GR's Hanon McKendry Merges With Colorado Springs Firm
GRAND RAPIDS (WWJ) -- The Grand Rapids marketing agency Hanon McKendry has merged with the CSK Group of Colorado Springs, Colo. to create a new agency with the unusual name of Domoregood.
Both the Colorado and Michigan offices will remain open.
The company says it will provide "creative brand-building services to organizations that are committed to making a positive impact on the world around them.'
That includes both nonprofits and for-profit businesses "that have identified a core purpose beyond revenue generation."
"This may seem to be a more logical offering for nonprofits than for-profits, but many businesses recognize that operating with conscience and higher purpose is no longer a luxury, it's a requirement," said Bob Blanchard, CEO of Domoregood. "We're watching a seismic shift in the marketplace. The vast majority of consumers -- 87 percent according to a 2012 study -- want businesses to place at least equal weight on societal issues and business interests, yet only 28 percent believe businesses are performing well in this regard. At the same time, brands that score the highest on the annual Meaningful Brands Index+ outperform the market by 120 percent. We don't believe this is a trend. It's a permanent market shift."
Domoregood will use its expertise to help drive brand awareness, consumer engagement, and long-term brand value on behalf of their clients. Services include market analysis, brand strategy, brand identity and management, design, campaign development and production, video production, strategic marketing, web marketing and digital development, and media services.
"The goal is to help brands that do good, do more of it," said Domoregood president Steve Maegdlin. "We know that brands aren't just shaped by how they look or sound. They're shaped, mostly, by how they act. Purpose-driven brands go beyond short-term charitable projects. They make a positive difference through their business practices, in their employee and supplier relationships, in their communities, and for their customers and constituents. Our job is to help those brands take their driving purpose beyond business strategy and fully integrate it in their branding and marketing strategies. That's how they're going to engage today's consumers and donors and, in turn, achieve greater impact and returns."
Domoregood brings together two agencies with a common vision, but a dissimilar and complementary set of services.
"This merger isn't about consolidating staff, lowering overhead, or knocking out a competitor," Blanchard said. "It's about bringing together strategic, creative, digital and media services under one -- or in this case, two -- roofs. And it's about integrating those services in support of a vision to build brands that truly matter in the marketplace and in people's lives."
The combined Michigan and Colorado team numbers 53. An additional 30 employees make up Mindscape at Hanon McKendry, a full-service digital agency partner operating out of the Michigan office.
"We believe that Domoregood is well-aligned with the shifting market and is coming to life at a time of huge opportunity," Maegdlin said.
More at www.domoregood.com.
