Vitamin’s 2007 Recap
As we look forward to a promising year in 2008, we reflect on the most memorable and rewarding moments of the past year. It was a year filled with new relationships, tremendous media buzz, and flourishing growth. Vitamin sustained its mission to provide the Cure for the Common Brand by offering strategic, identity, print, interactive and PR services in-house, on a boutique level, and by being the only firm in the mid-Atlantic to do so using a best practices approach. We also became fast friends with many firms in the built industry; our name recognition increased by 30% with considerable PR exposure; we formally celebrated our new studio with a “house party”; and each month we provided charitable services to help non-profits gain awareness for their respective causes.
The details of our achievements were rewarding, encouraging, and meaningful not only to Vitamin and to our clients, but to our community…
Fast Friends with the Built Industry
In 2007, a number of architecture, engineering and real-estate companies hired Vitamin for rebranding campaigns and projects. We were thrilled to become the agency of record for Cathedral Stone Products, the leading masonry materials manufacturer and distributor. We also partnered with GWWO Inc./Architects and RJM Engineering. Significant media buzz about Vitamin’s growth in the built industry was also a source of success. Most recently, the article Vitamin Nourishes Architecture Brands was published in American Builder’s Quarterly about our increasing growth in building such brands.
We continued a successful relationship with the membership of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), and our president/CEO, Michael Karfakis offered his expertise about branding, design, and printing at an educational session for SMPS in November.
PR Buzz Kept Going and Going
Hands down, our favorite moments of 2007 were surrounding Vitamin’s news of surprising employees with iPhones to reward them for a stellar first quarter. Delightfully, InformationWeek broke the news, stating that Vitamin was possibly the first company to bonus employees with the vanguard handset. The news spread like wildfire and resulted in more than 10 million media impressions with international press, including blogs, online forums, and print media. Articles we enjoyed the most were published by PRWEEK, Bloomberg.com, and InformationWeek, which covered Vitamin’s news in two separate back-to-back articles. The campaign, which Vitamin dubbed “iPhone Mania,” was the perfect example of how big buzz doesn’t have to cost big bucks.
Bringing Public Spotlights to Epidemic, Other Issues
Vitamin also spent a lot of time working with the American Diabetes Association to bring the growing epidemic of (type 2) diabetes into the spotlight. One in three Americans who were born in 2000 will develop diabetes, and the statistics get even worse. We were proud to hit a significant milestone in 2007 for the Maryland Chapter of the ADA — our PR/marketing campaigns were so successful that we were asked to co-present our case study at the ADA’s 67th annual ScientificSessions convention. A highlight of our work with the ADA included recruiting Baltimore Ravens’ superstar defensive lineman Haloti Ngata for a TV PSA. Ngata’s mother passed away from complications due to (type 2) diabetes. The PSA was spectacular and his assistance was greatly appreciated. Managing public awareness of this hugely problematic issue is critical to the future of our society, and while we are making good strides, we have a long way to go.
We were proud to continue our partnership with The Hearing and Speech Agency to brand and promote the organization’s major annual fundraiser, Vibe. We were also privileged to be chosen to publicize the House Of Ruth Maryland’s upcoming traveling exhibit, “A Line In The Sand.”
Vitamin also helped educate future generations by providing internships to design and marketing students from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Towson University, and The University of Maryland.
Lastly, and most fun of all, we added a new member to the Vitamin team. His name is Alaz. He weighs in at 40 pounds (growing daily) and he is a beautiful 20-week-old German Shepherd Dog who hangs out all day (when appropriate), and he will soon learn how to deliver mail from one office to another…after all, only those who are productive stay on our team. : ) woof.
New Year Bringing
In 2008, there’s a lot to look out for from Vitamin. Be sure to stay in tune with national media…you’ll be seeing us in that spotlight more and more. On a project level, keep your eyes peeled for the launch of new brand campaigns for Cathedral Stone Products and Crews Control. We will also launch a new web site for KLNB Retail Properties, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Vitamin will soon unveil a high-profile, traveling exhibit for House Of Ruth Maryland that you won’t want to miss. There is much more to talk about, and we will keep you in the loop in the coming months. Be sure to check back here at Living Organism and at Vitamin’s press room to stay connected. Here’s wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous ‘08!