Social Media

Bank of Ann Arbor ad campaign gets noticed by non-locals

By Newsroom

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March 14, 2012

Chuck Berry used to litter his songs with the names of cities in order to boost record sales. There's nothing like a little hometown pride when it comes to marketing. For Bank of Ann Arbor it's their entire campaign. Maybe you've seen some of their "Non-local banks think..." billboards. We have to admit, the "Big Ten" and "Purple Rose" submissions gave us a cuckle. Excerpt: "The Bank of Ann Arbor, a $1.4 billion institution based in Michigan, is running a playful series of billboards mocking its competitors’ lack of local knowledge. The twist? Each ad is a submission from one of the bank’s Facebook fans. “Non-local banks think The Jerk Pit is a single’s bar,” reads one of the billboards. The ad was written by Beth Langenderfer, who is a Facebook fan of the bank. Her reference is actually to the Jamaican Jerk Pit, a popular local eatery near the University of Michigan campus." Read the rest here.

Latest in Social Media

Concentrate Speaker Event: Building Community Through Social Media

By Concentrate Staff

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Arts & Culture

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September 14, 2011

The back fence is all but gone. Our daily paper has gone digital. The rise of social media is indisputable. So, how does our community leverage online communication and connections to create a stronger sense of place? Concentrate's Speaker Series returns tomorrow Thursday, Sept 22 with a discussion on how Web 2.0 is helping to shape Ann Arbor 2.0.

Ann Arbor’s OWN Point of Sale adds 14 jobs, closes $250K angel round

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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August 31, 2011

Ann Arbor software developer OWN Point of Sale is starting to scale its principal product, an operating system for coffee shops, its staff, and its seed capital. The two-year-old start-up recently closed on a $250,000 angel round and has increased its staffing from four people a year ago to 18 employees today. Of those, 12 are full-time, and the company also has an intern and independent contractor helping push its sales forward. "Now we're growing," says Verdi Ergun, president of OWN Point of Sale. "We're out of our beta period and adding more stores. It's really exciting." OWN Point of Sale, formerly Ergun Technology based in Ypsilanti, has created software that allows owners and managers of independent retail operations, such as coffee shops, access to real-time activity on their registers, and, hence, higher bottom lines. This allows the owners, managers and investors to see everything from a tablet computer and access in-depth analysis on the operation from a cloud computing database. Ergun is shooting to have his software in 500 stores, with 10,000 users within the next year. He hopes to expand his staff to 35 people to assist in sales and software development, including the incorporation of more social media options. "It's just the way things are going," Ergun says. "The tide is going our way." Source: Verdi Ergun, president of OWN Point of Sale Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Pure Visibility expands overseas clientele, adds positions

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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August 3, 2011

Pure Visibility has added more than a half-dozen employees to its staff over the last year as the search-engine-optimization company has taken on more work from overseas.To help meet this demand, the downtown Ann Arbor-based firm has gone from 14 people a year ago to more than 20 today, along with a few interns and independent contractors. More hires could be on the way as the 6-year-old company picks up more business."We have been called on by many international firms lately," says Linda Girard, CEO & visionary of Pure Visibility. "We have been ready to go when they call. We have been using Skype a lot lately."Most of Pure Visibility's new business has come from international firms. Girard would like to add 10 more as clients over the next year.Source: Linda Girard, CEO & visionary of Pure VisibilityWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Akervall Technologies scores DOD contract, doubles revenue

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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June 22, 2011

Akervall Technologies has watched its revenue jump by triple digits and new contracts with the likes of U.S. Dept of Defense roll in, thanks in large part to the start-up's social media outreach efforts.The 3-year-old company makes an ultra-thin mouth guard called Protech Dent that allows users to drink, talk, and breathe normally while playing sports. Akervall Technologies brought in an outside consultant last year that performed a marketing analysis and created a marketing master plan. The result was a game plan that called for heavy focus on leveraging social media outlets, which contributed to the company's doubling of revenue."It's really helpful for someone to come in with fresh eyes and look at your company," says Sassa Akervall, COO of Akervall Technologies. "They have a lot of great ideas."Enabling that consultant's work was a microloan from the Michigan Microloan Fund. Akervall Technologies is on track to repay that microloan by early next year. The Ann Arbor-based firm is also looking at expanding its team beyond its core group of three and a small group of independent contractors later this year with a new hire or two.The product was developed by Dr. Jan Akervall, a local ear, nose and throat specialist, and husband of Sassa Akervall. It is made of non-compressible, perforated material and is 30 percent stronger than conventional mouth guards. Medical patients, athletes, and even soldiers are among the targeted clientele. Akervall Technologies recently scored a contract with the U.S. Dept of Defense to develop a second generation of the mouth guard for use by soldiers in combat."Our mouth guard stands up to the test," Sassa Akervall says. "It's quite strong, even though it's so thin."Source: Sassa Akervall, COO of Akervall TechnologiesWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Crossing the great Metro Detroit – Ann Arbor divide

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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May 4, 2011

Detroit blogger Nikki Stephan invites Kyle Stuef, media consultant from The Whole Brain Group, to weigh in on the 42-mile gulf that disconnects A2 from Metro Detroit. Seem insurmountable to you? Consider this: The distance between San Francisco and Cupertino is 43.4 miles. Excerpt: "When I started working in social media and becoming involved in the new tech community, we were scattered all over the place. New channels were taking hold, and companies were just starting to see a value in building a strong online presence. Not surprisingly, people were starting to get “real jobs” doing just that. I saw the people I was getting to know start to condense and consolidate. Perhaps it was more noticeable to me, because it seemed as if everyone was leaving the Ann Arbor area to move east to Royal Oak, Troy, Southfield and Ferndale. The community was growing larger, but it was growing more segregated. Have you ever tried to get someone from Detroit to come to an LA2M meeting in Ann Arbor? Have you ever tried to get someone from Ann Arbor to come to Tweetea in Royal Oak? If you answered yes to either one of these, you know that a divide has appeared somewhere near Metro Airport." Read the rest of the story here.

Networking 2.0 in Ann Arbor

By Constance Crump

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Arts & Culture

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March 30, 2011

Rotary Clubs for the new economy. Non-Networking events. Whatever you call them, meet-ups that emphasize the social over the professional are attracting a loyal following in Ann Arbor ...while providing a uniquely casual way for local talent to network. Or not.

MyBuys expands Ann Arbor office; 50 more jobs this year

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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January 26, 2011

MyBuys, the growing California-based company, is spreading some of that job-creating wealth here in Ann Arbor.The company has added about 20 jobs in its downtown Ann Arbor location over the last year, bringing its satellite office staff to 54 people and a handful of interns over the summer. The firm expects to add another 50 jobs this year."The hiring has happened in fits and spurts in the past," says Drew Stirton, general manager of the Ann Arbor office of MyBuys. "Now it's a more predictable flow of 10-15 hires per quarter."MyBuys makes personalized product recommendations for online retailers. Two years ago it agreed to invest $5.4 million in establishing an Ann Arbor office as part of a 10-year tax credit deal with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. In exchange, it agreed to create 250 jobs in Ann Arbor over that decade.MyBuys is still on track to hit that goal, Stirton says. He expects the Ann Arbor office to continue to grow as the company expands its services into the social media and mobile applications markets."We're signing a lot of small, medium, and large online retailers," Stirton says. "We have also jumped into media and advertising in a big way."Source: Drew Stirton, general manager at MyBuysWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

3.7 Designs web consultancy looks at Midwestern expansion

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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November 10, 2010

For years, 3.7 Designs focused on website creation and increasing companies' Internet presence. Today, the downtown Ann Arbor-based consultancy is gaining traction by taking a more comprehensive view of its clients' Web needs.The 5-year-old company now focuses on how its Internet solutions can work more cohesively with a client's brand or marketing campaign. "It's more ongoing and focused on strategy than just visuals and function," says Ross Johnson, CEO, designer, and janitor for 3.7 Designs.That new approach and rise in consulting work has allowed 3.7 Designs to hire one employee and two independent contractors. That rounds out its staff to three employees, two interns, and two independent contractors. It hopes to add two more hires in early 2011 as more companies come on board. "There has been a huge upswing," Johnson says.This growth is also part of a plan to expand the clientele outside of Metro Detroit. It is aiming at growing in more Midwestern markets, including across Michigan and into Ohio, Indiana, and Canada.Source: Ross Johnson, CEO, designer, and janitor of 3.7 DesignsWriter: Jon ZemkeRead more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Ann Arbor’s MetaSpring plans to add interns, contractors

By Newsroom

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Arts & Culture

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September 1, 2010

Safety is in numbers, but the people at MetaSpring are seeing profits in numbers, too.The Ann Arbor-based web-development and marketing firm is partnering with more local companies for its marketing, design, search engine optimization, and social media work. "We have all sort of come to the conclusion that we have all gone through ups and downs so we are sharing more work," says Julie Cameron, marketing director for MetaSpring. The 6-year-old company employs five people, a couple of independent contractors, and the occasional intern. The firm expects to bring on a marketing intern or two this fall, along with a couple of independent contractors to take on the extra work created through more partnerships.Source: Julie Cameron, marketing director for MetaSpringWriter: Jon Zemke