Meet Paul:

Paul Brusatori is a man of many talents here at Intermark serving as the vice president, group account director. Paul works closely with our clients to achieve their business objectives through the use of strategic planning, brand building and communication efforts. He is responsible for supervising and supporting a team of account service professionals within the agency as well as clients such as St. Vincent’s Health System, Summer Classics, Talladega Superspeedway and many more.

Previously, Paul worked as an account director at Gyro and for Noble as the senior vice president, both based in Chicago. At Gyro, Paul’s responsibilities included new business, account management, customer engagement and strategic development. He has worked for several agencies as well as corporate companies across the East throughout his career. Paul attended Illinois State University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Public Relations and a minor in both Psychology and Mass Communications.

He has received numerous awards including AMA North American Effie Award Finalist 2012, Business Marketing Association (BMA) Chicago Chapter “Best of Show”, Gold and Silver ADDYs, BMA National “Best of Category” and “Awards of Excellence” and the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) “Award of Excellence.”

A few words from Paul himself:

I started my career on the client side of the business for almost twelve years and it gives me a unique perspective to understanding and empathize what my clients are going through, from addressing their internal struggles, resolving stakeholder conflicts, to lamenting budgeting worries. Beginning my career in public relations, media relations and corporate communications, I honed my skills in strategically matching the message to the audience. Brevity and sound bites became a critical path.

Launching brands soon became a passion for me, which lead to the graphic design and corporate identity side of the business. Working in design gave me a sincere appreciation for good design and the work that goes into branding and identity guidelines.

Combining messaging and brand identity work seemed to naturally fold into the marketing role and within a few more years, I made the transition to the agency side of the business where I could bring all of this prior experience together to serve multiple clients, businesses and brands. Having a strong relationship with my client contacts is paramount in order to build the trust you need to accomplish great work together.

Since joining Intermark Group, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many friendly people and working on great brands. Together with our clients, we’ve launched a new identity and positioning for Moore’s Marinade & Sauces, promoted the Spring 2013 Aaron’s Dream Weekend races at Talladega Superspeedway, and launched a new brand of coffee for Red Diamond, called “Wright’s Mill,” to name a few.

I’m enjoying my new surroundings and learning about all the great restaurants and venues in the area. Having come from Chicago, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the number of dining options. And the weather is certainly an improvement over the Midwest. Even though we’ve had our share of rain in Birmingham, we have green grass, tree leaves and flowers. My friends and relatives in Chicago are still waiting for those. 

• Graffiti art is all the rage thanks to Bambi street art bit.ly/ZCovEy
• Forget the summer blockbusters, IBM produce world's smallest movies http://n.pr/105r6b7   
• Google glass. Game changer or expensive joke? http://bit.ly/124L2Ix 

Meet Josh:

Josh Simpson comes to Intermark Group with such an impressive background; we couldn’t keep it all to ourselves! Arriving straight from the Midwest, Josh brings a new perspective that our agency admires. Joining our account service department as chief strategy officer, Josh hasn’t skipped a beat as he jumps into working across the client roster on foundational brand strategy, implementing new planning processes, mining insights and collaborating with Intermark’s team to heighten our clients' possibilities.

Previously, Josh worked as a strategic planner with Carmichael Lynch for 10 years and BBDO in a dual strategic and business development role for eight years before joining Riley Hayes, a private agency. Talk about some great experiences! Josh’s brand history includes: Harley-Davidson, Mack Trucks, Famous Dave’s BBQ, Jennie-O, Minnesota Vikings, Formica, Caribou Coffee, Walgreens, Northwest Airlines, OfficeMax, 3M, US Bank and many more.

We are so excited for Josh and his family to start their new adventures here in Birmingham!   

Now, let's hear from Josh himself:

Views from a new scene.

Hi. I just made a big move. After 20 years in Minneapolis advertising, I jumped at an extraordinary opportunity to join Intermark Group as a strategic planner. Extraordinary because I found an agency that both believes great creative is the most powerful brand leverage out there, and one with the chops, talent and resources to take advantage of the modern marketplace. Belief and action. A stunningly rare combo these days.

In marketing, words like strategy and insights are tossed around so much that they’ve lost meaning through the years. As a planner, I’m a bit of a simpleton. I believe my job is really all about drastic reduction. Taking all the stuff “out there” that can positively reshape a brand and boiling it down so teams can imagine something new.

To me, strategy is about choice. Now that we can create and unleash almost anything we dream, it has never been more crucial to choose the most impactful ideas. What’s my approach? This may not be a particularly unique methodology, but I know it is true of my personal strategic thought process.

Personal Space: First I work to understand a brand’s status and potential within the ebb & flow of its environment. I like to hear a client’s vision and passion for their brand. I like to get extremely close to the consumer and find creative ways to observe real-world behavior. Intimacy is amazing.

Piggyback: I then think about what’s happening in the world that could help us move the brand forward. Is there a relevant, attractive cultural phenomenon that we can draft behind? I like trends. But I like movements more.

The Alfalfa: So lastly, I work to bridge culture, consumer and client observations to craft both an insight and a brand idea for creative inspiration. I shoot for authenticity, simplicity and distinction. I want to help us stand out. Like the hair-lick on the kid from Our Gang.

On a personal note, Birmingham is beautiful. From a guy whose previous big move was from Central Midwest to North Central Midwest, the city is exciting yet familiar. To me, Birmingham captures the best of my Detroit hometown and Minneapolis. Like Detroit, there’s that cool community pride that only comeback municipalities exude. And like the Twin Cities, Birmingham is chock-full of genuinely kind people.

We discovered this within our first thirty minutes of arriving here. My wife had a bit of cold and was desperate for her go-to Airborne remedy. It was rather late and the hotel concierge indicated something called the Piggly Wiggly was closed. Right then a woman who was also checking-in pulled out a full-tube of Airborne and handed it right over to us. “Welcome to Birmingham."

Yep. This is the place. Plus your parking lots don’t have Titanic-sinking icebergs like this:

The family is psyched. New gig, new schools, new house, new people. Thanks for welcoming four huddled masses from Minnesota. This is home. Y’all-betcha!

From the mind of Lori Sullivan, Intermark Social Media Account Executive:

We’ve all taken Social Media 101, drilled content creation tactics into our heads and brainstormed the many ways to increase social engagement, but at the core of social media, it's all about day-to-day interactions. So as a brand or business, how do we know if we are hitting the bulls-eye or falling short of the conversational goal line? In the social realm, we must place the highest value on consistent monitoring and responding.

Everybody has heard the expression "social media is a two-way street," – if you haven't, it's a great rule to live by – but it's very easy to unintentionally mark your social pages with a "Road Closed Ahead" sign if your monitoring and responding strategy isn't on point. To make sure you are tackling two-way communication properly on social media, here are a few things to think about:

1.      Strategy comes first and is most important.

You can’t conquer anything without a strategy. Social media management takes a carefully crafted action plan centered on what's best for your brand and customers. When it comes to monitoring conversations, make sure your eyes are on your social media pages throughout the day, every day. Set up an AM/PM schedule for yourself, or if you're using a monitoring software like HootSuite, activate alerts at least twice per day. Be certain that if there is a Facebook comment, customer question or mention of your brand on Twitter, you know about it.

In addition to seeking out fan and follower actions on your pages, you must also get active yourself. Establish a social response protocol within your organization. If there is a negative comment or post, know exactly what you are going to do about it. How will you respond? Will you direct the conversation offline? Under what circumstances will you delete a negative comment? Also, when it comes to social media, always keeps the conversation going if it is relevant! Did a customer comment on your most recent Facebook post noting they love your new product? Ask them what they love about it.

2.      Social media is a direct link to your customers.

These days, your customers are flocking to their computers, tablets and mobile devices looking for product information. They are actively seeking this information so they can intelligently make purchase decisions. Isn't this right where you want them? Thought so! Make sure your social presence is the all-access pass to your brand, and treat your social media sites as the direct connection to your customers. Most importantly, this is where you can build a relationship with them! Ask them questions, give them prompt responses and utilize social media as a true conversation tool. Your target audience is right at your fingertips – it's time to get social!

3.      Timing is everything.

Once you put your brand's monitoring and responding strategy in place, make sure you are staying consistent! With more than 100,000 tweets per minute, it's easy to blink and miss something. Timely response rate is generally the missing piece from a brand's social media puzzle. It's vital that you respond to your social base, but it's also vital that you respond promptly. Don't let this be a missed opportunity for your brand or business that could turn into a disgruntled customer. Make sure response rate is at the top of your list in our up-to-the-minute social world.

Social media monitoring and responding seems simple, but it can be a big job. Use these steps as a blueprint to build relationships with your customers online and achieve social media success. As long as you follow your established strategy, initiate a quick response rate and actively use social media as a two-way communication outlet to connect with your customers, you'll be on the way to reaching your social media and business goals.

Check out 3 Tips for Mastering Social Media Engagement featured on Birmingham Business Journal's Social Madness Blog!

From the mind of Jenny Burrows, Intermark Art Director:

After finding out that I had earned the chance to attend SXSW after pitching to my agency as to why I should go, I was pretty ecstatic.  I had always heard great things about the conference, from the high-profile speakers to the demonstrations of the newest innovations in technology to all the crazy things you see in Austin, TX. I was eager to go as a representative of Intermark and more than willing to help Intermark experience SXSW through my eyes, by tweeting, checking in on Foursquare, taking photos on Instagram, and blogging my entire journey, from touchdown in Austin  til I returned to Birmingham.

My trip ended up being everything I was expecting and more. I got to see some amazing speakers, like the founder of Tumblr, the CEO of Cheezburger.com, a team from Google, and many prominent designers, developers and entrepreneurs. I saw robots programmed to do standup comedy, internet memes in real life, controlled a computer's interface with just my hands, and ate food served out of trucks. I learned how TV and Twitter work together to promote certain shows and live events, how women are one of the largest demographics and how to connect with them and turn them into brand advocates. I studied comic books and superhero branding and saw how they apply to modern design trends, and I previewed the latest web standards in coding CSS. 

I found that every topic was important in some way to what our agency does. As an agency that prides itself on being up on innovation and trends, it's only natural that we send representatives to events like SXSW who can return to Birmingham and share what they saw and learned with the rest of the company. And also with our city. I loved the atmosphere of creativity in Austin and hope that we can cultivate that sort of environment and culture back here in Alabama.

From social media to development, the science of humor to talking shoes, my trip was a non-stop whirlwind of learning and experiencing the latest and greatest in the fields of advertising, art, and technology. I can't wait to go again!

Check out a day-by-day recap of Intermark's SXSW adventure here!

• What’s this debate with the press release? Some seem to feel it’s irrelevant in a media world that runs on in-the-minute social media. Others feel that PR professionals may simply need to tweak the way they approach both the releases themselves and the journalists they pitch. Here are a few tricks of the trade. http://bit.ly/YWLeMl
• Curious to know why PR professionals love what they do? Here’s a list of the perks and insider opinions of why PR is an essential element to every campaign. http://bit.ly/12ENFja
• The drawn-out saga of the disabled Carnival Corp. cruise ship that slowly made its way to land Thursday has created a public-relations headache for the company, though analysts say the long-term impact on bookings remains uncertain. http://on.wsj.com/XdGT1F
• The digital age is a double-edged sword for those pitching content in hopes of landing the coveted story. On one hand, it’s never been easier to communicate with reporters, but on the other there’s so much clutter that breaking through all of the noise competing with your story has grown quite challenging. http://bit.ly/Zk2IyJ
• Five University of Alabama students are working with Tuscaloosa City middle schools this month to help with a newly implemented anti-bullying program. http://bit.ly/12PnuLc 

• While social network marketing has become widespread, other forms of non-traditional internet marketing expand more slowly. http://bit.ly/YshqXC
• Insiders say Digital Out Of Home Networks (DOOH) are about to take off.  http://bit.ly/Wm46Rt
• Gamification is not just for nerds anymore! http://bit.ly/UxYG5C
• It could cost you $1.8M to advertise in the Oscars telecast on ABC, but some advertisers have found a less traditional path to reach fans of the awards show. http://bit.ly/14oXGVu
• Want a spot in the Super Bowl? Got $4,000,000? http://bit.ly/XiGNq0
• Leno or Kimmel? Where is your late-night loyalty? http://bit.ly/Yj53cE

• Let's start 2013 with 13 new design trends for the upcoming year. http://bit.ly/UNsSrZ 
• Move over, Banksy: Meet the next generation of artists coming up from the street. http://ind.pn/X8J7OV 
• How to tattoo a banana, paint with Coke, make a cardboard beard and much more. Artist Phil Hansen shows how you can unleash your inner creativity by making art out of everyday items. http://bit.ly/KIvnqq 
• Help me Obi wan Kenobi, Star Wars style holograms are becoming a reality. Diginfo takes a look at the 3D laser displays that could usher in a new way of communicating that's straight out of science fiction. http://bit.ly/rYj6kh 
• When street artist Tempt's body succumbed to the effects of Lou Gherig's disease, a team of tech experts developed an open-source system that lets artists with paralysis design with their eyes. http://bit.ly/XDJX8B
• Out of focus? No such thing. With Lytros' new consumer-grade lightfield camera with infinite focus, changing focus is something you do after you take the picture. http://bit.ly/r0sKrF 
• Finally, someone has taken it upon themselves to create a taxonomy of advertising agency names. Where does yours fall? http://bit.ly/WnAe5E 
• Mixing old school comic art with modern day blockbusters, Butcher Billy brings comic book movies and the art that inspired them together in a series of epic mashups. http://bit.ly/VHj82u 
• Photography or painting? Philip Barlow's out-of-focus art style takes your eye for a trip into the blurred landscapes of everyday life. http://bit.ly/Oi27uH 

• Did you know the first SMS message was “Merry Christmas”? http://bit.ly/TDkSHN
• User Generated Content (UCG) can be a key part of your social strategy, but who owns that content? A major announcement from Instagram stirs up the debate. http://cnet.co/VNxNay
• We’re hooked on TED talks. Here’s the best TED images from 2012: http://bit.ly/ZmhZDb
• The Mayan Apocalypse was a no-show today. Reminded us of the Y2K bug: http://bit.ly/773qmu

• What’s coming in 2013? Think technology. http://bit.ly/VoCOFZ
• Even with the Olympics and political spend in 2012, projections for ad spend in 2013 are slightly up! http://bit.ly/VwVB7Z
• Learn more about how the “fiscal cliff” may affect ad spend. http://bit.ly/Yql6Zf
• Could there be a new morning news star in the making? http://bit.ly/12oEeX0
• Big changes could be in the works for G4 Network. http://bit.ly/TXrODs