Michelle Houp, Author at Creative Tonic

Creative Strategy Marketing

Death of a Fixed Bid Project

"That’s not in scope." -The death knell to any working relationship. We don’t want to say it. Clients don’t want to hear it. And yet, it stands – elephant-esque – as the last, and only, line of defense in the fixed-bid, agency-client ecosystem. Over the last couple of years,…

Michelle HoupFebruary 21, 2019

Creative Strategy Marketing

Insights Versus Data: Research In The Brand Development Process

We’re often asked about the process of getting audience feedback during brand development. Typically companies want to know if the audience likes the brand or not, if the logo is appealing or if the brand colors are favorable to the target audience. These questions take both the brand and audience…

Michelle HoupFebruary 21, 2018

Creative Strategy Inside The Studio

Design, Detente & Why There Needs To Be A Shift In Thinking To Thinking Across Disciplines

As specialization becomes the new standard for the creative industries, there has been a shift in the common meaning of the term design. Where once it stood as a trade, it now stands as a toolkit, defined by the descriptors we attach (graphic, experience, industrial, etcetera), rather than the process…

Michelle HoupJanuary 4, 2018

Creative Strategy Marketing

Perception is Everything

At Creative Tonic we believe that great creative is great business and that a strong brand yields strong results. We’re a branding firm, so of course, we believe that - we wouldn’t be doing the work if we didn’t believe in it. But it’s important to understand that our clients…

Michelle HoupSeptember 7, 2017

Concept Creative Strategy Inside The Studio

Cutting Room Floor: Identities Lost

In this edition of our Cutting Room Floor series, we’re taking a look at brand identities that never made it beyond the studio walls (or screenshare if you’re into technicalities). In each case, we worked closely with the client to build the strategic foundation for our explorations starting with a…

Michelle HoupMay 9, 2017

Creative Strategy Inside The Studio

Why The Coffee Is Never Right – And That’s Okay

We had an incident the other morning that almost derailed an entire day’s worth of productivity in the studio. The coffee was bad. Not, gross but I can-power-through-it-bad. Spoon dissolving as you stir bad. This wasn’t the first time this has happened. In fact, it’s a fairly regular occurrence. (more…)

Michelle HoupApril 18, 2017

Awards News

Creative Tonic Number 5 in Agency Spotter’s Top 20 Branding Agencies for 2017

The Agency Spotter top branding agencies quarterly report evaluates almost 2,000 branding agencies and design firms based on their credentials, focus and expertise in branding, client feedback, and project work. This report is focused on those who specialize in branding, brand identity, naming, and brand standards. Creative Tonic is excited to be…

Michelle HoupMarch 21, 2017

Creative Strategy Inside The Studio New Work

Agile Branding: The Power of Iteration

Like our startups clients and the Harvard Business Review ¹, we believe that iteration leads to innovation. As with great companies and ideas, great brands require trial and error, market testing and continuous evolution over time. Yes, consistency is important in creating a great brand, but you can be consistent…

Michelle HoupFebruary 8, 2017

“There are no traffic jams on the extra mile”

– Zig Ziglar

Concept Creative Strategy Inside The Studio

Standing Out In A Crowd: The Art of Tradeshow Booth Design

With over 275,000 shows a year – and 87 million attendees in the US alone* – tradeshows are a vital part of a complete marketing plan including social media use, as Facebook ads and get real Instagram likes to promote your products. Since these events bring entire industries into a…

Michelle HoupJanuary 6, 2017

Creative Strategy Inside The Studio Marketing

The Stigma of B2B

We do our fair share of B2B work, though, in fairness to our clients, we use that distinction only for the purposes of this post. Philosophically and in practice, we see no distinction between B2B and B2C, or between any industry, market or segment – how we approach their challenges…

Michelle HoupOctober 26, 2016

Awards Creative Strategy News

Aura of Success at American Package Design Awards

For more than 50 years, Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) has been a trusted source of news and insights for graphic design professionals, as well as source of recognition for design in several national design competitions that culminate in Annuals showcasing the best in Graphic Design. (more…)

Michelle HoupSeptember 13, 2016

Death of a Fixed Bid Project

Insights Versus Data: Research In The Brand Development Process

Design, Detente & Why There Needs To Be A Shift In Thinking To Thinking Across Disciplines

Perception is Everything

Cutting Room Floor: Identities Lost

Why The Coffee Is Never Right – And That’s Okay

Creative Tonic Number 5 in Agency Spotter’s Top 20 Branding Agencies for 2017

Agile Branding: The Power of Iteration

“There are no traffic jams on the extra mile”

Standing Out In A Crowd: The Art of Tradeshow Booth Design

The Stigma of B2B

Aura of Success at American Package Design Awards

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