Just like a viral YouTube video or Reality TV star, Pinterest’s popularity seems to have exploded overnight. With more than 10 million users, Pinterest is holding its own with fellow social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

What’s it all about?
Pinterest is an online community where—as its name implies—you can pin different pictures that you find interesting. Here are some cliff notes at a glance:

• Categorize boards:  Pin pictures onto “virtual pinboards” that are categorized by your interests—from recipes to books to vacations.
• Share Pictures:  Follow friends, comment on pictures, re-pin posts and label pictures as your “favorite.
• Referral Traffic:  It’s a new channel for ideas and products to go viral, which is why it is becoming a popular venue for retail companies.

Basically, instead of bookmarking websites, Pinterest assembles everything into one place that is conveniently categorized by interests, popularity and even gift ideas.

Inspiring Our Creative Team
At MOVE, we regularly benchmark websites for design inspiration—and now it seems pinning is entering our creative process and project meetings. Thanks to Pinterest we can get lots of design inspiration in one place and more easily organize our design finds from other sites.

Jamie Bolak, our Creative Manager/Senior Art Director, has a board for Inspiration Ideas, Websites to Check Out, Logos and my personal favorite –“Digital Publishing Baby!” Fresh color palettes and clean-looking logos get Jamie’s creative juices flowing for when it really counts—client projects.

When I’m not seeing wedding pins from our newly engaged Art Director, Nikki Paffi, or style and recipe pins from other “pinners” I’m following, my Pinterest home page sports Nikki’s stylish pattern and clever design pins.

No matter how you use Pinterest—or profit from it like those lucky retailers out there—Happy Pinning from us at MOVE!

Research By: Katelynd Park

A Spin on the Traditional
“Wheels when you want them” is their motto, and they have a creative concept to back it up. Cut the hassle, trim the paperwork and toss the keys! What are you left with? A modernized spin on rental car service brought to you by Zipcar.

To show off what I have been learning about marketing and branding as MOVE’s newest intern, I thought I’d highlight a big-name company that caters to college students like myself. 

Introduced to Massachusetts in 2000, Zipcar saw their brand appealing to a different audience, a niche that would set them apart from competitors. They targeted universities and offered college students, some of whom may not have cars on campus, a new mode of transportation. Promoting hassle-free service and affordable rates with a fresh, trendy look and feel to boot, Zipcar quickly caught college students’ attention. 

Marketing with the Millennials in Mind
These students are among the Millennial generation who span the ages of 18 to 34. According to ZipCar’s annual study, 53 percent of Millennials said they would engage in a car-sharing service (like Zipcar), as well as make an effort to drive less and reduce their carbon footprint. Knowing their customer, Zipcar coins oh-so-irresistible names like “Zipsters,” offers the opportunity to car-pool and provides energy-efficient vehicles—making them the cool kid, er, service on campus.

Reaching the Audience
So how does one reach a college student? Easy, take to the social networking sites. In collaboration with Ford’s social media team they engulfed themselves in Twitter and Facebook. But tweeting and updating their company’s Facebook wasn’t enough. They also had to offer incentives like student discounts and prize giveaways on their social media sites.

Forget about waiting in long lines, or filling out tedious stacks of paperwork.Simply download the app and reserve a vehicle at your convenience.  According to Keith Bourne,Mobile Monday Michigan, Co-founder,to expand your business nowadays you have to go mobile. By doing just that, Zipcar has made their company virtually accessible to anyone, anywhere.

The Success of Strategy
Zipcar is now in the fast lane with over 650,000 members and 9,000 vehicles. Targeting a specific market they were able to build a brand that goes beyond the boundaries of traditional rental services and offers a service that represents the values of their audience.

Edited by: Kim Beson, Associate Writer/Project Coordinator
Design by: Nikki Paffi, Art Director

As-Built Installation
With lines out the door for businesses like Slows BBQ and Astro Coffee and the opening of new art galleries, there’s a new energy in Corktown.

A group of graduate students from the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning are building on this energy—literally. They took a vacant auto body shop in Detroit’s historic Corktown neighborhood and turned it into an installation, As-Built, as preparation for their thesis.

The project acknowledges that there are parts of architecture that “cannot be fully expressed, explored or known when left on [trace] paper.” So utilizing the university’s fabrication lab, the students took their digital designs to the actual site to build full-scale mockups. With one requirement, to make a secure façade with an air-tight seal, and working with the client, engineer and contractor they were able to explore how the interaction between design and materiality can affect a realized space.

The result is a full-scale installation that uses light and open space to create unique viewing opportunities. It will not only benefit the community aesthetically, but the space is planned for a live work program.

 MOVE and Architecture
Although we at MOVE use design to communicate ideas visually and strategy to market brands, we appreciate this experiment with design and space. Not to mention, the way these U-M students are marketing their architectural thought through an installation.

"We believe design is an amazing balance between planning and creative discovery. Seeing this kind of passion and commitment to the craft in our community, inspires us all," said Jamie Bolak, MOVE Senior Art Director/Creative Manager.

This space speaks to creativity and reshaping the lived environment. We hope that artists, young professionals and entrepreneurs alike will continue to be attracted to this area and play a hand in building a new, rejuvenated community.

 Blog Post By: Don Hart, MOVE President, Pete Ayers, Assistant Web and Video Editor and Kim Beson, Associate Writer/Project Coordinator.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) was a great marketer. Shallow assessment? Offensive, even? The recent experience of one who followed in his footsteps may illustrate my point.

Former Washington Mayor at U-M
Adrian Fenty, former mayor of our nation’s Capitol and featured speaker at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business on Martin Luther King Day this year, was once described as a “reform-minded problem solver.*” So I found it ironic that Fenty began his speech by alluding to the election he lost after a single term in office. Maybe he felt that his audience would be wondering why the D.C. voters gave him only four years to make good on his campaign promise of reforming the schools.

Fortunately, Fenty also described his approach to fulfilling his promise, how he consulted with the mayors of New York City and Chicago, and ultimately selected a Chancellor, Michelle Rhee,who warned him that if he wanted to be re-elected he shouldn’t hire her. By “taking control of the school system,” Fenty and Rhee brought about dramatic improvement in graduation rates, test scores and the budget in just four years—an impressive record, but apparently something was missing.

Looking Back from the Mountaintop
There in the distinguished Ross School on MLK Day, Fenty called up King’s “Mountaintop” speech, delivered just before his assassination.

This speech communicated to the depths of people’s hearts. How? King knew his people and their sufferings. He had suffered with them. King was comparing his (and their) experience to that of Moses and the enslaved Israelites in the Bible, where Moses led the people out of Egypt to the Promised Land which he viewed from a mountaintop, but did not enter with them.  

Looking back we hear King imploring the people, “We need all of you.”

 Fenty’s speech set me thinking. First, I care about kids and their education. I have five grown children, a grandchild and two degrees in education. I have spent much time in the schools, both as an educator and a parent volunteer. As a company we at MOVE have done projects for higher-ed institutions like the University of Michigan, Michigan State, Spring Arbor University and Cornerstone University. Lastly, as a business owner I am keenly aware of the symbiotic relationship between school success and business success.

The marketing business is really about helping businesses build relationships. Businesses strive to satisfy customers’ needs. To succeed they have to do it again and again. That takes a relationship in which the customer feels an emotional connection, a loyalty to a brand. When King cried out, “We need all of you!” he was building an emotional connection, a loyalty within the people.

In business and in politics, you can’t leapfrog that connection. Perhaps that’s where Fenty and Rhee misjudged. Perhaps they felt that if they took the time to put relationships first, they would lose the opportunity to get the job done.

I’m fortunate to have had the chance to celebrate MLK Day by hearing Fenty’s story and I commend his efforts on behalf of justice in education. I hope that all adult Americans will take some time to reflect on how they can build relationships with the next generation. 

*The Huffington Post

Transforming the Aging Experience
As the population ages, it is more and more important to provide seniors with services that can help them stay safely and comfortably at home.   Our client, Lutheran Home Care (LHC), an outreach of Lutheran Homes of Michigan, is committed to transforming the aging experience for seniors all over Michigan by providing compassionate, Christ-centered care.  That’s why they’re expanding, and on Tuesday, Jan. 25 hosted, in partnership with the local chamber of commerce, a grand opening event at their new location on Hayes Road in Clinton Township. 

 LHC Services
Local business leaders, pastors, church staff and interested seniors attended to celebrate the launching of Lutheran Home Care’s Personal Assistance services in the township.  These in-home services include support with meals, housecleaning, transportation, companionship—whatever is needed to help seniors and their caregivers experience “aging enriched.”

Faces of LHC
Jon Golm, Director of Service Development led the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Janet Hausbeck, Executive Director of LHC Personal Assistance gave an overview of the services available. Lynn Zuellig, Chief Operating Officer of Home and Community Based Services described this exciting new service model explaining that it was shaped by actively listening to seniors. David Gehm, President and CEO shared why he believes that with the support of LHC, seniors can be confident about their well-being as they remain in their own homes.

Want to Learn More?
For more information about LHC Personal Assistance, contact Cyndi Ferrante, Care Consultant at 888.398.7119.  And if you get a chance, stop in.  No matter what your age, you’ll gain insight on how to better care for those you love.

Love of the Automobile Endures
Our relationship with cars may not be the same as that of our grandfather or great-grandfather, but that emotional connection continues to be passed down—especially when you live in Michigan.

As a Michigander you not only have a connection to your car—which, of course, is none other than American-made—but more than likely your job, company or your sister-in-law’s cousin has some connection to the auto industry. Don Hart, President of MOVE Communications, can attest to this. In January he attended Autoweek’s annual Design Forum at the College for Creative Studies to hear about the three subjects that affect our company: Cars, design and marketing.

The forum brought together some of the best brains in the business to discuss what it is like to design for today’s consumer. One of the speakers included was the “Father of the iPod,” Tony Fadell, who used to serve as Senior Vice President of Apple's iPod division, where he developed the first 18 generations of the iPod.

Staying Connected Through Technology
Fadell came out of retirement to found Nest and create an energy-efficient thermostat that is Wi-Fi enabled so you can adjust your temperate settings via iPhone app from anywhere around the world.

He brought this concept of “staying connected no matter where you are" to the forum. Sure, technology has entered our cars. For example, our conversations no longer need to end on the way out the door; we can simply enable our Bluetooth headset and drive handsfree. Then there are the latest innovations, like Ford’s new feature that will read your texts out loud and respond with pre-selected messages. But, Fadell wants to see electronics blend more seamlessly with cars for an enhanced consumer experience.

Millenial Point of View
Clay Dean, Director of General Motors North America’s Advanced Design, suggested that the Millennial generation of 80 million strong, who his company is targeting, isn’t asking for the glitz and glam of high-tech features; but instead they desire a vehicle that reflects their culture, triggers emotion and reassures their commitment to the brand. 

Peter Schreyer, Chief Design Officer at Kia, is dedicated to pulling on the heartstrings of consumers, because he too sees a strong emotional connection between people and their cars. “Our fascination for cars is not a matter of age,” said Schreyer. “In our business brand building starts very early. Each of us remembers certain times of our lives and the car we had.”

Designing and the Environment
Max Wolff, Design Director for Lincoln, focused on the designs saying, “Our design must differentiate us.” Comparatively, Peter Horbury, Senior Vice President of Design at Geely Group, who designs for Volvo, shared a perspective from oversees. According to Horbury, car buyers from Sweden and Scandinavia are looking for vehicles that are more environmentally savvy.

A Valuable Relationship
Whether you believe today’s consumer is looking for technology, an emotional connection or design, or all of the above, we can’t deny that the auto industry has devoted itself to keeping up these relationships and inspiring new ones.

Blog Post By: Jade Grammatico, MOVE Winter/Spring Intern and Kim Beson, Associate Writer/Project Coordinator.

Food Hubs
The future of farming has arrived. Geared toward supporting local businesses and community involvement, The Washtenaw Food Hub is the newest trend in agriculture. 

Food Hubs, which are promoted by the USDA, are defined as centrally located facilities with a business management structure that integrate food production and distribution, farmer services, agricultural training and community involvement to help local farming and local food produce thrive in the community.

Housing a Hub in Washtenaw
Organic Tantre Farm owners Richard Andres and Deb Lentz recently purchased a historic farm spanning the 16 acres of land on Ann Arbor’s scenic Whitmore Lake Road. Inspired by Burlington, Vermont’s community agriculture movement and with the farm coming equipped with a handful of farm buildings, electrical and plumbing infrastructure and parking the Chelsea couple saw it as the perfect locale to house their hub. 

The Washtenaw Food Hub, which is comparable to a “farm franchise”, will work closely with local farmers and distributors to provide the community with Michigan grown food. They aim to attract families, retail and wholesale customers—and although it is a lofty goal—school systems, hospitals and universities. The food hub will also offer services to farmers, donations to local food banks and annual summer internships. 

To learn more about this new movement check out Concentrate’s “Cultivating a Fresh Food Hub in Washtenaw County.” 

For more information contact Richard Andres at (734)-475-4323. 

Blog Post By: Don Hart, MOVE President, Pete Ayers, Web and Video Editor, Jade Grammatico, MOVE Winter/Spring Intern and Kim Beson, Associate Writer/Project Coordinator.

What should your company do if they need to plan a large event in record time? Here’s how, as part of the Johnson Controls team, we helped host President Obama.

Top event planning tips from our partner Jessica Westra, of Jessica Westra Media Relations:

• Take the initiative: Be proactive and always think how you can best support the client. Remember, some decisions have to be made on the spot to keep plans moving forward.


• Events can come down to the vendors: Do your homework ahead of time and find vendors who have a great reputation, are reliable and can be available at a moment’s notice. Once you’ve found them, communicate your vision and trust them to make decisions.


• Have a great attitude and be flexible: Adopt a “whatever it takes” attitude although, you also need to say ‘no’ sometimes.


• Get Creative: Don’t get stuck thinking your way is the only way. Listen to your team and find creative solutions for challenging situations.


• Equip yourself: Have a list of contacts, vendors and a schedule handy in your back pocket, your smart phone in one hand and clipboard in the other.


• Camp out: Familiarize yourself with the event, facility and people involved.


• Be accessible: During the event check e-mail, answer your cell phone and always be available for questions.

“It was an inspiring once-in-a-lifetime event,” said Westra. “The President bestowed a great honor on Johnson Controls and the local community of Holland.”

“All of us at MOVE agree,” said Don Hart, President of MOVE Communications who was also at the event. “It’s not every day you can say that your work was seen by the President.”

 *Photography taken by Morgan Anderson, http://www.morgan-anderson.com/

Johnson Controls Presidential Event
Emerging from behind a 40-foot tall American flag with his sleeves rolled up, President Obama walked onto the stage at the Johnson Controls’ Lithium-Ion Plant in Holland, Michigan and delivered an engaging speech  on the importance of new technology and its role in creating jobs, not only in Michigan, but throughout the United States.  

One Week to Plan
Little did the audience know that the day before, the White House Communications team was transforming the manufacturing facility into an auditorium complete with ample seating, staging, lighting and audio. Nor did they know that Rebecca Fitzgerald External Communications Director, Johnson Controls’ Power Solutions, and her team had seven days to plan the Presidential tour of the facility and set the overall strategy and tone.  Within that same timeline, MOVE and its partner, Jessica Westra of Jessica Westra Media Relations, helped facilitate the logistics. For example, once the 400 guests arrived, which included Johnson Controls Executives, dignitaries from across the nation and the media, they would need to be checked through security, and have a place to meet and greet and enjoy refreshments while they waited for President Obama’s arrival. 

Air Force One Touches Down
Having landed in Grand Rapids, the President and his team arrived in Holland via helicopter—actually five heliships for security, then greeted the VIPs before taking a tour of the plant. Alex Molinarolli, President of Johnson controls’ Power Solutions, led the tour with the first stop at a display case MOVE had finished installing the day before. The contents told the story of Johnson Controls' battery history and its lithium-ion advancements. With this introduction, the President set out on the tour and then made his entrance. 

“At a time when Americans are rightly focused on our economy, when Americans are asking  about what’s our path forward, all of you here at Johnson Controls are providing a powerful answer. This is one of the most advanced factories in the world. You’re helping America lead in a growing new industry. You’re showing us how we can come back from the worst recession that we’ve had in generations and start making things here in America that are sold all around the world. And that’s why I’m here today. I’ve said it before; I will say it again: You cannot bet against the American worker. Don’t bet against American ingenuity,” President Obama said. 

Within twenty minutes his presentation was complete. He moved out from behind the Presidential seal on the podium, shook many hands and was back on his way to Washington, D.C. 

Event Went Like Clockwork
After the facility had emptied out, Fitzgerald gathered the team and commented how the event had gone flawlessly and was executed exactly the way a world-class organization should host the President of the United States. Not bad for an event that, because of security purposes, didn’t have a finalized schedule until two days earlier.  Fortunately, though, the brand and strategic messaging had already been established months in advance. 

Watch for event planning tip’s next week.

 *Photography taken by Morgan Anderson, http://www.morgan-anderson.com/ 

Celebrating Your Brand
A party, gathering or social event is considered a success when lots of guests attend, stay and have fun. But, with corporate events the stakes are higher. They’re all about publicity, attracting high-profile guests, like President Obama, (more on that in a moment) and promoting the brand in hopes of increasing future sales.

MOVE Sets Clients’ Business in Motion
When MOVE received a call from Rebecca Fitzgerald, External Communications Director, Johnson Controls’ Power Solutions, to support the Grand Opening of their new Lithium-Ion Plant in Holland, Michigan, we were delighted. Why? Because we helped them with their strategic messaging and the creative to tell their lithium-ion battery story.

Plus, we love doing events. Take the North American Auto Show, as well as contributing to the Auto Shows in Frankfurt and Shanghai to name a few.  So, to help plan the event, handle media, and organize vendors in the local Holland area, we called on Jessica Westra of Jessica Westra Media Relations as a strategic partner.

Working as a team, the plan was put in place for the Grand Opening, but everything changed  when Fitzgerald received notice from the White House that President Obama would be visiting the facility the following week. Suddenly, the deadline went from a Grand Opening in one month to a Presidential Event in one week. Yikes. Get your security clearances and get to work!

Corporate Event vs. Political Event
Fitzgerald’s goal was to make this a world-class corporate event. To complement the main event—President Obama’s speech—every other element had to be clearly articulated, agreed to by security and the White House and then put into place.

The path that guests would take was identified—pass through security at the parking lot, and be received at a Johnson Controls event outside while guests were awaiting the President’s arrival, enter the facility, be seated and wait in anticipation of the President’s entrance.

“You want your event to meet guests’ needs, and more importantly, you want them to leave as Brand Ambassadors,” Westra said. “Your guests will tell people that day and even months after the event about the facility, why it is important to the community and its larger role in the economy.”

With that in mind, the Johnson Controls team and Westra made sure that information about the plant and company was readily available during the pre-event.  We developed fact sheets and created posters explaining Johnson Controls technology and the jobs the Meadowbrook plant would create.

Now all that was needed was the guest of honor.

Watch for next week’s post chronicling President Obama’s visit to Michigan.

*Photography taken by Morgan Anderson, http://www.morgan-anderson.com/