Grand Haven, Michigan...Borns LLC has reached a milestone: the Grand Haven, Michigan-based business has turned 25. During the past quarter century the firm has evolved from a graphic design studio to an integrated business-to-business (B2B) branding and marketing agency.

Borns LLC now provides proprietary branding and marketing services including B-search^SM market research and planning; reDiscover^SM brand strategy and development; eDiscover^SM website research, planning, and development; and Brandvertising^SM direct marketing programs. The goal of all of Borns LLC's work is to make the client's sales efforts more productive. So while Borns LLC's integrated marketing communications programs are creative and memorable, they also generate immediate sales and new customers for the client.

Randy Borns cites the example of a Brandvertising program that yielded a client $500,000 worth of new business in a few weeks, when the client's goal was a more modest $200,000 in 12 months.

It's a team effort. Randy Borns, founder and principal of Borns LLC, focuses on brand strategy and development services that clarify the client's market position and improve value-perception and awareness. He guides clients through discovery and development of what differentiates their entities and products/services.

"We leverage those differentiators in the creation of a brand message," said Borns. "Additional strategies may include renaming the company and/or branding its products or services. The brand concept drives everything we do for a given client, in visual and verbal terms, from websites to direct marketing to collateral systems.

"The associates within a brand-driven organization come to understand the brand message as an integral part of the business and to exemplify it," Borns continued. "The characteristics that distinguish the client's company and its offerings become clear to customers and prospects."

Cindy Szymas dramatically improves client website traffic through exceptional site architecture and search-optimized components. She creates interfaces that are stimulating, easy to navigate, and coordinated with a variety of other mediums, along with online tools that provide an intimate understanding of site visitors and their interests. Szymas also designs targeted email campaigns that yield open and click-through rates that are well above average.

"By monitoring website and email activity, we're able to generate detailed intelligence that our clients' sales and marketing staff can use to prioritize their efforts," said Borns. "We also use the intelligence to tailor future campaigns."

Blake De Jonge handles print-oriented design for collateral, advertising, trade show exhibits, and more. His creative energy and excellent conceptual and execution skills are complemented by his problem-solving acumen, resulting in memorable visual communications that convey and reinforce the client's brand image.

"Cindy, Blake, and I work together to coordinate each client's online and offline marketing communication tools from a visual perspective," said Borns. "And Kate McPolin, our wordsmith, works with us to ensure the verbal message is consistent with the visual one."

McPolin is a quick study with exceptional research abilities: two crucial qualities in a marketing communications writer. Sophisticated internet search engines have added a twist to McPolin's craft; using the search engine optimization (SEO) research that Szymas generates for new websites, McPolin integrates keywords and phrases that optimize the site for search engines. At the same time, she ensures that copy remains clear and concise and fully supports the brand message.

"We provide our clients with the best of both worlds," says Borns. "SEO copy drives the client's audience to their site, and once there, they find copy that gets and keeps their attention and clearly conveys the client's message."

Luchi Nelson heads up Borns LLC market planning and research services. Nelson brings experience managing and training sales forces and a keen ability to integrate marketing and sales.

"With Luchi's help, we can assist clients in identifying entirely new market segments, work through qualitative and quantitative research, provide line extension ideas, recommend launch venues, and monitor leads—all of which improve the client's speed to market and bottom line," said Borns.

Shelley Cannon handles new business development for Borns LLC. Cannon brings extensive marketing and business development experience to the firm and excels at matching clients' needs to Borns LLC competencies.

"Most companies we meet with are more sales-oriented; marketing tends to take a backseat," said Borns. "We believe that, while each discipline separately may help a business grow, together they are exponentially more effective at generating revenue for the client."

Cheri Borns is the Borns LLC business manager. Having owned her own business for 7 years, Cheri understands the challenges of managing a small business and approaches the financial side with this unique perspective.

"Our 25th year may be a bit challenging considering the current economy," said Randy Borns. "But then again, we were in a recession when I started this business. Borns LLC's survival has been due, in part, to practicing what we preach." Borns started his business after working as a graphic designer in the marketing communications department of an office furniture manufacturer.