Marketing Excellence Awards: "Great Chemistry, Great Design"

Hickok Cole Architects (Washington, DC), a 95-person architecture and interior design firm, is the second place winner in the Integrated Marketing category of Zweig Group’s 2015 Marketing Excellence Awards for its “Great Chemistry, Great Design” campaign. In 2014, HCA launched the yearlong campaign “Great Chemistry, Great Design” with the goal of positioning the firm as a creative, collaborative practice focused on “great design.” Another goal was to use the campaign as a vehicle to launch Hickok Cole Creative – the firm’s new boutique ad agency. To kick off the campaign’s message and set the tone for the year, a New Year’s card was printed and sent to the entire HCA database. To foreshadow Hickok Cole Creative, a book on the basics of great graphic design was hand-delivered to 300 clients. The invitation for the firm’s annual Open House party – where HCC was launched – featured “Let’s Bond” as its call to action. HCA’s invitation for its annual Art Night event came with a kit to assemble a three-dimensional molecule and invited guests to “Stop, Look, Love, Buy and Bond with Hickok Cole.” The campaign’s chemistry theme was also carried out in the firm’s events. The campaign increased HCA’s presence in the market and clients expressed their appreciation for the campaign’s attention-getting marketing. Thirty-four of the 300 gift-recipients sent handwritten or electronic thank you notes. Substantial buzz followed the launch of HCC and the Open House party. Following the event, HCC generated over 40 creative project leads, scheduled over 20 meet-and-greets, and won an astounding 12 new jobs for the department. Website hit rates continue to spike at 32-38 percent after the firm’s events, gift distribution, Constant Contact newsletters, and e-announcements. Articles and press mentions in national and local publications were equivalent to over $50,000 worth of ad placement. For more info on the Marketing Excellence Awards click here. The 2016 Marketing Excellence Awards are open for registration! Click here to register your firm.