For many designers, LogoLounge is the ultimate web resource for the latest and greatest logo and identity work. As creative director at WestmorelandFlint, my team and I often use the site for inspiration and reference.

Users submit logos and, in turn, can view thousands of designs from the world’s leading agencies, as well as up-and-coming trendsetters. You can think of it as an online inspirational gallery for powerful and thought-provoking design.

The projects in the LogoLounge book series are selected by an international panel of eight judges based on quality, timeliness, relevance, and inspirational nature.

One of the logos selected was for Education Minnesota, the leading advocate for public education in Minnesota. The union asked Flint to design a logo for I Raise My Hand, a public awareness campaign aimed at uniting Minnesotans to support and improve the state’s strong education system. Here’s what I came up with:

The logo was used throughout the multimedia campaign, which consisted of television, online and print advertisements, as well as direct marketing, the I Raise My Hand microsite and the I Raise My Hand Facebook page.

The other logo selected was for Lakeshore, a senior housing facility and long-time client of WestmorelandFlint. They wanted a logo to celebrate the successes of employees who have reached milestones in their positions, as well as residents who have made great strides in their recovery process—to tell them, “Way to Go!” Here’s what designer Matthew Olin came up with:The logo was used as little signs of motivation on note cards, mugs, emails and buttons.

It’s an honor that our team’s logos have been selected among the top designs and designers we all look up to, and it’s exciting to create work that will inspire others as well.

Matthew and I feel honored that these particular identities were chosen. Both logos were for such great causes that it makes it makes their publication even more meaningful. It’s great to see such a beautifully executed, human-centered design recognized on a higher level.

The book will be published on July 1, 2012, but you can pre-order LogoLounge 7 online today.

The FMCVB, the official visitor information center for Fargo, N.D., and Moorhead, Minn., has been a client of Flint Group for several years. With so much going on in the Fargo-Moorhead area, the FM CVB was looking for a better way to deliver timely and quality information to on-the-go visitors.

Our solution? A revamped Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) mobile site, Fargomoorhead.org.

FM CVB’s existing mobile site had limited navigation, and its aesthetics were neither inviting nor engaging. And for an industry that is all about meeting and exceeding visitors’ expectations, well, that just wouldn’t do.

Let’s get a before-and-after look at the main pages, just for kicks (and yes, because the new site is awesome):

Mobile Awesomeness, an online resource featuring the best of mobile web development, thought it was pretty awesome too—so awesome that they decided to feature it in their inspirational gallery.

Anyone with a smartphone or tablet can visit the site to access community information. The location-aware guide allows visitors to use the “nearest me” feature to list and sort options, making exploring the community easier. There’s also a “things to do” section, which lets users sort by type of activity or event, beginning with today’s events. Each listing also has a share tool that allows users to share the event or destination on their social spaces, such as Facebook or Twitter.

In order to make the site a valuable community resource, we’ve designed the platform in a way that encourages public participation. Local businesses and organizations can upload calendar information to the FM CVB website, and the content will appear on both platforms. Companies can also email deals or discounts, which are featured on both the website and mobile site.

Since mobile web browsing is predicted to overshadow web surfing from a personal computer in less than five years, we designed the FM CVB site to function within multiple operating systems. Users who enter Fargomoorhead.org into their browser will be sent to the new mobile site, whereas visitors using a basic feature phone will be redirected to the CVB’s old mobile site.

In an age where content is king and accessibility is essential, the FM CVB mobile site gives visitors fingertip access to Fargo-Moorhead’s most pertinent community information.

Keeping those balloons in the air all day keeps Mikaela pretty busy, but in her downtime, she also serves as a SEO/SEM strategist and project manager for Flint Interactive.

Outside of the office, Mikaela puts her balloon-bopping skills to good use as a volleyball coach and competitive player.

A passion for volleyball

“Five years ago, a friend from WestmorelandFlint signed me up to coach club volleyball with her. I had never really seen myself as a coach before, but I jumped at the opportunity to stay active and meet new people,” says Mikaela. “That introduced me to a number of people in the volleyball community, which led to a three-year stint as a high school coach and the opportunity to play competitive adult volleyball in a number of different leagues.”

Mikaela, who played Division I volleyball at Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y., says the most rewarding part of coaching is seeing the growth and improvement in the girls each season and over the years.

She says, “Watching them change and develop in certain skill areas really makes me feel like I’ve made a difference. There is no greater gratification than having one of my players turn to me during a game with a big smile on her face after a winning block or attack, both of us knowing that it is something we have been working hard on during practice.”

While their athletic achievement is significant, Mikaela also enjoys watching the girls interact with, and make new, friends. She makes an effort to organize off-court activities so her players can get to know each other without the added stress of competition.

“It’s very important to bring fun and enjoyment into the season, because that is what creates the moments that many of them will remember forever,” Mikaela says.

Off the court

Between coaching club volleyball from November to June and high school volleyball from August to November (not to mention the constant balloon bopping), Mikaela only has about a month and a half of downtime. So what does she do then?

“When I’m not coaching or playing volleyball, I enjoy a quiet night at home watching BRAVO TV on the couch. Sad, but true,” she says.

Mikaela admits her life gets pretty crazy, but she says the busyness actually works in her favor.

“I have to be very organized so that I know where I need to be each night of the week. That also keeps me very organized at work, which helps me more effectively manage projects and timelines.”

Maintaining high spirits

Whether she’s at work or on the court, one of Mikaela’s goals is to keep people happy.

“With volleyball, it’s making sure players and parents are getting the most out of their time and money by running valuable, educational practices,” she explains. “At work, it’s managing client expectations and relationships and ensuring our team delivers the best possible end product.”

As project manager for Flint Group, Mikaela is responsible for managing timelines and budgets and assigning duties to team members. In her role as SEO/SEM strategist, she manages paid search campaigns and creates strategy for search engine optimization—all while perfecting her balloon-bobbing techniques.

How does she do it? We’re still baffled.

Get to know a Flintster: Q + A with Mikaela!

What’s your dream job?
Wedding planner or owner of a clothing boutique.

Which job would you not want to have?
Hospice care—I am much too emotional for that.

What was your first job?
Receptionist at a hair salon.

What did it teach you?
Unfortunately, it taught me how to gossip—you wouldn’t believe how fast word travels in those places.

What is one thing you’d be willing to practice for an hour a day?
Sewing.

What’s the best advice you ever got?
To take the leap and move to New York. I was definitely homesick and there were times I wanted to leave, but looking back, I wouldn’t trade that experience. I met some amazing people, and it taught me how to stand on my own and be more independent.

What sound do you love?
Sneakers on the gym floor.

What scent do you love?
Cilantro.

Okay, maybe that’s not how the saying goes; but ask Wimmer’s Diamonds, and they’ll attest to a jewelry giveaway’s clout in gaining Facebook friends.

The situation

The company is a fourth-generation, family-owned business that has been serving the Fargo, N.D., area for over 92 years. Wimmer’s Diamonds had been working with Flint for many years, and, after launching their Facebook page last July, came to us wanting to build their fan base.

The solution

Flint Communications partnered with Wimmer’s Diamonds to help them acquire more “likes” through a jewelry promotion on the company’s Facebook page.

The contest was simple, which we’ve found is optimal for maximizing user interaction within social media platforms. New fans were greeted by a landing page instructing them to “like” the page to enter a contest to win a pair of diamond earrings valued at $700.

Having “liked” Wimmer’s Diamonds’ Facebook page, both new and existing fans clicked a side tab to sign up for the contest. Each participant was required to supply their name and email address and answer the question, ‘What is the best jewelry gift you’ve ever given or received?’

The creative

The Flint creative team designed a number of pieces to promote the contest on the Wimmer’s Diamonds Facebook page, including a landing page for new fans, a side tab through which both new and existing fans entered the contest, and a new profile image highlighting the contest.

We also created posters that were hung in West Acres Shopping Center, one of two Wimmer’s Diamond store locations, and designed table tents displayed in the mall’s food court. Finally, our team prepared ads that ran in a number of newspapers, including The Forum, The NDSU Spectrum, MSUM Advocate and The Concordian.

Implementation

With the Facebook collateral and printed pieces in place, Wimmer’s Diamonds launched the contest on November 1 with a wall post.

The contest continued for a month, during which Wimmer’s Diamonds periodically posted announcements about the promotion on their wall, in addition to advertising the giveaway through the posters, table tents and newspaper ads.

Wimmer’s Diamonds announced the giveaway winner on November 30.

Results that sparkled

At the start of the promotion, Wimmer’s Diamonds had 146 fans. Their goal was to reach 500.

Through the contest, Wimmer’s Diamonds gained 368 new fans, amounting to an overall increase of 352 percent and surpassing their goal by 14 fans.

The moral of the story?

Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but Wimmer’s Diamonds makes a great Facebook friend.

It’s easy to get wrapped up (oops, unintentional reference to the gifts you have yet to wrap) in the fast-paced frenzy that we forget about the subtle joys of the holiday season—the smells of holiday baking, watching Linus explain the true meaning of Christmas, family heirloom ornaments, the search for that elusive “perfect gift,” and of course, eggnog—magical moments we look forward to all year.

This year, the Flint Group made an effort to intentionally take notice and embrace every part of the holiday season.

We, along with our friends from AdFarm and Media Productions, kicked off the holiday season by donning our Santa hats and joining in the annual Xcel Energy Holiday Lights Parade in Fargo, N.D. Our float was one of 70 that filled the streets of downtown Fargo with merriment on November 22.

Each Flint office took its own decorative approach to get in the holiday spirit. Creative director Ken Zakovich helped his coworkers at WestmorelandFlint “get in the mood” with a festive ornament on the office Christmas tree.

Amid our parading and decorating, we’ve also been rebranding the North Pole, helping Santa establish a social media presence, copyrighting Rudolph red, and creating a PR plan to help Frosty launch his spring campaign against global warming.

With the success of these holiday festivities, we thought it fitting to create a short video to capture our enriching approach of taking time to appreciate this season—to fully experience this holiday and truly savor its subtle joys and moments of wonder.

Take a minute and enjoy, won’t you?

So this holiday season, when you’re at your breaking point—when you don’t think you can take another bite of your aunt’s fruitcake, or when you find yourself wandering the aisles of Target at 11 p.m. on December 23—remember, there’s beauty in everything.

All you have to do is find it.

Happy Holidays from the Flint family. May your holiday season be filled with beauty.

Flint does, which is why we were so excited when Moore Engineering Inc. (MEI) came to us for help in planning its 50th anniversary celebration in summer 2010.

The project

MEI is a comprehensive civil and environmental engineering company headquartered in West Fargo, N.D., that takes on projects to advance water, municipal and transportation infrastructure throughout North Dakota and Minnesota.

The company was gearing up for its 50th anniversary and, having never worked with an agency, sought Flint Group’s help for strategic planning, creative development and public relations surrounding a hosted public celebration.

Cake and candles aside, the goal was to use MEI’s 50th anniversary as a platform to demonstrate and showcase the firm’s expertise and commitment to clients by highlighting a number of key projects, clients and the employees of the past 50 years.

Party planning

In preparation for the celebration, Flint redeveloped MEI’s website, established the company’s blog, redesigned the MEI logo and created a special anniversary icon.

Our creative team also crafted new ad messaging and designed a number of fresh print ads to be released as part of MEI’s anniversary.

While Flint’s interactive and creative teams were fully immersed in rebranding MEI, our public relations team was preparing  materials for a 50th anniversary media kit. Pieces included local, regional, national and trade versions of news releases; a portfolio featuring high-profile projects, founders, distinguished alumni and current staff; and a timeline of the company’s history.

The guest list

When the big day came, MEI was greatly impressed with the dignitaries and guests that turned out for the event. Attendees included West Fargo Mayor Rich Mattern, Lee Sprague (the firm’s first employee) and MEI cofounder Marshall Moore. The celebration also featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce.

MEI has been headquartered in West Fargo, N.D., since 1964, but it also has a branch office in Fergus Falls, Minn., and recently opened a third office in Minot, N.D.

The after party

Nothing marks success more than an engaging after party.

Since MEI’s anniversary last year, Flint has been working with the company on a variety of marketing and advertising ventures, including creating and placing print ads, assisting with public relations, maintaining the website and editing blog posts.

With MEI’s 50th anniversary behind us, we’re already looking ahead to the company’s 100th. Hey, it’s never too early to start planning, right?

Maybe it’s just a Flint thing; but, like I said, we love birthdays.

How does your company celebrate its anniversaries? Share with us in the comment section below.

But for a tourism bureau, it’s more than simply providing information, or even providing the right information; it’s providing information in the format and medium people want.

No one understands this better than the Greater Grand Forks Convention & Visitors Bureau, an organization dedicated to creating and sustaining interest in the Greater Grand Forks area.

The Greater Grand Forks CVB knows the best way to fulfill its mission is to meet and greet travelers where they are most comfortable getting information, whether in a brochure, through a phone call, on a website or (drum roll please…) via social media.

Enter, Flint Social Media Gurus

That’s why the Greater Grand Forks CVB partnered with Flint—to seize the untapped power of social media to tell visitors about all there is to do in the Greater Grand Forks area.

Our team took the reins, providing social media strategy and training to guide the Greater Grand Forks CVB staff in establishing a blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed and other targeted social media outposts.

We also helped them understand best practices for managing and updating social media outlets, responding to comments, and encouraging reviews and online interactions.

With these social media tactics in place, the Greater Grand Forks CVB had Flint redesign its website to incorporate its blog and Facebook posts on the homepage.

The organization now uses its learned social media skills to provide frequently updated and relevant information, reviews and real-time advice to new and returning visitors of the Greater Grand Forks area.

“Simply Grand” Results

The result has been an ever-growing fan base of visitors, potential visitors, locals and community businesses connected by a common purpose of exchanging information about the best spots to shop, dine, play and stay. And for the Greater Grand Forks CVB, these results are, of course, “simply grand.”

In a campaign to distribute free lesson kits to North Dakota educators, changing a few areas of an email significantly increased responses.

The Flint Group client, ND Switch, is built on the premise that small changes create a big impact. An energy efficiency program sponsored by the North Dakota Department of Commerce, ND Switch is a statewide effort to enlighten residents about small actions that make a major difference when it comes to saving energy.

This part of ND Switch encourages state educators to teach students about energy efficient behaviors. The audience for this phase of the campaign was the 603 administrators, superintendents and principals at N.D. elementary and middle schools.

The offer

Here was the deal: Educators could reserve a FREE ‘Comparing Light Bulbs’ lesson kit (complete with all materials), and pick up the kit at ND Switch’s booth at the N.D. Educators Association (NDEA) conference. (We mailed the kit to people who didn’t attend the conference, but they had to reserve one online.) The kit included a box complete with:

• A compact florescent light bulb
• A florescent light bulb
• Thermometer
• Detailed lesson plan
• National teaching/education standards met
• Key chains and light switch cover stickers for each student (up to 40 per kit)
• Recycled blue tote bag

ND Switch wanted to drive traffic to its NDEA booth, and position itself as a partner in energy efficiency education to state educators.

The plan

We planned to use email, direct mail and Facebook ads, targeted to those interested in teaching and education. The call to action was to visit a landing page and reserve their free lesson kit. The landing page allowed us to gather a little extra information, such as number of students in the classroom and whether or not the educator was planning to attend the conference. (As it turned out, only four were attending, and the majority of kits were mailed.) The Facebook ads were cancelled due to high demand for the lesson kits.

First, we sent an email to our target audience. Five lesson kits were reserved. Response rate: 0.829%. Next, we sent this direct mail postcard:

Six more lesson kits were reserved. Response rate: 1%. That’s about the industry average for direct mail.

Pull the plug?

We had 100 kits prepared, and we’d all counted on stronger responses. To our client’s credit, they didn’t pull the plug. They allowed us to change these three items on the email:

1. First email subject line: An Easy Way to Teach Students about Energy Usage
   Second email subject line: Complimentary Lesson Kits Still Available
2. New lead-in copy on email: Complimentary lesson kit for the first 100 who respond!
3. Move the ‘Reserve your lesson kit’ button closer to the top of the second email

Results increase by 20x

Lesson kits reserved: 94! Response rate: 16%.

We now had 105 lesson kits reserved. Because of continued demand through landing page visits, we changed the message to: “We’re sorry, but all 100 lesson kits have been reserved.”

Lessons learned

ND Switch teaches that small changes yield big results. We’re proud they approved small tweaks to generate nearly 20 times more response in a second email. It also shed additional light on email subject line and actual email content. Obviously, “complimentary” is a powerful word. (It’s also another word for ‘free,’ which is a loaded word and sometimes marked as spam when used in email subject lines.) And, creating a sense of urgency with “first 100 who respond” also boosted our response.

In most industries, technology advances have improved production and efficiencies. For instance, tracking implements’ usage allows farmers and ranchers to keep equipment in peak condition and minimize downtime. Or, fuel delivery companies with real-time inventory views can better manage supplies, demands and delivery schedules.

The key: technologies that are understandable, not overwhelming or confusing.

Pedigree Technologies provides tracking and management of equipment and other assets in one easy-to-use Web view. They market software as a service that allows users to track and monitor just about anything with real-time data and reporting anytime, anywhere. Customers can set up alerts via email, text or in-cab messaging when action is needed, whether it’s service, repair, replacement or replenishment.

The company needed to make its complex messages and products more understandable for customers and prospects.

Flint Communications and Flint Interactive provided strategy, architecture, copywriting, design and development for Pedigree Technologies’ new website, which went ‘live’ in August.

Balancing complexity, simplicity

From the start, we worked to achieve balance. Pedigree Technologies serves a wide variety of industries, from agriculture and construction to oil fields, telecommunications and utilities. Yet, their solutions connect and automate people in a user-focused manner.

We wanted the users’ experiences on the website to reflect professionalism yet simplicity—so they would understand that’s how Pedigree Technologies’ software and services are to use, too.

We wanted people to easily move throughout the website to get information specific to their needs, so we built navigation based on applications as well as industries.

We also built in links to other pages within the site, because all technologies are so intertwined. We used iconic images to guide users. For instance, a photo of a combine in action subtly encourages farmers to click through to that section.

The site includes actual software descriptions, positioned as solutions for specific industries. Also on the site are case studies, quotes from customers and a “request a demo” button on each page, along with prominent contact information.

Social media hub

The site is also home to the Pedigree Technologies blog. The company uses its social media presence on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to promote relevant blog posts, new products, software updates and other news, driving people to the new website for more information.

Funny that social media works the same way—connecting people and culture, while making the world bigger and smaller. As digital strategist, Libby spends her workdays (and nights) helping clients connect with their customers through new media: social media, paid online media, mobile and text. “I work on strategies and measurements for clients’ social media plans. I learn about new and emerging social tools. I write content calendars and guide community managers on how and when to respond to comments. Generally, I’m just a big nerd.”

How Libby caught the travel bug

Libby’s family traveled often when she was younger. “My mom loves to travel, so she and my dad took me on several road trips in elementary school. On separate occasions, we went to northern California, southern California, Texas and Florida.”

In college, she went to England twice with a friend whose dad, stepmom and step-siblings lived there. And she’s been planning her next trip ever since.

Libby’s many travel adventures

Between taking one or two big trips a year and many other weekend getaways, traveling is Libby’s passion. She also travels for work about once a month, and while that’s not always the most glamorous experience, Libby enjoys seeing a new city, going for a run in its parks and eating in its restaurants.

“A group of friends and I traveled to Europe this fall, and we’ve made a goal to do an international trip every other year,” explains Libby. “For 2013, we’re thinking about South America, along the Amazon River.”

Libby (left) and college friends explored Amsterdam this fall.

Every trip has a story

Libby’s most recent adventure, shown throughout these photos, was to Amsterdam, Berlin, Munich and Dubrovnik.

Old Town Dubrovnik

“I can’t get over how gorgeous Dubrovnik was. There were two guys and six women on the trip, and the guys cooked the most fantastic meals for us with food from the local markets. The last night we were there, they made a three-course dinner for us in the outdoor kitchen of the apartment we rented, which overlooked the sea. We ate steak, pasta and langoustines and just enjoyed the beauty surrounding us.”

Now this. This is the view Libby’s referring to. Stunning!

Libby continues, “The guys also bought some wine and schnapps, but everything was in Croatian so they had to guess at what it was. The schnapps ended up tasting like pepper and bees… I don’t know how else to describe it!”

Just to be clear, not all the alcohol was bad overseas, as demonstrated here at Oktoberfest in Munich!

Where social media and travel overlap

When traveling, Libby takes note of how other people use social media across the world. “In larger cities, especially, it’s fascinating to see the role that location-based social media is playing right now.”

Libby, a self-proclaimed foursquare/Yelp junkie in new cities, also pays attention to how businesses promote their social media presence in other places—from billboards in Times Square to Facebook URLs stamped on bike helmets in the middle of rural Germany.

“Oh, another story—in Berlin, there’s a guy who does karaoke in a park that used to be part of the Berlin Wall. He puts photos of all the participants and the crowd on his Facebook page. There are literally thousands of people who come and watch every Sunday. It’s a great way to keep the excitement going during the week.” That’s a lesson Libby can bring back to clients.

Travel pushes you outside your comfort zone

Diving into social media can be intimidating. Travel works the same way. “You find that there are so many other beliefs and viewpoints and lifestyles and routines in the world, and you get a little bit uncomfortable. You learn to value other perspectives. And you realize that your way is not always right.”

So, what’s next on Libby’s travel agenda?

Libby and her mom are planning a quick weekend trip to New York soon. She and her husband also have tentative plans to hike the Grand Canyon with friends this winter. We can’t wait to hear what social media (and other adventures) she encounters along the way.

Get to know a Flintster: Q + A with Libby

What’s your dream job?
Owning a little restaurant with my husband on a beach somewhere. Travel blogger. More realistically, managing communication for a non-profit cause or organization I believe in.

Which job would you not want to have?
Daycare provider.

What was your first job?
Telemarketer. I was 15.

What did it teach you?
The first summer I worked there, we had great company culture and did a lot of team-building activities like office Olympics, potluck lunch on Saturdays and community volunteering. The second summer, the company was under new management. One by one, all the fun activities disappeared and it turned into an environment where people hated coming to work. It taught me the importance of team morale and keeping people happy.

What is one thing you’d be willing to practice for an hour a day?
Piano. I play but I should practice more.

What’s the best advice you ever got?
Never cry at work.

What sound do you love?
The roar of the crowd at Target Field after a great play.

What scent do you love?
Fresh ingredients when my husband Jameson is teaching me to cook something: fresh garlic, cilantro, tomatoes. Summer vegetables in general.

What do you love most about traveling? And, if you could plan the trip of a lifetime, where would you go? Leave your answer in the comments!