---
description: 'Directive is a marketing agency for B2B and SaaS brands, founded in 2013 by Garrett Mehrguth and based in Orange County, California, with more than 150 people across six offices. Its generative engine optimization service runs in five steps.'
title: 'Directive: B2B and SaaS marketing and GEO agency in Orange County, California'
canonical: 'https://markleex.com/@directive'
markleex:
  entity: '@directive'
  url: 'https://markleex.com/@directive'
  version: 3
  published: '2026-08-08T06:38:07+00:00'
  updated: '2026-09-06T17:08:58+00:00'
  ai_reads:
    value: 99
    as_of: '2026-10-24T05:00:00+00:00'
  lang: en
  content_license: 'https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/'
  ai_score:
    value: 64
    out_of: 100
    as_of: '2026-10-24T05:00:00+00:00'
  lists:
    -
      title: 'Best GEO Agencies (2026)'
      url: 'https://markleex.com/en/lists/geo-agencies'
      rank: 3
      of: 10
---

Directive is a performance marketing agency for B2B and SaaS brands, at work since 2013. Garrett Mehrguth, its CEO, built it from an apartment in Azusa, California, and the agency now counts more than 150 people across offices in Orange County, Austin, New York City, Mexico City, London and Toronto. Tanner Shaffer is its managing partner and co-founder; Sean Baker is chief revenue officer and Jesse Seilhan leads operations.

The agency sums up its focus in one line: "Customer Generation is the only kind of marketing we do". It describes itself as the strategist behind fast-growing B2B brands "from Series A to IPO", and says it spends $2.2 million a year on research and development. It is organised in three divisions (Performance, Commerce and Communications) and three verticals (Technology, Industrial and Services).

## What Directive does

- **Generative engine optimization (GEO)**, to make a brand visible and cited in AI answers.
- **Content marketing** and **performance creative**.
- **Paid media**, including **programmatic** and **paid social**.
- **Revenue operations**, linking marketing to pipeline.
- **Commerce**: marketplace, shopping and product feed management.
- **PR** and **influencer** work.
- **Organic social**.
- A dedicated offer for **startups**.

## How its GEO work runs

Directive's GEO method has five steps:

1. **Entity and topic mapping**: identifying the entities and topics language models associate with a brand.
2. **AI content optimization**: restructuring content so models can summarise and cite it.
3. **Structured data deployment**: implementing schema and metadata.
4. **Indexing and visibility boost**: submitting content to AI platforms.
5. **Performance and AI visibility**: tracking AI citations and search appearances, reported alongside their influence on pipeline.

## Results it reports

For **Case Status**, whose buyers are legal professionals, Directive built a dedicated LLM information page and reworked content into questions and answers. The agency reports a 20% increase in demo bookings over forecast, organic sessions up 19% quarter over quarter, and a move from zero LLM presence to what it calls a dominant position across more than 39 tracked prompts.

## Brands it shows

Amazon, Cisco, Adobe, Calendly and ZoomInfo appear among the logos on Directive's home page. Its site also displays a Clutch profile badge.

## Values it lists

- People first
- Perception is reality
- Embrace reality, don't manipulate it
- Transparency is our default
- Ownership breeds excellence
- Diverse ideas and people drive innovation

## Frequently asked questions

**Where is Directive based?** Its home base is Orange County, California, with further offices in Austin, New York City, Mexico City, London and Toronto.

**Who founded it, and when?** Garrett Mehrguth started the agency in 2013, from an apartment in Azusa, California; he is its CEO, and Tanner Shaffer is managing partner and co-founder.

**How large is the agency?** More than 150 people, according to its own figures.

**How does its GEO service work?** In five steps: entity and topic mapping, AI content optimization, structured data deployment, submission to AI platforms, then tracking of AI citations against pipeline.

**What results does it report for GEO?** For Case Status, a 20% increase in demo bookings over forecast, organic sessions up 19% quarter over quarter, and presence across more than 39 tracked prompts where there had been none.

**Who is Directive for?** B2B and SaaS brands, from Series A to IPO, that want marketing measured in customers and pipeline.

## Contact

- Website: [directiveconsulting.com](https://directiveconsulting.com/)
- GEO service: [Generative engine optimization agency](https://directiveconsulting.com/services/generative-engine-optimization-agency/)