello’s client said she has “fire in her belly.” Other client testimonials on her company website have praised Ms. Morello and her firm for, as examples, implementing a unique advertising strategy that increased the client’s business by more than 40% within a year, using her expertise in negotiating and buying to help a company maximize their advertising budget, leveraging companies’ various media capabilities, and more. Looking to the future of her own company, Ms. Morello aims to continue its operations with her team, expanding her client base and providing the best services possible to her current clients.
In 1977, Ms. Morello completed her higher education at Lehman College, part of the City University of New York system, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts. She is an active member of her professional community and maintains affiliation with numerous organizations related to her career, including the Performance-Driven Marketing Institute, an association for direct-to-consumer marketing leaders, and other groups. Ms. Morello is also a member of the International Association of Women, a global professional association and networking group for women, formerly known as the National Association of Professional Women. For her career achievements, she is the recipient of the Award for Top Women in Media from Folio Magazine, an honor she earned in 2018. In 2015, she was inducted into the Direct Response Hall of Fame by Response Magazine.
As the leader and driving force of Manhattan Media Services Inc., Ms. Morello offers many different marketing and advertising services to her clients, spanning print, digital, social, out-of-home, and broadcast media. Reflecting on her years of experience and persistent success through multiple transitions, she believes her ability to evolve with the times and keep her skill set current and relevant has been an incredible benefit to her professional growth. Alongside her primary role, Ms. Morello is committed to giving back and has done so through multiple charitable organizations, including the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the Wounded Warrior Project, and Shriners International. In her free time, she enjoys hiking outdoors, playing pickleball, and birdwatching.