We Do [a lot] :
Experiences that connect to your customers—not advertising. Strategies, creative programs, stories, visuals, events, culture & phenomena that engage, intrigue, excite, motivate.
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Times change. Is your brand connection still relevant? Without credible answers to important questions, you will be wasting your valuable marketing dollars.
Your company needs help to navigate business threats, and continously find new ways to thrive. More than just fleeting ads, your company needs to inspire sustainable brand loyalty.
We audit your brand with the right questions and deliver strategies that get you to the next level of meaningful connection—driving everything you do from visual identity to customer engagement.
Brand Strategy [ Less - ]
We connect your brand with the customer tribes that matter. In today's highly commodatized market, and with increasingly eroded brand loyalty—rebuilding trust + real creativity is the only way to break through the clutter of an estimated 5,000 marketing messages (per person) each and every day.
We Do: Customer loyalty initiatives. Organizational change. Brand positioning. Brand architecture. Brand extensions. Rebranding. Brand transition strategies. New product strategies. Research management. New business opportunities.
Branded Experiences [ Less - ]
Much better than advertising.
In 1965, 34 percent could name a brand advertised on a TV show. Thirty years after, only 8 percent could do so. Consumers decreasingly find ads useful, informative, relevant, or differentiating brands. Did you know that only 6 percent of people believe an ad is generally telling the truth? With numbers like these, it is no wonder even established brands are failing.
We Do: Brand campaigns that connect, inspire, and customers find relevant. Broadcast, print and interactive. Social & Web 3.0. Brand campaign management. Branded experiences that rebuild loyalty and engagement.
People love experiences so much more than barking ads. A branded concert for your product? An amazing story or customer experience uniquely yours? A portable branded kiosk at events or the airport? An online branded video contest? Experiences that get your customers excited about you—with no limits? Connecting your company's people to customers in sustainable and meaningful ways?
Naming [ Less - ]
Brand Naming. Naming Architecture Systems. International Linguistics & Localization. Domain Name Purchasing.
Sustainable Marketing/ Leadership[ Less - ]
VÖLCKMANN supports corporate communications departments with a
comprehensive range of services that target messages, build
brands, increase sales and promote ideas.
A genius for telling stories that connect. A genius for connecting your company's people to customers. Creating programs that help your people live an ethical and enthusiastic brand experience in every organizational process. Measurable and sustainable results that build strong brands.
We Do: Brand launches. Marketing communications. Marketing campaigns. Messaging strategies. Content and guidelines. Customer engagement strategies. Brand loyalty programs.
Music & Audio [ Less - ]
Talent. Composition. Production. Editing. Jingles. Voiceover. We are connected with Grammy Award winning talent. No kidding.
Creative/ Design [ Less - ]
Visual Identity for company, products, services. Style & Visual Language Systems. Print and Collateral Systems. Web Development. Interactive User Experience (UX). Broadcast Quality Video & Motion. Short Films. Retail, Tradeshows and Events. Packaging. Promotions. Photography. Illustration.
PLUS, many things no one has thought of yet. Design is a commodity unless it inspires your audience and drives brand engagement. Does your current creative strategy deliver?
Culture [of us] :
Brands exist, grow, and thrive in it. Find some here.
Tribal Tweets:
Follow with us on Twitter. Tell us what you think. Enjoy the culture of social brand dialog. Go tribal.
The Lab :
The Mai Tai may be Polynesian in name, but it's American in origin, created not on a tropical lagoon but on the mudflats of San Francisco's East Bay in 1944, by a legendary California restaurateur, the late Vic Bergeron of Trader Vic's fame.
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VÖLCKMANN RESEARCHERS spent years searching for the perfect compound. Then one year, while on a group therapy excursion, our people discovered the perfect Mai Tai and vowed thereafter to share the concoction with the rest of the world. We believe this recipe makes the best Mai Tai we have ever tasted, and hope you will agree. Enjoy!
1-3/4 oz. light rum
3/4 oz. dark rum
1/2 oz. orange curaçao (or Grand Marnier)
1/2 oz. Amaretto
Juice of a lemon
Juice of a lime
Juice of an orange (1/4 cup)
1/4 cup pineapple juice
a splash of grenadine
Blend and garnish with fresh fruit and mint sprig.
Tribal Endorsements :
Lawrence Green, Corporate Digital Branding Web Manager at Landor Associates, San Francisco HQ, writes:
"I came to greatly admire and respect Russell Volckmann's well-rounded business and project management skills. His deep understanding of branding and identity, his creativity, and his persistence helped us sort out a score of internal issues which had previously blocked us; he helped us deliver [a solution] that was true to our brand, on-time, and on-budget.
Russell brings to the table a vast array of creative, business and digital talents, but he is a contributor and a collaborator who is greater than the sum of his parts. He is the definition of the 'can-do' guy, someone who will do everything it takes to insure that a project is delivered to the satisfaction his client."
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Charles Wyke-Smith, Director User Experience at Benefitfocus, writes:
"I have worked with Russell on various projects over the past 15 years, beginning when he produced world class graphic design, interactive media, video, and animation for my design company's clients. Since establishing his studio, he has produced numerous excellent advertising, marketing, and branding/identity design solutions for his own clients. He understands how to gain maximum impact from any media, whether it is web, print, or video. He is creative, smart and understands how to deliver a spectacular product on time and under budget. On a personal note, I am pleased to count him as a good friend and he also plays the coolest surf guitar."
David Mansbery, CEO at TMIO, LLC, writes:
"My name is David Mansbery, the founder and sole owner of TMIO, LLC. I was involved in bringing an innovative product from concept to market to sale to Viking Range Corporation, the leader in high end appliances for the discerning homeowner in November, 2007. Mr. Russell Volckmann [Brand Management Director, Creative Director] worked with TMIO to develop the image and branding required launching a successful venture. These included building our brand, our website and messaging that resulted in our product winning many National Awards (see the TMIO.com website, which was developed by Russell) and resulted in our oven being in the homes across the United States. Our product was the Woman's Day 2007 Product of the Year and was Runner Up for the 2007 Food Network Innovative Product of the Year as presented by Rachael Ray. Russell did an excellent job on a difficult project and stayed within the budget presented to him. His is creative, hard working and inspirational in his efforts."
Brand Integrity Culture:
Join the tribe on VÖLCKMANN & friends' social webjam. You're invited to participate in this ongoing worldwide brand 3.0 conversation to talk about us, talk about brands, branding, ways brands evolve, and permeate our lives. Let's create a new kind of community for people and business. Enjoy recent posts from
Tribe :
Experience and principles are important. But then so are personalities. After all, if you choose VÖLCKMANN, you'll be seeing us quite a bit. Meet the tribe.
Russell Volckmann : Executive Producer/ Creative Director [ Less - ]
Russell continues to pursue his true calling as ad/ brand/ marketing strategist, creative director, and resident account guy. Although, you might be able to track him down at some Bay Area dive on Wednesday nights pretending that he's a rock star. You may even be able to find bootleg Aquamarines CD's being used as coasters in some remote San Francisco venues.
Apart from twisted dilusions of stardom, he's an award-winning designer, producer, creative director, ad & brand & marketing strategist. Creative successes include marketing, advertising and branding for such organizations as Landor, FCB San Francisco, L'OREAL Japan, AT&T Japan, the San Francisco Asian Art Museum, Ziff-Davis Publishing/ Smart Business Magazine, ZDNET, TechTV, Hewlett-Packard, Palm, Rainforest Action Network, the Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, the Brady Bunch, Fetzer, Fujitsu Japan, Ikonic Interactive, Red Dot Interactive, N.E.T., Geffen Records, Bank of America, Charles Schwab, Sun Microsystems, E*Trade, Cylink, KM Disney, Inc., Emirates Airlines, McDonalds, CNN Headline News... many more. Russell also contributes to the Taproot Foundation, professionals working pro bono to help local non-profits.
Speaks Japanese & German and has lived and worked in both Europe & Asia. Received the NewMedia Invision Award for creative interactive production. Design entries and quotes in DesignSpeak, a book that applies sciences of advertising & branding in graphic design solutions. Interviewed on television, broadcast to 20 million homes in the U.S. and in 64 countries worldwide. Awarded Businessman of the Year by the Congressional Business Advisory Council in honor of Top Business Leaders in the US, plus National Leadership Award as part of his role as Co-Chairman.
For a little Zen, stop by here for your morning cup of haiku.
Anthony Shore : Executive Brand Strategy Director [ Less - ]
For the past 20 years, Anthony has worked with 200 companies, bringing over 100 new product and corporate names into the marketplace. As Global Director of Naming & Writing for Landor Associates, he led international branding programs for clients like Samsung, P&G, Pepsico, Starbucks, American Express, Seagate, Microsoft, Adobe, FedEx, HP, Motorola, H&R Block, Medtronic, Zero Breast Cancer, FritoLay and Qualcomm. In 2000, Anthony directed the Accenture naming program, probably the largest renaming effort in history.
Beyond developing new brand names, Anthony is a recognized expert in nomenclature systems, taglines/slogans, brand essence, positioning and product innovation. Additional professional experience includes software product management and marketing, PR, typesetting, design, graphic production and advertising copywriting.
Anthony is a linguist, receiving his degree with Honors from the University of California at Santa Cruz, as well as a regular guest speaker at Haas Business School and the University of California at Santa Cruz. As a globally-recognized branding and naming expert, he's appeared in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Details, CNET, Reuters, Los Angeles Times and The San Francisco Chronicle.
Michael Wou : Executive Creative Director [ Less - ]
Find Michael anywhere it seems—in features and interviews in Asia, Europe and North America: How Magazine, Print Magazine, Photo District News, The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Examiner, CNN, FOX, and Crier Today, Applied Arts Magazine, The Globe and Mail, and Bravo, BBC, Graphis, Público, and The Korean Herald.
Michael will tell you his many awards are not the most important aspect of the work he loves. Rather, he enjoys building relationships between companies and customers. He is passionate about businesses, what makes them succeed, and studying how people perceive businesses and their products—especially why people buy. Following graduation from the Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD), Michael worked with Zürich's prominent design firm Gottschalk & Ash. He has traveled to over 100 cities around the world, plus acquired branding experience in Europe, the U.S. and Africa, bringing a global outlook to all client projects.
Tara Caruso : Senior Brand Strategist [ Less - ]
During TV commercials Tara's family flipped when Tara flipped over the family's channel flipping—because Tara actually flipped over the ads. Dreams of sugarplum brands (and Versace) danced in her head. We think that's a flippin' great asset.
Tara is enamored by brands and inspiration behind brand loyalty. She continues to follow her passion for brand, dedicated to brand communications for 11 years. Her consulting experience spans brand creation, brand strategy, brand management, naming, messaging and internal and external campaigns throughout a variety of industries. While at Novom Marketing she worked on hospitality brands such as Loews and Personality Hotels. At Dish Network, with youth culture brands such as Airwalk, Vision, Genetic and Von Dutch while at Collective Licensing. With Salt Branding she worked with global and startup brands such as Microsoft, Disney, EMBARQ, Avery Dennison, Ribbit and IMVU.
Sometimes, you'll also find Tara perusing San Francisco streets, nearby beaches and parks, or traveling the globe enjoying new cultures—basically flipping the real channels of life.
Colin Goedecke : Senior Content Strategist [ Less - ]
Colin Goedecke is a respected storyteller, valued by leading companies of all kinds, in places far and near. For 23 years, he has been shaping and directing fresh, compelling stories and marketing messages—that engage, spark, work, resonate, flow; that enter people's minds and mind's-eyes; strike chords; and that speak with character, vitality and meaning.
His unsigned but signature hand can be found or felt on the page and in the fabric of prominent global ad campaigns, names, themes and story platforms. Colin's diverse portfolio includes work for NASDAQ, Tishman Speyer, Davis Polk, UBS, Goldman Sachs, Auda Advisors, Acorda Therapeutics, IBM, Microsoft, Bain & Company, Reval, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, Pfizer, FINRA, Eaton, GE and TNS Global.
Find troubadour Colin's poetry, The Speed of Sight, in bookstores—or hear Colin in Manhattan cafés on Saturday nights singing vintage 1930s-and-40s standards. He's a world traveller and rampant observer. He's a lover of languages, oceans, light, landscapes, the lyrical, all things effervescent—and all things Italian. If you want to make friends fast, drop by in your Bugatti Atlantic T57SC with gifts of Campari, linguine vongole, and gelato.
Read more about Colin at Ten Owls Limited
Polina Istomina : Client Engagement Director [ Less - ]
Polina Istomina is the primary contact for clients, ensuring that budget and timing expectations are not only met but exceeded. Polina came to VÖLCKMANN from Landor where she worked with clients such as Boeing, Brocade, Gerdau (Brazil), H&R Block, InfoSpace, Interpipe (Ukraine), Fiserv, Medtronic, Mattel, Nationwide, NVIDIA, Partnership for LA Schools, Palm, Red Lobster, Qualcomm and TV Guide with their needs in brand architecture, brand environments, corporate and brand identity, naming and design.
Prior, Polina managed consumer, tech and sports marketing projects in Ukraine on both client and agency sides—including the Ukrainian National Olympic Committee. If that were not enough, she is fluent in Russian, Ukrainian, and English and speaks some Spanish, French and Polish. Polina dedicates her off hours sailing the waters of California's Barbary Coast. It is this great seafaring spirit (and the fear of walking the plank) that motivates everyone here. Or, "Everyone arrr!"
Yoshiko Sawada : Art Director/ Designer [ Less - ]
On the lovely green island of Shikoku, Japan's southernmost of the four main islands, lies a small village called Midorino at the foot of a mountain castle. And from this village in Kochi prefecture, Yoshiko comes to VÖLCKMANN as a vetted and highly respected designer. During the course of her career, she has created award-winning work for Sanrio (of Hello Kitty & Badz Maru fame), Williams-Sonoma, Chronicle Books, plus a nice little list of Turner-Duckworth clients. She's incredibly brilliant at innovative product design, plus packaging, labeling, & print creations.
In addition, she is a well educated authority on design, fashion & cosmetics in the US & Japan. Let's just say we've never seen her in a t-shirt. Yoshiko obtained her BA in Industrial Design & Visual Arts from San Francisco State University. And if that weren't enough, she's also a celebrated hula performer with Nā Lei Hulu I Ka Wēkiu in San Francisco. This girl can really shake the hula umi-umi island style, and she has plenty of aloha spirit to boot. But don't let the grass skirt & leis fool you. Yoshiko is one tough coconut cookie who makes sure the client work gets done. And on time. And done well. Or else. We're not saying that we're afraid of getting thrown at the mercy of Madam Pele. We're not, right?
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