Information technology solutions? Perhaps it’s not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of fun or exciting business. However, Savvis, Inc, with the help of Switch, succeeded in making services like managed (web) hosting, collocation and network connectivity, understandable, consistent, and even entertaining.

After re-branding their corporate headquarters, Savvis recognized the value of extending their image to other locations. With millions of square feet devoted to computer servers all over the US and across the globe, the Savvis datacenters house, protect, maintain and upgrade their customers’ valuable servers. They keep networks and websites running and enable important global commerce.

Data isn’t the only thing these locations house; both Savvis and client’ employees work at them year round. In addition, the datacenters are often the first point of contact that prospective clients see as they tour with Savvis salespeople. Because of this, the datacenters represent the face of the company much of the time.

Before the interior branding project began, many of the office spaces were rather anonymous and cold, devoid of all but the most basic and slapdash identity—not a place you would happily anticipate going to work every day. Inconsistent and somewhat drab, it was hard to identify the spaces as part of the Savvis family.

With the goals of upgrading the spaces, injecting the company’s personality and unifying the look and feel, a plan was created to communicate the Savvis’ identity, and make both clients and employees feel valued.

Knowing that budgets where tight, and dollars available for branding would fluctuate by location, Switch proposed a catalog of interior branded elements to communicate and extend the new identity. Design elements included: paint and carpet recommendations, custom furniture and finishes, and a variety of graphics, signage and interior accessories like clocks, vases and mirrors. Our proposition: “Don’t say you’re committed to quality by hanging a framed poster from Successories.; show you’re committed to quality by creating something of quality.”

To do this, Switch visualized Savvis’ brand characteristics; innovative, energetic, personal, simplifying, secure and trustworthy …through the idea of “capturing light”. It became a visual metaphor for the intangible aspect of information technology itself. The vast majority of the design elements were more subtle and integrated, but the Savvis “burst” logo is obviously important and proved to be very versatile. Switch gave the logo a range of looks: enlarged, cropped and abstracted, turned sculptural, screened back on a photographic image. Recognizable? Yes. Standard and expected? No.

In 2009 Switch completed Savvis Headquarters and 6 datacenters. Twelve more datacenters will be completed in 2010, and the balance in 2011. In these times when everybody has been cutting back, it was a bold acknowledgement by Savvis of the importance of building and sustaining brand equity through design.

Switch CEO, Mike O’Neill, shares his views on what our annual Employee Field Day means to the agency and to our brand.

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New to Market? Do what Southwest Airlines did and have a tailgate party for the die-hard football fans of Milwaukee. Make it comfy and fun, grill some brats, provide cold brew, give-away great prizes like free airline tickets and you’ve got a party!

Nearly 1,000 people attended Southwest Airlines’ free Touchdown Milwaukee party on Nov. 1 to commemorate the airline’s new service out of Milwaukee and to support its recent ad campaign “Bags Fly Free” encouraging air travel with fee free bag checking. Southwest Airlines had a vision. They wanted a substantial tailgate party for the big game to inaugurate the 12 new daily flights from Milwaukee and to show Milwaukee fans the value and benefits that their flight service provides.

The strategically branded event included a large 120’ x140’ enclosed heated tent, with an 18’x24’ rear projection screen, which broadcasted the live game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Wisconsin. Bleachers, bar top tables, picnic tables, as well as two VIP areas with comfy leather chairs offered plenty of seating and optimal viewing…almost like sitting in your own living room! To accommodate additional attendees, an outdoor viewing area boasted an 18’x24’ LED along with outdoor fire pits to keep the die-hard fans warm.

Switch had only two weeks to execute the event so it was all hands on deck, everyone stepped in and worked around the clock to secure all the details which contributed greatly to the success of the project. The amount of collaboration between Switch and Southwest Airlines’ representatives was tremendous, and everything fell into place…location, vendors, messaging, etc. Then, at the event site is where the true mark of a great agency is tested. Our client witnessed first hand how the great folks of Switch and our suppliers partnered together to over come every obstacle imaginable.

The weather was perfect and sunny, even though it rained for 2 weeks prior to the event, which caused some challenges with the wet and muddy grass. Despite the challenges, everyone seemed to really enjoy the event. Though the Green Bay Packers lost to the Minnesota Vikings, tailgate partygoers stayed for the entire event and really enjoyed themselves. There was plenty of food and drinks, great commercial break entertainment provided by two local DJ’s, a lot of free prizes. To close the event in a special way, Gary Kelly, CEO, arrived to thank the SWA and Switch team personally.

Chances are you’re not getting enough protein in your diet. Chances are you’re not getting enough of a lot of things these days. But a fun and functional interaction isn’t one of them if you come across a Muscle Milk Sampling Team in action. Unlike most sampling programs, the goal for Muscle Milk is not to be everything to everybody. It is not their goal to wander aimlessly wearing metallic jetpacks while handing out as many samples as possible to clamoring caffeine junkies. Their product serves a viable purpose that they passionately believe in. It is that passion and purpose that drives the Muscle Milk sampling experience and ultimately the consumer purchase. In other words – it’s their identity.

When it comes to focused sampling, Muscle Milk has a clear vision of who their target audience is and even deeper insight into the many different ways that one may benefit from their product. But how do you share that information in a fun, credible and memorable way? That was the question on the whiteboard when Muscle Milk called on Switch to help staff and handle the logistics behind their 2009-10 sampling program. Knowing a thing or two about sampling programs, we were able to create an effective game plan specific to the desires of Muscle Milk and their target consumer. Our goal was simple: be in the right place at the right time with the right message…with a perfectly chilled and highly delicious enhanced beverage.

First things first – Selecting and hiring the right individuals to operate this program. Taking a page out of the old ‘Saturn’ business plan – we weren’t simply looking for individuals w/ beverage sampling or sales experience. In fact, we avoided them. Muscle Milk came up w/ a list of personal attributes (both mental and physical) that exemplified their brand and product. Working with Brand Area Marketing Managers from Muscle Milk we were able to identify and ultimately hire the perfect candidates in each market to become members of the Protein Education Team (PET). These folks walk the talk because they’re legit – and that’s what a credible sampling program is built around.

The PET’s and their custom Jeep Wrangler’s have been out on the streets since July attending and sponsoring events, conducting promotions and giving out samples of Muscle Milk. They’re currently operating in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Portland, Miami and Baltimore/Washington, D.C., and plans are in the works for 7 more markets to be included during 2010. And you can be sure the Muscle Milk sales team is eagerly awaiting their arrival.

There is nothing like meeting face-to-face when an organization needs to regroup, recharge and rekindle their collective force. Building relationships can require more than web and internal communications initiatives. Sometimes, you just need to look the other person in the eye. Anheuser-Busch leveraged this opportunity when they invited wholesalers home to St. Louis for their annual planning meeting.

October 5th the brewery hosted 5000 wholesalers and employees to a Homecoming party that ran 8 blocks of Pestalozzi Street in St. Louis. The goal was to celebrate the heritage that has made A-B a force to be reckoned with and move forward into the next phase of their shared success.

Switch brought the brewery alive in a way it has never been seen before. This was the first time for many wholesalers visiting the brewery in spite of the many family-owned businesses. In the words of one guest, “When we got off the bus onto the red carpet and were handed a day fresh Bud, it really made you stop and think how proud we should be”. That is the pay-off of face-to-face!

Rather than create a new environment with tents or less attractive structures, Switch looked to the stunning architecture already in place. The buildings were lit with warm tones to showcase their features and digital media was projected on the buildings.

Switch partnered with Contemporary Productions to bring local St. Louis talent to four stages. The new Olympic-branded Budweiser #9 car was revealed for the first-time by driver Kasey Kane and team owner Richard Petty to the audience. And each A-B brand highlighted the marketing programs that wholesalers could utilize for customer events.

The timing of this event was perfect for further uniting the brewer-wholesaler family and creating an unbelievably memorable event.

Looking at an empty parking lot in early July, many would have a hard time envisioning a VIP event worthy of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball. 

Switch, in partnership with destination management company Kuoni Events, had that vision and is now receiving positive reviews from the St. Louis Cardinals and All-Star Game organizers for its creative design and production of the All-Star Game Commissioner’s Gala and Pre-Game Celebration events on July 13-14.

Our role was to design and produce the two invitation-only events, which were expected to attract approximately 5,500 attendees each. The Commissioner’s Gala is a tradition of the MLB All-Star Game festivities, and follows the Home-Run Derby. The Pre-Game Celebration takes place just before the All-Star Game and this year honored People magazine’s 30 “All-Stars Among Us” for 2009.

Typically these events are held at museums or vast permanent structures located near the ballpark. Because the St. Louis Art Museum and other museums are farther away and because there was open space next to Busch Stadium, MLB decided to hold these events on the Ballpark Village lot adjacent to the stadium. Being so close in proximity would make it convenient for guests to attend both functions.

The “blank canvas” so to speak gave us the opportunity to create both events, literally from the ground up. Because St. Louis is known for its hot summers, we suggested building a hard PVC and glass walled tent to house these events. This would efficiently keep air conditioned air inside while also providing the structure needed to hang banners and lighting. From a security standpoint, it gave peace of mind knowing that these walls could not be penetrated from the outside. With powerful storms the week leading up to the events, the sturdy tents could withstand torrential downpours with wind gusting up to 60 mph. Despite multiple days of storms and significant flooding, the team was able to vacuum up the pools of water and stay on schedule.

Because the events were in a tent and not held in a permanent structure, we needed to build docks and ramps as well as heated and refrigerated tents for catering. Temporary executive restrooms were brought in for the events. Multiple dumpsters were on site so we could keep the space clean and free of trash. Generators were used for electricity. In all, the event required 600 tons of portable air-conditioning equipment; 5,000 square feet of custom scenery and more than 50 Switch staff members to create and produce everything needed for the event. 

Many of the guests invited attend these events each year. We were charged with the challenge of making the event unique. It needed concept or twist that would stand out above the other events they had attended in other cities. The Switch event team was encouraged to show the heart and soul of our city through the décor of these events. Because of the legendary Cardinal fans who live in St. Louis’ distinct neighborhoods, it was decided to convey that “Spirit of St. Louis” to attendees at the Commissioner’s Gala through a neighborhood-themed event.

The MLB Gala was the perfect stage to introduce and/or re-acquaint this national audience to the ‘Gateway to the West…home of the best fans in baseball.’ We were able to do that by bringing the unique neighborhoods together under one roof and engaging the participants’ multiple senses.

To accomplish this task, Switch designed 70,000-square-feet of event space. It was divided into five geographic “neighborhoods” each telling a portion of the St. Louis story. To divide the space within the tent, Switch designed, printed and fabricated scenery, depicting landmarks in the various neighborhoods – Soulard, The Loop, The Hill, Central West End and Downtown. One of the goals was to create St. Louis scenes that would be easily reusable for other events. We also built multiple stages inside the tent for bands to play the music found in each unique neighborhood. The menu was also created to highlight the personality and heritage in each neighborhood.

Switch was charged with making the two events feel different so it would be exciting for guests who would be attending both events. We utilized our tent creation and neighborhood scenic flats and built on them for the “All-Stars Among Us”-themed Pre-Game Celebration. Each of People magazine’s 30 “All-Stars Among Us” were honored at the event with a walk-of-fame star featuring their name and a custom-made banner with their photo, name and hometown MLB baseball team logo. All elements were designed, printed and fabricated at Switch.

Switch was also responsible for selecting and producing the evening’s entertainment, which included bringing St. Louis musical icons Nelly and Chuck Berry on stage together for the first time ever. Switch staff produced and executed all aspects of the mini-concert, including set up of the stage and courtyard concert area, lighting and the sound system.

We had to take our creative and production experience and knowledge, and create a stunning décor from an  empty white tent on an asphalt parking lot. After months of planning and designing, we built it…and they came.

Searching for a theme, authentic to St. Louis, to weave throughout Major League Baseball’s 2009 Gala, Scott Burns draws from his hometown roots to create an event that made his city, and his favorite baseball team proud.

Reaching out to a whole new generation of consumers without turning your back on what got you here can be an unnerving and challenging task.  But from advertising to packaging, Dickies is revamping the way they reach new consumers and asking them to “Wear with Purpose.”

But brands the size of Dickies don’t turn on a dime, nor should they. Dickies achieved significant loyalty amongst their core consumers by remaining authentic, loyal and standing behind every item of clothing they produce (did you know that Dickies offers a lifetime guarantee on every garment they make??).

To make sure that Dickies remained true to their core consumer while acknowledging a new demographic of brand enthusiast, Dickies challenged Switch with retro-fitting their existing 38’ trailer to create a unique and engaging experience for both consumer targets.

Having been Dickies mobile event marketing partner for the last three years, this was a significant shift in strategy and meant throwing away the playbook. Working closely with Dickies, we identified key consumer touch points and trends that would become focal points for our experience designers, project managers and logistical experts.

The result? The Dickies Ink’d Tour. A diverse and modular experience, the new trailer features three video game stations that alternate titles based on the type of event. And of course, there’s the Dickies Ink’d Studio, where consumers get customized air-brushed tattoos while gawking at signed gear from Chris Rock, Snoop Dog , Carey Hart and other celebs that rock their Dickies. Outside, consumers waiting to play video games or score a tat get free pics on our green screen or challenge friends in the Jean Bag Toss.

The tour kicked off at a NASCAR event, then headed west for Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals. Since then, Dickies has hit retailers and military bases from coast to coast while making stops at the Vans Warped Tour, Wakarusa, All Good and the Dew Tour. And we’re not done…before the year’s out we’ll be setting up shop at the Virgin Free Fest, Telluride Blues & Brews, the Texas State Fair and of course, the Dickies 500.

Producing a dinner event for your biggest sponsors and recognizing the class of incoming award recipients is a tall task. When you are doing it for the most recognized beverage brand in the world, the expectations are definitely up near the top of the pyramid. Switch was tasked with creating a memorable evening for everyone in attendance, while demonstrating the values represented by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation supports over 1,400 college students each year, with annual scholarships of $3.4 million through two nationally recognized programs on behalf of the Coca-Cola System. As part of the annual inductance into the Scholar Class, the newly chosen students are invited to Atlanta to participate in the final phase of their selection. This event is usually a nerve-wracking, exciting, confirming and exhilarating mix of anticipation and eager curiosity for the scholars.

Switch produced this event for the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation for a second year, designing and producing all scenic and tech, staging the commencement of 250 students and coordinating all the presentations. We set out to gather as many personal stories as possible in a very short amount of time and in the most cost efficient manner. Also knowing that the best storytelling is from the point of view of the personal anecdote, we let the past alumni speak – after all, the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation has been sending scholars into the world for over 20 years.

Taking a cue from the world of social media and “self-directed content”, Switch sent the inexpensive Flip cameras to a dozen scholars around the country and gave them very specific suggestions on how they might bring the theme of “Seek. Imagine. Create.” to life for the incoming class of 2010. These self-directed videos were then sent to our offices and we edited 3 hours of footage into a fascinating 3 minute video that has been playing on YouTube for several months.

The event was an unforgettable evening as alumni, sponsors, and foundation executives shared their passion for the work of the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. Wrapping up with an incredible performance by the Clark Atlanta University Philharmonic Society and Broadway star Philip McAdoo, the guests left the ballroom with a sense of anticipation for their new roles in contributing to the creation of a better world.

Leveraging social media for social media’s sake is not a strategy. Leveraging social media to serve a purpose is. For MD Consult’s foray into social media, Switch found a way to create a presence that was both purposeful and relevant to the core audience.

MD Consult is the latest, most authoritative medical library anywhere, but traditional marketing tactics simply weren’t doing this electronic product justice. The MD Consult marketing team needed to increase product trial and usage to show doctors that this online resource is all they need for their practice. So, Switch developed the MD Consult widget. Targeted at both trial and current users, the widget allowed us to push out relevant information in an electronic format that can be passed along social networks. The widget has five main parts:

• A RSS feed of the latest medical news
• A search bar that redirects to the site
• A video player that features videos covering usage and tips
• Embed options for different social media platforms, including blogs and users’ individual iGoogle homepage
•  And, finally, a promotions tab to incentivize purchase

To help rollout the widget, we created a Facebook promotion to build positive word of mouth and recruit brand ambassadors. We called it the All You Need Are Friends promotion because it rewarded users for sharing the widget with their friends and colleagues. Within 12 weeks, our new brand ambassadors sent a whopping 1,892 widgets, which were ‘Accepted’ by their friends 43% of the time! We also increased MD Consult’s Facebook fans by more than 750%. And, since we let users control where the widget goes, we built top of mind product awareness that extends across multiple social media platforms.

To increase product trial and usage, we developed the MD Challenge- a fun 12-week promotional sampling experience that gives both trial users and current subscribers the opportunity to test their diagnosis and treatment knowledge for a chance to win an all-inclusive Club Med trip. More importantly, it showcases the depth and breadth of MD Consult in a relevant and engaging online experience where we control what the user sees. Of course, while users get to test run MD Consult, we are able to capture some much needed data for the Consult marketing team.

The MD Challenge is still running but has already attracted more than 18,000 unique visitors from 121 countries. And, players have spent an unheard of average of five minutes on MD Consult with every challenge.