Upon realizing that their organization’s existing name — the Washington County Youth Service Bureau – no longer encapsulated the full scope of their work, the non-profit contacted KSV to help facilitate a name change and rebrand. In 2021, the Bureau officially became known as Elevate Youth Services. A passionate organization committed to caring for Vermont’s vulnerable adolescent population, Elevate’s rebrand sought to reflect their endeavor to provide their crucial services throughout all of Vermont, border to border. 

Topics: Inspiration, Branding and Brand Value, Company Culture, Creative, Creative Showcase, Case Study

KSV has been named Outstanding Independent Agency at the 2025 MUSE Creative Awards, a recognition that highlights the bold, strategic, and collaborative work our team brings to clean energy marketing. This prestigious honor leads to a total of nine MUSE Creative Awards that we took home this year, celebrating standout work for partners like New York State, the NHSaves^® utility partners, Mars, and PECO. 

Topics: Utility Communications, Energy Efficiency, Inspiration, Branding and Brand Value, Company Culture, Creative, B2B marketing, Creative Showcase, Case Study

The NHSaves^® utility partners - Eversource, Liberty, New Hampshire Electric Cooperative, and Unitil - engaged KSV to develop a statewide awareness campaign that would resonate in a way that felt unique to the wide-ranging experiences of those living and working in the Granite State. With customers that fell within the commercial, residential, income-eligible, rural, urban, and municipal spaces (among others), we knew that a broad messaging strategy would be necessary. We also knew that something more intentional could really hit home and drive the kind of engagement and awareness that the utility partners were looking for.

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Utility Communications, Innovation, Energy Efficiency, Branding and Brand Value, Creative, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Creative Showcase, Case Study

Walk into any coffee shop in Vermont or visit any ski hill, and you’ll see heads covered in patterns of brightly colored flowers, butterflies, or tiny foxes, paired with neck warmers clad in similarly cheerful patterns pulled up over chilled rosy cheeks.  In 2008, when Corinne Prevot, a crafty high schooler, started making hats for herself and her ski teammates, this explosion of colored patterns on slopes and in towns began. Sixteen years later, Prevot is now the founder behind the growing, beloved Vermont brand Skida. Many things have changed since her first hats, but the delightful patterns remain her signature.

Topics: Innovation, Industry Expert Interviews, Inspiration, Branding and Brand Value, Sustainability Marketing, Vermont, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Sustainable Brands, Branding

Across every industry in the U.S., women are typically under-represented in leadership roles and executive positions.

The 2022 World Economic Forum Gender Gap Insight Report found that for every 100 men, only 86 women received management positions. In the digital leadership landscape, for every 100 managers, only 52 were women. The same report estimated closing the gender parity gap would require 132 years. 

And yet, The McKinsey study, Unlocking the Full Potential of Women at Work shows that companies with gender-balanced leadership earn up to 50% higher profits, and 87% of the time, inclusive, mixed-gender teams make better business decisions two times faster, and with 60% better outcomes. Read that again.

Topics: Inspiration, Branding and Brand Value, Creative, Creative Showcase, Branding, Case Study

Edited for content and clarity by Chris H. Hadgis

In 1987, Stan Day’s invention of the Grip Shift, or the bike gear twist, “changed the world.” Since then, the company now known as SRAM has grown, adapted, and acquired 14 additional brands along the way. 

Soon-to-be former VP of Marketing at SRAM, David Zimberoff (DZ), earned a highly-unique departure gift: he got to select the replacement for his role at SRAM to pursue his dream of designing a low-cost, sustainable, mobility solution for rural communities.

Topics: Customer-Centric Marketing, Innovation, Industry Expert Interviews, Climate Change, Inspiration, Branding and Brand Value, Company Culture, In the News, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Sustainable Brands

As part of our Industry Expert Interview series, we had the pleasure of speaking with Jenny Kalanges, Vice President of Membership at 1% for the Planet. 1% For the Planet is a global organization whose members contribute at least one percent of their annual revenue to environmental causes to protect the planet. The aim of the certification is to offer accountability, prevent greenwashing, and "certify reputable giving."

Topics: B Corporation, Industry Expert Interviews, Climate Change, Inspiration, Branding and Brand Value, Sustainability Marketing, Company Culture, In the News, Climate and Social Justice, Sustainable Brands

The MUSE Creative Awards is an international, industry-wide competition for communications professionals. This spring, among 75K of our talented peers from 108 countries, KSV was honored to receive not one, but four MUSE Gold Awards. 

Topics: Energy Efficiency, Climate Change, Content Marketing, Inspiration, Branding and Brand Value, Sustainability Marketing, In the News, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Brand Activations

As TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms grow and evolve, brands have new ways to engage with consumers. 

Yes, the “Instagram/TikTok made me buy it!” trend is real, and it’s certainly not just about ads, which many users have gotten great at ignoring. These days, it’s influencer nudging that often pushes customers to buy. Thanks to the widespread use of these platforms and massive followings, influencers are driving sales. Recent studies show social media users (that is, most people) trust influencer promotions more than celebrity ones. And nearly 50% of social media users say they’ve bought a product after seeing an influencer advertise it.

Topics: Innovation, Social Media Strategy and Best Practices, Content Marketing, Branding and Brand Value, Marketing Strategy and Best Practices, Brand Activations

Climate change, if you haven’t heard, is real¹.

As advertisers and brands, it falls on us to do what we can to tell the story of a realistic, more sustainable future. We have a duty to do so responsibly and in a way that not only resonates, but drives people to actually change. And yet, one major hurdle still stands in the way: the continued political polarization of the topic. 

Responsible advertising related to climate change must break through this polarization to reach a wide audience, make sustainability a priority for brands, and continue to shift public opinion.

Topics: Clean Energy, Climate Change, Branding and Brand Value, Sustainability Marketing, Climate and Social Justice, Sustainable Brands