While the industry is cautiously moving forward, Chute Gerdeman is optimistically transforming from the typical design agency into something revolutionary. Through years of experience and watching the market shift, we know a sea change is needed and the services to support it. We’ve put ourselves on an innovative journey, beginning with the merger of two accomplished companies: ASG, which pioneered planning and portfolio management services, proprietary data-analytic technology tools, real estate strategy, and Chute Gerdeman, an award-winning, world-class design, strategy, and consumer insights firm. Together, we are expanding our capabilities with new leadership to deliver true business transformation.
Carrie Barclay, the company’s President, consciously sought out forward-thinking, well-experienced industry leaders, Brian Seitz and Ed Hofmann who are now the firm’s new Partners in Design and Strategy (although they don’t like titles). We discussed with them what’s important about the merger and how their progressive thinking will help drive change and a new vision.
Carrie Barclay, ASG/Chute Gerdeman, President
With the merger, we’re more responsive to market shifts and able to predict changes in real-time – with several changes like developing a dynamic cross-functional ecosystem internally while making substantial investments in understanding how we best bring benefit to our clients. With a holistic client-first culture, we believe we will be the go-to model for brands. Ed and Brian are a critical component of our new organization and culture. They’re great leaders, and both have had rich histories in the design industry, across multiple channels and categories; they’re scrappy and push boundaries; they understand the status quo is dead and must be challenged, especially now.
Entrepreneurial Spirit – Brian Seitz
“Both Ed and I have 100% bought into the idea – and we recognize it’s not going to be easy, there’s going to be arm wrestling, sometimes between the two of us, sometimes others, but at end of the day we believe this new approach to design is an essential market shift. The entrepreneurial spirit that Carrie and Steve have afforded us is what attracted me the most to what this organization can be, the opportunity to flex our entrepreneurial muscles, where there are no rules, no rigid guidelines. It provides us the luxury to partner with established brands but nimble enough to get a startup off the ground or open physical doors. We’re not limited by project scope, only by imagination.
An Evolutionary Model – Ed Hofmann
“To embrace the entrepreneurial approach, we need to change how we work fundamentally from the inside out. Retail isn’t just about selling anymore, but about creating real human connections. About developing environments that foster meaningful, authentic, and lasting relationships between brands and their customers. About making retail that really ‘works’: it’s innovative, built on the Brand’s vision, profitable, seamless to digital, and scalable, not just decoration. It’s acknowledging that physical retail has never been more strategically important than it is today. To do this, we recognize the hard truth that no single discipline has all the answers; no one is the wizard behind the curtain – the world is moving too fast and is too layered and complex. This cross-pollination is what drives us internally, through a transparent, multi-disciplined ecosystem of talent.”
Immersive Innovation – Brian Seitz
“Rest assured, this isn’t a utopian title-less organization. What we’re doing internally is organizing as an interconnected team with openness and empowering our teammates to grow and develop through exposure. It’s about shifting to be relationship-driven and creating a community that allows our services to thrive from one another and serve our clients holistically. We’ve taken this on headfirst, it’s tough work, but we are benefitting by being able to move faster and see farther ahead, often years ahead, for our clients and their brands.”
A Future Forward – Ed Hofmann
“It’s an ability for us to see around corners thanks to our unique mix of internal talents and functions, it allows a sixth sense to know what a client needs before they do, what’s best for their business and their future because of trust in the relationship. We behave like a natural extension of their business; it allows for an open relationship with the client that makes real connections to what the business needs as they need it, what their customers need. It allows for speed and foresight. Managing it together, authentically, nearly as partners, versus just client and vendor.”
“We are confident this new model is the way forward to help our clients and brands succeed in a difficult marketplace. I’m incredibly energized with these new leaders, our existing leadership, and our incredible teams. They are all doing the heavy lifting, as it’s a lot of change, all for the right reasons.”
– Carrie Barclay, ASG/Chute Gerdeman, President