Ogilvy Ad Exec Wilberding Joins Ford & Earl Associates to Direct Brand Identity Consultancy

Business Wire, July 5, 2000

Business Editors

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TROY, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 5, 2000

Troy-Michigan-based design consultancy Ford & Earl Associates announces that Michael J. Wilberding has joined the firm as Executive Vice President, Director of Brand and Identity Consulting.

Formerly a Senior Partner and General Manager of the Detroit Office of Olgivy & Mather, a multinational advertising agency, Wilberding brings to Ford & Earl Associates over 20 years of experience in the study and application of marketing, brand and organizational dynamics. In his new position, Wilberding will implement a new strategic practice area, which focuses on brand and identity management, organizational change and E-commerce. P. "As we begin the new millennium, it is logical to examine the marketplace and consider the value and place that design now plays and will play in the future," said Thomas Ernst, President and CEO of Ford & Earl Associates. "Our specialty is the development of strong identity imagery and its application to every visual medium important to conveying our clients' overall brand identity. Mike Wilberding will strengthen this leadership position with his experience." P. Wilberding has held management-level positions with the world's largest and most respected advertising firms including Oglivy & Mather, Young & Rubicam, and McCann Erickson. His primary areas of expertise are strategic planning and change management. As Senior Partner and General Manager of the Detroit Office of Oglivy & Mather, Wilberding had global management responsibilities for the Ford Motor Company account. Other past clients include McDonald's, General Motors Corporation, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Manufacturers Bank, Lincoln-Mercury Division, and Ski-Doo Division of Bombardier Corporation.

Wilberding holds a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University. He has completed postgraduate studies in global business and marketing at Duke University, The University of Chicago, and the University of Detroit. P. Wilberding lives in Birmingham, Michigan.

Ford & Earl Associates is a nationally ranked design consultancy with practice areas in identity and branding, interior architecture and design, graphic design, wayfinding and signage programs, and exhibit design. Supporting its signage and exhibit businesses, Ford & Earl Associates also operates its own fabrication facility. Ford & Earl Associates was founded in 1964 through the merger of two established design firms -- W.B. Ford Design and Harley Earl Associates. Clients include a diverse group of corporate, health care, hospitality, educational, cultural and retail organizations operating in the U.S. and worldwide.

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