Spring is blooming… and so are our clients

April 2013

What do two law firms, a restaurant, three specialty goods companies, and a holistic health provider have in common? No, that’s not the beginning of a bad joke… it’s a sampling of our new clients here at Stride!

Barber & Waxman is a new law firm in Burlington specializing in matrimonial and family law. We are delighted these highly regarded attorneys chose us to help launch their brand.

Sheehey Furlong & Behm is a well-established law firm that represents some of the highest profile companies in Vermont. Our work for this leading Burlington firm will include branding, messaging, photography and web site design.

We’re thrilled to be doing branding and design work for Sweetwaters, a unique American bistro that’s been a landmark on Church Street for over 30 years. Look for their new web site and 7Nights ad, coming out soon.

Mudd+Wyeth is an exciting company that makes unique products for dog owners, and the dogs they love. They’ve developed a market breakthrough with the YaffBar®, the world’s first energy bar made to be shared between people and pups — a treat for two! We’ve produced branding, marketing and promotional strategies, packaging, and web design for this fun-loving company, and are thrilled to continue working with them as they grow their brand.

Our collective sweet tooth is rejoicing at our new client, The Mill Fudge Factory, based in New Hampshire. Their artisan fudge is sold in all 50 states and has earned them an enthusiastic following, while their handmade ice cream and café fare have made them a local sensation. This spring, we’ll be unveiling their new branding and upgrades to their ecommerce web site.

Hope for Women is another new client specializing in handcrafted Fair Trade for the fashion industry. Their unique, sustainable products are made by economically disadvantaged women and communities worldwide. We are helping them establish new branding and a newly designed web site to capitalize on their significant growth in an exciting market.

We are also working with Maine Integrative Healing on logo, branding, and web site design, a medical practice based in Portland, Maine, which provides a holistic alternative to traditional Western medicine. We are excited about this healthy addition to our client line-up!

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Stride launches new web site for Trek Store Alaska

March 2013

With two passionate cyclists on staff, we're always psyched when we get to work with bicycle-centric brands. Cue our extra excitement for the launch of a new web site we designed and built in association with the well-known national brand, Trek Bicycle. Trek makes affordable and accessible road, mountain, and town bikes that are sold at retailers and franchised Trek stores around the country. The web site we created is for a new Trek store in Anchorage, Alaska.

Trek Store Alaska is the sister store for Chain Reaction Cycles, with whom we've worked over the past few years on web, branding, and identity projects. The owners of Chain Reaction decided to open Trek Store Alaska in an effort to refocus Chain Reaction on elite, performance-oriented products and Trek Store Alaska on products for recreational cyclists.

Trekstorealaska.com is more than just a pretty site, too — it's a customized content management system that allows the store's staff members to update event and clinic information on the site easily and frequently. The site incorporates many Trek brand elements, but combines them with our own design direction to really make this site a unique and compelling extension of the Trek Bicycles brand.

Check out the web site for Trek Store Alaska!

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We've got soul — Art+Soul.

March 2013

Stride is excited to kick off the planning and collaborating for the annual Art+Soul benefit! Dunkiel Saunders Elliot Raubvogel & Hand is the host and sponsor, and we are co-sponsoring with the Vermont Arts Council. This year's event is all about Lake Champlain and local art inspired by and benefitting ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center. It's a great cause and we're thrilled to be a part of it all.

The actual event is June 6 at Dunkiel Saunders law offices on 91 College Street in Burlington. We hope you'll join us and get inspired, support local art, support a local nonprofit, and of course enjoy a great Vermont summer night!

Interested in having your art included at Art+Soul? There will be an Artist Open House at ECHO on March 28 from 5:30 – 8PM. Art submission deadline is May 3.

Learn more about the event at artandsoulvt.org

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Stride welcomes new team member, Jeremi Lashua

December 2012

We're excited to announce the latest addition to Stride Creative Group — Jeremi Lashua, Senior Designer and Web Specialist. His unique combination of advanced web development skills, design expertise, and marketing strategy experience make him a fantastic fit for our group. Get to know Jeremi over on our staff page >>

Jeremi recently had some news of his own as well. While standing in line for the bathroom at a conference in Washington, DC, he met his professional idol Jeffrey Zeldman, the "godfather of web standards". He reports that it was almost as exhilarating as it was awkward.

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Sweet success for Lake Champlain Chocolates!

December 2012

Our client Lake Champlain Chocolates was recently recognized as one of the world's best retail websites on Internet Retailer's Hot 100 list. Since its redesign in 2011, their website has shown a considerable return on investment: it has converted shoppers at double the previous rate on key shopping dates during the holiday season.

While Lake Champlain Chocolates worked with a specialty e-commerce company to design and build the site, Stride has designed all of the featured home page tiles since the launch, as well as some graphics work on interior pages. Check out Lake Champlain's home page below, and join us in congratulating our local chocolatier on a job well done!

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The riders on the bus say cheese, cheese, cheese!

August 2012

The thunderstorms held out on Wednesday, August 8, for a very successful and fun photoshoot for CCTA. Stride worked with photographer Andy Duback to capture happy riders enjoying public transportation in Williston. We shot 30 different and diverse riders — from babies to seniors. These photos will be used in various advertising and promotional materials for CCTA over the next year.

Here are some snapshots from behind the scenes at the shoot, just to give you a peek at what goes into getting great photos for our clients. Thank you to all of our smiling Vermonters who served as our models for the shoot, and thank you CCTA and Andy for a great day of collaboration!

 

 

 

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High winds and high spirits at the Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival

August 2012

On Sunday, August 5, our client Dragonheart Vermont held their 7th Annual Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival. The weather did not entirely cooperate, however, causing the racecourse to be shortened due to extremely strong winds. Everybody from racers to volunteers had to stay focused and work extra hard throughout the day to battle the elements. Regardless, the festival was a great time and was pulled off without a hitch, raising about $130,000 for wellness programs for cancer survivors in our area.

Donations are still in full swing for the coming weeks — you can contribute online at Dragonheart Vermont's web site.

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Original art, live music, and farm-fresh food: an evening at Art+Soul!

June 2012

We had a blast at the inaugural Art+Soul event at Dunkiel Saunders. It was a fantastic early-summer-in-Vermont night, complemented by delicious food from Sugarsnap, great music from Red Hot Juba, and 80 pieces of inspiring art from 30 local artists. The well-attended event raised a lot of money — and awareness — for the Intervale Center and creative artists in our community.

If you didn't get a chance to check it out, we hope to see you at Art+Soul next year! And if you can't wait until then, check out Art+Soul on Facebook!

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Join us for the first annual Art+Soul!

June 2012

We can't think of a better way to kick off the summer than a night of local art, live music, and tasty refreshments — all in support of, and inspired by, a great cause. Join us on June 7, 2012 from 6:30 - 9:00pm, at the law offices of Dunkiel Saunders, for the first annual Art+Soul event to benefit the Intervale Center. Dunkiel Saunders is located at 91 College Street in Burlington.

Stride, Dunkiel Saunders, and Thread Magazine co-sponsored this event, which brings together artists, musicians, nonprofits, and businesses together to support and raise awareness for the good work and creative spirit of our community. Proceeds from the art sales will be split between the artists and the Intervale Center. We hope to see you there.

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Stride owners teaching upcoming marketing class

May 2012

As part of a series of courses for small business owners hosted by Core Business Seminars, Stride co-owners Catherine McIntyre and Terri Parent will be leading a 2-hour session called Getting the Word Out: Effective Marketing on Wednesday, June 6.

Having developed successful brands and marketing plans for over 15 years, Catherine and Terri will be sharing their wealth of knowledge, tried-and-true strategies, and humorous stories from the world of marketing. They'll explain branding and why it's so critical to the success of your marketing efforts, and how to develop a marketing plan that really will help you grow your business. They'll outline local media choices, how to decide which media to use (and why), how to use new media effectively, and how to run a successful marketing campaign no matter how large — or small — the budget. And they'll review the various ways in which you can assess your return on your marketing investment.

The class will be held on Wednesday, June 6 from 9:00–11:00 am, at the offices of Core Business Seminars, located at 156 College Street in downtown Burlington (across from City Hall Park). Class size is limited, so pre-register online at corebusinessseminars.com or call 373-7952.

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Launch of redesigned web site for Saint Michael's College

May 2012

Just in time for graduate school applications to come rolling in, Saint Michael's College has unveiled their new sleek and modern web site — with Stride's help. Terri Parent and Catherine McIntyre worked closely with Saint Michael's Graduate Programs' staff to restructure and reorganize the content for the web site's extensive Graduate section, while Hannah Munger rewrote the majority of the section's copy. Terri also handled design and photoshoot direction for the section's home page. We are excited to continue working with Saint Michael's Graduate Programs to create more marketing and communications materials for such an esteemed academic institution in our home state.

You can learn more about Saint Michael's Graduate Programs and check out their new web site at www.smcvt.edu/graduate

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Stride's Client Honored at University of Vermont Ceremony

May 2012

Stride Creative Group owners Terri Parent and Catherine McIntyre attended the University of Vermont's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Alumni and Friends dinner on Saturday, May 12. Barbara Moore, owner of The Good Table and client of Stride, received the 2012 Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award. The award is given annually to CALS alumni who have achieved excellence in their fields, demonstrated significant leadership, and contributed to their communities. UVM recognized Barbara's commitment the University's land-grant ethic by supporting small family farms and integrating locally grown, organic foods into her café and catering food service business.

Read the full event details: "A Career and Lifestyle Intertwined: Barbara Moore '74, Earns Outstanding Alumna Award"

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Builders, bicyclists, and bacon… oh my!

Stride welcomes new clients

April 2012

As we round out the first quarter of 2012, we're excited to announce some new additions to our client list. They join a diverse set of companies and organizations that allow us to flex our creative muscles and learn more about the world around us.

Heading up our list of new clients is actually an old client: Engelberth Construction, which Terri and Catherine worked with a decade ago, prior to launching Stride. We're delighted to be collaborating with them again.

Sojourn Bike Tours, a company that is brand new to us, fits perfectly into our mix of outdoor recreation clients. Catherine's cycling passion and expertise provides a unique understanding of Sojourn's target audience and industry.

Hayward Tyler, a global manufacturer of large-scale electric motors, pumps and turbines, serves a wide range of industrial clients, including the nuclear power industry. Our work with the US branch of this nearly 200-year-old company is just getting underway.

One of our newest clients, Vermont Head Start Association, is currently focused on helping Vermont families access proper dental care. We're working hard to create the right message to achieve this goal.

Lastly, we're having fun working with Café Genevieve from Jackson Hole, Wyoming to bring a specialty food product to market. "Pig Candy" is bacon like you've never tasted before!

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Stride featured on front page of Champlain Business Journal

January 2012

If you haven't picked up a copy of this month's Champlain Business Journal yet, you're missing out on some trade secrets from local marketing firms — including Stride. Gracing the cover of the current edition are our very own Terri Parent and Catherine McIntyre.

The article discusses the importance of choosing the right name and branding for your business, as reporter Sara Widness writes, "a name, and how it's perceived, can make or break a business." Widness interviewed Terri and Catherine, along with several other local marketing professionals and newly renamed businesses who shared their experiences and insights on naming and branding.

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Blue Paddle breaks Jump On It sales record

December 2011

A round of applause goes out to the Blue Paddle Bistro in South Hero, VT. Its November 30th promotion on WCAX's 'Jump on It' deal-of-the-day program set a record as Jump on It's most successful single day restaurant promotion ever. With its offer of a $40 gift certificate for $20, the Paddle sold 1,865 units in a 24-hour period across the program's Vermont and northern New York regions.

How did they do it? Owner Mandy Hotchkiss set out to break new ground by actively 'promoting the promotion'. She worked with Stride to develop a brief email marketing campaign targeted to the Paddle's large customer base, encouraging customers to sign up for Jump on It's daily email program prior to the November 30th deal and purchase gift certificates as holiday gifts. It was followed up with a reminder the day before the deal, and assisted by social media to extend the reach of the message. All in all, it was a fast and inexpensive way to draw new business during a traditionally slow time of year.

Mandy worked with Senior Designer Dave Barron to develop the design and message of the email marketing promotion.

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Stride launches web site for Green Mountain Florist Supply

November 2011

Stride Creative Group is delighted to announce its web site redesign for Green Mountain Florist Supply, Vermont's largest provider of wholesale cut flowers and floral supplies.

With locations in South Burlington and Middlesex, the company — also known as GMFSI — serves the needs of florists and floral designers throughout Vermont and in many locations in New York and New Hampshire as well. One visit to the new site and it's easy to see how GMFSI had developed such a loyal customer following. By striving to give their customers the best possible service, advice, and floral inspirations, owners Tom and Kim Jennings often opted to increase the site's page count and enhance its functionality instead of looking for ways to cut corners.

The GMFSI site was truly a team effort at Stride. Web developer Kathy Erickson played a critical role in the planning, development, and training phases, working closely with owner Terri Parent, who oversaw the project and developed the site's architecture and content. Senior Designer Terry Fallon designed the site's look and feel with its home page and interior page templates, Dave Barron assisted with technical details and PHP programming, and owner Catherine McIntyre provided hosting consultation, SEO, and ongoing technical support.

The web site was debuted in late Fall 2011 to coincide with GMFSI's Fall Open House, featuring celebrity floral expert J Schwanke. It has received glowing reviews by existing and potential new customers alike.

You can visit the new Green Mountain Florist Supply web site at: www.gmfsi.com

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Stride launches web site for New York caterer

September 2011

Stride Creative Group is delighted to announce its launch of a new web site for The Good Table, an upscale corporate foodservice company in Purchase, New York.

Serving quality-conscious businesses and commercial office complexes in Westchester County, NY and Fairfield County, Connecticut, The Good Table places a high value on exceptional food made from fresh, local ingredients. Owner Barbara Moore distinguishes her company through its strong ties to small family farms and community-supported agriculture. Through numerous corporate cafés and a thriving catering service, she and Executive Chef Keith Taplin create extraordinary menus that have made The Good Table a sought-after foodservice provider among the corporate elite.

Stride began its work for The Good Table with a brand assessment, followed by improvements to the company's logo, visual elements, and voice. Owner Terri Parent worked closely with copywriter Gail Jokerst to develop the web site's content, creating a brand personality, messaging strategy, and SEO plan. Senior Designer Dave Barron developed the design, photography direction, downloadable menus and programming for the web site. Initial reviews of The Good Table's web presence have been overwhelmingly positive.

Stride continues to assist The Good Table with additional marketing needs, including menu design, signage, and staff uniforms.

The Good Table's web site can be found at www.thegoodtable.com

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Stride's web site for "Fat Bikes" gives near-instant ROI

Spring 2011

FatBikes.com, a winter cycling e-commerce site based in Anchorage, Alaska, confirmed that it had recouped its investment in its new web presence — developed by Stride Creative Group — just one month after its launch.

Operated by Alaskan bike company Chain Reaction Cycles, FatBikes.com
is an early player on the snow riding scene — an industry that is quickly swelling with specialized gear, race events, and devoted fans. Its 9:ZERO:7 aluminum "fat bikes" are capable of using uber-wide 100mm rims and 4.5" tires and are designed to be ridden on the snow. In addition to fat bike frames, the site also features unique components, accessories, and clothing.

FatBikes.com was officially launched in January, 2011. By the following month, the company reported that its earnings from web sales had already exceeded the web design and development fees it had invested with Stride Creative Group. It's an extraordinary return on investment that's not only attributable to the high-quality products the company provides, but also to the web site's effective SEO, ease of use, clean design, and smooth checkout process.

Owner Catherine McIntyre created the look and feel of FatBikes.com, working closely with the client to develop its branding, site architecture and user experience. She collaborated with Kathy Erickson, who built the e-commerce site in the Yahoo! Store platform. They continue to monitor the site's Google rankings and make updates and modifications as needed.

Check out the site at www.fatbikes.com

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More National Awards for Stride's Client – WowToyz

Parents' Choice Awards, Spring 2011

Specialty toy manufacturer WowToyz was recently honored with multiple Parents' Choice Awards in the Spring 2011 toy category for their Museum Quality Great Dinos and their Jr. Science Explorer Volcanic Eruption Kit. Established in 1978, Parents' Choice is the nation's oldest nonprofit guide to quality children's media and toys.

Stride's eye-catching and highly effective packaging makes these award-winning product lines especially appealing to parents and children.

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Stride's work for CCTA wins national award

Federal Transit Administration, March 2011

In March, Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA) received top honors by the Federal Transit Administration for its online system map, which Stride designed and developed. Named 2011 Best Transit Map Award in the category of "Best Coordination of Multiple Providers in a Web-Based Map" at the Northeast Passenger Transportation Conference in Hartford, Connecticut, it details CCTA's expansive services across the top half of Vermont, down to street level. Viewers are able to click through to individual section maps for an even closer look. The map is available on the CCTA web site.

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Stride Creative moves to new spot

Champlain Business Journal, September 2010

Stride's recent move and business growth is featured in a full article in the September 2010 issue of Champlain Business Journal. Highlighting the diversity of our capabilities, professional backgrounds and lifestyles, it is an in-depth view of our business.

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Stride's work for CCTA wins national first place award

American Public Transportation Association, August 2010

The Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA) has recently been recognized with a First Place Award in the 2010 AdWheel Awards competition, hosted by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), for its CCTA Smart Business Program advertising campaign. The campaign was conceived, written, and designed by Stride Creative Group, in collaboration with CCTA. The award will be presented during a special ceremony at APTA's annual meeting in San Antonio.

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WowToyz products win notable national awards

Dr. Toy / Creative Child Magazine, August 2010

Creative Child Magazine and Dr. Toy have recognized four educational toys from WowToyz with awards in 2010. Stride Creative Group was the design firm to develop the branding and packaging designs for all four award-winning products.

Two of the products won a 2010 Toy of the Year Award for different categories from Creative Child Magazine. The WowToyz Classic Train Set, a 20-piece battery-operated train set, won in the Classic Toys category, and the Space Explorer Backpack Playset won in the Travel Playsets category. Stride created packaging designs for all five products within the Space Explorers product line.

Also recognized by Creative Child Magazine was the Alien Spy Voice Messenger, with a 2010 Seal of Excellence in the Novelty Products category.

Dr. Toy is an organization that has been awarding children's products with awards and seals of approval for nearly 20 years. This year, it recognized Li'l Chugs Wooden Trains by WowToyz with the 2010 Best Green Product award. Li'l Chugs trains are constructed of highly-renewable, natural rubberwood harvested from reforested forests. They meet all national safety standards and are a great value.

Congratulations to WowToyz on an impressive array of awards for 2010.