Content Marketing Institute named to Inc. 500 Fastest Growing Companies for third consecutive year

CLEVELAND, Aug. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. magazine today ranked the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) No. 460 on its 33rd annual Inc. 500|5000, an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. This is the third consecutive Inc. 500 ranking for CMI.

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If you would have looked at CMI's financials five years ago, you would have told founder Joe Pulizzi to quit. In 2007, Joe, who comes from a long line of entrepreneurs, left a six-figure executive position at the largest independent business media company in North America to bootstrap a startup. Many of his friends and mentors went out of their way to tell him it was a mistake. But for Joe, he was so committed to helping businesses really focus on the informational needs of their customers, that he went ahead anyway and launched the Content Marketing Institute with virtually no money in one of the worst economic climates. He was THAT passionate about it.

Overall, Content Marketing Institute's three-year revenue growth was 1,034% and was recognized by Inc. magazine as the 3rd fastest growing private company in Northeast Ohio and the 11th fastest in the state of Ohio. The company was also ranked as the fastest growing business-to-business media company, and the 7th fastest growing media company overall. The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy--America's independent entrepreneurs.

"I think it's amazing that CMI has landed on the Inc. 500 list three years in a row. We love our community and sponsors, as we couldn't do it without them, but it's the best team on the planet that makes this thing work," says Joe Pulizzi, Founder of the Content Marketing Institute. "The team is dedicated to helping enterprise-level marketing professionals navigate through the ever-changing field of branded content creation and distribution. There is a great need among brands for this education right now."

CMI, headquartered in the West Park area of Cleveland, Ohio, operates the largest content marketing event in the country, Content Marketing World and publishes Chief Content Officer magazine..

CMI is now gearing up for its annual event, Content Marketing World is being held in Cleveland, OH, Sept 8-11, 2014. Registration is still open. Over 2,500 attendees from 50 countries are expected to attend. Hundreds of companies are represented including Caterpillar, Charles Schwab, Ford Motor Co., GE Lighting, Hamilton Beach Brands, Hyland Software, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Johns Hopkins, Lowe's, Microsoft, Moen, New Balance, Ricoh, Rockwell Automation, Vitamix, Western Digital.

About Content Marketing Institute (CMI)

Content Marketing Institute is the leading global content marketing education and training organization. CMI teaches enterprise brands how to attract and retain customers through compelling, multi-channel storytelling. CMI's Content Marketing World event, the largest content marketing-focused event, is held every September, and Content Marketing World Sydney, every March. CMI also produces the quarterly magazine Chief Content Officer, and provides strategic consulting and content marketing research for some of the best-known brands in the world. CMI is a 2012, 2013 and 2014 Inc. 500 company.

About Inc.

Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today's innovative company builders. Total monthly audience reach for the brand has grown significantly from 2,000,000 in 2010 to over 6,000,000 today. For more information, visit www.inc.com. Complete results of the Inc. 500|5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/500.

SOURCE Content Marketing Institute