Marketing
Services Agency
Spangler Erkert and Associates is a partnership of highly qualified and experienced advertising and public relations professionals. Established in 1986 and based in Fredericksburg, VA, our firm’s active involvement in the broader business community, as well as our experience with a variety of clients operating in local, national and global markets, gives SEA a unique perspective and seasoned approach to problem-solving.
How we work
We are dedicated to the goal of uncompromising excellence in our service to clients and workmanship in the planning and execution of marketing, advertising and public relations programs. Furthermore, we conduct our business in accordance with the Code of Professional Standards set forth by the Advertising Industry and the Public Relations Society of America.
BRANDING SERVICES
Communication Project and Program Development | Creative Concept & Image Development 
Brand & Identity Development | Marketing Communications
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Strategic Problem Solving Public Relations Programming | Media/Presentation Coaching Crisis Communications | Public Issue/Candidate Campaigns Public Affairs Editorials/Advertorials | Consumer Writing/Editing Position Papers Speechwriting | Media Relations Grassroots Organizing Opinion Leader Outreach
ADVERTISING
Brochures Newspaper & Magazine Advertising/Inserts Newsletters | Radio, Television & WEB advertising Collateral Materials | Direct Mail Signage (Outdoor and Indoor) Promotional Items
DIGITAL MARKETING
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Budgeting and Oversight Media Analysis & Placement | Strategic Planning & Updates
ADDITIONAL CAPABILITIES
Special Events Displays for Showrooms, Sales Centers & Trade Shows | Trade Show Booths Corporate Vision, Mission & Goal-Planning
Our Work
Awards
National Assn. of Home Builders, Best of 50+ Housing Awards, Silver Achievement Award for Color Print Advertisement
Business of the Year, Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, 2005
Best Print Advertising (Full color, black & white) in Newspapers and
Magazines, MAME Awards, Fredericksburg Area Builders Association
Superior Award, Brochures Category, National Association of County Information Officers
Award of Excellence, Tourism Marketing, Southern Economic Development Council
Most Valuable Partner Award for Outstanding Customer Service
Best Web Site, MAME Awards, Fredericksburg Area Builders Assn.
Best Special Event, MAME Awards, Fredericksburg Area Builders Assn.
Best Newspaper Insert, MAME Awards, Fredericksburg Area Builders Assn.
Best Direct Mail, MAME Awards, Fredericksburg Area Builders Assn.
Best Low-Budget PR Campaign for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Public Relations Society of VA.
Women of Distinction, Commonwealth Council of Girl Scouts
Associate of the Year, Fredericksburg Area Builders Assn.
Third Place, Direct Mail Pieces, “Destinations” Magazine
Goodwill Award for Corporate Philanthropy, Fredericksburg Regional
Chamber of Commerce
OUR PRINCIPALS
Jan Erkert
Jan Erkert is an experienced communications and advertising strategist. She is an accredited public relations practitioner and a member of the Counselor’s Academy of the Public Relations Society of America. This is the profession’s highest level of accreditation.
Jan Erkert currently serves as a community leader with the following organizations:
- FREDericksburg Regional Transit, Advisory Board
- Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, Chamber Enterprises Board
- Micah Ecumenical Ministries, Board of Directors
Jan Erkert’s past community service gives her intimate knowledge about regional life. It includes:
- Germanna Community College, Board of Directors, board member and board chairman.
- Fredericksburg Planning Commission, member 9 years; chair 5 years.
- Mary Washington Healthcare, Board of Trustees, executive committee
- Stafford Hospital, Board of Trustees, executive committee
- Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors
- Rappahannock United Way 2005 Campaign Co-Chairman; Communication Committee Chair
- Community Foundation of the Rappahannock Region, Board of Governors
- Germanna Community College Foundation, Board of Directors
- Public Education Trust, Board of Directors
- Mayfield Community Center, Construction Committee
- Virginia Lung Association, Communications Committee Chairman
- University of Mary Washington, College of Graduate and Professional Studies, Advisory Council
- Superintendent’s Advisory Council, Fredericksburg Public Schools
- Rappahannock Rotary
- Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc. (HFFI), Board of Directors
- Junior Board of Fredericksburg
- Greater Fredericksburg Area Young Life, Parents Committee
- Lynchburg College Parents Council, Chairman
- Fredericksburg YMCA, Board of Directors
Louise Spangler
Louise Spangler is a talented, award-winning graphic designer, offering experience in a wide range of areas. Educated at the prestigious Pratt Institute of Design in New York; she previously worked as art director for several agencies and industries in metro New York.
She moved with her family to Fredericksburg in 1976. She and her late husband, Carl, a Pratt graduate, established Spangler Graphics and Advertising, specializing in graphic design and branding. They chose Fredericksburg for their home because it was equidistant from their initial clients in Washington, DC and Richmond. One of their first clients, Omega World Travel, still uses the logo that Lou created for them. Over the years she has also provided pro bono graphic design services to many local nonprofits.
She is a member of the Fredericksburg Chamber of Commerce and the Fredericksburg Builders Association.
OUR ASSOCIATES
Rambletype
Rambletype LLC was founded in 2013 to help provide expertise to businesses, government organizations and other groups who are trying to leverage digital marketing and media to reach target audiences, improve the bottom line or drive action from their customers or stakeholders.
Rambletype focuses on a wide range of Web design and hosting services, with a particular focus on scalable, high-availability content management solutions including Drupal, WordPress and custom Python content management systems.
Additionally, Rambletype offers full-service social media management, search engine marketing management and online advertising services.
Rambletype LLC is a Limited Liability Corporation and is a SWaM-Certified Virginia Business.
The scope of Rambletype’s work experience includes:
- Multi-client auto scaling content management hosting
- Google AdWords management
- Facebook Ad management
- LinkedIn ad management
- Google Analytics installation and interpretation
- Custom data management and database design
- Online newsletter integration, including Constant Contact and Mailchimp integration
- Lead management solutions
- WordPress theme customization and design
- Advertising server management
- PowerPoint design
- Very large (6 million+ unique users) Web infrastructure development
- Digital banner ad creation, including animated GIF ads and multifunctional HTML 5 advertising
Chris Muldrow
Chris Muldrow, principal at Rambletype LLC, has been working in digital media since 1995, with a focus on newspapers and radio. He also has extensive experience in building online products for a wide range of industries and building partnerships between national newspaper companies and digital companies including Monster.com and Zillow.com.
He has leveraged his formal training in journalism to develop and deploy systems so organizations can effectively share their messages in a digital world. Over the years he has become an expert in deploying content management systems over multiple properties, building revenue-producing products that can adapt to diverse markets and doing training for newsrooms, advertising departments and small businesses. He has also managed very large-scale email marketing operations and business development in a digital environment.
Chris got into Web technology when it was first being developed; over more than 22 years of Internet experience he has actually built several online tools that were among the first of their kind. This includes a real estate search engine that ties directly into the Real Estate Multiple Listing service; a content management system specifically tailored to online news operations; an early version of site analytics tracking similar to Google Analytics; and a range of Web tools that worked on the very first Web-enabled mobile phones.
Chris Muldrow currently serves as a community leader with the following organizations:
- Mental Health America of Fredericksburg, President
- Friends of the Rappahannock, Secretary
- Boy Scouts of America Troop 170, Scoutmaster
- Leadership Fredericksburg Advisory Board, Member
Vicky McNeilan
Vicky McNeilan has built extensive WordPress Web development experience. Vicky has built sites for a network of large community sports field houses, as well as sites for digital publishers, Fredericksburg-based retail businesses and nonprofit organizations. She provides customized WordPress database development, allowing Rambletype’s clients to store and display data that wouldn’t be possible in an off-the-shelf WordPress installation. Some of her custom work includes a database of mental health professionals for an area nonprofit and a searchable class and registration database for sports facilities.
Additionally, she manages most of Rambletype’s digital ad delivery services, interacting with the Facebook and Google ad platforms as well as ad delivery platforms custom-built for Rambletype’s clients.
