# mdg

> mdg, also known as Marketing Design Group, is a Freeman-owned marketing agency serving trade shows, event organizers and associations. It combines audience research, branding, paid media, international outreach and applied AI to increase attendance, membership, engagement and revenue. Its work includes the National Restaurant Association Show, NAB Show and International Carwash Association.

- **Founded:** 1976
- **Headquarters:** San Diego, United States
- **Founders:** Denise Paccione (Founder)
- **Team size:** 51-200 employees on LinkedIn; Freeman described mdg as a 95-person agency in March 2025 before combining services with Tag Digital.
- **Products:** Event Strategy & Research, Association Marketing, Creative & Branding, Digital Marketing, International Marketing
- **Notable:** National Restaurant Association Show case reports nearly 7,000 TikTok website visits, 90% from new users., ICA training case reports $515,000 annualized recurring revenue and more than 7,500 learners., Scottish EDGE case reports email management time falling from six days to one.

## Products & services

- **Event Strategy & Research** — Audience research, segmentation, competitive analysis, campaign planning and pricing or product feasibility studies.
- **Association Marketing** — Member engagement and growth strategy for professional and trade associations.
- **Creative & Branding** — Brand positioning, visual identity, campaign creative and content.
- **Digital Marketing** — Paid digital campaigns, testing, measurement and optimization.
- **International Marketing** — Country prioritization, localized campaigns, industry partnerships, buyer delegations and visa or registration support.
- **Social, Influencer & PR** — Social content, influencer campaigns and public relations.
- **AI Strategy & Enablement** — AI opportunity assessments, custom agents, workflow automation, LLM optimization and staff training.
- **EDGEword** — Custom website AI agent for Scottish EDGE applicant questions, with escalation to human staff.

## Achievements

- National Restaurant Association Show case reports nearly 7,000 TikTok website visits, 90% from new users.
- ICA training case reports $515,000 annualized recurring revenue and more than 7,500 learners.
- Scottish EDGE case reports email management time falling from six days to one.
- August 2026 announcement reports 25 team members completing LinkedIn Ads certifications.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — Announced LinkedIn Ads agency certification, with 25 team members completing certifications; release dated August 28 and listed on the website September 4.
- **2025-07** — Caitlin Fox became mdg president; Kimberly Hardcastle moved to Freeman Chief Strategist.
- **2025-03** — Freeman acquired Tag Digital to combine its services with mdg; transaction terms were not disclosed.

## Links

- Website: https://www.mdg.agency/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/marketing-design-group
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdgsocial/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mdgsocial

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/mdg
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-12