We’re a team of seasoned industry veterans who know the terrain. Equipped with experience and buoyed by enthusiasm, we bring an adventurous spirit to every project. With a well-worn method, we deliver strategic-minded solutions, meaningful insights, and bold thinking to every challenge we face.
Never satisfied. always positive.
With all the twists and turns, challenges and opportunities, having a seasoned guide will help get your brand where it needs to go.
- Gather G
- Understand U
- Identify I
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Develop
D
A N A L Y Z E + R E P E A TA N A L Y Z E + R E P E A T
- Explore
- Refine
- Execute E
Gather
In order to deliver products that are strategically targeted and stand out—we need each piece of the puzzle. We gather key information through meetings, project questionnaires, marketplace audits and more. Then we create a proposal, outline a projected time table and set expectations.
Understand
Next, we dissect your industry in order to understand your business and its competitive environment. We gather creative samples, audit other brands, and define your current position. We also hold branding workshops and invite you into the process to help uncover insights.
Identify
Creative thinking begins with a clear objective. With your help, we identify your marketing challenges and design applicable solutions for success. This may include a marketing strategy, a desired mindset, a new brand position, or a call to action.
Develop
With a sound strategy in place, we explore several creative approaches. After crafting big concepts that we believe will effectively position your brand, we present and go though a feedback-cycle. This is where your expertise helps us revise and refine the idea to make it even better.
Execute
We then oversee the production of all deliverables to make sure the final product is up to our exacting standards. It’s the reason we work with proven partner vendors we trust to deliver superior results.
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Intrigued?
We’re always on the hunt for brands and institutions looking for smarter ways to make a big impact through disruptive thinking.
The Team
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Brian CalnonHead of Strategy + Problemizing
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David McClaySenior Copywriter
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Taylour MaggartSenior Designer
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Sarah NashSenior Designer
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Madison SpadafinoDesigner
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Kelly SommerichProject Coordinator
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Shelly WeitzMarketing Partner
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Hugh ButlerLead Developer
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Harry LeFootDirector, New Business
Kevin Polonofsky
Principal + Chief Instigator
Long Story Short
Kevin is a business-minded, design-eyed, strategic thinker who is always on the hunt for a way to turn obstacles into opportunity.
Short Story Long
A designer with business instincts, which although rare, does exist. Having started the business in a spare bedroom a decade ago, he’s passionate about his company and the brands that trust him to take care of them. His diverse background includes building and leading teams while providing results for brands on a national and global scale through branding, campaigns, and creativity. His business mantra — Always Positive, Never Satisfied — keeps him pushing teams and the work. At home, he is a proud husband to Vanessa and a proud, protective poppa to Lucille. While REVERED may be red, Kevin bleeds black and gold for his beloved Pittsburgh sports teams.
Sarah Compton
VP, Client Services
Long Story Short
Sarah has the natural instinct to manage clients’ needs before they know they need them and solve problems before they become problematic.
Short Story Long
In the past seven years with REVERED, Sarah has established herself as an irreplaceable member of the REVERED tribe — a strategic marketer, high level thinker and operational tactician — first as Project and Account Director, now as VP of Client Services. When she’s not taking care of client needs with aplomb, she’s helping traffic projects and assist with research, copy editing, and any other business needs. Hailing from the NC coast, she knows her way around boats and beaches, with her three best buds in tow: her husband Adam, son Andrew and dog Winston.
James Diverio
Associate Creative Director
Long Story Short
Jim is a conceptual pathfinder, marshalling the creative side of things with an eye for damn good work.
Short Story Long
Jim is no stranger to design, web, motion and technology and he brings over a decade of experience. His fearless leadership of the creative team helps keep all our projects on brief while looking exceptional. He’s a stickler for the details, always thinking strategically about the different angles to a project and seeking the absolute best solution, no matter how uphill a climb. A New Jersey native, he’s found a new home in the south, along with his wife, Erica, and twins Adler and Ainsley.
Brian Calnon
Head of Strategy + Problemizing
Long Story Short
Brian is a trail tested industry professional who brings client-side savvy and agency acumen to bear; bravely leading strategy and innovation initiatives.
Short Story Long
Brian comes to REVERED as an Ex-Life Savers Candy brand guy, Ex-Coca-Cola and E*TRADE innovation and promotion guy, ex-global brand leader and ex-Journalism major who is writing a new chapter in his career book.
He’s now charting a path as an agency strategy and innovation lead, working with a close-knit tribe of amazingly talented, energetic and driven team members with a shared goal of liberating more great ideas from out of thought bubbles, off whiteboards and into the marketplace.
Brian believes that the idea is the easiest part. The hard work starts with gathering consumer insights and scouting out the marketplace, and ends with flawless, efficient and strategic execution.
David McClay
Senior Copywriter
Long Story Short:
Not a stranger to the spotlight, David wields words to build brands.
Short Story Long:
David began his creative career as an aspiring actor and a semi-successful stand-up comic. Since ‘aspiring’ and ‘semi-successful’ are not prefixes that make for a great career as a performer, he sought out an industry where he could excel while still being creative and found copywriting. Over almost a decade in the industry, he has written for print, web, TV, and social for brands on the local and global level— and everything in between. A graduate of Davidson College (and their former mascot) he now reserves his comedy routines for very patient co-workers and his Plott Hound mix, Jackson.
Taylour Maggart
Senior Designer
Long Story Short:
From hobby to career, Taylour brings both experience and enthusiasm to her designs.
Short Story Long:
Taylour possesses a passion for bold design steeped in scintillating color schemes and patterns. Formerly holding the positions of Custom Art Manager and Assistant Art Director at Nine Line Apparel, Taylour cultivated her knowledge base in team leading, project management, and brand design. She has dedicated her time to earning both psychology and visual communications degrees, gaining an advantage when understanding the strategy and viewpoint of the consumer/brand. Having come to Raleigh from Savannah, when she’s not at work, Taylour is an avid runner, chef, and circus wrangler of three kids and three dogs.
Sarah Nash
Senior Designer
Long Story Short:
Sarah puts strategy to work in her deftly designed layouts and logos for brands in her care.
Short Story Long:
Sarah Nash is a multidisciplinary designer & artist. Previously, she was Art Director and co-founder at Native State, a boutique studio delivering strategy-based brand identities and captivating web experiences for clients ranging from the City of Raleigh to independent creatives. Sarah is a keen gardener, an urban chicken keeper, a mom of three, and is on a personal quest to watch every literary adaptation ever made by the BBC.
Madison Spadafino
Designer
Long Story Short:
Madison is here to harness inspiration and magically master layouts and design.
Short Story Long:
Madison joined REVERED fresh out of a Visual Communications major at The University of Delaware, where she was able to grow and gain a wide range of design skills as a Blue Hen. Having been around the block for a few years now, she’s drawn to design by the almost magical quality of creating something out of nothing. And with a deft touch, she works to make designs and patterns sing through experimentation and exploration. She leans on research and a solid playlist for inspiration, and when she’s not at work you can find her with her puppy, Birdie.
Kelly Sommerich
Project Coordinator
Long Story Short:
Kelly is the agency Swiss Army Knife, doing a little bit of everything, and always there when you need her.
Short Story Long:
Kelly is a consummate people person, which is good because it’s her job to deal with people. Hailing from Massachusetts by way of Appalachian State, Kelly is in her element when she’s managing client relationships, being a liaison to creatives, and taming timelines. Having previously worked in digital marketing as a media buyer and campaign operations manager, Kelly knows her way around the industry. When she’s not keeping everyone connected in the office, this aspiring dog mom looks to disconnect altogether and enjoy the outdoors.
Shelly Weitz
Marketing Partner
Long Story Short:
Shelly is an industry veteran with plenty of insight to share.
Short Story Long:
With more than 20 years of marketing experience, Shelly is a hands-on strategic and creative professional. Working closely with clients, she helps unearth critical insights, guide innovative thinking and ensure that all marketing efforts effectively work toward achieving objectives.
She has worked on both the agency side and the client side, giving her a balanced perspective and unique vision for driving results. With Shelly helping navigate the path forward, clients can expect exceptional communications that convey a clear, consistent, and powerful message. When she’s not creating marketing clients can be proud of, she’s a proud parent to her children, Mary and Joe, with her husband, Matt.
Hugh Butler
Lead Developer
Long Story Short
Hugh is a champion of code, taming any development project with pluck.
Short Story Long
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