Consulting
- Brand Auditing
- Brand Consulting
- Competitive Analysis
- Cross-Media Marketing Strategy
- Budget Planning & Management
- Project Management
- Corporate and Product Naming
- Internal Brand Onboarding
Creative
- Brand Development
- Corporate and Product Identity
- Websites
- Online Marketing
- Marketing Collateral
- Advertising (online, print, radio)
- Exhibit & Environmental graphics
- Merchandising
- Direct Mail
We have helped clients of all shapes and sizes build their market presence and maximize their return on investment.
Manufacturing
- Automotive
- Consumer Goods
- Cryogenics
- Electronics
- HVAC
- Industrial Gas
- Lighting
- Plastics
- Railroad
- Safety
Not-for-Profit/Associations
- Animal Welfare
- Arts
- Educational
- Environmental
- Health/Research
- Legal
- In-Home Care
Professional Services
- Banking/Financial Services
- Business/Technology Consulting
- Construction/Management Services
- Civil Engineering
- Distribution
- Gaming
- Healthcare
- Hospitality
- Real Estate
- Risk Management
- Staffing & Recruitment
We are the fully-outsourced marketing team for most of our clients, many with whom we have collaborated for over a decade.
Regardless of our role, what matters most is ensuring we can make a difference.
Communication
We find that positive results are best achieved through open and honest dialogue in a collaborative environment. We pride ourselves on our ability to structure conversations and follow a process that achieves objectives and is respectful of everyone’s time.
Added Value
We add value through our deep knowledge in cross-media implementation, media and print buying and our ability to architect strategies that ensure a quicker path to success.
Brands are born from new ideas – products, services, innovations.
In order to grow stronger, brands need to evolve and respond to a constantly and rapidly changing market.
We’re experienced in many brand life stages, from fashioning emerging brands to revitalizing maturing brands.
What is your brand stage?
- Revitalizing a Mature Brand?
View Weldcoa > - Launching a Start-Up?
View Morris Gaming > - Naming and Branding a Non-Profit?
View Argentium Care > - Targeting New Markets?
View MAT >
Michael Piper
Partner
Mike brings nearly three decades of branding expertise and marketing insight to every client engagement. As a founding partner at Proverb Associates, he helps organizations define and elevate their brands—whether launching new ventures, repositioning established companies, or building market share across industries and geographies.
From public corporations to family-owned businesses, Mike has shaped branding strategies that resonate across consumer, B2B, and industrial markets—regionally and globally.
“Brand development is high-stakes work. It takes a blend of insight, intuition, and trust. Our role is to dig deep, uncover what’s authentic, and bring it to life in a way that creates real momentum.”
In addition to his client work, Mike has shared his expertise as a featured speaker at industry events, served as Chair of the Chicago Book Clinic, sat on the Board of Directors for The Entrepreneurship Institute, and judged national design competitions. He’s also been an active member of the Entrepreneurs Organization and the Business Marketing Association.
Outside the office, Mike re-energizes with travel, cooking, live music and anything outdoors.
Christine Gravel
Partner
Christine blends strategic thinking with hands-on execution to help clients build brands that drive growth. As a founding partner of Proverb Associates, she brings both big-picture vision and meticulous attention to detail—guiding long-term marketing strategies while ensuring every touchpoint supports the brand and fuels results.
Christine’s multidisciplinary background spans publishing, design, web development, and agency leadership. Over the years, she has built a deep expertise in digital marketing, including email marketing, SEO, and digital advertising across platforms like Google, LinkedIn, and social media. Her approach to digital is always strategic—connecting tactics to business goals and measuring what matters.
“Our process starts with listening—deeply. We get to know who our clients are, what they’re trying to achieve, and what’s standing in their way. That’s how we create work that moves the needle.”
Originally from Boston, Christine has spent the past two decades in the Chicago area, growing Proverb’s client relationships across industries and sectors.
She has served on the Board of Directors for both Open Heart Magic—where she also volunteered as a bedside magician for hospitalized children—and Reach Out Rescue, an animal welfare organization. Outside the office, you’ll find her cooking, gardening, traveling, or running with her adopted dogs.