Garrand Moehlenkamp
Matt Stiker has been named president of Garrand Moehlenkamp.
May 6, 2019
Garrand to step down from her marketing agency, names new leadership team
Courtesy / Garrand Moehlenkamp
Brenda Garrand, founder of Garrand & Co., is leaving the Portland-based marketing agency she started in 1989 in order to pursue other interests. Kevin Moehlenkamp, who joined Garrand as chief creative officer in 2014, is the new CEO and partner of the firm, which is adding “Moehlenkamp” to the company name.
By Staff
Brenda Garrand, founder of Garrand & Co., announced today she is leaving the Portland-based marketing agency she started in 1989 in order to pursue other interests.
Kevin Moehlenkamp, who joined Garrand as chief creative officer in 2014, is the new CEO and partner of the firm, which is adding “Moehlenkamp” to the company name. He previously served in creative leadership roles at Hill Holiday, McCann Erickson, BBDO and JWT, four of the best-known names in advertising.
“We love the ‘terroir’ of Maine,” said Moehlenkamp, “and we believe strongly that things are more special by virtue of where they’re made, whether we’re talking about Maine’s incredible aquaculture and agriculture products, our craft beer, or the creative ideas that are hatched here. This team, and this agency, are poised to leverage that in a way no other agency has, for clients based here and beyond.”
Matt Stiker has been named president of Garrand Moehlenkamp. A boomerang to Maine, University of Maine graduate, Stiker has returned after 27 years, having served in a variety of both ad agency and client-side marketing roles. He has worked with the agencies Wieden & Kennedy and McCann Erickson, as well as brands including Coca-Cola, Miller High Life, ESPN, adidas and Microsoft. Matt joined Garrand Moehlenkamp last fall.
Anthony DeBery, who has served as director of talent and operations, will be the firm’s chief operating officer. The son of a banker and a lobsterman, the native Mainer has been a member of the Garrand team since 2016, returning to Maine after working at top New York City agencies, including Saatchi, Kirshenbaum Bond & Partners and SS+K.
CFO Tanya Sweatt continues in her leadership role at Garrand Moehlenkamp. Rounding out the new leadership team are Colin Minte, director of channel and technology; Will Russell, director of production; and Jessie Gilligan, director of account management.
‘The right time’
Garrand said in a news release that it’s the “right time” for her to pursue other interests — adding that the transition has been in the making for awhile as she assembled what she refers to as her “dream team” of leaders.
“You could not find a more capable and creative group than Kevin Moehlenkamp, Matt Stiker, Anthony DeBery and Tanya Sweatt to take the company to the next level,” she said.
During her tenure as its CEO, Garrand was named among the “Best Places to Work in Maine” and the firm handled communications for regional companies like the H. P. Hood family of brands, OSRAM Sylvania, MaineHealth and Maine Medical Center and Bristol Seafood. The firm also has national clients, partnering with brands that include Dunkin’ (formerly Dunkin’ Donuts), Starkist and New Balance.
Garrand Moehlenkamp has created marketing campaigns for a range of business types and was one of the top award-winning agencies at last week’s Broderson Awards, which highlight Portland’s advertising work.
Recently, the agency made a strategic shift based on research conducted in collaboration with London-based research firm, DB5, with 1,200 consumers across multiple states. That research revealed that consumers want food and beverage brands to do more than provide physical sustenance — in the company’s words, they want “a deeper sort of emotional nourishment that transcends traditional product benefits of price, nutritive content or place of origin.”
“Being a Maine-based agency, we’d like to think our approach to client problem-solving has always been centered on creative practicality and the notion of finding a sweet spot between brand promise and consumer desire, since authenticity and a belief in the importance of telling true stories are part of our Maine aesthetic,” Garrand said.
Capitalizing on Maine’s brand
Maine plays an important role in many campaigns the marketing firm is working on.
For example, Starkist came to Garrand Moehlenkamp for help in marketing seafood products under Starkist’s new Blue Harbor Fish Co. brand and used Maine as the backdrop for the campaign. Garrand Moehlenkamp found a spokesman for the brand on the Portland waterfront, a Mainer who now appears in the company’s digital content and promotions.
In another campaign, the creative team at Garrand Moehlenkamp led the national launch of Dunkin’s new line of espresso drinks, significantly increasing sales. The work for Dunkin’ was a finalist in AdWeek's inaugural 2019 Experiential Campaign awards.
Looking forward to ‘new chapter’
Brenda Garrand worked in television and radio before striking out on her own with Garrand & Co. in 1989. She has been honored as a University of New England Deborah Morton Fellow, A Woman of Distinction by the Girls Scouts of Maine and one of the Great Women of Maine by Maine Today Media. Junior Achievement selected her for the Maine Business Hall of Fame and the Maine Women’s Forum honored her with the Tribute to Women in Industry Award. She received her industry’s lifetime achievement award, The Conwell, in 2015.
Garrand was a presidential appointee to the White House Council on Small Business in 1996. She sat on the board of visitors of the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service and as treasurer of the Northern New England Passenger Train Authority.
She currently is a member of the board of trustees of several institutions, including Maine Public, The University of New England and the Maine International Trade Center. She has held a range of board positions for nonprofit and is now in her second term as honorary consul of Canada in Maine, attached to the consular office of Canada in Boston.
“I’m really looking forward to what’s next,” she said. “I am viewing this transition as a ‘second wind’ more than a slowing down. I expect to remain engaged in my work in international affairs and economic development and, although my husband thinks I’m nuts, I have applied for admission to law school in the fall.”
She added: “More than anything, I’m looking forward to watching Garrand Moehlenkamp continue to break new ground on behalf of its treasured clients.”
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