Besides all the awards on the wall, the thing that catches the eye of a visitor to the New Brighton offices of Risdall Marketing Group is all the neon light artwork -- more than 200 pieces.
"We need to stimulate people's brains with bright colors, bright lights," says agency CEO John Risdall. "We want to know, 'Are you professionally creative?' We have to do that on command, not as a lark."
Risdall has been in the advertising market for 40 years now. He is, in some respects, the dean of Minneapolis agency heads.
His organization consists of 14 divisions ranging from branding services to public relations to fundraising.
The agency has won more than 130 awards over the past seven years from the Web Marketing Association for websites created for clients. In 2010, the agency won two prestigious Clio awards for its work on behalf of Go Girl and Baxter.
With a staff of 61, Risdall lays claim as the seventh-largest advertising agency in the Twin Cities and the sixth-largest public relations firm. Revenue last year hit $30 million on billings of $200 million.
Risdall sat down recently to reflect on his career.
QWhen you started in the business 40 years ago, what were the principal advertising vehicles?