Esprit Creative has expanded its services. While in the past, Esprit has focused mainly on business to business communications, the design firm will now offer consumer promotions and an interactive design department as part of its portfolio. Esprit hopes to complement its parent company, USMotivation, which offers incentive and promotional products. Director, Sherry Rae Broyles said, “Traditionally, a client has to ‘piece meal’ its consumer promotion… There is no middleman with us which ensures a consistent message and ultimately, a savings to our client.”

The Esprit Creative line up includes Broyles, formerly National Promotions Manager for RC Cola and Promotions Manager for Cadbury Schweppes; Jeannie Stripling and Juli Shaw, both from Summit Marketing. Stripling brings her experience working with Kellogg’s consumer promotions, while Shaw has created child marketing programs for Arby’s, Checker’s, and Popeye’s.

Being an East Coast based firm may not have been a plus, but it was not a terribly big deterrent either. Esprit Creative has won a piece of business from Microsoft, beating out three other Seattle based agencies. It could have been the pitch that got those Microsoft execs. As four members of the Esprit team walked into the conference room, one threw a pair of construction boots painted in Microsoft’s colors on the table saying, “We’ve been in the trenches. We know how to do this job.”

It wasn’t the first time the Microsoft folks had seen Esprit. After two years collaborating with the company, Esprit was awarded the Microsoft Fusion 2001 Conference account. Esprit Creative will be responsible for creating a conference package and collateral for the company’s largest annual partner event.

Broyles said, “It’s a real compliment that Microsoft has gone outside the Pacific Northwest to outsource its business.” An official member of Microsoft’s Preferred Vendor Program (a tribute handed to only 30 design companies), Esprit Creative will also handle some unique programs for the Redmond, Waashington office as well.