Posted on Tue, Jun 02, 2009
ATLANTA - While economic woes have forced many a marketing firm to cut back on staff, Atlanta-based business-to-business ad agency MLT Creative sees a huge upside in swimming upstream, expanding in the face of recession.
Just last year, the agency expanded their operations to Rhode Island - a long way away from its east Atlanta hometown.
"It's definitely a bold move," says MLT Creative Strategic Director Patrick Maness, "but we have never been afraid to take calculated risks; especially one with such potential"
How did it happen? Well, when Maness decided to leave Atlanta over a year ago for the Providence, R.I. area, it opened up a rather serendipitous opportunity for MLT to establish a northern foothold. Rather than leave the company, Maness opted to retain his existing position while, at the same time, working toward a long-term goal of creating a client base up north.
"Essentially," he says, "we were testing the waters to see if a remote office would mesh well with our existing office infrastructure, and after a year, it's worked out great."
More than its own separate entity, the Providence-based post also manages to stay seamlessly integrated into the daily flow of the Atlanta office. And by taking frequent trips back, Maness still makes it to plenty of meetings.
"It's actually worked out really well," Maness says, noting that the move has allowed him to shift his focus to the "broader issues and opportunities facing our clients and the agency."
MLT Creative's founding partners - Billy Mitchell, Craig Lindberg and Glenn Taylor -are dedicated to finding new clients not only in Rhode Island, but in Boston, New York City or anywhere in between.
"There are plenty of opportunities in the Northeast to leverage our niche of working as an extension of corporate marketing departments to deliver top-notch creative solutions that get results," Maness says. "It's the same model that has been such a success for us - and our clients - in the Southeast for the past 25 years.
About MLT Creative
MLT Creative, based on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, was founded in 1984. Known as the idea launch padTM for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative's services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions.
Contact:
Chase Mitchell, Public Relations
MLT Creative, 404-292-4502, chase.mitchell@mltcreative.com
Posted on Wed, Apr 15, 2009
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - April 15, 2009 - MLT Creative, a business-to-business marketing and advertising agency, announced today that it has earned a coveted position on BtoB Magazine's "Top Agencies of 2009" list. Appearing in the publication's April 6 issue, the annual list of 125 includes small, medium, large and technical B-to-B agencies from around the country.
The BtoB editors select agencies that have orchestrated the most outstanding, challenging, inventive and effective campaigns. The list includes agencies from across the country.
"This is a big deal for all of us at MLT Creative. Being named one of BtoB's Top Agencies by the top publication in the business is an honor," said Craig Lindberg, MLT Creative executive vice president. "We're proud that our ideas and work have been recognized and we're pleased to be in such great company."
The Atlanta-based agency specializes in business-to-business advertising and marketing. Founded in 1984 by Billy Mitchell along with partners Craig Lindberg and Glenn Taylor, it is known as the Idea Launch Pad for B-to-B marketers. Its services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions.
This latest accolade follows recent honors from the Atlanta chapter of the American Marketing Association, which bestowed upon MLT Creative the Atlanta Marketer of the Year Award in the category of B2B Visual Branding. The agency was also named a finalist in four other categories. Mere weeks before that, MLT Creative received a finalist nod in the MAX Awards -- honoring marketing's leading innovators in Georgia.
MLT Creative works on behalf of business-to-business leaders in various industries. Clients include companies like Sto Corp, the world's leading manufacturer of exterior wall claddings; Airgas, the country's largest distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases; and Manheim, the world's largest provider of vehicle remarketing services.
About MLT Creative
MLT Creative, based on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, was founded in 1984. Known as the idea launch padTM for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative's services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions.
Contact:
Chase Mitchell, Public Relations
MLT Creative, 404-292-4502, chase.mitchell@mltcreative.com
Posted on Tue, Nov 25, 2008
ATLANTA, GEORGIA (PRWEB) - November 25, 2008 - A big challenge was met with big ideas when Birmingham-based AutoTec asked MLT Creative to help enroll (or re-enroll) every licensed automotive dealer in North America with AuctionACCESS®, the venerable technology platform that connects them to more than 190 wholesale auto auctions across North America.
As AuctionACCESS®, AutoTec's flagship product, entered its tenth year of existence the database of registered dealers was due for an update, and the brand was in need of an overhaul.
Now, as a result of this immense integrated marketing effort, hundreds of thousands of dealer records have been updated, and they have a higher awareness of the immeasurable value that accompanies an AuctionACCESS® membership, which expands their buying and selling capabilities dramatically.
"Right from the start, I understood this was a historic undertaking for the automotive industry," says Billy Mitchell, creative director and president of MLT. "To reach every dealer, large and small, in North America was challenging enough, but we also needed to get them to respond. All 70,000 of them, plus more than 100,000 authorized reps. Well, they responded, and we helped AuctionACCESS® make history."
But making history is never easy, as MLT's strategy director, Patrick Maness, can attest.
"We had a small window of time to get the attention of every dealer coast-to-coast and get them to respond," Maness says, "so we took a multi-faceted approach. We enlisted the help of auctions and national dealer associations to channel our messaging, utilized print advertising and PR for air cover and targeted dealers with direct mail and email. The cornerstone of the campaign was an eye-catching point-of-sale program displayed at hundreds of wholesale auctions."
"There were plenty of long nights and weekends spent pulling everything together," Maness says, crediting the leadership and staff at AutoTec for their close involvement. "It was a totally collaborative effort between agency and client."
Not surprisingly, those at AutoTec are just as eager to sing the campaign's praises.
"The response we got -- from dealers, reps, and auctions -- was just incredible," says AutoTec President and CEO Chuck Redden. "To date we have had over 200,000 dealers and reps renew their AuctionACCESS memberships. MLT took our marketing machine from 0 - 60, and in the process has become an integral part of our team."
Aside from drastically simplifying the registration process for an unprecedented number of dealers, the newly up-to-date information also helps keep out unlicensed buyers and prevent fraudulent purchases. AuctionACCESS® makes wholesale auctions a more secure environment for buyers and sellers alike.
"I'm very fortunate to have been part of this campaign," Maness says, "because the model we helped create will no doubt have a lasting impression on the vehicle remarketing industry."
About MLT Creative
MLT Creative, based on the east side of Atlanta, GA, with a Northeast office in Rhode Island, was founded in 1984. Known as the idea launch padTM for B-to-B marketers, MLT Creative's services include strategic planning, positioning, brand development, advertising and sales promotions.
About AutoTec
AuctionACCESS® was developed ten years ago by AutoTec, LLC, a privately held company based in Birmingham, AL. AutoTec provides e-business solutions to the automotive remarketing industry. AuctionACCESS® is the industry standard for managing access to wholesale auto auctions. It is currently used by more than 190 wholesale auto auctions and online channels across North America, with further expansion into 70 countries around the world. Visit www.auctionaccess.com for details.
Contact:
Chase Mitchell, Public Relations
MLT Creative, 404-292-4502, chase.mitchell@mltcreative.com