An important assignment.
We live in a dangerous world. Well, it would be more dangerous if it weren’t for companies like our new client TorchStone, who provide high end security services for corporations, prominent individuals, and sporting events.
AI and us and a return client.
Bluescape has been busy inventing new digital products, and has asked us back to the table to help design their new brand of AI image creation. As usual for Bluescape, it sports a feature that is truly a ‘wow’.
A movement for movement.
We’re honored to have been asked by Mobilegs – makers of a radically better crutch - to help clean up their sales channels, specifically their Amazon presence and their website.
And, they’re back.
There’s nothing more satisfying than a return client. Bluescape liked what we did for Popsync so much, they’ve asked us to do the same for their mother brand.
All good things come to an end.
Conceiving of HiBAR, from opportunity to concept to a availability in 11,000 stores, has been the best 13 years of our lives. But, we’ve been presented with an opportunity to exit, and we’ve taken it. Go, HiBAR!
An image search revolution?
Here’s an exciting one. Bluescape has tasked us with developing a brand position, creative platform, and communications assets for a radically different type of image search engine. Stay tuned for more.
Our writing curriculum.
Our dear friends at HealthPartners have asked us back for an extended engagement, developing and conducting a training program for their large staff of writers. The goal: a more consistent brand voice.
Towards digital health.
Not all our clients are huge, but they’re all doing important things. We’re helping this great organization sell their digital health curriculum into school systems. That’s story telling with a clear purpose.
A third new product launch of the year!
We’ve been busy building out the HiBAR plastic-free platform. This time it’s deodorants - a huge source of avoidable single-use plastic in the bathroom. Thanks again to all at Werner Design Werks for the beautiful packaging.
The new face of plastic-free.
We’re excited to introduce the first fully new product line from HiBAR. Now you can get spa-quality Face Wash in a far more beautiful form. Thanks to solidphase for the bar design, and Werner Design Werks for the packaging.
Plumbing and... purpose?
We’re honored that Uponor has asked us to add-on to our earlier value prop work, building it up into a full-fledged purpose for one of the world’s largest suppliers of plumbing and infrastructure solutions.
Plastic-free is for everyone.
15% of people have curly hair. That’s a lot of people. That’s a lot of single-use plastic. So we’re proud to launch HiBAR’s new Curl bar set, formulated for the unique challenges of curly hair.
Our vision: zero plastic in your bathroom.
Continuing our new product onslaught, we’ve just launched these slick bamboo HiBAR holders. Designing with function, beauty and sustainability has been an inspiring challenge. With credit to Martin and Tricia at solidphase.
A behind-the-scenes assist.
We’ve pitched in on an effort to help Shutterfly put their business on a better path for growth. Really, prepping them to conduct an agency pitch. Yes, we do that kind of thing.
Finland calling.
One of the largest infrastructure companies in the world has asked us to look at their value propositions within the construction industry. Sounds boring? Not at all. This is about water, a precious and powerful resource.
Brands in action? Sounds like us.
Ad industry hero David Baldwin invited us on to his podcast to talk about how we’re making a positive impact through our work on HiBAR. It was a fun chat, and we spill on much more than just branding.
We’re building a platform.
HiBAR is a ‘getting rid of plastic’ company. So we're excited to launch our first foray into a new category: a travel pouch for our bars, designed in partnership with local artisan/environmentalist Julie Stellar.
What is your brand voice?
Our longtime friends HealthPartners have asked us to help identify and define their brand voice. As their voice lives across a complex organization, this will be a big task. But when we get it right, it will be powerful.
Been itching to share this one.
The latest product roll-out in our fast-growing HiBAR line is a formula for scalp conditions. Our product pipeline strategy is simple – go where there is the most plastic. Dandruff shampoos are right up there.
When a new logo is not enough.
We’ve been retained by shopper marketing agency Insignia to help re-position their business. To think all this started out with them wanting a new logo. Can’t wait to get started. It’s our favorite type of challenge.
Sometimes, our best stuff is a secret.
Oh how we wish we could talk about this one. But we can't. Suffice to say, it was a huge re-positioning exercise with vast implications for a leading, global e-tailer. Ok, we've probably said too much already. Sigh.
Design Thinking at Marriott
We're honored to be presenting our design thinking case histories at Marriott HQ in Washington DC, in conjunction with their incredible Customer Experience team. Thanks for having us along, Marriott!
The Goldstein Museum
We had a great time appearing in The Goldstein Museum of Design's exhibit "Creativity In Everyday Life" - in nice Minnesotan company, too, with representation from Target, Eyebobs, and Madesmart.
Putting money where our principles are.
We engineered a way for our business HiBAR to support the Global Climate Strike: the entire company, including its main source of revenue its e-commerce website, went on strike for 24 hours. It hurt, but in a good way.
Fast Company's most innovative.
We're beside ourselves that Fast Company has recognized us in their 2019 Innovation By Design awards for the HiBAR business and brand that we created. That's some tough competition.
We made it into Communication Arts!
Ok, so we still get excited about industry recognition. Communication Arts has done a nice feature on our HiBAR brand, including a Q&A with our design partner Sharon Werner of Werner Design Werks.
A Target connection like no other.
We'll be working with the highly respected Jacobs Marketing to give further definition to their story. They're one of the most valued partners of Target Coproration, so we know we have plenty of great stuff to work from.
Doing business the right way.
We're delighted to have been selected by Pohlad Companies unit NorthMarq, a leading provider of real estate capital and debt, to bring fresh life to their brand position and presentation. Let's get to work.
Wynn Resorts gets a new voice.
The voice of a brand is one of its strongest assets, and one of the hardest to maintain and evolve. We spent a little bit of time with the new management at Wynn sprucing up how they appear in social media.
The biggest bank you never heard of.
We've been doing some behind-the-scenes work on behalf of Meta Financial Group. If you've ever used a debit card or a non-bank ATM, you've enjoyed their services. And we enjoyed helping them towards their mission.
Let's go, let's go, let's go.
We're launching a new movement at HealthPartners to make health care simple and affordable. We're proud of the work, and the collaborative relationship that got us there. Come read more about it here.
IdeaSLAMMING it.
We were honored with an invite to present our HiBAR story at Studio/E IdeaSLAM, along with Rosemary Ugboajah from ArtWest and Bob Gardner from Gardner Builders. Thanks to all who came along and indulged us.
Investing in our principles.
We're taking our mission many steps further, in launching HiBAR, a business we conceived and built. We're hoping it can change the world. At the very least, it will take us deeper in to the realities of running a B2C company.
Education never stops learning.
We're delighted to be helping the nationally-recognized Groves organization as it looks to improve the lives of many, many more students. Thanks to Hothouse Collaborative for the partnership.
The next generation of car buying.
There’s a huge shift coming in the way we all look at transportation. We’re joining with Walser Automotive Group and our pals at roundpeg to think through what might be. It promises to be an interesting ride.
More maker business.
On the back of assignments for Autodesk and Tinkercad, we’re working with Instructables, the pioneering platform for peer-to-peer DIY project guides. It’s a super fun brand, and a great mission. Again, thanks to Hen’s Teeth.
Where size matters.
We’re big on ambition and vision. So are our new clients at Reliable Garage Door. They’ve grown from a student summer job to the number one in their category, and they’re not stopping there. Our kind of people.
Independence FTW.
Next in our series of gatherings for indie marketing pros – Sarah McNally of TransForm, who inspired us to develop our own personal brands. Thanks to Studio/E for the space and Indypendently for the after party.
The future of hearing.
We’re thrilled to be working with the global leader in hearing solutions. Though we don't do spec pitches, we beat out three traditional agencies for this strategic assignment. Thanks Amplifon for shaking things up.
Getting outside of ourselves.
Independence is no guarantee against living in a self-selecting bubble. So we invited a crowd of independent marketing pros to an eye-opening presentation from The BrandLab and Penumbra Theater. More to come on this.
Calling all makers.
Exciting new client alert: Tinkercad! Their mission is to bring more makers into the world. We are jumping up and down at the opportunity to help. Again, thanks to Hen’s Teeth for the partnership.
They’re baaaack.
After a brief dalliance with a traditional advertising agency, our friends at Orchard Supply Hardware have come back to us. We all have a big mountain to climb, but that’s what teamwork and tenacity is for.
Partnership is what it’s all about.
We’ve always been admirers of the Health Partners mission. So we’re honored to be helping them think through some important strategic issues. They’re good people, doing good in the world. A nice start to the year.
Let’s see what we can make together.
We’re excited to be working with Autodesk. If you’ve ever been in a building, seen a movie, or driven a car, you’ve experienced the fruits of their design software. This’ll be a good one. Thanks to Hen’s Teeth for the invite.
Vroom vroom.
We’ve just wrapped up a really exciting visioning project for up-and-coming investment management company Financial Engines. Thanks to SilburnNORTH for bringing us in.
Hosting the indie ad scene.
The biggest agency in town doesn't work at an agency. So, every December, we open our doors to our collaborators and friends. It's our way of supporting independance. Plus, it's a ton of fun.
Be gone, food desert.
It's been tough for North Minneapolis residents to find fresh food. We helped Pillsbury United Communities launch the North Market, filling the store with hungry people. Read more about this groundbreaking project here.
The biggest pitch of all time.
When Amazon put the call out to find a home for their second headquarters, we got the call from Boston Consulting Group and Greater MSP to help tell the story of Minneapolis and Saint Paul. Top secret stuff.
We get a brand facelift.
For our eleventh birthday, we've re-visited our brand identity. This new design, from our friends at Eight Hour Day, returns us to our roots, embracing our belief that creativity needs data and data needs creativity.
Orchard Portland gets its happiness.
Fresh off our test launch in Florida, we've applied our Home, Hardware & Happiness platform to existing stores in the Portland area. It's an experiment in taking a single idea and tailoring it for a distinct market. So far, so great.
Orchard store number one is launched.
Florida is now home to a brand new Orchard Supply Hardware store, and there are more to roll out over the next few months. Retail is details, and we have had the fortune to touch a lot of them – from design to activation to digital to the in-store Muzak script.
Persuasion’s tenth birthday.
Ten years ago three ad agency vets founded an effort to address the ills in the advertising industry: Bloat, sloth, ignorance of data, and creativity sitting on the sideline waiting for its chance to make things pretty. It’s been a hell of a ride. Cheers!
The biggest name in windows is…?
We’ve just landed an important strategic assignment with JELD-WEN, one of the biggest players in the door and window industry. It’s an incredibly complex business, so we’re getting our very best brain cells ready for this one.
Persuasion leader attends Studio/E.
If you’re not growing, you're falling behind, right? In that spirit, we put a lot of attention into further education for our team. Over the next year Dion will be attending Studio/E, a course in entrepreneurial behavior.
This summer, we’re so #nicerideable.
For our fourth Nice Ride season, we’ve created a campaign designed to redraw the map of Minneapolis/Saint Paul, from one of miles and cars, to one that measures the city using minutes on a bike. Go get out into the nice weather, willya?
Look out, Florida.
We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve been selected by Orchard Supply Hardware to help launch their first stores on the East Coast. Orchard has a compelling and really different product. We’ll be working hard to make sure Floridians get it.
A world changer comes to Persuasion.
Medtronic has been saving and improving lives for decades. They’re an incredible company, with some mind-blowing technology. It’s our honor to be helping them with positioning for an important new global product launch.
We do holiday parties right.
In the spirit of the holidays, and, really, in the spirit of our entire business year, we threw our doors open for an “agency” party with a difference. Clients, collaborators, and even competitors, joined us for an evening of nibbles, tipples and laughter.
Someone trusts us with power tools.
And not just anybody. One of America's top tool brands has just named us to a confidential positioning assignment for their latest power tool technology. We're looking forward to getting to work, and to keeping all of our digits.
The new smart.
This has been a passion project for us and our many collaborators. We’re excited and beyond proud to finally launch this bold, beautiful expression of Waldorf education. Hopefully it helps ensure future generations of curious, creative people.
Our Mover and Shaker Mary Haugh.
Here’s a nice interview with Mary Haugh, Business Director for Persuasion. Mary explains our philosophy around creativity and business, and our approach to problem-solving. Thanks Todd Nelson for the questions.
Our new teammate. The Smithsonian.
Yes, that’s right. The Smithsonian Office of Policy and Analysis. We’re going to be working together on an important project for the US Department of Agriculture. We're honored, and we’re looking forward to some behind-the-scenes tours of Washington, DC.
Announcing Minnesota Comeback.
Here's the brand we created for the Minneapolis Foundation. Minnesota Comeback is about where we’ve been (trailing the nation in educational opportunity) and where we’re going (30,000 new school seats by 2025). Yeah!
Novu and Persuasion mind-meld.
Thanks to Tom Wicka and team for the trust. We’re about to kick off a strategic project for Novu Health and Wellness, a brilliant Minneapolis-based start-up. Look for great things from these guys.
Grrr. It’s a #gnarlyride.
It’s summer at last, and to mark the occasion, we are launching an alter-ego for our client Nice Ride. Yes, it's a decidely not-nice, rat-rod inspired mean machine (actually, there will be two of them) named Gnarly Ride. Thanks to Andrew Beckman for the gnarly art.
Environmental design is here.
We’re excited to welcome to our collaborative workspace the stylish inhabitants of Carbon Collective. Merick and Meredith do beautiful, thoughtful work for their impressive list of clients.
An important win.
We’ve been entrusted with a crucial project from the Minneapolis Foundation – an effort to close the opportunity gap in our schools. We’re thrilled to have been selected against tough competition. Now let’s get this done.
Welcome, CHS.
We’re excited to get going on a new strategic assignment for a small, local company called CHS. Oh, wait, make that ‘Fortune 100 company called CHS.'
Sonos turns it up to 11.
We’re understandably excited to be reunited with our friends at Cue and the team at Sonos. We already have Sonos fuelling the creativity at our office. We’re looking forward to returning the favor.
Thanks, Marvin Windows and Doors.
One of the most remarkable businesses in the country has chosen Persuasion to help think through some particularly complex marketing issues. It’s an honor, a privilege, and our brain cells are ready to go.
What makes us tick?
An interview with the Business Journal uncovers a story from our past that explains why we insist on understanding the business underpinnings of any project. Thanks to Janice Bitters for dropping by.
Bring on summer, MinnPost.
Here's some more love from MinnPost on our work with Nice Ride. If enough people say it's summer, it will become summer, right?
Industry Hero at Miami Ad School.
Bringing creativity to business is our mission, so we shared that perspective with the next generation of creatives at Miami Ad School in our Industry Heroes presentation "Survive 35 Years In Advertising With Your Dignity Intact." Thanks Kristen and crew.
Big news: we have a Business Director.
To further our mission of uniting creativity and business, Mary Haugh has joined us as Business Director. Mary has deep experience advising marketers, and she's already made incredible contributions to our clients here at Persuasion. Welcome, Mary!
50 marketers, now more creative.
Thanks to all who packed the house for "Heel, Creativity." Most major Twin Cities marketers were there, plus a host of up-and-comers. The reviews were roundly enthusiastic. So by popular demand, we're now taking requests for repeat performances.
Persuasion forced to confess.
MinnPost marketing writer John Reinan collared us prior to our AMA presentation "Heel, Creativity" to see if we could spill some secrets on why and how creativity can have a greater impact on business. Resistance was futile, as you will see.
See our AMA presentation, live.
Learn how creativity is the engine for personal and business growth, and get practical tips on how to have a more productive relationship with creativity. Oh, and knock back a glass or two of wine. Co-hosted by the Minnesota AMA.
Persuasion in Marketing Insights.
For any AMA members, here's an interview with Persuasion founder Dion Hughes, where he shares his views on the role creativity should play in business, and how marketers can build their own creative skills.
Persuasion co-creates with Lowe's.
We recently took part in a Habitat For Humanity build with client Lowe's. In five hours, a slab in Charlotte became something resembling a home. Our favorite part was seeing the delighted prospective owner. Thanks Lowe's for the invite.
Persuasion presents 'Heel, Creativity.'
How can creativity have a greater impact on business? We're sharing our thoughts November 1st with the American Marketing Association in a members-only webinar. Should be fun.
Does Cannes matter?
Every year the creative industry contorts itself into an act of simultaneous back-patting and hand-wringing. Yes, awards matter, but not for the reason you might think. Forbes asked us to weigh in.
Big ideas, small office.
We sat down with the business writer from The Star Tribune to discuss creativity, impacting business, and our alternative to the advertising agency.
Making faster, smarter business decisions.
Fast Company says we're "advertising-industry players." But our process has applications outside of advertising. Such as forcing a business out of a narrow "either/or" mindset. Read on.
Persuasion in Heath Brothers' bestseller.
Yes, creativity makes for smarter business decisions. In "Decisive" by Chip and Dan Heath, our creative process is held up as a powerful way to "explode narrow-frame thinking." And we just thought we were coming up with lots of good ideas.
Welcome to a kindred spirit: Jay Schaefer.
We believe in finding the insights in data. That's one of the ways creativity can impact business. And why we're so happy Jay Schaefer of Circlebox Research has agreed to join our collaboration. Welcome Jay!
Creative collaboration machine now open.
We work best when we're around smart, inspired people. That's the idea behind our new work space. It's open plan, completely modular, democratic, and designed for the airing and sharing of ideas.