WE ARE:
Ideas, not Just Ads.
Innovative not Commonplace.
Inspiration not Stagnation.
We are a combination of eclectic
individuals creating signature work.
The Wendt Agency
105 Park Drive S.
Great Falls, MT 59401
p. 406.454.5550 f. 406.771.0603
General Inquiries, Account Services, Employment – Brenda Peterson
Creative Department – Joe Stein
Media Inquiries – Carol Kruger
THE HISTORY OF WENDT
Hey – whose tennis ball is this anyway? Not that Nellie isn’t willing to share her toys with CEO Brenda Peterson, but there are limits. Limits which Brenda will (normally) accept in a game of fetch with her favorite four-year-old chocolate lab but won’t tolerate in the search for new and innovative marketing strategies.
It’s all about opening your head, and most importantly your heart, to authentic pleasures – whether that’s a game of fetch or spending a snowy Saturday afternoon in the kitchen with a new cookbook, a glass of cabernet and Nellie – the best sous chef ever!
Picture this – the perfect photo. That’s what our Wendtography service provides, all the talent and skill necessary to get the best photography. The photos that capture feelings and emotions in a way no words can. The ones that showcase the beauty of the travel destination, the skill of a worker, the joy of an athlete competing at the Special Olympics, the pictures which truly matter, the ones that tell the story.
Take a moment to browse through our photo library. It’s stocked with up-to-date images representing the best of our work and just a small sample of what we can shoot for you.
SEE MORE WENDTOGRAPHY
Helena, Montana is conveniently located between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. This brochure was designed for Helena CVB to provide travelers with an at-a-glance overview of the many attractions and activities Helena has to offer.
Wendt designed the brochure using striking custom Wendtography and elegantly written copy highlighting some of the must see locations for visitors.
“Everything that sparkles catches my eye.” A lifetime love of jewelry and a chance encounter with a beader led Chief Financial Officer Lorie Hager to a shiny new hobby – creating customized bracelets, necklaces and more.
Using the same precision and eye for detail she brings to handling our financials, Lorie turns a random collection of colored stones into beautiful baubles. So whether she is on the golf course, relaxing on her deck on a warm summer evening or spending a little quality time with the SYFY channel, you know Lorie will always be perfectly accessorized!
Brief Overview:
The rate of meth use by Montanans is unacceptably high and while there has been success achieved in reducing use in the past seven years, more work remained to be done. Wendt partnered with the State of Montana in this campaign.
· Primary goal – prevent first time meth users
· Secondary goal – promote the involvement of all Montana citizens
in identifying the negative consequences of meth use in our state
· Market research and focus group testing played a guiding role in
shaping the creative and media strategies
Target Audience:
· Youth through young adults (12-25)
· Native Americans
· Low income
· Montana citizens with influence in youth decisions (teachers,
parents, etc.)
Strategy and Executions
· Creative strategy had a realistic and graphic approach highlighting the toxic ingredients used to make meth
· TV, outdoor, online, website, social media
Results
· Over the nine-month campaign there were over 11,000 visits to
the www.doubt-it.org website
· Over 32 million impressions were served with an extremely low
cost per click of $1.60
· Wendt provided some creative services on this campaign as pro-
bono support for the prevention cause.
Attending a conference on Small Business Opportunity in Montana over the past week had me thinking about the travel effect. The conference was essentially about tourism, since the largest economic driver in Montana is tourism second only to agriculture. Tourism is the economic mainstay for many of Montana’s small businesses from bed and breakfasts, fly shops, candy stores, retailers, and restaurants. Virtually every segment of a Montana community is impacted by tourism.
Sarah Ziska and I traveled 200 plus miles to Bozeman to attend the conference. We gassed up the vehicle, stopped for a coffee in Helena, bought a beverage at a coffee center in Bozeman, and then had lunch at a main street café. The impact of our simple trek across the state touched at least four small businesses, and when you multiply that by a hundred or more it makes an impact.
It was made abundantly clear to me over my weekend, when Great Falls was inundated by Alberta license plates over the Victoria Day holiday. Great Falls has the benefit of being a retail trade center very close to the Canadian border, and The Wendt Agency has done extensive work over several years to promote Central Montana and other regional tourism groups to Canadian and regional travelers. The kick off to the summer tourism season for our tourism clients is always Victoria Day.
My husband doesn’t understand the reasoning behind why Canadians come to Montana. It’s simple, it’s the Travel Effect. The Travel Effect was discussed at this conference. The CEO of the United States Travel Association, Roger Dow, presented some recent data on the importance of the travel industry on the United States economy. The travel industry is a Top 10 employer in 48 states, including Montana. The travel industry supports over 14 million jobs within the U.S. economy and 93% of kids say family vacations bring them closer to their parents. Traveling has health and mental benefits that exceed the cost of travel in terms of better mental health; people are less depressed and more energized from personal travel. Those families that traveled to Montana for Victoria Day built memories, strengthened relationships, and had a wellness benefit from fun- filled excursions from shopping, dining, exploring and learning more about a different country.
In terms of business travel, the results are even more impressive. A new study by Oxford Economics was presented at this conference, showcasing a persistent productivity effect from business travel. Investing in business travel drives higher profit and helps sustain industries through recession. “Research shows that every dollar spent on business travel yields a 3X return on investment (ROI), and those sectors that spent the more on business travel throughout recession and recovery enjoyed higher cumulative profit growth. This study also surveyed frequent business travelers and suggests that business travel is vital to higher conversion and customer retention while also helping to provide industry insights and develop industry partnerships.”
We at The Wendt Agency know this. We readily travel across the state and state lines to foster relationships, partnerships and grow our business. An important part of our business structure – travel promotion and marketing – is critical to the growth of our agency and our clients’ success. We like to think that all those Alberta license plates that flooded Great Falls over the weekend were part of the Travel Effect, as well as our marketing expertise.
Ahhhhh….sweet, sweet coffee! Since taking her first sips standing in her Danish grandparents kitchen (as a pre-schooler no less), Senior VP Carol Kruger has never waivered in her loyalty to the magic caffeinated elixir which makes it possible to get out of bed in the mornings. She brings that same loyalty and commitment to her work at Wendt – researching and building customized communications strategies for our clients.
As for that lifelong caffeine addiction, Carol says it is just the thing to help her survive the upcoming zombie apocalypse because after the tenth cup of the day there is no WAY anything is sneaking up on you!
Does your customer know who you are? Are you who they think and feel you are? In other words, what is your brand?
Branding helps you identify powerful ways to connect with your audience. A brand is not a logo, tagline, ad, color scheme or font. A brand is emotion, thoughts and feelings. A brand is what your customer thinks and feels about your business. Your brand is the voice and message you take out into the marketplace. We’ll make sure it is authentic and strong and breaks through the clutter to get you noticed. VIEW BRANDING PROJECTS
· Wendt Brand Strategy
· Logo/Identity Development
· Product Development
You wouldn’t build a house without a solid foundation (at least we hope you wouldn’t!) and you can’t build a successful marketing program without a comprehensive strategy. We work with you to create a customized communications plan based on your needs and goals; a strategy which can adapt to changing times and grow with your business. It all starts here.
· Strategic Planning
· Marketing Strategies and Planning
· Internal & External Communication
· Guerilla Marketing
· Project Management & Implementation
· Budget Management
Brief Overview:
Wendt worked with West Yellowstone, Montana to design and develop a new website that serves as a major marketing tool in promoting West Yellowstone and the surrounding area to potential, existing and repeat visitors. West Yellowstone had a dated site without a content management system. Their new site was developed in Drupal which allows for very easy and frequent website updates. It was also important for the West Yellowstone Chamber to promote its members and allow them to make updates to their website listings.
Strategies and Execution:
· After conducting an extensive audit and analysis, the overarching
goal we presented for the new website was to make relevant,
useful information more readily available to the user
· There are multiple features on the new website that enhance the
user experience. These include: a trip planner tool that allows
users to create a customized itinerary for their West Yellowstone
vacation; a dynamic calendar of events that allows Chamber
members to submit new events; and a news section which
provides West Yellowstone with a great tool to promote various
parts of their community and encourages users to frequently visit
the site for updates
Results:
· West Yellowstone Chamber members have been very welcoming
of the new website and are excited about the opportunity for
additional exposure for their businesses. West Yellowstone
Chamber anticipates an increase in membership revenues
· There have been multiple examples of content from the new site
being picked up by other businesses and going viral through
social media channels
· The new website has only been live for a few months. Within this
timeframe visits have increased by about 6,000 and pageviews
have increased by about 30,000, showing that users are finding
very useful content and spending more time on the site
SEE THE SITE IN ACTION: www.destinationyellowstone.com
Hey, where did Creative Director Joe Stein go? I could have sworn he was here? Ahhhh, that’s the power of camouflage! Fishing, hunting, hiking, camping – those are the building blocks of a really great summer or a really great weekend for Joe.
A passionate outdoorsman, he has logged more than 11,000 miles across Montana working with film crews and photographers but that’s nothing compared to the miles he has racked up during hunting season. Spring, summer, winter or especially fall, you can find him in the backcountry…if you can find him at all!
Brief Overview:
Pacific Steel & Recycling has been a staple in its industry for decades with a history of dependable service. However, their image had not kept up with the times. At the time of this branding effort, the majority of Pacific’s staff was long-term employees and very attached to the existing brand and logo. Wendt worked with leadership to help get employee buy-in and support for the efforts.
Pacific is a stable but progressive company and by repositioning the brand against the competition it would establish themselves as industry leaders
Target Audience:
· Farmers, ranchers, do-it-yourselfers
· Consumer and household recyclers
· Fabricators and manufacturers
Strategies & Executions:
· Logo development, graphic standards guide and mission statement
· Public relations
· New website
· Outdoor, radio, print
· Promotional items
Results:
· Even though there was resistance from the staff at the beginning
of the process, the excitement of the new brand and logo spread
amongst the branches very quickly
· Internal branding efforts worked and consumers began to see
Pacific in a new light and welcomed the change
· Pacific continues to have strong brand awareness in their markets
and continue to work with Wendt on promoting their brand image
through different messaging
Have you ever read a story and felt like you knew the person in it? Found yourself saying, that sounds just like “so and so” or were moved so deeply while reading that someone asks what’s wrong?
Many point to writing as a lost art. All news stories are now heavy on charts, images and video, online media keeps adjusting to highlight more photos. Advertising is no different. But have words really been lost?
On the contrary, writing is still as relevant today as it ever was. I’ll call on memes to make my point here. A funny photo of an excited girl or a grumpy cat is taken. Even when a photo can say a thousand words, we are compelled to add our own story and this is accomplished, in memes case, with witty copy.
This brings us back to my world, the world of copywriting in advertising and branding materials. Not to be cliches’, but an environment where we strive to enlist words to affect the reader emotionally, to take the audience on a journey, to spark some sort of reaction or just to make a point.
Recently I saw inspiring copy in an unlikely place; you may have seen it as well. An obituary has been circling the internet announcing the passing of Harry Weathersby Stamps. While reading it I would bet you’ve chuckled once or twice and nodded your head. As you linger on the final sentence you feel as though you know him. The same facts of his life could have been listed out, his favorite food, wardrobe, etc. But instead his daughter weaves together a man who we feel we know as well as our neighbor down the street.
If you haven’t already done so — read it. I think you’ll agree great writing isn’t going anywhere.
Umbrella drink – check. Straw hat – check. Swimsuit – check. All that’s missing is the beach but don’t worry, Production Director Carmen Moore can always find one.
By a river, a lake or an ocean, Carmen’s philosophy is “Life is Better at the Beach” and she is going to get her feet wet. She can spot both the best place for a beach towel and a color error on a print job at 200 yards. Her only complaint? Summer just isn’t long enough. But then again, it’s always summer somewhere in the world!
Making the Internet a better place one website at a time. It’s a lofty goal but our web team is dedicated to it and the fight against cookie-cutter design, clunky navigation and broken links. We’ve built numerous sites ranging from brand-centric portals to online commerce to social marketing groups. We also create banner ads, HTML emails, video pre-rolls – you can see the list below. The bottom line – we understand the web and have been helping our clients use it successfully for years.
VIEW OUR WORK: WEB DESIGN
• Website Design & Development
• Back End Programming
• Content Management System Integration & Training
• Database Development & Management
• E-commerce
• HTML Emails/E-newsletters
• Information Architecture
• Rich Media/Banner Ads/Video Pre-rolls
• Search Engine Optimization
• Search Engine Marketing
• Web Hosting/Maintenance
Brief Overview:
· Wendt worked with West Yellowstone to develop a winter media
campaign in Portland to leverage the efforts of the Montana
Office of Tourism
· West Yellowstone wants to establish themselves as the Guaranteed
Grizzlies and Geysers destination
Target Audience:
· Families
· Scenic/wildlife watchers
· Winter recreationists
Strategies/Executions:
· Creative includes a conceptual and lighthearted approach
to the grizzly and geyser message
· Print ad placement
· Unique landing page for campaign with package details and
contact information
· Landing page can be found at
www.yellowstonedestination.com/promo
· Online advertising and HTML emails
· Radio advertising and package giveaway
Results:
· This campaign is just getting under way. Stay tuned for results!
A passion for fashion. Account Manager Johna Wilcox’s heart has belonged to the world of style since junior high when she opened her mother’s closet and beheld a virtual candy store. Shoes, gloves, purses, coats and more – ensembles for every season and in every color. After that came the subscription to Vogue, pilgrimages to Chanel stores and an appreciation for designer shoes.
When not fashioning a brand development concept for a client, Johna can be found snuggled under a cashmere throw eagerly waiting for fall – the biggest and absolute best season for shoes!
Brief Overview:
· Wendt has enjoyed a successful relationship with Central Montana
Tourism Region for over 20 years
· Wendt directed Central Montana through a mini branding session
and creative brief prior to developing the campaign creative
· Objective of the campaign is to increase overnight visits to the
Central Montana region
Target Audience:
· Outdoor recreationists
· Hunting and fishing enthusiasts
· Families and multigenerational travelers
· History and cultural travelers
Strategies/Executions:
· Developed creative using a slightly humorous and reminiscent
play on words in association with the picture to “tell the story”
in the simplest of terms
· The creative invites the viewer to come and see what Central
Montana has to offer
· Media strategy is multi-layered and stretches across
three seasons
· Print ad placement
· Online advertising/rich media and HTML emails
· Social media and Facebook contesting
Results:
· This campaign is just getting under way. Stay tuned for results!
After 82 years in business Wendt continues to thrive as an employee owned company. The biggest reason we have had success with this business model…and you can too — is Excellent Communication!
• Financial payoff. Clearly communicate what employee owners can expect to receive as a financial benefit and if there is a cash value
• Participation. To what degree are employee owners included in decisions that affect daily work and working conditions
• Influence. Do all employee owners have a say in long term company goals and strategic direction; make sure these goals are communicated
• Fairness. That employee owners are treated fairly by the company, with no “special treatment” for specific individuals
A thriving ownership culture is a direct result of sharing information about what, and how, the company is doing—both the good news and the bad news.
Experience and research show that employee owners have a different attitude about their company, their job, and their responsibilities that makes them work more effectively, and increases the likelihood that their company will be successful. Fundamentally, employee owners are more accountable for their job performance simply because they have a stake in the success of their company.
The ongoing process of building a company’s ownership culture should include both monetary and cultural incentives. And perhaps most importantly, company leaders should take advantage of every opportunity to communicate those incentives to all employee-owners.
Soccer Mom/Farmer/Metal Head/Scooby-Doo Fan? In her personal life and in her design, Senior Art Director Kara Mayernik-Smith manages to effortlessly combine seemingly disparate elements to create a style which, well let’s just say it rocks! As a rookie farmer, Kara is growing her own organic vegetables and planning for some backyard chickens.
When she isn’t taking her family (including the cat!) on 2-mile neighborhood exploration walks, she is trying to catch a good heavy metal concert. So, where does Scooby-Doo fit into all of this? That’s the power of unconditional love and giving her children control of the remote!
Since the average American is bombarded by more than 600 marketing messages a day, your marketing better be creative enough to stand out. It needs to speak to your audience, give them the information they need and invite them to start a conversation with your business. Of course, it also needs to do that in a unique and exciting way which stands out from the drab humdrum marketing efforts which most people ignore.
Our team is up for the challenge! By coupling creative development with strategic insights, we can build customized ad tools which bring your message to the market and make sure it gets heard. From a single ad to a multi-faceted campaign, Wendt’s creative work wins awards (Addys, Tellys, the One Show) and, more importantly, delivers results.
· Ad Design
· Annual Reports
· Brochures
· Custom Photography
· Digital Ad Design
· Direct Mail
· Logo Development
· Long Format Videos
· Multi Media Presentations
· Newsletters
· Outdoor Boards
· Point-of-Purchase Displays
· Presentation Folders
· Promotional Packaging
· Signage
· Television & Radio Spots
· Tradeshow Booths
· Website Design & Development
VIEW OUR WORK: PRINT | WEB DESIGN | BRANDING | BROADCAST | CAMPAIGNS | WENDTOGRAPHY | PUBLIC RELATIONS
Morrison-Maierle is a consulting engineering firm located in Helena, Montana and has been part of the community landscape for 65 years. While their current annual report provided necessary information, they were ready to make a change. They wanted a piece that could serve double-duty as a sales and marketing vehicle, strengthening their brand image and name recognition through custom photography, diverse case studies and graphic images.
Wendt met with team leaders to determine objectives, differentiators and targets and then went to work capturing the value and benefits that Morrison Maierle brings to their clients. We highlighted projects and project managers with a keen eye toward their mission of designing to make the communities a safer, better place to live. Messaging throughout reinforced their commitment to working in harmony with the environment, and the bold graphic elements added continuity and visual appeal throughout the
annual report.
“I love to Demo!” Pam’s grandfather was a carpenter and her dad knew how to build everything so it’s no surprise that Media Planner/Buyer Pam Bennett loves the smell of sawdust and never met a DIY job or a media plan she wouldn’t tackle.
A partial list of her projects includes: remodeling an entire house, helping build two garages and two decks, re-roofing a house and handling two kitchen remodels (all with a little help from husband ‘Handy Jim’). The downside – paint spattered clothes (and hair!) and living in a house/construction site. The upside – spending time making homemade lefse in the dream kitchen which is 100% Pam.
Brief Overview:
Glacier Country faces a particular challenge in that the Montana Brand is closely tied to the national parks. Although they want to support the state brand they needed to differentiate themselves. Glacier Country was ready for something new and progressive that could marry a vigourous hike with quiet reflection by the lake
The print campaign creative needed to be something that would work for both summer and winter placement.
Target Audience:
· Families with active lifestyles
· Geo-Tourist
· Active/Mature
· Outdoor recreationist
· Wildlife enthusiast
· Regional travel markets
Strategies & Execution:
· Custom photography featuring people enjoying activities
· Headlines that play on social media
· Custom signature block identifying ways to connect with Glacier
Country through social media
· Negotiated for placement in publications with relevant editorial
· All ads were four-color and larger than standard ads in
each publication
· Closely matched creative to readership and editorial in
publications
Results:
· Campaign reached over 12,256,952 readers
· Cost-per-inquiry for all publications that produced leads of just
$5.29 per inquiry, which is excellent considering how targeted
the campaign was
I was afforded a few minutes to “spring clean” my email today. I came across a series of emails that brought an instant smile to my face. This is one of the reasons I love working at Wendt…
Hi. Johna is wondering if anyone would like to go together on a lottery pool for the gigantic jackpot. If so, see Johna!
Thanks, Carmen
I will… Only because I promised Talon I would buy a ticket. But, if we win all my winnings will be going toward a tree house on a private island that is guarded by army “dudes” and tanks… This is the request of Talon. It will also have an elevator made of gold with the face of our cat etched in it. You are all welcome to join us, but you will have to check with Talon first.
Kara
Ummm – best idea ever?
Katie
I’m in.
Joe
I’m in, and will put my share towards rope swings and pet manatees to swim around the island.
Sarah
I’m in on Talon’s plan!
Brenda
According to Talon, it will also include a monkey butler and a chef that cooks only pizza. Ahhh… The dreams of a 7-year-old.
Kara
A Monkey Butler?! Best idea ever!
Carol
This, including me, is our lottery team. We have $18 to buy 8 PowerBall Tix. Go Team Wendt!!!
Johna.
$500 Million divided by 8 = 62.5 Million – Give back half for taxes.. a cool 35 Million… I would take it..
Might buy a monkey butler or two..
Pam
Irie. It’s not an everyday word (at least not in Montana) but it’s not an everyday person who picks up a Jamacian slang term (meaning it’s all good/all right) at her wedding and carries it with her as a reminder that our lives should be defined by our experiences and our willingness to embrace them – not our stress levels.
Account Manager Jennifer Fritz revels in the opportunity to immerse herself in all aspects of life – whether it’s a multi-layer marketing outreach strategy or a local culture far from home. After all, life’s a journey and Jennifer is packed and ready for
the adventure!
So, what’s your story? Everyone has one. Heck, way back in 1948 there were already “8 million stories in the naked city.” And no one had even heard of the Internet then. The Wendt public relations team blends traditional PR tactics with modern communication methods to tell stories, create news and make a meaningful connection to your audience. We have strong relationships with journalists (and bloggers) in local, regional and national media. Whatever your story, we’ll help you tell it.
• Strategic Planning
• Advertorial/Editorial Writing
• Broadcast Interviews
• Crisis Management
• Event Planning
• Familiarization Tours
• Interview Preparation
• News Release/Pitch Letters
• Press Kits
• Public Relations Value Analysis and Reporting
• Speakers Bureau
VIEW PUBLIC RELATIONS PROJECTS
Brief Overview:
· Macaroni Grill locations in Helena and Great Falls were being
converted into a start-up brand, Moonshine Grill
· The restaurant conversion had a very aggressive timeline in
each market
· Moonshine Grill is a locally owned and operated restaurant and
bar with an End of Prohibition theme offering steaks, seafood,
bourbon inspired dishes, whiskey flights and other unique drinks
Target Audience:
· Adults – 25-64
· Children were not a target, but it is a family friendly
establishment
Strategies/Executions:
· Logo, restaurant sign and brand standards development
· Menu design and layout
· Developed creative with an End of Prohibition theme; old
photography and slight humor helped to tell the story
· Media and public relations strategy was multi-layered and
included grand opening announcement and image
development ads
· Print and radio ad placement
· Online advertising/rich media, Facebook page development,
management and contesting
Results:
· The media flight was intense and short in length and coordinated
with strong public relations efforts, which helped to drive
conversation, engagement and curiosity about the new brand
· Banner ads performed well with a click-through rate (CTR) of
.58%, triple the normal CTR on local media sites
· 1.3 million Facebook impressions in Great Falls and Helena,
which drove over 12,500 clicks and a very high CTR of .72%
· Over 2,500 new Facebook likes in 3 weeks
Moonshine Grill Radio Spots
Bugsy:
Chief:
On the hunt for history – that’s Media Buyer Merle McLeish. Whether visiting a website or a cemetery, scanning old newspaper articles or county records, Merle uses every tool available to the modern day genealogist to trace her family tree.
It takes a sharp eye to track down both clues to the past and unique print media opportunities but Merle is always up for the challenge! In fact, her favorite room is her den where she does most of her family research – using patience and a modem to put all the pieces together.
Brief Overview:
Helena is conveniently located between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. After going through a branding process with Wendt, Helena realized that there was a little something for everyone, from outdoor recreation to arts to family friendly activities. Helena also wanted to focus on new accommodations that make it a perfect location for meetings and conventions.
Target Audience:
· Travelers visiting family and friends in the area
· Leisure travelers, adults 35+ with or without children
· Business travelers/meeting and convention planners
· Adventure travelers, adults 30+ with or without children
Strategies and Executions:
· All materials featured the catchy headline “What in Helena is on
your Mind” backed up by copy reinforcing that Helena has
whatever tickles your fancy
· A mix of photography and graphics were used to give the
impression of random thoughts/interests
· Copy and photos were personalized to the target and publication
Results:
· This print campaign allowed Helena to target niche publications
and increase the number of inquires
· The unique design allowed the ads to stand out from the
traditional location ads that feature landscape photography
The first time was when a dedicated, talented group of people with a commitment to their craft all ended up under one roof – The Wendt Agency in Great Falls, Montana. There is something so rewarding about coming to work each day expecting an extraordinary experience to manifest itself at any given time. It could be the satisfaction of being a part of team collaboration that delivers creative beyond a client’s expectations. Or it may be problem solving with my colleagues to find the one sweet spot that couples compelling messaging with undeniable targeting and the perfect media vehicle to rock the ROI. BAM! You can feel the crackling in the atmosphere.
The second strike was this spring when AdWeek recognized The Wendt Agency as one of ten agencies in the country doing exemplary work. Oh, we’ve received numerous individual awards before – Tellys and ADDYs and Clios (oh, my!). But there is something special about simply being recognized for the body of work as a whole. At The Wendt Agency, we do what we do because we love it. We couldn’t conceive of a life any other way. The lightning strikes are just a bonus.Read our story here.
Hmmm…that doesn’t look like the right shoe for biking does it!? Never mind, it certainly won’t slow Junior Account Manager Sarah Ziska down. She has had her feet on the pedals (when they aren’t speeding through the office) ever since her 6th birthday when her Grandpa assembled her very first bike which she promptly named “Blue Angel.” It had fenders, tassels, a horn and was, in a
word, AWESOME!
After getting a taste of two-wheeled freedom Sarah has never looked back – even reviewing project timelines as she bikes to Wendt. And, can it be a coincidence that summer is both Sarah’s favorite season and the best time to ride a bike? We don’t think so.
Marketing used to be all about push – companies pushed their message out to the target audience. Ahhh, the good old days. Now marketing is a conversation, it’s push and pull, communication and response, give and take. It’s happening in real time. And, it doesn’t go away if you ignore it.
We have a wealth of experience creating and implementing online and social media strategies. We know what’s out there and how it can fit into a well-crafted communications strategy. Not every social media is right for every business but each offers something very valuable – a way to connect directly to your customers in an honest and open way. We believe in that and, if you believe in that too, we would love to put our expertise to work creating a customized social media strategy for your business.
• Strategic Online Planning
• Research
• Social Media Planning
• Social Media Strategies
• Social Media Management
VIEW SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES
Brief Overview:
Montana State Fund is an insurance carrier who provides safety education materials and service. Large numbers of youth were being injured on the job every year. Montana State Fund wanted to create awareness about the problem and provide educational resources to dramatically reduce the number of youth worker injuries.
Target Audience:
· Young workers in Montana age 16-24
· Employers who have young employees
Strategies & Executions:
· Movie theater slides
· Outdoor billboards near college campuses in Missoula, Bozeman
and Billings
· Print, posters, brochure, fact sheet, stickers
· Employer toolkit and safety checklist
· Placement in high school and college newspapers around the state
· Radio and television interviews
Results
The Young Workers Campaign received an enthusiastic response from both the youth target and Montana employers and was expanded to include partnerships with schools, associations and youth organizations throughout Montana.
Why did the chicken cross the road? Well, if that chicken is the lovely Mabel (shown here in virtual form) the answer is to get to Katie’s home and its chicken coop. That’s right, art director/web designer Katie Schrader is the proud owner of six free-range chickens (four red and two black) all of whom walk her to her car every morning and greet her enthusiastically when she gets home after a full day of website audits and HTML email design.
While being a poultry farmer was never on her list of life goals, Katie says as soon as she saw the empty chicken coop in her new home’s back yard she knew there was a flock in her future.
The Helena Convention and Visitor Bureau launches an annual warm season advertising campaign to bring tourists to the area. As a way of sharing the culture, history, attractions and adventure offered in Helena, we developed the “Learn to Live” campaign.
The creative message setting was in an airport within a boarding area. The sign above the door was for Helena, Montana. The line of folks waiting to board the plane included an artist, musician, wrangler, hiker, fly fisherman, etc. — all representative of the adventures you can experience in the Helena area. The ads ran in publications targeting the specific niche’ audiences represented in the creative message.
As a full service marketing and public relations agency, Wendt helps to develop and manage our clients’ brand reputations on a daily basis. Our goal is to develop and convey a strategic and consistent message for our clients to communicate with their target audiences. So, how does one define branding? Branding is the process of establishing and continuing to manage an organization’s reputation. It is the relationship between the consumer and a product; it is the feeling or emotion that is evoked when a consumer (or potential consumer) thinks about your business or product.
Wendt has our very own process that we follow when developing brand strategies for our clients. From research, audits, development of positioning statements, implementation and management, each step has equal importance in developing a strategy that is differentiating with an accurate reflection of your mission. In today’s massive world of media, messages have a greater chance of becoming diluted. Developing and practicing a strategic and consistent brand message is crucial to succeeding in the marketing landscape. With a strategic approach you are able to develop messages that are compelling and memorable; it creates a structure that will ensure you are delivering a consistent message through all channels that will affect the consumer quickly and more significantly.
To view some of our branding projects click here.
Paris – it’s not just a city, it’s a state of mind. From the pink frock to the posies, the baguette to the chapeau, Production Artist Shelby Euerle and best friend Yogi find inspiration in the City of Lights. Or perhaps a little closer to home, in the shower, where Shelby says she comes up with some of her most creative ideas.
While Yogi literally cannot wait to take a bite out of the French (bread that is), Shelby eagerly looks forward to trips to Paris and other destinations worldwide – nourishing her creative spirit on the road but knowing the beauty of Montana will always call
her home.
Yes, we all know Starbucks but…do you remember Glen?
I do. This is still one of my favorite commercials ever. It helped Starbucks launch a new product, drove increased sales, and back in 2005 became wildly popular, a viral sensation in its day.
Take a look, from the opening scenes in the most boring apartment ever through the music video montage to the confident stride off the elevator, this commercial takes Glen from unsung everyman to…well the sung hero of the spot and of his day. All thanks to his Starbucks DoubleShot espresso beverage. However, the spot never “pushes” the product at you in a blatant salesy way. Instead it creates a whole oddball scenerio which allows for a more low-key product promotion which allows the audience in on the joke. And, don’t we all like to be in on the joke?
Media to the left, media to the right, media overhead, media underfoot (literally), everywhere you look these days you see the media. And every one of these is a potential way to reach your audience. How do you choose the right ones? You ask the Wendt media department, that’s how you know you are getting the best media placement for your dollar.
Our media team researches, plans, places and tracks several million dollars worth of media each and every year including consumer and trade magazines, newspaper, radio, TV (broadcast and cable), out-of-home, direct response, Internet, mobile and social media in local, regional, national and international markets. We know how to put together just the right mix of media to build a successful placement strategy which puts your message in front of the target audience efficiently and effectively.
• Market Research
• Strategic Planning & Budgeting
• Buying & Negotiating
• Tracking
• Analysis
Wednesday was the official relaunch of Myspace, are you excited? MySpace for me was my first social media account. The flashing glitter letters and backgrounds that fit my personality just so, are still fresh in my mind. But so is the reason I left, weird people always trying to interact with me and all my friends were moving away to greener pastures.
Will the new Myspace draw me back?
According to Myspace, its focus is on creative individuals and giving them a place to call home. According to COO Chris Vanderhook MySpace’s focus is music but the site goes beyond tunes to encompass all the creatives involved in the process, including songwriters, photographers and music video directors.
The concept is intriguing, an add on My Radio provides access to 53 million tracks but it isn’t your usual music site. Unlike Pandora, Spotify, etc. My Radio allows users to create stations and mixes, meaning when you follow an artist you aren’t listening to their music but instead the songs that they enjoy and inspires them.
Since I am in the fortunate position that I get to explore new social networks as a part of my job I’ll be starting a profile. I’m also curious by nature and want to check out the current stations including those from Snoop Dogg and of course Myspace investor and promoter Justin Timberlake.
The MySpace relaunch has a $20 million ad campaign behind it. Watch the new MySpace spots here and let me know if it looks enticing enough to bring you back.
Brief Overview:
The Montana Historical Society is the umbrella organization for five distinct programs, and as such, struggles with maintaining consistency across messaging. Wendt facilitated branding amongst staff and stakeholders to develop an overarching message to increase awareness and brand equity on the cusp of building a new multi-million dollar campus.
Target Audience:
· Tourists/visitors
· Supporters of the Society – potential members and donors
· Government agencies and officials (including legislators)
· Educators
· Researchers
Strategies & Executions:
· Brand mapping session with Montana Historical Society staff, stakeholders and board of directors
· Position statement/tagline/logo
· Large brochure
· Complementary letterhead
· Smaller rack card brochure
· Six posters – one for each department (five) and one
all-encompassing
· Kids’ sticker
Results
The new brand and tagline were revealed to three separate groups – core staff, stakeholders and board of directors. The direction was embraced with such enthusiasm that collateral pieces are in development to assist in achieving the goals of building the new Montana Historical Society campus.
Responsive design is a targeted approach to building a website. It seeks to create the most user friendly interpretation of your site according to which size of window the site is to be viewed on.
How does it work? Code is set to define the different sizes of devices targeted. This means the code for the desktop size will be set as the base. From this base you then go in and use your code to give different targeted instructions to each element that may be changed for tablets and mobile devices.
Basically, responsive design is almost like creating 3 different versions (desktop, tablet and mobile) of the style of your site. The content of your site doesn’t change and these versions are all very similar; the changes are mainly to the elements that impact the user’s experience. It is the responsibility of the designer to make sure, even if elements are changed to account for user interaction, the integrity and branding of the site is not changed.
When a traditional website is viewed on a mobile device, the entire content is just taken and shrunk to fit into the window. While viewing a traditional site on a mobile device or tablet works, it can be frustrating for users to constantly have to zoom into different elements or to accidentally hit the wrong link on the navigation because there is not enough room between elements to accommodate fingertip selection. Responsive design allows the designer to take these different elements of the page and arrange them in a way that makes the most sense to view. The desktop version may display the whole article with a picture on the left, right and left sidebars and small navigation. A responsive version of this site might move the image to the top, arrange the text so it is larger and fits in the pane, navigation will be changed to give the links a larger amount of space or changed to a dropdown style menu, and sidebars will either be removed or relocated to a less prominent place, such as the bottom.
Responsive design requires special care be taken for navigation – what works for a mouse might be small and awkward for someone using their finger on a touch-screen device. With a responsive approach, each element that a user may interact with is taken into account and created and styled appropriately.
Responsive design also takes into account the browser speed of devices and caters the site to allow for a faster loading – whether this is through simplifying the scripts required or removing unnecessary elements.
User experience is a great driving factor to whether a user will or will not come back to your site. Responsive design is a great way to create an amazing experience for your potential customers, no matter what size screen they are viewing your site in.
For a long time, I never even knew what the game Angry Birds was, but I heard a lot of people talking about it, playing it on their phone, etc.
For my birthday last year I received a Kindle Fire and decided to download a free version of the game. Once my granddaughter showed me how to play it (sad, huh, that a 10 year old had to show me!), I was hooked. Every time I sat down, I was playing the game. My daughter even bought me an Angry Birds logo shirt for Christmas – she thought it would be funny! Ha! My addiction has subsided; I’ve conquered many games and levels.
Trying something new, I’ve been playing a game lately called Bubble Buster. It’s also addicting – unfortunately I’ve been stuck on one level for days now, and the game is becoming very unfun.
So I’ve moved on to “Flow” – this is a brain teaser-type game, so I feel I’m doing my part in warding off Alzheimers, right? Keeping my brain active? And it is incredibly fun too.
But the birds keep calling me, so I guess it’s time for me to try Star Trek (one of my favorite movies) Angry Birds next!
Brief Overview:
The C.M. Russell Museum wanted to increase summer visitation and enhance overall awareness about what the museum offered.
Previous marketing efforts had been targeted exclusively to western art enthusiasts, and were being dismissed by those who didn’t “like” western art. Virtually all visitors that came to the museum found something that interested them, making it apparent that the misconception of western art needed to be addressed.
Target Audience:
· Everyone from children to grandparents, locals to travelers
Strategies and Execution:
· Outdoor
· Radio
· Public relations
· Rack card brochure
Results:
· Visitation increased by 12% during the campaign while other
similar attractions in Great Falls showed visitation had dropped
· Successful negotiation of one-for-one billboards and radio spots
· PR value gained a return on investment of $51,407
· “The Russell is for Everyone” message is still being successfully
used by the museum
We recently acquired some new software that gathers all our junk email that is trying to break through our firewall and packages it up in a neat little daily email and shoots it into our inbox. This is a great tool so that we can be sure that we are not missing that very special email from any interested party. So every day I scan this little email…some days it is not so little.
I have found a tiny bit of enjoyment in the current round of junk email subject lines. Here are a few along with my first thoughts when I read them.
3 Sneaky Hormones that are Destroying your Metabolism
(I thought it was 4)
Lighten up a little with a Sun Room
(A good thing to say to someone who has their panties in a wad)
Shape up and save with the Genie Bra
(Great, I can stop going to the gym!)
This works to get women every time!
(Yikes)
Stack your Rack
(Insert your own personal comment here)
Bored off your Ass? Do a wood project.
(I can think of much better ways to eliminate boredom.)
Your Latino Love is Here.
(Didn’t know I was looking for him.)
Concrete, Steel and Wood Coating.
(Huh?)
Qjmrragkntzejusxcins.
(Must be a foreign language that I’m not familiar with.)
Fake People Suck.
(I agree!)
What crazy subject line have you seen lately?
The Wendt Agency
105 Park Drive S.
Great Falls, MT 59401
p. 406.454.8500 f. 406.771.0603
General Inquiries, Account Services, Employment – Brenda Peterson
Creative Department – Joe Stein
Media Inquiries – Carol Kruger
105 PARK DRIVE S.
GREAT FALLS
MONTANA 59401
p. 406.454.8500
