The staff of a downtown advertising agency may be small, but the group of young and hip professionals are making a big impact on clients from Huntington to New York City.
By Dr. Ralph J. Turner
HQ 64 | WINTER/SPRING 2008
Chris Michael believes in hard work, but also thinks work should be fun. He is president of his company, yet says he really is not “the boss.”
His company, Bulldog Creative Services in Huntington, is a great success, but he is very reluctant to use the word “success” to describe what is happening with his advertising agency.
A man of contradictions?
No. He’s just passionate about what he does to make a living and believes strongly that relationships make things happen.
The Indiana native started the agency in 1999. He also found a wife and started a family in Huntington.
Bulldog is described on its web site as a full-service advertising agency that “achieves outstanding results for our clients through advertising and marketing planning, graphic design, market research, media research, planning, negotiation and programming, sales and marketing consultation and event planning.”
Upon entering the offices on the second and third floors of the Hines Building at 916 Fifth Ave. in downtown Huntington, one quickly realizes lots of things are happening here.
Local, regional and national awards are displayed on the walls. Young professionals are seated at computer terminals – designing ways to help their clients.
The agency was recognized nationally by Graphic Design USA with five American Graphic Design Awards in 2006 and five in 2007. Bulldog’s work was honored out of more than 10,000 entries nationwide – evidence the company is a winner and a huge success.
But Michael says if one defines Bulldog as successful, then they no longer have something to achieve.
Of course, one of the first questions people ask about Bulldog Creative Services is where did you get such a name?
“I get that question a lot,” Michael says. “It is an interesting story and one that has to be told right,” he adds, creating a bit of mystery.
Before starting the agency he faced a career and life choice – accept a job offer to return to his native Indiana and buy a bulldog with $1,500 he had saved for that very purpose, or use the $1,500 to start an advertising agency in Huntington.
“I wanted a bulldog because they are loyal, committed and tenacious and everything you want in a dog. A lot of the characteristics of bulldogs are things that parlay in how we work around here – loyalty, committed, creative.”
In the end, though, Michael got both. He now has his own agency and eventually bought a bulldog which he named Hogan – after famed golfer Ben Hogan. The name combines two of his loves – golfing and bulldogs.
It’s not long into the interview for this story that it became clear family is important to Michael.
He and wife Tiffany have been married 10 years. She is from Huntington and is a realtor with RE/MAX Professional Advantage. They have two sons, Andy, 7 and Jack, 1.
“Our boys are the best thing to happen to us. Raising children is the most terrifying, but yet the most rewarding thing you will ever do,” says Chris. “I also have been fortunate in coming from a very creative family. Dad is an electrical engineer, my mother is a nurse/psychologist, my older sister is an architect and my younger sister is an interior designer. We have been a very close family.
“We were encouraged to follow our dreams to do what we really wanted to do.”
His dream?
The response comes quickly – “Bulldog Creative Services. Absolutely. It is one of those things where you start something and wake up 10 years later and the dream has come true.”
Somewhere he developed the drive to be the boss and start his own company.
His explanation: “It might be because I am not a very good employee.”
Is he a good boss?
“It’s tough for me to walk around here and say I am the boss, but I have to make decisions every day and I am not afraid to do that. I also empower everyone around here. Every single person here has the authority and responsibility to make decisions.
“I have a lot of faith in these employees and they do a great, great job. A good friend told me if you hire people smarter than you, does that make you the smart one? I want to surround myself with people who are stronger at what they do than I am.”
Bulldog Creative now has 11 employees, two just added as this article was being written. They have a variety of skills such as graphic design, writing, business, advertising and marketing and come from a number of schools – many graduates of Marshall University.
In addition to Chris, they are Christine Borders, Nathan Broslawsky, Ashleigh Graham-Smith, Nancy Williams, Angel Adkins, Megan Ramey-Keelin, Derek Gregory, Nick Niebaum, Michael Calfee and Ben Fonner. Michael is a marketing graduate of Ball State University in Indiana.
Borders, senior graphic designer and Marshall art graduate, said, “I really enjoy my work. I learn a lot and have fun. I enjoy working with clients and that atmosphere. We get to know them well and work with a lot of different interests.”
Ramey-Keelin, also a Marshall art graduate, said her job changes every day. “We are not stuck doing the same thing day after day. It is fascinating to learn about our clients’ businesses – what they do and how they do it. It blows you away – what some companies do right here in Huntington.”
Bulldog Creative has about 50 clients now. They represent a wide range of products and services. Many of their names are well known, but the readers/viewers have no idea Bulldog is behind that image. Some of their local clients include Pullman Plaza, First Sentry Bank, Marshall University Athletics, Bloss & Dillard, Inc., Marshall Community & Technical College, Huntington Internal Medicine Group (HIMG), Huddleston Bolen law firm, St. Mary’s Medical Center and Rubberlite, Inc., a leader in cellular rubber and plastic products.
Bulldog’s work for these companies includes print, Web, broadcast, outdoor and specialty items.
“Bulldog provided me with what I wanted for a price that was affordable for us and has been able to help take our company to the next level,” said Matt Karlin, vice president of Nemo Tile, Inc., in New York City. Nemo is one of the largest distributors of tile on the East Coast.
“They did our entire Web site as a marketing tool for us. Our Web site is now one of our biggest sales tools.”
Todd R. Fry, senior vice president and CFO for Champion Industries, Inc., headquartered in Huntington, said, “A key aspect Bulldog has brought to us is the creative element and ideas they bring to our major publication – the Annual Report. They do an outstanding job of putting our message and direction in a format that communicates well to our shareholders all over the country. The company is a major commercial printer, business form manufacturer and supplier of office products and office furniture with annual revenues of more than $140 million.
Marc Williams, a partner in Huddleston Bolen L.L.P., a law firm based in Huntington, but expanding operations to other cities such as Louisville, said, “What Bulldog does for us is a critical part of our strategy for growth. We rely on their knowledge of the market and their expertise to direct us to where we need to be going.”
Williams said they used to employ a Chicago marketing firm and the switch to Bulldog is “the best decision we have made in carrying out a strategic vision for our firm.”
Michael credits clients for Bulldog’s success.
“We are an agency that is very proud of what we do, but at the same time we need to let our clients take the credit and we are very happy to do that. Not all agencies are like that. Some are more interested in self promotion.”
“We understand there is a balance of that so everybody here takes a bite of humble pie every day. We go out and create these things for our clients and in the end they know that Bulldog helped them to achieve their goals.”
