Tridentblog

Biography of Nathaniel Clevenger (December 2010 Update)

2010-12-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

Nathaniel “Than” Clevenger, Partner, The People's Builder LLC

An entrepreneur, marketing strategist, corporate leader and writer, Than brings a broad background in strategy, business development and marketing to The People's Builder (TPB) and it's related companies. His primary responsibilities include investment capital raising to support the company's growth, marketing strategy and land acquisition.

Prior to helping to establish TPB as in the Summer of 2009, he spent the previous ten years as a consulting chief marketing officer for a variety of companies in Canada, Europe, the U.S. and Central America. including Vidabode Group, Nova Scotia, Canada, a manufacturer of lightweight concrete wall panels for durable construction projects worldwide; Nature Bake, a 60 year old family-owned organic bakery in Portland, Oregon; Soft Solutions, a Beirut, Lebanon, retail software solution provider; SGL Networks, an international currency exchange system based Panama; Best Concrete Concepts and Pourlavie Manufacturing, a concrete wall panel innovator based in Pilot Point, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and The Commerce Bank of Oregon, Portland, Oregon, the Oregon branch of Zions Bancorp, to name a few.

Prior to forming his own consulting practice, Than served as a vice president and co-chair of the global marketing team for Fleishman Hillard (FH) —currently the largest marketing communications and public relations firms in the world. While with FH, he advised CEO’s, management teams and boards of directors in both public and private companies on creative and award-winning marketing and communications strategies. Prior to his FH tenure, Than resided in Washington, D.C., where he’d spent the previous 17 years honing his skills as a communicator and marketing strategist. He began his career in D.C., at Hill and Knowlton Public Affair, where he started as an executive assistant for Nancy Reagan's former press secretary and special assistant to President Reagan, Elaine Crispin, as well as Jackson Bain, a former NBC Correspondent and the first reporter to see Elvis after his all-too-early demise. During his four year tenure at Hill and Knowlton, he grew two inches and moved from assistant to account executive with only one visit to the hospital for stress.

Current and former clients include CEO's and senior executives in large and small, privately-held corporations, Fortune 500 and multinational corporations, foreign heads of state, trade association directors and senior executives at large non-profit foundations. Organizations, companies and leaders with whom Than has worked include: Sir Robert Maxwell, The White House Chief of Protocol, the last Miss U.S.S.R., the Royal Family of Kuwait, the former heads of state of Finland, Brazil, North Yemen and Angola; as well as the CEO's of Gulfstream Aerospace, NBC, Lockheed Martin, The American Red Cross, The American Task Force for Bosnia, UNICEF, The United States Olympic Committee, Reading is Fundamental, the Recording Industry Association of America, Deloitte and Touche, Enterprise Ireland (the seed capital investment agency of the Republic of Ireland), Preston Gates and Ellis, Swinerton Builders and responDesign (an interactive video game publisher) to name a few.

Early in his career, Than served in staff positions with increasing responsibility (including supervisory) with The Democratic National Committee (52nd Presidential Inaugural Committee), The Canzeri Company and Hill and Knowlton Public Affairs Worldwide Company in both the D.C. and New York offices.

He has written speeches and or correspondence for a variety of leaders including former U.S. presidents; former International Monetary Fund Chairman, Michel Camdessus; comedian, Bill Cosby; former District of Columbia Mayor's, Sharon Pratt Kelley and Marion Barry Jr.; various U.S. Olympians and U.S. Olympic officials, including gold medal skater, Bonnie Blair and gold medal boxer, Riddick Bowe as well as sports commentators Bob Costas and Greg Gumbel. He also served as protocol and event manager for the opening ceremonies of the Korean War Veteran's Memorial in Washington, D.C., and as a spokesperson for one of Washington, D.C.'s mayoral inauguration events.

Than has been an advisor to several Oregon- and Washington, D.C.- based non-profits and was recently listed in Strathmore's Who's Who in American Business, 2004 Edition. He is a native of the Hampton Roads area of southeastern Virginia (formerly and historically known as Tidewater) and enjoys competitive sailing, painting, and random outings and quiet evenings with his wife of 17 years, Sydney and their three children, Jack (11), Steele (7) and Gus Henry (5).

Want to create an email newsletter? Here's a great place to begin...

2009-07-22T18:28:00.000-07:00

So, you think you want to create an email newsletter. Great! (Deciding is the easy party.)

Now, you need to get organized. Whoopee! Let's start with a few basic questions.

1. Do you have a list of contacts with their email addresses? If so, do you love your list? If not, who does love it?*

2. Do these contacts want to receive news, tips, ideas, musings, instructions, advice, promotions, publicity and the like from you about 6 to 12 times per year or more?

3. Do you have a content plan? By that we mean, do you have a set of story ideas? Are they compelling? Do they call readers to take some action?

4. Who is going to write your newsletter and keep the ideas fresh? No body likes a boring newsletter.

5. Do you have a Website? If so, can visitors "subscribe" to your newsletter there?

With that out of the way, here's what we can do:

1. We help you learn what we mean when we ask if you "love your list." Loving your list is the sine qua non of developing and managing a powerful email newsletter. Yes, content is critically important, but so is mastering the physics of sending out your news.

2.We help you build your newsletter - providing you with template editorial calendars to keep your communication interesting, lively, topical, useful - and above else, pithy.

3.We help you decide upon the optimal time and date to send the newsletter to your list.

4.We tell you how many people opened your newsletter, read it, forwarded it to a friend or clicked through to your Website. We can tell you some other cool things too.

5.We give you a piece of code that you can add to your Website so visitors can easily subscribe to your newsletter. (Don’t worry, we know how to put it on your Website.)

Here's what we charge.

A one time set up fee: $150.

Plus

$50 per month on an annual contract. $75 per month on a quarterly contract.
........................................................................
We accept checks and Visa and Mastercard through PayPal.
........................................................................

Don't have a Website, we'll help you set up a host-free Weblog/Website for less than a few hundred bucks give or take.

Don't want to write your own newsletter? We can do a "three-story" site for $399 per edition. (1,000 word maximum; 50 cents a word after that).

Advantages of an email newsletter:
- Cost (no printing costs!)
- Links (you can link content to your Website)
- Organization via a sophisticated Customer Resource Management (CRM) technology
- Eco-Friendly. No waste.
- Flexibility of design
- Trackability. Reports of usage "on demand"
- Subscribe function on your site.

Disadvantages:
- You generally can't add attachments like Word documents, PDF's and the like.
- Not particularly personal, though one can personalize these newsletters through the CRM.
- Some design limitations, though the technology has gotten more flexible.
- Spam Filters and Firewalls can prevent your news from getting through occasionally.

Contact: thinkfast4@aol.com

2009-03-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

The Simple Business Plan: An Outline

2008-11-23T09:33:00.000-08:00

Simple Business Plan Fundamentals

1. The purpose of the document (i.e., Why are we writing this?)

2. What Are We Selling; to Whom? (a product, a service or an idea; describe the audience)

3. What is Our Mission (i.e., Why are we deciding to this with our lives?)

4. Core Values (Is this idea inspiring? To ourselves? To others? Is it worthy of our talents? And is it bigger than we are?)

5. Strategic Business Goals

6. Near-term Business Goals

7. Where do we find clients and how will we continue to find them? (i.e., marketing strategy)

8. Who are our competitors and how are we better? (i.e. competitive analysis or SWOT)

9. What is our timeline?

10. Who makes the business run? And, do they have relevant skills in the business we are attempting to create?

11. What is our pricing model? And, how will we get paid?

12. What is the company's financial position and what are our expectations for the coming year? How will we pay our investors back?

Attachments:

-- Financial Pro Forma
-- Research data
-- Endnotes

Branding for an Accounting Firm: Ancient Symbols Provide a Guide

2008-11-22T18:41:00.000-08:00

Assignment: Provide strategic guidance on a new brand for a growing regional accounting firm.
Summary of Approach:

For several years, we have been using The Complete Encyclopedia of Signs and Symbols as a guide for identifying and evaluating the "vocubulary that formulates our thoughts" on brand symbols and establishes a guide for our recommendations on brand development.

Truth be known, we think brand development for most professional service organizations is often over-done, too expensive and contrived. Accenture, for example. Does it really matter what the name of this company is? McKinsey, is another. Would the company be thought of any differently if it were called McClaskey? On the other hand, where would Nike be today if it had been called "Phils Running Shoe Company."

It is, however, fun to conduct a search using the encyclopedia and then cross-referencethat to what can be found through online searches. The encyclopedia begins with a description of symbols:

"The word 'symbol' is derived from the ancient Greek symballein, meaning to throw together. It's figurative use originated in the custom of breaking a clay tablet to mark the conclusion of a contract or agreement; each party to the agreement would be given one of the broken pieces, so that when they reconvened the pieces could be fitted together like a jigsaw." The individual pieces were known as symbola. "A symbol not only represents something else but also hits at a missing 'something', an invisible part that is needed to achieve completion or wholeness."

With regard to accounting, the nearest symbol are dots and lines. We were drawn first to consider lines. According to the encyclopedia authors, "the straight line is one of the five basic elements of Western ideography."

This sign is a base: ___

This sign means unity: I I

This means equality: =

This means complete entities: It also signifies friendship. I I I

This means similarity in one dimension:
___
___
___

And this means the same as:

Other interesting thoughts...

-- Neolithic stones, apparently, with geometric line design, such as those found at Susa in Iran, are thought to be counting stones or calculi - the word calculate is from the Latin "calculus" meaning "stone."

-- It seems many counting sticks and carvings in ancient stones were used to calculate the cycles of the moon.

-- If you type in "ancient accounting" in Google, you will also see some additional images of different counting systems.

What do we recommend?

Counting and keeping track of what we own, owe or desire is an ancient human trait. The symbols representing how we have accounted for people, places or things is virtually limitless. To keep the exercise focused and simple, we sent the following recommendation to our accounting firm client:

To every challenge there is a symmetrical and thoughtful solution. Symbols are ancient things with deep meaning. And while there seems to be no compelling reason to pay a small fortune to re-engineer your brand, there is a way to make the process enjoyable for those of your staff interested in seeing a refresh of your imagery, while also being acutely sensitive to cost.

Everyone can guess at what they might want to see, but it’s the why that must be considered. Why is changing the brand so important? Sometimes the only answer is “because it feels dated.” I am no expert at brand development, but I am a student of it. And a skeptical one at that. I have always chosen more classical interpretations over fancy over-the-top design. I’ve learned that I’m either not smart enough or creative enough to conjure something entirely new. This means I tend to stick to fonts and designs that were developed pre-industrial era or just as the industrial revolution dawned.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, I have some simple advice that I will be prepared to share that is applicable to all professional services concerns. These are the steps to take as you begin.

1. Consider fonts first. Your name is more important than a design. Fonts have history. Understanding the history of fonts is a simple way to give any new brand the symmetry it requires to reduce risk in the human brain.

2. Consider color second. New brain research shows that the human brain is capable of “feeling” colors and assigning images in the brain to colors and feelings. Extreme examples of people “feeling” images is known as synesthetes

3. Consider the meaning of symbols. For example, in the medical world, the caduceus has a long history of connection to the medical profession. What classic symbols come to mind for accountants?

The Case for Case Studies

2008-09-28T20:17:00.000-07:00

Every time I recommend that a client put together a case study, they groan. Why? Too much work for too little result. Hard to argue with that. But, argue I will.

Here are the top six reasons why companies should develop case studies:

1. They are basic story-telling elements. The more complex your product or service, the more valuable a case study can be. Having case studies allows you to provide examples of how your product or service solved a compelling business problem. Let's say you are putting together a Power Point. You need examples of what you've done. Dust off the case study and voila! instant Power Point.

2. Case studies force you to consider your company's value proposition at a very tactical level. A simple case study describes a challenge, a solution and a result. Considering these three issues more critically allows leaders to make adjustments in tactics and strategy.

3. Case studies provide a window into how the author views the company's value proposition. Assigning a case study can help staff work through issues they need to master. The simple framework gives leaders a more clear understanding of how their staff addresses problems and challenges.

4. The Web demands fresh content. In meeting after meeting, clients are searching for ways to keep their Website content fresh. Case studies fit this bill and can be useful tools for search engine optimization, competitor differentiation and prospect education, among other things. Key words can be linked to products or services in other parts of a company's site or linked to partner or supplier sites.

5. Continuous learning is a good thing. Case studies are among the simplest way to get to the root of an issue not only for successes, but also failures. They're also inexpensive requiring an a couple of hours at most.

6. Nothing bad can happen as a result of creating a case study. They are like the oatmeal of corporate communications. They force you to chew on your approaches and they clean out clogged creativity. Yeah. Yeah. The metaphor's kinda lame. I still think it works, though.

In addition, to these, case studies can be used as attachments in correspondence to prospects to show them what you or your organization is capable of or as supporting material for proposals.
Media also like case studies as they define your "brand in action."

Email Newsletters for People Who Don't Want to Produce an Email Newsletter

2008-09-07T19:02:00.000-07:00

So, you think you want to create an email newsletter. Excellent. (Deciding is the easy party.)

Now, you need to get organized. But, you don't need to do everything. Following our AMP process (trademark pending), you can get started on your own then call some professionals in to take over the rest.

A stands for Audience...

1. Do you have a list of contacts with their email addresses? If so, do you love your list? If not, who does?

2. Do these contacts want to receive news, tips, ideas, musings, instructions, advice, promotions, publicity and the like from you about 6 to 12 times per year or more?

M stands for Message...

3. Do you have a content plan? By that we mean, do you have a set of story ideas?

P stands for Process...

4. Who is going to write your newsletter and keep the ideas fresh? No body likes a boring newsletter.

5. Do you have a Website? If so, can visitors “subscribe” to your newsletter there?

With AMP out of the way, here’s what we can do:

1.We help you learn what we mean when we ask if you “love your list.”*

2.We help you build your newsletter - providing you with template editorial calendars to keep your communication interesting, lively, topical, useful - and above else, pithy.

3.We help you decide upon the optimal time and date to send the newsletter to your list.

4.We tell you how many people opened your newsletter, read it, forwarded it to a friend or clicked through to your Website. We can tell you some other cool things too.

5.We give you a piece of code that you can add to your Website so visitors can easily subscribe to your newsletter. (Don’t worry, we know how to put it on your Website.)

Here’s what we charge.

A one time set up fee: $250.

Plus

$50 per month on an annual contract. $75 per month on a quartlerly contract.

........................................................................

We accept checks and Visa and Mastercard through PayPal.

........................................................................

Don’t have a Website, we’ll help you set up a host-free Weblog/Website for $499.

Don’t want to write your own newsletter? We can do a “three-story” edition for $399 per edition. (1,000 word maximum; 50 cents a word after that).

SCIPAB. If you have to do a Power Point, then this is one formula to follow

2008-07-20T19:56:00.001-07:00

SCIPAB

Situation --- what is the situation (eg. it's bad now ... world stats, environment)

Complication --- what complicates the situation (eg. it's getting worse ... the human needs that complicate the situation)

Implication --- what is the implication of S,C (eg. human pain, weather isn't fair ... someone has to do something about it)

Position --- what is our Position on S, C, I (eg. There is a better way --- our way ... we have done something)

Action --- what is the Action to take as a response (eg. we have an opportunity, and the time is now ... for you)

Benefit --- what are the key benefits of taking action (eg. in audience terms, here is how you gain your meaningful ROI)

Source: www.mandelcomm.com

How to write a "creative brief?"

2008-07-18T13:28:00.001-07:00

I like to make myself crazy by gathering every detail possible and then torturing myself with the development of cleverly crafted creative briefs. So, here is a creative work in progress for your viewing and using pleasure:

These are questions that I like to answer when developing a "creative brief" or "creative memorandum"

What's the purpose of this creative brief? Or, what story do we desire to tell in the most creative manner possible?

What’s our business objective? Or, why in the hell are we doing this?

What kind of background information do we have?

What should this piece of brilliance look like? Is it a printed piece? Is it a video? A photo shoot? An event?

Who is the audience?

What are the messages? Don't write me a novel. Be brief. Be brilliant. Be gone.

How will this be different than what's already out there? Will it change the world? Will it make people: Act? React? Take notice? Yawn? Angry?

What miscellaneous issues do we need to be made aware of? For example, has a competitor already done this? Will we look really cool or really lame if we take this on?

How much will this cost to complete? Will it be worth the effort?

What do we do immediately after reading this?

How to use Trademark symbols

2008-07-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

You cannot use an ® until your trade-marks are registered. While your trade-marks are in application to your chosen country, trade names and the like can be identified with a TM. Please note that there are no requirements to use symbols in Canada, however, attorneys recommend that un-filed trade-mark applications should be identified with the TM as they can accrue common law rights and marking in this manner is considered public notice.

Consideration must also be given to the fact that the use of an ® in brochures and documents that are going to foreign countries where IP applications may (or at this point in time, have not) been filed may carry consequences.

For instance, the United States has provisions in its criminal code wherein the identification of Reg. Pat. or ® to indicate that Intellectual Property is registered, when it is not, can result in criminal fraud charges. It is for this reason that legal counsel has recommended that the TM be used as it is correct in any country and also why they suggest that the Terms of Use on company web-sites include an Intellectual Property clause.

It is imperative that the information relayed to the consumer/licensee not be falsely represented.

On Blogs

2008-07-07T08:38:00.000-07:00

The terms Weblog or blog are generic terms and do not just apply to Blogger sites. There are a wide variety of online tools that allow individuals or companies to build their own Weblog (typepad.com and livejournal.com are good examples). If you are interested in looking at more blogs, go to Technorati.com, pick a category and start surfing the Web.

The defining characteristic of a blog is that the content is organized chronologically or as an ongoing narrative. The word weblog comes from this characteristic - "web" because it is online and "log" because it is essentially an ordered list of content.

Why do I like them? Fast. Cheap. Easy. Powerful. Measurable.

Key advantages to using Weblogs for most business applications:

1. Speed. Weblogs can be established in minutes.

2. Cost. Weblogs generally have no hosting fees associated with them.

3. Flexibility. Today's Weblog programs are vastly more powerful and allow for more creativity than most Websites that we built just a few years ago. Adding content, whether it's video, audio, photos, stories, .PDF's, links, etc. is simple, fast and almost effortless.

4. Security. Weblogs can be viewed by the entire world or only those who you invite.

5. Measurability. With statistical code attached to the programming code, the behavior of visitors can be tracked easily, thus providing marketers with invaluable data.

6. Usability. Visitors or members (for private blogs) can post stories, comments and the like in a running dialog similar to how early chat rooms were comprised.

7. Collaboration. As issues are posted, members receive an email of the new posting. This increases the awareness of a particular issue among members of a private blog and is a powerful addition to any corporate communication information distribution system (damn, that's a mouthful to say)

More about Weblogs

Blogs started as personal online journals where individuals could share thoughts, comments, daily activities or anything else they felt like typing about. They gained popularity (and credibility) with news sources as well as a means of quickly sharing news and commentary online. For example, many columnists and sections at the New York Times have blogs online (which you can look at here: http://www.nytimes.com/ref/topnews/blog-index.html).

Corporate blogs have gained in popularity and credibility as well. Content for corporate blogs can vary greatly. They can be a running commentary from a key figure in the company, a place to share news on new products or services, a place to share relevant industry news and commentary on the news, and/or a forum for open dialogue between the company and the public.

Then there are blogs like Ascend Performance Group's - meant to be more of an online brochure.

Now to your big questions about why a blog instead of a traditional Web site. With a traditional Web site, your options are limited only by time, budget and creativity. With a skilled designer and programmer, you can build a Web site to look and function *exactly* how you want it to. With Blogger (and other blogging tools) you are somewhat limited by what the tools provide and allow. For example, almost all Blogger-made blogs will follow the two-column layout. You can change colors, fonts, add images and video, but you are somewhat locked in to the layout provided unless you have a somewhat advanced programming knowledge.

As far as credibility goes, blogs are a more and more accepted and valid form of online presence for companies. This may not have been true five years ago, but most people now do not have a bias between traditional Web sites and blogs.

That said, for Ascend's current purposes, we believe a blog is the right online channel at this time because:

1) We can get the blog up quickly. We do not need to spend time with a designer or programmer to layout and build the site.

2) We have control over our content. Again, it is very simple for us to edit content on the blog on our own, with out a programmer involved.

3) It's free. At some point, it may be worth paying to have a site built. But the tools provided by the blog/Blogger are enough to cover our needs for now.

A Banner for Xenium

2008-06-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

The challenge: Create a fabric banner within 72 hours for a golf tournament.

The solution: Kinkos and our designer, Blake Frey. Everytime I want to complain about Kinkos' service, I am reminded that they really do provide an excellent and important service. I just wish we'd added a photo to bring it to life a little more. No time for that this round, though.

The result: Well, judge for yourself.

Introducing Ascend

2008-05-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

Over the course of this year, 3 has folded up (it will be official on June 30). It's been an interesting ride since that inauspicious start in August 2001. But, it was time to move on. We've grown up and are moving out of our mother's basement joining a few other smart people who have better skills than we do. In the coming months we'll be unveiling Ascend Performance Group and explaining how it will make your company and your life a little better, easier and more joyful.

Say Hello to Our Friend, Spencer Brown

2008-05-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

Spencer J. Brown & Associates is an executive leadership consulting firm helping CEOs and owners of privately held companies prepare for a successful sale, merger or acquisition.

About Spencer J. Brown.

Over the course of a successful and diverse business career spanning four decades, Spencer has served as a key leader in over two dozen financial transactions including mergers and acquisitions, Venture Capital and Private Equity transactions and Initial Public Offerings totaling over US$250 million in sectors as diverse as consumer goods marketing, semiconductor manufacturing and video production services.

Prior to forming Spencer J. Brown & Associates in 2006, Spencer served as chief executive officer of Euro RSCG DRTV, a division of the French marketing consulting conglomerate, Havas. Prior to being named CEO in 1999, Spencer served in the dual role of CFO/COO two years prior. During his tenure, Euro RSCG DRTV raised its annual billings from $14 million to over $400 million thus becoming the largest direct response television advertising agency in the world..

Before joining Euro RSCG, he served in a variety of senior corporate leadership positions in public and private companies including 800.com, Now Software, Sundance Electronics, TriQuint Semiconductor, GigaBit Logic, CR Technology, and Compact Video Systems.

Spencer is a retired Certified Public Accountant and is a member of the American Iinstitute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Early in his career, he was an Auditor at Peat Marwick Mitchell (KPMG).

He is the former Chairman of the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) and a former board member of 800.com, Chemwest Engineering, Tactix and TriQuint Semiconductor. He has also served as a board advisor to Dotster and Tripwire. He received an honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force in 1973 and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from U.C.L.A. in 1976.

He has been a guest speaker at U.C.L.A.'s Graduate School of Management, the University of Portland, the University of Oregon Law School of Entrepreneurship and frequently speaks to groups across the country on issues related to entrepreneurship, management and leadership.

Spencer is currently a member of the Board of Directors and President of the Portland chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, one of the largest and oldest senior executive leadership organizations in the world. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of The Commerce Bank of Oregon, partially-owned subsidiary of NYSE-Listed Zions Bancorp. He is also a member of the Board of Advisors of Indent Studios, Intelesoft Technologies, Oregon Aesthetic Technologies and Rejuvenation. He is past Chair of OEN and is a frequent speaker at various investor conferences.

Spencer brings a significant amount of experience to projects throughout North America and Europe in the areas of:

Direct Response Television Advertising

Start-up company executive management anfd financial modeling.

Mergers and acquisitions

Venture capital and private equity fundraising.

3Mail Online Privacy Policies for Email Newsletter Databases

2008-03-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

The fundamental purpose of an online privacy policy is to let site visitors and, in this case, subscribers (to a periodic newsletter, announcement service, SMS text notification service, etc.) know what kind of data you collect, what you do with that data, and how you safeguard that information. It also details how you choose to share (or not share) that data. You probably already knew most of this, but it helps us to wrap our brains around what we're talking about here. Repetition helps us remember things. Hey, that's how we're wired.

In order to craft a privacy policy, one needs to involve those who handle the technical elements of your data-gathering tools or systems. This might include your IT manager, your marketing staff, Web development staff and, last but not least, your lawyer or general counsel.

3Mail uses CoolerEmail, thuse we subscribe to the tenets embodied in their privacy policy

We also recommend taking a look at law.com's privacy policy as another example (and a slightly different and more thorough approach). You can read their policy here: http://www.law.com/service/privacy_policy.shtml

A brush with fame. A little video for our friends at Masterpiece Models and EZClean Paint Tools

2008-01-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

So, our friend John Geigle at Masterpiece Models invents this new paint brush that essentially cleans itself. This video, produced by former 3 staffer, Mason West, was designed to provide re-sellers and consumers with a quick understanding of the unique qualities of what some consider to be one of the first advancements in paintbrush technology since the roller.

If the video does not load, you can also view it on YouTube by clicking here

Some kind words from our friend, Dave of Dave's Killer Bread

2007-12-13T10:49:00.001-08:00

Working with Than Clevenger has been a very rewarding experience. He invests every ounce of himself in what he does.

I appreciate his ever-present passion for his work, which is balanced by the compassion he displays toward others. Than and his company, 3, have been very instrumental to the Dave’s Killer Bread and NatureBake brands, helping us to understand our potential and brainstorming and implementing marketing strategies.

He has also introduced us to others who have helped us. When a man gives you the quality of help that Than provides, you count him as a friend.

Dave Dahl
Dave's Killer Bread
503-335-8077 ext 310
1170 NE 63rd
Portland, OR 97213

LEGALESE FOR PUBLICITY

2007-09-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

LICENSEE will not appropriate or make use of COMPANY's name or any of COMPANY's trade or service marks or property, in any advertising or otherwise, without prior written consent of the COMPANY. If the COMPANY grants written consent to use COMPANY's name and/or trade or service marks, for advertising, endorsement, or promotion, COMPANY shall have the right to reject any such use proposed by the LICENSEE which in the COMPANY's sole discretion violates the COMPANY's standards of advertising, publicity or promotion or is inconsistent with COMPANY's reputation or mission. The COMPANY's permission to permit particular advertising, publicity or promotion (including any and all media relations, electronic media distribution, public relations, etc.) shall not be unreasonably withheld.

LICENSEE may use the the COMPANY logo in the promotion of this Contract to Customers with the following stipulations; (i) the logo may not be modified in any way; (ii) when displayed, the size of the COMPANY logo must be equal to or larger than the LICENSS logo; (iii) the COMPANY logo is only used to communicate the availability of services under this Contract to Customers; and (iv) any other use of the LICENSEE logo requires prior written permission from DIR.

LICENSEE LOGO. The COMPANY may use the LICENSEE's name and logo in the promotion of this Contract to communicate the availability of Services under this Contract to Customers, Prospects, Investors, Media (both print and electronic). Use of the logo may be on the COMPANY Web Site or on printed materials.

Any use of COMPANY's Logo by the LICENSEE must comply with and be solely related to the purposes of this Contract and any usage guidelines communicated to the COMPANY from time to time. Nothing contained in this Contract will give the LICENSEE any right, title, or interest in or to the COMPANY's trademarks or the goodwill associated therewith, except for the limited usage rights expressly provided by the COMPANY.

TRADE SHOW PARTICIPATION. LICENSEE understands and agrees that it must participate by providing a staffed booth display or similar presence at no less than two (2) trade shows or similar functions sponsored by the COMPANY's Marketing Divi sion each calendar year at the LICENSEE's expense. LICENSEE must display the COMPANY logo at all trade shows that potential Customers will attend. The COMPANY reserves the right to approve or disapprove of the location of the use of the the COMPANY logo in or on trade show booth.

Making a First Impression

2007-08-29T11:06:00.000-07:00

Challenge: Professional services clients typically offer a wide variety of services. This leaves them with the challenge of determining the most optimal method for quickly explaining who they are and what they do. That was exactly the case with this Executive level IT Consultant firm. It was 3's task to define the myriad services they offer and condense them into a one-page information sheet.

Solution: Projecting that more detail on the services would be needed, 3 wrote the copy for individual sheets for each service. Each service engagement is custom fit to the client and manifests in slightly different ways. By approaching the project broadly first, 3 was able to better understand and present the many permutations.

Once that information had been gathered and written, a hard look at what was truly essential to understand each service boiled down the one-sheets into the 1-2 sentence descriptions seen on the information sheet.

The art direction by Blake Frey took full advantage of the company's blue color scheme to make the information easy to digest in a quick glance.

Result: This clean, professional information sheet provides a gateway into the company's consulting services. When distributed, it will accompany the detailed one-sheets of the individual services, almost as an index suggesting where to look for the most relevant information.

Free samples spur hundreds of email newsletter subscriptions

2007-08-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Challenge: 3 arranged for a food product client to participate in a local bicycling event giving samples to roughly 20,000 riders. The visibility for their brand was enough to justify the participation fee, but it was 3's challenge to make this event a truly measurable success.

Solution: As part of the sponsorship, 3 negotiated to have an exclusive e-mail sent from the event's contact list of 14,154 pre-registrants. The e-mail contained a special offer to receive a free product with registration to our client's e-mail newsletter. To ensure the client would not be overloaded by free giveaways, the offer was only valid for a limited time at their bakery outlet.

Result: During the four day period of the offer there were 774 new subscribers to the e-mail newsletter - more than tripling the size of their list. 106 coupons were redeemed at the bakery, which considering the two hurdles customers needed to overcome to use it (printing out the e-mail and taking it to the bakery) is an encouragingly high number. The success of this event has redefined our previous model for event sampling promotions.

Action Sales Kit, Not "Leave Behind"

2007-08-15T23:17:00.000-07:00

Challenge:
First, please tell us: Who loves the lowly sales kit? Mostly the sales staff. Certainly the client or prospect pays these basics of marketing little respect. It's a quick glance and then a piece of a larger pile on someone's desk. We asked ourselves what we could do that might be a different, though far from novel or rare, approach. What if the sales kit could be used as a note pad? Or, a guiding document on a sales call? What if the sales staff could simply check boxes, make a copy and send one to the client? These days most all forms are Web-enabled. We wanted to take a page, if you will, from Web forms and put it to use in the real world.

Solution:
A colorful, design-forward (yeah, that's a fine cliche), deliverable that is at once informative as it is brand-centric (another cliche' - sorry). Yes, we fell in love with our own creation here. And like any good parent, we think it's as beautiful as it is functional. We'd like your opinion, so lay it on us.

Result:
We have shared the backgrounder -- including it's matching debossed folder -- with several clients and Xenium prospects in the past few weeks. We have received very positive feedback thus far. "It's elegant." "It's so clear and easily understandable." "Me like green," OK, that last one was from the bosses' two year old. But, you get the idea.

Special thanks to Todd Silberman of Green Dog Printing for his help in producing the final piece. It is printed on 100 percent post-consumer waste recycled paper using Soy-based inks. No trees were harmed un-necessarily in the making of this fine piece of collateral.

Special thanks also to Blake Frey of Frey Design for his clever art direction and "design forward" sensibility. Blake, you are the man.

From PowerPoint to Power Video: Reserve Steel

2007-07-06T10:36:00.001-07:00

Challenge: What do you do when you've got a product that requires a lot of technical explanation for people to truly understand how revolutionary it is? Do you send them a stack of papers? Sit down with them over coffee? In the case of Reserve Steel's Intelligent Framing Systems, we made a movie. Well, kind of. Please click on the link and see what we mean.

Solution: Now, people mean different things by "movie" these days. We didn't shoot any footage, but the combination of a tight narrative with words and pictures on screen is just as effective – sometimes more so.

We had been working on a PowerPoint presentation, which contained all the information we needed to convey. But anyone who has seen PowerPoint effectively used knows that the success of the presentation is in the charisma of the speaker. 3 associate, Mason West, took all the bullet points from our original script and completely rewrote it to be more conversational.

For the visuals, we wanted to show the product whenever appropriate and reinforce specific points with text on the screen. We also played around with fun visual gags to keep viewers amused and engaged through the video's five minute duration.

Result: This was largely an experiment on our part, so the client had not even read the script before seeing the video. When they finally watched it, their response was pure amazement at how we'd given such life to the story of their product. Let us know what you think. Special thanks to Mason West for the work here.

Boys and Girls Clubs Gives 3 a Pat on the Back

2007-06-26T23:23:00.000-07:00

Every so often we get a letter like this for our pro bono efforts in the community. This is one of them. We recently helped the Boys and Girls Clubs of Portland Metropolitan Area create a print ad for the opening of a new club in the region. 3 worked with designer, Tim Silvis of Systom to create the ad.

3 continues to support the Boys and Girls Clubs through the hosting of their email newsletter and through ad hoc marketing efforts. It is our pleasure to support children and those who work to make their lives better. We all benefit from the results.

Videos take one-day events and make lifelong memories... and content

2007-06-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

Challenge: In early 2007, Dave's Killer Bread was attempting to raise awareness about availability of their product in Eugene stores. 3 had recommended using Eugene as a pure test market as the company had never done any promotions in the city. 3 organized a number of promotional efforts to test which efforts would work best in other cities. One of the efforts was a three-day presence at the University of Oregon Street Faire. To get extended benefit from the event, we planned to create a video to capture the infectious energy that is present at these live samplings.

Solution: We filmed all three days at the Street Faire, focusing on getting shots of people tasting the bread. Still, we walked away with almost six hours of footage. By combing through the tapes and selecting only the best moments, we pared it down to a tight five minutes. The background music was composed and performed by Dave himself, and has become a recognizable tune on his radio commercials and other video efforts.

Result: The video was broadcast via the Dave's Killer Bread web site and blog and has been viewed over 100 times in less than a few weeks by viewers in Eugene. Many thanks to 3 associate, Mason West, for his work here.

Fonts as the basis for design

2007-06-06T12:09:00.000-07:00

Challenge:
Produce a two color brochure that people will want to read. Well, that was the ideal goal. We'd like to note that Charles de Montesquieu said, "An author is a fool who, not content with boring those he lives with, insists on boring future generations." Here at 3 we have a rule: do your best not to bore people. And so it was with our assignment for Social Venture Partners. We needed to strike the all-too-familiar balance between cost and effectiveness for the organizations primary membership prospecting collateral.

Our recommendation:
Use different fonts from the same general "family" in a way that would increase the readability of the content. We decided not to use images other than the logo of the organization to encourage people to read, not just glace, the content.

The writing needed to be quirky, but not over-the-top. Social Venture Partners mission is a serious and important one. More plainly, we wanted the writing to be approachable, fun and as non-corporate as possible.

Result:
A 5 X 7 staple bound two-color booklet that could be slipped in to a coat pocket, purse or briefcase. An unusual approach to the typical "We need a brochure" problem.

Process Graphics: Telling the story in "pretty" pictures

2007-05-30T11:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some examples of graphics we have used over the years to express complex processes, ideas or notions of one kind or another. We've long shared with clients our belief that because we've been drawing in the sand and on walls longer than we've been reading and writing, images are often better communication tools than words.

No duh, you might be saying to yourself right about now. But, we are writers (generally) and so are most comfortable working with words. We have to push our feeble little brains into new channels of expression. Certainly there's nothing necessarily brilliant about these examples here. We just want to make sure our clients and friends have them here to refer to when they are creatively mired.

More on this issue later. Perhaps we can come up with a graphic to describe our process for using graphics?

Guerilla Sampling Success?

2007-03-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

CASE STUDY: Promote a new coffee beverage using earned media and Internet marketing techniques.

PROBLEM:
In the early spring of 2006, we were approached by a successful beverage industry entrepreneur. He had created a concentrated espresso product. To use it you just needed to add milk (cow, soy or rice). Heat – or chill it over ice. And serve. It came in four flavors: vanilla, mocha, caramel and espresso blend with a touch of sugar. Initial research showed that the market wanted a product like this as lattes are expensive, difficult to make at home, and are the most widely purchased product in coffee shops.

The founder’s background driving beverage consumption for leading international brands was an important advantage as we sought to gain attention among Internet-savvy consumers and food and beverage editors.

SOLUTION:
Using our trademark-protected framework – Organize, Strategize, Publicize, Capitalize – we mapped out a strategy to put the product into the hands of food and beverage editors in the founder’s hometown – Los Angeles. That effort was unsuccessful. New product ideas pour into newsrooms daily; there are not enough resources to vet them all. We narrowed our focus to the editors in Glendale, a Los Angeles suburb, where the founder was raised. And while we were able to capture the attention of two reporters there (one, the Glendale editor of the Los Angeles Times), we could never get them to agree to do a story.

We moved up the coast to San Francisco, following on an angle that the product’s long shelf life and fresh-brewed taste would be perfect for offices – especially those in Silicon Valley – a place known for long work hours and bad office coffee. The San Jose Mercury News bought off on the angle and assigned a reporter to the story. While we waited for the Mercury News, we pushed north to Seattle – by-passing Portland media altogether. We believed that if the product idea made the news outside of the Portland market – the company’s home base and an internationally recognized coffee capital – we’d gain the respect of hometown aficionados and critics more easily.

We began our efforts in the early spring. By mid-summer it was apparent that reporters were not interested in hot beverage stories – no matter how novel. The summer heat – the second hottest on record in North America – led us to switch our pitch to “Iced Lattes.” It was an earnest approach, but a late one, as many monthlies are put to bed months in advance of publication. Major daily newspapers also plan their editorial content weeks in advance. Increasingly, we found ourselves at one dead end after another. We had feedback from editors and consumers claiming that they enjoyed the product – its flavor and convenience being the most notable adjectives shared. But, without wider editorial coverage, coupled with consumer purchases in stores where the product was already stocked – grocery chain buyers saw no reason to take a chance on the product.

The founder believed that without consumer awareness, the product would not move. We agreed. Although, we has a suspicion that the product required a paradigm shift in how people enjoyed their morning coffee that it would take longer then we had allotted to spur consumer demand. As of this writing, that theory appears to be correct.

Permit us a little diversion here. Lattés are not convenience products. Consumers expect them to cost more in terms of ingredients and time for preparation. In addition, sipping lattés is a social activity – most frequently done in coffee shops. It might be an oversimplification, but coffee enjoyment is a singular pursuit. Latté enjoyment is a social pursuit. Research supports this view. According to Marketresearch.com, in 2003 lattes made up 42 percent of all drinks sold at coffee houses, with brewed coffee a distant second at 16 percent. It’s possible that in the consumers’ minds they equate lattés with group or public consumption. Concentrated lattés made at home don’t have the same “feel” to the consumer.

When you think back to ads in the 1970s and 1980s, coffee ads focused on the personal pleasure one received from drinking fresh-brewed coffee at home (e.g., “The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup.”). Compare this to ads for Nescafe International Coffees, which always featured two or more people enjoying the diversion on special occasions.

In the workplace, the consumer needs at least a refrigerator and a microwave to store the milk and the open product (it’s refrigeration shelf-life is about 60 days) and to prepare the product hot. Plain coffee requires no refrigeration and only a hot pot or microwave to heat water plus either a coffee filter or a French press. Clean up is minimal.

RESULTS:
With editors and reporters at major dailies and relevant monthlies rejecting coverage – or postponing intended coverage – we turned to venues on the Web. Weblogs written by coffee aficionados were a primary target. Sites that were written by tastemakers were another (e.g., CelebrityCafe.com, PortlandPicks.com, DailyCandy.com, etc.).

We posted an offer for free samples on about a dozen sites. The reaction to the offer was immediate. Within 48 hours we received more than 50 requests for samples from all over the country. Within two weeks we had well over 100 requests. And, on it went. And while the numbers were small, we did prove the power of guerilla sampling. We received feedback from almost all of the people who received the product and were able to post those testimonials on the site.

This effort continues as we write, so stay tuned for the further results as they become available.

New Brand for The Howells Group

2007-03-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

New Howells Group Logo:

Old Howells Group Logo:

Challenge:
In early September 2006, we launched a process of refreshing “brand Howells Group.” Karen Howells is an organizational development specialist with more than 20 years of experience helping leaders around the world. You can read more about Karen here: The Howells Group. If you are a business owner or ultimate-decision-maker (UDM), then you should introduce yourself to Karen. She's a talented decision-maker's decision-maker.

Solution:
First, we interviewed about a dozen of her clients. How do they describe Karen? What could we learn from them to help us create a brand that reflected where Karen has been and where she is going. After gathering the research, we poured over the results and wrote a "brand definition document" and provided this to our designer Tim Silvis of Systom. . Tim took it from there.

Next, we worked with Karen to narrow down a core definition of herself and her practice. Those words are: creative, servant-leader, spiritual, bridge-builder and direct. The design needed to reflect some or all of these concepts.

Result:
The result of the brand exercise – in design – is a “flame” mark that takes its initial design cues from the original butterfly images representing the old Howells Group brand. Upon closer inspection, the flames are comprised of several smaller butterflies of different colors – with the dominant color being red.

The Howells Group brand attributes adjectives that best describe how Karen Howells views herself and her approach to her work.

Creative
Leader
Spiritual/Humble
Bridge Builder
Direct

The old single butterfly has multiplied itself – as Karen has also multiplied and refined her skill set as a consultant. It’s an appropriate symbol of the five brand attributes.

You think going to Mars is hard? Try Vancouver.

2007-02-20T10:58:00.000-08:00

Challenge: There are some things you can't fully convey with words, which is a hard fact to accept in our business. But such is the case with the the intricately detailed work produced by Masterpiece Models. These craftsmen just finished a 3-month project fabricating a full-scale replica of the Mars Exploration Rover from scratch using only pictures for reference. It's an amazing feat they wanted to share. So 3 decided to organize a unveiling event the day before the MER shipped – which happened to be Valentine's Day.

Solution: Embracing the funny coincidence that the event needed to be held on Valentine's Day, 3 crafted a short release linking Valentine's with The Red Planet, Mars. Was it a stretch? Yeah, a little. But after all, if women are from Venus... Local print and television outlets were contacted via phone and e-mail but our focus was more in getting interested individuals and organizations to see this replica. Mentions were made in e-mail newsletters to Masterpiece Models' and 3's clients. Also, personnel at all local museums were contacted and encouraged to use this event as a chance to meet Masterpiece Models even if the space-related replica was not directly applicable to their museum.

Result: 10 people attended the event, which was on the high end of expected turn-out. A reporter and photographer from The Columbian were there and very impressed by the replica. Using the event as a hook, 3 has promoted posts on the Masterpiece Models blog and generated leads to other individuals and museums nationwide. The day before the event, the Virginia Air and Space Center delayed the shipping of the MER until March 1, so Masterpiece Models has been able to extend individual invitations to people who missed the event.

Environmentally-sensitive brochure design

2007-01-03T14:15:00.000-08:00

Challenge: Create an updated tri-fold brochure quickly using environmentally-sensitive paper and soy-based inks. The client – a college housing management concern – competes for tenants with on-campus housing options. The brochure needed to be informative, hip and easy to mail.

Solution: Working from a three-year-old brochure, 3 designed a more current brochure using relevant stock photography. Working in a team, we pulled in our printing partner, Green Dog Print Management, and our design partner, Tim Silvis of Systom early in the creation process. Post consumer waste papers were not created in a wide variety of grades, so early collaboration was key to achieving what 3 and the client ultimately wanted.

Result: The total cost end-to-end for 1,000 copies, 4-color was less than $2,800. We began the creative process on the 14th of the month and the final printed copies were delivered to the client four weeks later, a major holiday being the only cause for delay.

Many thanks to Tim Silvis of Systom for the design assistance and Todd Silberman of Green Dog Print Management for the printing work.

Dave's Killer Bread "YouTube Video tied to Radio" Campaign 2007

2007-01-02T16:17:00.000-08:00

The Challenge: Help a radio campaign deliver measurable results.

Dave's Killer Bread is a Portland phenom. The story behind the bread is equal to the quality of the bread itself. It's the story of Dave Dahl, self-proclaimed "life long knucklehead and four time loser" who spent the better part of the last twenty years of his life before 2005 in prison. That story can be found at www.daveskillerbread.com.

We worked with the Dave's Killer Bread management team to set several benchmarks to measure the audience reaction to a six week schedule of :30 second radio spots featuring Dave.

The Solution:
First, we benchmarked the website the week before the ads were scheduled to run. We asked listeners in the ad copy to visit www.daveskillerbread.com to watch a short video produced by the radio station. Listeners could also go to the radio station website to view the video, as well. The video was hosted on Youtube.com.

Second, we created copy for the ad - a spot that would feature Dave touting the benefits of his unique products.

Third, we worked with Shobi Dahl, Dave's nephew and a manager at Nature Bake -- the parent company to Dave's Killer Bread -- to create a web offer for visitors.

We wanted to see the web traffic double from the benchmark we set. But, we also wanted to see bread sales rise, if you'll pardon the pun.

Result:
After reviewing retail sales during the period in which the ad aired, we saw a 21% increase -- no small jump. And while the bread is growing at a healthy clip, this was a larger jump than we had initially anticipated.

Virtual Space for Gracie's Dining and the Driftwood Room

2006-12-25T18:07:00.000-08:00

Challenge:
Help a new restaurant - and it's iconic cocktail lounge -- in a much-beloved hotel gain an audience, win new friends and convert some old ones. Our hat's off to Gracie's owner, Gregg Schillinger, for the opportunity to be a part of his effort here.

Solution:
A website that is one part photo gallery, one part interactive tool. The photos on the site are the product of two different photographers. Many of the photos on the site were shot by Andy Petkus, a local photographer and event planner. The site needed to allow people to subscribe in order to promote unique opportunities. Wine events. Tastings. Special occasions and the like will be shared with the growing email subscriber list.

We also wanted to create a place where people could quickly find the restaurant, see the most recent menu, make a reservation and correspond with the banquet managers for private events. Last, we added a weblog function www.graciesdining.blogspot.com so that diners could comment on their experiences -- good, bad or indifferent.

Result:
A website that is at once elegant, simple and utilitarian. For more information, please visit www.graciesdining.com

Speaker's Bureau for National Fraud Crime Experts

2006-12-25T17:57:00.000-08:00

Challenge:
Fraud crimes are nothing new. The dictionary describes fraud as "A deception deliberately practiced in order to secure unfair or unlawful gain." Technology advances have given fraudsters a variety of new tools to practice their deception and the costs to unwary businesses and consumers is currently measured in the 10s of billions of dollars. Experts who can help the public combat fraud are in high demand. But, it's a noisy market place. As a result, so-called experts are difficult to separate from more the more experienced. Our challenge -- one in which we are currently engaged -- is to separate our client's experts from the thousands of others who claim the same expertise.

Solution:
First, we created a speaker's bureau; an organization whose sole job is to promote the speakers within. The speaker's bureau is solely focused on providing experts who can speak on the issues of fraud including check fraud, Internet scams, ATM fraud and the like. Second, we created a website to house information on the speakers. The result can be seen here: Amcrin.net. This site went live in early December 2006, and we are just now beginning to promote the service to organizations throughout the U.S. The website was designed by Tim Silvis of Systom and programmed by Darin Ingram of Grounded4Life.

Result:
As of this writing, it's too early to demonstrate any results. We will be using site statistics to establish some objective benchmarks in early January. Ultimately, though, the only benchmark that matters is how much business results from the creation of the service. We will be promoting the service to financial services concerns primarily working through associations. If you would like to learn more about Amcrin or their speaker's bureau, please visit the site or send an email to speakers@amcrin.net.

Designer, Tim Silvis, ladies and gentlemen, for Jacques Nichols...

2006-12-16T11:09:00.000-08:00

Our friend and collaborator, Tim Silvis of Systom helped Portland lawyer, author and fundraiser, Jacques Nichols, create a business card recently. These are the result. Jacques is working on a few books whose titles are "If you want to see God's footprint, check your butt" and "Who the hell signed me up for this class?"

Jacque's most significant talent is his ability to meet people and quickly make connections to others. Jacques says, "I know you. I know Joe. You and Joe should meet." It's a wonderful and important business skill. Tim captured this in his graphic on the front of the card.

Project: Gracie's Breakfast Postcard Campaign

2006-11-22T11:39:00.001-08:00

Challenge:
A brand new restaurant in a favorite local hotel. What to do to attract new business and not scare away the old. A poll of local businesses revealed that the restaurant had been a long-time favorite for breakfast meetings. The restaurant's owner believed that if we could gain the loyalty of breakfast patrons, it would lead to growth for the lunch and dinner business.

Solution:
We settled on the idea of a post card-driven direct sales campaign. Businesses in downtown Portland were selected to receive fresh blueberry muffins every Friday for several weeks. Law firms, CPA Firms, Banks and other professional services companies were on the list. The post cards (see here) were included in the delivery. In addition, we worked with Illy Coffee to create a contest for free coffee for those who patronized Gracie's for breakfast.

Result:
The campaign duration was six weeks. During that period, business for breakfast, lunch and dinner doubled. More importantly, catering opportunities were developed and are now the largest single source of revenues for the restaurant.

Colin Powell Boys and Girls Clubs Work

2006-11-22T09:21:00.000-08:00

Here's an ad we wrote in collaboration with our friends at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Portland Metropolitan Area. We had the good fortune to lend a hand to the Clubs when General Colin Powell visited their Hillsboro club in the Fall of 2006.

The Clubs were given ad space by a local newspaper. The called 3 to solicit our ideas for developing an ad. This is the result. Many thanks to Joe Walsh at the Clubs for his help here!

Project: New Associate Campaign

2006-11-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

Challenge:
A new associate joins a law firm that's less than a year old. Issues to be addressed included reinforcing the organization's creativity through an enhanced brand, demonstrating its commitment to creating a diverse workplace and - most importantly - welcoming a valuable new associate.

Solutuion:
3 brought in photographer, Tim Gunther, to give us something different than the typical head shot. We gathered the entire firm's lawyers one afternoon after work for a photo shoot to capture them "behind" Abby -- the new associate. Working with Green Dog Printing -- a local environmentally-sensitive print management company -- we created a post card that was not only pleasing to look at, but easy on the earth. The completed project was mailed to a list of the firms clients, prospects and friends. 3 sent the post card to local and national legal press.

The result:
A very happy client.

The World's First Video Fitness Game

2006-11-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

Problem: Launch a new product in a cynical industry.
If you want a challenge, here's one for you. How do you promote a fitness game in a world where inactivity is part of the charm?

Armed with nothing more than a short video demonstration and some deep-pocketed investors that's precisely what we did in the Spring of 2004.

Yourself!Fitness -- the first fitness game for Xbox, PlayStation2 and the Personal Computer stuck out at E3 like a finger in a box of fast food fries. Hard core gamers reacted with mild disdain. But, they quickly saw the charm in "Maya," the virtual personal trainer. Within the year of the launch, Maya was elected as the sexiest virtual woman in cyberspace.

Solution:
Attendance at a game industry trade show resulted in The New York Times coverage you see here. We quickly followed up on that early success by arranging a media tour in New York with editors from Elle, GQ, Prevention, O (Oprah's magazine), Self, Shape and several others. We helped the founder hone their story, juxtapose the product against the obesity problem in school children and reinforced that idea that it was "the first game that plays YOU."

Result:
The product received wide coverage -- including photos -- in almost 1,000 publications around the world within three months of launch. A significant piece of coverage in the Chicago Sun Times resulted in a call from McDonalds. Several months later, Yourself!Fitness mini discs were included in salads coast-to-coast.

General Colin Powell 3-atively entertained.

2006-10-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

"Eye's straight. Chin up. Face the crowd and speak with confidence." These were some of the General's instructions to several of the children chosen to ask a question of General Powell at recent ground-breaking ceremony for the Boys and Girls Clubs in Hillsboro, Oregon.

3 was asked to lend a hand with media relations logisitics and creating a unique gift for General Powell. Media were not invited to attend the event as the General wanted to ensure all of his attention would be on the hundreds of kids who missed part of the school day to visit with him. Having produced hundreds of video news releases over the years, 3 took raw video from expert videographer Brian Houtari, and turned around a short video news release for the local Portland television news.

We had the video in our hands at 3 o'clock in Hillsboro and drove to Southeast Portland to edit. All of the stations had the footage by 6 o'clock. Special thanks to 3 associate, Libbi Loseke, for making the mad dash to the edit suite where she cut the piece down to three minutes of higlights, made four dubs and got the couriers coordinated all within less than two hours. All of the stations took the video. One initially declined to take the footage because "We were not invited to attend," they said. We underscored that the event was for the children, not for the press. After reconsidering, the station relented and ran the video. It was initially a little disheartening to hear a news director complain about children being put ahead of the television stations needs.

The gift we presented to General Powell is not pictured here, but will be shortly. It is a bench with a plaque below paying homage to his visit. The design is the brainchild of rising architectural star, Erik Winter of Myhre Group Architects (www.myhregroup.com). Nice work Erik! The rendering will be used to inspire a future donor to complete the project, thus allowing those who were in attendance on that warm October day to point to it and say "I was there."

Kids are the focus on new website for Social Venture Partners Portland

2006-10-14T19:01:00.000-07:00

Social Venture Partners Portland is a charitable organization focused on providing time + money + expertise to non-profits whose mission it is to improve the lives of children.

Over the better part of 2006, 3 worked with a volunteer team of partners to create a story-telling platform on the Internet. The result is here: svpportland.org. Special thanks to Social Venture Partners Portland executive director, Jean Hart, for her confident leadership here. Thanks also to Megan Leftwich and Les Soltesz for their guidance, support and "velvet hammer" approach to getting this important new resource completed. These two former Intel executives were instrumental in ensuring that the project was completed according to the original specifications and creative that 3 outlined.

Last, we want to thank design guru Tim Silvis of Systom for his help in taking the original idea and turning it into a work of art. Darin Ingram of Grounded4Life provided the programming expertise.

The Challenge:
The old Social Venture Partners site was over five years old. In Internet time, that's, well, old. It was a template site using a technology by the name of Plone. Plone requires the user to master their technology (not difficult for the average person) and is not particularly flexible from a design perspective. The new site needed to quickly engage the viewer and explain how Social Venture Partners works. The organization provides both money and partner time to every "investee." It is short-staffed and they receive a lot of inbound calls from organizations look for funds. With that in mind, the management and board wanted a site that would quickly help prospective investees understand how the organization worked. They also wanted to provide content that would educate organizations whose needs were not congruent with SVPP's mission, thus saving time and limited staff resources.

The Solution:
We recommended using flash to tell short stories (vignettes) drawn from the powerful case studies of the organization's successful investment efforts. We first looked at the web statistics for the site to determine how the old site was being used. That gave us an initial road map on how to build the site. Then, we wrote the vignettes and added photographs from SVPP events - augmented by stock footage where needed. From there we added the key elements that formed the navigation and content for the site. It sounds simple as I write this. But, it wasn't.

Result:
During the first week, the new site received high marks from board members, investees and visitors alike. The clean navigation forces users to select one of only three choices, thus helping to funnel users to information that -- if read and understood by the visitor -- will save time in answering questions. Staff resources remain thin at the organization, so this will be a key part of the site's job moving forward. 3 will be looking at the site's usage statistics after the first of the year to determine where adjustments need to be made.

If you have comments about the new Social Venture Partners website, please let us know by emailing us here at info@why3.com.

Thanks!

Iced Espresso for a Hot Planet

2006-07-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a little story we put out to the press this week. It's getting a lot of traction -- especially from reporters in SoCal who are boiling. Check it out and enjoy.

Iced Espresso for a Hot Planet; Cold milk, ice and Stomping Grounds Concentrated Espresso pours a perfect iced latte every time.

Portland, Ore. (July 19, 2006) — With the mercury rising higher than normal throughout the nation this summer, thirsty Americans may want to take a break from their daily cup of hot coffee for a tasty iced espresso made with a new concentrate from Stomping Grounds Beverage Company. It’s a perfect way to beat the heat.

Recipe:

1/3 Stomping Grounds Cold-Press Concentrated Espresso—any flavor (on store shelves coast-to-coast and at StompingGrounds.com for about $6 per 12-serving box).

2/3 milk of choice (whole, skim, rice or soy)

Add your favorite sweetener to taste.

Pour over ice.

(Add Vodka for a little kick!)

Stomping Grounds is the first liquid, cold-pressed espresso concentrate in the United States. It comes in four flavors: Original Espresso blend (with a touch of sugar), Mocha, Caramel, and Vanilla. Stomping Grounds is vacuum-sealed in a Tetra-Pak box and can be easily and conveniently stored at room temperature until it is ready to be served, either hot or cold. Once opened, it must be refrigerated, but will remain fresh for almost a month. Find it on store shelves coast-to-coast or purchase directly at

Beverage industry entrepreneur Sean Ryan created Stomping Grounds in 2005, after serving as an executive at Nestle, and marketing Oregon Chai to prominence. Says Ryan, “Stomping Grounds is easy to pack for summer travel. It is not only convenient, but also an economical choice for coffee lovers.”

Enjoy!

Profitable non-profit marketing tips. Organize. Publicize. Capitalize.

2005-12-26T19:59:00.000-08:00

Here's some text from a presentation I gave in Vancouver, Washington, in mid-December 2005. It describes -- briefly -- what I believe with regard to communications in support of fundraising. Agree/Disagree? Please feel free to share your comments.

Who is Than Clevenger?

20 years of marketing communications experience (i.e., telling stories to gain people’s trust and get them to act).

Focus on corporate marketing strategies.

Clients have included Fortune 100 CEO’s, foreign governments and NGO’s. Brands include: Kodak, Prodigy, Lockheed Martin, Gulfstream Aerospace, Proctor and Gamble, Xerox, Crate & Barrel, the USOC, etc. Speeches for Bill Cosby, two former Mayors of Washington, D.C., Olympic Athletes, etc. Worked for The Red Cross, the American Task Force for Bosnia, etc. Currently helping Morrison Child and Family Services, Boys and Girls Clubs of Portland, Friends of Forest Park and Oregon Trout, among others.

Expertise in creative marketing strategies for a variety of organizations.

Personal interests: military history, art, sailboat racing, my family.

Favorite quote: “I would rather be the victim of man’s occasional infidelities against his fellow man rather than relinquish my belief in the goodness of all men.” Thomas Jefferson.

What have I learned?

No single marketing effort is more important than list development and maintenance. It’s a detailed, menial task, but the most critical. If you don’t love your list, who will?

You don’t get what you don’t ask for. Ask for the money.

Few people know how to use technology to build community. We talk about what we want to send to our donors, board, etc. But, we rarely talk about what it is they really want to see and hear. Creating feedback mechanisms is critical to building and maintaining community around an issue or product.

Examples: YourselfFitness.com, commissionersam.com

Your board is there to support you and your organization’s mission, not the other way around. Executive directors need to be bolder decision-makers and leaders. Time is not on your side.

Emerging Trends.
There is plenty of research and academic discussion on so-called “new philanthropy.” It’s like “new environmentalism.” It’s really nothing more than an approach that is based on collaboration and partnership, rather than one-way giving (i.e., You ask. I give. End of transaction. See you next year). Instead, we must create two-way processes that are on-going and self-sustaining.

Look at Social Venture Partners. See www.svpportland.org. Organization is creating new models for philanthropy and providing opportunities for “returnment.”

But, as a practical matter, very few organizations are preparing themselves for the inevitability of new philanthropy. Lack of resources (i.e., time) is the primary culprit. The good news: You can get ahead of the curve. You need to know where the curve is heading, though.

Here's what I mean...

Information is moving from static to dynamic. Examples: Newspapers and websites are static. Weblogs are dynamic. Television programming today is static. Interactive television is dynamic. Webtrends data is static. IKnoodle is dymanic.

Let’s talk about www.iKnoodle.com below…

Grant-making organizations are stuck in the 19th century. They don’t have the answers to meet the growing need swiftly enough. Governments will remain under increasing pressure to cut taxes and reduce support for organizations who do not demonstrate a clear return-on-investment. Measurement of everything is de rigeur in this world due to advances in measurement techniques as a result of technology explosion. Business is having to take up the slack as a result of government cut backs and bureacratic red tape by foundations.. The grant submission process is an old paradigm. Partnerships with businesses is the new paradigm. But, many businesses don’t know what to do either.

The drive to measure outcomes is going to get more demanding. Information technologies are creating an unending interest in analytics. Business – your new partner – is completely driven by analytics. See where this is heading?

Commercials are dying. Newspapers are continuing their decades-long slide. It’s not about commercials anymore, it’s about commerce. Tivo, satellite radio, podcasts, etc. are killing the old advertising industry. Imagine a world where you can’t get your message out through traditional broadcast channels. How are you going to tell the world what you need or what you do? You are going to have to build your own networks. Which means you are going to have to be a trusted source of information.

Marshall McLuhan’s theories are being sorely tested. The message is equally as influential as the medium due to the ability to provide feedback instantly. This trend is accelerating.

Everyone can conduct a survey. Let’s face it, we are as a species survey crazy. We love polls and can’t get enough of them. But, poll data is no substitute for real leadership and never will be. You must resist the urge to poll too often.

iKnoodle.

A technology in which I am particularly interested.

Their goal: use technology to support communities; enable non-profits to meet an audience that might not be able to write a big check, but does want to help.

iKnoodle partners with non-profits and splits the revenues 50/50.

Go to www.iKnoodle.com to download the browser tool.

Go to www.morrisonkids.org to see how it works.

It’s a virtual coupon book. Not so enamored of the restaurant deals. But, do like the links to national retailers like Macy’s, Office Depot, Discovery Store, Powell’s Books, Best Buy, Dockers, Blockbuster, Dell, etc.

Provides the non-profit with a private-label (branded) Internet Explorer web browser tool bar. The non-profit still has to market the toolbar to its membership base. But, it creates a passive revenue stream for the non-profit.

Potential to, on average, drive $100 per year, per member, back to the non-profit.

See also, www.upromise.com for an example of what larger companies are doing.

How a whale found its way into my living room...

2005-12-09T18:41:00.000-08:00

Some people might find this story a little fishy. But, I did have a whale in my living room. It was a small one, so little damage was done. But, it was a mean one. About 2.5 feet high, with very large eyes and a huge mouth. Strangely enough it also had brown hair. This whale also spoke.
She said her name was "Steele a whale."
"Steele a whale?"
"Yes. Steele a whale."
"I see. And what kind of whale are you?"
"A pink one."
"Terrific," I responded. "I have always wanted a pink whale in my living room. Do you do anything besides terrorize the residents here?"
"Hmmm. Yes," the whale said sharply.
"Like what?"
"I make cookies."
"Excellent. May I have some?"
"Yes."
And so the whale proceeded to reach into her imaginary bag and hand me what looked to be a piece of almost invisible fluff. A big smile arching across her face.
"Here you go."
I smiled back.
"May I have another."
"Um, no. I think you've had enough," the whale chided.
"I guess I need another cookie -- real or imagined -- like I need a hole in my head," I said to myself.
And with that, the whale tip-toed out of the room to find another straight man.