1999 seems a long time ago, but in the same instance time has flown. As Einstein said, time is relative! When one of my teachers came to me and said, ” Deborah, no one knows where we are.” It gave me pause. So some 18 years after we opened the first studio location in Hannibal Square, I had to sit down and develop a marketing/branding strategy. A daunting task for a small studio owner. Through a dear client/friend I found Matt Garrepy of Fusion Marketing We have similar life philosophies and we “got” each other so the journey for a fresh face on MatWorkz began.
One of Matt’s key questions, “Are you willing to step out of your “comfort” zone?” already put me out of my comfort zone! However, knowing what I know about personal growth, I said of course. Here is the process in a capsule.
First, we asked our clients to fill out a 2 minute survey. The responses were humbling and surprising! We got a 95% return rate from our clients and some amazing information. The data helped to crystalize what we already knew. Our clients valued our knowledge base, our passion, the welcoming atmosphere at MatWorkz, and the life changing power of movement.
Second, we updated our brand. This was a tough decision. Our original logo was hard to beat, but Matt’s presentation of a fresh look was unanimous. More on the mandala in another post!
Third, we updated our website. We reached out, again, to our clients for volunteers, testimonials and they did not let us down. Dynamite Studios, two awesome women, did a great job and were very flexible and patient. You can checkout the video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrViTx1aW1s&t=2s .
The last thing was to get all the moving parts of the website organized by Anne Allen of NuStart Solutions. The website has finally come to fruition and we invite you to enjoy the essence of who we are and what our community represents to us.
We are overwhelmed and grateful for the support and commitment our clients have given us. Whether it be their dedication to their pilates practice (many for almost two decades), answering our survey, giving testimonials or showing up for the video shoot for the website. They have validated our commitment to be the best at what we do and love. Our hearts could not be fuller!
We are just as excited by our fresh face as when we opened those many years ago! It is time to party like it is 1999!