NEWSlines
Whenever WCG achieves a goal that helps us serve
our clients better, we like to mention our success here.
Catch up on our accomplishments to date, with plenty
more left in store.
NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK FOR WCG SITE
In a month rife with resolutions, West Cary Group abandoned its initial idea of losing of five pounds and made a pledge it can actually stick to: updating our website. The goal? Make it as progressive, smart and informative as the work we do for our clients.
We started with a dynamic new Home Page with bold graphics and engaging articles that make for great reading. Then we beefed up the section on Our Team to give you a more personal view of the people at WCG who solve business challenges creatively every day.
Need more proof of our prowess? Check out Case in Point to read the back stories behind the innovative integrated communications campaigns that have driven hard-hitting results for our clients.
You’ll also discover:
Bookmark www.westcarygroup.com now – because, unlike most New Year’s resolutions, this is one’s a keeper.
Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Stay Linkedin.
WEST CARY GROUP ENHANCES ACCOUNT TEAM WITH KEY PROMOTIONS AND HIRINGS
West Cary Group has announced several major promotions in its Account team. Rachal Hansen and Cara Hill, formerly Account Managers, have both been promoted to Senior Account Manager. Rachael Harris Evans, previously a Senior Account Director, will now serve as Vice President of Account Services.
“They exemplify what we want our leaders to be,” says Camille Blanchard, Vice President, Account Services. “In order to be considered for a promotion, our team members have to be executing at that level. It’s not the potential we see in them, but the performance they show us every day.”
“Rachal, Cara and Rachael operate at the highest level without fail,” says Blair Keeley, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer. “Rachal is like an account gardener – she fertilizes our client crops and watches them grow. Cara has dedicated herself to an intense piece of business for a demanding account that has grown substantially because of her drive. And Rachael handles large, complex pieces of business with such marketing savvy that it’s impressive to witness.”
In addition to promotions, West Cary Group has made the following hires:
- Nick Schimick, Senior Account Director
- Chris Rayl, Account Director
- Tad Czyzewski, Account Director
- Heather Ormond, Account Manager
“There’s been an influx of new business,” continues Blair. “And we’re staffing ourselves accordingly. I think it’s a surge due in large part to WCG practicing what it preaches: taking traditional and new media and seamlessly integrating them; providing communications solutions that drive measurable results; not accepting boundaries in emerging channels like digital, but breaking them. If the WCG team maintains this momentum, the best marketing campaigns that we can craft for our clients are yet to come.”
WCG-DESIGNED HENRICO NOW E-NEWSLETTER DRIVES BIG RESULTS FOR HENRICO EDA
Five months after West Cary Group launched the Henrico Now E-Newsletter, the site is delivering hard-hitting results for the Henrico Economic Development Authority (EDA). Site visits have increased by 250%, and new visits have more than doubled. Henrico.com—the official website of the Henrico EDA and the site to which the Henrico NOW e-newsletter is linked—has seen an increase in absolute unique visitors of about 70%.
The new e-newsletter replaces the Henrico Living magazine. The site was designed by West Cary Group in order to highlight the communities, companies and events that make the Henrico region an attractive place to live, work and grow.
Rachel Hansen, Senior Account Manager for WCG, is pleased with the measurable impact the integrated communications campaign has had for this client. “Each month, we send out an e-newsletter to people in the community, board members, area trade shows and similar contacts to alert them of new content on the site. That’s when we see a huge spike in traffic at Henrico Now—generally three to four times the normal rate. It’s rewarding when marketing strategies drive quantitative results.”
“As Henrico EDA’s agency of record, West Cary Group is working hard to deliver even more engaging content in the upcoming months—more videos featuring thriving companies, more images of unique cultural events and more articles,” says Rachal. “They all work together to highlight what makes Henrico a great place to relocate, expand and grow a business. Henrico Now is gaining a foothold, and we’re looking forward to translating that into a positive economic impact for the county.”
WEST CARY GROUP CREATIVE TEAM MEMBERS EARN DESERVED PROMOTIONS
Several West Cary Group Creative Team members ended the year with a promotion bang. Debra Fitzgerald, formerly Creative Manager, WCG Rhythm now joins the Executive Team as Vice President of the same department. Alexis Gayle, previously Senior Art Director has gained the title of Creative Director. And Chase Thompson, once Creative Director and Copy Chief has achieved “Senior” status.
“Senior Creative Director?” jokes Chase, “I feel it, especially before a good snow. But seriously, I know all of us are honored by these promotions. It feels great to be recognized for marketing efforts that we consider a joy to do every day. ”
Working with WCG since 2007, Debra went from being the only graphic designer to the current leader of WCG Rhythm—an exclusive team of designers, proofreaders, editors and compliance specialists that execute and ensure the quality of WCG’s creative. Their specialty is delivering high-volume/quality-assured creative modifications and versioning on time, every time.
Alexis and Chase both joined WCG in 2009. Alexis will now oversee the creative team in order to help develop superior creative, design, multimedia, production and marketing products for agency clients. Chase will supervise the development and execution of all the agency’s conceptual work and public relations efforts in addition to leading the copywriting team.
“Impressive, inventive, energetic . . . I could go on and on about Debra, Alexis and Chase,” adds Blair Keeley, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, “As West Cary Group’s client roster and work demands have increased, they’ve risen above the challenges and delivered dynamic marketing strategies in the process.”
“I am constantly amazed by the creative talent that West Cary Group has been fortunate enough to assemble,” compliments Moses Foster, President and CEO of WCG. “They’re the ones who think of unique ways we can integrate multiple marketing channels like digital, social and direct into a powerful campaign. They’re the driving force behind our strategic thinking and the reason why West Cary Group has achieved the success that we have for our agency and for our clients.”
WEST CARY GROUP PRESIDENT AND CEO NAMED VIRGINIA MINORITY SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL’S ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
Moses Foster, West Cary Group President and CEO, has been named Entrepreneur of the Year by the Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council (VMSDC). He accepted the award at the 28th Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee Gold Star Awards celebration held at The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Virginia, December 8, 2011.
“I am thrilled to receive this honor,” says Moses. “At WCG, we believe diversity fuels creativity and produces consistently superior results. It’s exciting to see our tenet validated.”
Entrepreneur of the Year is presented to the leader of a VMSDC-certified minority-owned business that provides superior products or services to clients, drives an increase in both number of employees and revenue and demonstrates the capability for continued growth. Candidates are also evaluated based on their business relationships with other minority business entrepreneurs and their community involvement.
The VMSDC comprises 275 minority business enterprises (MBEs) and 103 corporate members, including MWV, Capital One, Genworth Financial, Owens & Minor and Dominion Resources. All five are West Cary Group clients.
During his acceptance speech, Moses made sure to mention WCG’s conceptual team and proprietary Rhythm team, whose constant creative efforts he attributes to the win.
“To me, one of the most significant criteria for this award is demonstrating the capacity for growth,” says Erica Billie, Supplier Diversity Manager at Capital One and nominator of Moses Foster. “West Cary Group is perfectly positioned to deliver impactful integrated marketing solutions, especially in digital channels like social media, mobile and web. I have no doubt Moses and his team will go on to even greater success.”