xiik Bundles Up for the Windy City

July 26, 2010 – 5:10 pm

Company opens Chicago office, beginning Stage One of two-year growth plan in “Top 3” markets.

“We’ve always strived to be a multi-regional firm, operating in the largest US markets. As we grow, we follow the demand,” stated xiik’s owner and VP of Operations, Topher Overstreet, at this week’s staff meeting, where the company’s two-year roadmap was unveiled. Three days later, the company began Stage One by welcoming Joe Nissan as its Chicago-based Account Director.

Mr. Nissan is a Chicago native with an MBA in marketing and over 10 years of experience in advertising for national agencies. He’s managed accounts for major retail brands, including Best Buy and Nextel, and several automotive companies. His mission is to develop new client and partner relationships in the Chicago area and grow the local Account Services team as these relationships mature.

xiik’s decision to focus on building Chicago came after several months of debate regarding the growth of the company. Early this year, xiik consolidated its Las Vegas office into its Headquarters in Los Angeles suburb, Century City. In the first half of 2010, the company made strides in expanding its west coast operations as it welcomed clients in Phoenix and San Francisco. xiik also found success in its second highest volume market, Indianapolis, with the addition of national clients such as eDentist.com and the National Panhellenic Conference. Growth from the company’s Capital Office in DC (also serving NYC) has been steady, but company leadership anticipates a ramp-up in early 2011.

Currently, with clients already in the Chicago area and the city’s close proximity to xiik’s National Operations Center in Indianapolis, this expansion simply made the most sense. Overstreet continued, “I’m confident that [Chicago] will be our second strongest market within the next ten months. We’ll experience the same exponential growth that has guided us for the past nine years – our existing clients love working with us and they continue to be our biggest evangelists in bringing in new clients.”

The two-year roadmap came with the announcement of extending the xiik’s competitive tuition reimbursement plan and an employee ownership plan that the company expects will continue its already high employee retention rate.

The Chicago office will officially open August 2, 2010 and will be located at:
300 South Wacker Dr #2300
Chicago, IL 60606
phone: 312.212.3499
email: chicago@xiik.com

By Josh Corken | Posted in press releases | Leave a Comment

Marketing Firm Pledges to Support Charities

June 28, 2010 – 5:21 pm

Corporate social responsibility isn’t just a buzz term at xiik– it is part of the business foundation.

“We have a responsibility to give back to our community,” says Steve Hering, Art Director at xiik. “It feels great to help and it’s amazing to see that a few hours of work or a small donation can turn into a huge success for these organizations that may not otherwise have the resources to get such powerful results.”

xiik is a full-service marketing firm based in Los Angeles with staff in Indianapolis, New York and Washington D.C, who supports charities and causes across the country. Each year, the company has pledged to donate a minimum of 1% of profits to organizations in need and a minimum of 1% of total development hours to build Web sites for nonprofits that may not have been able to afford one otherwise. In 2010 alone, xiik has already donated more than 110 hours and over $9,000 in discounted services to several non-profit and philanthropic organizations.

The Humane Society of Indianapolis (HSI) has served the Indianapolis metro area since 1905, providing vital services to animals and people through sheltering and adopting animals, training classes and outreach programs. HSI has been a client of xiik’s for two years now, utilizing services from modifications to their current Web site to development of fundraising microsites for the organization, leading to over one-half million dollars in charitable donations.

xiik recently teamed up with the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), a 108-year old membership organization that represents more than 4 million women at 655 college/university campuses and 4,500 local alumnae chapters in US and Canada. xiik and NPC are conducting focus groups and research to overhaul their outreach sites,SororityParents.com and TheSororityLife.com, that provide information and expert advice about sorority life to young women and their parents or guardians.

The Arizona Labor & Employment Relations Association (ALERA), facilitates the exchange of ideas, information, and research, to improve and promote the climate of labor and employment relations. xiik is working to help them overcome their challenge of maintaining communication and improving processes amongst volunteer staff and members through the creation of a Web site and discussion forum.

A unique site is being developed by xiik for a new, independent eBook publisher, Sterling Hope, which donates $1 of every sale to a charity. Customers cast a vote for one of three charities and send a personalized link to their friends to encourage them to vote. At the end of each round, all of the proceeds are awarded to the charity with the most votes. This fun, innovative charity not only benefits the organizations, but also brings exposure to new authors.

“We believe corporations have a responsibility to our global community and that is very clearly reflected in our business model and charitable outreach,” explained Amber Cleveland, co-founder of Sterling Hope. “xiik facilitated our wish for our customers to be able to see how they were making a difference for three very special charities. It’s critical to see that impact in real-time; xiik made that possible for us.”

All of the employees at xiik get involved in the effort: programming a site, writing content, providing creative ideas, or even attending charity events during personal time to show support. “It’s not just about an obligation to donate,” explains Topher Overstreet, xiik owner and Vice President of Operations, “it’s a great opportunity to use our talents and skills to support people in our communities and feel good about the work we are doing each day.”

By Josh Corken | Posted in press releases | Leave a Comment

Support the Poster Pooch!

May 17, 2010 – 8:57 pm

A few weeks ago, the xiik geeks had a blast when we strutted our stuff with of our pooches, (or our loved ones’ pooches) on the track of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Mutt Strut. Sure the weather was a little rainy, but that didn’t stop us, or thousands of others, from supporting the work of the Humane Society of Indianapolis.

Our support didn’t end there. On the day of the Mutt Strut xiik launched the Web site for the 2011 Indianapolis Poster Pooch Contest, a contest that will determine which Indianapolis-area dog will be the face of next year’s Mutt Strut.  Dogs are voted on by their human companions, who can log onto the site to vote for their favorites. The winning dog will be decided by having the most votes when the site closes at midnight on Friday, July 9.

Indianapolis-area residents can submit photos of their adorable pooch that can be voted on by the public. To register your pooch, you must make a minimum $5 donation and each vote is a $1 donation. Be prepared to enlist your friends and family to vote for your dog – the current leader has more than 300 votes. Have no fear, though, because voting is still open for several more weeks so there is plenty of time to get a rousing campaign for your pooch going. You can even use the site to solicit support from your friends and family by sending emails encouraging them to vote for your pooch.

And if you don’t have a pooch, surely you know someone who does, or you enjoy looking at photos of cute pooches. Log on today and find your favorite – you’ll be helping provide a second chance to the animals at the Humane Society of Indianapolis who dream of one day being a poster pooch (or kitty!).

Whether you want to show off your pooch, or see others’ favorite pets, we hope you join us in supporting this great cause.

By xiiksarah | Posted in about xiik, indianapolis, web design, web development | Leave a Comment

A Eulogy for Lala

May 12, 2010 – 7:45 pm

I went to log in to my Lala account last week and was greeted with the heartbreaking message that Lala service would be terminated on May 31 after having been purchased by Apple in December of last year. Needless to say, I took the news pretty hard. I’ve been a Lala user since September 2008. It’s been there for me when my iPod died, allowing me to access my extensive music collection from any computer with an internet connection. I’ve also discovered some fantastic new music through its extensive collection that allows users to listen to any song for free once.

Tech geeks billed Lala as a music rental service, where you could “buy” music for online-only play for 10 cents per song. However, I’ll admit that I only use Lala to access my personal music collection and check out new music – I never made a purchase or rental through Lala.

I am sure there are other services like Lala out there–I do love Pandora for its streaming music, but I’m going to miss having my own music at my finger tips. Guess it is time I resurrect my iPod from its role as an exercise assistance device.

By xiiksarah | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

xiik Joins the Ranks of the Best in LA

May 5, 2010 – 11:46 am

Greater Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce membership and advertisement helps to build brand awareness.

Earlier this year, xiik solidified its commitment to expanding its presence back home. “The Greater Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce is an amazing group and we’re proud to be a new member,” said Chris Overstreet, xiik’s Director of Operations. Although headquartered just outside the city, in Santa Monica, xiik insiders claim that LA Work accounts for less than 60% of the company’s revenue, as compared to its early years where almost 90% of its work was in its home base.

“It seems that as the company grew into other markets such as Indianapolis and DC, it lost its stakehold in Los Angeles. Now [the company’s] brand recognition could certainly use a boost back home,” said Kenny Totrakarn, former President of LA-based Invectro, one of the two companies that merged to form xiik LLC.

Within the past two months, xiik has already spent thousands in marketing and advertising in the city of its headquarters, including ads that will run in the Los Angeles Chamber weekly newsletter throughout May and June. The company also plans to spend an additional $20,000 by the end of the year on brand awareness initiatives to highlight its new name, logo and capabilities.

Said Overstreet of this new initiative, “This is where we started. Our flag may be a little dusty, but it’s still firmly planted. It’s time to retake our position among the top Interactive firms in the city!” xiik also intends to do more philanthropic work, including offering services to not-for-profit and disadvantaged entrepreneurs in the LA area.

By Josh Corken | Posted in press releases | Leave a Comment

Oy-Pad

April 20, 2010 – 8:11 pm

If you’re planning a trip to Israel, be sure to leave your iPad at home.  This week, Israel became the first country to ban the import of iPads – even by tourists bringing in their own personal devices. Israeli technology and communications officials are concerned that the iPad uses higher Wi-Fi signals than Israel and European standards allow, potentially causing Wi-Fi systems to be overwhelmed or to interfere with other electronic devices.

This isn’t the first time Israel has given Apple the cold shoulder–Apple’s iPhone was not allowed in the country until December of last year over similar concerns.

So far 10 iPads have been confiscated and the owners have been given the choice of paying a storage fee until they leave the country or shipping the iPad home on their own dime.

Apple has delayed the international launch of the iPad by one month due to overwhelming demand here in the U.S.  Apple says the international version of the iPad will comply with the lower Wi-Fi standards and are hopeful the iPad will soon proliferate across Israel.

By xiiksarah | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment

The xiik Geek Bar – Spring 2010 Edition

April 6, 2010 – 6:32 pm

We’ve been doing a lot of work since our last post about the new office space. This time around, you won’t find very many big changes to the walls, desks or space itself.

The most notable additions are the full size mannequins that just so happened to grace us with their presence overnight a couple weeks ago. Our best guess is they ran away from Hollister because, let’s be honest, nobody can stand the smell of that place for more than 15 minutes. Their names are Xira [Zira] and Xahn [Zahn], but I have a feeling those names change every week since nobody can remember. No big deal – mannequins don’t have feelings.

Graffiti seems to be popping up more and more around the office and bathroom walls. Our front door sidewalk is tagged with the xiik logo and games of hangman make bathroom time even MORE fun. Give us chalk and you’ll be sure to see the 8-year-old in each of us. That is, all of us except Donny, who has a strong aversion to chalk.

So overall, we have just been making ourselves at home here and making it as fun and comfortable as possible. If you’re ever in the neighborhood, stop by and try to solve our latest hangman puzzle.

By Josh Corken | Posted in about xiik, indianapolis | Comments (1)

Hometown Hoosier Hysteria

April 5, 2010 – 5:39 pm

xiik’s Indianapolis office is buzzing with excitement as we’re only a few hours away from the tip off of the 2010 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship game. The game is being played only a few miles to the south at Lucas Oil Stadium. A few miles in the opposite direction is Butler University, the home of one of two teams vying for that national championship.

Not since 1972 has a hometown team been in the Final Four and man is Indianapolis pumped: fans have crowded Monument Circle for pep rallies, a giant blue “B” has been formed in the windows of the Indianapolis Power & Light building downtown, and yard signs line Meridian Street, their stakes in the soft spring soil.

Although references to the movie Hoosiers have been tired for some time now, it’s hard to not feel a twinge of goosebumps. After all, basketball is a hallowed institution here in Indiana.  Butler has long played a role in this tradition because its basketball arena, Hinkle Fieldhouse, was the largest basketball gym in the nation for several decades in the middle of the 20th century.

Tonight, Butler will hopefully make more history. In classic David v. Goliath fashion, Butler is taking on basketball behemoth Duke for the NCAA Championship.

In honor of our Butler Bulldogs, we present their fight song:

We’ll sing the Butler war song,
We’ll give a fighting cry;
We’ll fight the Butler battle–
Bulldogs ever do or die.
And in the glow of the victory firelight,
Hist’ry cannot deny
To add a page or two
For Butler’s fighting crew
Beneath the Hoosier sky.

The xiik geeks would like to congratulate the Bulldogs for making it this far in the tournament and wish them good luck against the Blue Devils tonight!

By xiiksarah | Posted in indianapolis | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

xiik Goes Global

April 1, 2010 – 6:49 pm

We’ve been sitting on a big announcement for awhile, but are finally able to unveil the latest exciting news for our company…We’re opening our first international office across the pond in London!

Why London, you might ask? Ever heard of a little something called Her Royal Majesty? Apparently, she’s a big fan of the work we did for the Humane Society of Indianapolis’ Mutt Strut (April 25) and wanted us on her newest endeavor: her Facebook Fan Page.

This is great news for our youngest employee, Josh Corken, as he will get the opportunity to relocate overseas and manage xiik’s newest office.  Hopefully Josh will be able to put everything he learned from xiik’s “Talk Like a Brit Day” to good use. However, if I remember correctly, the only thing he knew how to say was “bugger off.

We wish Josh the best as he searches for a flat and prepares to “mind the gap.” Stay tuned for progress on the project and updates on Josh going international with no return flight home. For now, pip-pip, cheerio and all that jazz!

By xiiksarah | Posted in about xiik | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment

Happy Birthday from Facebook

March 25, 2010 – 6:53 pm

This past Tuesday, I turned 21. Woohoo! But, this blog post isn’t my plea for more birthday wishes. I can assure you that my slew of loving Facebook friends took care of that. The real meat here is how Facebook is starting to change the dynamic of birthday wishes. It even feels odd typing that, but it’s true.

As much as I’d like to play it off like all of these wall posts are not that big of a deal, they really are! Who doesn’t love a little extra attention on their special day? The fact that the wall post is public serves two purposes, if you think about it, the sender and receiver both win. The birthday boy/girl is seen as a person who is cared about and gets birthday wishes. The friend who writes on their wall is seen as a caring person who sends happy birthdays. That’s a win-win in my book!

There are even discussions I found talking about the expectation of responding to your friends who wish you a happy birthday. Take this thread on Yahoo Answers as an example. Personally, I responded to every person who wrote me. That’s just my two cents, but I think that I can devote 10 seconds of my time to respond with a “Thanks dude!” since they took time out of their day to think of me.

So, let’s crunch some numbers here. These are the birthday wish figures for this fiscal year for me. Looks like Facebook is the obvious choice for my friends.

I find it interesting that people go that far to seek advice on a matter such as this, which can tell us one thing: Facebook happy birthdays are that important. My prediction is that this trend will only grow in popularity, just as quickly as Facebook has been growing. It’s convenient, quick and still personal. So, before your birthday comes around this year, be sure to prepare yourself (and your Facebook wall) for some birthday love. You know you like it!

By Josh Corken | Posted in social media | Tagged , , | Leave a Comment
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