News from August 2007

Idea Bank Marketing, a Hastings-based advertising firm, is celebrating 25 years of providing full-service communications, strategic marketing plans, creative design and public relations for clients across the Midwest.

Founded in 1982 by Ann Martin and Bob Portwood under the original name of Portwood & Martin Advertising, the firm has grown from three to 12 employees, and has served more than 800 clients in health care, manufacturing, nonprofit, small business and large industry sectors during its 25 year history.

Portwood retired in 1989. Sherma Jones joined the firm in January 1988, and the name changed to Portwood, Martin & Jones when she was named partner in 1993. The name changed again to Idea Bank Marketing five years later when the company moved into a turn-of-the century bank building at the corner of Second and Hastings Avenue in downtown Hastings, where it remains today.

Always in step with the latest trends and innovations, Idea Bank Marketing was the first to embrace computer technology. “I vividly remember our staff’s reaction when our first Mac SE arrived in the early 90s,” jokes Martin, “we were like a bunch of monkeys staring at a radio.” Nearly overnight, the days of rubber cement and exacto-knives were left in the dust, and the firm has earned an award-winning reputation for providing cutting-edge marketing plans, corporate identities, ad campaigns, public relations, and web and interactive strategies at the local, regional, and national level.

Advertising has changed drastically, with the Internet making a global impact on daily living. “People want near-immediate access to information,” said Jones, “and we anticipate the web-based portion of our business to continue to skyrocket.” With more consumers relying on the Internet for information gathering, the use of online video, character animation, blogs, podcasts and database integration will become vastly important in the advertising market. “I’m excited to see what the next 25 years brings!” Jones said.

Lincoln native, Seth Rexilius, has joined Idea Bank Marketing as Graphic Designer. Rexilius will assist in a wide variety of art concepts as they relate to the production of advertising, including logo design, custom illustrations, print materials and interactive projects.

Rexilius previously worked as Graphic Designer for News Link in Lincoln. He attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and earned an Associate Degree in Graphic Design from Southeast Community College in 2005.

Rexilius was a member of the Nebraska Cornhusker football team that played for the National Championship in 2001. He and his wife, Rhiannon, have one daughter.

Omaha native, Kelli Biller, has joined Idea Bank Marketing as Media Coordinator and Account Planner. Biller is responsible for planning and scheduling broadcast and print ad placements, and will assist in the development, and administration of ad campaigns for all types of media.

Biller previously served as marketing coordinator for Vic Gutman and Associates, an Omaha-based event management, fundraising, and marketing firm. She earned B.A. degrees in Marketing and Corporate Communications from Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa in 2006, and played four years of Division III soccer during her college career.

Biller recently married her husband, Garrett, who is the assistant men’s soccer coach for Hastings College. Biller is an avid runner and creator of recipes that promote a healthy lifestyle.