From mullets to parachute pants and leg warmers to Rubik’s Cube, the 1980s featured some wildly hot fads that ended up being relatively short-lived.
But for Innis Maggiore, the 1980s spawned a new marketing philosophy that most certainly has stood the test of time — positioning. This ultimately led to better creative work, multiple industry awards, and dozens of new clients, including the agency’s largest ever (at the time).
The 1980s also sparked a decades-long loving relationship between Dick Maggiore and a new employee, Kathi Hanze. It didn’t take long before Dick and Kathi knew they were inseparable and were destined to be together for the rest of their lives.
Love in Bloom
Kathi, who joined the agency in 1981, made an immediate impression on Dick. Her professionalism and aura could not be ignored.
Kathi quickly became the glue that held everything together — professionally and personally — for Dick. They married in 1982, and had two sons, Jeffrey in 1983 and Nathan in 1988. The couple also has three beautiful grandchildren.
The second-longest-tenured Innis Maggiore associate, Kathi has been with the agency for 43 years and remains the custodian of the agency’s finances to this day.
Today, it’s not at all uncommon to see Dick and Kathi commuting to the office together throughout the week and side by side in meetings.
Having the right strategy and great creative has been the one-two punch that got Innis Maggiore where it is today.
The 1980s saw Innis Maggiore find its creative voice — thanks to the power of positioning.
Primed for Positioning
Dick was, and still is, a bit of a bookworm, always striving to learn more each day than he knew the day before. He would frequent a Belden Village bookstore or the library in the early 1980s, trying to get his hands on as many advertising and marketing books as possible.
In 1981, he came across “Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind” by Jack Trout and Al Ries. The book brought to light the fact that every product or service must stand for one idea to be different from the competition. Dick realized differentiation should drive the agency’s creative work. This was the answer he’d been searching for.
In 1985, Dick brought Trout in as a speaker for the Canton Advertising Club. It was the most attended event in the organization’s history, even requiring a change to a much larger venue. The two quickly formed a friendship centered around positioning, and Trout ultimately dedicated his book “In Search of the Obvious” to Dick.
Having the right strategy and great creative has been the one-two punch that got Innis Maggiore where it is today.
All About the Work
With a laser focus on positioning and creative work guided by strategy, Innis Maggiore began to pump out excellent work in the 1980s for clients in and around Stark County and far beyond.
Word of mouth about the agency started to get around, and Innis Maggiore continued to grow and expand its capabilities and its network. Dick and his brother, John Maggiore, worked closely to grow the agency’s roster.
Some of the more memorable clients in the 1980s included Action Auto Rental, Bank One, BF Goodrich, Lake View Cemetery, LTV Steel, Nilodor, Olympic Tile, Redicon, Republic Engineered Steels, Syracuse Adhesives Co., United States Ceramic Tile Co., U.S. Chemical and Plastics, and Venture Lighting.
From print ads and brochures to videos and commercials to direct mail to training, the agency was doing whatever its clients needed to make an impact on audiences.
Then Came the Awards
The combination of good clients, strategy-directed creative work, and a growing, talented team resulted in Innis Maggiore’s reputation as a marketing force to be dealt with throughout Northeast Ohio.
The agency soon began sweeping the Canton Advertising Federation’s ADDY Awards ceremonies, earning multiple Best in Show, Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards. Innis Maggiore also began earning many other industry accolades in the 1980s, including a few Telly Awards.
To date, the agency has earned well over 250 industry-related awards.
Reeling in a Big ’Un
It appeared everything that happened in the 1980s was leading up to the work Innis Maggiore would ultimately do for its largest client (at the time), Republic Engineered Steels, which signed on in 1989.
That year, Republic formed the largest employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) in Ohio and the second-largest ESOP in the nation. With more than 5,000 employees, the company needed a reliable partner to handle internal and external communications — from training and employee communications to public relations and advertising. Innis Maggiore was the perfect, well-rounded choice.
The company, now known as Republic Steel, has been North America’s leading supplier of special bar quality (SBQ) steel bars for decades. Innis Maggiore still works with Republic today.
What’s Next
In the next installment of Innis Maggiore 50: Honoring the Past. Positioning the Future., we take a close look at the 1990s, when Innis Maggiore landed some more major clients and made a few strategic acquisitions.
If you need help positioning your company or brand, contact the experts at Innis Maggiore.