Brand Story: The Foundation

People are storytellers. For thousands of years, we have used the power of story to preserve history, pass down lessons, and convey ideas. There’s no better way to get your message to stick than to frame it as a tale that is being spun – and a brand is no different. As consumers, we want to buy into a story. Continue…

Make It or Break It: Company Culture

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast” – Peter Drucker

There is some debate whether Drucker actually said this but since his passing, we’ll never know. Either way, it’s a safe assumption that he believed it.

The Importance of Company Culture

If culture is so important, do you think it’s disingenuous to strategize it? After all, transforming a company’s culture can be one of the toughest undertakings an organization can assume. I’ve seen plenty of organizations that have tried basically everything with little success.

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HMG Creative Unwrapped: The Whole Story

The Bold Beginning

At the age of 18, James Trumbly enlisted in the Marine Corps, kickstarting a lifetime of ambitious pursuits and bold endeavors. Four years later, after completing a tour in Iraq and Kuwait in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, James returned home, wrapping up his military career and embarking on the next exciting phase of his life: business ventures. With an entrepreneurial spirit, James joined a friend in opening a car dealership and auto brokering business. The business flourished, bringing a host of opportunities and connections, as well as a need for improved marketing resources. James knew a web presence would be crucial to the business’ continued success, so he took on the task of designing and developing the company’s first website.  Continue…

Generate – Collaborate – Validate

In a world with continual platform updates and algorithm adjustments, changes in social platforms and search engines can leave a digital marketer’s world tumultuous at the very least. Continuing to adapt and learn has always been key to dominating the ever-changing digital landscape. To keep up, you must be willing to drop the ego and consistently learn new techniques, even if the ongoing changes make you want to pull your hair out.  Continue…

Brand Refresh vs. Rebrand: What, Why & How

When it comes to a company’s success, there’s no doubting the importance of having a strong brand image. However, creating a brand that is completely timeless is nearly impossible. With the rise of technological advancements and the increased utilization of social media in the business world, maintaining brand relevancy is more important than ever. Continue…

Vision & Mission Statements

Initially, we titled this article “Vision vs. Mission” to clarify the difference between an organization’s mission to accomplish something and its vision to make an impact. The final title, as you may have already noticed, lost the word “versus.” Strategically, we want to demonstrate that while mission and vision are two different thoughts, they are by no means competing. One has a more in-depth focus than the other, but the two work in tandem.

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Purpose: You Should Give a Sh*t

“Purpose Driven Creative” – We say that to clients all the time. We discover, design and develop with a client’s core purpose as our compass.

Honestly, most clients don’t really care. No seriously, many don’t give two shits about the purpose behind their brand culture, their web presence, or their marketing strategy. I’ve sat in plenty of meetings with great people who don’t understand the idea of purpose as it relates to their business. I’ve spent countless pitch calls defining the difference between brand identity/logo colors and a comprehensive brand strategy. Most don’t get it.   Continue…