What’s the Creatis Studio?

A team of Creatis designers, writers, proofreaders, Powerpoint specialists and project managers trained on client brand standards who work on-site at Creatis or remotely to execute creative/marketing projects. Our Studio is able to handle all kinds of creative/marketing work including presentation development, content creation, digital assets, versioning and marketing materials. This includes a thin layer of project management so our clients can focus on other top priorities. The studio saves our clients time and money, and adds a little peace of mind, too.

The range of projects our Studio works on go from a small one-off Powerpoint Deck Design to monthly or annual ongoing support - like our multidimensional support of Portico. If a client has needs that go beyond a few bundled projects - and really needs help over the long-term - we’re a fantastic resource.That ongoing support aspect is why we call ourselves great “execution partners.”

Why is Creatis Studio a good execution partner?

First of all, we’re flexible. And because we’re flexible we have the capacity to adapt to client needs. We can proofread thousands of documents or work on more complicated graphic designs and production.

Our studio works from an annual or individual project budget - so clients never pay for work they don’t need. Our flexibility is more than just being able to scale up and down resources; we’re chock full of talented people trained with diverse creative/marketing skills, too. They’re the perfect mix of right and left brain. So when you need a little or a lot of different kinds of creative resources, the Creatis Studio should be your choice. 

As execution partners, we manage work all the way through the marketing process. We do things like project in-takes, design/production, proofing and final delivery of materials - both print and digital. This kind of behind-the-scenes work really frees up our clients and alleviates stress. And the fact that we keep delivering excellent product quickly puts our clients’ minds at ease. They know they can trust the Studio with ongoing work.

Here’s a highlight of 5 different clients and how we support them as an ongoing execution partner:

We are the sole partner for Optum’s monthly proofreading program. This is a big task and we love doing it because we’ve got the sharpest, most savvy proofreaders in the Twin Cities working on Optum’s documents - which, given the healthcare industry’s standards - must be checked and proofed for 100% accuracy. Last year we completed 150 projects and proofread almost 3,000 documents for Optum. 

Marketplace Events - Provided weekly design/production support of all Marketplace Events’ trade show materials for over 40 national events including exhibit signage, billboards, digital media and more. We worked proactively to get designs and templates updated and ready to go in time for each show (Spring, Fall, Holiday). In our over 4 years of working with MPE, we executed thousands of projects.

We are the sole execution partner for the Ameriprise Ad Program. We work on approximately 50 to 60 advertisements per month that include; billboards, presentation signage, business cards, print & digital ads, mailers for Ameriprise Financial advisors and much more.

Portico - We provide weekly, monthly and annual support from creating dynamic emails to open-enrollment design and communications. We love supporting great companies like Portico and saving them much needed time and resources by easing the weight of their marketing workloads. In 2018, we completed over 130 projects for Portico.

 Our expert team is ready to help take work off your plate. Reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to start the conversation!

Creatis Studio — Offering Flexible Execution Work During Unprecedented Times

We're so grateful that the Creatis Studio is fully operational during the COVID-19 crisis. It is so fortunate that most of our clients are still operational, and our Studio team of project managers, designers, copywriting and proofreaders stand at the ready to help execute project work as the need arises.

We want to approach this crisis as an opportunity to put our capabilities to good use and keep digital, communications and marketing teams moving forward toward their goals. Now, more than ever, the flexibility and consistency of our Studio services is meaningful to our clients.

Because you're not slowing down, we're not either. Our team of creative and marketing experts is actively helping facilitate projects, clear desks and get busy work done so our clients—many of whom are facing a groundswell of new challenges daily—can focus on contingency plans, managing their workforce and other strategic priorities. Time is at premium right now, and we're ready to help maximize efficiencies for your team.

In the wake of this uncertainty, our Studio team has been able to complete project work for 3 relatively new client partners. We use dedicated resources like designers, writers, and proofreaders who operate as a seamless extension of our client's internal teams.

We act as Be The Match's "overflow production house.” Be the Match needed to offload consistent production work so that their in-house designers could focus on other pressing strategic projects. We share a digital project management software—Trello—with the team at Be The Match so they can easily route assignments and instructions to our team.

Service Highlights:

• Dedicated team of Creatis designers at the ready to handle last minute projects
• Fully integrated project management systems allows for efficient work flow
• Free up Be The Match in-house designers to focus on strategic projects 

C.H. Robinson needed writing support to fill in while their in-house content writer went on a maternity leave. Creatis provides a dedicated resource who works 40 hours a week remotely who was able to ramp up to meet their needs very quickly. Our writer receives tasks and direction via email and has been very successful serving C.H. Robinson's internal team.

Service Highlights: 

• Provided a quick-to-ramp-up writer to cover a gap derived from a short-term medical leave
• Dedicated full-time resource that can flex hours as needed, but able to support a 40-hour week
• Expert writing support on internal and external communications materials

Kaplan needed designer support for print and digital communications tasks. 2 Creatis designers now work as a part of Kaplan’s internal marketing team (at this time, our designers are working remotely). In this instance of service, Kaplan provided our designers with laptops, server and project management software access so they could fully integrate with the internal team.

Service Highlights: 

• Seamlessly extended their internal design team with two additional resources, without the burden or hassle of onboarding permanent employees
• Designers fully integrated with Kaplan’s internal team with real-time digital access to needed content while working remotely
• Manage multiple design and production projects per day 

 Our expert team is ready to help take work off your plate. Reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to start the conversation.

Download the overview of our Creatis Studio Services here. 

Partner Spotlight: Tom Forliti—Owner of The Resonating Chamber

All Spoils to the Storyteller

Tom Forliti speaks in the language of story.

Stories, to Tom, make the world go 'round—influencing every aspect of our lives, including the way we do business with each other. It's upon this universal language that Tom has built a successful and resonant 30+ year career in post audio production services through his business, The Resonating Chamber, Inc. Tom understands that the most successful companies tell the best stories. And he's there to "sweeten" your story through sound.  

Unless pressed, Tom Forliti won't talk a lot about his "gear," although he could: In a separate wing of his home in White Bear Lake, Tom has built a state-of-the-art recording and production studio, complete with the latest in audio engineering technology & as he puts it "all the toys." It's an ideal location for onsite recordings of podcasts & music, and remote sound editing, mixing and mastering.

Tom isn't a "name dropper" either, but his credentials span too many industries & impressive partnerships to count on two hands, including: post audio production & sound design for The History Channel, Food Network and ESPN, documentary films, podcasts, commercials, and live national broadcasts. 

The Creative Playground

Tom has a fresh approach to doing business, centered on helping his clients find purpose and shape their story. He wants to work with good people on good projects. "My goal is to create a playground to open your fascination, remove the hurdles and struggles." Tom adds, "The beauty is the collaboration on the playground where everybody applies their unique skills."

My goal is to create a playground to open your fascination, remove the hurdles and struggles. — Tom Forliti

This structured yet creative playground that Tom provides is a requisite for clients to feel free to fail and play, especially as it pertains to longer form storytelling mediums like podcasts. (Pictured right: Tom "Masked-Up" during a podcast recording session)

In the Key of D Podcast

We're proud to have partnered with Tom Forliti on the production and engineering of our new podcast series, "In the Key of D: Using Digital to Transform Your Business." You can listen to his handiwork and subscribe to the podcast here. Tom's expertise and guidance helped us focus our story and find resonance, while delivering a final product that felt three dimensional. We would recommend Tom to anyone seeking post audio production services. 

Contact The Resonating Chamber for Services.

Connect with Tom:

• LinkedIn
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Partner Spotlight: Irish Titan

Business First. Online Second.℠

Like so many good ideas throughout history, the philosophy "Business First. Online Second.℠ " originated at happy hour.

Back in 2009, 5 years after founding Irish Titan with this strategy (but without the poignant phrase), Irish Titan CEO/Founder Darin Lynch improvised the phrase—pint of beer in hand—while giving a pep talk to his team regarding a challenging project they had undertaken for a client. They were in the mud, trying to get to the root of the client’s problem. Darin casually dropped the line, "Guys, we've got to remember that we need to be business first and online second," and a team member affirmed how important—and true—those words felt. It was a kind of "Eureka" moment for Irish Titan. Business First. Online Second.℠ became their corporate philosophy: We solve business problems and support business strategies for clients, not just build fancy technology. The right technology must stem from the right solution, not the other way around. Darin had the phrase trademarked it and it hangs on the office wall today like a kind of lighthouse for the company, influencing how they work and who they hire.

Irish Titan is a digital full-service agency specializing in e-commerce and strategic digital experiences. In Darin's words, they help "put meat on the bones" of e-commerce websites and flesh out an e-commerce marketing strategy for clients. Irish Titan does all the work in-house, with a fully devoted team of "Titans," who include expert salespeople, strategists, designers, developers, and marketers.

Culture-Forward

It's no secret that people love to work at Irish Titan, and retaining talented employees is critical to the company's success. Their culture is defined by the company's core values, P.O.T.I.S. And no, it's not a political reference point: it's just a catchy acronym that stands for Passion, Ownership, Teamwork, Impact, and Skills. That's what every "Titan" must bring to the table. Of the company’s culture, Darin notes, "We like to say... we take our work seriously but not ourselves seriously." Expertise mixed with shenanigans; discovering ground-breaking solutions for their customers followed by team building outings—all in a pet-friendly environment. In short, Darin seeks to inspire employees to be their genuine selves while working hard. Creatis shares this approach by putting our core values to work at work.

Creatis & Irish Titan

Creatis President/CEO Kathy Hollenhorst is an outspoken member of the Darin Lynch fan club. Darin’s approach to building a healthy work culture and digital integration provide ongoing inspirations for Kathy as she moves Creatis forward, especially during the challenging and complex time of COVID-19—where going digital has become a do-or-die necessity for businesses.

Kathy and Darin are also part of organizations that help entrepreneurs and small business leaders in the Twin Cities stay connected, get resources, and utilize each other's unique knowledge. There’s some company kinship here too: Creatis and Irish Titan both solve problems for clients in the digital space. For Creatis, it's our unique Studio solutions model and for Irish Titan, the use of only in-house employees (proudly referred to as “Titans”) with no outside contractors, freelancers, or offshore resources.

Kathy and Darin share referrals, business ideas and run in the same executive circles. Because of their ongoing partnership and Irish Titan's expertise as an agency in the digital e-commerce space, Kathy invited Darin to be a guest on the Creatis podcast, In the Key of D: Using Digital to Transform Your Business.

In the episode, Kathy and Darin dig further into his thoughts on culture and how Irish Titan has interwoven digital throughout its structure to create efficiencies, increase scalability and retain top employees. Listen here.

Visit Irish Titan here.

If you are in need of digital and marketing support, especially during the challenging era of COVID-19, Creatis offers flexible resourcing solutions so that you can get your work done on time. Please contact our Director of Business Development, Sandi Henrikson This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

"It's not rocket science; it's coffee."

Jake Miller, Founder and CEO of Fellow, is on a singular mission to help people brew ridiculously good coffee at home. Fellow is a product design company based in San Francisco focused on delivering coffee gear to elevate the home brewing process. Their products include the award-winning Stagg EKG Electric Pour-over Kettle, the Atmos Vacuum Canister, and the Prismo for Aeropress.

Jake is a true entrepreneur and marketer at heart: passionate and determined with a keen eye for identifying opportunities in the market. When working here in Minnesota at Caribou, he fell in love with specialty coffee and product design. He also saw a gap in the outdated equipment people were using to brew that specialty coffee. A few years later, he started Fellow coffee products as a startup out of the Stanford d.school in 2013.

Because Jake didn’t have an engineering or product development background, he relied on the human-centered design approach to get as close to his customers as possible. As such, he didn’t throw money at big market studies or research. He went directly to his source: Coffee lovers. “We found people who loved specialty coffee,” Jake says, “And spent a lot of time with them.” This included watching said coffee lovers brew coffee and use Fellow products.
He didn’t want to overcomplicate things for Fellow, noting “It’s not rocket science, it’s coffee.”

Relationships, Not Transactions

Fellow has gone from d.school startup to Kickstarter campaign to Shopify to rapid growth on a global scale. Their product portfolio has expanded along with operations. But Jake is careful to never stray from the company’s mission of elevating the coffee brewing experience to keep solutions grounded. Every challenge or opportunity gets funneled through this filter. In this light, digital is another tool Jake and his team creatively mold to deepen direct, value-add relationships with customers.

One recent example of Fellow’s digital innovation is their Fellow Drops text-to-order coffee program. In it, customers can send a text to order roasted coffee beans to their door, beans that are hand-selected by Fellow’s expert panel of tasters. Fellow keeps their marketing conversational and views digital content to connect and educate customers on using their products. They continue to remind themselves that the goal isn’t just driving transactions; it’s serving the actual people who are clicking on links and moving through the online shopping process. Go with what makes the best organic connection, even if competitors view it as a traditional tactic. Old can become new again. Jake adds, “By the way, direct mailers are cool again.”

In the Key of D Podcast

Did you know Jake and Creatis President Kathy Hollenhorst go way back as colleagues? Kathy hired Jake as a Brand Manager to her team at Caribou in 2008, where podcast co-host Gino Giovannelli also worked at the same time. This long-brewing relationship has come full circle. Jake Miller recently joined our In the Key of D Podcast to talk more in-depth about the origins of Fellow, entrepreneurship, piloting Fellow through a pandemic, and leveraging digital marketing. Listen to his podcast episode, “Stand It Up, See What Happens,” here. [ADD LINK]

Learn more about Fellow.

Partner Spotlight: Straight Line Theory

Who Influences Who, Anyway?

In 2002, when Andrew Benson and John Dusek left steady careers at full-service agencies to start Straight Line Theory, “user experience” was not at the center of the conversation around digital product design or technology. A possible hangover from the “dot com” boom of the late 90s, much of the work agencies were focused on was trying to influence consumer behavior through technology. To Andrew and John, this approach seemed, well, backwards.

These two experts in research and usability shared a bold vision for a company dedicated to user experience design; one that was also based upon the radical idea that, actually, consumer behavior should influence how the technology is designed: not the other way around. Andrew and John were in many ways thinking ahead of the curve, but they also credit their collaborations with forward-thinking business leaders around that time who embraced this vision for a user centered universe, too. The concept of “user-centered design” took off in a dead sprint over the next two decades, running side by side with technology, becoming almost interdependent. That’s where we find ourselves in 2020, and guess what? Straight Line Theory is still doing what they do best, even better than ever: User Experience (UX) design.

“Consumer behavior should influence how the technology is designed; not the other way around.” – John Dusek

Love Thy Work, Know Thy User

You might think, given their success and impressive list of clients, John and Andrew would be tempted to scale-up or expand their services in order to cover more ground with clients—by doing what full-service agencies do: hiring front-end developers, graphic designers and writers. Why not build the whole website for clients, for instance? Why not do it all as so many companies try to do?

Because that is neither the passion nor the purpose. The founders stuck to their core vision and values. They wanted a small company with a tight-knit crew of collaborators doing what they loved at the highest level. (pictured: Andrew Benson, left and John Dusek, right)

According to Gino Giovannelli—our “In the Key of D” podcast co-host and longtime Straight Line Theory partner—this singularity of purpose is one of the things that makes the company so reliable. “I love this notion [of Andrew and John’s] that it’s easy to make a website difficult to use; much harder to make one that’s easy to use.”

I love this notion [of Andrew and John’s] that it’s easy to make a website difficult to use; much harder to make one that’s easy to use. – Gino Giovannelli

Gino, through his business Miles Interactive, has hired Straight Line Theory whenever he is tasked with developing digital products for a client. “I always go to [Andrew and John] because they’re patient and thorough; they don’t jump to conclusions and rush to 'go into surgery,' as I tend to do sometimes...They make sure all inputs are in before making recommendations out.”

It’s their advocacy for user invovlement throughout the design process that makes Straight Line Theory so radically consistent, because no successful outcome can be achieved without “walking a mile” in the user’s shoes.

As technology and user experience design accelerate and evolve, Straight Line Theory remains focused on on understanding users' current needs and problems to reveal new and better ways of doing things. That’s the best way to keep up with trends. Good UX design applies more Zen principles than you might think. John and Andrew don’t spend a lot of time predicting the future; they’re focused on understanding what the end user needs now, identifying their pain points or obstacles, and then mapping out solutions.

In the Key of D Episode - Featuring John Dusek and Andrew Benson

You won’t want to miss Andrew Benson and John Dusek on our podcast “In the Key of D: Using Digital to Transform Your Business.” Mark your calendars for July 27, 2020 and follow Creatis on social media for more updates. Andrew and John join hosts Kathy Hollenhorst and Gino Giovannelli for an exciting, insightful conversation on Straight Line Theory, UX design theory and practice—and how they’re serving clients in the time of COVID-19.

Visit Straight Line Theory here.

On LinkedIn:
John Dusek
Andrew Benson

Partner Spotlight: Be The Match®

CONNECTIONS THAT SAVE LIVES

The difference between life and death is often the right connection. Be The Match makes these lifesaving connections by helping people fight deadly blood cancers like leukemia & lymphoma through cellular therapy and blood transplantation. Be The Match offers unprecedented access to the world’s largest blood and bone marrow donor registry, support & resources for patients and deeply important research.

These life-saving connections also include an arm of the organization that provides customized solutions for companies developing and commercializing cell and gene therapies—another way to help patients fight diseases. Be The Match BioTherapies® offers unparalleled industry expertise and support that includes cell sourcing, cell therapy supply chain solutions and support for clinical research studies.

Because connecting the right product to the right patient is the goal—whether serving their customers or patients directly—it’s critical that Be The Match BioTherapies® has up-to-date communication, sales, and marketing materials for their customers. Alignment and accuracy are of the utmost importance. While their reach is global, the Be The Match BioTherapies® marketing team is small and agile—working out of Minneapolis.

CREATIS STUDIO & BE THE MATCH BIOTHERAPIES®

In early 2020, Creatis representatives connected with Evan Babekuhl, Marketing Manager at
Be the Match Biotherapies®. Evan was looking for support refreshing the design and template of an important PowerPoint Deck used by their sales team. She needed us to take on this project so her team could focus on other priorities. Because we offer a unique model of off-site digital and marketing services, the Creatis Studio was the perfect match to get this work done for Evan. We have a team of designers at the ready, who ramp-up quickly. That’s what we do best; step in and provide a flexible solution for our partners right when it’s needed.

Creatis provided the right design resources at the right time, acting as an extension of our marketing team. The strong, proactive communication & project management from Cristina Segar of Creatis really made this partnership shine. — Evan Babekuhl, Marketing Manager, Be The Match Biotherapies®

Our designers refreshed the look and feel of the PowerPoint Deck & designed a new template, which included infographic creation & creative illustrations to visualize existing content. This project ran for 3 months, during which time we established a close rapport and working relationship with Evan and the Biotherapies® team. We’ve since completed several other production projects for Evan and the Biotherapies marketing team.

Working with Evan and her team on the creation of the PowerPoint Deck is one of the most rewarding projects I’ve had the opportunity to work on this year. Not only is Be The Match a great organization, but the entire project was a smooth collaboration between the Creatis Studio and the Biotherapies® team. Communication was great from the beginning and Evan did a great job of setting clear goals and expectations for us. — Cristina Segar, Creatis Studio Project Manager

If you are in need of digital and marketing support, especially during the challenging era of COVID-19, Creatis offers flexible resourcing solutions so that you can get your work done on time. Please contact our Director of Business Development, Sandi Henrikson This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Partner Spotlight: Steve Yaeger, CMO & Sr. VP of Circulation at the Star Tribune

Love, Gravity & Legacy Revenue 

Star Tribune’s Steve Yaeger says the three most powerful forces in the universe are “love, gravity, and legacy revenue.” His role as Chief Marketing Officer at the Star Tribune requires him to put a special emphasis on the reality of the third.

The Star Tribune has been delivering award-winning journalism to the people of Minnesota for more than 150 years, staying profitable primarily through subscriptions to its newspaper, printed and delivered daily through rain, shine and October snowstorm.

Given the chaotic news-cycle and ongoing pandemic, Steve and his team don’t have a lot of downtime to meditate on what-ifs or nice-to-haves. Serving readers with essential public health and safety information is priority number one, and the Star Tribune’s printed newspaper remains profitable, for now. But a couple of years ago, Steve found a rare moment to ponder the future and a troublesome, looming reality became clear. “The next generation of young people won’t subscribe to print,” Steve says.

Competition for readers’ attention will only increase. Unlike in decades past, the young people of today aren’t going to hit an age where they decide, “Now that I’m an independent adult who pays taxes, I should subscribe to the newspaper.” If this is the looming reality: How will the Star Tribune remain profitable, reducing its dependency on that legacy print revenue and delivering what consumers will want in coming years?

The Star Tribune 2030 Project 

“An attachment to legacy-product revenue, even though it may be declining, often prevents businesses from boldly exploring what’s needed for long-term sustainability,” says Steve. “Businesses don’t want to disrupt that dependable revenue source, or confront the reality that the market is moving away from what historically has been their bread and butter. We can’t do that.” The acceleration of new technology and digital platforms has irrevocably altered how people find and consume news, forcing longstanding media brands like the Star Tribune to confront existential questions and undergo digital transformation. And though the digital takeover isn’t happening as quickly as many predicted it would in this new millennium —the death of print has been greatly exaggerated—it’s clear that the landscape has been reshaped.

In response, Steve Yaeger and his marketing team at the Star Tribune devised one way to better understand the forces at work in consumer news consumption: The Star Tribune 2030 Project, which was co-sponsored by Steve and the company’s Editor and Senior Vice President Rene Sanchez. Think of it less like a focus group and more like a strategic two-year conversation of shared insights. Members are young professionals who represent the diverse demographic the company serves in Minnesota. Among them is Creatis Marketing/Content Specialist Seth Conover, who has found incredible value in this ongoing cohort, learning much about himself as a consumer as well as the inner workings of the journalistic process.

The 2030 Project is in part an effort to “better understand the news habits and future needs of news consumers and subscribers” and to inspire these young professionals to “advocate for the role of trusted journalism in civic life.”

By extension, the insights and takeaways from the project will help the Star Tribune understand how to reach the next generation of readers and turn them into subscribers, not just through learning about their content interests, but in better understanding their expectations around digital experiences generally. Steve evokes an old dental PSA as an analogy, “Be good to your teeth or they will leave you.” He adds, “If you are not easy to find and work with, to consume, to pay, to interact with...your customer is going away.”

"In the Key of D" Podcast Episode with Steve Yaeger — Out Monday, November 2nd 

Creatis President/CEO Kathy Hollenhorst and Steve Yaeger have known each other for several years through peer groups like their CMO Roundtable, where they’ve shared professional insights and expertise with one another. Kathy invited Steve to join our “In the Key of D” podcast to discuss how he and the Star Tribune approach digital transformation and the future of the news industry. They get into a fascinating discussion about the business model of the Star Tribune, digital marketing strategy and take a deeper dive into customer acquisition and retention. Mark your calendars for Monday, November 2nd when the episode featuring Steve will be released!

Subscribe to the podcast here.

Learn more about Steve Yaeger’s background on LinkedIn here.

If you are in need of digital and marketing support, especially during the challenging era of COVID-19, Creatis offers flexible resourcing solutions so that you can get your work done on time. Please contact our Director of Business Development, Sandi Henrikson This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..