Ulrich Visual helps potential buyers and investors ‘see’ what they are getting

Story by John R. Ingrisano

MAYBE YOU’RE A MANUFACTURER ABOUT TO INTRODUCE a new prototype and trying to line up pre-production orders. Or perhaps you are in charge of the building project fundraising committee and are ready to launch a seven-figure capital campaign. Or maybe you are a developer planning a new business mall or deluxe condo and need to convince mildly interested money people to become totally onboard investors.

That’s where Robert Ulrich comes in. His Neenah-based company creates the visuals – from 3-D graphics to animated walk-throughs – that turn dull numbers and architect’s sketches of concrete, steel and plastic into three-dimensional creations that help prospective investors and buyers “see” what they’re getting … and that helps Ulrich’s clients make the sale.

“My clients are marketing professionals, manufacturers, financial institutions, military and government agencies, as well as churches and fundraising groups,” Ulrich told New North B2B magazine, “anyone who wants to positively influence the way people perceive their product, project or ideas.”

Art, technology & business

ULRICH HAS BEEN SELF-EMPLOYED for 25 years. A psychology major in college, he always loved painting and drawing. In the late 1970s, when custom-painted mural vans became popular, he decided to try his hand at it, painting motorcycles. “The experiment grew into a full-time business. At one point, Harley-Davidson even incorporated a number of my designs into their paint schemes.”

In 1990, he saw the coming trend in digital technology and was one of the first commercial art studios in the region to switch from traditional paint media to an all-digital workflow. “It turned out to be one of the smartest business moves I have made.”

Not just an artiste, Ulrich combines creativity with technology and the ability to work closely with business clients, many large, multi-national corporations. “I would describe myself first and foremost as an artist,” he said, “and a techno wizard second. The ability to accurately interpret engineering and architectural drawings is essential to what I do, but it is a skill that can be learned. Creativity is different. It is more of a gift, but one that can be cultivated and developed over time.” 

If the telling is in the client list (and that’s always a good measure), what Ulrich does works and works well. His regional clients include Miron Construction, Boldt Construction, Gries Architectural Group, Blue Design Group, Secura, Bergstrom Enterprises, Keller Construction, Kimberly-Clark and others. International clients range from General Electric and Exxon Mobil to Time Magazine and National Geographic. 

At the same time, he has picked up about a dozen Addy Awards (for advertising excellence), including one “Best of Show.”

The only thing missing is a staff of 20 or so employees. Ulrich keeps it simple, working out of his home. The entire business consists of himself in the creative chair and his wife, Lisa, who handles administration, sales and customer service. 

The art of success

ONE REASON ULRICH HAS DONE SO WELL is that he provides a highly valuable service. When working with clients, “when all you have is an idea, and you are asking people to invest in it, you need to communicate that idea in the clearest, most effective way possible,” he explains. “Visual content is understood faster and has the highest retention rate of any other type of media. A photorealistic 3-D visualization makes your product, project or idea seem “real” in the mind of your audience. By increasing understanding, you reduce uncertainty and eliminate resistance.”

Clients come to him to give them that extra advantage in the competitive bidding process by helping potential buyers or investors see the final result … sometimes before it is even created. 

The challenge is the joy

ULRICH ADMITS HE LOVES PROBLEM SOLVING. That is what has kept him excited about his craft over the years. Sometimes it is a matter of helping clients understand and envision their own project. “Some clients have a very definite idea of what they would like us to do,” he explained. 

Then there are some who do not. One of Ulrich’s most challenging projects involved creating a 3-D visual for a proposed Boys and Girls Club. The only problem, he says, was that they were still in the planning stages. “Many of the interior details weren’t nailed down. It fell to us to show the color scheme and the furnishings, something that is way outside our area of expertise. In the end, they loved what we did and incorporated many of our ideas into the final plan.”

Perhaps Ulrich’s biggest challenge is keeping up with technology. However, unlike many business people, who can feel overwhelmed by the constant changes in technology, Ulrich seems to take it in stride. He invests heavily in equipment to stay current as an accepted cost of doing business. He knows that is part of what keeps him competitive. “The software that we use to create our illustrations and animations is the same as that used in the motion picture industry to create special effects.

More than investing in the latest equipment, he also invests a great deal of time to increasing his knowledge. “We stay ahead of the curve with constant self-education and research. We’re talking daily,” he points out. “It’s important to never stop learning. Being a smaller firm is a tremendous advantage here, because we are agile enough to adopt new technologies earlier.”

Success Factors

HOW WOULD ULRICH DEFINE SUCCESS? “When I draw the audience in [to a visual], connect with them on an emotional level and help my clients sell the product, win a project or receive project approval, secure financing or persuade others that their ideas are credible, I have done my job.”

Ulrich admits that the client loyalty he has built over the years has been a key factor in his success. Keenly aware of the need to meet client needs, he stresses that “we always – without fail – deliver exactly what we promise, and then some. It’s what brings our clients back and what motivates them to recommend us to others.”

He cites one company in Appleton that manufactures equipment for military and law-enforcement customers. “We have worked with them for 20-plus years, since they were a start-up. Even before the product rolls out, we do 3-D renderings and cut-away views of the products to show interiors. The client recently told me that over the years, it has been our artwork that has played a major role in making our company work.” 

Like many small business owners, Ulrich puts in 50 to 60 hours a week and sees it as typical. Nor does he see it as hard work. “I know it’s a cliché, but the truth is that I love what I do, so it never feels like work.”

At the same time, he acknowledges that “the line between work and personal time is often blurred.” As a micro-company, Ulrich has come to learn that he and Lisa cannot do everything themselves, something which he admits he has been guilty of in the past. “I learned that we can reach a point where it becomes counterproductive,” so he has learned to delegate to professionals who know certain areas better.

What keeps him awake at night? Not much. “Perhaps I’m being naïve, but over the years I’ve learned that short of a major catastrophe, things eventually work out,” he says. “Focus on today, control what you can, and don’t worry about the things that are beyond your control.” 

The Future

ULRICH IS EXCITED ABOUT what will evolve in technology in the coming years. “As 3-D software and computer hardware become more powerful and accessible, and the global playing field becomes more level, it is creative talent, expertise and an exceptional level of service that will be the determining factors in the success of companies offering creative visualization services. We look forward to continued growth in these exciting times.”

And in a world increasingly dominated by the visual message rather than just the written word, it is easy to embrace Robert Ulrich’s vision of the future.

John Ingrisano is a Wisconsin-based business journalist, marketing strategist and public speaker. If you would like John to review your company’s needs or do a presentation for your business group, contact him at john@thefreestyleentrepreneur.com. Or call (920) 559-3722.