We’ve come across a ton of cool and creative work in the digital realm lately. So much so, it inspired us to give our own website a makeover. We couldn’t be more excited to introduce the refreshed MarketSpaceCom.com.

Built in WordPress, a flexible CMS platform, we were able to add a lot of bells and whistles to really make our site sing. Editing with this program is as simple as working in a word processing program. The ease of updating in WordPress will allow us to continually post our new work, keeping the site fresh, exciting and ever-evolving! We often build websites for clients using a CMS platform, and in developing our own site have discovered even more capabilities and cool tricks to pass on!

We also took this opportunity to boost the effectiveness of our SEO, redefining our list of key words and assigning them to specific sections of our site to heighten search results.

There is so much more going on at MarketSpaceCom.com…

More flair!

We have so much work that we’re proud of, and we wanted to show the world. We added everything under three categories: Branding Case Studies, Creative Work, and Digital Marketing. Using an interactive slider functionality, viewers can scroll through our work by category, choose a project to view, and even launch our interactive projects to get the full experience.

More flash!

We added more flash to our site—literally! From a feature section that flashes through some of our best work on the home page, to flash animations throughout, we jazzed up the whole website with movement and excitement.

More fun!

Our agency is fun and creative and so are the companies we work with, so we wanted to make sure our website reflected that. We added little touches that took it to the next level. Like our unique way of displaying our daily twitter feed (check it out on the homepage). Increased distribution of our IdeaSpace e-newsletters to keep people coming back to the site time and time again. And of course, a FunSpace page for each team member so you can learn more about us all the time!

We don’t want to give away everything. You’re here now, so check it out for yourself. Start at the homepage and go from there. Have fun, and let us know any feedback you have!

For every major season, rue21 features girls’ and guys’ trends online to inspire purchase and to show off the latest fashions. One of their hottest seasons is spring break—both in fashion and in sales. So for Spring Break 2010, we decided to add an extra spin to their website functionality. Literally! We worked with rue to develop an interactive look book that gave teens a 360 view select outfits.

Now, first things first…we had to get people in the right mood for Spring Break. Let’s face it, in most cities, March is still a cool, blustery mess. To get people in a more sunny state of mind, we added a music track featuring island-style drum beats. Viewers could also “choose their paradise” with four different tropical background options.

So here we are…in the tropics, listening to breezy music. What should we wear? No worries. rue identified ten of the hottest trends for Spring Break—five for girls, five for guys. By clicking the “spin me” button for any outfit, the model would give an 8-point fashion spin to show off the front, back and sides of the ensemble.

rue saw some pretty powerful results from this interactive look book. The time that visitors spent on rue21.com increased by an average of 15 seconds, site visits went up by over 10%, and the bounce rate decreased by approximately 45%.

This virtual fashion show was a fun, flirty, fantastic way to experience the styles available at rue21 during Spring Break. Check it out for yourself!

Introducing the new Inquisit.org.

It’s a new decade, and Inquisit wanted to step in with style. MarketSpace helped them do just that by designing a new site with a fresh, bold look and improved functionality.

Inquisit, a division of Amerinet, supports the growth and development of health care professionals by providing continuing education through a variety of convenient venues. Because so many people search for continuing education online, it was imperative that Inquisit update the functionality of their site to match the ease and convenience of their course offering.

MarketSpace came up with a modern design that has a simplified menu and uses bright statement colors. We also created a series of icons for their five major methods of course delivery. The site features streamlined search options, a “quick subscription” button for the Inquisit mailing list, and even the ability to pull the Inquisit favicon right to any computer desktop.

Inquisit’s new website launched last month and is not only drawing in many new visitors, but is drawing in many compliments as well. Take a peek at the new Inquisit.org!

Touting the ubiquitous benefits of Ubiquinol.

One of our newest clients is Kaneka Nutrients, a manufacturer of high-quality nutritional ingredients including CoQ10 and Ubiquinol. We’re excited to help them spread the word about one of the latest advancements in nutrition.

Ubiquinol is the next generation of the ever-popular supplement CoQ10. As the active, antioxidant form of CoQ10, Ubiquinol is more readily absorbed by our bodies and provides essential cellular energy and protection for cells and organs. All great news in the world of science and nutrition. Now we just have to get the news out to the rest of the world.

Kaneka Nutrients is leading this charge with the help and expertise of MarketSpace and our partner BrownFusion. We started by doing focus groups in key cities, so we could find out just how much people already know about Ubiquinol. Once we solidify what the key messaging should be, we’ll begin building a brand image for Ubiquinol through online, interactive, print and other media.

MarketSpace, along with BrownFusion, couldn’t be more pleased to be working with Kaneka Nutrients. We’re confident that with our brand building experience and their worldwide leadership in the nutrients and supplements category, the whole world will soon know about the ubiquitous benefits of Ubiquinol.

Clint joined MarketSpace after graduating from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He graduated with a degree in Web & Interactive Media Design. Before coming to MarketSpace, Clint did a range of freelance work for clients in food service, entertainment, medical industries, just to name a few.

When Kaitlyn joined MarketSpace, she was no stranger to the company. She had actually been a sales/marketing intern several years prior. Kaitlyn attended the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, where she majored in Communications with a dual focus in Public Relations and Advertising. She graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

“It’s always great to have fresh faces in the office,” says Pam Peters, President & CEO of MarketSpace Communications, “because with them comes fresh talent. That’s always something that’s welcome in any line of business, especially ours.”

MarketSpace Communications is a branding agency that delivers integrated marketing programs in a collaborative, eco-conscious environment. In addition to creating and implementing brands, our core competencies include creative services, Web and interactive technologies, and marketing and promotional planning. We lead our clients in the development of Web 2.0 marketing plans, including social networking platforms (Facebook, Myspace, others), as well as blogging and micro-blogging (Twitter), viral marketing campaigns, mobile marketing, and more. Many of our clients are green businesses, giving us a specialty niche in eco-marketing. No matter what type of project we’re working on, our passion remains the same: to produce creative communications and deliver solid business results.

On February 15, 2010, a new website launched that is poised to change the way consumers shop. A place that also has the potential to change the world, one visit at a time. That is the goal of WorldofGreen.com.

WorldofGreen.com was founded by Roberta Modena, a green expert of consumer items, and her partner Greg Horn, an environmental green business expert who authored the best-selling sustainable solutions book of all time, “Living Green: A Practical Guide to Simple Sustainability.” Modena’s ten years of experience as GNC & Garden of Life’s VP of Marketing and her most recent role as co-founder of EcoShoppe have given her the informational and entrepreneurial background it takes to make a venture like this successful.

The mission of WorldofGreen.com is to provide the largest selection of the most authentic, eco-conscious products available and present them in a fresh, inspiring way. Because this is an online-only destination, the design and functionality of this site was absolutely critical to its success. To achieve its true potential, Modena turned to MarketSpace Communications, a full-service branding agency located in Cranberry Township, PA, for help in branding and marketing of WorldofGreen.com.

Modena and MarketSpace worked closely through all phases of this project, from design and implementation of the website to creating a year-long promotional calendar that includes marketing and communications support.

To announce the site to green merchants, MarketSpace produced an interactive sales demo highlighting the features and functionality of the site. For consumer awareness, they developed a comprehensive marketing plan that includes Search Engine Optimization, social marketing on Facebook and Twitter, a daily blogging schedule and a consistent e-blast campaign.

MarketSpace also created an editorial calendar that highlights key green products in seasonal categories, providing inspiration to editors and bloggers and giving them incentive to talk about World of Green. It will be released to the top editorial venues across the country including Women’s World, Family Circle, Glamour, Oprah, Rachel Ray, Good Morning America and Martha Stewart. We created a year-long promotional calendar that highlights key green products in seasonal categories, providing inspiration to editors and bloggers and giving them incentive to talk about World of Green.

In addition, WorldofGreen.com and MarkeSpace are celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day with a promotion that will allow consumers to win an eco-friendly product everyday for 40 days, which started on March 14th and will run through Earth Day on April 22.

“Our goal with the 40-Day Eco-Giveaway is to give consumers a chance to try these wonderful alternatives first-hand” commented Roberta Modena, World of Green Founder. “All of the items offered in the giveaway and on the World of Green website have a genuine purpose whether it is to save water, protect children from toxins, reduce our reliance on plastic bags and bottles, reuse greeting cards or eliminate the need for pesticides on our clothing by switching to organic cotton. It’s also a great way to celebrate Earth Day for more than one day a year!”

With countless numbers of eco-friendly websites, WorldofGreen.com is exactly what the green category seems to be in need of—a single, memorable destination where consumers can find a whole world of green products. “World of Green bridges the gulf between good intentions and action by making it easy, fun and convenient,” says Modena. “No more wondering what to do, what’s available or what’s truly eco-friendly. Now it’s all right at your fingertips.”

Thanks to the collaboration between Modena and MarketSpace, WorldofGreen.com is poised to become the number one destination for all things green. Check out WorldofGreen.com today!

MarketSpace Helps Kenson Strengthen and Modernize Their Brand

Kenson Plastics, Inc., a leader in the precision pressure forming industry, was recently acquired by new ownership. With a new team in place, the company asked MarketSpace for help in reforming their brand.

In 1972, a father and son team fused their craftsmanship and pattern making skills to form Kenson Plastics. Over 35 years, they honed their services and created a business rooted in experience and trust.

In November of 2008, Kenson Plastics was taken under new ownership by a team that was able to preserve the old world craftsmanship and introduce a new world sense of professionalism. With a new management team in place, Kenson felt the company image was in need of a makeover. So they called on MarketSpace Communications for help in reforming their brand.

We started by creating a new logo for the company, as well as a corporate color palette they could use for all aspects of their organization. We used these elements to recreate corporate identity pieces for Kenson, including new business cards, letterhead and envelopes.

We even helped them refresh the look of their building by choosing a color palette to use both inside and outside the facility. The color palette complemented their brand, and was another way to strengthen the look and feel of their new identity.

The major piece that Kenson was missing to really push their brand, services and capabilities was a new website. So MarketSpace wrote and designed an entire new site at KensonPlastics.com.

Neither the Kenson team nor the MarketSpace team could be more pleased with how the work has turned out. “The collaboration with MarketSpace on the construction and implementation of the website has proven to be one of the best investments we have made thus far,” said David O’Leary, VP of Sales. “The creativity and attention to detail by their writers and designers really comes across in the final product. The feedback we have received is overwhelmingly positive and all indications are the site will be the platform for our future growth.”

With a new ownership, an experienced workforce and a new brand identity all in place, Kenson is poised to achieve the next level in manufacturing and customer service.

Building an Image for Cranberry Township

MarketSpace is not only proud to reside in Cranberry Township, PA. But now we can boast that we also helped the Township develop their very own public image campaign.

You might think it’s unusual for a Township to want to brand themselves. And although you’re right—it is a unique step—it is a fantastic way to establish a sense of camaraderie and belonging for residents and business owners. It can also generate awareness for perspective residents and business owners outside of the Township.

Before working with MarketSpace, Cranberry Township created a sounding board of local residents to review, validate and comment about every aspect of the Township. Based on their feedback, they came up with the tagline, “Cranberry Township. Built for you.”

At that point, MarketSpace stepped in to bring this tagline to life in a full-blown public image campaign. Because Cranberry Township is such a well-respected municipality in the area, our job was simple. With an atmosphere of excitement, energy and variety, there is always an aspect of the community that people connect with, making them feel that Cranberry Township was built with their family, their business, and their personal priorities in mind.

We came up with a range of ideas to spread the word that Cranberry Township is “built for you.” From viral videos to Township-wide scavenger hunts, from new designs for collateral to social marketing initiatives, we found so many ways to get the community members involved and excited about how much their Township has to offer.

We also designed a Public Images Standards Guide that Cranberry Township and its affiliates could use to ensure that all messaging and design remains standard.

Says John Trant, Chief Strategic Planning Officer, “Cranberry residents and visitors worked hard to describe what the Cranberry Township is all about – it is ‘built for you!’ The MarketSpace team helped us bring ‘built for you’ to life. Their energy and creativity resulted in an exciting communications package that will help us spread the word!”

If for some reason you’ve never been to Cranberry Township, now’s as good a time as any to come for a visit. Stop in at one of the many restaurants or shops. Or you could even pop in and see us at MarketSpace! Regardless of what you do, you just might find that Cranberry Township is built for you, too.

There are so many issues in our community that affect young people. But the opportunities for them to do anything about these issues are few and far between. Until now.

The Pittsburgh Foundation, in partnership with The Grable Foundation, has created a three-part online competition series titled Voices of Youth. The purpose of these competitions is to get local youth more involved in community issues and philanthropy.

Because this is an online-only competition, the design and functionality of the website was critical. That’s where MarketSpace Communications stepped in.

Our challenge was to design a site that would appeal to a broad target of local youth. A site that was edgy but not intimidating, intuitive but not over simplified. A site that was bold and exciting enough to create energy and enthusiasm for this unique opportunity.

That’s exactly what we did. And it worked.

The second competition in this series, titled “Youth Creating Change,” just came to a close. That contest challenged the youth of Pittsburgh to identify issues that affect their daily lives, and then create a project that would generate positive change around those issues.

The “Youth Creating Change” competition generated many exceptional ideas. See for yourself at pghvoicesofyouth.com.

The third and final competition in the Voices of Youth series will launch in April. The Pittsburgh Foundation will once again enlist the help of MarketSpace Communications to continue this successful effort. Together, The Pittsburgh Foundation in their philanthropy and MarketSpace in their creativity, are giving the youth of Pittsburgh a voice—and a chance to make a real difference.

We’re expanding every which way. Including sideways!

Already in 2010, we’ve added three members to our MarketSpace team. And with these new additions comes another a new addition—to our office space!

In January, we brought Maureen Rooney on board as an Account Executive. Maureen came to us from a large agency in Pittsburgh, where she was part of the core team that led the second largest account in the shop. She brings experience in multiple industries including gaming, retail and non-profit accounts. Her ability to develop and maintain relationships will be instrumental as MarketSpace continues to grow their client base. Maureen graduated from Duquesne University with a BA in Communications Studies and a concentration on Integrated Marketing Communications.

In February, we brought on two new designers, Lindsay Polito and Kevin Hilliker. Lindsay brings four years of experience in graphic design and production to the MarketSpace team. She not only understands the full creative process, but she has worked through every aspect of it, from conception through print release. Her design skills have touched just about every media, including print, packaging, sales kits and web. Lindsay graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia with a BA in Graphic Design.

Kevin joined MarketSpace with three years of design experience under his belt. He brings with him strength and experience in strategic branding initiatives, and a portfolio of work that has produced impactful, long-range business solutions. In past jobs, he has worked on a diverse range of clients, from manufacturing to medical equipment and everything in between. Kevin graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh with a BS in Graphic Design.

The addition of these three team members has MarketSpace lacking a key component of our namesake—space. So beginning in March 2010, we’ll be expanding our current office into an adjacent space on the same floor of our building. This is the second time in less than three years that we’ve had to branch out to accommodate our fast-growing company—not a bad problem to have!

Getting Started with Social Marketing: An Essential Effort for Every Business

By Pam Peters, President and CEO, MarketSpace Communications

Corporate web presence is in the midst of a transformation: from passive to interactive. It’s an incredibly interesting and exciting evolution, especially for consummate jugglers of imagination, communication, and bottom line marketing. This new web presence is social marketing. And there’s virtually no business that shouldn’t get involved.

I’m sure you’ve been hearing about it lately. You hear that it’s a cost-effective marketing tool, a fresh funnel for prospects, a new way to gather research about your customers, and an opportunity to be really creative! But for some of you, you’re hesitant. You have a lot of questions. Is it right for your business? How hard is it to learn? Are there rules or best practices? Can you get solid results? Is it just a passing fad?

While those questions are valid, social marketing is a medium you can no longer ignore. The most popular social networking sites are growing at unbelievable rates. According to emarketer.com, Twitter alone will have over 18 million users in the US in 2010. And Facebook has over 300 million users worldwide.

But social networking sites only make up a small part of what social marketing is as a whole. Other tools include online videos (e.g. YouTube), text messaging campaigns, blogging, online research (e.g. Bzzagent), podcasts, and so much more! Simple online tactics such as email campaigns, enewsletters, or online advertising can be (and should be) easily tied into your social marketing plans. Not every social media is right for every business. But as long as your audience is online, there is likely an avenue that will suit your business.

So where do you start?

First, find simple ways to complement your existing marketing plan. Try starting with well-known social marketing sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. There are even online communities geared toward specific interests (e.g. Greenwala—a community focused on going green). Search around to see if there are any that make sense for your particular business or target market.

From there, there are countless ways to cross-pollinate your message online alone. Get creative! For your next project, consider building a mini integrated online campaign within your social networking site(s) and tie it to your corporate website. Or, launch with a direct mail piece and reinforce it with a viral video no YouTube. Or do all of the above! From this point on, every time you use a traditional marketing tactic, you should consider complementing it with an online or social component.

A few tips: First, only join social communities that suit your brand. Check out a directory such as mashable.com or just do a web search for “social networking” to see what’s really out there; Keep your content fresh and ask questions, don’t just push information to your followers; Create a voice and brand personality (e.g. is light-hearted, serious, factual, or humorous); Set up a response process and updating plan ahead of time; and be patient—it takes time and nurturing to build and expand a viable community.

Social marketing is an excellent tool to increase brand awareness and reach your audience a whole new way. Once you get started, you’ll soon be consumed by this whole new world. And you’ll find that it’s not only easy to implement this type of marketing, but that it’s absolutely essential to your success.

Maureen joins MarketSpace as an Account Executive. She spent the previous four years at MARC USA, Pittsburgh, where she was part of the core team that led the second largest account in the shop. She brings experience in multiple industries including gaming, retail and non-profit accounts. Her ability to develop and maintain relationships will be instrumental as MarketSpace continues to grow their client base.

Pam Peters, President and CEO of MarketSpace, is thrilled with the new hire. “This addition to our team could not come at a better time. We’re poised for growth in the upcoming year, and Maureen’s strengths in account management are just what we need to keep that momentum going.”

MarketSpace Communications is a branding agency that delivers integrated marketing programs in a collaborative, eco-conscious environment. In addition to creating and implementing brands, our core competencies include creative services, interactive design and development, and marketing planning and implementation for all media, including social outlets.

Dustin McGrew joins MarketSpace as Interactive Developer. McGrew spent the previous three years with the Pipitone Group, where he honed his skills in website development and Flash animation. He also brings expert knowledge of HTML and CSS, and is constantly exploring the creation and development of the latest gadgets and apps in interactive technology.

Trish Parkhill joins MarketSpace as Brand Director. Parkhill, previously with MARC USA Pittsburgh, brings over 10 years of agency experience in retail, beauty, fashion and non-profit work. Her focus is in concepting and writing, but also has experience in account management, marketing and promotional planning, and branding efforts.

“Dustin and Trish are great additions to help round-out our team. We are thrilled to be able to offer our clients even more talent and expertise,” says Pam Peters, President of MarketSpace Communications.

MarketSpace Communications, formed by Pam Peters in 2005, is a branding agency that delivers integrated marketing programs in a collaborative, eco-conscious environment. In addition to creating and implementing brands, our core competencies include creative services, interactive design and development, and marketing planning and implementation. We can also lead our clients in the development and implementation of social marketing plans, including Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter.