New Mt. Baker Roofing Webisodes: Meet Sully, How to Tell a Good Roof and When Things Go Wrong

As promised, here are the new Elf Webisodes that we just wrapped up for Mt. Baker Roofing, “Meet Sully,” “How to Tell a Good Roof,” and “When Things Go Wrong.” Enjoy!

Meet Sully

How to Tell a Good Roof

When Things Go Wrong

Shingle Bells: New Mt. Baker Roofing TV Spots

Mt. Baker Roofing could have played it safe. They could have talked about shingles, they could have talked about service, they could have talked about pricing and tried to blend in with the crowds of others doing the same thing. Fortunately, they gave us the latitude to explore new ways to tell stories and we are happy to launch this new series of Elf ads for the company: “Shingle Bells”, if you will…

This video began running on TV just recently, and we’ll be rolling out three more spots in this Elf campaign soon. The next few spots will be released only on the Web, and you’ll be able to find those here when they’re ready.

Until then, enjoy the Elf work (performances from Luke and DK from the famed Upfront Theatre in Bellingham, WA).

97, 98, 99 Reasons: First look at this year’s Northwest Washington Fair poster

When the weather starts getting warm like this, I start thinking about one thing: summer. Summertime brings so many things that I love: cooking meat on the grill, spending time at the lake, enjoying fresh corn on the cob, and daylight that stretches on late into the night.

Summer also brings county fairs, and all that going to the fair entails. If you’re in Whatcom County, there’s a good chance your summer plans will include a visit to the Northwest Washington Fair in Lynden.

You’re likely to start seeing posters, TV ads, billboards and the like showing up around town in the next couple of months leading up to the Fair, but here’s your first look at this year’s NWF poster, compliments of Baron & Company…

And here’s a look back at the past couple of posters we delivered for the Northwest Washington Fair:

100 most creative people in biz: guess who’s #1…

Fast Company recently put out their list of the top 100 most creative people in business.

Plenty of great videos, pictures and descriptions of some incredibly creative people and the projects they’re working on. Check it out for yourself.

Sure, you may be able to guess the #1 most creative person on this list (or probably the company they work for), but how about the rest of those rounding out the top 10?

Brand devotion… and a few ways to build it

People are committed to companies and their brands for a number of reasons. And by committed I mean, if given the choice, 10 times out of 10, they’re going to go with you.

Here are just a handful of reasons for people’s devotion to a particular brand:

• Experience. If you can create an experience around your brand, one that resonates with people, you’re in a great spot. Starbucks’ success, for example, is due almost solely to the experience they offer.

Starbucks sells an experience

• Personality. Brands that have personality, that people can relate to, are often much more likely to stand out than their bland counterparts. Using humor, for example, is a great way for people to relate to your brand. Like this TV ad for Swiffer, for instance.

• Values. People like to know that they’re money is supporting something they believe in, be it a commitment to locally produced goods, political stance, ethical standards or otherwise.

Having a brand that people not only value, but are drawn to and committed to, is invaluable.

What are you doing to build your brand devotion? What could you be doing?

Companies that do the little things right

… are often times the most successful ones.

One thing I love about my bank is that my usual teller always calls me by my first name. Like she’s greeting an old friend. My wife, who drinks a lot of coffee, loves going to one spot in particular (in a city overflowing with coffee choices) because as soon as she pulls up they’re already fixing her drink. We go out for dinner at one place more than any other because I know that their food is consistently good. I’ve never been there on an off-night; not once. And we go there maybe as much as we eat at home…

A friend of mine recently told me that he will often choose one product over another based on its logo. It’s because of people like this that companies spend so much effort on making themselves stand out from the crowd. And for good reason. If someone doesn’t even notice your product when they’re looking for what you have to offer, you have a problem.

But, if you’re not doing the little things right, you can be sure a pretty package or a great looking logo aren’t going to solve all your problems.

Twin Brook Creamery: great to see local success

It doesn’t seem like too long ago that we began working with the Stapp family to help launch their (then new) dairy products under the name of Twin Brook Creamery. The Stapp’s Lynden-based dairy had been in the family since 1910, but it wasn’t until 2007 that they began bottling their own hormone-free dairy products made from the milk of their local, 100% Jersey cows.

We were brought in in early 2007 to help tell the Twin Brook story through a new Website and PR support.

What makes Twin Brook’s product so appealing is that their milk is sold in classic, nostalgia-inducing glass bottles, which makes you feel a bit like you’ve traveled back in time each time a bottle of Twin Brook Creamery’s milk is brought home. Their milk is also non-homogenized, which makes the cream rise to the top of each bottle, creating a pretty unique experience.

You can read more about the Twin Brook Creamery experience here, or check out a video on You Tube of their milk-making process here.

It really has been great to see Twin Brook’s bottles popping up all around town. The other night, I noticed one of their bottles was being used to serve water while eating dinner at Scotty Brown’s. And many of the local grocery stores are now selling Twin Brook’s products as well (Haggen, The Community Food Co-op and others).

It’s always encouraging to see local companies find success; and it’s even better when you’ve played a small role in that process. Keep up the great work, Twin Brook Creamery!