What is a Brand and Why is it Important?
Why is a brand important?
It’s important because it’s your REPUTATION.
It originates from cattlemen who used a hot iron stamp to differentiate one from another. This is important because this is truly what companies and brands are out to accomplish – to stand out.
A brand is the sum of your business parts and how people perceive you. It’s not just a name, logo, colors, words, and sounds, but the combination of all these things with the type of relationship you build with clients. Your brand personality affects how clients think and feel about you, and determines whether or not they want to be associated with you.
Brands aren’t built overnight but over time. Your investment of time and money into establishing a great reputation must cascade all your attributes and culture internally and externally to the marketplace. When all these things are completed in a strategically sound manner, brands are established.
DRIVEN Launches New Brand Campaign for Tapper’s Diamonds and Fine Jewelry
DRIVEN Launches New Work For Wayne State University
DRIVEN Launches New Brand Campaign for Henry Ford Village
DRIVEN announced today that they have developed and launched a new brand campaign targeted towards the senior retirement bound audience. The campaign, which carries the theme-line “You’ve Earned It”, will launch with television spots and begins airing July 11, 2011.
Located in Dearborn, Mich., Henry Ford Village is Michigan’s most popular Senior Retirement Community. Situated on 35 acres and the birthplace of Henry Ford, they have over 1,000 residents, multiple dining rooms, bank, fitness center, swimming pool, convenience store, salon, transportation and everything in between to provide for retirees. They also provide assisted living, skilled nursing and a rehabilitation center.
“For us, this is a very rewarding category to be in,” says Chief Creative Officer, John Cymbal. “This is an audience that has worked hard their entire life – raised their families – been there, done that – now it’s time for them to sit back and enjoy life.” Cymbal says the “You’ve Earned It” theme line is a simple compliment to people that deserve to live retirement life to the fullest.
To view one of the spots please click on the following: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ3Sd0twFVQ
New Work for Berger Camaro
Ferndale Michigan Based Ad Agency Celebrates 6th Anniversary With New Accounts and Economic Recovery Optimism
Ferndale, Michigan, March 15, 2011 – Ferndale Michigan based advertising agency, DRIVEN celebrates its sixth anniversary with three Michigan based AOR wins including: Henry Ford Village, Wayne State Physician Group, and Professional Health and Nutrition, Inc.
The wins represent entry into three new categories for the agency. Henry Ford Village is the largest continuing care retirement community in Michigan, Wayne State Physician Group is a collective of over 2000 physicians, and Professional Health and Nutrition is a startup health/sports supplement company ready to build a national following.
“We’ve been working hard for our clients in a down economy and the good word is spreading,” says DRIVEN Chief Marketing Officer, Sam Chiodo. “This year we’re winning new business based on our unique creative point of view and significant returns on our client’s marketing investments – all proof that creativity, a solid strategy and hard work are a winning formula.”
Over the past few years the Detroit advertising landscape has changed a great deal, with many of the large conglomerate agencies reeling from the loss of huge automotive advertising budgets. DRIVEN has built a steady following by helping small to medium clients generate returns on their marketing investments in a down-economy. “Many clients have a need for big ideas and brand advertising, but don’t have infinite budgets to make it happen,” says Kevin Woods, Chief Operating Officer for DRIVEN. “I think we show a definite passion for bringing different viewpoints to our clients and that’s what helps get them excited.”
DRIVEN, which celebrates it’s sixth year in March, continues to service many Michigan based clients including: ABC Warehouse, Wayne State University, Founders Brewing, PEP Stations LLC, United Road, and several retail automotive accounts including the LaFontaine Automotive Group, Berger Chevrolet, Matick Chevrolet, and the Bass family of dealerships in Ohio.
“We’re always looking to diversify creatively,” says one of the agencies Chief Creative Officers, Brian Cusac. “It’s an exciting time for us, because we are being invited to pitch a lot of categories where folks are looking for fresh brand or creative perspectives and that’s where we can really make a difference.”
Chiodo says that the new AOR wins are a positive for DRIVEN, but also a good sign for the advertising industry as a whole as well. “We know that, companies who continue to invest in advertising when the economy is down, reap incremental rewards, distancing themselves from their competition when things recover,” he adds. “Many of our current clients will benefit from this philosophy and our new clients are emboldened by their respective successes.” In either case, Chiodo says he believes that effective, thought provoking, results oriented work, will continue to help DRIVEN grow.
For additional information about DRIVEN contact Kevin Woods or visit www.drivensolutionsinc.com.
DRIVEN is a full-service “think-tank” advertising agency made up of professional renegades and rebels from the world of “BIG” advertising. They offer a seasoned team of account directors, creative thinkers and media planners who draw from their experience of working on some of the largest accounts in the world, from automotive, to home furnishing retailers, to soda pop companies, and everything in between. Their years of experience and relationships within the industry, provides them with the ability to draw from the best of the best in ideation. With a creative stable including award-winning writers, art directors, artists, musicians, strategic thinkers, media planners, and dreamers, they are a company with a proven track record of delivering cutting edge solutions for select clients.
Michigan Based Ad Agency DRIVEN Wins ABC Warehouse Advertising Account
Ferndale, Michigan, August 6, 2010 – Growing ad agency DRIVEN has been awarded advertising duties for Michigan based ABC Warehouse, one of the leading consumer appliance and electronics retailers in the Midwest. The account was awarded to DRIVEN after an agency review by ABC that included three other competitive shops.
“We are absolutely thrilled and honored that we were the agency selected to champion this fantastic brand,” says Sam Chiodo, Principal and Chief Marketing Officer of DRIVEN. “This is an exciting market segment to be in, especially with a company like ABC that is such a consistent force.”
The new relationship will serve as a launch pad for ABC to leverage the iconic brand and retail presence that they have built in the marketplace with memorable campaigns including commercials featuring Gordon Hartunian, the company’s founder. “We’re very excited about working with ABC,” says Brian Cusac, one of DRIVEN’s four Principals and Co Chief Creative Officer. “This is a company that has been doing fun, effective, work for years and when your clients are into smart work, you’ve got a huge advantage in the marketplace already.”
“It’s always a learning experience when you’re forming a new partnership with an agency,” said Michael Shelby, Director of Advertising/Marketing at ABC Appliance. “Of course the work always has to come first, but it’s also about the dynamic of the group and we think that DRIVEN will be a very good fit for us.”
DRIVEN was started by four young Detroit ad agency veterans over five years ago and is a full-service agency with 10 full-time staffers and a stable of seasoned creative professionals.
“Our mission is always about producing great ideas and effective solutions for our clients,” says John Cymbal, one of the four DRIVEN Principals and Co Chief Creative Officer. “The folks at ABC know how important a strong brand presence is, so we’re excited to be a part of the team.”
Along with addition of ABC Appliance, Inc., DRIVEN’s client list is made up of many Michigan based companies including Wayne State University, Founders Brewing, United Road, Westborn Markets, Berger Chevrolet, The LaFontaine Automotive Group, Matick Chevrolet, Elite Defense, The Elia Group, PEP Stations, All American Pet Resorts, LogicPlug, TechTown and several others that are out of state.
“We just keep it simple, do smart work, and try to have fun,” says Kevin Woods, Principal and Chief Executive Officer for DRIVEN. “We work hard and smart for our clients and in the end, they can see the results.”
With more than 58 stores and 1,700 employees, ABC Appliance, Inc., is one of the leading consumer electronics retailers in the Midwest. The company was founded in 1964 by the company’s Chairman, Gordon Hartunian and remains a family-owned business. Stores in the ABC Appliance family include ABC Warehouse, Hawthorne Appliance, U.S. Appliance.com and Mickey Shorr. For more information about ABC Appliance, Inc., go to http://www.abcwarehouse.com.
DRIVEN is a small “think-tank” made up of professional renegades and rebels from the world of “big” advertising. They bring the experience of working on some of the largest brands in the world to the table for each client. Their solid relationships within the industry allow them to draw from the best in ideation and includes award-winning writers and art directors, as well as, artists, musicians, strategic thinkers, media planners, and dreamers, all of whom are DRIVEN to deliver cutting edge solutions for select clients. Visit www.drivensolutionsinc.com to learn more.
DRIVEN Detroit Agency Celebrates 5th Anniversary With Continued Growth
Ferndale, Michigan, Feb 15, 2009 – On the heels of winning six awards including a “Best of Show” in the Print category for their client Founders Brewing Co. at this past December’s 2009 D Show, DRIVEN, celebrates its fifth anniversary with a slew of MI based AOR wins – LaFontaine Automotive Group, Munder Capital Management, and Elite Arms LLC.
“After weathering last year’s less than stellar economy, we’ve hit the ground running in 2010 and are looking forward to an exciting year,” says DRIVEN Chief Marketing Officer, Sam Chiodo. “We moved from Royal Oak to Ferndale into a new space that we love and we’re winning new business based on our unique creative point of view and significant returns on our respective client’s marketing investments – all proof that creativity, hard work, and results are a winning formula.”
Work for the new AOR clients is underway, with branding efforts for each to hit the streets over the next few months. In it’s sixth year, the agency’s client roster continues to grow including recently launching Michigan based manufacturer of electric vehicle charging stations PEP Stations LLC, and handling several store grand re-openings for Big Boy Restaurants International, LLC.
“It’s tough out there, but we’ve stayed focused on doing the best work we can, and clients of all shapes and sizes can appreciate that,” says one of the agencies Chief Creative Officers, John Cymbal. “I think people are starting to discover that creativity and the nimbleness of a small shop can come in handy at times like these.”
For additional information contact Sam Chiodo at 248 548 3393 or visit www.drivensolutionsinc.com.
Post from Bill Shea’s Crain’s Blog
IT’S TIME TO LIGHT THE LIGHTS …: Last night was the third annual black-tie D Awards show at the Max. Unlike most staid awards ceremonies, the audience is always mixture of the raucous theater crowd from “The Muppet Show” and the rowdy disciplinary hearing scene in “Animal House.” Which means it was great, albeit a little R-rated, fun. All that was missing was live chickens and seltzer bottles.
The sound of beer bottles rolling down the inclined aisles and glass wine goblets shattering on the floor lasted for much of the ceremony. Get some booze into advertising creatives and all bets are off.
There was lots of great work and the freewheeling crowd was happy to cheer their competitors and themselves. Team Detroit and Campbell-Ewald took home the most script letter D trophies.
The boys from Ferndale’s Driven Solutions Inc. (I profiled them in 2008) took home several prizes, including a best-in-class in the print category for their campaign for Grand Rapids-based Founders Brewing Co. However, the awards program called them Driven Communications, which is another company altogether. Oops.
A sort of grim undercurrent throughout the show was the sense that that the fun may end at any moment because of the state of the advertising industry — fraught with uncertainty because of the automaker’s woes and Detroit’s problems.
DRIVEN Wins Best of Show Print at the D Awards By Bill Shea
CORRECTION APPENDED
Southfield-based visual effects and post-production house Universal Images took the best-in-show award Wednesday night at the third-annual D Show advertising awards.
The company was honored for its work on the History Channel’s “The Art of War” series. Christopher Wirth was the executive creative director on the work, which was computer-generated, stylized images of warfare through the ages.
The D Awards — everything from traditional print and broadcast ads to guerrilla marketing, cell-phone campaigns and computer effects are eligible and judged by outside experts — must have been produced by a Detroit-based agency or client between June 1, 2008, and May 31 of this year.
Other overall category winners:
- Print: Ferndale-based Driven Solutions Inc. for Founders Brewing Co.
- Out of home: Dearborn-based Team Detroit for Ford Motor Co.
- TV: Warren-based Campbell-Ewald for Kaiser Permanente.
- Digital media: Team Detroit for Ford.
- Integrated branding: Campbell-Ewald for U.S. Navy.
- The Craft Award: Universal Images for the History Channel.
- Ambassador Award: Campbell-Ewald for U.S. Navy (awarded for best marriage of creative content and context innovation).
“The Joe” award, judged by a panel of advertising industry journalists (including this reporter), was given to McCann Erickson for its “Pure Michigan” campaign for the Michigan Economic Development Corp.
The journalist award is for the entry the panel believes rose above all others.
The awards event is a production of the D Council, the Adcraft Club of Detroit committee that oversees the awards judging and “creative black-tie” presentation event at the Max M. Fisher Music Center.
About 700 people attended Wednesday.
Winners receive a small metal script letter D and a “bling” D necklace. The full list of winners will be posted in about a week at TheDShow.org.
The awards (other than The Joe) were determined by a panel of judges from advertising and creative agencies outside of Detroit.
The D Awards replaced the Caddy Awards, handed out since 1989 by the now-defunct Detroit Creative Directors Council. The Caddies ended in 2006.
There was a video tribute during the award ceremony for George Katsarelas, an executive creative director at Leo Burnett Detroit who died of a heart attack in June. Katsarelas had been chairman of the panel that oversees the D Awards.
Katsarelas, who had also worked for Doner and Campbell-Ewald, developed the “I’m In” campaign to better declining enrollment in Detroit Public Schools.
Leo Burnett’s Jeff Cruz, a close friend of Katsarelas who led Wednesday’s tribute and took over the chairmanship in his place, helped finish the campaign’s most visible physical element, the 172 blue doors in Hart Plaza that represent each of the district’s schools.
A memorial scholarship in his name has been established at Michigan State University’s Department of Advertising, Public Relations, and Retailing within the College of Communications Arts and Sciences.
Mark Ford, a division president at Time Inc., announced during the ceremony that Campbell-Ewald is the winner of an advertising campaign contest, sponsored by the publishing giant’s yearlong Assignment Detroit journalism project. The contest was to produce campaigns aimed at keeping young creative people to live and work in Detroit.
All five entries in the Time contest will run in several of the publisher’s magazine and Web sites this month in ad inventory worth $1 million.
Correction: earlier online versions of this story, relying on erroneous information from the D Show, misstated the winner of the Print category. This version contains the corrected information.