Search Results

unLOCKEd Marketing We handle the many moving parts so you can focus on your business. You do not have time to deal with a graphic designer, sign company, the city for permits, printing company, website developer, promotional supplier, digital media company…that’s why you work with unLOCKEd. You have a single contact for all of your marketing and branding needs so you can spend your time on your already full schedule. Custom Branding Branded products marketing fits easily into any advertising budget. Promotional products complement and actually increase the effectiveness of other advertising media. Signs & Graphics Interior, exterior and wayfinding signs should all be an extension of your brand. We work with you from design to installation including the sign permits, so everything is consistent and handled from end to end. Custom Websites Your website is the first and sometimes, the only thing your potential customers see when they are searching for your products or services. Having a website that people can find is crucial to growing your business. Learn more! Special Events & Grand Openings Grand openings help attract new customers, generate buzz, gain media attention and create goodwill with neighboring businesses. We can help plan and execute. Local Business Marketing Packages Whether you’re just starting to get connected as a brand, working to stay connected, or seeking to grow your connections, we have the digi tal marketing package for you. ​ Please feel free to reach out to us to inquire about our personalized packages. Print & Design Services Whether you're looking for a new logo, brochures, banners, signage, trade-show booths — we’re here to help. Working with you to help choose the best materials and products for your needs ensuring your branding is consistent. Social Media Management Let our social media experts unLOCKE the impact of every post, blog, and content block that your business shares. We ensure every word is aligned with your strategic goals, SEO is optimized, and your message is delivered clearly. Our expertise allows your team to focus on what is important: building your business.⁠ Moss Enhance your interior branding with biophilic design. We can create unique signage pieces using a mix of materials like ezoBord or acrylic with preserved moss. These biophilic peices are in high demand in high impact areas like reception and entry ways. Interior Branding Interior branding is so much more than signage. It's creating a environment that seamlessly expresses your brand. This includes: wayfinding, reception signs, wall graphics, frosting etc. Interior Branding is a tool to communicate the essence of your company's brand identity through the design of its physical environment. Successful companies like Apple, Chanel and Louis Vuitton use it as a business strategy to enhance their brand image, gain client loyalty and, ultimately, higher profits. Learn more! Blog Writing The unLOCKEd team works closely with our clients to establish impactful blog concepts and to create content calendars that optimize attention, compel readers to follow your content, and establish your company as a leader in its field.⁠ Learn more! Brand Audit A brand audit is a comprehensive analysis of a brand's identity, messaging, and online presence. ​ It's a process that involves evaluating and assessing different elements of a brand to identify areas for improvement and opportunities for growth. Learn more! Custom Branding Signs & Graphics Custom Websites Special Events & Grand Openings Local Business Marketing Packages Print & Design Services Social Media Management Moss Interior Branding Blog Writing Brand Audit Contact us Let's get started on your projects today. Fill out the contact form below or give us a call. Let's unLOCKE the next level of your business victoria@unlockedcompany.com 519 571 4977 Serving Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, and beyond! Send Thanks! Message sent. Call Us Services Contact

Let's get started. Integrated Design, Brand and Marketing Firm in Waterloo ​ Make your business stand out with personal, one-on-one service from local branding and marketing experts. Serving Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge and beyond. Call Us Contact Us Submit Thanks for submitting!

How We Are Different Dedicated support. True local expertise. A single contact for all your marketing needs. unLOCKEd isn’t your average marketing firm. Instead of working with multiple different creative teams and service providers, you’ll get a single dedicated marketing advisor - Victoria LOCKE, your local marketing expert and project manager. Victoria will draw from a network of experienced professionals who specialize in every niche, identifying the talents, backgrounds and ideas best aligned to your business. This integrated team will be at your side as your business grows, supporting every campaign, grand opening, and design project along the way. The unLOCKEd Marketing Difference. Brick-and-mortar branding packages that include sign permits and installation , so everything is handled from end to end. An integrated approach with the ability to design and produce print materials, signage, social media campaigns, websites, event marketing and more. Project management alongside creative services, keeping everything on track and under control. Local marketing plans that leverage insight, knowledge and market research from experts in the region. One central contact connecting you to high-quality designers, writers, strategists and more. GET STARTED Our Focus Expand, relocate, or open a new business with ease . Let our local branding experts take the stress out of your grand opening. We handle everything from storefront signage, print ads, local websites and so much more. With our help, you’ll catch customers’ attention from day one! ​ Save time and maximize your marketing budget. unLOCKEd knows what works in your target market, and can see every advertising project through from conception to distribution. Our local marketing leaders have a strong track record of helping businesses capture attention across Waterloo Region. ​ Get people talking about your business. From designing your storefront to launching a website and beyond, unLOCKEd gives you the tools to catch local attention. Our one-stop shop is set up to design, produce, print, and install your branding materials, so you can start turning heads right away.​ ​ Since each project is unique and our ability to tailor the solutions are endless, we thought we’d give you a possible scenario to help explain possible services we can offer you. You work at a local company that is relocating, rebranding or expanding and you have been tasked with taking care of this project even though you have pretty full schedule with your full-time job. You may need help with one or all of these tasks. Interior branding - You want people to walk into your space and see and feel your company culture. This can be done with furniture, artwork, visual branding, feature walls, colour choices and etc. Wayfinding signs - No one wants to see those stick-on washroom signs New or updated vehicle or fleet graphics - Including design, materials and installation. Exterior or storefront signs - This is the first impression someone has of your brand when they arrive at your location. There is design, sign permits, fabrication and installation that needs to be considered. Updated stationary and business printing - Business cards, envelopes, newsletters and more. Including design, material choices and printing. Ads or promotional campaigns - Letting people know you’re growing or evolving. Promotional items - With all your new details. New or updated website Open houses or grand opening - Including planning, PR and execution. You do not have time to deal with a graphic designer, sign company, the city for permits, printing company, website developer, promotional supplier, digital media company…that’s why you work with unLOCKEd. You have a single contact for all of your marketing and branding needs. Tailored Fit Is your business REBRANDING RELOCATING EXPANDING? At unLOCKEd , we take care of everything, that's right, all of it. We are industry experts with an abundance of experience. We will get your business where it needs to be, on time, the first time, and for the right price. Do you really have time for all those moving parts? Get started Our Focus FAQ How do I increase brand recognition? Brand recognition means more than receiving name mentions in front of potential customers; it’s about cultivating the desired perception and understanding of your brand among key audiences. You can gain traction through increased marketing or updated messaging; try adding new tools, adopting new strategies and experimenting with new channels. Create opportunities that will help your audience help you spread the word, providing a measurable return on your investment. You have an inherently built-in base of potential advocates in your employees. Fundamentals like this are often overlooked, but employees can be a great resource if you make it easy for them to spread the word. As you leverage your company’s mission, vision and values to talk about important business decisions or cultural choices in your office, employees can refer to this familiar messaging as a way to talk about your company with others. They don’t need to sell anything, just be visible and excited about your company. To generate positive brand awareness, you need to give before you take. Companies often forget about the opportunity to build brand awareness by doing helpful work for the community and aligning the brand with good causes. Putting structure behind these philanthropic endeavors helps build culture, stronger employee bonds and brand awareness through association. Do you only design logos? We can help with every brand identity touchpoint between a client and their audience. This may include company or product naming, logo design, advertising, web design, signage, and promotional items. What type of clients do you work with? It doesn’t matter what industry you work in or if we have worked with a similar client before—the goal is about communicating what makes you unique regardless of your offering. You could be an insurance company or a musician or anything in between. Do you take on small projects? Yes. Alongside the larger projects we also love working with smaller startups that are excited about what they are doing, understand that design is more than making something pretty, and are willing to invest an appropriate budget. For both large and small projects, the ideal situation is to have an ongoing relationship where we can have a more substantial impact on the brand over time. Should I go directly to a sign company? Most entrepreneurs need professional assistance with signage since they don't have experience in this area. You probably will not know how big the letters should be to be visible from down the block, and you may not know which materials fare best in inclement weather. For this reason, you should visit a professional--either a designer or a sign fabricator. A good designer knows when fabricators are cutting corners and not using the material requested or doing a shoddy job. A designer will also be present at the time of installation to make sure the sign is properly installed. Do I need a sign permit? A permit is required for any sign that is erected or displayed in accordance with the City's sign bylaw. Each City, Town or Township has different bylaws. We are experts at completing the requirements and applying for sign permits from Toronto to New Hamburg. Do you offer help with personal branding? Yes, a personal brand is about developing a calculated, comprehensive and authentic image in the minds of a targeted group of people, in order to accomplish a definitive goal or set of goals. People with the most effective personal brands utilize content, social media, email, networking, and other means of interpersonal and mass communication to creatively portray their tangible attributes (e.g. years of experience, education, portfolio, case studies) and intangible attributes (e.g. expertise, insights, sense of humor, inspiration, unconventionalism). What type of graphic services do you provide? You name it, we know how to draw, illustrate or design any graphics needed for your project. From creative branding identity projects to custom stationery graphic design and social media branding, we do it all. We love the thrill of new projects and new brand concepts. From creative strategy to custom brand engagement and brand awareness campaigns, you can trust that unLOCKEd is a company you can trust to handle all your graphic elements. Can unLOCKEd help with social media? Your business needs to be on social media. If you aren’t, you’re missing out on free and effective marketing tools. With almost 70 percent of people on social media, your social media campaigns can reach a lot of people. However, not every social media platform is a good fit for every business. You should invest your time and skills in the platforms where you're most likely to reach and engage with your target audience. unLOCKEd can help you pick the best social media network for your business, and help you learn about the top channels and how to use them for your business. Frequently Asked Questions We Are Proud Members of

Welcome to unLOCKEd’s Marketing Mindfulness Series! In today’s hectic digital world, mindfulness practices can provide relief from the chaos when you can’t just shut it off. Mindfulness can benefit your personal and professional life, which we discussed in more detail in July’s Marketing Mindfulness blog . If you haven’t read it yet, be sure to check it out! We are sharing one mindfulness practice a month to help you gradually implement mindfulness into your daily life. Trying to make a big change all at once can be daunting and frustrating, but with one small change each month, you can make a big difference!   September Mindfulness Practice: Schedule Breaks for Mindfulness This month’s mindfulness practice is to schedule breaks for mindfulness. It’s easy to get caught up in your workflow or hectic day and forget to practice mindfulness. By scheduling it into your day, you give yourself a chance to realign with the present moment as well as your goals for the day. If you have gotten sidetracked or stressed about a particular task, this is a great way to take yourself out of it and move forward fully engaged and in a good headspace.   Benefits As mentioned above, this is a great way to incorporate mindfulness into your day if you aren’t used to keeping it at the top of your mind. Additionally, scheduled breaks take you out of a stressful moment and allow you to calm your mind and see the big picture. When we feel stressed, we are more inclined to panic or lash out. Our bodies pump out the ‘fight or flight’ chemicals and we get ready to do battle or flee in retreat . Taking a breather allows those chemicals to dissipate so you can view the situation more clearly. Controlled breathing can actually activate the body’s relaxation response, reducing the production of stress hormones like cortisol !   How to Implement This Practice When we say schedule breaks, we actually mean schedule breaks  – write it into your calendar or planner, whatever works for you. Of course, if you have to finish a conversation or typing a sentence before you take the break, you should do that, but try to plan these breaks into your day so that you won’t forget them. Controlled or mindful breathing is excellent during these breaks, but if you don’t like the silence or need a guide, there are lots of options to do so! You can find a meditation or relaxation playlist to listen to or download an app that can ease you into a more mindful state . Some great options are Headspace  or Calm , but many others are out there!   We hope this mindfulness practice helps! Be sure to look out for next month’s blog to continue this series with us!

As part of unLOCKEd’s 10th Anniversary series, we wanted to discuss some notable marketing trends from our ten years of business! A lot has changed and evolved since 2014, and looking at these trends can help refocus current marketing strategies. So, let’s get into it! 1. Content Marketing The first trend is content marketing. Content marketing has become increasingly popular over the last decade, focusing on creating valuable, relevant content to attract and engage audiences. Alongside companies’ traditional advertising, blogs (like this one), videos, infographics, and podcasts have become valuable tools! 2. Influencer Marketing The next trend is influencer marketing. While we saw some of this when we started unLOCKEd, it has picked up exponentially. Collaborating with social media influencers has become a way for companies to reach target audiences. As this trend has gained speed, it has moved from simply asking influencers to promote a product to associating it with influencers’ lifestyles to appear more authentic and relatable, traits audiences increasingly value. 3. Social Media Advertising This trend has become essential for the majority of B2C companies. Increased investment in paid social media ads on platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn, is many companies’ primary means of reaching audiences. As consumers spend more and more time looking down at their devices rather than at billboards or even their TVs, it is vital to a company’s success that they follow this move to maintain their audiences’ attention. 4. Video Marketing Video marketing is another trend that has become increasingly prevalent throughout the last ten years. As technology advances, there are ever-increasing possibilities for digital marketing. Video marketing has become more attainable for even small businesses, and it is a great way to capture your audience’s attention. Video content is a key component of marketing strategies, including live streaming, stories, and short-form video content like TikTok and Instagram Reels. 5. Artificial Intelligence and Automation This trend is another result of technological advances. AI-driven tools and automation have become popular for tasks such as chatbots, customer segmentation, predictive analytics, and personalized recommendations. These technologies can help save time and eliminate human error for both companies and customers. While that isn’t to say that these tools do not have certain downsides, they have certainly become quite popular! 6. Voice Search Optimization As voice search has become increasingly popular and sophisticated, marketers have had to optimize their digital content to keep up. As early voice search technologies like Siri progressed to smart speakers like Amazon Alexa and Google Home, optimizing content for voice search has grown into a necessity to reach audiences. 7. Mobile-First Marketing This trend is vital to any marketer’s success. As mobile usage surpassed desktop usage for internet browsing and e-commerce, prioritizing mobile-friendly content and experiences become a front-and-centre priority. From mobile-friendly websites to e-commerce apps, companies must ensure their content is easily accessible on mobile devices to stay in the game. 8. Social Commerce This trend is a little more recent than some of the others we have discussed. With the increase in online shopping and social media influencers, shoppable content through directly integrating e-commerce features into social media platforms has allowed users to shop without even leaving the app. Not only can an influencer say, “Check out this cool product,” but now they can encourage their audience to buy the product on the spot! 9. User-Generated Content This is a trend that has had both success and created publicity nightmares for companies. User-generated content is when brands encourage customers to create and share content related to the brand, leveraging authenticity and community engagement. However, leaving your marketing up to the public also releases your control of the content. A successful user-generated content campaign should be about the audience to increase participation and include a screening process to avoid unwanted messages associated with the brand. 10. Sustainability and Ethical Marketing Our final trend is companies’ movement towards sustainability and ethical practices. Consumers have become interested in more than just a product’s convenience, but also the impact of creating it. Consumers’ growing demand has encouraged brands to adopt sustainable practices and promote ethical values in their marketing efforts.  These trends have really put into perspective how much marketing has changed in the last decade! At unLOCKEd, our marketing experts are up-to-date on current trends and advances in the field so that we can provide the best marketing assistance for your business! Author: Sarah Murphy

As unLOCKEd’s 10th anniversary approaches, I’ve spent quite a bit of time reflecting on the last decade – where the company started and how we’ve grown. In my previous position, I was the director of Marketing and Sales. I helped clients with their signs and printing, and they appreciated my attention to detail, excellent project management skills, and desire to ensure everything was consistent and the best it could be. However, the one complaint I received time and time again was that clients wanted my help with more than signs and printing. While my skills helped me excel in my position, I knew they could help clients with more than my role entailed. So, I started unLOCKEd. We are now many companies’ outsourced marketing departments, ensuring everything from signage to social media is consistent and taken care of. Most of our clients from the start are still with us because working with unLOCKEd means you don’t have to deal with multiple contacts for your marketing services. Instead, you get one dedicated marketing expert. That’s me – Victoria Locke-Wheal. My skills and experience didn’t develop overnight. They were built on a strong educational foundation in Advertising, Communications, and Social Media Marketing at Mohawk College and Conestoga College. This education gave me the tools to dive into the industry and gain hands-on experience that further sharpened my expertise. But my passion for marketing started long before college. At just 11 years old, I was inspired by Angela from Who’s the Boss —a high-powered advertising executive in New York. That early passion, combined with years of dedication, has been the driving force behind unLOCKEd’s success over the past decade. But I couldn’t have gotten to where I am today without my hand-picked team of highly skilled, professionals in every niche. Erica, Ana, and Sarah make up my team, contributing their skills in graphic design, copywriting, website design, social media, and content creation. This allows unLOCKEd to provide high-quality content to clients without sacrificing a personal, cohesive result. As a whole, we are able to offer a range of marketing services and expertise through a single contact. Throughout our ten years, we’ve partnered with the best partners in the Waterloo Region – from local sign suppliers and printers to clients, such as The Boardwalk, McIntyre Group, and Josslin Insurance. We work with , not for , our clients, keeping them in the loop while allowing them to focus on running their business. But you don’t have to take our word for it – here are some testimonials from a couple of unLOCKEd’s clients: “Victoria becomes a main player on your team. When someone has passion for their work, people notice. Victoria has been with us since the opening of our flagship location. From design and print to new creative concepts, she always over-delivers. Her print ideas get your business noticed. Victoria is detail-oriented, creative, unique, always professional, and polished. Last-minute deadlines are not a concern. She has tackled every challenge we presented her with, and we are convinced she thrives under pressure. I wouldn’t trust my brand with anyone else.” -Alison Meriano, Sales & Marketing Manager Oxford Medical Imaging “Excellent Marketing Services! Victoria and her team demonstrated a high level of professionalism and expertise throughout our collaboration. They were attentive to our specific needs and goals, providing tailored solutions that ultimately led to a noticeable improvement in our social media networks. I highly recommend unLOCKEd to anyone looking for a strategic and results-driven marketing partner. Thank you, Victoria, for your outstanding work!” -Ana Canote, Trim-Gard/Trimco The world of marketing is fast-paced and constantly evolving. One of the most important skills of a marketer is adaptability. I use my expanding knowledge and experience to adapt to my clients’ various industries and changing trends. I am constantly learning and growing to provide the best services to my clients. If your company requires assistance in an area of marketing, contact unLOCKEd today!