Think, Crawl, Walk, Run - Ideas In Branding & Marketing

Josh Conran and Aaron VanderGalien never stop working at Deksia.

Deksia: Think, Crawl, Walk, Run: Deksia began as a single-man branding and marketing company in 2004 when created by Aaron VanderGalien to represent regional and national companies. Over the last eight years, this innovative advertising outfit has grown into a nine-employee, full-service branding firm with a strong emphasis on design and information. For about a year, Deksia has been operating out of a small space on the SW side of Grand Rapids. Their unique, open office is a splash of color in an industrial area.

Joshua Conran is in charge of Business Development at Deksia. He's been with the company since 2007. He describes the group as "informed creatives, passionately branding." He says when they begin with a new client, they try to start off very informed with a lot of research. "Think, crawl, walk, run," he says. The think stage is that research. Who are the company's shareholders, existing clientele, competitors? Who are prospective clients? In the crawl stage, Conran says, "we're going to start getting into the things a typical branding firm expects, where you start getting into collateral business systems." How do a company's existing clients feel about the company when they use the information the company provides them?

"Starting on a foundation of think is huge," Conran says, "but when you go to a crawl, now we're talking your brand. We're developing the first stages that will be in front of your client base. We need that to get into the walk."

At a walk, a company begins to develop ways to alert consumers to the company and why they should choose it - this can involve web presence, networking, public relations and social media. And at a run, naturally, the company should have an established brand and successful systems. What's important in all these stages, and in order to get into a run, is to "make sure your brand is cohesive, start to finish."

Some notable clients include Second Time Around Furniture and Anchorpoint Christian Schools. You can also see their work in Gilmore Collection restaurants and at Rockwell's/Republic, or in the branding of the new Eastown Veterinary Clinic. "Depending on who our client is, we tailor a unique social media strategy," Conran says. Conran uses the Eastown Veterinary Clinic's Facebook as an example. Another example of Deksia's work comes in the form of a brochure for The Troxel Company. This particular client specializes in building homes. "It was a unique client," Conran says, "so we tried to tailor a brochure that could speak to the client on a more personal level. We created a customizable brochure for our client, by their client."

Based on what Troxel's prospective client was looking for, they could put different pieces of information inside of the brochure, which would then fold up into a neat package. Deksia also created their signage and website -- "the way they speak and interact with clients," Conran says. In a market with many options, that message is important when attracting and retaining those clients. Deksia's method of research and innovative design has led them to boast 65 percent growth in the last year, appearing in Print Magazine, winning multiple awards and invitations to speaking engagements around the country. "It's been exciting," Conran says, "and has opened new markets."

Even the most niche of clients can develop their brand with Deskia. Shine, a West Michigan-based company, specializes in window cleaning and holiday lighting. Deksia devised a campaign where they sent out ambiguous, teasing mailers.

The first would say "25 days until," the second said, "18 days until the lighting?" then, "11 days until the lighting of your tree." Finally, they sent out a box of candy canes and made the final push. "[Shine] just landed a $25,000 contract, and now he's franchising," Conran says. "But four years ago, he was one man with a truck. Now he's got four or five different franchises."

Prior to Deksia's home at 100 Stevens SW, they were housed in 1111 Godfrey SW, a large warehouse space full of artists and innovators, and also home to the yearly arts event, Destination 1111. So they're used to being a part of arts culture, something Conran thinks is increasing in Grand Rapids. Deksia also has employees who work out of De Moines and Atlanta. Deksia also enjoys being involved in the community, donating time and talent to nonprofits and churches, so you just might see them around. To learn more about Deksia and view their portfolio, you can visit them online here.

Shine Window & Lighting:

• BRAND STATEMENT: Your everyday only brighter
• TAG LINE: Same view, only brighter
• TONE OF VOICE: At Shine, we manage every detail of window cleaning and holiday lighting. Always responsive and respectful, we anticipate our customers’ needs, quietly get the job done right, and then explore new ways to make your world brighter. We’re innovative, driven, reliable, dedicated, and friendly. We’re Shine. We’re the quiet partners you look forward to seeing every day.