eric, Author at VVK Agency

ONE YEAR IN BUSINESS AND WE’RE FULL OF THANKS

To celebrate VVK PR + Creative’s first anniversary, we gathered the people who have supported us on this journey to show them some love. We invited team members, clients, colleagues, and friends—all those who were instrumental in helping to get us across the one-year mark. It was an amazing night that further strengthened our already strong network of supporters.

It felt like pure magic to be surrounded by such energy and positivity. Grateful hardly touches all the ways we feel today.

Thank you to the Detroit Public Theatre for hosting us. They truly are magnificent organization in the heart of the city we love. Also, thank you to our friends at Slow’s BBQ for feeding us.

Barry Sanders, Kirk Gibson, Rick Mahorn, and Darren McCarty walk into a bar…

By John Heiple, VP of Creative Production

Late last summer – a grainy cellphone video arrives from one of our clients. An idea for a commercial with some former athletes, a trivia night, and everyone answering the client’s tagline at the end.

Fast forward to today – that rough sketch is now a 30-second Super Bowl spot for the Sam Bernstein Law Firm and features Mark and Beth Bernstein along with comedians Jason and Randy Sklar. And the former athletes who join them? Icons of Detroit sports lore – Barry Sanders, Kirk Gibson, Darren McCarty, and Rick Mahorn.

So how did we get here? What does the creative process look like and what are the axioms you must always remember about the process, so you don’t lose your mind along the way?

To Get from A to B, you must get from 1-50 first

In my mind, the best way to describe the creative process is a wildly veering, erratically swerving, straight line. There’s a clear starting and end point but what happens in between is anything but uniform. Case in point – that finished commercial involved a great deal of brainstorming, writing, location scouting, rewriting, storyboarding, a few disagreements, more rewriting, a few more disagreements, an insane amount of Mediterranean food, along with the usual moments of self-doubt, consternation, and resignation. Just when you think it can’t possibly come together or work, it just does. It’s the combination of all those experiences and steps, however wayward they appear at the time, that somehow lead you to your destination. Trust the process.

This was an incredible project to participate in. I’m forever grateful to the Sam Bernstein Law Firm for having faith in us to pull it off and so proud of our entire team who worked unbelievably hard to make it happen. The creative process can be ugly, it may be a different road every time but where you eventually end up can pretty awesome.

THE VILLAGE NETWORK OF BATTLE CREEK: CREATING EQUITY THROUGH COLLABORATION

By Jamie Kaye Walters, COO / Head of Marketing and Talent

In Battle Creek, a small city in Michigan, community-based organizations are coming together to promote equity and challenge systemic barriers that prevent growth and prosperity for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. The Village Network of Battle Creek is a collective of ten non-profit organizations that serve under-resourced communities, focusing on economic, education, and social justice. Recently, the network received significant funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

“Public dollars like the American Rescue Plan Act funding are essential because public funds and philanthropic giving can and should be tools for creating racial equity,” said Dr. Nakia Baylis, Executive Director, Village Network of Battle Creek.

Last week, VVK PR + Creative supported the announcement the AAPA and W.K. Kellogg Foundation funding with community and press event. The fund will allow The Village Network of Battle Creek to continue their work of promoting equity and justice in their communities. The money will be used to support ongoing social services and non-profit efforts, strengthening coalition building in communities of color. These funds will create more opportunities for economic development, education, and social justice programs.

The coalition of organizations that make up The Village Network of Battle Creek focuses on three main areas: economic, education, and social justice. The economic justice pillar includes programs that support economic development, entrepreneurship, and financial education for BIPOC communities. The education justice pillar supports academic success and removes barriers to quality education for students of color. Finally, the social justice pillar focuses on community empowerment, advocacy, and policy reform to eliminate systemic barriers and promote equity.

To learn more about The Village Network of Battle Creek, go to https://villagenetworkofbc.com.

ZAKIYYAH WADE

PR COORDINATOR

EVANN WEBB

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE/DIGITAL STRATEGIST

Dyan Bailey

VIDEO EDITOR/MOTION GRAPHICS

Press Release: VVK PR + Creative Launches in Detroit, Combining Forces of Industry Veterans Peter Van Dyke, Jamie Kaye Walters and Michael Sherman

DETROIT (April 25, 2022) – VVK PR + Creative agency launched today, bringing together the collective expertise, leadership and client portfolios of Peter Van Dyke, Jamie Kaye Walters and Michael Sherman. The company is opening with a nearly 15-person team providing integrated communication services to a portfolio of 20-plus clients in Detroit, Michigan and nationwide.

Peter Van Dyke, who will serve as VVK’s CEO, joined this new venture after 20 years of PR industry leadership, most recently as CEO of Van Dyke Horn, a communications agency he acquired in 2016. The agency was formerly named Berg Muirhead, where he worked for 10 years prior to becoming an owner. Michael Sherman, who will serve as VVK partner and executive vice president of production, started Velocity Cow video production company with Jamie Kaye Walters in 2008, and will bring his nationwide portfolio of clients and six team members to the agency. Jamie Kaye Walters, who served as creative services and programing director at WDIV-TV for eight years after co-founding Velocity Cow with Sherman, will serve as VVK’s COO and partner, and will lead the agency’s marketing practice and talent development.

“Michael, Jamie and I recognized that we could combine our individual successes and strengths to create a platform for clients to benefit from our integrated services and shared principles – strategy, creativity and diversity,” said Van Dyke. “We are grateful to start VVK with a strong team and client portfolio, and we are confident that we have a solid foundation for future growth and impact.”

The VVK PR team includes Annmarie Erickson joining as senior executive counsel and Craig Fahle as PR director. In addition to Sherman, the VVK video production team is led by VP of creative production John Heiple, who has been with the company since 2011, and includes a team of editors, cinematographers and producers. Walters will oversee the integration of the PR and video teams, lead the agency’s digital practice, as well as manage the recruitment and development of the agency’s talent.

“This is an incredibly exciting chapter for the Velocity Cow team and our clients. With our previous partnership with Jamie and collaborations with Peter, forming VVK was a natural fit our teams, cultures and clients,” said Sherman. “I’m energized about our shared vision for the future.”

VVK is announcing a fellowship as part of its launch to advance its corporate mission of fostering a diverse talent pipeline for the agency and industry. The VVK Fellowship will be focused on attracting emerging practitioners of color who are interested in learning the agency environment, its clients’ industries, and developing their communications skills. VVK’s partners will also look to the fellows to support business operations to ensure we are hearing new voices and viewpoints as we refine our culture, practices and policies. In addition to the VVK Fellowship, as the agency looks to expand its team, it will continue to prioritize diversity, a critically important company attribute for its founders and clients.

“A major indicator of our success will be how our actions, not words, create great talent experiences. From day one, we will encourage the voices of the VVK team to be integral in how we operate and expand,” says Walters. “I love my role at this agency because it’s at the intersection of strategy and creativity.”

VVK has clients in agriculture, automotive, energy, media, insurance, IT, legal, nonprofit and real estate industries, representing nearly $2 million in projected annual revenues. The VVK partners are focused on continued growth in these industries, as well as looking at other markets where they can bring proven expertise and solutions to help impact future clients’ brands, and the communities and sectors they serve.

“Our first priority is our founding team and clients, ensuring that VVK is delivering a culture and service level that exceeds their expectations,” said Van Dyke. “We will then look where we can leverage our expertise and services to expand in Detroit, across Michigan and across the country.”

Van Dyke has a strong track-record of maximizing business growth. He was the key driver in the rapid growth of Van Dyke Horn, which resulted in the company tripling its revenue and doubling its team in six years. Sherman has also seen steady growth with Velocity Cow since its founding in 2008, building a team that serves clients nationwide.

Walters started her career at WDIV-Local 4 in 1998 and then co-founded Velocity Cow with Sherman. In 2013, she was recruited to lead WDIV-Local 4’s creative services and programming department, to oversee major nationally-syndicated events like the “America’s Thanksgiving Parade,” the Sunday morning “Flashpoint,” the daytime talk show “Live in the D,” and the station’s marketing and community engagement initiatives.

In addition to driving impact for its team and clients, VVK will operate on a philanthropic mission to impact organizations and communities aligned with the founders’ passions and company culture. This includes serving on the boards of and making investments in Wayne State University’s College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts, Detroit Public Theatre, Inside|Out Literary Arts Program, Culture Source and Michigan Humane.

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About VVK PR + Creative

VVK is a Detroit-based, PR and creative agency that executes integrated communications services for clients in Detroit, across Michigan and nationwide. The agency combines the experience and expertise of VVK partners and industry leaders, Peter Van Dyke, Jamie Kaye Walters and Michael Sherman, and a team of PR strategists, digital media specialists and video producers, to implement comprehensive campaigns that achieve results of their dynamic client base.

VVK serves clients in industries including agriculture, automotive, energy, media, insurance, IT, legal, nonprofit and real estate, with the following services.