• Building something great in Rochester

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    Many of us in this industry have sometimes thought about building a team of hand-picked people. I’ve done it my whole career; a lot of times in meetings where my mind wanders a bit. Who would I want with me in a fox hole? The young account executive across the table who routinely knocks it out of the park and is full of potential and love for the work. Fox hole. The art director at the other end of the room who has lost the passion for what we do and now routinely phones it in. No fox hole.

    A lot of us give thought to starting a team, but I’m not sure how many give thought to starting an office—the physical space where the team will sit and work and spend countless hours together.

    The Rochester office of The Martin Group represented both opportunities. Opening four years ago with just me and Duane Bombard, we chose the location based on where we lived. The village of Victor was about the halfway point—close enough to both of us and close enough to Rochester to make it easy to meet with clients. What started as a two- person office soon grew to be three and then four as a few of our past colleagues jumped into the fox hole. Soon, the small office was too small and we took the opportunity to move into a larger empty space at the back of the same building. This space was three times larger; we gutted it and it became a blank canvas to design to our liking.

    We didn’t hire an interior designer or space planner. I took the role on myself, working with the building’s general contractor. Beyond the function of the space, I wanted our environment to cast the right feeling. I wanted it to reflect not only who we are as an agency, but my personality and Duane’s, and to reflect the way we approach our business. Yes, I wanted the space to feel modern, but also warm and comfortable, with touches of true craftsmanship and charm. Our three shades of gray walls, silver/white/walnut furniture, dark hardwood floors, and gray geometric carpets give the space a modern flare, but I think most people feel at home in our space with touches like our reclaimed wood, sliding barn-style conference room door. It adds a comfortable, unpretentious element that makes the space unique in our building and sets a tone for our agency’s personality.

    Obviously, the physical growth is driven by business growth and the way that has happened is one of the most gratifying aspects of the entire TMG Rochester experience. As our team worked to support TMG Buffalo’s creative needs, clients that Duane and I had established relationships with in the past began to come on board. And by word of mouth and based on the quality of the work, those turned into others, and the four-person office soon became 11.

    I would never want our physical space to hinder growth, so when an adjacent office became available, we tore it down to the studs and built it back up to work seamlessly with the existing office. We doubled our seating capacity, and added more meeting spaces and some additional flare and fun. Along with the modern décor and elements of craftsmanship—like a wood accent wall comprised of 1200 walnut-stained angled wooden blocks—the new space gave us the opportunity to add some essentials that were previously missing. Now, in the center of our new space sits a ping pong table and a dartboard on our 12 ft. cork wall. Yes, we sometimes use that for work, pinning up concepts in progress, as well.

    Thanks to Tod Martin, TMG Rochester has always been part startup—from our earliest incarnation with just Duane and I, one art director and one writer—and part established agency with the power of a full-service firm under one roof, even if that roof extends 80 miles down the thruway.

    That is reflected in our office. We like to think it has the energy of a startup and the sophistication that has always been a hallmark of The Martin Group brand.

    It’s pretty comfortable for a fox hole.

    Read the recent Rochester Business Journal article featuring The Martin Group’s Rochester expansion: Ad Shop Grows With Office in Region – August 11, 2017

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  • From Scouting Players, to Scouting Companies

    You searched for new era cap – Page 28 of 31 – The Martin Group

    Lessons from a Professional Basketball Player Turned Entrepreneur

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  • Rich Products

    You searched for new era cap – Page 28 of 31 – The Martin Group

    Since pioneering the world’s first non-dairy whipped topping in 1945, Rich Products has prided itself on being at the forefront of culinary innovation. While renovating their Buffalo corporate headquarters, Rich’s approached us for environmental branding of their new Innovation Center visitors area. We designed the space to tell the brand’s story and to showcase Rich’s history, capabilities, service, and family-oriented approach. Our work included three themed walls that capture the essence of the company and pay homage to their passion for food. We also developed an app for a 55-inch interactive touchscreen, which allows visitors to explore Rich’s timeline, company values, global presence, and leadership team.

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  • Explore & More Children’s Museum

    You searched for new era cap – Page 28 of 31 – The Martin Group

    Explore & More, Buffalo’s children’s museum, was on the move—from its old location to a new state-of the-art facility in the emerging Canalside area.

    Prior to launching their capital campaign for the move, the museum needed to develop a suite of collateral to support their fundraising efforts. The Martin Group developed a new website featuring a mobile-responsive design and updated imagery. Our team also created an oversized brochure to help solicit large corporate contributions.

    The capital campaign needed to make the case that the museum was a way to ensure a brighter future for our children through the power of play that leads to learning. We delivered a highly successful case statement that asked people to Play it Forward and see their donation to play as a down payment on their kids’ future success.

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  • U&S Services

    You searched for new era cap – Page 28 of 31 – The Martin Group

    For buildings that need to operate at the highest efficiency possible, U&S Services is the company to call.

    They help famous Buffalo locations such as KeyBank Center, Solar City and The Richardson Olmsted Complex by providing not only building facilities solutions, but the analytics necessary to operate at greater efficiency. To help promote their unique capabilities, we collaborated on a new responsive website, allowing visitors to learn more about their key services and explore the work they’ve done across a wide range of industries.

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  • Three Brothers Wineries & Estates

    You searched for new era cap – Page 28 of 31 – The Martin Group

    As the most visited winery this side of the Mississippi, Three Brothers offers visitors a unique destination along the Finger Lakes Wine Trail.

    With three wineries and one brewery on site, the well-known stop wanted help capturing the radically different personalities and offerings of each. We created fresh label designs and supporting collateral for existing brands that needed new life, as well as exclusive hand-illustrated packaging for their new Red Apple Bombshell hard cider line, bringing the brand to life with the right amount of personality and “just the right amount of tart.”

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  • Evans Bank

    You searched for new era cap – Page 28 of 31 – The Martin Group

    Driving awareness and growth for a local financial institution.

    Situation

    With nearly a century of community banking in Western New York, Evans Bank needed a full-scale brand refresh that would leverage its history and highlight its distinct position as the local bank with community ties and a customer-focused way of doing business. The bank was also looking to capitalize on the departure of Greater Buffalo Savings Bank and facing competition from national bank chains coming to town. To combat the competition, we needed to leverage the Evans’ motto of “A better way” to let Western New York know that—as new banks come and go—Evans in the only bank in town that provides both neighborhood service and comprehensive financial solutions.

    Solution

    We completed a full-scale rebranding project, complete with three phases of research, including IDIs, focus groups and market awareness research, to tell the story of Evans’ unique combination of personal service and comprehensive financial solutions, while positioning the bank for successful expansion beyond Western New York’s Southtowns. The original rebrand included a new, shortened name (from Evans National Bank), the development of a more modern logo and tagline, a full suite of collateral materials, and a fully integrated advertising campaign to put the bank’s distinctive story in the local spotlight. Since rebranding, we’ve also infused the new brand into the bank’s physical environments, using key touchpoints like in-branch signage, ATM kiosk graphics and strategic promotions for new financial center openings. In addition, when new banks bought out other bank chains, we took full advantage of the acquisitions, targeting displaced customers who were looking for a better way of banking. 

    Results

    Since our initial engagement with Evans more than ten years ago, the bank’s assets have grown 133%, topping the $1 billion mark in 2016. We continue to support and evolve the brand through new financial center openings, brand awareness campaigns and targeted competitive advertising, tapping into a wide variety of channels and marketing opportunities, from billboards, commercials and digital campaigns, to ongoing web work and strategic promotions, like Evans’ most recent campaign aimed at winning over displaced First Niagara customers.

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  • The Martin Group hosts ‘Startups & Storytelling’ at High Tech Rochester

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    You’re invited: Lunch & Learn at High Tech Rochester

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  • 5 Secrets to Great Packaging Design

    You searched for new era cap – Page 28 of 31 – The Martin Group

    We’ve all heard the adage “don’t judge a book by its cover,” but when it comes to package design, consumers spend approximately seven1 seconds making their purchase decision, and those decisions are based on looks, so it’s imperative to make sure yours stands out.

    But how? Here are five things to consider for creating an effective package design:

    1 – Know the brand 
    Like any form of communication, relaying information in a way that’s consistent with your brand makes the communication more on point, more compelling and ultimately more effective. The product name, the font selection, the overall look and feel and how your product differentiates itself from the competition is all about brand. In an environment where products are commoditized, it’s important to understand your brand so you can leverage it properly and articulate it in a way that creates stopping power.

    Three Brothers Wineries & Estates’ high-end line of wines needed a package design that conveyed a level of sophistication

     

    2 – Know your customers 
    Are they old, young, male, female? Are they familiar with your brand and loyal to it, do they shop based on price? The more you know, the better. What words motivate them, what buzz words resonate with them, do they buy the product based on function or aesthetics? A good understanding of who is buying your product and what their motivations are will aid in the design and communication process to make sure your product not only grabs attention on the shelf, but also conveys information in a way that best connects with your potential customers.

    Predominantly a female audience, Bombshell hard cider featured pin-up girls to pay off the product’s name and reach both women who aligned with the Rosie the Riveter cultural icon, as well as men

     

    3 – Consider how it will be sold and displayed
    Package design is changing. The days of having a product on a shelf where you can touch it, feel it, read every word and compare it to the competition is now blurred with having a product online with one front view. Whether it is the traditional retail model or the new online one, packaging needs to communicate from several distances. How will your product communicate from across the aisle, what will get attention when your product is displayed as a group? When customers stop and view your product from several feet away, what will entice them to pick up your package vs. a competitor? When they pick up yours to learn more, what information is going to convince them to buy? This traditional model changes with online sales and gives way to what communicates effectively in a smaller image online.

    Three Brothers Wineries & Estates’ 4 Degrees of Riesling needed to quickly educate from a distance, but also provide a more in-depth explanation of the product when viewed up close

     

    4 – Know its purpose
    The main purposes of packaging are to protect a product and brand it. But it serves other uses, as well. Are you heavily marketing and advertising your product? If so, it should be quickly recognizable on a shelf. If not, perhaps your product needs to be more educational and differentiated to command more attention on the shelf. Your packaging can also drive consumers to learn more about your other products or your company mission and beliefs. And with new nutritional label regulations and a more health-conscious society, the role of packaging is quickly becoming more informational with nutrition-related callouts like “gluten free” prominently featured.

    5 – Be aware of production limitations
    Finding production partners and designing to your printer’s specifications can make the packaging process more effective and less costly. Such partners can show you new materials and printing techniques and educate you on what is and is not possible. And what might be considered a minor point could actually be a major one down the line when your product is being mass produced. Knowing key pieces of information, like whether the colors you’re choosing for your design will print well on your packaging material is crucial. It’s also important to have your packaging files created and released to your printer error-free in their desired format, and labeled with the correct version names to avoid costly reprints.

    A company like Wegmans Food Markets has thousands of products, many of which come in multiple sizes with slight packaging variations to distinguish important product features like organic, gluten-free, etc.

     

    1: Business Insider

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