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mike moves brands
about
I turn business strategy into brands, logos and content for social media.
Just one stipulation... let's proceed with minds - and ears - wide open.
Let's go.
I employ an innovative process
for discovering where organizations need to go and how to get there, developed from years in marketing and creative services.
My series of informed brainstorming sessions brings everyone on board.
I understand the dynamics of organizations, whether large or small, local business too. I own one!
Building local and national digital design studios trained me to spot and nurture creative thinking.
I work as a hired consulant
and a hands-on producer.
I bill fairly for my services.
I will recommend talent, like web site builders, photographers, videographers and social media pros
as part of our team. I will introduce them to you. No, I do not mark them up.
Let’s get there! Don’t take my word for it. See what my clients say about me below.
The 'get there' photo and caption below is from one of my recent branding presentations, used with permission. Photo: canstockphoto.ca
My story...
I’m a married father of two, I live with my wife in Barrie, Ontario. I find that working out of my home studio to be the most efficient way to do great work.
- English Lit: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- BFA in Graphic Design and Fine Art, Concordia, Montreal
- 5 years learning my craft in design & ad agencies, production studios and typesetting outfits (remember them?) in Toronto
- Owned an award winning studio: branded and marketed over 30 new home communities across Southern Ontario
- Creative Director for eCommerce Inc., a startup who built over 35 internet sites when the web was young...
- National Creative Director, DareStep, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, Canada: Task: define job roles, search for talent and open 5 design studios nationwide, then integrate new media with strategy consultants and clients
- Director of Interactive, Saatchi and Saatchi Toronto: launched inaugural site for Toyota Matrix
- Contract Position: Xerox Business Services at Bell Canada: Task: lead the team to build an online auction portal for printing projects, supervise 4 design studios, install digital asset storage system
- Director of Marketing, Andlauer Transportation and ATS Healthcare Services, Toronto: Task: develop all marketing materials and web sites for national and international transportation & logistics firms
I will tell your story
like no one else!
I'm in the idea business! You too?
Testimonials
What clients say about me.
Patrick Bongers
Partner, CedarCoast Timber Homes
Mike’s talent goes far beyond website design. He really is a master at looking at the overall branding and making sure that the brand connects with your audience. He is artistic enough to create such a brand and then to weave it into the website and the other social media platforms that companies use. This concept can then be easily extended to print and other media.
Mike helped us perform a complete overhaul of our website. Early on in this process, as Mike came to understand our business, he pointed out that our branding did not stand out from our competitors. Mike was astute enough to realize this shortcoming and he was able to demonstrate why he had this concern. It was not obvious at the outset and it takes someone with an eye like Mike to see this.
Mike has a lot of patience and kept us on task to keep the process moving forward and achieve the results that we desired.
Diane Kydd,
Founder and Director,
Camphill Communities Ontario
I am so happy
with our new look Mike, I think it is so attractive, so clean, so right for us! Thank you so much for rebranding us. A lot to live up to now!
Chris Ballard
Member of Provincial Parliament, Ontario; Chair, Lt.-Gov. Simcoe’s Levee (2010-2012); Vice-President, Queen’s York Rangers Association (2010-2013); Councillor, Town of Aurora; President, CSB Communications Inc.
I have had the pleasure of working closely with Mike Beard on a number of projects, including both corporate and as a willing volunteer. Without exception, Mike’s work has been outstanding. His beyond-the-call-of-duty efforts as a volunteer for the Queen’s York Rangers Association fits this category.
The Queen’s York Rangers Association raises funds to support the men and women of the regiment and their families. As Chair of the 2011 inaugural event.
I approached Mike to help with concept development, branding and marketing. He immediately saw the need to support our troops and their families and said “yes.” He devoted considerable time to both the inaugural and 2012 events.
I can honestly say that without Mike’s enthusiastic support, branding insight and graphic design expertise, the levee would not have been the success it was. His branding was identified by many donors as key to winning their support. Countless times Mike was asked to undertake a task outside the scope of his commitment, and he did so without complaint, all in order to make the events a success.
Barrie is fortunate to have a fantastic community development asset in the form of Mike Beard.
Bob Brogan
Senior Executive VP,
ATS Healthcare
Mike instinctively knew where to take the look and feel of the brand, understood its technical complexities and delivered the marketing in many innovative ways. Today our division is an overwhelming success, in testimony to the quality and creativity of his efforts.
He simply nailed it.
Christine Hughes
President and Chief Investment Strategist, OtterWood Capital Management Inc.
I had the pleasure of working with Mike in designing OtterWood’s corporate website. He recreated the vision that OtterWood had presented him with and developed a strong, professional, easy to navigate site. What I appreciated the most was the time Mike took to really understand what I needed from the website, and he was always ready with suggestions on improvement.
Mike is completely professional and worked extremely hard to produce a website that was tailored to my exact needs. He also provided training on how to maintain and update the website ourselves.
I am thrilled with the response I’ve been receiving, and recommend his services.”
Rob Rutherford
President, RCR Technologies Inc.
Mike and I have I guess what you would call a long distance relationship, in fact we have never met. I knew him because he created our Tack Data branding and site, so when it came time to renew the RCR Technologies web site, I thought Mike would be up to the task, he was.
Mike has a great ability to speak directly to executives and his creative ideas enlivened the presentation. His visuals have a way of making technical subjects easier to understand.
Donna Douglas
‘Volunteers Grow a Significant Event’, Barrie Examiner, February 13, 2013
MOVING TO BARRIE as a newcomer can be daunting. But Mike Beard has grabbed life in Barrie by the coattails and the community is benefiting. Mike has brought his generous nature and his divine graphic design and branding skills here… He’s joined a couple of networking groups; he’s signed up for a business program; he’s an active member of the Greater Barrie Chamber of Commerce.
In short, Mike arrived wearing his pitcher’s glove, not his catcher’s mitt!
Evelyn Faulk
Parner, PANtechnicon, VOIP Telephone Services, Barrie
As a marketing expert, Mike understands full well that small, consistent and continual interactions are necessary to establish trust. These personal interactions often define how a consumer will feel about a brand on the ‘gut level’. Mike is also aware that most people need repetition to reinforce ideas and be memorable, while avoiding duplication.
PANtechnicon assigned Mike the somewhat daunting task of re branding us, not only for our business in Barrie, but also for Montreal and Toronto. We were confident and comfortable with our choice precisely because Mike’s actions had earned our trust.
With Mike, there is no second-rate effort; no settling for mediocrity just to get it done. Getting ahead of others is not what motivates Mike, he is focused on maximizing his creative talents for his client’s satisfaction. He subscribes to the axiom that whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart.
In PANtechnicon’s estimation, Mike is the consummate professional, combining in equal measure a critical and artistic eye with current and contemporary concepts.
Evelyn Faulk, Parner, PANtechnicon, VOIP telephone services, Barrie
Let me re-enlighten your business!
David Fleming
Co-Owner, Tack Data and
eCommerce Inc.
We recently started a new company, Tack Data, and we needed a marketing company to work with us to define a strong brand that positioned us well against international, mature competitors.
The process that Mike uses fits this requirement exactly and the results were amazing! Our business goals were directly addressed and we are very proud of our new brand.
Larry Palmer
Executive Director, Camphill Communities Ontario
Mike joined our ‘Community Action Award’ Committee which annually honours someone who has made an outstanding contribution to our community, in the form of a tribute dinner. The 2013 dinner was our first (four others follow now) -MB and Mike was an integral part of our committee.
His knowledge and effort was essential and invaluable in creating and developing our brand advertising and all related web and print materials. We could have not have created this level of professional quality without his assistance, and became critical to allowing us to achieve such a successful inaugural event.
Mike Fox
Executive Director,
Living Green
Mike Beard has been an invaluable resource in several initiatives that I have undertaken this year. His talent in preparing and donating a logo for our Food Security Coalition was truly brilliant. Mike proved his considerable talents by designing marketing material for a major speaking event I produced this spring.
Dan Fox
CMO of PharmaTrust Inc., Oakville ON
“During my time as CMO of PharmaTrust, I came to respect Mike’s competency as a marketer and perhaps more importantly his incredible work ethic. In the often ethereal world of marketing, Mike was a great consensus builder and always ensured good ideas got to market. Mike added significant value in helping establish brand positioning and communication strategy, and almost single handedly re-built a very tired and ineffective web site which was a massive undertaking in branding and copy writing.
Carol Shell
Manager, Creative Services, Xerox Global Business
I have known Mike both personally and professionally for quite a few years now. I can attest to his upstanding character, his caring way of going about his business and the unique set of creative skills he brings to his projects. Really a wonderful writer and designer with a grasp of what’s possible in the real world of schedules and budgets.
I will tell your story
like no one else!
I'm in the idea business! What's on your mind today?
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