Our History

June 15, 2021

Falls Communications

Our firm began as a partnership between a Cleveland based advertising agency and a Detroit public relations firm in 1989, both owned by Ross Roy Advertising from Detroit. Rob Falls, a SVP with the PR firm in Detroit, was tapped to establish the new office as its president in downtown Cleveland. Falls eventually moved to Cleveland full time and, a few years later, purchased himself out of the parent company.  

The firm was then renamed Robert Falls & Co. Public Relations and grew steadily through the years. Although a small firm at the time, we quickly established a strong foundation built on media relations and creative ideas. We landed well-known companies such as Moen, Sherwin-Williams, and Lincoln Electric, which we are honored to still serve today.

The name was shorted to Falls Communications in 2009 and we kept adding services through the years including: creative services and design; crisis communications and reputation management; strategic branding; public and nonprofit/government affairs; corporate communications and IR; culture and talent management; organizational development; and market research.

Falls Digital

In 2012, Falls Digital was born, supporting companies undergoing a digital transformation to improve their marketing effectiveness and customer experience. We built websites, designed and executed in-bound marketing programs, and provided strategic technology solutions across digital platforms.    

In 2019, the communications and digital companies merged, creating an integrated agency and shortened its name to Falls. Our simplified name and website, WeAreFalls.com, reinforced our integrated approach to serving our clients. 

Wyse Advertising

Falls acquired the iconic Cleveland- based advertising agency, Wyse, in the fall of 2019. Wyse provided outstanding creative, strategic branding and media buying capabilities.  

Marc and Lois Wyse founded Wyse Advertising in 1951. During the early years, Wyse developed its retail capability, serving as the agency for local and regional retailers including The Higbee Co.

In 1959, Wyse began work with a small jelly company in Orville, Ohio, Smucker’s, and shortly thereafter developed one of the most enduring themes in advertising, “With a name like Smucker's, it has to be good.” During the next 20 years, Smucker’s would pass Kraft, Welch’s and all others to become the leading jelly brand in the world.

Wyse built a reputation for branding some of the largest companies in the Midwest and beyond, creating long-lasting campaigns including Sherwin-Williams’ Ask Sherwin-Williams; Applebee’s You Belong at Applebee’s; and Marathon Petroleum’s Fueling the American Spirit. In the ‘90s, the 4As named Wyse one of the top 10 creative agencies in the country.

In the new century, Wyse expanded its strategic capabilities, digital services and produced award-winning content marketing campaigns for clients such as Marathon Petroleum, Parker Hannifin, Huntington Bank and Cleveland State University, among others.

Falls & Co.

Today, under the name Falls & Co., we continue our evolution as a full-service, integrated agency, with nearly 90 professionals in strategy, communications, advertising and digital dedicated to one shared goal: Helping our clients grow faster. Falls & Co. addresses the most sophisticated challenges, yet we are small enough to be highly responsive and nimble.

Our clients range from the large multi-nationals to the mid-sized regional companies, and our work reflects our understanding of their industries and influences shaping their businesses.  What has not changed and will not change no matter our name or evolving capabilities, is our endearing commitment to our clients, our work and each other.