CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A clearer picture of Small Business America’s marketing needs has emerged, thanks to a report issued this week by nationwide marketing firm PRstore.
The report identifies businesses with fewer than 100 employees as the group most underserved by traditional marketing companies and, therefore, at greater risk for long-term survival.
With budgets too small to attract the big ad agencies, many companies under the 100-employee threshold cobble together a mix of do-it-yourself, freelance, and in-house marketing pieces. The result is often inconsistent branding, an unclear marketing message, and poorly targeted campaigns.
PRstore founder Mike Butler is confident there’s a better way.
“Marketing simplified – that’s what these business owners are looking for,” Butler says. “These businesses don’t have time to get a half dozen marketing providers on the same page. They’re busy building their companies and keeping the American economy afloat.”
Over an eight-month period, PRstore partnered with Concentric Marketing, a Charlotte-based market research firm, to extensively analyze of the small business sector’s marketing challenges.
“The lack of access to high quality, affordable marketing services for small firms was more dramatic than we realized,” Butler says. “We got a clear message from Small Business America: The old marketing models aren’t working for us.”
Up to 74% of firms with fewer than 100 employees would embrace a one-stop, retail style marketing franchise, according to the PRstore report. Some need full-scale marketing guidance, while others only need help with execution.
The biggest frustration for firms in this niche: having to patch together a marketing program from five or six different providers.
With more than 30 franchises in 20 states, PRstore has already proven the alternative works. Armed with a new snapshot of Small Business America, Butler says, the company is finding the demand for simpler marketing solutions is as great as ever.
Charlotte-based PRstore chose Concentric Marketing to assist in its national branding based on its strong proposal for research and insight-driven brand development, said Bob Shaw, Concentric president.
"PRstore represents both a great success story and great untapped opportunity,” said Shaw. ”The company has created a successful next generation franchise concept that is already established in 20 states and continues to grow rapidly.
“By taking a 360 degree look at their current business and potential markets, we hope to help them take the next step in accelerating their growth plan. They are a perfect fit for our core strength in building middle market national brands," said Shaw.
PRstore wants to build on its success in the marketplace, said Dan Fragen, president and CEO, by introducing its brand across America to small businesses and others who need high-quality, affordable marketing solutions to help grow their business.
“The need for effective and affordable marketing communications tools by small businesses and other entrepreneurs is growing,” said Fragen. “We want to be able to better communicate PRstore’s mission and services to customers and to position our brand as the clear leader in small business marketing.”
About PRstore: PRstore is a full-service marketing store offering expert advice and creative services to help small business owners establish and communicate their message and increase their sales. PRstore serves small businesses and organizations whose budgets are too small for more traditional marketing and public relations agencies. A fast-growing national retail franchise, PRstore has 40 stores in 20 states and operates under the corporate name of PRS Franchise Systems, LLC. It is headquartered in Charlotte, N.C.
Carolina Panthers’ own Defensive End Julius Peppers has teamed up with Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Greater Charlotte for a new television and print campaign. Off the field, Peppers is a firm believer in the work of the non-profit organization, which pairs adult mentors with children ages 6-18
Peppers is the second professional athlete to be featured in the Charlotte group’s campaigns, which are created and produced by Concentric Marketing. In 2006, Charlotte Bobcat Raymond Felton was featured in a multimedia campaign. Concentric Creative Director Jason Neman explains: “Having the opportunity to reach out a second time to the community was really special. Just like the spot with Raymond Felton, the TV and print ads with Julius are really a reflection of who he is and what he believes in.”
The new television spot and print ads will break at the end of July.
Pet Business magazine has tipped its hat to Nature’s Earth in the May 2007 issue.
Dennis J. Farrell writes, “As this industry grows and becomes more competitive, pet vendors must improve their product image through better branding and package design…Kudos to the Ultra Pet & Nature’s Earth guys and their great new designs for Cedarfresh and Feline Pine cat litter.”
Pet Business holds a circulation of 24,000 pet business owners and key decision makers.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - Nature's Earth Products Inc. introduced new packaging and logo redesigns for its Feline Pine® and Feline Pine Scoop® cat litter.
The Feline Pine brand is really coming into its own. The systematic re-branding was led by over a year’s worth of data mining and extensive consumer research,
said Ken Simard, President and CEO. We are the market leader in alternative, healthy cat litter but much of our target market has yet to be reached.
Nature's Earth employed Concentric Marketing of Charlotte, NC to help grow the healthy litter product, Feline Pine. A Website overhaul was launched this year along with TV commercials running on 9 national cable networks. The commercials feature talent on the streets of San Francisco and Atlanta asking people What's in Your Litter Box?
The tag line is part of the company's key messaging strategy and communicates its dedication to delivering products that help families and pets live a more natural, healthy lifestyle. Nature's Earth is the first pet company in the market's 60 yr. history to tell people what's in their cat litter with a unique nutrition-like side panel listing ingredients.
Feline Pine consumers are highly educated and environmentally savvy,
said Dan Henderson, Feline Pine Brand Manager.New positioning was needed for the brand to emphasize what is most important to our consumers: a clean, healthy home environment and the health of their family and pets. We are communicating with our consumers on a much more sophisticated level.
Marketing plans for the 2007/2008 year include broadcast media, trade and consumer print, account specific marketing, and online initiates including ads, a blog and targeted email marketing.
About Nature's Earth Products, Inc.: Nature's Earth is a leading provider of alternative pet products, offering cat litter and pet bedding. The company is committed to providing all natural pet products that are free of chemical additives so your family can live a more natural lifestyle. Nature's Earth ensures the health of your pet, your home and our environment. For more information, visit www.naturesearth.com or call (800) 749-7463.
View the Feline Pine commercials on YouTube.
View the Feline Pine Sponsored blog, This GREEN Life.
View the new Feline Pine website.
2007 has marked a record breaking year for Easter Seals UCP North Carolina / Food Lion Shop & Care program, with $2.7 million dollars raised for children with disabilities. This marks an increase of 80% over the previous year. Food Lion Shop & Care is one of the five largest Easter Seals fundraising programs in the country, garnering $15MM since its inception. Concentric Marketing is proud to have provided all creative elements for this campaign. This is Concentric's seventh year of involvement with this wonderful program.
For more information, click here
Concentric is happy to announce that Alicia Gozycki has joined the team, in the role of Senior Account Executive. A native New Yorker, Alicia attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA., where she majored in English. Upon graduation, she moved to Boston to pursue a career in advertising and marketing. Alicia spent over five years working at Hill Holliday, where she planned and placed traditional and non-traditional media for such accounts as Dunkin' Donuts and the Massachusetts State Lottery. When the cold weather became too much to bear, Alicia moved south to Charlotte, NC. It was here that she joined the Charlotte sales team to launch the North Carolina Education Lottery.
Alicia brings a sophisticated media planning discipline to Concentric which benefits the agency's middle market brand strategy. She will be working on Rich-SeaPak, BSNmedical, and various other accounts. Alicia lives in South Charlotte with her husband, Matthew.
Concentric Marketing recently unveiled an exciting multimedia campaign for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte, featuring the Charlotte Bobcat's talented young point guard Raymond Felton. The unveiling took place at an event held at the Bobcat's arena in Uptown Charlotte, where city leaders and the press were in attendance. Concentric was excited to donate their time to the production of this campaign to help maximize the funds BBBS had available, in order to encourage community participation in their great organization. Felton will be featured in television and print ads, interacting with a real BBBS little
. Felton has also adopted his own little
, Ricky Wilson, who met Felton for the first time at the unveiling ceremony.
Raymond Felton Q&A
by John Gardella
Posted Nov 21 2006 11:11AM
Nov. 20, 2006 -- The Charlotte Bobcats' Raymond Felton is one of the league's top young point guards. Sharing the point with Brevin Knight, the second-year playmaker is averaging 5.4 assists to go along with 12.8 points and 1.13 steals. For Felton, however, his biggest assist may be one he dishes off the court.
Felton announced on Nov. 9 that he is teaming up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Charlotte. In an effort to bring awareness to the organization, Felton will not only appear in a new multimedia campaign for TV and print, he will serve as a Big Brother to 11-year-old Ricky Wilson.
Felton knows the type of impact he can have on Ricky. Several studies have measured the effectiveness of this program, citing that 68 percent of youth in this program have improved their relationships with their peers, 74 percent have improved their academic performance, 96 percent have avoided delinquent behavior, 99 percent have avoided substance abuse, 99 percent have avoided early parenting and 84 percent have indicated more self-confidence.
Felton recently sat down with NBA News to discuss his community outreach, as well as his second season with the Bobcats.
Felton: Growing up I had a lot of role models. I had uncles, I had older cousins, I had my dad. I'm just trying to give these kids the chance I had growing up.
Felton: Not yet. But I'm planning to spend a lot of time with him. Especially when I'm in town.
Felton: So I can try to get some other guys involved, maybe some other guys on the team; try to pitch in and get some guys on the (Carolina) Panthers team and just different people. They still have 300 kids that are still out there waiting for a Big Brother or a Big Sister. Hopefully by me doing it others will join in.
Felton: No question. But that's not why I decided to do this. It wasn't about trying to win over the fans, the hearts of people in Charlotte. It was something I wanted to do.
Felton: Feed the Children is something the whole team takes part in. But I'm going to do something for Christmas, handing out presents or something like that.
Felton: I'm doing the team thing, we're going to do something with Feed the Children like we did last year.
Felton: It's going pretty good. Of course I think it could be better. But it's going pretty good so far, we got a big win the other night against the Spurs, so hopefully we can build on that.
Felton: The goals of the team are that we're trying to make the playoffs. Personally, I'm just working at trying to get better, to do what I can to help us get to that point.
Concentric is proud to announce the addition of Toni Palese, to the role of Account Director. Toni joins the Concentric team by way of the windy city, where she worked with Foote Cone & Belding for over 8 years. While there, Toni contributed to clients like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, and the popular nationwide restaurant chain, Applebee's.
At Concentric, Toni will be working with valued clients, such as Nature's Earth, Inc., among others.
Toni attended the Bradford School of Business, where she earned her degree in 1986. She has settled in Cornelius with her husband, Greg, and their 3-year-old son, Dominic.
Concentric is excited to add Brett McCoy to the role of Account Executive. Originally from upstate New York, Brett has lived and worked in the Charlotte area for over four years, where he was a Managing Director at Consumer Insights for an International Branding Firm.
At Concentric, Brett will working with valued clients like Continental Tire, Rack Room Shoes and Esseplast, among others.
Brett attended the State University of New York at Fredonia where he studied both business and psychology.
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Aug. 11, 2006 – Commonwealth Laminating & Coating, Inc. (CLC), the fastest growing manufacturer of window film applications, has recently retained Concentric Marketing to handle marketing duties for their SunTek brand. CLC made the decision to find a new marketing agency as a result of the company’s rapid growth over the past several years.
“As we continue to expand our presence nationally, we looked at a number of agencies in the Southeast for marketing expertise. “said Leigh Carter, Sales Manager at SunTek Direct. Carter contacted Concentric to discuss the agency’s retail experience, client list, and CLC’s marketing needs. “We were impressed with Concentric’s people as well as their expertise in working with middle market brands.” continued Carter.
“This partnership is a great fit,” said Bob Shaw, President and CEO of Concentric Marketing. “SunTek is exactly the sort of brand that we specialize in. Rapid growth, a superior product and a tremendous future are characteristics that any agency would covet” continued Shaw, “Our history and track record of enabling middle market companies to compete on a level playing field has allowed us to build strong brand names while increasing both sales and market share for our clients, which is where we plan to take Commonwealth and the SunTek brand.”
“We are extremely excited to be working with Concentric,” said Steve Phillips, President of CLC. “We found them to be an impressive agency and a perfect fit for our needs,” continued Phillips, “With SunTek growing at such a rapid pace, we need an agency who CLC has already begun a preliminary expansion to their warehouse and manufacturing facility and will continue to grow. They will be actively promoting their company and SunTek products this Fall at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Trade Event in Las Vegas, Nevada, October 30 through November 3.
CLC is a world class manufacturer of solar controlled window film applications located in Martinsville, Virginia. CLC, who has been in business for over 10 years, is also the fastest growing window film manufacturer who adds at least 15 new dealers every week. SunTek’s product lines include films for automotive, residential, commercial, and safety and security applications. Please visit the company’s Web site at suntekfilms.com for more information.
Charlotte based Concentric Marketing is pleased to announce several new additions to their staff.
Karen Wessel has come aboard as production manager. With over 15 years of valuable experience in the printing and production field, Karen has proven herself a uniquely qualified asset to the team. A native of Chicago, Karen has spent the last four years in the Charlotte area.
Brittany Lyke has been hired as copywriter. A graduate of Siena College with a BA in English, Brittany moved to the Charlotte area from frosty upstate New York. Brittany is thrilled to join the team.
Alice-Anne Burton has filled the role of intern. With an Advertising degree from the University of Georgia, Alice-Anne is learning the ropes and has been a great help to her account directors and assigned accounts.
Charlotte, NC (May 29, 2006)—Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte, Sunya Folayan of Sunstar Studio and Concentric Marketing, Inc. are working together to team up local artists with area BBBS-matched children, to create artwork for their 2007 calendar. Concentric Marketing has partnered with The Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte on a variety of awareness initiatives since 2004.
Themed “What it Feels Like to Have a Big”, artists working in a variety of mediums from paint to sculpture, will assist area at-risk children, eager to express the joy they feel about their Big Brothers or Sisters. The children will work alongside their Big and a designated artist, in order to create a work symbolic of their special mentoring relationship, and how it has impacted their lives.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for our matches to work with local artists to create unique art work. Little Brothers and Sisters will learn to express themselves through different artistic mediums and will be creating lasting memories as well as works of art.” Said BBBS CEO Carol A. Lee.
The pieces each child creates will be photographed and bound into the Big Brothers Big Sisters 2007 calendar, with proceeds to benefit BBBS programs. Some artists, in addition to donating their time and talents, will also be generously donating personal works for an upcoming BBBS silent auction on Lake Norman.
Participating artists include: Sunya Folayan, Sean Glover, Miles Gibson, Holly Spruck, Julie Gasque, and Michelle Nichole.
Said Folayan: “We are a diverse team of professional artists from various disciplines who very much believe in giving back to the community and are delighted to have a chance to take part in this program. We are really excited about this project and strongly believe in BBBS.”
Big Brother Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte has served Mecklenburg County since 1972.
Charlotte, NC– Concentric Marketing recently unveiled their new website, located at the same URL: www.getconcentric.com.
The website, coded by art director Jason Clewell, utilizes a variety of coding languages and technologies, aimed at optimizing the site in search engine results.
“While many industries utilize Flash, or, moving images… those can be difficult for an engine like Google to search” said Clewell. “So we wanted to create something that was both visually dynamic and optimized for search engine results.”
The webpage is themed as a private detective’s personal file. The fictitious character did legwork in order to provide interested parties with ‘the scoop’ on Concentric Marketing. The interactive objects are regular, familiar desk items– like folders, post-its, and paper clips. Viewers can read up on Concentric by navigating through the file, which includes employee bios, a portfolio section, a podcast, a marketing efficiency quiz and more.
Charlotte, NC– Concentric Marketing continues to lead the industry by launching a new downloadable podcast from their website. The inarguable edition was the brainchild of Jason Neman, Concentric’s Creative Director. Featuring Matt Martella from iconoculture, the two discuss the power of observational research as part of effective marketing strategy.
The Concentric podcast will eventually be moved to it’s own site, www.thebrandcast.com. Concentric staffers are excited to harness this new technology to create awareness in the Charlotte and national community.
“Everyone today has an iPod or MP3 player, or they are familiar with this technology on their computer desktop. With the growing popularity of podcasts, we wanted to take advantage of an exciting new way to interact with clients and general listeners interested in marketing” said Neman.
The podcast will discuss topics pertinent to branding and marketing middle-market and emerging brands, Concentric Marketing’s specialty area. Experts and industry analysts will regularly participate in discussions about new trends, industry news and marketing approach.
The new podcast is recorded and produced at the Concentric office on 309 East Morehead St. in Charlotte, NC.
Charlotte Business Journal - Sam Frowine
Bob Shaw, the brains behind Concentric Marketing, has me thinking about the significance about the Big Idea.
Whenever I take a company on a strategic retreat, I'm always alert for the Big Idea -- the move that will catapult a business to its next stage of success. The Big Idea can beget big wealth, turn the perspective of the business from downward to upward and sometimes completely redefine a company that's striving to keep its edge.
Examples abound.
There's Denny Hammack at Patterson Pope, a records-storage company that has taken advantage of the latest technology to shift its focus to records and materials management.
Or Eric Hillman at Europa Sports. The distributor of nutritional supplements -- sold primarily at health-food stores -- is moving into golf and tennis shops to reach athletes directly.
Or Rudy Alexander of The Elevator Channel. The engineering software entrepreneur saw the genius in technology that allows advertisers to measure their impact on a captive audience.
So it's no surprise that Bob Shaw and his team at Concentric Marketing have a process for discovering the Big Idea. He catapulted his strategic marketing firm onto Entrepreneur magazine's Hot 100 list of the country's fastest-growing companies by doubling revenue in 2002.
"A great idea generates more ideas," he says. "It's about getting to the big money idea."
We know a business is either growing or dying, and creative ideas are a source of life. So from a Wealth-Building perspective, the right Big Idea creates a surge of passion, which creates energy, which becomes the force behind momentum. Momentum is where we make money.
Yet entrepreneurial owners sometimes get nailed by people in our organizations because we seem addicted to change; they think we innovate for the sake of innovation, which can result in chaos. So our challenge is to differentiate between the bold play that will re-energize our business and the storm of activity that stirs things up, confuses and costs time and money when the ideas misfire.
Here are five criteria for evaluating your next Big Idea:
1. Does it grow out of your company's unique chemistry? The best Big Ideas tap the talents of ownership and the players on the team. Innovations that expand a company's sweet spot become a natural evolution of the company's success, instead of being a disruption that turns the business upside down because it requires new skills, new players and new practices.
2. Does it align with your vision? It's tempting to jump on an idea just because it's innovative and challenging. New challenges get our motor running. But if the new idea doesn't create movement toward our vision, it's a distraction that sends us down a rabbit trail that drains resources from our real purpose.
3. Does it meet the needs of customers? Sound economics follow the Big Idea that makes life better for customers or clients. The best ideas create a solution customers can't afford not to buy.
4. Does it ignite momentum? A true "Aha!" moment with the power to elevate a business to its next level of success generates more than a burst of adrenaline. It creates that surge of passion and energy, which can be captured and directed to create growth. Momentum directed at the right idea often converts to real wealth.
5. Was it a team effort? The smartest owners multiply their good thinking by turning to outside experts, external board members, counterparts from other industries, mentors and the leaders in their own companies. A business that encourages thinking together as a team will, over the long haul, beat a business that relies only on ownership's stroke of brilliance. Making it a team effort also improves execution because people are excited by carrying out ideas they helped create.
If you look at any industry you'll see examples of business owners such as Bob Shaw, who rise out of the run-of-the-mill because they know how to lead a team in grabbing hold of the Big Idea and converting it to wealth.
Charlotte, NC: Concentric Marketing was once again recognized for creative excellence with three silver ADDY® awards by the Charlotte Ad Club, at an awards ceremony held at The Big Chill in downtown Charlotte.
This year, two pieces for Continental Tire and another for Grogan Associates brought the awards home for the excited creative team.
The ADDY Awards, sponsored by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), honor excellence in advertising and cultivate the highest creative standards in the industry. With more than 60,000 entries, the ADDY Awards represent the largest advertising competition in the United States. Concentric Marketing’s award winners will move on to compete at AAF’s district level competition, placing their creative work against work from other Southeastern cities, followed by the national competition.
Charlotte, NC based Concentric Marketing has been retained for national marketing and advertising by two new clients in July 2005.
M2Pets, a manufacturer of innovative pet products based in Stanford, CT has retained Concentric to spearhead consumer and trade marketing. Concentric will handle all agency duties beginning with a national trade and consumer advertising campaign scheduled to launch in Fall 2005. After an extensive search, M2 selected Concentric over several competing New York agencies.
Orlando Baking Company, a Cleveland, Ohio institution for over 100 years, has also engaged Concentric to spearhead a national rollout for existing and new products. The company, which originated in Italy in 1872, remains a family-owned business, but has grown into a leading distributor of fresh and frozen bread and rolls. Orlando was the first company in the United States to produce Ciabatta bread and enjoys a strong regional presence in the Midwest currently. Concentric will create a comprehensive marketing plan and national communications rollout over the next 15 months. Billings on both accounts are undisclosed.
According to agency President Bob Shaw, “These clients are a perfect fit for our core skill set, namely building middle market consumer brands. Both companies possess unique attributes that make them particularly attractive and unique within their segments and enjoy excellent prospects for long-term growth. I am proud of our team's ability to prove yet again our capacity to win clients outside of the local area and the Southeast.”
Concentric Marketing was selected to represent the marketing interests of Industrial Timber, a leading supplier of wood frames to the upholstered furniture industry. New corporate identity and collateral materials will be unveiled early in the summer of 2005.
The leading brand of rice in Great Britain hires Charlotte, NC agency.
Tilda Rice, the number one brand of rice in England has selected Concentric Marketing to help introduce the Tilda brand to the United States market. Concentric, located in Charlotte, NC, will execute a variety of planning, strategic and advertising initiatives to help tell the story of one of Europe’s leading brands.
Concentric Marketing Selected to Work With Birkdale, NC Eatery.
Café Mia, a specialty store offering authentic Italian gelato and coffee, has chosen Concentric Marketing to handle its marketing responsibilities. Café Mia offers a real Italian “experience” in Charlotte, NC by offering hand-made gelato, along with a selection of coffees that have been served in Italy for over 150 years. Concentric will create in-store posters and signs in its initial rollout of communication materials.
Charlotte, NC March 4, 2005 – The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the area’s largest institution of higher education, has retained Concentric Marketing, also based in Charlotte, to handle the marketing duties for the UNC-Charlotte Alumni Association. In an attempt to increase both membership and contributions, Concentric will conduct extensive research, create a new website and execute a highly-targeted direct mail campaign to the more than 20,000 UNC-Charlotte graduates who still reside in and around the Charlotte area.
Charlotte, N.C., February 19, 2005 – Concentric Marketing was awarded five ADDY awards for creative excellence by the Charlotte Ad Club at an awards ceremony held at Spirit Square in downtown Charlotte.
Concentric received five Silver ADDY Awards for work created on behalf of their Nolte Furniture and Fresher Than Fresh clients. “These Addy’s mean a lot to the agency and especially to our creative department,” said Creative Director Jason Neman. “It’s extremely gratifying to see work that has provided significant results for our clients also be recognized for its creative excellence by people in the industry. It just goes to show you that creativity and effectiveness are not mutually exclusive properties.”
Concentric’s 2005 ADDY Awards include:
Sales Promotion – Single: “Deep Blue Packaging”
Client: Fresher Than Fresh
Sales Promotion – Campaign: “Deep Blue Packaging”
Client: Fresher Than Fresh
Point of Purchase : “Nolte In-Store”
Client: Nolte Furniture
Elements of Advertising : “Deep Blue Logo”
Client: Fresher Than Fresh
Point of Purchase: “Deep Blue”
Client: Fresher Than Fresh
Charlotte, N.C., February 19 2005 – Lisa Vitale, a veteran art director with a diverse marketing and advertising background has joined the staff at Concentric Marketing. Vitale will lend her creative expertise to Concentric’s full roster of clients.
Before joining Concentric, Vitale worked as an art director and graphic designer in various locations around the world including New York City, Florence and Milan, Italy; Istanbul, Turkey; Moscow, Russia and Charlotte, N.C. Her national and international accounts have included: Marriot Hotels, Canon U.S.A, Bellsouth Telecommunications Inc., Laura Ashley Inc., and LOWE’S.
“There are a lot of experienced people in this industry, but few have the breadth of international experience that Lisa does,” says Creative Director Jason Neman. “For that reason, she brings a very unique voice to our existing department which will only help to improve our overall creative product. That, and the fact that she does great work herself make Lisa a tremendous asset.”
Charlotte, N.C., October 16 2004 - Concentric Marketing has added Mark Biller to its expanding creative department. As an art director, Biller will help to guide the creative product for Concentric’s full roster of clients.
Prior to joining Concentric, Biller worked as an art director at Zimmerman Partners Advertising in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. He has contributed to such well-known brands as Office Depot, Fris Vodka, the Florida Panthers, Nissan and the Miami Dolphins.
Biller was intrigued by the meteoric growth that Concentric has experienced since its inception in 2000. “Growing as much and as quickly as Concentric has indicates that they have a roster full of progressive, forward-thinking clients who are willing to take some risks. For a creative person, that’s what you look for in an agency.”
CHARLOTTE, N.C– Every year, we commemorate the opening day of our beloved agency by celebrating “Concentric Day.” This year, we took Concentric Day on the road with an overnight in Chicago. Deep-dish, late-night carousing and a doubleheader at Wrigley made for one of the best Concentric Days ever. Next year, Haiti!
Charlotte, N.C., September 6 2004 – Bob Shaw, the president and co-founder of Concentric Marketing, has been appointed to the board of directors of Second Harvest, a non-profit organization that supplies over 12 million pounds of food to soup kitchens and food banks throughout the Southeast. The board is comprised of representatives from a broad spectrum of public and private sector organizations within the Charlotte, NC area. During his 2-year term, Bob will work on Marketing and Fund Development within the organization, offering guidance on efforts to increase contributions and to help build awareness within the community.
Second Harvest is supported by generous contributions from large food producers such as Conagra Foods and Lance as well as national grocers including Lowes, Food Lion, Harris Teeter and Wal-Mart. For more information on Second Harvest, please visit www.secondharvest.org.
Charlotte, NC: According to rankings released this week by the Charlotte Business Journal, Concentric Marketing, founded in late 2000, has moved up to #4 in the Top 25 rankings of Charlotte agencies. This represents a continuation of the firm’s rapid ascent from #17 in 2002 and #6 in 2003. In real dollar terms, the agency increased capitalized billings by over 33 percent during this time period and revenue by more than 50 percent.
According to President and co-founder Bob Shaw, “We are extremely proud to be recognized as one of the leading agencies within our community. While our agency’s focus is not predominantly on local advertising and marketing, we consider this an important benchmark of success. The three agencies who rank ahead of us, have all been working at it for at least 17 years longer than Concentric, so I’d say the accomplishment speaks for itself.”
“The efforts of our people, to manage rapid change, while still delivering excellent service and ideas to our clients has been exemplary. It is a credit to their competitiveness, diligence and work ethic,” said Shaw.
Shaw attributes Concentric’s growth to the agency’s ability to define a very unique position for itself, focusing on the special set of skills required to build emerging and middle market brands in the face of better-known and better-funded competition. “We refer to this skill set as the full business model and it seems to have resonated with clients, based on the level of new business picked up over the past 12 months.”
Charlotte, NC: For the second consecutive year, Concentric Marketing has been named to Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Hot 100”, a list of the 100 fastest growing businesses in America. The 2004 “Hot 100”, available in Entrepreneur’s June issue, represents that magazine’s tenth annual ranking of the fastest growing start-up businesses in America - based on research gathered by Dun & Bradstreet, the world's leading research-based business information provider.
Climbing fourteen spots from last year to #64 in 2004, Concentric Marketing is one of two Charlotte companies, and one of four in the Carolinas to be named. Southampton Homes a homebuilding company, also based in Charlotte, made the list for the first time in 2004.
“I credit this tremendous accomplishment on our ability to uniquely focus the business in a manner that has allowed us to own a unique methodology, find the right clients to work with and move beyond our local market rapidly,” said Bob Shaw, president of Concentric Marketing. “Being named to the Hot 100 two years in a row provides proof that we have the vision to grow businesses – ours as well as our clients, a testament to the intelligent planning and competitive, aggressive spirit of our people.”
The current staff of twenty grew from three co-founders, Bob Shaw, Frank Rizzo and Tricia Snead. Tricia, uniquely, represents one of only nine female founders among the 220 entrepreneurs represented within the list.
In order for a business to be considered for the Hot 100 list, it must meet the following criteria:
•The business was founded no earlier than 1999.
• Annual sales for 2003 exceeded $1 million.
• The company meets the SBA’s definition of a small business, based on the company’s number of employees and sales figures. Numbers vary according to industry.
Concentric Marketing is one of the fastest growing marketing agencies in the Southeast focused on providing total marketing solutions for emerging middle-market consumer brands. National clients include Continental Tire North America, Farm Rich, Sea Pak Shrimp Company, and the Atlantic Coast Conference, and many others.
CHARLOTTE, N.C: Concentric Marketing captured nine awards, the most ever for the agency, for outstanding creative work at the Charlotte Ad Club’s ADDY Awards Show held at Spirit Square on Saturday.
Bob Shaw, president of Concentric Marketing commented, “We are honored to have received this recognition from the Charlotte ad community. These awards reflect the continuing efforts by our creative team on behalf of our clients to provide original and memorable solutions.”
Concentric received seven Silver ADDY Awards, including the only radio award given that evening, for programs with General Tire and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte. “It was a great experience to have clients who gave us such wonderful opportunities to re-think and ultimately re-ignite their brands,” said John Sowinski, creative director at Concentric. “These awards are as much for them as they are for us.” In addition, Concentric was honored with three Silver ADDY Awards for self-promotional creative pieces.
Awards include:
Collateral - Poster Campaign: “Command” Client: General Tire
Public Service – Campaign: “Come Out and Play” Client: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte
Public Service – Print: “Water Cooler” Client: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte
“Red Ball” Client: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte
Public Service – TV: “Red Ball - TV” Client: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte
“Hula Hoop” Client: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte
Public Service – Radio: “Marco Polo” Client: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte
Advertising Industry Self-Promotion – Collateral: “Concentric Collateral Booklet” Client: Concentric Marketing
Advertising Industry Self-Promotion - Cards/Invitations: “The Holiday That Wasn’t” Client: Concentric Marketing
The ADDY Awards, sponsored by the American Advertising Federation (AAF), honor excellence in advertising and cultivate the highest creative standards in the industry. With more than 60,000 entries, the ADDY Awards represent the largest advertising competition in the United States.
Charlotte, NC: A successful doubling of revenue in 2002 has earned Concentric Marketing a well-deserved spot in Entrepreneur magazine’s “Hot 100” list. The magazine’s 9th annual listing of America’s fastest-growing companies is scheduled to appear in the June 2003 issue.
“We are surprised and honored to be considered among the top entrepreneurial organizations in the country by this well respected publication,” says Bob Shaw, president of Concentric Marketing. He added, “It is a tribute to the tenacity, hard work and competitive spirit of everyone at Concentric that we have grown so rapidly during a difficult economic climate, particularly within the advertising industry.”
Concentric Marketing is one of the fastest growing marketing agencies in the Southeast, with a specialization in branding, design, promotions and trade strategy. National clients include Continental Tire North America, Royal Velvet, Fresh Express, Sea Pak Shrimp Company, Sonic Automotive and the Atlantic Coast Conference among others. Founded in 2000, Concentric Marketing is ranked among the Top 10 advertising and marketing agencies in Charlotte, NC.
The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, NC
BIG CROWDS WOW YOUNG CHARLOTTEAN BOY AND BIG BROTHER TAKE IN SPECTACLE AT ERICSSON STADIUM
CRISTINA C. BREEN, STAFF WRITER
Nine-year-old Nequantis Sullivan stood up from his seat at the 30-yard line of Ericsson Stadium on Saturday and gazed around him at a crowd bigger than any he'd ever seen before. Sunshine poured over him. Rowdy West Virginia and Virginia fans surrounding him went wild. Nequantis pounded his right fist into the air and joined in the cheering.
Snapping photos next to him was Jim Tegowski, Nequantis’ 43-year-old “big brother” from the Big Brothers- Big Sisters of Greater Charlotte. They sat with other Big Brothers-Big Sisters pairs in a block of seats donated by Concentric Marketing, a Charlotte advertising agency.
Football games are nothing new to Nequantis and Tegowski, who've attended two Panthers games since they met in September.
Saturday’s game was clearly different. “This is a lot of people,” Nequantis told Tegowski, his eyebrows raised. “They fill up a lot of chairs.” Nequantis didn’t have any allegiance to either school but decided to root for Virginia “because that's where my mom was born.” Purely by luck, he wore just the right colors to root for UVa. - navy blue pants and a navy and bright orange pullover jacket he got for Christmas. The outfit, including his shiny white adult size 9 sneakers, were gifts his family received from the Christmas Bureau, a charity for needy families. Times are tough at Nequantis’ house these days. Just before Christmas, his mom, Sarah, was laid off from her day-care job.
She doesn’t have a car, which makes caring for Nequantis and his 8-year-old brother even harder.
Tegowski, a finance and insurance consultant who lives in Ballantyne with his wife and two school-age children, takes Nequantis out once or twice a week.
“His mom works so hard, and Nequantis is a good kid,” Tegowski said. “This is as good for me as it is for him. I just want to change this kid’s life a little bit.”
Most of their outings are far more low-key than Saturday's game. Sometimes they go to the library, or play arcade games at Jillian’s in Concord Mills. Once they toured a fire station, and were amazed that firefighters actually sleep in the stations overnight between calls.
“We have lots of fun,” Nequantis said. “He takes me to places I’ve never been before.”
