When the research came back and told us almost 60% of consumers thought STIHL power equipment was available in "big box" retailers like Home Depot and Lowes we knew we had to do something - something big. So we developed a national, integrated marketing program that told consumers straight up that if they wanted the best they should go to one of STIHL's 8,000 independent servicing dealers. Guess what? It worked and continues to drive consumers into their dealers.
The primary reason is that the Dodwell family, who own The Reefs Resort & Club atop cliffs overlooking a private pink beach, is committed to providing outstanding guest service above and beyond other properties. In fact, some of their guests have visited over 35 times, but you can't get this type of global attention just by providing great service. We developed an integrated marketing program including digital, social and public relations. Look for more accolades in your favorite bookstore.
When Meridian Group first started working with a small philanthropy called Wounded Warrior Project, they were stuffing backpacks to arrive by hospital bedsides of injured veterans. Today, we've helped them grow to a respected national philanthropy. Veterans are honored at college football games across the country and national media covers their signature physical health & wellness cycling program, Soldier Ride, welcomed each year by the President at the White House.
There are dozens of luxury hotels in the world and quite a few on the East Coast. When we developed the brand for The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island, it was something different. Instead of butlers carrying silver, we discovered that people were attracted to Kiawah because of the natural setting and wildlife. We developed an integrated campaign based on nature at its finest, with images of guests mimicking the natural inhabitants of the island. Our "zig" versus the competitive set's "zag" received a lot of attention and occupancy levels soared.
In the Fall of 2021, Plasser American was facing a challenge. They had long been recognized by the railroad industry for building the best rail maintenance equipment available. However, like many industries, the "Great Resignation" caused extremely high turnover in the US railroad industry and jobs were being filled by new employees from other industries who had no idea who Plasser American was. So, they turned to the Meridian Group to help increase brand awareness among this new group of railroad employees. We developed a fully integrated brand awareness campaign that leveraged the historic importance that the American railroad industry had in building this country. The campaign has been well received by the industry and it continues to run to this day.
Maybe it's because they only sell through independently owned, local dealers. Or maybe because it will actually help to get our economy back on track. With the power of STIHL we created one of the largest buy local organizations in the country with Independent We Stand. It's all driven by a single website, social marketing and a few full page ads in USA Today. At last count, 100,000 people took the pledge to spend a little more with the small business down the street.
Aside from retaining more flavor than bottles, cans are a unique branding opportunity for a startup brewery. Our creative team designed the debut cans for local craft brewery, Smartmouth, to be unique, smart and clever, but also to reflect the brewery itself, which is known for meticulous testing and features giant chalkboard walls in their tasting room. Beer production has doubled since the cans debuted over a year ago and the brewery is currently expanding into regional markets. Smart beer. Smarter strategy.
We were a little surprised when the big boys from Fiat Chrysler called us. But it turns out they were so impressed with some of the work we've done for STIHL they decided to give us a shot at working on their national fleet division. We delivered some imaginative, yet hard hitting messaging that hit their sweet spot and continues to drive fleet sales nationwide. Sometimes a David is a lot smarter than a Goliath.
New Ravenna is America's premier designer and manufacturer of stone and glass mosaic tiles for both residential and commercial installations. Their custom mosaics are sold through nearly 200 exclusive designer showrooms across the globe. The video we developed without a voiceover captures the New Ravenna's history and brand essence and was introduced at the International Coverings Trade Show. Our digital team also redesigned and developed a new online presence based on their multiple databases making it easier for designers around the world to make creative recommendations to their upscale clientele.
Because men are stupid when they're drunk and their team loses or even wins. Because of our work for a number of national non-profit organizations, Samaritan House came to us for a PSA campaign that would get the message out about how devastating domestic abuse can be. We hired actors to portray victims and spoke right at the camera with statements like "I was treated like a piece of furniture.", "He treated the dog better than me." and "thought he was going to kill Mommy." Powerful words. Powerful results.
On this project we did more than just the marketing. After securing the exclusive license to use Hemingway's name on specialty food products we developed all the recipes based on his travels around the world. Next up was the packaging which involved sourcing unique bottles that reflected a sense of history and developed nomenclature and labels based on the destinations of France, Spain, Africa, Cuba and Key West.
We then developed an integrated website with ecommerce, all collateral materials and introduced the product line at Fancy Food Show in New York to 6,000 attendees. Oh yeah, all of this was accomplished in less than 90 days.
To celebrate the reopening of the world-renowned Chrysler Museum of Art. The museum commissioned a European artist to bring his 40-foot duck to the opening. Days prior, small rubber ducks mysteriously started showing up all over the area. At 5 a.m. on a Saturday morning the duck showed up in the water. TV stations were there, it was on the front page of the newspaper and the duck had more Facebook friends than we do in a matter of hours. Thousands of people showed up to take a selfie with our favorite duck.
When the Loews Hotel in Annapolis called and said they needed help with marketing their new restaurant BAROAK, they didn't even know how to pronounce it. The concept was kind of Belgian, kind of a craft beer bar and kind of a family restaurant - with "kind of" no focus at all. We had a job to do. We took a negative and spun it into a strategy playing with the name every which way but loose. Everyone was actually intrigued by the name and the multi-focused concept and now mussels and craft beer are being consumed in mass quantities.
Maybe because in a world where the "c" word usually brings a tear to the eye, Chesapeake Regional Healthcare found a way to instead bring laughter and smiles. The Bra-Ha-Ha is a seriously uplifting experience that helps raise awareness and funds for breast cancer screenings by encouraging community members to create and submit a uniquely decorated bra for judging during an awards show and auction. Meridian Group launched an integrated campaign that plastered these beautiful and eccentric bras across billboards, in mailboxes, and across the internet. Today, the Bra-Ha-Ha has helped save hundreds with improved breast health and breast cancer detection rates in the area's underserved population.
While every other law firm yells, screams and even insults the public with their brash television commercials, we decided that Huffman & Huffman should just shut up! We delivered a series of spots without any voiceover and instead focused on powerful on-screen messaging that doubled their caseload. Sometimes silence is golden.
If you want to contact me to discuss your needs or just chat about the world of premium brands, you can reach me at jtakachvb@gmail.com. Or just do it the old fashioned way and give me a call at 757-553-8784.
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