At Gonzberg Agency, we never lose sight of the fact that the final mile of marketing ROI still happens in the human mind — not in a dashboard.

AIDA Evolved & The Advertising Improvement Service

Big-Brand Rigor
Calibrated to Your Budget

No, we don't work with cats on banners — we work with how customers actually make decisions today.

Most advertising underperforms for reasons dashboards don’t show. Small misalignments in messaging, creative, or channels create friction that compounds into lost return.

AIDA Evolved is Gonzberg Agency's framework for addressing that friction. It adapts the classic Attention–Interest–Desire–Action model to how people currently think and move across platforms and channels, not just where they click.

The Advertising Improvement Service (AIS) is a senior‑led diagnostic for organizations navigating an increasingly fragmented marketing landscape — identifying where performance breaks down and where reinvestment will have the greatest impact.

It’s disciplined work that used to require enterprise budgets — made possible by the judicious use of AI. The technology accelerates the work; the judgment stays human.

No vanity metrics. No cookie-cutter solutions. No guessing. No black-box technology. No long-term commitments.

"I really appreciate your patience and quality work. We've been really busy with the advertising WORKING!"

Leah Sheldon, Director of Marketing

The First Step

Talk with a partner about the possibilities, and see if there's a fit.

Call 415-930-9104

AIS@gonzbergagency.com

Want more detail first? The Capabilities section has it.

Leadership

Senior Partner

Senior Partner

Maria Gonzalez

Maria Gonzalez

Senior Partner

Maria Gonzalez brings a rare blend of scientific rigor and marketing expertise to her role as Senior Partner at the Gonzberg Agency. Her career spans scientific research, manufacturing, and seven years as an Institutional Review Board member — an experience that sharpened her analytical thinking and precision.

Transitioning into business development and marketing, Maria built a reputation for translating complex data into clear, effective strategies and messaging. She has a deep understanding of customer behavior and the increasingly intricate paths that define modern buying journeys.

At Gonzberg, Maria oversees online advertising and earned media initiatives, where her data-driven approach and unconventional perspective help clients achieve measurable, meaningful results.

Evan Berglund

Evan Berglund

Senior Partner

Evan Berglund brings award-winning expertise in market communications and information technology to his role as Senior Partner at the Gonzberg Agency. He has worked with local, national, and international clients in both the U.S. and Europe, offering a broad perspective on modern communications.

With extensive experience leading teams and managing complex projects, Evan is known for his ability to distill clarity from complexity and translate it into effective, results-driven strategies and original solutions — using "informed simplicity" to drive impact.

At Gonzberg, Evan serves as a strategist and team lead, helping clients achieve more efficient and powerful advertising through creative, integrated execution.

Capabilities

Strategy Image

The AIS helps stop waste, unlock growth, and turn your marketing investment into a realistic plan for better performance.

Advertising Improvement Service

The Advertising Improvement Service (AIS) is a senior-led diagnostic for organizations navigating an increasingly fragmented marketing landscape — identifying where performance breaks down and where reinvestment will have the greatest impact.

AIS gives you access to seasoned strategic and creative talent that can be difficult to secure in-house. We examine your current approach, identify what isn't working, and determine where changes can produce the greatest return.

It's about how well your targeting, messaging, creative, and channels connect with your audience—which is why AIS combines proven principles of human psychology with an evolved AIDA framework and carefully applied AI tools to sharpen strategy and creative solutions.

This approach lets us pinpoint where your advertising is failing to connect—whether through misallocated spend, ineffective messaging, or strategic misalignment—and provide the course corrections and creative ideas needed to turn those gaps into growth.

The Result

A customized Blueprint for Action — a realistic, actionable plan to cut waste, boost performance, and increase ROI. No long-term commitment required.

See how the AIS works in practice, and get a downloadable PDF at the end.

Service Snapshot

What it Does

  • Diagnoses market communication "pain points."
  • Defines high-value target audiences using demographic, psychographic, and sociographic insights.
  • Maps customer journeys and optimizes key brand encounters.
  • Develops integrated cross-platform strategies.
  • Provides creative concepts and tactical recommendations.

Who it's For

  • Smaller to mid-sized brands looking to get more from their marketing investment.
  • Organizations launching new products or entering competitive markets.
  • Companies seeking an objective, expert perspective.
  • Brands looking to scale or adapt to market changes.
  • B2B and Non-Profit organizations looking for the psychological edge usually reserved for high-performance B2C brands.

Timeline & Process

  • 4 – 6 week engagement.
  • Kickoff with key stakeholders.
  • Research and analysis.
  • Strategy and creative development.
  • Budget and timeline outlines.
  • Delivery of a comprehensive report.

What Clients Receive

  • Strategic and tactical recommendations.
  • Creative mockups.
  • Channel and budget guidance.
  • A fully actionable marketing communications plan ("blueprint for action").

Service Elements

Competition and Market A 360° SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of available market data as it relates to paid advertising, PR, and web properties.

Objectives A clear assessment of your current direct-response and branding goals, with recommendations for realistic, measurable objectives that align with market conditions and growth potential.

Targeting An in-depth review of your audience demographics, psychographics, sociographics, and customer journeys to identify the most profitable segments — and how to reach them more effectively.

Positioning and Branding An evaluation of your current brand positioning to uncover gaps, inconsistencies, and opportunities to strengthen relevance and differentiation across all brand encounters.

Creative Solutions A review of your existing creative assets with recommendations for stronger messaging, design, and cross-platform concepts — including mockups to illustrate improvements.

Media, Platforms, and Tools Assessment A comprehensive audit of your paid, earned, and owned media ecosystem, followed by a refined strategy to maximize reach, efficiency, and channel effectiveness.

Line-Item Budget and Timeline A practical, resource-aligned budget and implementation timeline that ensures improvements are executed efficiently and cost-effectively.

The Outcome

The Blueprint for Action A master roadmap that removes the guesswork from your advertising. We provide the clarity you need to spend your budget on time-tested methodology, not "digital hope."

Talking with a partner to find out how your budget can start working harder.

Call 415-930-9104

AIS@gonzbergagency.com

The Advertising Improvement Service (PDF).

DJ Bath Plus website

The DJ Bath Plus website is a custom-made development, with videos and custom CMS features on the back end.

Owned Media

Custom-made websites, newsletter programs, social media programs, videos, point-of-sale augmentation, collateral, and more.

Shoreline Lake website

The Shoreline Lake website is a custom development designed with videos to fit into fully integrated campaigns.

Gonzberg Agency also provides a full suite of branding services, including design and style guides to ensure a predetermined, indelible impression is left in the target's mind across all brand encounters.

KTVU Fox 2 | Mornings On 2 (Weekend): Live interview with Dr. Yung Lie during Runyon Up Stair Climb for Cancer Research at Salesforce Tower

Public Relations

According to a recent PwC study, there is increasing skepticism of online content (many feel less than half of online content is fully accurate), with editorial/journalist content still being the strongest for trust building, credibility and authority overall.

Media logos

A sampling of media with client mentions — facilitated by the Gonzberg Agency.

Higher ROI as the Common Denominator

Originally established as a service of EduCel, Gonzberg Agency was founded in 2009 and became an independent entity in 2014. From the beginning, clients have come to us with different needs — some for focused consulting, others for comprehensive, ongoing solutions.

That flexibility remains central to our approach. It's also why many of the brands that partnered with us in the early years are still with us today.

Nonprofit Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation, The First Tee, Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS), On Lok, Adoption Connection. Education Santa Clara University, School for Independent Learners, Fountainhead Montessori School. Business-to-Business Global Personnel Solutions, Environmental Remedies, Inc., Pacific Office-Scape, Silicon Shores Corp. Consumer Products & Services MPH Asset Management Co., Shoreline Lake, City Paints, Jessie et Laurent, Pancho Villa Restaurants, Acting Lessons Inc., Tradewinds Sailing. Retail DJ Bath II Plus, FLAX art & design, Cal-Mart, Hockey-X Superstore, The Bath + Beyond.

Pressroom

Judicious use of AI. We’ve been on record about AI since before most agencies had a position at all; not as skeptics of the technology, but of the hype surrounding it. Over the years, that stance has matured into a clear understanding of what should, and shouldn’t, be left to generative AI in the current marketing environment.

WARC August 19, 2019 — "Tell me the JPMorgan Chase AI story isn't true"

Gonzberg Agency, 2026 — Protocol for Judicious Use of AI.

Gonzberg Agency leaders' work and commentary have appeared in national media on topics including advertising strategy, brand positioning, and communications trends.

Featured In — Forbes, HuffPost, PR Daily, and more.

GA In The Media

CommPRO
Is a Super Bowl Ad Worth It? Communications Pros Weigh the $7 Million Investment

Maria Gonzalez describes how the value derived from a Superbowl ad depends on multiple factors.

February 03, 2025    Read at CommPRO

Cannabis & Tech Today
Expert Advice on Branding That Lasts

Evan Berglund explains why — just as for other FMCGs — brand management is crucial in the cannabis industry.

March 20, 2023    Read at Cannabis & Tech Today

MDMN
Ten Tips from Agency Experts and Small Business Owners on Marketing During an Economic Downturn

Evan Berglund explains what to do when marketing funds are limited.

March 08, 2023

IASC
Developing Collaboration Between Senior Care Operations and Marketing Teams

Evan Berglund explains why collaboration and communication between the operations and marketing teams is essential.

December 09, 2022    Read at IASC

ARIAL
This is what it looks like when the trade picks up Maria's wisdom in Peru

June 08, 2023    Read at ARIAL COMUNICACIONES

IASC
How to Improve Your Senior Care Website to Get Better Leads

Evan Berglund gives pointers on how to follow best practices in website development.

January 07, 2022    Read at IASC

IASC
Top Long-Term Care Marketing Strategies to Consider

Evan Berglund explains that developing your marketing strategy is really a three-pronged approach involving market research, strategy development, and crafting a plan of marketing tactics like platforms and tools.

November 03, 2021    Read at IASC

SHRM
Risk Managers: What's Your Plan for a Public Relations Crisis?

Maria Gonzalez offers a three-step action plan when dealing with a brand reputation crisis.

October 12, 2021    Read at SHRM

Business News Daily
10 Best Practices Every Small Business Should Follow

Evan Berglund letting small business owners know that a piecemeal approach to marketing is now a death sentence (#2).

December 11, 2020    

WARC
Tell me the JPMorgan Chase AI story isn't true

The WARC credo is "Let's save the world from ineffective marketing." Evan Berglund does his part by questioning if the Chase AI emperor has any clothes on...

August 19, 2019    Read at WARC

Ragan's PR Daily
14 ways to spring-clean your online pressroom

Some suggestions from Maria Gonzalez on how to perform janitorial services online (#5, #10 and #14).

April 16, 2019    Read at Ragan's PR Daily

NPCA
When Crisis Hits, Will Your Precast Plant Be Ready to Handle it?

Maria Gonzalez lays out 5 steps to take now.

March-April, 2019    Read at Precast Magazine

Forbes
Here's How Major Brands Measure Social Media Impact

Evan Berglund explaining why solo measurements only go so far.

January 16, 2019    Read at Forbes

PostFunnel
Asking the Experts: Are Billboards Back to Being a Thing?

Evan Berglund on the fact that people don't live in channels.

January 7, 2019    Read at PostFunnel

Ragan Communications, Inc.
9 PR blunders of 2018

Maria Gonzalez points out PR blunders, and why, for Facebook, Cheesecake Factory and Papa John's (#2, #4 and #5).

December 19, 2018    Read at Ragan Communications

Ragan Communications, Inc.
10 PR hits of 2018

Maria Gonzalez points out PR wins, and why, for Payless, Dunkin' and Tesla (#1 and #4) in this end-of-year roundup.

December 17, 2018    Read at Ragan Communications

SmallbizJuice
11 Great Press Releases

A successful press release written by Maria Gonzalez is used as an example of how to integrate press into a wider communications campaign (#5).

November 17, 2017    Read at SmallbizJuice

TED Magazine
A VIEW FROM THE TOP

Evan Berglund explains how to reverse-engineer the purchase process to maximize ROI in integrated marketing.

May, 2017    Read at TED Magazine

The Drum
Full-service v. specialty agencies: Which one reigns supreme?

Evan Berglund lays out some of the benefits of using a full-service agency for integrated marketing.

October 06, 2016    Read at The Drum

HUFFPOST
How Agencies Can Better Collaborate With Telecommuters

Maria Gonzalez provides a best practices checklist on how to manage remote talent.

July 15, 2015    Read at HUFFPOST

MORE Magazine
The Michelle Obama edited issue

Maria Gonzalez commenting on what it was like being a first generation American going to UC Berkeley.

July/August 2015    Read at MORE Magazine

CISION
Mobile Madness: Mobile Marketing & PR Best Practices

Maria Gonzalez explains how to lay the foundation for successful PR.

May 01, 2015