BRAND STRATEGY
At the heart of any bright and shiny brand lies a profound respect for consumers. And to respect, you first have to fully understand.

We work to uncover key motivators that shape consumer behavior. It's all about embracing humanity: recognizing people's loves and fears and filters and quirks and secrets and dreams-that's what drives decisions, not reason.

This learning is instrumental in shaping meaningful brands that fit into consumers' worlds. And, ultimately, deep inside their hearts.

CREATIVE
Ideas matter. More than the best print ad or television commercial (mere executions). Ideas are what cause consumers to stand and take notice. The bigger, the braver, the more you stand to gain.

We're idealists who care deeply about brands. And consumers. And how the two interact. We honestly believe that through artful and eloquent communication, somehow the world is a better place. And, yes, we do know how naive that makes us sound.

Here's where all the time spent planning and collectively dreaming comes to fruition. When evaluating work ask three simple questions: Is it relevant? Is it fresh? Is it compelling? Then let it do its thing.

INTERACTIVE
The future is with on-demand information. And it's approaching fast. Every day consumers are gaining more access to content when and where they want it. So we're continually exploring new ways for companies to optimize their online presence.

We don't "build" Web sites. We create a dialogue between consumers and your brand. By staying on top of cutting-edge trends shaping Internet experiences, we're able to employ the most relevant technology to keep the conversation fresh.

MARKETING PLANNING
We're big-picture people with an eye for detail. We have great faith in our processes and procedures toward developing airtight marketing plans. Our agency founder's marketing planning tome serves as a 544-page testament to this assertion.

Our job is twofold: help pinpoint your brand's competitive advantage in the marketplace and draw up a blueprint for how to proceed.

Here's where having partnered with a full-service agency pays a dividend. We're able to draw upon experts from each discipline early on to ensure a marketing plan that's both comprehensive and actionable.

MEDIA
In an environment where fragmentation gives marketers fewer bangs for the buck and consumers expect content on their own terms, we strive to make every media dollar count.

We use proven models that compare BDIs, market penetration, historical and projected market growth, and media costs to identify markets with the greatest needs and opportunities. We're adept at reaching the right person with just the right frequency to ensure impact. And when it comes to negotiating buys, we routinely bring in print and broadcast rates that are lower than industry standards, and we wouldn't think of marking up your costs.

NAMING
When you consider the fact that 93 percent of all the words in the American Heritage Dictionary are trademarked, a good name can be hard to come by. Despite this, our naming process has proven successful at uncovering some real gems.

Full Throttle Energy Drink? That was us. Sprite Remix Berry Clear and Aruba Jam? We named those too. Juicy Fruit's Grapermelon and Trapakiwi Kick flavor madness? Us again.

In fact, marketers of companies big and small call on us regularly to name new products or line extensions. They know what's in a name and they've come to rely on our proprietary explorative process for landing on ones that ring true.

PUBLIC RELATIONS
In a time of ever-increasing media fragmentation, marketers are turning to us to create new opportunities for heightening visibility.

From appearances on Martha Stewart and the Food Network to features in the Wall Street Journal and Time magazine, our media-relations efforts garner prime exposure. We're also a resource for pulling off promotional programs and cause-marketing efforts. And in times of crisis, we've helped clients through just about every imaginable-and unimaginable-issue unscathed.

There has never been a time when people expect more from their favorite brands and companies. By opening lines of communication, sharing relevant experiences and raising your profile through unexpected means, we can add enormous value to your brand.

RESEARCH
Listening is a word not taken lightly around here. We're hopelessly intrigued by what consumers have to say. It's how we guide efforts to provide strategic direction as well as develop meaningful communications.

We develop research objectives that both solve your marketing information needs and are measurable, which lets you be decisive when evaluating your brand positioning, marketing planning and campaign tactics.

Ours isn't research that winds up collecting dust on a shelf. It's living, breathing, firsthand knowledge of the target market that remains at the forefront of everything we do.