Solve continues to attract talent from outside the market as evidenced by its latest addition, Alex Coontz, Account Supervisor. Coontz joins the agency from Leo Burnett Company in Chicago where he worked on the successful “Mayhem” campaign for Allstate, winner of multiple Cannes Lions and Effie Awards for creativity and effectiveness. Working across all aspects of the account, Coontz led the social portion of the Mayhem campaign for the insurance company brand at Burnett. “Alex understands how to use digital and social to create a strong customer following for a brand. We’re excited to bring his experience to bear on behalf of our clients,” says Solve Account Director, Ryan Murray.

by

Agency Team At Long Beach Grand Prix

It was a podium finish this past weekend for Bentley Team Dyson at the Grand Prix of Long Beach in Southern California. Chris Dyson and his Bentley Continental GT3 finished second overall and clocked the day’s fastest lap. Bentley Team Dyson had little time to linger in Long Beach given their Sunday evening departure to Barber Motorsports Park, 2,000 miles away, for the start of the Grand Prix of Alabama. The next Pirelli World Challenge race takes place in Birmingham, Alabama April 24-26.

by

Recently Released 2014 Annual Report Highlights Growth Across Company

Solve client Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB), a leading bank in the UAE, saw a net profit increase of 16% in 2014. This announcement marks the fifth straight year of growth for the bank. ADCB’s Consumer Business Group, which oversees all consumer touchpoints, grew by 5% in 2014 after four consecutive years of growth in the early 2010’s.

by

Agency Takes On Branding Role For Fast-Growing Retailer

Shopko Stores, a $3 billion retailer headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, has named Solve their agency partner following a competitive review. The privately held retail chain operates almost 350 stores in 22 Pacific Northwest, Mountain, North Central and Midwest states. The agency will be responsible for brand positioning, target audience definition, and messaging across traditional, digital, social and in-store channels.

The Shopko Hometown retail format, developed over the past five years to augment Shopko’s larger store model, is emerging as the company’s growth vehicle. Providing a broad and dynamic offering of strong national brands, the company has opened 20 new Shopko Hometown stores since January with plans to accelerate the addition of new stores in the second half of 2015 and into 2016. Shopko is owned by an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, Inc., a leading private investment firm focused on leverage buyouts, equity, debt, and other investments in market-leading companies.

“Shopko is undergoing a remarkable business transformation driven by an aggressive new leadership team and vision. We’re excited about the opportunity to infuse fresh energy into the Shopko brand,” said John Colasanti, Solve CEO. The agency’s work will begin appearing later this year.

by

Solve continues to add talent and strengthen its agency team. Continued rapid growth at Solve has led to latest hire Stephanie Vavrichek as Team Project Manager. Vavrichek joins the agency from Life Time Fitness, a leading health and fitness center competitor. As Senior Integrated Producer, she managed a high volume of large and quick-turnaround work at Life Time Fitness. Prior to that, she was Project Manager for branding agency Yamamoto, where she worked on accounts including UnitedHealthcare and the Weisman Art Museum. “Stephanie is a highly-skilled project manager with strong experience. We’re eager to deploy her talents on our fast-growing workload,” says Solve President, Corey Johnson.

by

During a recent planning meeting at its New York City headquarters, the Président marketing group treated Solve to a range of products from its vast, award-winning product line. In addition to enjoying a tasty platter of various Président Bries, Butter, Manchego and Black Diamond Cheddar, the agency learned about the time-honored production process and proper serving technique. Président is France’s favorite brie. C’est si bon!

by

Real Work, Not Errands, Await Interns

While some internship programs equate to students running errands and brewing coffee or working with other interns on a fabricated project, an internship at Solve is centered on real experience on client teams.

“We want our interns to have real-world experience during their time here,” says Maureen Clark, Associate Media Director. “There are no made-up projects; for 12 weeks our interns are in the trenches with us, doing real client work.”

Intern candidates should be interested in gaining experience in the fields of account management, strategy and media while working on world-class clients. Solve’s client roster includes Bentley, Porsche, True Value, Cascadian Farm, Président and Galbani.

Ambitious, entrepreneurially spirited college juniors or graduating seniors may apply by submitting a resume and cover letter explaining what they hope to take away from a summer at Solve to careers@solve-ideas.com. Applications will be accepted through Sunday, April 19th.

by

Agency To Promote Minneapolis-St. Paul Theater Community And Annual Award Show

With a goal of celebrating the Twin Cities’ robust professional theater scene, and particularly, The Ivey Award Show, Solve has been tapped to elevate awareness and interest in the local theater community for 2015. The Ivey Awards serve as a high-profile annual event acknowledging and honoring top theater professionals working in 79 theaters throughout the Twin Cities seven-county metro. The show, taking place on September 21 at the Historic State Theatre in Minneapolis, will recognize talent throughout the industry, including Lifetime Achievement and Emerging Artist.

“When the Iveys approached us, we jumped at the chance,“ says Eric Sorensen, Solve Creative Director. “Theater is a big contributor to the Twin Cities’ rich reputation as a center of creativity and art,” adds Sorensen. The campaign will run this summer across multiple media platforms, including print, digital, social, outdoor and radio.

by

#OpeningDayExcuses Encourages Detroiters To Ditch Work For Tigers’ Opener

The Mercury, one of Detroit’s most beloved bars, is at it again. Using social media to reach out to its loyal fanbase, The Mercury is encouraging Detroiters to use creative excuses to skip work in order to partake in The Mercury’s Tiger Opening Day festivities, headlined by its iconic “Kegs and Eggs” breakfast. “Our hearts are split as today’s opener pits the Tigers against our Twins,” said Detroit native and Solve CEO John Colasanti. “Whoever you root for, everyone wins with breakfast, beer and baseball at The Merc.”

by

Solve continues to deepen its team with newest hire Rebecca Underwood who joins the agency as Media Analyst. Most recently Underwood was a social media strategist at AdoptAClassroom.org, a non-profit that partners with teachers to find matching donors to provide classroom resources. Underwood managed all AdoptAClassroom social channels and worked with corporate partners including Quaker, Farmers Insurance and Office Depot to increase reach, awareness and engagement for the non-profit. “Rebecca brings strong analytical experience to our team,” says Solve President, Corey Johnson. “We’re pleased to add her drive and skills.”

by