Campaigns helped Emerald Isle Realty achieve measurable business outcomes

AUSTIN, Texas, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Orange 142, LLC ("Orange 142"), a division of Direct Digital Holdings (Nasdaq: DRCT), and a leading digital marketing agency for mid-market brands and agencies, today announced it was recognized with two 2026 Hermes Creative Awards for their work with Emerald Isle Realty, earning Gold for Search Engine Marketing Campaign ("One Line to Rule Them All") and Platinum for Social Media Presence. 

"Winning Gold and Platinum is meaningful, but it speaks to the work behind it," said Brenton Maddox, Senior Vice President, Client Success at Orange 142. "For Emerald Isle Realty, the goal went beyond better metrics. It was building a strategy that could adapt as platforms change and respond to how people actually engage, while protecting the trust they've built over more than 60 years."

Orange 142 has continued its partnership with Emerald Isle Realty, evolving its digital strategy over time to keep pace with platform shifts and make organic social a more consistent driver of demand. The awards reflect how search and social were brought together to stay responsive to those changes and translate into real business impact.

As competition for travel demand increased and platform dynamics continued to shift, Orange 142 identified opportunities to unify search strategy and rethink how organic social could perform. That approach included a more visual, community-driven model centered on short-form video, real-time engagement, and audience behavior.

The work delivered strong results across peak travel periods, including a 9,360% ROI from paid search, up 30% year over year, alongside 62% growth in direct bookings from organic social. Organic Meta efforts also drove an 81% increase in revenue, supported by a 131% lift in Facebook engagement.

"Orange 142 has been a strong partner in helping us evolve how we connect with both travelers and homeowners," said Jason Voelpel, Chief Marketing Officer at Emerald Isle Realty. "They've brought a thoughtful approach to modernizing our search and social strategy while staying true to what makes our brand resonate. That's translating into stronger performance and more meaningful engagement across the board."

To learn more about Orange 142's performance marketing services and approach, visit https://orange142.com/media-solutions/performance-marketing.

About Orange 142

Orange 142 is a digital marketing and advertising company helping businesses and agencies of all sizes grow their reach and revenue through strategic, data-driven media execution. As the buy-side arm of Direct Digital Holdings (Nasdaq: DRCT), Orange 142 delivers customized solutions across programmatic, search, social, connected TV, and emerging digital channels. With deep expertise in high-growth sectors such as Travel & Tourism, Healthcare, Energy, and Financial Services, Orange 142 creates results-driven campaigns that connect brands with their most valuable audiences. To learn more, visit www.Orange142.com.

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SOURCE Direct Digital Holdings