Category: News

The Power of Partnership

Posted on April 11, 2024 by Mary Aimone - Business Tips, News

As young children, we’re taught to share. As we grow and participate in team sports or group projects at school, we’re taught to work together. As young adults in high school or college, we finally learn about true collaboration.

Everyone brings unique skills, experiences, strengths and talents to the table, and when we band together, we can accomplish so much more than we ever could alone. Strategic marketing, like many things, should never be a one-person show.

By leaning into each other’s unique expertise and creating project teams that bring the best strategic, tactical and creative minds together, we’re able to exceed our clients’ expectations every single time.

Story North Productions

Maybe you’ve heard of Story North Productions, an outstanding video production company led by husband-and-wife duo Kevin Jacobson and Annie Harala. They’re talented and visionary, and they always deliver strategic, stunning visual work that helps elevate powerful stories.

Kevin is an award-winning storyteller with an impressive track record. He’s been a news anchor and a news director, and he has a strong grasp of how to best support written or spoken content with compelling visuals that elevate the story.

Whether he’s telling human-interest stories or showing the inner workings of a manufacturing facility, Kevin’s creative instincts are spot on. He understands light, color, perception and depth, and he uses each to his advantage to create truly beautiful work.

We all know that every creative mind needs a strategic partner to ensure projects stay on track and within scope. Kevin found his counterpart and business partner in Annie Harala, Story North’s President and Director of Strategy.

Annie understands the strategic vision behind every Story North project and leverages her background in policy, strategy and public relations to build strong client relationships and ensure Story North delivers content that drives success.

Giant Projects—Story North

Story North’s videography expertise knows no boundaries. No matter the industry, Kevin and Annie know how to add value to our clients’ brands. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite collaborative projects with Story North.

Visit Cook County

Anyone who’s visited Cook County, MN, can attest to the grandeur each season brings—whether chasing the rolling hills of yellow, orange and red in the fall or exploring the lush greenery that lines the trails in the summer—and just how difficult it can be to capture pictures and videos that do the scenery justice.

When Giant Client Visit Cook County needed a video that encapsulated the raging beauty of spring waterfall season to attract adventurers to experience the naturally unforgettable cascading falls, we knew we could count on Story North to deliver.

West Madison Foods

Dips, dressings and spreads, oh my! West Madison Foods, the new home to two well-loved brands, Dean’s Dips and Marie’s Salad Dressings, was looking for a fun, creative way to show what goes on behind the scenes in their state-of-the-art food processing and packaging facility.

Their 106,000-square-foot facility has the capacity to produce 115 million pounds of product each year, and they have a secret ingredient that sets them apart from other food processing facilities in the nation: a dedicated team with a strong commitment to quality and operational excellence.

Giant Voices tapped into the talents at Story North to bring to life an in-depth and informational video.

MiningMinnesota

Let’s talk mining. Julie Lucas, Executive Director at MiningMinnesota has been a fierce advocate for responsible nonferrous mining in pursuit of a more sustainable future.

Recently, the United States made an important commitment to reach net zero gas emissions by 2050. Knowing this transition will require extensive collaboration and a secure supply of domestic minerals for renewable energy infrastructure, Julie wanted to create an informative video that cut through the noise to provide clear, important facts and figures—and Story North delivered!

The completed video has been used in various classes to inform students of the key role that responsible nonferrous mining plays in our journey to net-zero emissions.

APT + The Gravel Pit Golf Course

American Peat Technology (APT) puts natural resources to work, utilizing the power of peat to tackle some of the world’s toughest challenges in water treatment, agriculture and beyond.

APT recently worked with The Gravel Pit Golf Course in Brainerd, MN, on a course expansion that added 10 new holes. The Gravel Pit Golf Course was built in—you guessed it—a former gravel pit site, presenting unique challenges for growing and maintaining grass seed.

The owners chose to introduce APT’s eco-friendly peat/biochar media to the soil on the expanded course, which provided a healthy foundation for growth, and within nine weeks, the new course was lush with green turf.

This project provided a special opportunity to educate APT’s audience on the benefits of peat by pairing science with one of the region’s favorite summer pastimes. Story North paid visits to APT and The Gravel Pit, capturing footage of APT’s scientific process and The Gravel Pit’s expansion and grass seed growth to showcase their successful project collaboration.

Involta

Involta, a nationwide enterprise-class data center, cloud solutions and security services provider, and long-standing Giant Client, is passionate about expanding access to STEM opportunities for students. STEM industries continue to evolve at a fast pace, creating an ongoing critical need for new, diverse talent and ideas in the workforce.

For National STEM Day this year, Involta wanted to create a short social media video to share their words of wisdom for young techies interested in STEM. Story North turned the snippets of inspiration captured on the Involta team’s phones into a snappy, energetic montage.

Partnering for Success

From concept to campaign execution, Giant Voices specializes in helping our clients define and accomplish their business ambitions.

Giant Clients are shaping the future of technology, tourism, manufacturing, economic development, construction and many other industries, and with the talents of partners like Story North, we work to elevate brands in unique ways that set them apart from the competition.

If you’re in the market for an expertly-produced video to promote your business, reach out!

Freedom Warriors: A Giant Client With an Important Cause

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Mary Aimone - News, Website Development

Recently, a Giant Client with an important cause needed a fresh, new website. Freedom Warriors, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering and liberating survivors from the chains of exploitation and human trafficking, was looking for a website that would educate visitors, encourage involvement in the fight against human trafficking and drive donations.

Recognizing the importance of the Freedom Warriors mission, Giant Voices dove headfirst into this project. We collaborated closely with Freedom Warriors to evaluate powerful website designs, content, visual elements and calls to action.

With their goals at the front of our minds, Giant Voices designed and developed a new Freedom Warriors website that would make a Giant impact.

“I met Keir Cochran, founder of Freedom Warriors, at a conference 12 years ago, and we have been close friends and mentors for one another ever since. I have deep respect for Keir and his inspirational leadership style—we need more leaders and trailblazers who are focused on driving positive change. When Keir needed a new website for the Freedom Warriors organization, Giant Voices jumped at the opportunity to help.”
Pascha Apter, Giant Voices Founder & CEO

The Freedom Warriors team wanted an educational, impactful and visually intriguing site. We chose an attractive layered layout that incorporates bold statistics, interactive components and strong CTAs to drive donations.

We also used powerful imagery and thoughtfully written content to evoke emotion and inspire involvement. With the hard work of our graphic designers and web development team, we brought Freedom Warriors’ vision to life; their new and improved website boasts a unique, crisp design to support their important mission.

Unmasking the Global Epidemic

For many, human trafficking is viewed as a distant threat—strangers in far-away countries exploiting only vulnerable populations. The reality is much more daunting.

One of the most common myths surrounding human trafficking is that perpetrators target victims they don’t know. But most victims are trafficked by someone they share a close connection with, such as a friend, family member or romantic partner, through deception, coercion, isolation and even physical force.

The United States leads the world in human trafficking, with an estimated 199,000 incidents occurring each year—though the number of reported cases is much lower.

From 2008 to 2019, human trafficking victims worldwide nearly quadrupled, going from 30,000 to 120,000 identified victims. The pervasive reach of this heinous act surpasses even the trade of illicit drugs, arms, human smuggling and wildlife crimes.

Freedom Warriors recognizes that the time for mere words has passed. It is imperative to rise above rhetoric and take decisive action—against human trafficking and in support of survivors.

The Warrior Way

Freedom Warriors came to life after a transformative tour of the Underground Railroad Museum’s human trafficking and modern-day slavery exhibit.

Overwhelmed by the emotional weight of the magnitude of human trafficking, this pivotal moment ignited a deep sense of purpose within the co-founders. Freedom Warriors is a testament to the determination to fight against the injustice of human trafficking and restore freedom to all those affected.

“To be a Warrior within Freedom Warriors is to embody unwavering strength, unwavering courage, and unwavering compassion,” explained Keir Cochran, Freedom Warriors’ Founder.

“It means standing on the front lines, facing the darkest corners of humanity with an unyielding determination to bring light. It means being a beacon of hope for the oppressed, a fierce advocate for justice, and a relentless force against the pervasive crime of human trafficking.”

Healing Through Equine Therapy

With a strong focus on healing, Freedom Warriors partners with organizations that utilize equine therapy to empower survivors on their journeys to recovery and restoration. They believe in the profound impact of equine therapy as a healing tool and are dedicated to supporting organizations that leverage this transformative power in survivor rehabilitation.

Freedom Warriors covers the annual cost of the horses, helping provide survivors with a safe and nurturing environment where they can form connections with horses to foster emotional healing, build trust, and develop essential life skills.

Giant Voices is proud to support Freedom Warriors’ mission, and we were grateful for the opportunity to bring their website vision to life.

The Wonderful World of Web Apps

Posted on June 27, 2023 by Lisa Bodine - News, Website Development

Web applications are an essential, yet inconspicuous piece of the puzzle that ensures a website functions efficiently. But what exactly are web applications and how can they support and improve your business operations? We cover all this and more in our blog on the wonderful world of web apps.

Welcome to the wonderful world of web applications, a wide range of smart yet complex, process-driven websites hidden in plain sight.

We can almost guarantee you’ve used a web application before. They’re specific types of website functionalities that allow users to complete actions online.

In business, web applications take many forms to facilitate product purchases, manage inventory, process orders, track shipments, record time or complete billing processes.

Customer relationship management (CRM) tools are some of today’s most robust web applications. CRMs help businesses keep track of their interactions with customers, manage customer databases, store purchase history, provide better customer service and create, execute, fine-tune and report on targeted marketing campaigns.

The list of great examples of web applications goes on. The bottom line is this: building out your own customized web application could streamline many of your business processes and functions.

Let’s say you’re an OEM manufacturer that would like to add e-commerce capabilities to your website so customers can purchase the products and parts they need quickly and easily.

There are many web applications on the market that could fill this role. Or, you could invest in your company’s future to customize a web application that does exactly what you need it to do.

No forcing your company to fit into a predetermined process. You outline what you need, and a skilled web application developer delivers a product specific to your business.

It sounds too good to be true, but it isn’t. Web applications effectively ‘super-size’ traditional web development to create functional tools that customers and employees can use to drive business, support sales goals and create operational efficiencies at every level.

Web Apps Offer Limitless Potential

Entrepreneurs don’t start their own businesses because they want to uphold the status quo. They branch out independently because they have a unique product or offer, a new way to approach complex challenges, and a desire to forge their own path. Web applications support that entrepreneurial mindset with several key advantages.

Improved Accessibility

Today’s web users are sophisticated, and if they encounter difficulty accessing a website, they’ll simply move on.

Additionally, people of all abilities must be able to access the internet with ease. Sites that don’t meet ADA compliance requirements earn poorer search engine results and less traffic than their compliant counterparts.

Web applications can help transform a traditional website into a powerful tool that provides the necessary information and adds functionality allowing users to complete specific tasks.

Cost-Effectiveness

There are thousands of web applications on the market today, many of which are excellent. The only problem is that commercially-available web applications are designed to be general enough to meet the needs of most users.

But what if your company operates a little differently than others in your field? What if you subscribe to a particular web application but only use it to 50% of its capacity because it just doesn’t fit your business model?

The capital spent on unused functionality would be better spent on a custom-created web application that suits your business needs more closely.

Increased Efficiency and Productivity

Teams working on a project might use a web application to keep track of their tasks and deadlines, and they might use a separate messaging app to communicate with each other in real time.

They might also have separate tools for manual inventory management, customer orders tracking, shipping, payment processing or billing. A custom-created web application can help automate and integrate all of these business functions into a single piece of technology.

By streamlining labor-intensive processes, employees will have more time to focus on strategic, revenue-generating tasks that increase productivity, pursue career development opportunities and ultimately drive business growth.

Improved Customer Engagement and Retention

Many businesses already use web applications to track and facilitate customer engagement.

CRMs like Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, HubSpot and ClickUp (and many more) are all designed to help businesses manage customer relationships and interactions to help prospects convert into customers and brand advocates.

These CRMs are incredibly robust, with layers upon layers of great functionality and some elements many businesses will never use.

Instead of forcing your business into a pre-determined box, investing in a custom-created web application transforms into an investment in the future of your business and results in a more natural, on-brand experience for your customers.

Unleash Your Competitive Advantage

If you’ve tried out-of-the-box web application solutions and found them lacking or that you have to enact too many workarounds to make them make sense for your business, we want to talk.

The Giant Voices team is ready to explore real web application solutions with you. We want to elevate your business with a custom-created web application that fits your business just right.

Ready to take the next step?

Let’s Get Started

Giant Voices’ 2022 Highlights Reel

Posted on January 20, 2023 by Pascha Apter - Company Culture, News

It’s been a whirlwind year for the Giant Voices team, and we’d like to share some of our favorite strategic marketing moments from 2022. Here’s to hustle, excellence, passion, our incredible Giant clients and the amazing Giant team.

Giant Voices' 2022 Highlights Reel | Giant Voices Blog

A Decade of Giant Voices

In July, Giant Voices celebrated 10 years in business under Pascha Apter, our founder and CEO. Giant Voices evolved from The JPG Group—a marketing and advertising firm founded in the mid-80s in Virginia, Minnesota.

Pascha joined The JPG Group in 2005 as an account executive. She purchased the company and rebranded it Giant Voices in 2012, becoming one of the first women to wholly own a marketing firm in northern Minnesota.

“When I look back over the past 10 years, I’m filled with pride for the enterprise we’ve grown. What began as a small but mighty team in Canal Park has grown into a powerful firm with a national client presence. I’m incredibly proud of and grateful for my partners and the team of Giants who have contributed to our growth and success.”
– Pascha Apter

Ready, Set, Travel! Digital Advertising Campaign for Visit Cook County

Now that we’re easing out of the pandemic, travelers are itching to explore. When the Visit Cook County team was ready to promote the stunning northeast corner of Minnesota again, they tasked Giant Voices with creating a fun, welcoming and pointed digital advertising campaign.

Our “Ready. Set. Travel.”campaign highlighted popular adventures and locations throughout Cook County. The campaign ran through every season and drove impressive results:

87% increase in year-over-year website sessions
118% increase in website users
540% increase in year-over-year lodging page sessions
560% increase in new users to the lodging page
.14% average digital ad click-through-rate (2x above the industry average)

Giant Thrills—Celebrating, Teambuilding and Whitewater Rafting

In August, the Giant team continued our 10th-anniversary celebrations with a whitewater rafting trip through Swiftwater Adventures!

After we tumbled and twisted down the St. Louis River, we headed to Carlton Streetcar for some celebratory drinks, delicious food and time with the Giant crew.

We couldn’t be more proud of our courageous team. We approach challenges—both in and out of the office—with tenacity and drive. We’re excited to grow our team and expand our services as we embark on our second decade in business.

Involta—Ambitious Growth Under New Leadership

Involta, an award-winning data center, hybrid IT and cloud-forward consulting firm (and Giant Client for over a decade), had an incredibly transformative year.

The company completed an acquisition by the global investment firm Carlyle and made significant strategic shifts to its executive leadership team. Jim Buie, former Involta President, became President and CEO to lead the company into its next growth phase.

Bruce Lehrman, Involta’s founder and former CEO, continues to guide the company as the Vice-Chair of Involta’s Board of Directors.

Lisa Bodine, Giant Voices President and Partner, along with a team of Giants, supported Involta throughout these transitions and is helping set ambitious growth goals for the next phase of Involta.

Strengthening the Giant Team

We feel so fortunate to have curated an incredible team of Giants. This year, we added Joann Puglisi to our accounting team, and she’s been an essential behind-the-scenes part of our company.

Heather Wink transitioned from account assistant to account executive, and she’s taking on big clients and having a blast.

Mary Aimone became a full-time account assistant, jumping in to assist with content creation, traffic management, project management and more. We wouldn’t be where we are today without our team, and we’re grateful for the lot of them.

Green Building Initiative Certifies Over Half a Billion Square Feet

The Green Building Initiative (GBI) reached a major milestone this year. The organization has officially certified over half a billion square feet of commercial building space!

GBI achieved this milestone with the certification of the IDS Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which has taken significant actions to reduce climate impacts and promote health and wellness for building occupants.

Two Giant Clients Listed to TCB 100

Twin Cities Business recently announced its TCB 100 list. Key business leaders, trailblazers, and newsmakers poised to make an impact in 2023 were evaluated and selected, and we’re incredibly proud that two of our Giant Clients made the cut!

Rachel Johnson, President and CEO of the Area Partnership for Economic Expansion (APEX), has ambitious visions for Minnesota and Wisconsin’s roles in a greener and more sustainable future. Collaboration across industries is key to business attraction, retention and growth.

Julie Lucas, Executive Director of MiningMinnesota, understands that responsible domestic nonferrous mining development is critical to achieving the nation’s climate action goals. Nonferrous projects in Minnesota can set the standard for the rest of the world.

Please join us in congratulating our outstanding Giant clients!

Bags & Brews Blood Drive for Memorial Blood Centers

Giant Voices was extremely proud to sponsor a Memorial Blood Centers Mobile Drive as part of Northwestern Mutual’s 2022 For The Kids: Bags + Brews fundraiser.

Between the Giants and our clients, friends, families and networks, we surpassed our goal and collectively donated 33 units of blood—enough to make a lifesaving impact on 99 patients.

We’d like to send a Giant THANK YOU to all who participated. Stay tuned for future opportunities to support our community.

Due to recent weather events in Minnesota, blood supply is critically low heading into the holidays. Give a life-saving gift this season—please consider donating soon to help MBC prepare for patients in need.

Cheers to an Ambitious New Year

We hope you enjoyed a happy, healthy and fun holiday season, and we wish you an ambitious start to the new year. Thank you for being Giant!

10 Giant Highlights from 10 Years in Business

Posted on July 13, 2022 by Pascha Apter - Giant Fun, News

We’re celebrating ten years in business this month, and to mark this milestone we’re taking a bit of a walk down memory lane. Read on for some of our favorite Giant memories from the past decade.

2012 – A Giant Rebrand

Giant Voices evolved from The JPG Group—a marketing and advertising firm founded in the mid-80s in Virginia, Minnesota.

Pascha Apter joined The JPG group as an account executive in 2005, became a minority partner in 2008 and purchased and rebranded the company in 2012, making her one of the first women to wholly own a marketing firm in northern Minnesota.

As a single mother to two young children at the time, Pascha’s decision to become an entrepreneur in a fast-paced industry was a huge risk with a huge payoff, not just for herself, but for every Giant along the way.

Pascha and her small team of Giants officed out of a charming space in Canal Park, taking Duluth by storm!

2013 – Lisa Bodine Becomes Giant President

When Pascha founded Giant Voices, she knew she needed a partner—someone to help share the heavy load of business ownership and provide the yin to her yang.

Pascha had worked alongside Lisa Bodine on several regional initiatives through the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce and while Lisa worked for Involta and the Area Partnership for Economic Expansion (APEX).

When Pascha approached her with an opportunity to become president and partner of Giant Voices, Lisa immediately agreed—and the rest is history.

Lisa’s sales and business development expertise and deep network of industry relationships have been invaluable to Giant Voices for the past decade, setting a trajectory for rapid growth.

2014 – Visit Cook County Goes Giant

2014 was a year full of new client acquisition success stories. One of our favorites is being awarded a contract with Visit Cook County, a relationship that continues to thrive today!

“We are personally invested in the success of all stakeholders in Cook County, Minnesota,” said Pascha.

We are incredibly proud of the award-winning work and record-breaking accomplishments we have made alongside the VCC team of marketing experts.

2015 – The Giant Creative Team Expands!

After three years in business, 2015 required what was effectively a hiring explosion at Giant Voices.

Most notable was the hiring of Cory Southerton and Sally Carlson—two of our incredible creative team members who proudly work at Giant Voices still today.

Cory was only 19 when we joined Giant Voices, and it felt like forever before he could officially join one of our many agency happy hours.

2016 – Pascha and Lisa Travel to Africa!

Business experts always caution that owners should never travel together—what if something happened? Would the company survive?

When Pascha and Lisa had an opportunity to travel to Africa together with their spouses, they couldn’t resist the temptation. They left the company in the capable hands of Barb Darland and Jena Mertz and set off on the journey of a lifetime.

After countless small plane flights, safari adventures, surviving an elephant stampede, and many other exciting yet frightening happenings, the Giant leaders returned to Duluth inspired and ready to tackle client and operational challenges alike.

2017 – The Giants Move to Downtown Duluth

After five years of record growth, the Giant Voices team was pushing the limits of our small Canal Park office. Lisa and Pascha explored significant renovations but ultimately decided that a new space would be a better fit for the rapidly-growing company.

They selected a 6,600-square foot space on Superior Street, putting Giant Voices directly in the heart of Duluth’s business district.The two-story office, formerly known as the ACE Hardware building, was completely renovated into a modern workspace.

It includes several conference rooms, expanded collaboration areas for staff, areas to showcase work and art, a fitness room and a kitchen. Apter also commissioned a hand-painted mural depicting the iconic Duluth skyline while incorporating a little Giant flare.

2018 – Pascha Recognized by Twin Cities Business

Pascha earned huge industry recognition when she was named one of the TCB 100: People to Know in 2018.

Pascha was recognized as an influencer in the business community and as a strong leader and savvy entrepreneur with more than 20 years of experience in marketing and advertising.

Pascha’s fierce passion for helping her clients reach their financial, operational and marketing ambitions inspires creativity and innovation.

We’ve always known she’s incredible, and it was amazing to see her featured so prominently and among such good company.

2019 – Jena Mertz Becomes Partner

Jena Mertz had been an essential part of the Giant team since 2013, bringing experience in sales and marketing to help Giant Clients strengthen brand awareness both internally and externally.

Jena also always had entrepreneurial ambitions, and she was thrilled to make that dream a reality with Giant Voices.

As a partner, Jena focuses on managing growth opportunities for Giant Voices while also overseeing all client relationships and developing strategic marketing plans that drive sales and operational growth for key client engagements.

2020 – Giant Voices’ Digital Marketing Team Executes a Complex Lead Scoring Strategy

The Giant Voices digital marketing team manages a database with nearly 100,000 contacts on behalf of a Giant Client.

We’ve leveraged the organization’s CRM investment to deploy a lead nurture framework and scoring methodology designed to identify, rank and grow qualified leads.

As contacts engage and interact with various assets, they earn a higher lead score and move down the funnel from Prospect to Lead to Marketing Qualified Lead to Sales Qualified Lead.

This process gives the client a stronger understanding of each contact and has helped nurture prospects into thousands of viable leads that are passed to the sales team.

Oh and we survived a global pandemic….

2021 – Involta Billboard in Times Square

Seeing our clients succeed is truly why we exist at Giant. We have been an extension of the Involta team since the inception of Giant Voices—and for a majority of the 15 years Involta has been in business.

We’ve partnered over the years, helping align marketing with sales, as the rapidly-growing managed IT and data center service provider transformed into a national powerhouse.

Our team has helped shape the marketing strategies that grew Involta’s footprint from one market to six, and we’ve helped build narratives for Involta’s ever-growing line of hybrid cloud solutions.

When Involta was acquired by the Carlyle Group, a growth-focused global investment firm, the Giant Voices creative team developed the billboard creative that was featured in Times Square during the holiday season.

We couldn’t be more proud that our work was featured so prominently at a national level. A Giant win-win, for sure!