Last week I had the privilege of attending MarketingProfs’ Digital Mixer in Chicago. For two solid days I enjoyed sessions and keynotes from some of the brightest stars in the digital marketing universe. Just Google the conference and you can quickly see that there’s been no shortage of excellent summary posts. For mine, I’d like to add a take from our unique perspective. First, we are an advertising agency as opposed to an in-house marketer. Plus, while we work with businesses of all sizes, we counsel several small businesses that are very interested in how new media can grow their business. Thus my post will look at some of the best conference takeaways by area (social media, search, blogging, email marketing) through the prism of agency and small business. (more…)

Over a year ago, when the Betts Auto Campus became the Willis Auto Campus, the transition campaign we developed featured the tagline The Tradition Continues. Willis has many traditions but few have the reputation of their annual premiere party in October. This event gives new meaning to customer appreciation. Coinciding with the fall release of several new models, the event not only showcases product. Through entertainment, food, and drink, customers are given personal reminders of why they have such affinity for the Willis brand. Typically, Westergaard produced a fairly straightforward event invitation. This year, the client wanted to kick it up a notch. The challenge? Keep the project within comparable costing to last year’s invitation/envelope mailer. (more…)

2009 marks a very special year for Hummel’s Nissan in Des Moines, one of our oldest client relationships. This year they celebrate 80 years as a family owned business and 40 years as a Nissan dealer. To mark this occasion, Westergaard Advertising created a special anniversary campaign. The  cornerstone of which is their new 80/40 logo. Why pick one anniversary to commemorate when you can celebrate both? (more…)

Working on a brand from the ground up is a lot of fun. That was just the opportunity we were presented with by our friends at Zenergi Hot Yoga. When we first met last spring, owner Lisa Scaglione had the name – Zenergi. She also had a vision of creating a nurturing and non-competitive environment where people could come to get away from the stresses of modern life and melt into their restorative practice of hot yoga. (more…)

Okay, you’re just going to have to forgive that headline … Through our partnership with ACT, Westergaard Advertising has developed a relationship with the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). Specifically with their education and research arm, the Manufacturing Institute. The manufacturing sector is driving the current U.S. economic recovery but faces unprecedented challenges. These issues are outlined in the The Facts About Modern Manufacturing, a key Institute publication which spotlights the latest U.S. government statistics and internal economic analysis — a must read for those in manufacturing. Westergaard was honored to produce the recent 8th Edition of the Facts report. (more…)