GRAND RAPIDS – MINDSCAPE at Hanon McKendry, an Internet marketing and web development firm, has launched the MINDSCAPE Content Division. The division brings branded online content development and management in-house, including
keyword-focused web page content writing, social media strategy and
management, and video concepting and production.
“The appetite for online content is huge,” said MINDSCAPE Co-Founder
Pete Brand.”Every time someone conducts an online search, watches an
online video or visits a website, they’re consuming content.If
businesses and nonprofits want to successfully compete, their content
has to be fresh, engaging and relevant?and it has to be aligned with
their brand.If it’s not, their competitors will offer something that
is.It?s a challenge to keep up.”
Since joining forces with Hanon McKendry in 2008, MINDSCAPE?s expansion
has been focused on services that were not marketing priorities just
five years ago, but are now in high demand.
“According to a recent survey, 59 percent of marketing professionals
plan to increase spending on content initiatives,” said
Brand.”That’s up from 42 percent in 2008.Content spending is expected to
comprise 33 percent of the average total marketing budget in 2010 – and
that number jumps to 40 percent when you look at small businesses.”
A critical point of distinction among content service providers will be
the ability to understand and express a client?s brand in the digital realm.
“Great branded content leads to great relationships with your brand.
Relationships lead to trust, and trust leads to success,” said
MINDSCAPE Director of Branded Content Dawn Pick Benson.”Engaging content
is critical, but the web is a crowded space.The key to success is
creating optimized content that will elevate and distinguish an
organization?s brand voice and then work to engage their audience across
a variety of platforms.”
Content Division staff draws on Hanon McKendry’s 16 years experience
providing strategic brand counsel for nonprofit, educational and
corporate clients, as well as MINDSCAPE?s strong digital marketing
expertise.
The division offers project-based content development and on-going
monthly content services through a team of content writers and editors,
SEO/SEM experts, social media strategists and a motion content
director.The firm has added four staff members over the past few months
to lead development of the new division:
Dawn Pick Benson, director of branded content, joined the agency with 12
years experience in journalism and marketing.She?s an award-winning
magazine editor and marketing director who has served in the non-profit,
higher education and corporate worlds, most recently as director of
marketing and communications at Cornerstone University.She oversees
strategic direction and administration of the Content Division.
Mike Schurr, creative director for motion content, provides creative
direction and video production services for both Hanon McKendry and the
MINDSCAPE Content Division.He brings nearly 20 years experience in
photography and videography, animation, and creative direction to the
firm, including work for Disney, Hanna-Barbera, Filmation Studios and
West Michigan creative agencies.
Christina Torri, social media coordinator, joined MINDSCAPE in August
and has partnered with the management team to build out and implement
social media strategy and management services. Following marketing
positions at Verizon Wireless and National City, Torri received an MBA
from Grand Valley State University with a focus in Internet marketing
and social media.
Jonathan Michael, content client services, recently joined the agency
from Zondervan, where he served in project management, content
management and marketing positions for the international publisher?s
Zonderkidz division.Michael serves as the lead contact for content
clients as they go through the content review, direction, development
and delivery process.
For more information, click on Mindscape-HM.Com
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