AdMax

AdMax Displays began in 1989 by producing backlit, mall advertising for clients who wanted to reach an ever-growing audience. As of 2019, they deliver advertisers’ messages in 7 Minnesota malls and several other high traffic locations (including the DECC in Duluth, MN and Tobies Restaurant in Hinckley, MN).

AdMax has become as much of a publishing company as an advertising company. In March of 1998, AdMax became the publishing partner of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce.  In this role, they expanded to produce Duluthian Magazine and Positively Superior magazine.  “Those two are our strong poles. They publish every other month. We build on to that,”  according to Jay Ott.

AdMax have expanded to other products and services, like the campus coupon book that students are familiar with.  AdMax also produces mall displays. “We’ve also done at the DECC and then we have a small transit program, the bus bench advertising program,” according to Jay Ott.

Hailey Sault

Hailey Sault is a healthcare marketing agency founded here in Duluth. The company began as HTK Marketing and progressed into Hailey Sault, They have continued to expand their new name for over a decade, as they’ve established themselves as a prominent healthcare marketing agency nation wide.

Clients will connect with Hailey Sault for a range of marketing needs. The company provides their clients with smart strategies for healthcare systems or health related organizations. The role of partnership is ever evolving in the business world, and the company takes pride in being a forward thinking agency for the organizations they work with.

AIMClear

What clients do you work with? What kind of campaigns have your worked on?

Clients have ranged from consumer goods to financial services to enterprise software. Campaigns have ranged from small, local PR initiatives (I’m currently working on PR programs for a small tourism bureau in Minnesota as one of my clients) all the way up to running PR campaigns associated with Super Bowl TV ads. Pretty much the whole spectrum of PR over 20 years.

Currently I’m also tapping my experience as the in-house PR lead for a large enterprise software company to run integrated digital marketing/PR campaigns for a small software startup company. The things we do along the way in our careers can always come back to help in new settings. – Aimclear

Building the Dream Duluth

Building the Dream Duluth provides Duluth MN business resources! Building the Dream Duluth offers local Duluth businesses digital marketing, SEO, social media & online advertising.

Building the Dream Duluth believes there are far more benefits in knowing someone’s story to work with them.  “You get to build the relationship before building the business.”  Building the Dream Duluth started as a community platform and has become a successful business.

Out There Advertising

Opened in 1997, Out There Advertising has grown to a full-service marketing and advertising agency serving local, regional and international clients. According to their website, “Our strategic approach to building our clients’ brands has resulted in numerous awards of distinction and more important, long-lasting business relationships.”

One of the strongest dimensions of Out There Advertising’s work has been its multi-step creative process, which Dan Litman calls “the pyramid of greatness.”  Achieving the pyramid of greatness begins with what Litman calls “the Ready, Fire, Aim” process.  According to Litman, “We call it ready, fire, aim, because it’s the shotgun approach. You shoot out as many ideas and try and get something to stick. Once all the ideas are up there, that’s the incubation process. Suddenly, you’re thinking about the project while your doing everyday tasks.”  Litman directs his team from the incubation process to what he calls “an Ah-Ha moment.” From that moment on, his team focuses on how they are making this message fit the clients voice.  (A more formal outline of the Out There Advertising process can be found on their website: https://outthereadvertising.com/process/)

Out There Advertising is open to bringing in interns.  “We’re looking for high energy and good fit. I’m always excited to teach people and bring them in and get them experience,” said Litman.

“Your work is what gets you in the door, but it’s your personality that gets you to stay. I’m always looking for a strong portfolio. I mean, I’m not looking at the college you graduated from. Just strong portfolio work.  Also, I want strong rationale behind why you think that this is good. I don’t just want you to say, “this is good because I think it looks good.”

A portfolio should also demonstrate personality that shows who you are as a creative.  Every person has their own brand.

Non-Profit and Governmental Organizations with their own, internal Marketing/ PR/ Communications Office

UMD Development

At UMD, development officers work as major fundraisers for different colleges and units.  They work with the dean and the department heads to identify priorities, then they work with alumni and donors to see where their passions fit with the needs of the school. 

UMD Public Relations

Glensheen

According to the Glensheen, “Marketing for museums is the best way to do marketing, or the best industry to be part of for marketing. The content is always so rich, you always have a story to tell.”  Museum marketing also brings forth the best work marketing can do for society.  “It helps society in a larger way when there’s a good marketing team for a museum. Today we have such a polarized community and social media plays such a big hand in that, but I like to think that museums can contribute in a positive way.”

Duluth Pack

Duluth Pack provides premium handcrafted, American made canvas and leather products with a lifetime guarantee on all craftsmanship and hardware.  Duluth Pack is the oldest canvas and leather bag and pack making company in the United States.

Duluth Pack says that internships are encouraged and available.  “Put yourself out there,  for example at job fairs.  Your social interaction is important: meet a network of members of the business. A place like Duluth is very small and people are willing to help each other out.  Take on as much opportunity as possible.”

In the past, Duluth Pack has offered a variety of internships.

• In marketing, Duluth Pack has offered copywriting internships, helping with press releases and with product descriptions.
• Duluth Pack has offered internships through graphic design programs.
• Duluth Pack has offered photography and marketing internships, learning the different types of photography used to sell the product.

Maurices

Maurices was founded in Duluth in 1931 and are a specialty realtor, especially in small towns where sometimes it might be the only option.  According to their website, “E. Maurice Labovitz set out to open a small women’s clothing store, called Maurices. Despite the challenging economic times, Maurices continued to grow, expand and inspire individual style across North America.”

Maurices has offered internships in many areas, including in the Marketing, Promotion, Social Media, Public Relations, Merchandise, Design, and Planning areas.

Maurices’ culture has been described like a family: “When walking through the halls, everyone says hi and everybody wants each other to succeed.”  Although interns are thrown into the deep end, they are right in there with the professional team to get hands-on experience.  All interns are assigned a capstone internship project which builds material for their portfolio.

Bent Paddle

Bent Paddle Brewing Co. is a 30-barrel production craft brewery and taproom located in Duluth, Minnesota. According to their website, “the brewers of Bent Paddle Brewing Co. use the amazing water of Lake Superior to brew the freshest and most dependable craft beer possible.”

Bent Paddle Brewery has a small team.  Under the VP for marketing and outreach works one graphic designer and one multimedia designer.  “We develop the brands, the cans for beer, and marketing materials. Our multimedia staff uses those materials and promotes them through social media.”

A significant portion of Bent Paddle’s brand has been developed through charitable giving.  According to Maddy Stewart, “From day one, we wanted to say yes to most non-profits.  I’m proud to say we’ve supported over 600 non-profits, totalling over half a million dollars since we started.”

Other partnerships have spurred the brand.  “We’ve made beers with local business such as the Lollygagger beer, made in partnership with Loll Designs, a local furniture company. Cold Press Black is in partnership with Duluth Coffee Company.” Large scale advertising is hard to have, especially with small-scale breweries like Bent Paddle.  Bent Paddle’s marketing is built on connections with the community.

Castle Danger

Castel Danger brews beers that “are clean, balanced and approachable. They are brewed with Lake Superior water by hearty souls that embody the North Shore. Wherever or whenever you enjoy a Castle Danger beer, you can taste a little bit of the North Shore in every sip.”  Located in Two Harbors, they are now a regional player among breweries.

Castle Danger notes that marketing can be about more than raising awareness of beer.  It can also be about changing the regulatory or legislative environment.  According to Minnesota state law, if a brewer passes the annual production mark of 20,000 beer barrels, the sale of growlers must cease.  In 2019, one brewer broke the 20,000 production mark.  Castle Danger.  Because growlers made up for 30 percent of the brewery’s revenue, this law will hurt the business.  “And so right now, a lot of our efforts are about the growler law.  There’s a lot of ground work activity that we’re doing right now just getting down to the capital, connecting with lawmakers and connecting with consumers affected by these laws.”

Castle Danger does do more traditional forms of advertising and public relations. “We have a very limited advertising budget; we have placed a radio spot through Midwest Communications, and we are consistently advertising in the Growler publication.”

But much of their work toward brand awareness happens through boots on the ground through sales representatives. “My marketing budget is geared towards promotional items and in-store samplings and anything to do with getting it into the mouths of consumers.”