Walking Stick and VERVE Strategic Advertising Concepts Join Forces

October 16, 2002 (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio): This week marks the beginning of a new future for two Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio-based companies. Walking Stick Productions and VERVE Strategic Advertising Concepts merged to form a stronger, more full-service strategic advertising and design firm. By joining together, the two firms will provide current and new customers the full range of advertising and marketing solutions, based on unparalleled design capabilities and expansive marketing expertise.

Most smaller marketing or design firms tend to operate as VERVE and Walking Stick did prior to the merger, as either one or the other, not both. In business for almost five years, Walking Stick is an established and recognized design firm in this market, and offers exceptional quality design for online, print and other off-line media as well. But, founder and president of Walking Stick, Dale Pease, felt it could do more. “We had been looking to add the marketing function to Walking Stick for quite sometime,” explained Pease. “We just hadn’t been able to find the right match, until we began working with VERVE.”

Established in November 2001, VERVE Strategic Advertising Concepts defined itself as a full-service advertising and marketing firm and utilized a variety of outsourced resources within the advertising, design and public relations industries to bring its clients a broad range of services through one central contact. This concept was somewhat successful, but as with Pease, the company’s owner had greater expectations. Merging with a company like Walking Stick was a natural and planned step in the growth process for Matt White, VERVE president. “Partnering with a design firm was included as one of three main goals I had for the company in the original business plan,” said White. “I knew such a partnership would open many doors for both VERVE and the partnering firm.”  Before starting his own company, White served over six years in the client service arena for advertising agencies in both South Carolina and Ohio. White’s client experience includes such national and regional accounts as First Union National Bank, Dairy Mart Convenience Stores, GE Lighting, and Cedar Point Amusement Park; and he has served several local clients such as Friends Deli & Coffee House, Cuyahoga Falls Jaycees and MEDGroup Urgent and Occupational Care Centers.

White and Pease had been working together since March on a less formal basis, with Walking Stick handling all of the creative and design work for VERVE, and VERVE stepping in on any Walking Stick projects needing marketing or additional non-design support. Both entrepreneurs realized the significant opportunities available if they pooled their respective knowledge and resources to create one, all-encompassing marketing and design agency.

In addition to combining resources to provide better service and greater success for its clients, the merger will help the firm to more effectively market its new line of Web site content management software products, called siteMpower and churchMpower. Offering a simple solution to managing a Web site’s content, these powerful software products will eliminate the need for a company or church to depend on outside resources to update and maintain its Web site. For more information on these exciting new products, visit www.siteMpower.com or www.churchMpower.com.

The new company will maintain the Walking Stick name, but is in the process of redeveloping its identity to address its new, total solution capabilities. “With the recognition that the Walking Stick name already has, it would be crazy not to retain the name,” White noted. “But we need to expand the assumption of capabilities that is currently limited by the term “Productions.’” The company expects to launch its new identity in January 2003, when it will also be relocating to new offices at 414 Portage Trail, just up the street from its current location in the Portage Warehouse in Cuyahoga Falls.

“We’re all excited about the potential of this newly formed company,” Pease said. “We know our clients will benefit positively from this change, and we expect many more will come to experience the complete services we now offer.”

Walking Stick Productions is a full service advertising, design and marketing firm based in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Established in 1997, Walking Stick has developed online and off-line projects for clients including Diebold, Tribute Software, Applied Industrial Technologies, Tri-Source Title Agency, and Hinkley Lighting. Walking Stick is located in the Portage Warehouse at 232 Portage Trail, Suite G, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio 44221. For more information, visit www.walking-stick.com or call 330.923.7708 or 866.340.8179.