How does our PPC team work and why is it the heart of the agency?

Marketup has long been about much more than just PPC. We’re a full-service digital agency. But our team of campaign specialists – the so-called “realizák” – remains the largest and most essential part of our company. In this article, we’ll show you how we work, why it makes sense to invest in juniors, and how they grow into campaign managers for brands like Decathlon.

One team, many units

Our agency operates in business units – teams focused on specific clients. Each BU includes specialists, account managers, and an account director leading the team. Yet we remain one big team – the realizák. To share know-how across BUs, we hold a weekly realizák meeting where we:

• discuss updates from advertising platforms,

• share test results and experiments,

• address practical challenges,

• and inspire each other.

Week after week, we learn from one another – sometimes even through our fuckups. 🙂

Skillmasters: mentoring and strategy

An essential part of the realizák are our Skillmasters – more than just senior specialists. They not only manage campaigns but also help the entire media team thrive. They develop colleagues, raise work quality across the agency, and bring expertise wherever it’s needed.

Each Skillmaster focuses on a specific area of digital marketing where they truly excel. They develop that expertise across business units – sharing updates, training others, and supporting complex assignments. Together with specialists, they create individual growth plans, help fulfill them, and actively participate in onboarding newcomers. Their role is key not only for campaign quality but also for long-term team development.

A vital part of a Skillmaster’s job is campaign supervision – checking technical setups, performance, and goal alignment. They ensure consistent standards and flag potential issues early. In addition, they deliver trainings and client consultations in their area of expertise – whether that’s performance strategy, shopping campaigns, or brand advertising.

Skillmasters often join major client meetings, especially when long-term collaboration strategy or campaign evaluations are discussed. They play a crucial role in pitch strategy too – guaranteeing technical accuracy, presenting solutions, and answering client questions.

They also work closely with account managers and directors on client growth – identifying new opportunities and preparing materials for upsell activities that strengthen the business team’s arguments. On top of that, they contribute to agency PR by writing case studies, publishing expert articles, and speaking at events such as our Business Breakfast.

A Skillmaster isn’t just a manager. They’re a mentor – someone who keeps their head in data while helping others grow and keeping a pulse on the heartbeat of our agency.

Experts: specialization and support

Every specialist here has a broad skill set – from Meta Ads to PMax in Bing – and can manage a client independently. When deeper expertise is needed, they know where to turn. We have garanti – experts who go deeper into specific areas, stay on top of trends, and run tests. Thanks to them, we can rely on fast, in-house expert support whenever needed.

Juniors: the future of the team

On the other side of the PPC journey are our juniors. Finding ready-made PPC experts is becoming harder, so we invest in fresh talent. They’re young, ambitious, and often lack hands-on experience – but their eagerness to learn and grow quickly more than makes up for it.

We dedicate a great deal of time and energy to them, believing the investment pays back fast.

Here’s how it works:

• Intensive onboarding – not just self-study, but internal and external training materials.

• Working under the guidance of experienced colleagues.

• Gradually taking on responsibility and managing real campaigns.

Thanks to the trust we place in them, they become fully-fledged team members within a few months.

From junior to Skillmaster

A perfect example of why investing in juniors pays off is Martin Sattek. “Satty,” as we all call him, joined us in 2019 as a PPC junior. His journey began in an assessment center, where we saw his passion for online marketing and spotted real potential.

After he successfully passed the assessment, I took Martin under my wing. Together, we focused on developing his hard skills – from technical campaign setup to deep data analysis. Martin quickly mastered client management, handled multiple ad platforms, and soon started showing strength in strategic planning.

Today, he manages the agency’s biggest performance campaigns, including our client Decathlon. And just as others once helped him, he now enthusiastically shares his expertise with new colleagues.

In conclusion

Our realizák is more than just a team of PPC specialists. It’s a space for growth, collaboration, and sharing both successes and fuckups. That’s what helps us deliver results for clients – and push each other further every day.

And, of course, we don’t forget to have fun. Every first Thursday of the month, we hit the ice, play darts, or just grab a beer together.