Z2 is one of several local advertising agencies working in partnership with Milwaukee Area Technical College and the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design to expose minority high school students to careers in advertising, marketing and web development.

As a founding board member of OnRamp, it’s gratifying to watch the progress of our second flight of students as they work side-by-side with agency professionals who have volunteered for this intensive, semester-long program. Over the course of the semester, students are introduced to careers in the industry, exposed to concepts of branding and product line logic, and given hands-on opportunities to work with industry software tools.

OnRamp is the result of more than two years of planning. Thirteen students successfully completed our pilot program last year. This year, 16 students are participating.

Our ultimate goal is to package OnRamp for adoption by other agencies so that, working together, we can help to create a more diverse workforce within the advertising industry.

Special thanks to my colleagues, Kerry Tasch and Jessica Menke, for volunteering their time to work with this year’s OnRamp students!

Check out OnRamp’s website at onrampmke.org to learn more about the program. While you’re there, buy t-shirts designed by the OnRamp students. Proceeds go to support future programs.

it’s the expression of creative ideas. it’s the enthusiasm we feel. and it’s our desire to share concepts, news and resources with others. verve is Z2’s quarterly magazine with regular updates.

The work of Z2 Marketing is featured in a new book titled “Basics Design: Design Thinking” from UK author Gavin Ambrose.

Here’s a short description of the book: “Basics Design: Design Thinking is an introduction to the process of generating creative ideas and concepts. It identifies methods and thought processes used by designers in order to start the process that eventually leads to a finished piece of work. This focus on ideas and methods eschews an abstract, academic approach in favor of a useable approach to design as a problem-solving activity.”

(You can order it at Amazon.)

Club Z2 - 6

Featuring the same great food, drinks and music by The Toys and others. The Party site will be up soon with all the details.