Mergers shake things up, changing how people see a company, expanding what they offer, and often boosting market share. Companies that merge successfully take the best parts of each business and level up: Finances, talent, technology, and customers all come under one umbrella, making the new organization more competitive.One critical element merging companies need to […]
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Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping industries across the board, and market research is no exception. By automating repetitive tasks, providing predictive insights, and opening doors to new methodologies, AI is unlocking once-unimaginable opportunities in research. But AI tools do not come up with new approaches or insightful conclusions out of nowhere; truly impactful insights are […]
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When Carry-On Trailer reached out for support with a rebrand, we knew the request was a perfect fit because we know their customers so well. Because we’ve done decades of work in the landscape and home DIY industries, we could put ourselves in the minds of people who need to haul equipment and materials for […]
The Journey from Data Collectors to Strategic Thinkers Historically, the role of a researcher was primarily focused on collecting information and presenting what the data and observations showed. Today, more often than not, researchers are also expected to help answer the why and then make recommendations for what comes next. This shift in expectations can […]
Back in 2018, TikTok entered the social landscape. A shiny new app with its own history that focused on quick consumable video. The rookie platform became such a big player in the space, it changed how all other social media platforms prioritized content. Instagram introduced Reels in 2020, followed by YouTube Shorts and finally Facebook. […]
Marketing Tips for Nonprofit Organizations Child advocacy. Mental health. The arts. Volunteerism. Water health. Education. Substance use. Wildlife rehabilitation. Disability rights. These are just a few of the nonprofit efforts we’ve supported over the years. And while each has different goals and distinct ways to measure success (we call these key performance indicators), they have […]
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EPIC Lens is an occasional series showcasing EPIC’s photographers. This is the first episode where we celebrate (or curse!) falling back to standard time with the beauty found in both light and darkness. c. Ben Wick, Piestewa Peak, Maricopa County, Arizona A Portal to the Past by Ben Wick, Multimedia Producer While in Phoenix for […]
Key Findings from Our Social Media Influencers Survey Influencer marketing has been a trend in recent years, and EPIC Creative has been engaged with influencers in various industries for more than a decade. But trends are constantly changing, so we asked our research team to acquire fresh data about influencer preferences. Below, Research Department Manager […]
When you launch or manage a website, you’ll encounter terms like domain names and DNS. Let’s break these down into simple concepts: Protecting Your Domain: When You Need to Update DNS: You might need to update your DNS if you’re moving your website or changing email providers. Here’s how: That’s as much as most people […]
Behind the Scenes with EPIC’s Video Crew Key members of the EPIC video team—Ben Wick, Scott Baldwin, and Sam Gruetzmacher—hop in front of the camera to talk about their experiences working at major golf tournaments for the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and clients that support the golf and turf industries. Want a video […]
What I’ve Learned During My First Year as Research Manager Staying on top of trends and best practices is vital in today’s evolving business and technological landscape, and many of these topics are extremely relevant to market research, including AI, accessibility, B2B strategies, and data collaboration. Here are 10 that have stood out to me […]
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“Order. Design. Tension. Balance. Light. And harmony.” – Stephen Sondheim, “Sunday in the Park with George,” 1987 We’re proud supporters of the performing arts (not exactly saying all that much considering most ad agencies are chock-full of self-proclaimed recovering choir dorks and theater nerds). As agency of record for the United Performing Arts Fund, we’re […]
An Ad Agency in an Outdoor Enthusiast’s Paradise In our latest E-Roll, learn more about one of the key things that makes our West Bend home special. Want to work in a great environment? Apply for a future job opening! Transcript Something very cool happens when you drop an ad agency into the middle of […]
Camper For Life EPIC Account Manager Lexi Chopp’s life was forever impacted by Camp One Step. Having attended the camp as a young person when fighting metastatic bone cancer, she still donates her time to serve the camp today. Hear her inspiring story below. Work somewhere that invests in your community. Check out our open […]
Balancing Innovation with Human Ingenuity at EPIC At EPIC Creative, we embrace the potential of artificial intelligence as a powerful tool to enhance our creative process, not replace it. We view AI as a means to augment human creativity, providing inspiration, streamlining workflows, and unlocking new possibilities. Our approach integrates cutting-edge AI technologies with the […]
Deciding On The Best Tools To Manage Content On Your Website When you’re working with an agency on a new website, one of the foundational decisions you will discuss is choosing a content management system (CMS). We always get lots of questions about it, the first one being: What is a content management system and […]
Elevating the IKE’s Brand for Big Box Line Review The IKE’s team came to us to help them with a brand lift and line review support at Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Tractor Supply. Our strategy targeted homeowners with acres and leveraged online and digital media tactics to reach our target audiences. The product line features […]
Bonding Over Books Learn more about the EPIC Book Nook in the latest EPIC E-Roll. What started as a casual idea to share books with colleagues has grown into a treasured resource that creates community. Want a job that lets you bond with colleagues over books? Apply for a future job opening! Transcript “It happened organically. […]
Leveraging A Laundry Engineer For Engaging Content What do you do when you have a laundry machine company with highly engineered products and a general consumer audience that barely knows how to do their laundry? You find someone to help bridge the content gap. That’s what EPIC Creative and Speed Queen® found in Joel Morell. […]
With so much media, technology, and numerous distractions surrounding consumers every day, it can be difficult to reach them. Understanding the different groups of customers that interact with your business—and tailoring a relevant message to them—is more critical than ever. Thankfully, with the amount of data available today, you can not only identify these unique audience segments […]
To celebrate National Receptionists Day, we want to pay tribute to Kim Trevisan, the smiling face that has greeted EPIC guests and employees at our front desk for more than 6 years. Kim actually wears many hats—her official title is accounting assistant and she does lots behind the scenes to help keep things running smoothly […]
When you think about successful modern websites, two things should come to mind: User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX). While these two concepts are vastly different, people often use them interchangeably. So what are the key differences? According to the Interaction Design Foundation , User Interface (UI) design focuses on the look or style of a […]
Why “Crisis Management” is for More than Just Crises For years at EPIC Creative, we’ve been helping our clients prepare for unforeseen issues that may affect their business and brand. From disgruntled employees to social media gaffes to natural disasters, we’ve developed messaging and armed spokespeople with a guide on what to do and say […]
Staying out of her comfort zone Senior account manager Jess Elkins leads a life of adventure—simple, wonderful outdoor adventures with her family. Jess shares her love of nature, how she builds resilience in herself and her kids, and how important it is to push out of your comfort zone. Want to explore an adventurous career […]
A brand is the sum of everything it’s ever done—reputation, credibility, and style. It’s a living thing that grows and evolves, and it requires care and attention. So handing off the brand can make a marketing leader nervous. That’s why a strong relationship between agency and client is the foundation for great work. After all, […]
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Improve web performance with UX research It’s human nature to assume that others behave in the same way we do, and our behavior on the web is no different. But if you have a marketing or business background, how you view and experience apps or websites may differ significantly from your customers. So how do […]
A Talented Director with a Talented Family In his 16 years at EPIC, Scott Rivera has continuously wowed us with his creative talents. So it should be no surprise to discover that he has some really talented kids as well. Want to share your creative talents with the world? Apply for a future job opening! Transcript […]
When it comes to web design, don’t forget the essentials. As the saying goes, it’s not about the destination, but the journey. That’s why, with each website we build at EPIC, it’s not just about the information on the site … it’s our goal to push design/layout limits and deliver eye-catching websites with a unique, […]
How to adjust as Google phases out third-party cookies and tracking As consumer privacy becomes more of a priority, there are changes already underway in how digital advertising campaigns are targeted. This includes the deprecation (elimination) of third-party cookies. By late 2024, Google Chrome intends to block all third-party cookies, requiring advertisers to adjust how […]
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A trip back to the ’90s with our guide Tim Though the internet existed before the 1990s, the World Wide Web and “websites” didn’t exist until 1991. Any concept of design would take years to take hold. It was utilitarian, without the ability to truly engage in any real design. Sure, every website had a […]
Using CTV to cut through the noise There’s a new way to reach your target audiences on the tried and true TV. With Connected TV (CTV), you can now target, measure, and retarget TV-viewing households. CTV is a rapidly growing media channel reaching households while they are viewing streaming TV. These pre- and mid-roll placements […]
Picture this. You’ve just wrapped up a big day of video content creation with EPIC Creative. So what happens after we pack up all our gear and head back to West Bend? A lot! In fact, that’s when the real work begins. One of the advantages of working with EPIC: We’re one of the few […]
Working with Washington County to meet people where they’re at I have incredible parents. I want to make that clear out of the gate. I never wanted for anything. They built their world around me and made sure I had everything I needed to not only be successful, but happy. I’m a fortunate and deeply […]
The pitfalls of TikTok music for brands When it first burst onto the app scene, TikTok was not as restrictive as it should have been with music copyright protections. In fact, it took lawsuits from larger companies in the music industry for them to start paying attention to the problem of copyright infringement. Accounts were banned and […]
EPIC launches initiative to support marketing professors + students The front of my syllabus borrowed a line from Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George: Order, Design, Tension, Composition, Balance, Light, Harmony. God, I loved teaching. I gave it up when I became a father. Spinning the plates of employment, marriage, fatherhood, and adjunct teaching ultimately found me […]
Don’t stall your job search before it really gets started It’s no secret that applying for a new job can be stressful and time-consuming. Searching for positions, researching potential employers, updating your resume, and, of course, actually applying, all take time and can feel like a full-time job in itself. And while we can’t make […]
Why We Did It + How It’s Going When people outside EPIC ask me what I do for a living, it usually prompts a response surrounding how lucky I am to work with some of the most talented and creative individuals in the industry. We are truly full-service, meaning everything we offer is in-house. From […]
What brings you to an in-store product display or drives your Google search when shopping online? Is it the brand? The product? An impulse? For the sake of this blog, the most important question is this: How does the exterior of the product packaging influence you once you get there? The art of package design […]
Tips for showcasing your talents regardless of career path A portfolio, in a general sense, is a portable showcase of your work and talents. Historically, a portfolio has been closely associated with design professions, but a portfolio can actually be geared toward any career path. And if you’re looking to join the awesome team at […]
The return of in-person events and “The Way Life Should Be” Earlier this month, I traveled with a few co-workers to attend the 33rd annual Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) meeting in Portland, Maine. For me, it was a return to traveling and my first plane trip since 2019. I was ecstatic, to say the least, […]
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Falling in Love With A Puppy Orphan In honor of National Rescue Dog Day on May 20th, we have a special edition of E-Roll: The adoption story of EPIC Creative’s Art Director, Emily Gunkel, and Human Resources Manager, Lindsey Anderson. Lindsey has been fostering dogs in bully breed dogs for 10 years. And more recently, […]
A Ninja On Ice Meet EPIC Chief Operating Officer Tim Merath. He has some unique hobbies: He has done ninja warrior training for many years, and took up ice hockey this year for the first time in his early 40s. Both activities are really extensions of the energy, dedication, and creativity that he brings to […]
The beauty of soil packaging + messaging Let’s be honest, we’ve been at this for a little while. You know, 34 years of marketing in the turf and ornamental industry. We’ve done dozens of line reviews for big-box retail distribution. In fact, our Chief Creative Officer Joe Rogge recently wrote a blog about how to succeed […]
It’s as simple as treating people like people Account Director Laura Lindorfer shares her tips for forging solid client relationships The most unbelievable thing Laura Lindorfer, Account Director at EPIC, will tell you is that growing up in Maple Grove, Minnesota, she was painfully shy. Bubbly and confident, Laura has an easy way about her […]
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… But People Who Know How To Use It Will Replace People Who Don’t Let’s just address the elephant in the room: Is this artificial intelligence (AI) paradigm shift going to take all of our jobs in the marketing and advertising industry? Artificial intelligence has been a hot topic in recent years, with many people […]
“It’s for the Common Good.” Growing up, going with my Dad to Saint Ben’s on 9th and State or the Milwaukee Rescue Mission on North 19th street to donate and or help serve food to those in need was a weekly event. One insanely cold, windy night, I couldn’t feel my face, fingers, or toes and whined to my […]
Before the hashtag was commonly used across social media platforms, it was simply known as a pound or hash symbol. Now, this simple mark has a storied history of its own in the digital space, and it’s hard to escape. Some think hashtags are dead, but they’ve just evolved. Most accounts now use them more […]
Most of the time it seems like we are all scrambling to stretch our marketing budgets and really make them work. As a result, as the end of the year draws near, there’s often a discovery of untapped dollars and that surplus puts you in a “use it or lose it” position. On top of […]
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Exercising your brand voice Editor’s Note: When you are talking brand voice, it’s not just what you say, but HOW you say it … so we thought it might make sense for you to actually HEAR what Dan has to say about brand voice in his own words. For you literary types, the narrative follows. There […]
Read More… from He Sells, She Sells: Building Brands That Soar
How to measure the impact of powerful stories + changed lives Working in digital marketing means accessing (and understanding) data. These metrics (and what we do with them) help determine our campaign KPIs, or—for people who aren’t familiar with this acronym—Key Performance Indicators. Put simply, KPIs are the benchmarks that demonstrate success for our carefully […]
And how I learned it from my greatest mentor Mike Elliott was my larger-than-life mentor throughout the formative years of my career. Early in his career, he was a broadcaster for the Boston Red Sox and the Houston Astros, he spent 20 years as program director at Wisconsin’s biggest and most popular radio station, and […]
Back in 2018, I wrote a blog for EPIC—Our Favorite Sassy Brands—which highlighted brands that dared to go rogue on social media by not following the norm of buttoned-up, corporate brand-speak. At the time, powerhouses like Wendy’s and Taco Bell were dominating the social space with full-blown sass weaved into their messaging and communication strategy. […]
Our resident Gen Z-er provides a TikTok explainer I’m sure many of you have heard about the popular social media app, TikTok, as it has become an unavoidable topic in the marketing industry. The discussion about how TikTok can be used to help promote your business has been around since the app’s release, but it […]
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Adventure + Conquering Challenges Erin Anderson is EPIC’s Vice President of Project Management, as well as a world traveler. Hear a bit about her adventures, and how her travel experiences inform her work at EPIC. Ready to start your EPIC adventure? Check out our current job openings or apply for a future opening! Transcript I love […]
InPRocess is a bi-monthly PR blog series. Do you need guidance with a PR challenge you’re facing? Connect with our PR Director Scott to learn more about all of EPIC’s PR services, including media + community relations, crisis management, and influencer marketing. Ways That Public Relations Can Elevate Your Launch If a tree falls in the forest, […]
Why Sharing (Your Appreciation) Is Caring Ap·pre·ci·a·tion. It’s generally accepted as the recognition, approval, and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something. Feeling appreciated is important. Really important … and quite frankly, a lot of us are just bad at showing it. Not because we’re terrible humans and don’t care, but because we get so […]
After almost two years of Zoom, Google, and Teams meetings, you might think you’ve got this video thing down pat, right? So when you schedule a video crew to come out, decide to host a webinar, or get a call from your local media to do an interview, you think, “No problem … been there, […]
Simple Palate, Big Heart If you meet EPIC Senior Project Manager Amanda Hermsen, she will never forget your name! The strong value she places on relationships makes her a great fit at EPIC. Interested in a role like this? Check out our current job openings! Video Transcript I love building relationships with people. People are […]
The Product Line Review (PLR) is an opportunity to pitch a product or a line of products to buyers at big box retailers—like Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walmart, and national grocery chains—who then decide if the product(s) aligns with the retailer’s merchandising goals and whether or not the product will ultimately be added to the retailer’s […]
InPRocess is a bi-monthly PR blog series. Do you need guidance with a PR challenge you’re facing? Connect with our PR Director Scott to learn more about all of EPIC’s PR services, including media + community relations, crisis management, and influencer marketing. Tips To Get Ready For The Red Record Light They say everyone gets their 15 […]
Why Attention And Respect Are The Winning Combination When you scroll your Instagram feed late at night, you don’t have to go far before you see a celebrity highlighting a new product they love. It’s flashy, crisp, and highly effective content, and it’s taken the marketing world by storm. It’s no secret that influencer marketing has […]
Listen, Learn, And Laugh a Bit Along The Way I remember when I saw my first ComedySportz improv show. My brother and I were given tickets for a live performance here in Milwaukee, and we hadn’t seen anything like it. We laughed with tears in our eyes, and it was the first time I truly […]
How Preparing for the Worst Can Be The Best Thing for a Brand When Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo catches a pass on the wing, sizes up his defender, then explodes past him to the hoop for an enormous dunk, we all watch in awe. It’s just raw talent, right? Sure, that’s part of it. […]
Read More… from Preparing And Reacting: The Anatomy Of A Brand Crisis
Keeping up with the Joneses. It might give baseball a run for its money as America’s Pastime. We’re always striving to outperform our peers or neighbors or professional competition. Need an example? Look no further than your own backyard. Or front yard, for that matter. Let’s be honest: Most of us want the folks driving […]
Read More… from Talking Like a Pro: Marketing in the Turf and Lawn Care Industries
Honesty really is the best policy when it comes to client communication Account managers at EPIC have two key roles: • Being the voice of the client within the agency.• Being the voice of the agency to the client. Because our account team members are naturally “people persons,” client communication is usually not hard for […]
A look inside the surprisingly creative world of public relations At EPIC Creative, and at most agencies, the public relations department usually sits close to the social media department. Compared to social media, however, PR definitely falls under the umbrella of “traditional media.” Some would say it’s tried and true, consistent and hasn’t changed for […]
