2014 Marketing Excellence Awards: Anniversary Campaign

FINLEY (Tallahassee, FL), celebrated their 10-year anniversary in a campaign that landed them the fourth place in Zweig Group’s Marketing Excellence Awards in the Special Event category. Craig Finley, Jr., president and founder, and Ann Schiola, marketing director of the 20-person engineering firm, worked together to develop the campaign. The firm integrated an anniversary message into all printed advertisements, websites, press releases, email signatures and social media sites in order to let the public know about this event. The firm also designed a T-shirt for staff and spouses/significant others and planned an in-house celebration. Emails were sent to over 3,600 contacts, an animated card was posted on FINLEY’s website, an anniversary banner was created and displayed on marketing materials, and full page advertisements were printed in the American Segmental Bridge Institute Directory, the American Segmental Bridge Institute Annual Convention Program, and the Bridge Design and Engineering IBC Awards Brochure. The firm also sent out e-blasts, a press release, and created an anniversary timeline. What works

• Bringing it home: FINLEY mailed the anniversary newsletter to employee’s residences, bringing families into the celebration as well.
• No stone unturned: FINLEY put their anniversary message on almost everything and got the message out in a multitude of ways.

Results FINLEY achieved results for every component of their campaign, including a 100 percent increase in Facebook likes, a strong increase in LinkedIn followers, an 18.07 percent click-through late on a holiday card sent out on Jan. 1 (not a work day), and a 52.27 percent returning user rate on their website. Westwood launches refreshed brand Westwood Professional Services (Minneapolis, MN) launched a refreshed corporate brand encompassing a simplified version of its existing logo, and a new look to its website (westwoodps.com) and print materials. The firm also introduced a new corporate video and fresh approach to how Westwood communicates its value to the industries through its brand promise of “Better people. Better results.” Westwood’s fresh brand message reflects its dedication to client satisfaction by cultivating an environment where its employees are provided professional and personal growth opportunities. This commitment is founded on the firm’s belief that its people are its greatest asset. President/CEO Paul Greenhagen said, “The reason our clients come back to Westwood is because we have the people they trust to get their projects done on schedule and according to plan. Our people are without a doubt the secret to our success.” Greenhagen says the brand refresh clearly articulates the firm’s value to the markets it serves. “Our clients need a firm that is looking out for their best interests and helping them realize their vision. At Westwood, we focus on building a better team because having the expertise and tools to complete tough projects is how our clients, our employees, and our company achieve better results. Westwood’s fresh message hits the mark in regard to how we provide value.” The firm strives to be a national leader in delivering professional surveying and engineering services in the markets they serve. As a multi-disciplined surveying and engineering firm, Westwood provides services to support the development of commercial, residential, wind, solar, power delivery, and oil, gas, and pipeline projects nationwide.

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This article first appeared in The Zweig Letter (ISSN 1068-1310), issue #1088, originally published 1/26/2015. Copyright© 2015, Zweig Group. All rights reserved.