EKR is full of quirky creatives and high-spirited strategists. And the truth is, it’s our quirks and creativity that make us awesome at marketing. So, if you want a brand nobody can ignore—one that exudes unmistakable ROI—then we’re your kind of agency. Turn us loose on your next project to build the attention-getting brand mojo you deserve.
STRATEGY
- Market Research (+)
- Targeting
- Persona Development
- Market Segmentation
- Problem Discovery
- Positioning & Messaging
- Naming (+)
- Brand Strategy (+)
- Marketing Strategy
- Social Media Strategy
- Campaign Development
CREATIVE
- Identity (+)
- Web
- Mobile Apps
- Video & Motion
- Environmental Graphics
- Illustration & Animation (+)
- Copywriting
- Photography (+)
- Packaging (+)
- Data Visualization
TECHNOLOGY
- Ecommerce Solutions
- Interactive Games (+)
- Mobile Apps (+)
- Web Development (+)
- Integration
- Plugin Development
- Content Management Systems
- Intranets
- Web Applications
- Backend Development
MARKETING
- Content Marketing (+)
- Video Marketing (+)
- Social Media Marketing (+)
- Marketing Campaigns (+)
- Experiential Marketing
- Media Buying
- Display Advertising
- SEO & SEM (+)
- Digital Marketing (+)
- Web Maintenance (+)
- Pay-Per-Click PPC (+)
HISTORY
EKR was founded in 2001 by Lance Black and Jarid Love. Through the acquisition of Bill Brady’s brand strategy firm, M2 Results, in 2010, and Michael Janda’s creative agency, Riser, in 2015, EKR has grown into a nationally recognized agency with a full complement of brand-growing services.
OUR TEAM
EKR’s partners, along with a team of more than 50 people, are dedicated to expanding the brand reach of our clients. Our services are segmented into four effectively operating departments: strategy, design, development and digital marketing. Each department is managed by seasoned leaders and regimented processes which ensure consistent, high-quality deliverables.
ADAM STOKER // PRESIDENT AND CEO
Adam Stoker is the president and CEO of Relic+EKR. He graduated from Brigham Young University’s nationally-ranked advertising program and has been working in advertising for 15 years. Adam builds businesses, people and products through his leadership. His role includes overseeing the vision of the company, creating relationships with employees and clients and identifying growth opportunities. In 2020, he successfully led Relic in acquiring EKR, an agency that specializes in digital marketing and web development. Adam is the host of the Destination Marketing Podcast and author of Touchpoints: A Destination Marketer’s Guide to Brand Evaluation and Enhancement. Adam is listed in the 40 Under 40 from Utah Business and Utah Valley Business magazines. Connect on LinkedIn.
COLBY REMUND //
CCO
Colby Remund is the Chief Creative Officer at Relic+EKR. As a partner and leader in the business, he manages administrative responsibilities, establishes vendor relationships and leads the creative team at a high level. Colby graduated from Brigham Young University’s nationally-ranked advertising program. Connect on LinkedIn.
LANCE BLACK //
PARTNER
Lance graduated from Brigham Young University with an undergraduate degree in computer science and an MBA. As a partner, he oversees the company’s operational performance, is heavily engaged in business development and works with the executive team to establish vision and culture. He is a charismatic leader and consummate problem solver. Connect on LinkedIn.
JARID LOVE //
PARTNER
Jarid received a Computer Science degree from Utah Valley University before co-founding Eli Kirk with Lance in 2001. He is an accomplished programmer and effective leader who has personally built EKR’s 20-person development team. Jarid directs the scoping, architecture and programming of websites, web applications and mobile apps produced by the company. Connect on LinkedIn.
INC. 500/5000 WINNER
EKR has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the nation—three times!
Our incredible growth landed us the #1657 spot on the list in 2013, #4018 in 2017 and #4769 in 2018. In addition to this national recognition, EKR has been recognized six times as one of Utah’s fastest-growing businesses.
- 2018 – Inc. 500/5000 Fastest Growing #4769
- 2017 – Inc. 500/5000 Fastest Growing #4018
- 2017 – Best of State Statue (BOSS) Science and Technology
- 2017 – Best of State Award (Advertising Agency)
- 2017 – Best of State Award (Graphic Design)
- 2017 – Best of State Award (Interactive Multimedia)
- 2017 – Best of State Award (Web Design)
- 2017 – Best of State Award (Web Development)
- 2017 – Best of State Award (Marketing)
- 2016 – Best of State Award (Advertising Agency)
- 2016 – Best of State Award (Graphic Design)
- 2016 – Best of State Award (Interactive Multimedia)
- 2016 – Best of State Award (Web Design)
- 2016 – Best of State Award (Web Development)
- 2016 – Utah AMA (Social Media Campaign)
- 2016 – WebAwards (Suse.com)
- 2016 – WebAwards (MicroFocus.com)
- 2015 – Best of State Award (Graphic Design)
- 2015 – Best of State Award (Interactive Multimedia)
- 2014 – Best of State Award (Graphic Design)
- 2014 – Best of State Award (Web Design)
- 2014 – Best of State Award (Interactive Multimedia)
- 2013 – Inc. 500/5000 Fastest Growing #1657
- 2013 – Best of State Award (Graphic Design)
- 2013 – Best of State Award (Web Design)
- 2013 – Best of State Award (Interactive Multimedia)
- 2013 – The Webby Awards
- 2013 – AIGA 100 Award of Merit (National Geographic Site)
- 2012 – Bill Brady: BusinessQ Magazine’s “40 Under 40”
- 2012 – UV50 14th Fastest Growing Company in Utah Valley
- 2012 – Best of State Award (Graphic Design)
- 2012 – Best of State Award (Web Design)
- 2012 – Best of State Award (Interactive Multimedia)
- 2011 – Michael Janda: BusinessQ Magazine Cover
- 2011 – Awwwards Site of the Day
- 2011 – Best of State Statue (BOSS) Science and Technology
- 2011 – Best of State Award (Graphic Design)
- 2011 – Best of State Award (Web Design)
- 2011 – Best of State Award (Interactive Multimedia)
- 2011 – FWA Award for Tropicana Tropolis
- 2010 – Michael Janda: BusinessQ Magazine’s “40 Under 40”
- 2010 – Art-Spire 100 Best Digital Agencies in the World
- 2010 – BusinessQ Magazine “Best Website” in Utah Valley
- 2010 – Best of State Award (Graphic Design)
- 2009 – Best of State Award (Graphic Design)
- 2009 – Fast 50, 25th Fastest Growing Company in Utah
- 2009 – MWCN, 36th Fastest Growing Company in Utah
- 2009 – UV50, 23rd Fastest Growing Company in Utah Valley
- 2009 – Gold Addy for Warner Bros. Lego Batman Website
- 2009 – Addy Judge’s Choice, Lego Batman Website
- 2008 – CSS Hive Top 10 List
- 2008 – MWCN, 43rd Fastest Growing Company in Utah
- 2008 – UV50, 17th Fastest Growing Company in Utah Valley
- 2007 – CSS Mania Top 10 Best Designed Sites of the Year
- 2007 – viaVerio Outstanding New Partner Award
- 2006 – Promax/BDA Gold, ABC Family “Beautiful People”
BEST OF STATE WINNER x36
In 2017, we took home the title for Best Advertising Agency in Utah plus Best of State awards for graphic design, interactive multimedia, web design, web development and marketing. We were also honored to receive the Best of State Statue in the Science and Technology category, marking our second B.O.S.S. statue win and bringing our total Best of State award count to 36 since 2009.
Business in the front. Party in the front. It’s how we roll.
From numerous ping-pong breaks to cutthroat lunchtime board games, we believe fun sparks the creativity that makes our marketing so great. We also run Battle of the Brands, promote the lumberjack life with Flannel Season and engineer insane new ways to destroy pumpkins at our annual Slash Bash. Scroll for a good time.
GUTSY GAMES
The Gutsy Games is a one-of-a-kind obstacle course competition. Competitors crawl, slip, slide, plunge, climb and smash pumpkin-related obstacles as they compete to the finish line. The winner is given the most coveted prize: the honorable title of “Gutsy the Great.” Oh, and a cash reward of $500, useable as both a token of war and American standard currency. Check it out.
HOOTENANNY
This is an informal gathering with folk music and sometimes dancing. That’s what the dictionary says at least, but we do a little more than that. The Hootenanny at EKR is essentially a two-day ranch retreat for our employees and their families. Horseback riding, delicious food consuming, boat riding at the duck pond—everything fit for our hardworking team (and their relatives) itching to release their inner rancher. Learn more.
SLASH BASH
Slash Bash is an annual, post-Halloween, cathartic release of all your pent-up candy based energy. It isn’t complicated—we just get together and smash pumpkins. From sledgehammers to ninja swords, we find all sorts of ways to enjoy ourselves as we hone our smashing capabilities. We’ve even brought in a crane before, since dropping pumpkins from a crane is a downright good time. As wild as it sounds, it’s meant to be a family activity, so bring your partially moldy jack-o-lanterns, kids and aggression for some family fun you will never forget. Get the details.
FLANNEL SEASON
The most important accomplishment in any given year is probably the measure of how often people wore flannel. Because we understand this, we celebrate flannel season from Nov. 2 through May 12. Everyone deserves the good fortune of learning the power of the flannel. It’s the most valuable material on Earth.
Flannel Season 2018
Flannel Season 2017
Flannel Season 2016
Flannel Season 2015
