We survived the Y2K scare, the boy band craze, a boot-cut jeans resurgence, flip phones, and dial-up Internet early in the 2000s. This only made us stronger. From 2000 to 2010, Innis Maggiore flexed its muscles with an increased focus on positioning. Growth and recognition followed.
‘Appreciating’ Positioning
In its quest to perfect the development of positioning strategies for clients, Innis Maggiore created the Appreciative Discovery® process at the turn of the century, ultimately trademarking the term.
The AD, as it’s affectionately known, gathers top executives in one room and drives everyone together regarding what makes a company or brand different than the competition. Once the positioning strategy is determined, it’s expressed in the marketplace with 100% focus on one differentiating message.
The agency has completed hundreds of AD/strategy sessions for clients since 2001, even using the process to develop its own position — America’s #1 Positioning Ad Agency.
Innis Maggiore has differentiated many brands — from family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 giants. Competitive positions help them stand for one thing and apart from everyone else.
Well-Positioned for Big-Name Clients
As Innis Maggiore’s reputation as the positioning leader began to spread far and wide, the agency began working for a few global brands.
Between 2000 and 2010, the agency signed on new clients including Bank of America, Disney, GOJO/Purell, Goodyear Aviation, Goodyear Latin America, GuideStone Financial Resources, and Microsoft, to name a few. From web development to direct mail to employee communications to sustainability programs, the agency used a multitude of disciplines to get results.
These companies were looking for an agency with the chops to handle their communications work. Innis Maggiore didn’t let them down, even earning industry awards for its work for some of these giants.
Innis Maggiore has differentiated many brands — from family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 giants.
Growing Faster … and Faster … and Faster
Ad Age is the bible of the advertising industry. When your agency or your agency’s work is featured on its pages, people take notice. In 2002, it was time for Innis Maggiore to shine.
That year, Ad Age named Innis Maggiore Ohio’s fastest-growing ad agency. The agency earned the same accolades again in 2003 and 2004.
“We enjoyed an excellent year … thanks to a dedicated group of clients and a growing team of associates that loves to go the extra mile,” said Dick Maggiore in 2002. “We believe our strategy-first approach provides value.”
Even More Recognition
With more and bigger clients, Innis Maggiore continued to earn honors in the early 2000s.
This included several sweeps at the Canton Advertising Federation’s ADDY Awards competition, the agency’s first national ADDY Award for an ad created for Lehman’s Hardware, and several Telly awards for its TV and video work.
In the Spotlight
Jack Trout, the “Father of Positioning,” continued to recognize Innis Maggiore as the positioning leader in the 2000s.
In 2008, Trout dedicated his book, In Search of the Obvious, to Innis Maggiore. In 2009, Trout was the featured speaker of the agency’s Breakfast with Jack Trout at the John S. Knight Center in Akron, which drew more than 600 guests.
Maggiore wrote his own book late in the decade, The CEO’s Number One Responsibility: Identifying and Articulating Your Brand’s Position. The book is still available at innismaggiore.com.
Three Out of Three Ain’t Bad
In the early 2000s, Innis Maggiore continued to strengthen and expand its web development and digital marketing capabilities, and the agency kicked off a renewed focus on public relations.
These three key capabilities would become increasingly important for Innis Maggiore and its clients as the decade progressed and are still central to many communication strategies assembled by the agency today.
This winning triumvirate helped Innis Maggiore round out its service offering to become a truly integrated communications firm.
Committed to the Community
Innis Maggiore strengthened its promise to give back to its community. In 2007, Innis Maggiore’s Endowed Scholarship for Communications for Kent State University at Stark students was formed. With about $4,000 in scholarships being presented annually, the fund supports the future of the local advertising and PR community. Dozens of young professionals have benefited.
What’s Next
In the next installment of Innis Maggiore 50: Honoring the Past. Positioning the Future., we look at the 2010s, a decade that saw the agency settle into its leadership role and continue to grow.
If you need help positioning your company or brand, contact the experts at Innis Maggiore.