• Two Martin Group Clients Team Up to Support Soccer for Success

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

    Soccer for Success, the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s after-school youth development program in the City of Buffalo, is alive and kicking thanks in large part to the efforts of two Martin Group clients – the Independent Health Foundation and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation.

    Now in its sixth year, Soccer for Success is offered free to participants by the Independent Health Foundation in collaboration with Algonquin Sports. Nearly 1,750 children in grades K-8 throughout the City of Buffalo will participate during the 2017-2018 year.

    The program scored a major goal at a Sept. 20 press conference when officials from the Independent Health Foundation announced a game-changing grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation – $650,000 over three years.

    More than 3,000 youngsters and more than 300 coach-mentors have participated in Soccer for Success since it was first launched here in May 2012. Originally hosted at 12 sites, the program has since expanded to 20 locations.

     The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation’s funding will enable the Independent Health Foundation to expand the Soccer for Success program to 2,250 children during 2018-2019, and to 3,000 in 2019-2020, with an added focus of expanding sites further into the Western New York region, beginning with Niagara Falls.

     Soccer for Success pairs soccer drills with nutrition education, both of which are taught by consistent, caring adults whose primary focus is to help children build confidence and recognize the value of hard work, teamwork and persistence in achieving personal goals. Participants exercise for 75-90 minutes a day, at least three times per week, for 24 weeks in the academic year.

    The youth participants – many of whom are categorized as having high health risks – have significantly improved their aerobic capacity, are making healthier choices in deciding what to eat or drink, are trying harder in school, and have reduced their Body Mass Index (BMI) percentile through their participation.

    Buffalo is one of five cities included in a recent year-long study that examined the health and fitness outcomes of children participating in Soccer for Success compared to children enrolled in non-athletic, non-nutrition-based afterschool programming in the same communities. Results released by the U.S. Soccer Foundation found the program has had a positive influence on the health of its participants.

    According to the study, improvements in health and fitness for Soccer for Success children were statistically significantly greater than those of children in non-Soccer for Success programs. Overall, children enrolled in Soccer for Success decreased their BMI percentile and improved their aerobic capacity compared to non-program children.

    A key component of the program is mentorship. Each site is staffed by caring coaches who serve as mentors to the children who participate. These nationally trained coach-mentors are invested in the successful development of the participants. They take the time to get to know each child, their family and what motivates them.

    The coach-mentors stress the importance of doing well on-and-off the field by avoiding the negative influences of drugs, alcohol and violence. They also use program success as a model for successful problem-solving in other life situations.

    In addition to the grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the program is funded by the U.S. Soccer Foundation, Independent Health and the Independent Health Foundation.

    The agency played a key role in helping to orchestrate the press conference announcing the grant.

    The following video, produced by The Martin Group, provides additional information about the program.

     

    •

    The Martin Group

    •

  • Building something great in Rochester

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

     

    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

    •

    The Martin Group

    •

  • 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

    (more…)

    •

    The Martin Group

    •

    , ,

  • 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.

    •

    martin_admin

    •

  • 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.

    •

    martin_admin

    •

  • 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.

    •

    martin_admin

    •

  • 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.”

    •

    martin_admin

    •

  • 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.

    •

    martin_admin

    •

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

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

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

    (more…)

    •

    martin_admin

    •