Guiding Principles

These are the principles that have driven us since day one.

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Care

means putting people before pixels and bits

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Quality

means that every detail matters

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Innovation

means pushing the limits of what’s possible

Today is day

1,234

Founded January 2012

Our Story

After starting BrandHoot with no funding and no connections, we’re grateful to now be working with so many impactful organizations. Thank you to everyone who has supported us along this incredible journey! We've just begun.

    • BrandHoot's first logo
    • Christmas cookies for first clients
    • BrandHoot's first day
    • Nate Speaking for Rochester at the Capital event
    • Article about HiveSync

  • Born in 2012

    BrandHoot was founded in January of 2012, two weeks after Nate and his wife found out baby #1 was on the way. Seemed like the perfect time to quit a full-time job and start a company.

    Nate began as a social media marketing freelancer, working hard out of a tiny home attic a dozen blocks North of downtown Rochester, MN. As demand grew, websites and apps became our primary service.

    The name BrandHoot was picked because our goal is to communicate your brand promise through smart strategy and clarity, just like the actions and call of an owl. That, and brandhoot.com was the only two-syllable .com available that made us smile.

  • BrandHoot's first logo
    Christmas cookies for first clients
    BrandHoot's first day
    BrandHoot's first office
    Nate Speaking for Rochester at the Capital event
    Article about HiveSync
    • Post Bulletin article about BrandHoot's award
    • Fun day of learning photography
    • Snow owl at Oxbow Park whom we nicknamed Oliver

  • A Growing Business

    About a year later, BrandHoot was serving over 30 various clients, from small local shops to large enterprises. We also launched our first app (HiveSync), and hired a half-dozen contractors to help sustain increasing demand. Soon, BrandHoot would start completing projects fully in-house by hiring our first employee.

  • Post Bulletin article about BrandHoot's award
    Fun day of learning photography
    Snow owl at Oxbow Park whom we nicknamed Oliver
    • Nate featured on Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce Advantage Magazine highlighting the national award BrandHoot received
    • Nate at the library with kids and recreates the BrandHoot logo-mark with legos
    • Ice cream celebration after bousiness of the year award
    • Close up of the etched glass on our Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award

  • Rochester Now

    Rochester Now was an app we imagined for our city to bring scattered local resources and event calendars into one convenient mobile app. In combination with the app, our Rochester Now Facebook page and Twitter account allowed us to actively engage thousands of locals and visitors every week, promoting events, things to do, prizes, and fun tips.

    • Nate being interviewed for presenting the RAVE award
    • BrandHoot team holding their award
    • STEM summit and Career Day
    • BrandHoot team with significant others

  • Getting Noticed

    BrandHoot was recognized with three significant awards in 2014 and 2015.

    Top 100 Small Business in the country from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (Blue Ribbon Award)

    Business of the Year from the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce for outstanding business growth, community engagement, employee development, leadership, service, and innovation

    RAVE Award recipientfor entrepreneurial spirit and vision from the Rochester Area Economic Development Initiative (RAEDI)

  • Nate being interviewed for presenting the RAVE award
    BrandHoot team holding their award
    STEM summit and Career Day
    BrandHoot team with significant others
    • University of Minnesota Career Fair
    • Nate and friend on top of US Chamber of Commerce Building overlooking the White House
    • BrandHoot team eating out at Twiggs

  • Pack Your Bags

    In 2015, the BrandHoot team of four moved out of Nate’s basement to The Vault, a trendy historic building in downtown Rochester, Minnesota.

  • University of Minnesota Career Fair
    Nate and friend on top of US Chamber of Commerce Building overlooking the White House
    BrandHoot team eating out at Twiggs
    • Visit to the BrandHoot office by Senator Tim Walz
    • Middle Schoolers visiting booth at STEM Summit
    • Nate receiving the Blue Ribbon Award for top 100 Small Businesses in the US

  • Ready, Set, Launch

    While maintaining our client services, and after over 10 months of hard work, FanCoach was launched in June 2016. FanCoach is an automated Facebook marketing consultant for restaurants. Check out our Labs for more info.

    PixelPress was also launched around this time, a new website service specifically designed for small businesses and nonprofits.

  • Visit to the BrandHoot office by Senator Tim Walz
    Middle Schoolers visiting booth at STEM Summit
    Nate receiving the Blue Ribbon Award for top 100 Small Businesses in the US
    • BrandHoot team running in the Med City Marathon - 5k event
    • Nate and BrandHoot featured in Rochester Downtown Magazine

  • Put on Your Party Hat

    In 2016, BrandHoot was recognized as a top 10 web & app service providers in Minnesota by Clutch. Plus, we moved into a fresh new office in one of Rochester’s most historic and innovative downtown buildings. Come say hello!

    Visit our Contact page for location details.

  • BrandHoot team running in the Med City Marathon - 5k event
    Nate and BrandHoot featured in Rochester Downtown Magazine
    BrandHoot’s new office in the historic Conley Maass Building
    BrandHoot featured in Post Bulletin Article 2016