Make Your Mark

Courageous brands always find a way to stand out in a meaningful way and make an indelible impact. On their business. On their industry. On society. At INK, we make our mark by ensuring you make yours.

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Make your mark with a full arsenal of services.

Brand Market Create Code Measure

We define brand development as a framework for growth. It's the process of connecting your business strategy with the wants/needs of your audiences. INK's rigorous, efficient process ensures that your brand will own prime real estate in hearts and minds of your employees, prospects, customers and partners.

Once a unique and compelling position is established, our attention turns to marketing strategies. Identifying target audiences, channels and media is just our first step. After covering the basics, we look for imaginative ways to effectively disrupt, engage and connect all the dots from awareness to post-purchase. That's what builds brand loyalty, and it's how we can help you make your mark.

The days of creative for creative's sake are long gone. Today advertising has to be creative to break through, but that's not enough. It has to lead to another interaction, travel across digital and traditional media and be measurable so that campaigns can be adjusted and optimized in real time.

Once we've figured out how cool it would be to activate your brand and connect with your customers through web sites, apps, mobile, social media and other digital channels, somebody has to make it all work. INK's in-house technology team is fluent in an array of programing languages, so the process from concept to functionality is seamless.

We work with our clients upfront to establish key performance metrics for any initiative, and every subsequent touchpoint has a unit of measurement built in. Our analytics team tracks the media mix, examines the interaction of offline and online media, traces the source of both leads and web activity, and projects the true value of each medium. We call it "geeking out." You'll call it ROI.

Portfolio

Inside the Outdoors

Inside the Outdoors

Quest Software

Quest Software

SmartStop Self Storage

SmartStop Self Storage

Chapman University

Chapman University

Golden Spoon

Golden Spoon

St. Margaret's

St. Margaret's

505 Games

505 Games

Shelly

Shelly

HireRight

HireRight

ILWU Credit Union

ILWU Credit Union

KCC

KCC

Legendary

Legendary

Pioneer

Pioneer

Self Help Works

Self Help Works

UCLA

UCLA

Westfield

Westfield


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Quest Video Quest Video Quest Video
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Golden Spoon

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How we left our mark

Pioneers of frozen yogurt industry, Golden Spoon looked to INK for a 360-degree corporate re-brand as significant market share was lost to a wave of new competition.The goal of the re-brand was to not only evolve the brand to be more responsive to the changing needs of their customers, but to differentiate Golden Spoon within the marketplace by clearly communicating their premium products, Southern California heritage, and healthy attributes. INK was tasked to redefine the frozen yogurt brand with a new brand positioning, which lead to the design of the Golden Spoon's new visual identity, executed across the following consumer touch points: website, logo design, re-branded in-store collateral, and promotional programs. These efforts were the catalyst for the refreshed look and feel of the new store concepts that are being converted across the globe. The re-branding of Golden Spoon resulted in increased traffic, sales, brand awareness, and gave the brand a unique position in a competitive industry.

SmartStop

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How we left our mark

Armed with an aggressive acquisition strategy and a dream to become an industry leader, SmartStop turned to INK in an effort to build a world-class brand and global recognition.To buoy SmartStop to the top of the industry, INK tackled all aspects of the brand – naming, logo, branding, web, media, and facility design – giving SmartStop a unique, own-able position within the self-storage industry as “the smarter way to store.” All consumer touch points allow customers to easily make the smart choices for their storage needs, particularly through the mobile phone inventory app and online interactive storage calculator. INK built a website that not only brings the consumer closer to the services SmartStop offers, but also works as an integral part to the overall SmartStop rebranding. Since the re-launch, SmartStop has seen a dramatic increase in monthly rent payments increased by 192%.

Chapman University

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How we left our mark

INK was engaged by Chapman University's Argyros School of Business and Economics (ASBE) to re-ignite excitement and buzz surrounding their Flex MBA program by launching the "Tomorrow's Leaders" public relations and advertising campaign.The campaign focused on engaging the local community to apply for or nominate MBA-worthy people in Orange County to receive a Flex MBA sponsorship. Finalists were chosen by Chapman and a panel of judges pulled from well-regarded local businesses. Each finalist submitted an essay on how they would use their MBA to positively impact the Orange County business community. Qualified finalists were invited to an event on campus where the winner was announced. INK created awareness and excitement around the campaign through advertising, public relations, and coordination with campaign’s media sponsor OC Metro.

St. Margaret's

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How we left our mark

INK worked with St. Margaret's Episcopal School to create a viewbook with insert brochures for prospective parents. The goal of this piece is to create a memorable and impactful impression for prospective parents by showcasing all the attributes and benefits of attending St. Margaret's. St. Margaret's accommodates all school levels, from preschool through high school, and also provides a close, happy, trusting, and encouraging environment where students not only have the ability to excel academically, but in all areas of life. The viewbook INK developed and designed highlights St. Margaret's strengths as an overall educational and growth experience for both students and families looking for top schools.

Quest Software

PreviousNext
How we left our mark

Yet another voiceless software company, born from an aggressive acquisition strategy. How to stand out and be heard? Quest Software's culture was one of electricity, excitement, and progressive thinking, so we chose to reflect that internal culture outward to the public. Starting with a brand positioning platform and extending that outward to channel branding and campaigns gave Quest an ability to more holistically tell the story of "Why Quest?" in a way that was both engaging and authentic. All campaigns harkened back to the Quest’s tagline, “Simplicity at Work,” which reflects Quest’s ability to serve as a layer of elegant simplicity. With the initial campaign launch of Quest's Desktop Virtualization campaign, we not only garnered incredibly positive reaction from within the organization, but outperformed even their most successful campaigns launched to date.

Inside the Outdoors

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How we left our mark

Inside the Outdoors Foundation engaged INK to strategize and create brand awareness of the organization's programs to the Orange County community. An integrated awareness campaign was conceived and produced by INK, which included a series of print ads, online banner ads, newsletters, promotional flyers, posters, and an informative microsite, all designed and conceptualized in-house with original photography. The goal was to bolster brand awareness in the OC community by promoting July as Inside the Outdoors Month, an annual event that Inside the Outdoors Foundation can leverage for multiple years and that provides a springboard for launching follow-on campaigns. Managed by INK, marketing donations were leveraged in the form of traditional media, online media, print ads, online banner ads, e-mail blasts, promotional flyers, promotional posters, and public relations, among others. INK leveraged corporate sponsorships and media donations to cover the cost of media exposure.

Todd Henderson

Todd Henderson

Years of Experience: 20
Previous clients: Sony, HP, Guess?, Diageo, Mattel
Random Fact: I have an irrational fear of robots

Todd is an award-winning creative professional with 20 years of experience in servicing Fortune 1000 clients across a variety of industries. His ability to blend strategic insight with creative thinking has helped to make Todd a true dual-threat. Todd previously served as Chief Creative Officer for Strata Media, President of Fuse Interactive, Executive Creative Director at Citrus Global, Chief Creative Officer at Viant, and lead character animator at Dreamworks SKG. Successful client relationships include Hewlett-Packard, Sony, DirecTV, VIZIO, Warner Bros., Yahoo!, Cisco, Quest, Diageo, Verizon, Guess, and Hotels.com. Todd has been recognized as one of OC Metro's 40 Under 40, has worked on several national judging panels, and holds two patents for his involvement in the creation and branding of the Internet movie platform Movielink.

Megan Lavender

Megan Lavender

Years of Experience: 15
Previous clients: Bloomingdale's, Ford, Best Buy, Bank of America, Mercedes-Benz
Random Fact: I am a divemaster

Megan has leveraged her background in traditional advertising, sales support, brand building and direct marketing over the past 15 years to create highly effective strategic marketing solutions for an impressive roster of Fortune 1000 clients nationwide. Megan previously served as Director of Client Services and Strategy for Strata-Media and Vice President of Sales & Marketing for MB Direct, where she led projects ranging from brand-building initiatives for retail and financial services clients to designing interactive customer service platforms for telecom companies. Megan's historic client base includes Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Best Buy, AT&T, AVON, Clear Channel Communications, Bank of America, Ford, Denny's, El Pollo Loco, Mercedes-Benz and Albertsons. Megan was recently recognized as a 2010 Women in Business nominee by the Orange County Business Journal and one of OC Metro’s 40 Under 40 in 2012.

Tim Price

Tim Price

Years of experience: 20
Previous clients: American Airlines, Irvine Company, Edwards Lifesciences, Toyota Industrial Equipment
Fun Fact: Gretsch guitar addict

Tim has more than 20 years of experience in brand development with a special emphasis on strategy, positioning, verbal identity, and brand communications. He has managed corporate brand creation initiatives and rebranding programs for Fortune 200 clients in the industries of energy, healthcare, technology, and manufacturing. Prior to becoming a brand strategist, Tim was an award-winning advertising creative director and writer. Tim's client experience includes American Airlines, Farmers Insurance, Toyota Industrial Equipment, Entergy, AMN Healthcare, Precision Dynamics Corp, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and hundreds of others in B2B and B2C.

TJ Bennett

TJ Bennett

Years of Experience: 16
Previous clients: BMW, Vonage, Absolut, DIRECTV, Sprint, Citibank, Microsoft, Mazda
Fun Fact: I base my entire life philosophy on Snoopy.

TJ has over 16 years of experience as a creative director and copywriter. And he has never met a project or challenge he didn't like. Over the years, he’s worked on just about everything—from no budget to big budget, online and offline—consistently delivering simple, attention-getting ideas that force people to think and act. He has created these ideas at several top-tier agencies including TBWA\Chiat\Day, Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners, Ogilvy, Y&R/Wunderman and Hill Holliday. His work has been recognized by Cannes Lions, One Show, Creativity Magazine and more. Notable clients include BMW, Microsoft, Vonage, Absolut, Verizon, Sears, Sprint and DIRECTV.

Peter Watkins

Peter Watkins

Years of Experience: Many
Previous clients: Mazda, Del Taco, Qualcomm, Vivendi Universal
Random Fact: Teaches a crack-of-dawn class for high school students. Needs more sleep.

After starting his career as a client in the automotive industry (Hyundai, Toyota, Mazda), Peter made the jump to the agency side and hasn’t looked back. He created and led the successful Strategic Services practice at Nine Dots and was one of the founders of Thumbworks, a pioneer in branded mobile entertainment. Before joining INK, he was SVP, Brand Leadership for Doner. Peter graduated from UCLA with a degree in English and holds an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Somehow he also finds time to serve as editor for the magazine Casual Connect.

Kelly Ward

Kelly Ward

Previous clients: Ford, Mazda, Toshiba
Fun Fact: Eats a potato every single day. She's Irish.

Kelly possesses national and international experience in the B2B and B2C space spanning automotive, consumer electronics and healthcare categories. Specialties include: brand positioning and development, new product introductions and the development and implementation of marketing strategies and campaigns. Before joining INK, Kelly and her team introduced two all-new Mazda vehicles to the U.S. marketplace in addition to leading brand integration and marketing campaigns for Mazda’s core vehicles, producing year-over-year sales increases and surpassing established KPI objectives. Kelly’s historical accounts include: Ford, Mazda, Toshiba, Sharp Electronics, KonicaMinolta and United Healthcare.

Greg Huffstutter

Greg Huffstutter

Years of Experience: 16
Previous clients: McDonald's, KIA, Suzuki
Fun Fact: Only follows losing sports teams

Greg has over 16 years of media experience specializing in the integration of traditional and digital advertising efforts. Prior to joining INK, Greg was the Los Angeles Media Director of RAPP, a global direct-marketing agency. He also pens a regular column – "The Ad Man Answers" – as part of a book-marketing blog hosted by thriller author M.J. Rose. Greg's historic clients include McDonald's, KIA Motors, Suzuki Automotive, AAA Insurance, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Angels, and the San Diego Padres.

Chris Bretschger

Chris Bretschger

Years of Experience: 9
Previous clients: Adidas, Jenny Craig, West Marine
Fun Fact: Races high performance sailboats

Chris has 9 years of digital experience specializing in analytics and online media. Prior to Chris joining INK, he focused primarily on automotive accounts working for Mazda North American Operations as their Manager of Online and Social Media, Deutsch on the VW business, and Carat Fusion working on Kia and Hyundai among others. Other historic clients include Adidas, Adidas Golf, Jenny Craig, Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine, and West Marine.

Meet INK's team leaders

Help us,
help you

Off the clock

We've established more than an agency. We’ve created a culture. It's based on re-inventing advertising and marketing and transforming the way we do business—inside and out of the office.

Make your mark
by sharing what inspires you.

Just a touch of delusion

By TJ Bennett on 3/20/2013
Read Post

The Secret Life of Account Service

By Caroline Hanley on 2/8/2013
Read Post

Need More Creativity?

By Josh Ray on 1/18/2013
Read Post

The Value of Perspective

By Megan Lavender on 8/16/2012
Read Post


Repeat As Necessary

By Josh Ray on 8/9/2012
Read Post

Social By Design

By Rob Patterson on 8/7/2012
Read Post

Who Do You Trust

By Greg Huffstutter on 7/31/2012
Read Post

A Shallow Pool?

By Nicole Pidoux on 7/15/2012
Read Post


Always Moving, Always Changing

By Chris Bretschger on 6/28/2012
Read Post

Telling the Story

By Caroline Hanley on 6/28/2012
Read Post

Get in touch

Contact Info

Business Development
+949.596.4502
sales@inkagency.com

Media Relations
+949.596.4500
caroline@inkagency.com

We are located at

38
Discovery, Suite 100 Irvine, CA 92618

949.596.4500

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The Ghost Track

“I hate pictures of children“

-Todd

“I'd rather be babysitting“

-Katie

“Oh look, a
raccoon!“

-Kelly

“It's pumpin' time“

-Megan

“Gamers do it with the lights off“

-Lawrence

“I said Gotham Light!“

-Jason

“Let me guess, sushi?“

-Caroline

“How many more business cards?“

-Nicole

“I'm like a soldier without a battle“

-Chris

“Are you ready for this?!“

-Mark

The Quote Wall

This one time we made some art together

(and it went a little
something like this)

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Inc. 5000

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