Earn ‘Thank Yous’ Instead of Eye Rolls from Your Marketing

Helping brands stand out and matter by doing better, not shouting louder.

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(Let’s skip the boring small talk and dive straight into making your brand unignorable.)

Do you have a brand, or a bland?

Your brand could do better, something different—something that doesn’t just interrupt people but makes them genuinely appreciate you.

I’m Reid Holmes, and I’ve spent over 30 years crafting creative solutions for brands like H&R Block, Coca-Cola, and The Mayo Clinic.

My approach?

It’s called Appreciated Branding—earning true appreciation by solving problems that actually matter and break through audience indifference. Marketing has changed, drastically. It’s not about spending ever bigger budgets to get people to care about you. It’s about doing things that prove you care about them.

That’s what I do.

I help brands stand out with fresh, emotionally-driven ideas that create real, lasting impact for the business, its’ employees, and the people they hope to attract.

TRUSTED BY WORLD CLASS BRANDS….

CONSULTING

Make your brand – and your career – matter.

Marketing shouldn’t just be about interruption and noise. With my Appreciated Branding process, I help you uncover what your brand is already doing right, find fresh ways for it to stand out, and create your brand’s Unique Emotional Solution – an asset that’s yours and can’t be copied.

From low-hanging fruit to larger platform ideas, I’ll help your brand make a bigger impact that drives real results. For the business. Your customers. And your career.

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Low Hanging Fruit

What’s already working that we can spotlight?

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Unique Emotional Solution

What is the emotional connection that will activate your audience and can’t be copied by competitors?

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Cultural Relevance

Solve real problems in the world to earn the appreciation of your stakeholder constituencies: customers, employees, leadership, and most importantly, future customers and employees.

Ready to make your brand appreciated?

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SPEAKING

Challenge the status quo and drive real-world results.

Looking for an energetic, delightful speaker who won’t bore your audience with the same-old, same-old marketing advice? I’ve entertained audiences on four continents, talking about the real power of brands and how they can create impact.

My talks blend humor, storytelling, and actionable insights that leave a lasting impression.

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The Cost of Boring

Why dull marketing costs you more than you think.

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Getting Attention in the Distraction Economy

Why interruption marketing is dead, and how meaningful impact wins attention.

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Don’t Shoot Your Brand in the Foot with AI

The risks of AI-driven creativity and how to use it wisely without losing trust.

Want me to bring a fresh perspective to your next event?

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WHY

“Appreciated”

BRANDING?

It’s time to rise above the noise.

Your brand – and your career – deserves more than just another marketing campaign.

With my years of experience as a Creative Director and my Appreciated Branding approach, we’ll create something truly unique—something that not only earns attention to help the bottom line but earns genuine appreciation.

Learn More About Reid

(The Man, The Myth, The Brand Whisperer…)

Top 10 ways to get better creative work out of your agency

Whether you’re working with an agency or leading a creative team, the secret to truly amazing, standout work isn’t about shouting louder—it’s about being smarter. Get my FREE GUIDE and inspire your team to make your brand matter.

(Prepare to rethink everything you know about branding.)

People Actually Like Me…

Real words from real clients who swear by my work.

“Reid is onto something. You don’t have to earn a Harley tattoo; you don’t have to save the world. What Reid captures here is simple and any brand can do it. Do things that can earn the appreciation of your customers, and they will reward you.”

Jim Scott, Founder & CEO, MONO Advertising, Minneapolis

“Reid Holmes is one of the few gems who dug so deep to understand our needs that he changed the trajectory of a business which was, at the time, flat. One of the funniest people I have ever met, Reid is also a deep, thoughtful visionary, who looks for creative ways to make his client's brand stand out.”

Kathy Collins, former CMO, H&R Block

“Reid has an innate ability to get inside a brand, leveraging that core truth that allows him to create a visceral connection between the brand and the consumer’s mindset.”

Adina Dahlin, COO, Double Take Salsa & Mama Kicks Hot Sauce

"Reid is an inspired and inspiring creative leader who sets the highest standards for himself and his teams."

Mike Lescarbeau, former CEO, Carmichael Lynch. Founder, Person Co.

"An inspirational leader, a man of ideas with a gift for creative expression that's as good as I've seen. And he carries himself with a humility to which others are drawn."

Jack Rooney, Former Chairman & CEO, Ogilvy & Mather, Chicago

"He's smart, strategic, and an idea machine."

Steve Wehrenberg, former CEO, Mithun. Teaching professor, College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Minnesota

"Reid has a gift for reduction. He's able to quickly boil down complicated problems into understandable bites."

Vince Beggin, former Group Creative Director, Olson - Freelance Writer/CD

“As an ad agency professional and now college educator, I see every day how Gen Z and millenials have new advertising and marketing filters. They’ve grown up bombarded by self-serving ads they ignore. Reid is right that to earn their attention, brands must say and do meaningful things that are worthy of appreciation.”

Mark Jenson, Senior Lecturer, Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Minnesota.

“The principles Reid utilizes with Appreciated Branding do a brilliant job underscoring that companies benefit from bringing goodness and business together.”

Amanda Brinkman, former Chief Brand Officer, Deluxe

‘Appreciated Branding is a rallying cry for brands to transcend self-serving motives and actively contribute to the betterment of their customers’ lives.”

Tom Wennerberg, Executive Partner, Gartner

The Book That Makes Brands Get Noticed

Appreciated Branding flips the script on traditional advertising by showing how brands can earn attention instead of demanding it with more expensive interruption..

Want to see what all the buzz is about?

Grab a copy and start creating a brand that people actually care about.

Get the Book