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Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Identity System and Website Design for Hart Skis

From the archives.

Adsoka worked with a team dedicated to bringing back a time-tested and well-loved brand: Hart Skis. We joined the team at the early stage when strategy development, product selection and company launch details were being formed.

There were a number of elements produced by our creative team. They included an identity system, mission statement, trade show support and an initial re-launch website. The website had to imagine the future that was not yet present. Skiing and snowboarding on rich powder from mountain heights feeling completely immersed in the snow culture. The Adsoka team was up to the challenge. The multi-layered graphics kept the focus on the experience and not on the product that was not yet in production.

The identity system had to convey a different emotion. It needed to say, "We're a solid business that you'll want as part of your product mix." The logo, type and color all came together in the design to leverage all the positive brand sentiment of the past while reintroducing the Hart Skis brand back into the US market.

(click for larger image)

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Expansion into the Virtual—The New Adsoka Office

Back in 2003, we sat down with our client and architect Bob Shaffer of The Foundation Architects and discussed the plans for what he called the Global Headquarters of Adsoka, Inc. A few months later, we were all set in the space that many clients, employees and friends visited.

We held art openings, wine and cheese parties and made the most of having a physical space to call our own. Our first open house included a keg of beer that Adsoka purchased and that Dave Wright of Breadsmith helped walk across the street from the since departed iconic Liquor Depot to Adsoka's space.

But the majority of our clients have never visited Adsoka in person because they preferred us visiting them, or enjoying a cup of coffee or a bite to eat at a so-called third place when discussing their marketing goals.

Also, many Adsoka clients are not located nearby. So visiting our space was never in the plans. The trend continued to a point that the physical space's usefulness changed from client-centric to employee-centric.

Then Adsoka's needs changed again.

Today, employee work is less about location and more about value. Managers are not co-located with people they manage. Teams are distributed across time zones.

We're changing with the times.

Six years ago, one employee started working offsite one hundred percent of the time. Then another employee and then another. Three years ago, we moved to only holding office hours four days a week. As of the fall of 2014 we have all gone "rouge" and are working from various places. Meeting online through hangouts, face-to-face and via the constant communication of instant messaging.

If you want to reach us you'll find us coming to you, or meeting at the location we've already long been calling our spot. Interestingly enough in the past year there have been fewer than 15 face-to-face meetings between staff and clients at the Global Headquarters of Adsoka, Inc.

So this is less about change and more about adaptation.

We expect there will be some bumps to address. But we're really looking forward to what's next.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

What's Hot Now? Email. Yes, Email.

Loved this article from McKinsey & Company by Nora Aufreiter, Julien Boudet and Vivien Weng.

The rate of emails prompting purchases is estimated at "three times that of social media" and it is a more effective way of acquiring customers "nearly 40 times that of Facebook and Twitter combined.

Read the full article here.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Best Books of The Year

I wish that I could say that I'd read enough books to form a list deep enough to set aside a few for a best of the year category. Yes, I've chipped away at a few. And dusted off a few others that I've been meaning to read. Even made a stack of them within arm's reach of my favorite reading chair. Alas, no quiet time has developed for me to crack one open and let it compel me through it from cover to cover. I'm not even sure if I've been a home alone in the past year. No, maybe once but that was just to make sure that the dogs got outside.

While I have withstood a strong desire to visit a book store and add to the stack of books to read, I do enjoy reading the year-end reviews of the top books of the year. Here is one worth scanning through. It even makes a movie out of the dust jackets. Really it is more of a short video. Maybe you'll have time to at least watch it. Thanks to the New York Times Book Review team for curating this list.

So, yes a goal for 2014: Read more books.


Thursday, November 14, 2013

Goodbye Old Job. Hello New Job.

Adsoka helped launch a great new resource for the Twin Cities: HelloNewJob.com. The website is dedicated to opportunities in the creative, marketing and interactive industry. From entry-level positions to the savvy executive, HelloNewJob.com will be the singular resource for creative professionals.

Different from both general, local-oriented job boards like MinnesotaWorks.net and niche boards that cater to a specific audience, like Public Relations, HelloNewJob.com is specific by geographic area (the Twin Cities) and by industry—without any bias to a specific role, such as graphic designer.

"There is a frustration when you try to search for a position in marketing. Too often it becomes a long scroll through telemarketing and sales jobs, not a spotlight on positions for marketers with a capital 'M'," said Jason Inskeep, Principal at Adsoka. "HelloNewJob.com offers a hand-sourced job board that eludes fully automated sites. I really like the vision of this job board."

HelloNewJob.com allows job postings for free to hiring companies and managers. Chief project sponsor is True Talent Group. True Talent Group specializes in the same industry and market through short- and long-term staffing. HelloNewJob.com, while seemingly competitive with their business, is actually a "great venue to raise awareness for True Talent Group," according to Stacey Stratton, President of True Talent Group.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Big Launch Tomorrow

Stay tuned, a new project launches tomorrow. Very exciting!
 

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