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THINK
2015, the company needed a
website facelift, and as soon
as that started, Dobbe says it
became clear that it was time to
freshen up the entire brand.
“We were looking a bit dated
and our original knight [logo]
didn’t clearly communicate
the knight chess piece idea.
We kept our Strategies type
font (just beefed it up a bit)
and then added a much more
contemporary knight. The biggest
challenge was coming to grips
with the fact we had a dated look.
Once we found our new knight, it
was full steam ahead.”
Like their old logo, their
office space was also dated. “We
worked with the designer at a
furniture store to pick a color
theme, and then we brought
down some interior walls to open
things up. Paint and new carpet
did wonders. The final piece was
interior signage and new product
displays,” he adds.
The new look for the brand and
the upgraded space nowmatches
the employees’ enthusiasm
and commitment. Says Renae,
the company’s vice president,
“Collectively as a company we
have over 250 years of combined
company years, and the average
tenure of our employees is close to
12 years. We are very thankful for
our staff and consider them family.
They are really great people who
understand that customers have a
choice and we want them to choose
us.” She emphasizes that the staff
always strives to be responsive,
creative and fun to work with.
Renewed Passion
“I sprang out of bed at 3 am one
day and wrote down the words
brand, communicate, motivate
and reward. There isn’t anything
that we do that doesn’t fall into
one of those categories. Those
four words have become our core
competencies,” says Dobbe.
Once they figure out which
area they are working in with a
client, they ask, “Where do you
want your message to land?”
“Options are a person’s home,
vehicle, work, on their person
(pocket, purse, backpack) or
it’s a lifestyle item. We arranged
our whole facility around these
areas,” Dobbe explains.
“We love to get our customers
and prospects to our facility
because we have product
displays and case histories
throughout our space. These
case histories demonstrate the
true power of our medium. Our
goal is to have the customer
come away with the knowledge
that while we provide branded
merchandise and decorated
apparel, we also bring a different
element of creativity that they
aren’t going to get just anywhere.
“I can honestly say that I have
never been more excited about
our business and our industry
then right now. I crawl into bed
on Sunday nights and can’t wait
for Monday morning. Ten to
15 years ago we weren’t even
thinking about portable phone
chargers, Bluetooth speakers or
apparel being decorated with
lasers. They didn’t exist!”
While Strategies is committed to
staying up-to-date with products
and how people want to order
them, Dobbe says the human
element is equally as important.
“Deep down, I believe that
love makes the world go around,
and love needs interaction.
People will want technology but
will want a human element along
with it. I’m not sure what that
looks like but we’re going to work
hard to figure it out. We’re all
about solutions.”
Julie Richie is associate
editor for PPB.
Left, Doug and Renae Dobbe
celebrate at Strategies’ 25th
anniversary BBQ this year
with their three children,
Rachel (second from left),
Jordan (middle) and their
youngest, Dalton (right), who
works at the company.
The newly remodeled
Strategies facility provides
product displays and case
histories to educate and
inspire clients.