Local
We're close to wrapping up our features on this year's 32 Under 32 winners. But not close enough. Minneapolis, meet Cory Vandenberghe.
He loves to hustle. Ready to get some?
How do you think you approach your job differently than other people?
I think of jobs as short-term things you do for money to pay the bills. I haven’t had a job in a decade. However, your career is the long-play. I don’t think I approach my career any different than the peers that I look up to: a combination of hustle, hard work and true happiness in our projects. For me, one of the added benefits of working on the client-side vs. agency-side is the enjoyment that comes working on one brand. I still jump from meeting to meeting discussing B to C, B to B, e-commerce vs. in store, etc., but regardless of the conversation or meeting, I know my decisions, strategies or solutions are all rooted in one brand and my brain doesn’t have to jump from one brand voice to another.
What kind of accounts/projects do you currently work on?
I currently work for Caribou Coffee on marketing and advertising projects. I primarily work on bringing our brand to life through strategy and execution of our current and future digital channels. This includes our website, email, SMS, social media and our future mobile app. Prior to coming to the ‘Bou I worked on a unique spectrum of brands at Spyder Trap and Snap Agency, including Children’s Hospital and Clinics of MN, Michelina’s, Crystal Farms, AmeriPride, Maurices, Bump-i-doodle, and Pad and Quill.
What's the best advice you've ever received?
The best advice lands somewhere between “everything in moderation,” a quote from my dad when I was in high school, and “slow the f*** down!” from Eliesa Johnson (a local kick-ass creative). These really resonate with me because I’ve been known to burn the candle from both ends. In the last 10 years the advice from my dad has lead me to be active on boards for Courage Center Ski/Snowboard program, UMD Alumni Association, Ad Fed, and Alphabet Bash while also making time to train for hockey, skiing, cycling, and running ½ marathons and Tough Mudders. Eliesa’s advice reminds me, “Hey, maybe it’s time to grab a beer with a friend.” Those times with friends and peers can be some of the most inspiring.
What gets you excited to come to work every day?
I get to work with some awesome people for an awesome brand with a ton of future digital opportunities. We have a hardworking internal marketing team lead by Michele Vig with great agency partners (Colle+McVoy, Exponent, Haworth, and Modern Climate). The culture at Caribou Coffee’s Support Center is far from corporate and is filled with so many unique personalities. The biggest thing for me at Caribou Coffee is I feel my voice is heard and that I get to help drive such an iconic Minnesota brand into the digital age.
What has been some of your proudest work?
My proudest work is split between Snap, Spyder Trap and Caribou, all for different reasons. At Snap Agency (then Snap Social Media) I got to work with Pad and Quill (http://www.padandquill.com) in upgrading their e-commerce and digital touch points. They’re an innovative technology company putting an analog-leather-touch on our technology. It was fun and satisfying to work with a local company releasing awesome products like: The Littlest Black Book Case for iPod® Nano (www.youtube.com/watch?v=G06nHFY4DYQ).
Working with Michelina’s was really fun to take a brand from a Flash-based site to a full interactive experience and re-introduce a household name to the Internet. Steve Retka gave a great presentation at SMBMSP (http://smbmsp.org) about how we took the brand from the bottom of the freezer to top of mind. (www.slideshare.net/steveretka/from-the-bottom-of-the-freezer-ebook)
Finally, I was fortunate to start at Caribou Coffee a month before we introduced Real Inspiration coffee to Minneapolis with a 64-foot tall Pinterest board at the Mall of America (www.collemcvoy.com/news/hard-miss-caribou-coffee-giant-pinterest-board/). I wasn’t involved with the planning of this creative campaign, but loved working on the execution of the #CaribouInspires experience with the launch. We had a great national reach of the campaign and were recently featured on the Pinterest business section (https://business.pinterest.com/en/success-stories/caribou-coffee).
Who is one person who has helped you get where you are? Or, one person you really look up to?
The biggest pivot in my career was moving from small-company/client-side to agency-side when I started working for Snap Agency creating an internal creative agency inside Probus (an e-commerce company). The person that most helped me and most believed in me was George Lee. I had met George through our involvement on the Courage Center Ski and Snowboard board. George’s confidence in me taking on this new endeavor to help create an internal department inside Probus has completely changed my career trajectory. His leadership in relationships, business strategy, mergers, acquisitions and sales was so enlightening.
Anything you want to say to the Minnesota advertising, PR, marketing community?
Never stop hustling, networking and learning. Advertising, and specifically digital advertising/marketing is not standing still. To succeed, knowing awesome people, hustling and learning will set you apart from your peers.