The Madison Avenue Marketing Group (MAMG), is growing a new initiative: the Madison Avenue Collective (1600 Madison Ave.), providing a working space for local writers, designers and all creative talents to share ideas and connections. The idea for the collective sparked when the process of searching for the right freelancers to offset MAMG’s work overload became strenuous. “If you are creative, this is the best place for you,” says Jerry Brown, founder and owner of MAMG and the idea behind the Madison Avenue Collective. “We decided it was silly going through this pain all the time. Why not create an area that we can go and say here’s good talent whenever you need it,” said Brown.
Joining the collective is two faceted. The online membership showcases the freelancer’s portfolio and gives access to job postings from MAMG and other marketing members. The workspace membership provides customized options for desks and private office space, each with unique advantages.
The right environment
The second floor of the Madison Avenue building is spacious and conducive to a collaborative environment. Its natural lighting creates energy, while its modern take, with standing desks, reflect its forward thinking. And like any office, workspace members can hold client meetings in the conference rooms and have mailing services provided, all to build the freelancer’s business.
The collective’s talent is open to all agencies, who can contact the freelancer directly. “That’s best for the talent,” said Brown, who values sharing knowledge with other local marketing firms.
Michael Seay, director of SensoryMax (an agency of MAMG), agrees with Brown. “This is an asset for the community. This is also a resource for any agency or company; they can work directly with the creative online and in-house.”
Though the collective just kicked off a couple months ago, there are already twenty online members and three private offices booked.
Ben Bohland, managing partner at Two Point Recruiting, LLC, a local recruitment firm, has one of the private offices. Bohland takes advantage of the recording and sound studios available for his video productions, and has collective members help with editing.
“Having an office is a huge pull for me. I need the space to shoot promotional videos for my business and for my clients,” said Bohland. “For the price you can’t beat it.”
Creative district
Working with the Toledo City Council and the UpTown Association, the Madison Avenue Collective is part of the movement to establish downtown’s Creative District. The district includes Madhouse Creative LLC, Toledo Museum of Art, and art schools such as Toledo School for the Arts and Madison Avenue School of Arts.
The creative community can look forward to two workshops a month, focusing on creative techniques as well as how to run an efficient business. Speakers include high level media and marketing experts, such as Mark Reiter, owner of Level 2 Audio and Jeff Winke, president of The Successful Behavior Institute.
Membership Details
-Free until April 1st
-After that, $49 a quarter or $159 a year
-Online portfolio
-Workspace Membership
-Open Desk / $95 a month
-Designated Desk / $229 a month
-Private Office / $375 – $1,375 a month (12-month term)
-Sign up for an online membership, free until April 1st, at MadisonAvenueCollective.com, or schedule a tour and reserve your workspace by calling
419-472-9000.
