Creative Link builds brands andcreates consumer awareness through anon–traditional media approach.
After moving to San Antonio inthe early ’90s, Kevin La Rue wastedno time in carving a name forhimself in the local advertising andmarketing industry, when he won alogo contest for the Alamodome.
The local ad agency, whichsponsored the contest, quicklyrecognized his talents and hired theWaco native as creative director.Before long, La Rue’s design workwas snagging countless creativeand advertising awards and beingpublished in hundreds of nationaland international creative annuals.
Two years after being with theagency, La Rue had some ingeniousideas of his own for building adcampaigns, so he branched outon his own and founded CreativeLink, a strategic marketing andbranding firm, in 1993. Sincethen, he has created a number ofintegrated branding and marketingprograms for local and nationalclients, such as Marriott Hotels,Spectrum Athletic Clubs, PocketCommunications, PacifiCare, Coca–Cola, BenelliUSA, Centex Homes,Valero Texas Open, Corona,Moosehead, Jose Cuervo, ShinerBock, Corn Nuts, H–E–B GroceryCo., San Antonio Spurs and theNCAA Final Four.
“I love creativity,” says La Rue,CEO and chief creative officer. “I’vehad opportunities to do other fun,cool things, but it always comesback to this is what I like to do. Ilove being a creative, a designerand putting strategy together.Withthe advent of social media andinteractive pieces, it’s a whole newindustry.”
Creative Link has establisheditself, La Rue says, as an integratedmarketing and branding firm thatapplies what he coins a “mediaagnostic” approach to creatingcampaigns for clients.
“We’re not necessarily atraditional ad agency that usespredominantly offline tactics likeTV and radio,” he says. “We mixa lot of online and offline pieces.We move consumers throughthe purchase process and createawareness for clients throughadvertising, branding, onlinemessaging and then move themthrough the consideration phasewith public relations, social mediaand events, and ultimately leadthem to the point of purchase.
“So our toolbox is pretty deepin terms of both the online andoffline world. We like to think we’rechanging the game or model in SanAntonio. We consider ourselvesmore of a 2.0 agency.”
One of the firm’s current projectsis an acquisition and retentioncampaign of new members forSpectrum Athletic Clubs. “Kevinis extremely talented, creativeand innovative. These talents alltransfer into the work he doesfor Spectrum Clubs,” says NicoleJones, Spectrum national marketingdirector. “There’s never been acampaign or project that CreativeLink has not helped us achieve andexceeded our expectations. Kevinand the Creative Link team are veryimportant to the success of ourbrand.”
Although he views himself asmore of a partner and investor, LaRue enjoys working with his sisteras co–owner of Facelogic Spa. “Wehave a stellar relationship,” he says. “As wewent into it, there was discussion about let’sgo into this and have fun with it. There aretimes we talk about business, and there aretimes we are siblings. It’s nice because I canshare with her my 15 years experience as abusiness owner. At the same time, she has theexpertise of the skincare and spa industry. It’sa good mix.”
Despite the sour economy, La Rue happilyreports that 2008 has been an outstandingyear. Revenue is up by 60 percent, he says,and Creative Link continues to do robustbusiness with local and national clients. Infact, the company has bolstered its 30–personstaff with the addition of an analytics/marketing performance specialist and a socialmedia director to assist with the research,development and management of clientbrands.
“We’ve seen some exciting growth for ourclients with some of the sales and growth thatwe’ve been able to create while driving theiracquisition costs down,” the 41–year–old CEOsays. “Word has gotten out. We continue topick up clients and see our business grow.”
About two years ago, La Rue beganevolving the agency by incorporating theuse of social media and the Internet intomarketing and branding components andunderstands the effectiveness and power ofthat medium. “With social media, you canlisten in on some conversations to see what’sgoing on and get better insight to what yourconsumer really wants or needs,” he says.“Consumers are used to speaking out whetherit’s blogging or the use of Twitter.
“Five years ago, Facebook and Twitterinvolved unemployed teens and notconsumers with disposable income, but nowthey are on those social spaces. Before if youwent to a restaurant or bought a product anddidn’t like it you might tell five people. Nowyou can tell 5 million people.”
As deeply rooted as he is in the marketingand branding industry, it would be hard toimagine La Rue in another field of work. Butif he wasn’t, the chief creative officer wouldbe an anthropologist, he says.
“It goes along with what I do, and it makessense why I love the behavioral targeting,”he says. “I love the study of cultures and thebehavior of different cultures.”
