Company:
Integrated Marketing Group
Salt Lake City, Utah

Business:
Graphic design

Staff:
11 full-time

System:
Clients & Profits Classic Macintosh AppleShare

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ith glass office walls, vaulted ceilings, and no doors, this 11-person brand marketing firm's philosophy is reflected in its top floor office in a historic building along Pierpont Avenue in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. The unimpeded openness of the space nearly begs for impromptu meetings of the mind. “We've always believed that the creative process demands openness, and our office space accomodates this well,” Integrated Marketing Group's cofounder Melanee Brown says.

The 103-year-old building - a former high school, warehouse and victim of urban decay -- has been renovated into one of Salt Lake's hotspots. Now, with two tres chic restaurants at street level and high-profile accounting offices midway, Integrated Marketing Group has seen nearly as many changes as the building it tops. While always a brand marketing firm, Integrated Marketing's work and clientele have evolved along with the times.

Good Mojo

After twelve years of agency work together, Melanee and long-time business partner Matt Aller joined forces with independent marketing consultant Jeff Hilton to create Integrated Marketing Group in 1997. Much like the transitions their building has been through, founding Integrated Marketing Group was a big change. Melanee continues to manage the business end, while Matt provides the creative genius, and Jeff attracts new clients with his strategic leadership. Together, they've guided Integrated Marketing

Group to new heights, opening the door to relationships with businesses in a variety of industries. “Our focus has shifted toward the booming natural products industry. So we've adapted our capabilities. And because the Internet has become such a crucial component of strategic marketing, we've had to evolve even more,” Melanee explains. As Integrated Marketing Group changes with the times, their success stories continue to increase in number.

One recent example of their ever-growing list of accomplishments is demonstrated in an integrated branding campaign they launched for a manufacturer of a specialized natural supplement sold exclusively in health food stores. The Integrated Marketing team pulled together a master plan that included print, radio, and public relations efforts targeting consumers. Once the groundwork was laid, they took the message to resellers to make sure the message stuck. Their strategy struck paydirt: They built a database of more than 6,000 committed, educated consumers, placed the supplement in numerous new retail outlets, and saw sales skyrocket. All in less than six weeks.

Changing with the times

Along with changes in their industry, Integrated Marketing Group has been through many iterations of their internal business practices as well. Melanee, as the business manager, has used many financial software packages in her 15 years in the industry.

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