The Gist sat down with Mindi Trank, Director, Brand Strategy, in its continued quest to get inside the creative minds at Chute Gerdeman Retail.

What are you passionate about? If you only had one more day to live, and you chose to spend it at work (work with me here), what is it about your job that makes you so passionate?
This is easy for me because if I were in the office I would love to spend the day working with a multi-disciplinary team in a brainstorming session. Nothing gets creative juices flowing like bouncing ideas around and building upon them as a team.

If I were outside the building, I would love to be traveling with clients to better understand how they see the world and their competition. Together we come up with strategies and concepts that can later be incorporated into design ideas. This kind of interaction and team building cannot happen over a conference room table. It comes through walking the streets together and experiencing retail collectively.

What’s on your desk? (Be honest…)
Too many papers.

What’s the secret to the successful projects on which you work?
Building genuine relationships and trust among the creative and client team members. When this happens, the collective team feels free to share any ideas in a risk free zone of the project space. Great ideas are born out of that freedom and passion. As a strong team, we can work out how to make an idea reality within the project parameters when we work together. These small ideas grow into business success.

What do you think is integral to the brand experience that CG brings to its clients?
Everyone seems to use "brand experience" today to mean many different things. At CG, we look at brand experience holistically. We believe that the Return on Experience (ROE) drives the Return on Investment (ROI). ROE increases loyalty and ultimately strengthens the bottom line..

What is your role at CG?
I believe my job at Chute Gerdeman is to be an excellent listener and translator. I listen to our customers, our clients and their staff. I then translate what I have learned into a brand strategy for the creative teams and ultimately our client.

What is the “CG MAGIC?”
Our people and our culture.

What is your favorite store that you have seen on your travels this year?
Nike Town in Harajuku, Japan is a stand out for me (designed by Wonderwall). This store is a must-see for any retail strategist, designer, or brand communications specialist. Each level is devoted to the unique sport featured on that floor. Twists on Nike lore, playful expressions of each sport, and customizable product made this a mecca for the serious athletes. I loved how every detail was considered within the space, and around every corner there was a fresh take on the emotions of being an athlete.

In working with The Blood Connection, what was unique about this type of customer experience?
Because the users of this space were making a donation out of compassion for others, it was most important to make them feel celebrated and a critical part of a greater mission. It was also important that the act of giving was seen as natural and an integral part of supporting the local community.

What was the best part about working with The Blood Connection?
I particularly enjoyed this program because of my interest and passion for the heathcare sector and my desire to take the stress out of clinical spaces. I felt it was important to support this vital community function. Working on this project allowed me to apply my background in Medical Communications within a “retail environment.”