For the founders of Object Lust, it was destiny that brought them together. As interior designers, Susan Schaub and Scott Bell share a passion for design, art and classical architecture. They both love antiquing for hours, traveling and shopping at the Paris flea markets and restoring and renovating period homes. They have a harmonious business style with impeccable attention to detail and quite simply, they compliment each other.

Now, 13 years later, their stars have aligned once again when they chose Laidlaw Group to launch their newest venture Object Lust. Laidlaw created the Object Lust website as a destination for design savvy consumers to search “to the trade” items by category and browse designer furniture brands, unique fabrics and decorative objects from leading manufacturers. Once the customer finds what they’re looking for, they call or email Object Lust and request product & pricing information.

In addition to designing the website, Laidlaw Group has created social destinations where consumers can interact with the company on Twitter and Facebook and visit the Object Lust Blog to learn about the latest trends in color, design, architecture and interior design. It’s nothing but spectacular for the consumer who wants to immerse themselves in the world of interior design.

Thursday, November 17th is sure to be a star-studded night when over 350 guests will attend Design New England’s 5th Anniversary Party during the exclusive Gala Preview of the Boston International Fine Art Show at the Cyclorama in Boston’s South End. In addition to celebrating a half-decade of bringing the best in interior design, architecture and landscape design to readers, Design New England will present the first annual Mentors In Design Awards, honoring individuals in the design industry who selflessly mentor young designers. Laidlaw Group is the official Social Media Agency for event!

The Mentors In Design Awards from Design New England were inspired by the Over My Shoulder Foundation, a nationally recognized advocate for the power of mentoring. Choosing from a wide field of nominees, the distinguished panel of judges included: Nancy E. Hackett, IIDA, IDEC, NCIDQ Associate Professor & Co-Director Interior Design Program, New England School of Art and Design, Suffolk University; David Shapiro, CEO + President of Mass Mentoring Partnership and Peter Wheeler, President, Sara Campbell LTD. Sponsors for the event are: the Fifteenth Annual Boston International Fine Art Show, Eco Structures, Inc. and Cumar Marble and Granite. A special treat for this event will be the presentation of the stone award designed by Cumar’s president Ivo Cubi, stone designer Dawn Carroll and the entire Cumar team.

The summer has brought out the best in many of us this year. Laidlaw Group client Boston’s Best Cruises is a shining example. Boston’s Best Cruises agreed to donate a portion of their ticket sales for their Sunset and Harbor Cruises to The FA Project for the entire summer season. As their agency, we were lucky enough to be able to introduce Boston Best Cruises to this extraordinary organization whose brand Laidlaw Group is helping to build. For us as an agency, meeting Richie and Maria has been a gift and we are grateful for the opportunity to help them.

The FA Project, a 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization established in Massachusetts, is dedicated to creating awareness of Friedreich’s Ataxia (FA), a debilitating, degenerative neuromuscular disease. Co-founded by Winthrop, MA natives Maria and Richie Currier (who suffers from FA), the organization educates the public by increasing the visibility of related information and resources and creating a support system for those afflicted with FA. They also provide those living with FA with assistance and resources to help them live the best quality life possible.

For all of our clients, social media plays a critical role in establishing and strengthening brand identity as well as offering an invaluable connection to potential customers, partners and the world at large. Combined with our advertising, marketing, graphic design, web development, public relations and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) experience, Laidlaw Group understands the ever-increasing value of a comprehensive Social Influence Marketing (SIM) program, integrating Facebook, Twitter, blogs and more to benefit our clients and differentiate them in the marketplace.

In a recent article on ScienceBlogs, John Dupuis, head of the Steacie Science and Engineering Library at York University in Ontario, discusses his similar views on the impressive influence of social media and how colleges and universities have begun adding these components in the classroom environment.

Laidlaw Group is launching the new brand, Object Lust, through Social Influence Marketing, a blog and new website. “I love the name and the concept,” says Cindy Laidlaw, Principal of Laidlaw Group, “It’s brilliant.”

Both are the idea of interior designer Susan Schaub. Through Object Lust, Susan is making it possible for consumers to purchase that special something they see in a home design magazine or at a design center. The best of the best home furnishings, accessories, antiques, art and furniture are just a click away.

“Object Lust is perfect for the customer who knows what they want, having seen it in a magazine or in a showroom, and they don’t want to hire a designer and sign a contract in order to get it,” says Susan. “Until now, the only way to purchase these items was through a designer – Object Lust is here to simplify the process.”

Laidlaw Group has substantial experience in the interior design space having launched the brands of many of the most highly respected firms in New England. We are currently designing the Object Lust website and building the components of their Social Influence Marketing program and blog.

According to a poll from Effie Worldwide and Mashable, companies including top firms like Bank of America, Colgate-Palmolive and Mini USA view social media as an essential and ever-growing facet of their marketing plans. In fact, over 70% of businesses polled stated they plan to increase their social media budget by at least 10% for the upcoming year.

At Laidlaw Group, we are experts at combining traditional marketing channels with evolving social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter, maximizing customer engagement and audience reach to strengthen our clients’ brands. Visit our website, become a Facebook fan and follow us on Twitter to learn more about our innovative work.

At Laidlaw Group, our combination of traditional branding, design and marketing expertise with a forward-thinking approach for our clients’ businesses has kept us competitive as the industry evolves. We know that without a great core idea, without a clear vision, no amount of technical skill can truly create success for our clients.

“There are fewer great idea people than there are great technologists.”

We couldn’t agree more with Deutsch’s Winston Binch, who explains in Digi Day, “I believe…that traditional agencies are the future of digital. Look at what Wieden and Goodby are doing. I believe there are fewer great idea people than there are great technologists.You can have a technology layer under that and ingrain it in a creative process. You’ll see a lot more agencies from the traditional side push the envelope of digital innovation.”

Spring temperatures and Hollywood celebrities breezed into 28 Degrees last Friday night. Salma Hayek, Kevin James and Henry Winkler attended the cast party for their new movie Here Comes the Boom at the chic South End restaurant. Known for its LA-like lounge atmosphere, 28 Degree s is frequented by celebrities looking for a private escape, delectable delights and one-of-a-kind cocktails.

Photo Courtesy of Caught on Set

It’s an exciting beginning of 2011 for Laidlaw Group as we welcome a trio of new clients: Unipower Corporation, In Classic Style and Warren A. Nichols!

As a leader in high-density, hot swap power solutions for telecoms, datacoms, network equipment, servers, data storage, industrial and medical systems, international company UNIPOWER Corporation will undergo a re-branding plan Laidlaw developed for its Technipower business unit. As part of the plan, Laidlaw will create a new capabilities brochure as well as re-design the Technipower website.

Ending an exciting year for Laidlaw Group, we welcome flagship client Water Transportation Alternatives! Water Transportation Alternatives provides charter services, ferry services, commuter boat services as well as leisure and site-seeing options from Boston and Ft. Lauderdale.

The first phase of rebranding will include advertising, PR, integrated Search Engine Optimization and Social Influence Marketing. Laidlaw will focus on the Ft. Lauderdale-based Water Taxi, a fun, exciting way to travel to reach the best Florida locations for shopping and entertainment. Laidlaw will re-define Water Taxi’s corporate persona with a combination of traditional advertising efforts and social media components, all backed by comprehensive SEO research to increase online company visibility and engage passengers and partners.