hfa Insights, News & Awards

The trend continues. It’s no surprise that traditional TV viewing in the U.S. has decreased in recent years. Consumers are getting rid of their cable and shifting toward mobile and other digital platforms. But TV is taking on new forms and adapting to the digital landscape, as shown by the substantial growth of over-the-top (OTT) services.

Rinnai, a leading manufacturer of energy-efficient tankless water heaters, home heating appliances and more, hand-selected hfa to help them develop the biggest new product launch campaign in their history. It all kicked off at two of their industry's largest events: The International Builders' Show and the International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition. And the results — were piping hot.

What’s the Situation? On January 11, 2018, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, announced that Facebook would be making significant changes to its news feed algorithm. This effort will prioritize content from friends and family over posts from brands and publishers. It will also place extra emphasis on content that generates substantial interaction (such as posts with a lot of comments—specifically, longer comments).

How the inventory-poor housing market could help shape your marketing strategy in 2018. As nice as it might be to step a rung up the housing ladder, buyers are struggling to find the homes of their dreams at reasonable prices right now. Housing is in short supply with inventory down 12% since last year.

AKRON, Ohio (December 21, 2017) — Hitchcock Fleming & Associates, Inc. (hfa), a full-service ad agency in Akron, Ohio, redesigned the website of Romeo's Pizza. The redesigned mobile- and tablet-friendly site launched two months ago and has increased Romeo's traffic on the site by 10 percent, online ordering by 6 percent and sales on the app by 5 percent.

This is a world of glances. We glance at apps and smart watches. We glance at friends and family when not glancing at apps and smart watches. Digital tech has whittled the average human attention span down to 8 seconds — shorter than the attention span of a goldfish — meaning this sentence needs to end befo-

For a while now, we marketers have been hearing a lot of hype about virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and immersive video. Some predict that there will be 171 million active users of virtual reality alone by 2018. Then again, some predicted these formats would already be ubiquitous by now. So let's take an honest look at the situation.

AKRON, Ohio (August 23, 2017) — Hitchcock Fleming & Associates, Inc. (hfa), a full-service ad agency in Akron, Ohio, announced that it has been named agency of record by Rinnai America Corporation, manufacturer of North America's number-one selling tankless water heater brand. hfa will lead strategic planning and campaign development for Rinnai to professional trade and consumer audiences in the United States and Canada.

Goodyear is a category leader in brand awareness and consideration. However, shoppers in the category have low purchase intent for any one tire brand, leaving them open to persuasion at the point of purchase. Promotional offers, including rebates, can help shoppers move forward in the purchase process but are not enough to make consumers choose Goodyear, since rebates have become a common model for the tire industry.

Sometimes a smart way to learn anything starts with listening. We recently published an article highlighting the Internet of Things, which is essentially the networking of everyday objects like cars, watches and even toothbrushes — or door locks. Considering our Home and Building expertise, we took particular interest in the innovations to door locks, a product that has seen almost no innovations for over a century.

A few months ago, we shared a perspective on how brick-and-mortar retailers should take a hard look at reimagining the optimal in-store user experience much as the best websites have done with their user experience We opened that article touching on the demise of many brick-and-mortar chains, but our point of view was (and is still) that those physical stores can still play a vital role in the shopper marketing landscape if they can deliver experiences that add value beyond the pure transaction.

hfa developed a holistic content marketing strategy and execution plan for Sakrete, prioritizing the specific platforms where the target audience is most receptive. We customized messaging for each platform to put the types of answers and solutions DIYers want in the very places they're looking.

We've all seen it, and most brands and marketing firms are guilty of contributing to it at some point: direct, fact-based messaging, considered the "safe" approach — when actually, it's the opposite. Data continues to prove that emotionally evocative brand marketing outperforms marketing focused on rational benefits — regardless of whether the emotion is positive or negative.

Consumers today are more health- and wellness-conscious than we used to be, and that has led to more and more people favoring an active lifestyle and wiser everyday choices. It's no surprise that this trend directly affects industries such as healthcare, food, active wear, etc. But it can go so much further than that.

Sales on the Goodyear Credit Card were being threatened by pressure from the competition. Due to inconsistent communication, consumers lacked awareness of all the card's benefits, and dealers lacked motivation to promote the card's use. hfa was challenged with coming up with a compelling and cohesive story for the card and putting together a plan to re-launch it in a big way.

Of the many challenges digital marketers face today, one of the most threatening is ad blocking. According to a 2016 Business Insider Intelligence report, U.S. ad revenue losses from ad blocking could reach more than $9.7 billion this year. Ad blocking involves using software to remove advertising from a web page. That software — usually in the form of a browser extension like AdBlock Plus or Ghostery

As the world becomes more digitally connected, relevant touchpoints on the path to purchase are sprouting up in new places on a daily basis. From widely used smartwatches that track your fitness activity to medicine containers that remind you when to refill a prescription, we live in a truly connected world.

In our first installment and second installment of this series, we explored commandments one through seven of the “How to Build Great Campaigns” 1 chapter of David Ogilvy's book, Confessions of an Advertising Man. The intent is to see if these commandments still hold up in today's world of advertising. This time, we're taking on the final four commandments. You ready? Then let's go.

In our first installment of this series, we explored commandments one through four of the “How to Build Great Campaigns” 1 chapter of David Ogilvy's book, Confessions of an Advertising Man. The intent is to see if these commandments still hold up in today's world of advertising. This time, we're tackling commandments five through seven. Here we go.

In 1963, David Ogilvy, the founder and namesake of the global advertising juggernaut, Ogilvy & Mather, published his first book, Confessions of an Advertising Man. In it, Mr. O outlines his philosophy on life and the industry, covering topics ranging from managing an ad agency to getting and keeping clients to creating great advertising.

For your brand's website to support your business goals, people have to want to use it. At minimum, it has to meet the users' needs without creating frustration. And ideally, it should actually be enjoyable to use. Your users will form opinions about your site's usability (and by association, your brand) within seconds. And as user expectations evolve, so do best practices. Is your user experience up to date?

In part 1 of this article, you learned why Facebook Live and other live streaming video platforms are helping brands improve social media engagement and sharing. Now we'll talk about how you can achieve the same success.

Live streaming video is having a big moment. Platforms such as Periscope, Meerkat, Facebook Live and YouTube Live are dominating the social landscape and have quickly become a new type of content — entirely different from standard video streaming. Because of this, live streaming may be something to add to your video marketing strategy, especially if you're looking to improve your social media engagement and sharing.

At hfa, we don't see a product launch as just a phase in the new product development life cycle; to us, it's a distinct process that involves thoughtful planning and creative execution to accelerate momentum. Successfully launching thousands of new products has given hfa the knowledge to advise on the right steps to take.

Today it is more important than ever to recognize that mobile has redefined the consumer journey for shoppers. With so many options to consider, consumers turn to their mobile devices for inspiration, product details and reviews from their peers. In fact, 34% of online retail purchases now happen on a mobile device

The Farnsworth Group recently presented a report on Channel Shopping Behavior Among DIYers and Professionals to hfa. The data shared was gleaned from online surveys of professionals and consumers purchasing home improvement products. While many of the statistics confirmed our existing knowledge of the category, others intrigued us and have us thinking a bit differently.

When it comes to digital marketing, brands in the building industry lag behind. These brands and their marketing firms tend to either misuse key digital opportunities or fail to use them altogether. While the building industry as a whole may be behind the curve with technology, the individuals who choose and use building products are not.

So, how much of your holiday shopping was done online this year? For many of us, more and more is bought online. Over the 2016 holiday shopping season, some major retailers like The Limited made headlines after announcing it would be closing all 250 of its stores across the U.S. and eliminate 4,000 jobs.

Yes, for once we had the Super Bowl we've all dreamed about — the one where the game was actually more compelling than the commercials. The drama on the field, including the first overtime in Super Bowl history, took a little pressure off of advertisers. This year, the ads didn't have to function as the main attraction.

Brands and marketing agencies — especially digital marketing agencies — are constantly generating creative ideas and leveraging the latest technology. Yet often that isn't enough to launch a brand into the future. Why? Creative ideas are typically developed within specific parameters, to address specific marketing challenges that exist TODAY.

AKRON, Ohio (Nov. 14, 2016) — Today Hitchcock, Fleming & Associates, Inc. (hfa), a leading advertising agency, was named one of Ad Age’s 2016 Best Places to Work in Marketing & Media in the U.S. by Advertising Age for the second consecutive year. Companies were chosen based on criteria such as workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems, demographics and the employee experience.

It‘s common for marketers (including me) to use the word “digital” loosely and abundantly. You hear of agencies that like to tout their “digital-first” marketing approach, while other broad medium agencies promote “digital marketing” as one part of their full-service capabilities. Then you have the marketers who use the word “digital” simply to describe media, including music and photography.

(Part 2 of 2) You may have read my recent article about the top trends I observed at the 2016 Outdoor Retailer (OR) Show in Salt Lake City, the largest outdoor gear show in the U.S. Of course it's critical to know what your competitors are doing. Here are some of the top trends that brands and their marketing firms should consider when planning their strategies for 2017.

Hitchcock Fleming & Associates, Inc. (hfa), a full-service ad agency in Akron, Ohio, and its clients, including a brand of LP^® Building Products, earned the most awards in the national Hanley Wood 2016 Brand Builder Awards. These awards further validate hfa as one of the top agencies for home and building products marketing in the country.

(Part 1 of 2) I was fortunate enough to attend the 2016 Outdoor Retailer (OR) Show in Salt Lake City, the largest outdoor gear show in the U.S. The trip gave me an inside look at where the category is going. Here are some of the top trends that brands and their marketing firms should consider when planning their strategies for 2017.

Let's cut to the chase. The marketer-agency relationship comes down to results. Results that create growth for the marketer — it's that simple. And in 2016, growth isn‘t just about awareness.

Native advertising isn‘t a new concept. It refers to the integration of a brand message into a familiar piece of media or user experience by adopting the advertisement‘s form and function to match.

Today‘s turbulent healthcare landscape can be difficult to understand and navigate. Health insurers and hospitals are losing consumer trust while retail health providers are carving space in the primary and urgent care markets. With 28% of consumers feeling frustrated by healthcare today, it‘s more important than ever for brands to deliver a satisfying consumer experience.

A small but enthusiastic group of advertising professionals. A fridge full of beer. And the 2016 Super Bowl on the TV. Our mission? Talk during the game, shut up during the ads and be very judgmental.

Strategic planning is essential to the foundation of any strong brand. It helps determine the direction for communication plans, product launches, personality, tone and much more. Building and maintaining a sound strategic plan is often a major undertaking. The external and internal influences that affect a brand‘s success change over time and the plan needs to change with them.

If you’re in the digital media business, then you’re probably aware of the countless discussions happening in the industry with regard to ad viewability measurement. No? Then let’s take a step back to recap what viewability is and why these discussions were initiated.

In the recent post How To Turn Connections Into “Shoppertunities,” we discussed how the traditional path-to-purchase has evolved, affecting shopper marketing. But that’s not all it has impacted. Today’s shopper journey has also changed what consumers expect from brands.

Hitchcock Fleming & Associates, Inc. (hfa), a leading marketing communications agency, today was named one of the 50 Best Places to Work in Advertising & Media in the U.S. by Advertising Age. hfa, the only Ohio agency to receive this distinction, placed 15th overall based on criteria such as hiring practices, benefits packages, salaries, office perks, workplace environment and design. Nearly 20,000 employees from agencies from across the country were surveyed as part of the selection process.

Your brand architecture is an organizing structure that defines how all of your brands and products are related to and differentiated from one another.

“Specifier” is a broad term in commercial construction that actually encompasses three distinct audiences: engineers, designers and architects. They‘re often thought of as similar but are actually quite different in their view of the world and what motivates them.

LP, makers of LP^® SmartSide^® Trim and Siding, needed to compete with vinyl and fiber cement siding products while adhering to a tight budget. Positioned as a premium engineered wood siding brand, LP SmartSide wanted to make a connection with single-family residential builders that raised awareness of the benefits of converting to LP products. The LP SmartSide team needed a solution that goes beyond anecdotal feedback from its sales force and leverages a plan that targets areas with high conversion opportunities.

Goodyear did not have a consistent way to collect and follow up on leads after its annual Dealer Conference. It was impossible for sales associates to collect the lead information from the 2,000 attendees and to properly follow up post-conference.

If you‘ve been reading the same media reports that I have over the past couple of years you might believe that cars are headed for the graveyard, victims of a generation that favors walking, biking, mass transportation and ride sharing. While tough economic times may have hindered automotive purchases among Millennials—as well as other generations—numerous studies of car buying habits and preferences among Millennials offer clear evidence that the majority of Millennials aren‘t shunning their cars. However, automotive manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers do need to understand the perspectives, preferences and behaviors of Millennials and shape their marketing practices accordingly in order to capture a greater share of sales.

In my last post, I covered the topic of Connections Planning, which focuses on three fundamental components of marketing communication: the audience, the brand idea, and the brand connection point. It‘s imperative to recognize and understand the relationship among these components in order to create a solid groundwork for a truly integrated plan.

By working with hfa, a full-service ad agency, LP® earned a 155% increase in user engagements that indicate future purchase intent.hfa created a phased, multi-year plan for the development, launch and support of the new website. The concept used visual inspiration to showcase not only the products' premium appearance but also other differentiating benefits. Initial site features included a robust image gallery, a shed visualizer tool and more, with additional pages rolling out over time.

Business is looking up for building product companies that are ready to make an impression with the right builders. Many brands have shifted their focus to remodelers during the recession and are now returning to new construction. Single-family housing is projected to increase 15% and multifamily housing will rise 9% in 2015.

As shopping habits of consumers have evolved and become more digital, the tire industry has lagged behind. Goodyear‘s annual Dealer Conference was an opportunity for Goodyear to become a category leader, setting the stage for a more engaging experience.

Put away those cardboard boxes — American homeowners are staying put. When their house no longer meets their needs, people are choosing to improve vs. move.

Akron General needed to strengthen its market presence despite being outspent by the competition. With a strategic Connections Plan, hfa helped ensure the health and wellness brand got noticed.

On September 1, 2015, the Google Chrome browser will be switching its default setting to block auto-play content unrelated to the webpage, in an effort to improve the browser‘s performance. This means that Flash-based ads appearing in the browser will be paused with a “play” icon overlay, requiring user interaction to trigger the ad experience. This is yet another reason why HTML5 is becoming a preferred format.

Although Goodyear possessed one of the greatest marketing assets known throughout the world, the Goodyear Blimp, the Blimp‘s website was functionally outdated, extremely technical in nature and suffering from poor engagement.

As the largest generation in the United States, and one whose purchasing power continues to grow, Millennials are having a major and increasing influence on just about every industry out there. Healthcare is no exception.

After years of reduced public relations activity, KraftMaid Cabinetry needed to reconnect with its audience of dealers, designers and homeowners while stretching its budgeted dollars.

LP^® SmartSide^® Trim & Siding needed to increase revenue despite a downturn in new housing construction. At the same time, the brand needed to defend its key differentiators—remarkable beauty and durability—against competitors making the same claims.

The past few years have witnessed the housing market limping toward recovery, struggling its way back from the initial collapse while battling the effects of a weak economy. Translation: the continuation of rigid mortgage loan terms and conditions that include requiring buyers to cough up a down payment between 10 and 20 percent. While more prudent banking practices are welcome and necessary, one only needs to consider how difficult it is today for many people to save such a large amount in order to question the exceedingly strict nature of these practices — especially when incomes have remained stubbornly flat for far too long.

FLOOD® Wood Care needed to earn attention without a large advertising spend. hfa magnified the brand's reach by thinking beyond paid media.

When designing a promotion, it‘s important to keep in mind the preferences of your target audience and the dynamics of your individual category. If you‘re seeking an immediate bump in sales, cash rewards have been shown to be most effective in the short term, but it can be difficult to sustain long-term loyalty.

Various promotions can be employed to influence purchase through the channels. A strong sales promotion strategy will benefit all audiences and help produce optimum results.

Through social listening and learnings acquired through research, hfa identified how to successfully leverage social properties to best engage with homeowners throughout their shopper journey. We also identified social spaces that homeowners were visiting where KraftMaid had no presence.

Typically, consumer packaged goods (CPG) marketers think of promotions solely as a means to move products and improve profits. In the case of durable goods, you should consider the additional business reasons why a promotion may benefit your business.

Goodyear needed to drive more service business to its Tire & Service Network Dealer locations around the country to diversify revenue streams and change the perception of drivers that Goodyear was only in the business of selling tires.

Typically, promotions are discussed in the context of consumer packaged goods (CPG), but research has shown they can be even more important for manufacturers of durable goods such as tires and building products. Today, promotions are even more important to consider in light of recent market trends.

LP SmartSide was experiencing lagging sales and disinterest among its audience. The company needed to restart the conversation about its brand and ensure it garnered attention among its target audiences and key influencers.

Goodyear needed a better way to track attendance and engagement at its annual North America Dealer Conference. In past years, Goodyear had always relied on post-conference surveys to determine what worked and what didn‘t, but it needed a more accurate and immediate way to measure effectiveness.

Think for a moment about how you are exposed to brands. Is it through a magazine ad? Is it the product packaging? Did you talk to a sales representative, or visit a store? Did it come up in a conversation with a friend?

Goodyear was looking for an exciting way to connect with Blimp fans by sharing exclusive information, pictures and videos of its airborne fleet. The solution would need to integrate with the Blimp‘s active social media fan base and be accessible via tablets and mobile devices.

The term “Millennial” has picked up speed in the past several years as the moniker for the largest generation in the United States — 1/3 of the population falls within the age range known as Millennials, which encompasses anyone currently between the ages of 18 and 34.^* What Millennials want, how they consume and their purchasing habits cannot be likened to those of any other demographic. This is the first generation with access to the internet in their formative years. Younger Millennials did not know a time without cell phones and laptops. So, how do they consume? What attracts them to products and brands, and what keeps them loyal?

In a market known for exceptional healthcare, advanced expertise was not enough to make Akron General stand out. But with the help of hfa, the brand achieved a 7% increase in unaided awareness.

Not so long ago, marketers of highly considered products neatly plotted out the consumer journey in a direct, linear funnel. As you know, times have changed and so has the journey. The path to purchase has become scattered – a self-paced exploration that’s riddled with twists and turns. In order to keep up with the changes we, as brand advocates, need to shift our mindsets about shopper marketing, too.

So what was the takeaway from SXSW 2015? Given some early stumbles by Google Glass and the slow adoption of some other emerging technologies, some might preach hesitation in the face of innovation. But did thousands of tech wizards, futurists, thought leaders, inventors, influencers, dreamers, up-and-comers, trailblazers (and maybe a few nutbars, weirdos and wackjobs) really come together to say, “Pump the brakes, world!” Of course not.

The South By Southwest Festival used to be all about music. Much like any other successful branded entity, SXSW has thrived by adapting to the times. A brand should stay constantly aware of cultural shifts, ready to adapt nimbly but not recklessly.

Somewhere in the middle of the overstuffed burrito of digital visions and futuristic insight that was the 2015 South By Southwest Interactive Festival, a small but inescapable truth was buried: as a society, we might not be the rapidly evolving tech mavens we think we are.

Hitchcock Fleming &Associates, Inc. (hfa), a leading marketing communications agency, is pleased to partner with Clopay®, PPG PAINTS™ and PPG PITTSBURGH PAINTS®, and the Process Systems business unit of Saint-Gobain to develop integrated marketing campaigns consisting of strategic media, PR and creative elements.

In an ever-changing landscape of marketing and media technology, brand advertisers must fully understand the needs, interests, passions and media usage habits of their audiences. As consumers are more in control of their brand experiences and consuming media on their own terms, it has become increasingly difficult to connect with them and influence their perceptions of your brands. This is why connections planning is such an important method for reaching your audiences in a meaningful way and building successful relationships with them.

Clopay, North America’s largest manufacturer of residential garage doors, needed to engage consumers and drive more leads to its independent dealers. The company needed to reinvent its marketing plan, reinvigorate consumer interest and take its message online for the first time. We can convince consumers to think about their garage doors as a unique, design-driven part of their homes as opposed to something that is purely functional and generic.

By 2016, DIY (do-it-yourself) consumers are projected to account for $52.8 billion of auto aftermarket parts sales. DIFM (do-it-for-me) consumers are projected to account for $97.35 billion.* Looking solely at the projected sales potential of DIY and DIFM consumers, it could appear that the DIFM market is the audience for aftermarket brands to target.

Women have a more powerful influence on purchase decisions in the automotive category than ever before. A commonly untapped audience, women present a huge growth opportunity for companies if they’re willing to evolve. Execute the following steps, and you’ll be on your way to winning over these prospects.

When vehicle manufacturers close their operations, the production of Original Equipment (OE) parts comes to a halt. So when drivers take their vehicles in for service, they learn that they can’t get trusted equipment for their “orphaned brands.” Many customers must then purchase components from “non-brands” they may never have heard of or used before. To the surprise and delight of many drivers, they discover that these “non-brand” parts perform just as well as the name-brand equipment they’re accustomed to.

Housing recovery is happening – according to the CoreLogic National House Price Index, home prices are up almost 22% from their lowest point in 2012. And although economists speculate as to when the Federal Reserve will reduce its intervention, mortgage rates remain near historic lows. Combined, these factors are stimulating consumers to again buy and sell homes, driving growth in both remodeling and new construction sectors.

The average age of cars on the road in the U.S. has reached an all-time high and continues to rise. As drivers look for ways to adapt to the slowly recovering economy, they are avoiding a new-car purchase by finding ways to keep their current vehicle on the road longer. Studies show that the trend toward keeping vehicles longer is expected to continue.

Today, many marketers are failing to recognize a significant and growing opportunity by ignoring past customers. According to a study by Adobe, as digital budgets grow, nearly 80% of marketers’ interactive budgets continue to be spent on customer acquisition tactics, yet over 40% of revenue is generated by past customers (Adobe Digital Index, 2012).

There is no question that the healthcare landscape is changing. The implementation of the Affordable Care Act is having a profound effect on how hospitals are evaluated, how care is coordinated and who owns healthcare decisions. Hospital mergers, partnerships and acquisitions are becoming more commonplace. This has increased the competition among healthcare providers while creating confusion for patients. Just ask anyone as they enter their local hospital without recognizing the name on the building.

A brand has intrinsic meaning that extends beyond products or services. It represents different things to different people. Building a healthcare brand in this highly competitive industry can be a challenge considering that the average consumer is exposed to around 5,000 brand messages every day.

When I sat down to write this article, I asked myself, "Why would this audience have any interest in what an executive creative director at an ad agency has to say?" I racked my brain to come up with the perfect topic. And then I decided to speak from the heart about inspiring people to produce great work and igniting excellence within a team of talented people.

We're excited to announce that on April 9 one of our Senior Account Managers, Evan Perrow, is participating in the American Advertising Federation — Cleveland panel discussion "The Little Things: How To Captivate Your Clients."

The Akron chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF-Akron) has announced its distinguished Silver Medal Award will be given to Jack DeLeo, recently retired president/CEO of Hitchcock Fleming &Associates, Inc. (hfa).

All the indicators point to a rapid expansion of the housing market in 2014! Home prices have recovered to within 20% of their 2006 peak. Fed says that interest rates will remain low, keeping mortgage rates attractive. The AMEX Spending & Saving Tracker revealed that more people are looking to move in the next year, and most plan to purchase homes. With mobility on the rise, 73% of homeowners are planning home improvement projects in 2014. If you manufacture home building products, then NOW is the time to invest more deeply in marketing.

hfa found that consumers not only perceived competitors as more invested in the community; they lacked clear perceptions of Medical Mutual altogether. hfa developed an integrated marketing plan and the "As Much A Part Of Akron As I Am" campaign to engage residents and make clear that Medical Mutual cares about Akron. The plan focused on media strongly tied to the community, including local print, radio and TV as well as billboards and targeted online ads.

AKRON, Ohio (October 25, 2013) – Hitchcock Fleming &Associates, Inc. (hfa), a leading marketing communications agency in Northeast Ohio, has been honored with three WebAwards from the Web Marketing Association. hfa received Outstanding Website awards for the Disney Paint and Finishes website by Glidden^® Paint and for the LIQUID NAILS^® Brand website redesign. hfa also received a Standard of Excellence award for The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Digital Dealer Tool Kit website.

Akron, OH (September 30, 2013) – Highly experienced creative leader and digital marketer Tracy McCutcheon has joined Hitchcock Fleming & Associates (hfa), an Akron-based marketing communications agency, as the executive creative director. With nearly 90 associates, hfa is one of the largest marketing communications agencies in Northeast Ohio.

On July 23, 2013, hfa joined Partners In Motion and the Akron/Summit Convention & Visitors Bureau (ASCVB) as they hosed a breakfast workshop around the topic of "Social Media Content Strategy" at the John S. Knight Center in Akron, Ohio. There were great eats and insights shared among the roomful of people and organizations that are committed to the success of the Akron region.

Akron, OH (August 19, 2013) – Jack DeLeo, president and CEO of Hitchcock Fleming & Associates Inc. (hfa), a full-service Akron-based marketing communications firm, has been honored with the Betty Dalton Community Service Award, given by Greenleaf Family Center at its 22nd Annual Emerald Gala which took place Friday, August 16.

Akron, Ohio (June 19, 2013) — Hitchcock Fleming & Associates Inc. (hfa), a full-service marketing and communications firm, has been named as one of the Top Workplaces 2013 Northeast Ohio by The Cleveland Plain Dealer for the second year. Winners were chosen based on employee survey responses about employee workplace satisfaction to distinguish companies that possess an outstanding culture and promote a positive work environment.

Simonton Windows sells to distributors, who sell to contractors, who sell to homeowners. The brand needed a way to establish and maintain direct, long-term relationships with contractors to help the brand generate lasting demand. hfa conducted extensive research and analyses, which confirmed that contractors wanted brands to act as "behind-the-scenes" business partners to help them to better compete in their local markets.

AKRON, Ohio (May 7, 2013) — With marketing expertise from Hitchcock Fleming & Associates Inc. (hfa), Akron General Health System is launching a new marketing and consumer-engagement campaign. The campaign’s tagline “My Health. My Life.” is being supported with messaging that you have Akron General to help and guide you through healthy steps big and small.

Goodyear tasked hfa with increasing tire purchases through promotional events. Research confirmed that an offer alone wouldn‘t ensure a positive ROI. Competitive tire brands were investing heavily to influence consumers and sales associates. Goodyear‘s approach would need to be uniquely compelling.

Akron General Health System needed to increase awareness and usage among insured patients while facing funding challenges and the intense competition that comes with providing healthcare in Northeast Ohio. Having a choice in healthcare options was extremely important to the community, but it meant different things to different target audiences.