Holland-Mark Launches Venture Branding Practice

Introduces Best of Boston iPhone App

Boston, MA (August 2010) – With the introduction of its innovative Best of Boston iPhone app for Boston magazine comes the formal launch of Holland-Mark’s Venture Branding practice. Led by agency principal Mike Troiano, the Venture Branding unit will focus on identifying, developing, and launching new consumer brands and product ideas with partners. “As an agency we are very focused on having measurable impact and seeing the tangible fruits of our creativity,” shares Troiano. “We created the Venture Branding practice to be able to put some skin in the game, to realize some of our own innovative ideas, and simply to work with smart people who want to build something with us.”

The Venture Branding model provides two entry points: The agency offers its ideas to partners and together they go to market, or partners approach the agency with their ideas and Holland-Mark provides the support. The Best of Boston iPhone app is an example of the former, with Holland-Mark executives proposing the idea to Boston magazine’s leadership in March 2010. Holland-Mark developed the software and interface and licenses the content from Boston magazine. With the early success of the Best of Boston app, the Venture Branding team has already begun working on the Best of Philadelphia offering, another property of Boston magazine publisher Metrocorp. The second Venture Branding partnership type is reflected in the agency’s work with Chris Lohring, CEO and owner of Notch Session Ales. “Chris came to us in the fall of 2009 with an interesting idea for a new category of ale,” said Troiano. “We worked with him on everything, from the recipe and name to the distribution strategy. The Notch brand launched in May. We went from an informal conversation to barrels going out the door in six months. That’s pretty cool.”

“Holland-Mark and the Venture Branding practice brings it all together,” said Chris Lohring, Notch CEO. “Strategic sensibility, real marketing expertise, creative horsepower, and a focus on delivering a brand and business model that works. As a one-person start-up it would have taken me another year to get where we got in six months. And the demand for Notch is incredible.”

Holland-Mark is in talks with several potential Venture Branding partners and plans for a portfolio of five to ten brands by the end of 2011.

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Holland-Mark is a strategic marketing firm focused on creating imperative brands. Clients include ACIS, BodyScapes, Boston magazine, Chelsea Clock, Corning, Harvard, Himmel Hospitality Group, IHRSA, MassMutual, Mercer, Notch Brewing, Pearson Education, and World Energy.