Our goal at L&S is to make clients stand out from the crowd. Shoppers at the Empire Mall can’t help but notice the new University Center wall graphics near Caribou Coffee. Check out the install process and take a closer look at University Center.
Posts Tagged ‘Lawrence & Schiller’
Without fail, the back to school season seems to creep up every year. And year after year, the same routine of scrambling to get things ready ensues. It is a rather stressful, but exciting time.
As moms and dads breathe a sigh of relief of not having to entertain the children all day, kids are eager to be reunited with their friends, show off their new duds and share the happenings of the summer.
The funny thing is, regardless to whether or not you have children headed to school, the same feeling hits us every late August/early September. It is the official end of summer. We realize it is time to start putting our noses to the grindstone and make things happen.
Summer is productive – don’t get me wrong – but when riddled with family vacations, half-days and sunshine, it feels as though we all had somewhat of a childhood summer.
Our summer here at L&S was a great one, with lots of excitement and progress. New faces, exciting projects and lunchtime grill-outs were just a few of the summer happenings at the agency. Just last week, we had an enjoyable summer picnic at Riverdale Park, complete with a sand volleyball tournament and iPad giveaway. Check out some photos on the L&S Facebook page.
Summer may be slipping away, but the fun of a quick getaway is not out of reach. If you need a last minute vacation, be sure to visit the TravelSD website for some ideas on quick trips you can take throughout the state.
The excitement of a fresh start also comes with a new school year. Kids armed with new notebooks and backpacks are ready to learn. To be honest, I still enjoy picking out a new notebook and pen for work every fall. Stop by Lewis to pick up a few last minute school or office supplies and check out their great weekly deals or upcoming tent sale.
The back to school air circulating throughout L&S is hard to ignore. We are all excited for upcoming months. We are ready for the great ideas to come, the challenges ahead and the lessons we will learn working with new and longtime clients. Be sure to keep your eyes and ears open to the latest news from the team here at Lawrence & Schiller.
I’ve never made anyone cry. Well, that’s not totally true. I’ve never been a part of an ad campaign that made someone cry (or at least admit to it). However, an ad we just completed seems to have struck a chord—with hunters of all people.
One gentleman emailed saying, “My heart was so torn up last night as I was reading Pheasants Forever, that I could hardly re- read the ad to my wife.”
Another hunter commented that the ad captured the best part of upland bird hunting and owning a dog.
“As a hunter, a dedicated outdoorsman, conservationist and dog owner/trainer, I can only say that your ad should be marked as the finest, most powerful ad I have ever seen! I have never in my life been brought to tears by an ad.”
So what moved these avid outdoorsmen? An insight. Hunters love their dogs. They take pride in their four-legged hunting partners and can’t resist those “puppy dog” eyes.
Great creative is more than pretty words and beautiful pictures. Greatness comes from knowing your audience and what moves them.
Selecting a college is often complicated, drawn out and tedious for students. Searching for qualified applicants through tests scores and essays is also a tiring process for admission staffs. Zinch.com is attempting to make the admissions process a little more interesting and social.
Mick Hagen, a Utah native, left Princeton University to start Zinch. He describes the site as “a tool that allows for high school students to showcase their talents, skills and passions to colleges and universities…”
The service also helps colleges more effectively recruit students. The site lets admissions officers evaluate an applicant based on more than a test score. Colleges can also search Zinch’s database to find students who match their recruiting criteria. The site helps colleges find qualified students outside their recruiting territories at a low cost.
Two million students have created profiles on Zinch and are using the site to connect with college admissions representatives, find scholarships and converse with other students.
Time will tell whether Zinch breaks down the walls between colleges and prospective students. In the mean time, the site simplifies and humanizes the college search and application process.
The Vermillion Chamber & Development Company (VCDC) works to foster and promote the retail, manufacturing, civic, agricultural and economic development interest of Vermillion and the surrounding area. In late June, they chose Lawrence & Schiller to help them boost economic development and recruit businesses to their community.
We’re excited to get the word out about the business growth opportunities in Vermillion, and we needed a strong company to help us,” says Dan Kenton, Board President of the Vermillion Area Chamber and Development Company. “Lawrence & Schiller was the natural choice because of their work with the State of South Dakota and their staff expertise in economic development.”
We are equally excited about working with the VCDC. Many of us here at L&S have lived in Vermillion and are passionate about all it has to offer. We are thrilled to expand our relationships in the city and promote this great community.
We will assist the VCDC in diversifying and complementing Vermillion’s industry mix through a targeted lead generation and reputation-building program.
Our years of experience with economic development organizations, such as Dakota Dunes, Northwest Iowa Development Coalition and Forward Sioux Falls, uniquely position us to partner with the VCDC to foster economic development. L&S is also acutely aware of the unique factors that attract people to the community of Vermillion through our work with the University of South Dakota.
A few years ago the headline was “A Gift,” last year a major merger with MeritCare in Fargo. Today, Sanford Health is taking another leap forward, emerging as a new organization under one name, a new symbol and refreshed mission, vision and values.
We at Lawrence and Schiller have worked with Sanford Health to develop the “Today’s Pioneers” campaign including TV and radio ads and a series of internal videos.
While many may regard the plains as the last place to transform healthcare, Sanford Health believes that this is actually the perfect place. After all, the people of the plains have a long history of seeing possibilities where others see none, working hard to get things done and helping our neighbors.
With their vision to influence health and healing across the globe and provide innovative patient care here at home, the people at Sanford Health are truly “Today’s Pioneers.”
Lawrence & Schiller honors an employee each business quarter who has done an exceptional job of carrying out our mission—to build market leaders in a passionate, relentless and impactful manner. A person who clearly fits this description is awarded the MAP (Marketing and Advertising Professional) Award. The winner is selected from a long list of deserving nominees.
The second quarter MAP recipient is Kevin Perlic, a broadcast producer. Perlic worked in some capacity on every broadcast project over the past few months. He worked nights, weekends and even at home to get projects with tight deadlines completed.
Working on the Office of Highway Safety’s texting and driving spot was the most enjoyable and technical project for Perlic. He did all the green screen work on the spot. He comments that using green screen was a leap of faith, but he is very happy with how well the team pulled off the project. He also enjoyed collaborating with all the team members to produce a high-quality spot. Watch the shocking texting and driving PSA.
Perlic also worked on several ads for the Dennis Daugaard campaign, including a 90-second spot entitled, Meet Dennis Daugaard. Kevin says, “It has been fun to work with someone who could be our next governor and I also enjoy the shoots because Dennis is just so easy to work with.”
Producing an internal video for Sanford was another project Perlic enjoyed. The piece used stop motion to create the illusion of movement using only stills.
Perlic will celebrate his one year anniversary with Lawrence & Schiller on July 20th. Thanks for your hard work Kevin and congratulations on your award.
It came and went so fast, it almost has a “did-I-just-say-that-out-loud?” feeling to it.
Eight days ago I didn’t know an official “Social Media Day” existed. Today the Sioux Falls observance of Mashable‘s global celebration is in the rear view mirror. Now it’s time to reflect.
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The mention of “social media” generally sparks either enthusiasm or scorn. It’s like Glee. You either love it or hate it. In this digital Blitzkrieg, Switzerland is more the size of Liechtenstein.
“If they had a major in Social Media, that is what I would want to do.”
“How can I use this?”
“I use Twitter. I’ve got a handle on it. What’s this FourSquare thing?”
These are just a few of the comments overheard during the Sioux Falls celebration of Social Media Day on June 30, 2010. Launched globally by Mashable and hosted locally by Lawrence & Schiller, Social Media Day was designed to celebrate the revolution of media becoming social.
At the Sioux Falls meetup, we wanted to not only celebrate but also share and learn. Nearly 60 people took us up on the offer. We’re happy with the turnout, especially when compared to other, larger, metro areas. Using online registrations as a guide, Sioux Falls was on par with Kansas City, Orlando and even Singapore.
Here are some observations from the L&S’ers who lead conversations on Facebook, Twitter, Fourquare, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr and What’s Next:
“My impression of the event was that is was really fun,” says Eric Ellefson, who was manning the FourSquare table. “The audience was quite diverse and most of them were astute on the general presence of Social media.”
Courtney Lotzer overheard the following at the Facebook table. “The world is moving so fast. I thought about my kids when we were talking today. I realized I shouldn’t be talking to them about being a doctor or lawyer someday. Talking specifics just puts them in a box. Their profession probably hasn’t even been invented yet.”
“The general feeling I got, and it might be imagined, was that people were past Twitter,” observes Miles Rausch, leader of the Twitter discussion. “From overhearing other conversations, Twitter had been a gateway for people, and they felt they had it figured out. It’s simple and ubiquitous; no one wants to discuss drinking water. It almost felt like, “I use Twitter. I’ve got a handle on it. What’s this FourSquare thing?” ”
“There were conversations for a broad range of people – from one guy who knew nothing about Twitter who was taking notes, to the group of college students who shared stories of how they use foursquare at school,” notes organizer Michelle Adrian. “I also learned how foursquare can be more than just a challenge game between friends, how it can be used in customer loyalty strengthening, especially retail.”
Lawrence & Schiller’s own Derek Soukup recently traveled to sunny Orlando, Florida, escaping the South Dakota rain for the American Advertising Federation (AAF) National Conference. Derek along with Ruth Ann Scott, Executive Director of the South Dakota Advertising Federation, and Eric Vasgaard of Keyframe, attended the conference “Ideas at Work” on June 10-12.
Derek was excited to accept the first-place award for Communications in the National Club Achievement Competition. There are 4 divisions in the competition. SDAF took home the Division III prize. “It was an honor to receive the award for SDAF and for Lawrence & Schiller who designed, produced and distributed this year’s ADrenaline themed club communications,” said Derek.
Proudly lugging around the newly-won honor, Derek heard from Disney’s VP of creative, attended AAF club roundtables and gleaned information from breakout sessions throughout the week. “I really enjoyed learning about how other local clubs operate,” Derek said. “It was reaffirming that we are on the right track with SDAF. We have a variety of members, not just agencies, and successfully secure sponsors for our events.” He also enjoyed listening to the “Around the Water Cooler: What’s Your Professional Reputation” forum. The group attended the National ADDY Award Show and Reception on the last night of the conference.
The conference was a great reminder to Derek that SDAF is a part of a larger national organization. “I enjoyed seeing people I had met from other districts in the past and making connections with other AAF members. We have a very active AAF club in South Dakota and it will only continue to be healthy if talented, local AdFed members serve on the various committees that make SDAF successful,” commented Derek.
Derek will be next year’s SDAF President, so feel free to send your ideas and questions his way.
Some new faces are gracing the halls of Lawrence & Schiller. Several new hires and interns have joined the 5280 team recently. Two media coordinators, a financial specialist and a public relations coordinator are the newest full-time employees.
New Hires |
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Ryan Gardner – March 2010 Financial Specialist – Team Synergy Ryan grew up in Sioux Falls and graduated from Augustana College. He enjoys playing golf and tennis and spending time with his fiancée, Laura Walton.VIDEO: Hear Ryan’s introduction. |
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Lindsey Haskins- May 2010 Public Relations Coordinator – Public Relations Team Lindsey is from Pierre, SD, and attended Northwestern College in Orange City, IA. She graduated a few weeks ago with a degree in public relations and business administration. Spending time with her fiancé, TJ Philips, and being outside are activities Lindsey enjoys in her free time.VIDEO: Learn more about Lindsey. |
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Krista Kayser - May 2010 Media coordinator – Team Synergy Krista crossed the border from her hometown of Mankato, MN to become an Augustana College graduate. Motorcycling with her husband and playing with their ten-week-old son, Joseph, are some of her favorite things to do.VIDEO: Meet Krista. |
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Maggie Saugstad - May 2010 Media coordinator – Team Synergy Maggie, originally from Madison, SD, spent one year at Dakota State University before completing her degree in business administration and marketing at Colorado Tech. She enjoys going outdoors to do yard work, camp or play kickball with her seven-year-old daughter, Savannah. VIDEO: Hear Maggie’s story. |
Interns |
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Les Cotton - April 2010 Production Artist Intern – Team Fuse Les is originally from Volga, SD, and graduated from SDSU with a degree in graphic design and fine art. Outside of work he likes to draw and do anything creative. VIDEO: Listen to Les’ introduction. |
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April Gregory – January 2010 Multimedia Intern – Deadwood Office April grew up in Lodge Grass, MT and graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in photojournalism and art history. In her spare time, April enjoys outdoor activities such as fly-fishing, hiking, cross-country skiing and camping. She is excited to be photographing for L&S and is enjoying learning more about marketing.VIDEO: Learn more about April. |
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Katie Kuyper - April 2010 Media intern – Team Zen Wizards A Sioux Falls native, Katie graduated last May from Augustana College. She is an avid movie fan and couldn’t live without her DVR.VIDEO: Meet Katie. |
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Elizabeth Spaans - May 2010 Account Service and Copywriting Intern – Team Fuse Elizabeth grew up in Stickney, SD, which, for those who are rusty on their South Dakota geography, is a small town near Mitchell. She recently graduated from Augustana College with a degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing. After work she enjoys reading and photography. VIDEO: Hear Elizabeth’s introduction. |
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Tracy Hamann - May 2010 Account Service and Copywriting Intern – Team Synergy Tracy is originally from Sioux Falls and graduated just a few weeks ago from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. One of her favorite activities is shopping. VIDEO: Get to know Tracy. |
Welcome to the team!
30 films and counting.
That’s how many entries Greg Johnson has received for the first Reel Dakota Film Festival, September 24-25 at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls, SD.
“I’m getting submissions every day now, one from Belgium today, and others from Canada, the United Kingdom and Spain,” reports Johnson, the Festival’s founder. “We’ve even gotten one from Hong Kong!” Read the rest of this entry »
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After Hundreds of Web Designs and Thousands of Miles, April Johnston Passes 10 Year Mark
April Johnston shows off her new 10-year watch.
10 years later, the memory is still clear. Interviewing intern candidate after intern candidate. One in particular stood out… a nervous kid with a great portfolio. Offering her an internship was a no-brainer. The question was where would she go: Art or Web. Thankfully, the brand new Web department was able to claim April Christensen Johnston first!
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Sarah Pitts
Lawrence & Schiller is pleased to announce that Sarah Pitts has been promoted to Designer. Over the past three years, she has been key in producing great work for clients including Midcontinent Communcations, Sioux Valley/Sanford, The Green Project, Lewis Drug, WTC and many others.
Sarah has also been deeply involved in the Bridge Team (web design training) and has been integral in website design, banner ads, email marketing, SMS (Site Management System - L&S’s proprietary content management system) maintenance and online game design for Team Fuse clients and other projects.
Keeping with its tradition of promoting from within, Lawrence & Schiller has announced the promotion of seven employees. According to L&S President and CEO Scott Lawrence, “These moves are all designed to improve the level of service we can deliver to its clients.”
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Dave Haan has been named the new Director of Public Relations and Digital Development at Lawrence & Schiller. Dave will oversee all traditional and digital PR projects – working closely with all of the agency’s clients and teams. Dave’s nine years of experience as a news reporter at KELOLAND TV and 12 years as a web producer and interactive team manager position him well to maximize future PR and social media opportunities.
Dave will continue to act as a key resource for the Lawrence & Schiller’s Web team. However, many of Dave’s day-to-day duties as Director of Digital Technology will be assigned to Eric Ellefson, who has been named Senior Interactive Producer, and Eric Cross, Senior Interactive Programmer. In his new role, Eric E. will act as the primary entry point for all digital development projects and be the primary scheduler of projects and personnel. Eric Cross will supervise the agency’s team of programmers, focusing on the development of new interactive products and technologies.
Over the past five years, Jeff Hanson has spawned countless ideas for L&S as the leader of the agency’s Public Relations team; including the Zip Feed Mill BOOM demolition, the launch of the Sioux Falls Green Project and last year’s Pheasantennial promotion for South Dakota Tourism. His great grasp of what’s going on in the world, storytelling skills and amazing weight loss abilities have made Jeff a truly unforgettable character at the agency.
Now Jeff is moving into a new chapter of his life. He’s going out on his own as an independent PR consultant. His last day with Lawrence & Schiller is March 12th.
In lieu of a big send-off party, Jeff has asked L&S to donate any dollars budgeted for his gathering to one of his favorite personal charities, the Argus Leader Backpack Program. His wish will be granted – another great idea from a man who hatched plenty.
What’s the ideal training ground for an ad agency president? If you answered, “being a marching band instructor”, you’re either a master of unconventional thinking, or you’ve spent some time with Scott Lawrence, the President and CEO of Lawrence and Schiller.
From travel and tourism to higher education, telecommunications to healthcare, 12 different Lawrence & Schiller clients took home honors Saturday night, at the 44th Annual South Dakota Advertising Federation’s Addy Awards. The diverse collection of winners represent a 25% higher number of clients than any other marketing agency in the awards show.
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This week, Lawrence & Schiller is rolling out one of our newest clients, the University of South Dakota. Many of you have probably seen the television commercial already, but it really drives home what we are trying to say with this fresh, exciting campaign. The aim is to make potential and current students feel that USD is the place to be – that they are getting a private school education at a public school value, incomparable to any other.
The commercial truly says it all: Commitment you can see. Tradition you can feel. An experience like no other. At a place called USD. The University of South Dakota.