At Emerald City Agency, we believe that great marketing is about more than just selling a product—it’s about building emotional connections that inspire trust, loyalty, and action. Our approach is rooted in understanding both your business goals and the unique desires of your audience. By blending strategic thinking with creative execution, we craft compelling brand stories that resonate on a deeper level. Whether it’s through thoughtful content, engaging digital experiences, or powerful messaging, we ensure that every aspect of your marketing is aligned with your brand’s purpose and speaks directly to the hearts of your customers.
Our Yellow Brick Road
Meet The Wizard
Wal Ozello, The Wizard and President of Emerald City Agency, is a life-long storyteller with more than twenty-five years of experience in Communications and Marketing. His expertise is informing and motivating both external and internal audiences to believe and act.
Brains. Heart. Courage.
Wal dives deep into understanding your business goals or brand and identifies what motivates your target audiences so he can help you craft messages that resonate. He uses brains, heart and courage to get your audiences think a certain way, feel a connection to your brand and be motivated to act. With his expertise in writing, video, graphics, production, presentations, theater, digital, social media, websites and music, Wal can develop a plan to reach your audiences where they gravitate to the most and in a medium they prefer.
Wal working with OSU Alum, Eddie George, at a Wendy’s Heisman event.
At the Emerald City
Wal’s work at Emerald City is all about building brands and trust, both externally and internally. He analyzes the brand and its objectives concurrently with the audience’s needs to ensure the message fits with both the brand and its users. By creating a distinctive brand personality and thinking strategically about content marketing, he focuses on the customers having a beneficial experience with the brand instead of just a purchase. In addition, he always keeps an end goal in mind to make sure that great storytelling leads to a call-to-action.
Scarlet and Gray
At The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Wal strengthened the brand’s national reputation through targeted, impactful and meaningful content marketing, jumping six spots over four years in US News & World Report rankings. He leveraged a mix of blogging, email marketing, social media and print and targeted specific audiences to influence. In addition, he oversaw the overhaul of the college’s brand, marketing efforts and social media strategy, along with the smooth transition of a new dean.
Wal hosting a meeting with Wendy’s spokesperson “Red” and a co-worker .
Square Hamburgers
Wal worked nearly two decades at Wendy’s on a multitude of internal and external communications. On the internal side, he spearhead all strategic communications initiatives on behalf of Wendy’s North American restaurants comprised of 500+ franchises, 6,000+ restaurants and more than 250,000 employees. He supported more than thirty high level executives, crafting executive communications across multiple functions to influence franchisees, educate employees and strengthen the Wendy’s brand internally and externally. He managed Wendy’s company intranet, helping build two different different platforms and improving efficiencies of additional system communications.
On the external side, he strengthened Wendy’s corporate reputation and brand liking through cultural and cause marketing communications with an emphasis on improving local market awareness and involvement in event marketing. Under his management, the Wendy’s High School Heisman program significantly expanded, through an enhanced local marketing campaign and the addition of scholarships. He grew consumer and system confidence by infusing Wendy’s values, history and culture into communications and marketing programs. He is honored to have worked on PR during the passing of Dave Thomas.
Big City, Bright Lights
Early on in his career, Wal worked on the A&E Biography series and in Communications at Bear Stearns. It was in NYC that he honed his skills in video production and meeting/event support.
Wal fronting his rockband, Armada, at the legendary Alrosa Villa.
The Man Behind The Curtain
In his spare time, Wal wears many hats. As a former college professor, he’s taught Marketing, Advertising & Promotions, Consumer Behavior, Relationship Marketing and E-Commerce to undergraduates and won the Robert L. Bailey Teaching Award. A life-long musician, he graced the stage of the Alrosa Villa with his hard rock band, Armada, and sang for Pope John Paul II at St. Patrick Cathedral in New York City. He’s a published author of a science fiction series, a blogger for Pencilstorm and an independent filmmaker.
We’ve had many adventures along our yellow brick road.
Brand Building • Content Marketing • Social Media • Communications Strategy • Digital Marketing • National Reputation • Messaging • Video • Speech • Copy Writing • Blog Writing • Crisis Communications • SEO • Communications Leadership • AI-powered content creator • Guided Artificial Intelligence • ChatGPT storyteller • Product Rollouts • Cause Marketing • Websites • Franchisees Communications • Front-line Employees Communications • Operational Initiatives • Presentations • Meeting Content • Message Calendaring • Blogging • Newsletters • Executive Transitions • Awards and Recognition • Founder Communications • Integrated Communications Planning • Email Marketing • Local Marketing Programs • Book Publishing • Video Production • Media Production • Events • E-Commerce • Shopify • Private Labeling • Change Management • Culture Communications • Company History Communications • Employee Handbooks • HR Policies • Sales Analysis • Customer Retention • Sale Promotions • Master of Ceremonies
Read more about how we approach marketing and communications.
The best thing about having a heart is giving it to others.”
-Wal Ozello, President & Wizard @ Emerald City Agency
Organizations We Support
