ClearMotive awarded Honda Canada MC/PE Agency of Record
It’s not every day you’re given the opportunity to do professionally what you’ve dreamed about nearly all your life.
ClearMotive has been involved with Honda Canada at various levels since 2001. As the Marketing Manager for Calgary’s own Blackfoot Motosports, my responsibilities included the advertising and promotion for Honda Canada’s national motocross team. I wrote press releases for each race, designed all team apparel, posters, bike graphics, rider gear and dealt with all of the sponsors, media and industry publications. I’m not sure I truly appreciated all of the relationships I had at the time, and the valuable experience I was gaining.
I’ve always believed that if you persistently focus on what you’re sincerely passionate about, everything else will fall into place.
In 2007 I found a great friend, client and obvious professional match in Tyler Chisholm. We quickly realized the potential of building a business together and now exactly 5 years later, ClearMotive has grown to 12 staff and a handful of contractors occupying 2 stories of the Demcor loft in the beltline of Calgary, AB. Recently recognized as one of Canada’s fastest growing companies by Profit Magazine and Alberta Venture, we are grateful, honored and proud to be earning our place in the Canadian Advertising Industry.
In September 2011, Honda Canada approached ClearMotive along with three other well known agencies in Canada (all with whom they had worked with in the past) with the opportunity to become their exclusive Agency of Record. Honda’s goal was to engage an agency that had the industry experience and capacity to manage all marketing and advertising campaigns for Motorcycle, ATV, Marine, Power Equipment and Engine (MC/PE). With 10 years of experience working with Honda Canada, we were confident in our product knowledge, honored to be recognized as one of their chosen agencies, and yet very anxious about the possibility of losing the business we had worked so hard to gain.
The day we learned about the opportunity, Tyler and I pledged to each other that we would do everything in our power to win the business. We had the right team, the right experience and after all, we absolutely loved the product. We couldn’t think of a better client for our business… We were born for this.
Immediately we went to our mentors. We leaned on our industry and professional relationships to collaborate on ideas, hired a professional presentation coach to help us prepare and perform an inspiring presentation, and then developed a custom, mobile, online campaign management tool (a tool that we’re now using for all of our clients).
Perhaps the most critical factors to our success, was Tyler reaching out to his TEC “Tiger” group of business mentors, to sit in on our presentation and provide their feedback. Words can not describe the value we received from presenting in front of some of Canada’s most influential business leaders. It was uncomfortable, stressful, a bit discouraging and one of the most useful nights of my professional life. Thank you, to TEC Canada and Tyler’s entire team of mentors: your feedback, insights and counsel have greatly impacted our business.
On November 16, 2011 we flew to Toronto and presented at Honda head office in Markham, ON. Our one key point to communicate was why ClearMotive was the best choice: We are an expert team with industry experience, product knowledge, project leadership skills and enterprise level tools. Then proceeded to back it all up with rationale, tools and facts.
On November 18 we waited.
Finally on December 13, we received an email from Honda, requesting a phone call in 10 minutes. Those may have been the longest 10 minutes of my life, until the first 3 minutes of the phone call before we heard the words:
“The decision is unanimous among the entire advertising team here at Honda, we have chosen ClearMotive.”
Tyler and I remained professional for the remainder of the phone call, thanked Honda for their trust in ClearMotive, hung up and then ran screaming through the halls to the rest of the team to celebrate the great news!
It’s incredible when you put in the good old-fashioned hard work to win. We are grateful for the opportunity, confident in our team and ready for the challenge.
Tyler and I are excited to have won the trust of Honda Canada, and equally excited to help build the motorcycle industry in Canada. 2012 presents an exciting time for Canadian business, and we’re privileged to be a part of it.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy days to celebrate a victory for ClearMotive, and a victory for Canadian business. Get ready for a great year!
- Chad Kroeker, Chief Creative Officer
