PureRED Integrated Marketing Stays One Step Ahead

By Nicole Zaro Stahl, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

The proliferation of promotional channels enabled by the digital world has opened up a vast new creative landscape for advertising professionals. The 90 employees in the Hacienda office of PureRED Integrated Marketing are in the thick of the fun. From banner ads to Facebook postings to coupons delivered to a smart phone, the end products are emblematic of their talent.

The local agency is part of an eight-office network headquartered in Atlanta. In the past, the offices were grouped into three different business units according to their area of expertise, whether crafting marketing strategy, asset management, or print production. After a rebranding in January, all offices now operate under the PureRED Integrated Marketing name, reflecting the full range of capabilities offered across the agency.

The California site works with several high-profile and popular retailers, such as Michaels, Safeway, and Orchard Supply Hardware. The lively campaigns incorporate a variety of technology platforms. The challenge is to keep the brand and message consistent throughout the media channels. "For example, if Michaels is making a big push with a particular campaign in print, we make sure that all of their other marketing channels will reflect the same campaign," notes Director of Marketing Gina Ellis.

The agency understands its clients' customers - their demographics, how they like to shop, and what is truly important to them - and then creates an authentic message that speaks to those values. A young millennial customer who might be interested in the season's newest trends will get a different message than the Gen X customer who is more interested in a children's craft project. "Our expertise in knowing the audience and crafting a relevant and timely message helps our clients' messaging truly resonate with their diverse targets," Ellis continues.

The approach is cost-effective for clients. "Many companies hire different agencies to do different things: email, social media, print, in-store. The fact that we do all of these, in house, saves them time and money, and they only need to deal with one organization."

The creative team at PureRED has the opportunity to unleash the full scope of its imagination on projects for its retail clients, especially in the interactive arena. For example, when Michaels, the specialty retailer that targets hobbyists and do-it-yourself home decorators, wanted to showcase custom framing online, PureRED designed and developed a digital "look book" that showcases the retailers' frames and tells the story of how its employees are inspired to frame.

"We really get to flex our creative chops on this account, so we can stay one step ahead of Michaels' creative shoppers," Ellis comments.

Another current PureRed initiative extends Safeway's weekly promotions to the mobile device. Information is pulled directly from print ads and fed to the mobile website. This makes it easy for on-the-go shoppers to access while ensuring that all elements of the promotion - pricing, product description, image, etc. - remain the same. "This is a new technology we're hoping to leverage," she says.

For more information, visit www.purered.net.

Photo: PureRED's Sonny Thomas and Jennifer Jacquinot review a new campaign.

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