- WHAT WE DO
WhiteSmith Marketing Group, Inc.
is a full service marketing and advertising firm. Because of the way we do business, our clients receive personalized solutions that are as unique as their businesses.Clients . . . are at the center of everything we do. In fact, we pride ourselves on listening, and really hearing you, before thinking strategy. We believe you know what you want to accomplish. We'll help get it done in ways that you might not have imagined. And together, we will be on time, on budget and on target.
- WHO WE ARE
Terri White
Chief StorytellerAs WhiteSmith's co-founder, Terri has trouble coloring inside the lines. She's always looking for the fresh idea, the new approach or an excuse to make something fun. She is the company's chief storyteller in print, online, and in person.
What fires Terri up. She locks in as she is getting to know a client's business. She invests the time to understand every client's business so the solutions we create are right in the sweet spot of what a client wants to accomplish.
Adventures along the way. Terri's years in business have included positions in marketing and communications. Her experience has included national marketing awards, marketing plans, capital campaigns, writing and public relations. But her favorite career accomplishments have been landing a Huey helicopter in the middle of a special event, interviewing Muhammad Ali (not for the reasons you'd expect), and leading a media tour through a very wet underground tunnel system to illustrate the need for infrastructure funding.
Outside the office. Terri can usually be found spending time with family, planning her next travel adventure, lost in a good book or hiking somewhere, preferably without cell service. She is crazy about her church family and continues to be inspired by people whose lives ooze kindness and generosity.
Lisa Odendaal
Chief StrategistAs WhiteSmith's other co-founder and chief strategist, Lisa directs, manages, and creates on every project. She loves developing creative concepts for clients – everything from fonts and colors to layout and design ideas. She isn't content until the message is right, the plan is in place, and the system is running so the client doesn't have details to manage.
She loves it when a plan comes together. Lisa's half of the vision for WhiteSmith involves researching, strategizing and creating. With her killer organizational strategies, attention to detail, and ability to envision systems that work for each client, she makes sure we deliver what we say we'll do. On time. Within budget. Making sure each solution accomplishes exactly what the client has in mind.
The road to get here. With over 20 years in marketing, business and education, it makes sense that Lisa started her career in customer service. She brings that early customer-first sensibility to everything she touches. Pre-WhiteSmith, she's directed marketing operations in banking and education and has done everything from developing a computer tracking system for customer service and sales calls to creating award winning marketing campaigns to working with Terri on a successful million dollar capital campaign in education.
Little known fact. She loves hip hop music. She just wishes the lyrics didn't make you blush. That may be why she is always on the lookout for Christian artists like TobyMac.When she’s not working. She is probably outside working in the yard, watching hockey, or finding something to organize. She knows she struck gold in finding her church family at Second Church. OUR WORK
Leatherneck HardwareMission: Develop an identity.Project Highlights: We’ve been a part of the marketing team at Leatherneck Hardware since 2000. One challenge was to help launch the Flat Track by Leatherneck Hardware product line in the B2B market. With a combination of branding, collateral materials, media campaigns, social media and website development, Flat Track has become the company’s fastest growing line of hardware.
Solutions: Website development and SEO, series of brochures, Google ad, blog development, Facebook ad campaign, trade show display, recruitment ads and electronic newsletter.
Vermilion Advantage
Mission: Create content and design monthly community-distributed magazine.Project: Since 1999 WhiteSmith has been involved in marketing and communication projects for Vermilion Advantage that have spanned the Tour of Industries, national ad campaigns, research and survey projects, presentation materials, work with industry councils, social media and since 2015 their monthly community magazine.
Solutions: Coordinate topics, interviews and write stories for monthly magazine to promote Vermilion Advantage members and Vermilion County activities.
Danville Area Visitors BureauMission: Create visually rich print pieces to promote Vermilion County.Project Highlights: The Danville Area Visitors Bureau came to us with a vision of creating a visually rich print piece to showcase the area's arts community. It really was an honor to tell the story – in words and photos – of Vermilion County’s vibrant arts community in a 12-page Danville Area Arts Brochure.
And in the Summer of 2022 we did the same for Vermilion County’s parks and outdoor spaces. WhiteSmith created a 24-page guide that shares the diverse outdoor adventures that Vermilion County Parks offer -- with more park acres per capita than any other county in Illinois.
Hiatt Farmland Services
Mission: Develop brand and promote new farm management company.Project: In 2017 Hiatt Farmland Services was a start-up that needed branding and materials to help promote their new company. Hiatt Farmland Services trusted WhiteSmith Marketing with logo, business cards, letterhead, brochure, newsletter and website to position them as a leader in farm management services in Illinois and Indiana. We continue to work with them on website updates and are beginning work on a landowner newsletter.
Solutions: Identity creation, letterhead, business cards, brochure and website.
Davis-Houk Mechanical ContractorsMission: Online presence and to build strong identity.Project: Davis-Houk Mechanical Contractors wanted to develop a strong identity in in the markets they serve for commercial mechanical work. They asked us to start with their existing logo and colors - and build from there. They wanted to establish an online presence to showcase the unique and recognizable projects where they have been involved.
Solutions: Website creation and hosting, photo shoots, printed folder, insert sheets highlighting each area of the company.
"I loved that WhiteSmith Marketing was able to take our ideas and make them a reality." Britany Carver, Davis-Houk Mechanical Contractors.
Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit DistrictMission: Conduct research to assist in making strategic decisions.Project: The Champaign Urbana Mass Transit District came to us with several fairly complex requests – they needed user insight to redesign a multi-layered website, gather public opinion regarding an upcoming referendum issue, and to hear directly from stakeholders as they built a strategic plan. Over the course of the last few years, we have partnered to gather critical, decision making data through a series of focus groups, online surveys and one-on-one meetings with community leaders.Solutions: Investment of time to gather details about the project. Designing and executing a solution including research of riders, community leaders and potential customers. Final results reported in action-oriented executive summary, marketing plan and presentations.
“We presented a complex and fairly unique marketing challenge to the WhiteSmith team and they embraced that challenge and
delivered exceptional results.”
Jan Kijowski, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District
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WhiteSmith Marketing Group is certified with the State of Illinois as a BEP Women Owned Business
Member of Vermilion Advantage - the Economic Development and Chamber organization for Vermilion County, IL
