Strategy + Design + Messaging

Our logo may be a square, but TIV Branding has definitely come full circle.

Founded in 2009 by three family members, at one point TIV Branding had more than 20 employees. It was the right time for an agency like ours to grow and it allowed us to serve our clients in the best ways possible. Along the way we learned the ins and outs of digital brand building, continued to develop our design abilities and became experts at developing the strategies that support our clients. At the same time we came to the conclusion that the work we were best at and enjoyed most was not for the large corporations, it was for the small and medium sized businesses, the local nonprofits, and the organizations that make a difference in our community.

So here we are…back to only family members! I told you. Full circle. Before you become concerned for our team, we would never walk away from some of Sonoma County’s finest. We just split into TIV Branding, which is focused on strategy, design and messaging (I bet you got that already) and our partner agency, Zenergy Works, that is focused on digital marketing. Reach out and we’ll connect you with them.

Let’s work together.

If you’re interested in what we do, contact us to schedule a time to discuss your needs and see if we’re the right solution for you. If not, we will recommend how best for you to move forward. The good news is we have a good and sustainable roster of clients, so the last thing we’re going to do is try and shoehorn ourselves into a project that isn’t a good fit.

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Core Services

Brandt's expertise in brand strategy development represents the culmination of 25+ years of experience as a creative. As a freelancer and later a creative agency owner he has had the opportunity to work in many different capacities within an large number of brands. Working within the confines of a brand style guide taught Brandt to be even more effective once he was the one developing brands.
At TIV Branding we are firm believers in developing a brand strategy that is cohesive, but allows for flexibility from marketing channel to marketing channel. A strategy that takes all audiences and all tactics into account is essential when building today’s brands.
Being creative is one thing. Being effective at directing others in creative projects is an entirely separate skill. As an agency owner Brandt has had the opportunity to expand his own abilities as a graphic designer and copywriter while also learning to direct, motivate and support creative teams. He has managed our internal creative team as well as served as the creative director for clients’ teams.
We believe strong creative team leaders must maintain their own creative abilities. In Brandt's case his core competency is in graphic design. He continue to participate in graphic design projects even when leading a creative team.
Please view work examples below.
We have integrated illustration into a number brands over the years. Brandt is a capable traditional illustrator as well as digital illustrator.
Please view work examples below.
TIV Branding has learned how valuable an accessible photography resource is to clients through the years and as such we have developed extensive photography abilities to support clients when a dedicated photographer is not part of the plan.
The majority of our digital brand building campaigns require motion graphics. We have become capable in a variety of animation styles to support client needs over the years.
Like photography, we understand how valuable an accessible videography resource is to clients. Through the years we have developed extensive video and editing capabilities to support clients when a dedicated videographer is not part of the plan.

How We Got Here

TIV was founded by Brandt Hoekenga, Christy Hoekenga, and Britta Foster in 2009 to partner with great people and great brands. Blythe Carrillo joined in 2013 making us completely family-owned and operated.
In 2015 we partnered with Zenergy Works, a digital agency, to form a complete branding agency. Years of building up our agency brought a lot. We built an amazing team. We developed an inspiring list of clients. We pushed the quality of our work to a whole new level. But most importantly we learned a lot about ourselves:
We Are Brandigital
Branding and digital are now one and the same. It has become impossible to properly build a brand without the use of digital marketing, and digital marketing is worthless without a strong brand. That’s why BRANDIGITAL is our mantra. You simply cannot do one without the other. Your logo is supported by your packaging, your packaging is supported by sales materials, sales materials are supported by marketing campaigns, campaigns are supported by your website, your website is supported by digital ads, digital ads are supported by social media… See where we’re going with this?
We Are Boutique
We love doing amazing work. And we love working closely with our clients. The only way to do so is to remain small enough to have partners involved in each project. We have experts in branding, digital, marketing…and every client benefits from each and every person at TIV.
We Are Experts
The word “expert” is tough for us. Not only does it seem boastful, but more importantly it feels like an expert has nothing left to learn. One of our core values is to “constantly strive to learn and improve.” However, the definition of expert is “a person who has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of or skill in a particular area.” So if the shoe fits…
When Hoekenga Design started in 1998 it was Brandt as a one man show doing freelance design at nights. He left his day job and went full-time in 2002 and before long realized if he was going to be able to focus on what he was good at I would need help. In 2004 Christy Hoekenga joined Hoekenga Design and the core of our creative team was formed.

Work Examples

Our 25+ years in business has armed us with an extensive portfolio. Below are a few of our favorite examples…but if you’re looking for another style, a different industry, or work within a specific channel that is not represented below, please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask for additional work examples.