VerveCast

We at Z2 are huge fans of The Pfister Hotel—not only because it’s a client of ours, but also because it is just such a darn amazing place. One of our favorite projects we work on with the hotel is its Artist-in-Residence program. I mean, how many hotels do you know of that have an artist creating work right on site?

The hotel is currently in the process of selecting its next great artist. This year’s finalists are Pamela Anderson; Matt Duckett; Albin Erhart; Hal Koenig; Brandon Minga; and Timothy Westbrook. Now the public will help choose the next artist.

Beginning this evening, you can visit The Pfister’s website and Facebook page to vote for the artist you’d like to see as the next artist in residence. Votes can also be cast via Twitter (#ArtistInResidence). Voting will end Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012, and the selection committee will announce the next artist in residence soon thereafter. The public vote will equate to one seat on the selection committee, influencing the final decision.

If you’d like to check out work by the six finalists, head down to Gallerie M, inside InterContinental Milwaukee, for January Gallery Night, taking place this evening. You can cast your vote right there! And don’t forget to stop by The Pfister to say hello to The Pfister’s current artist Shelby Keefe, as she hosts her final Gallery Night in the space. Stick around The Pfister afterward for a fun reception and live entertainment. Hope to see you there!

Last week we celebrated another year with our “z2 inspired Holiday Party” which included a 5-course breakfast at The Pfister Hotel, followed by a train ride to Chicago for a bit of shopping before heading out to Moto in Chicago for a 15-course meal (yes, I said 15!) that included 9 savory dishes, 6 desserts, and edible paper and ink along the way.

And the chefs? You may have seen Richie Farina and Chris Jones on Top Chef: Texas. Yeah, those were our chefs…

It was definitely an experience to be remembered. A big thanks goes out to Cory and Deb from all the Z2 staff for this one.

Happy Holidays everyone! :)

Our friends at The Pfister Hotel are in competition with the folks over at Koss in a Battle of the Brands… and to help them out, we made a little video featuring Charles Pfister as you’ve never seen him before.

So with all that, please head over to The Business Journal and cast your vote for The Pfister!

Charles thanks you. :)

With The Pfister Hotel as a client, we’ve had the opportunity to work on countless exciting projects in conjunction with its management and marketing team. One of our favorites is something called the Pfister Narrator program, which came about in our discussions on how to incorporate social media into the hotel’s marketing strategy, while still honoring its classic brand.

In short, the Narrator program runs like this. We put out a call for entries, local writers apply for the position and a selection committee picks from a pool of applicants the candidate they feel is most worthy of the job. The chosen ‘narrator’ then spends a specified amount of time in the hotel’s lobby and other public spaces, interviewing visitors and guests and sharing their stories on the Pfister’s blog. The blog and stories are subsequently promoted through The Pfister’s social media outlets, like Twitter and Facebook.

The creation of the Pfister Narrator program works well for the hotel for several reasons. Not only does it show The Pfister’s support for the local art community, which also is seen through its Artist in Residence program, but it also serves as an innovative marketing and social media strategy to drive traffic to the blog. What’s more, the stories shared through the program further develop the unique experiences only The Pfister Hotel can provide its guests.

The Pfister Narrator program is a great example of how a company can use social media in a smart way, while incorporating it seamlessly into an existing brand. Think outside the box. How can your company do the same?

In April of 2009, Boaz set out on an Un-Road Trip. He’s criss-crossing the United States using every mode of transportation except for car. He’ll be traversing dozens of states by kayak, bicycle, dog sled, scooter, hot air balloon, horseback, segway, hang glider, fishing boat, crop duster, and whatever else he can find. He’ll be documenting the whole journey on his web site: unroadtrip.com

Boaz stopped by Milwaukee, and after his stay at The Pfister Hotel he managed to meet up with Dana, our Public Relations Specialist, and got to ride the InterContinental Delivery Tricycle we recently designed.

Visit his web site to read the whole account of his Weekend in Wisconsin, and if that’s not enough, you can follow his exploits on Twitter where he is @boazf