 Werth Expands into “Second City”July 29th, 2010
Paul Werth Associates is bringing its senior-level consulting and integrated marketing communications services to the “Second City” — Chicago. Senior Vice President and Chicago insider David O’Dowd heads up the new office, located in the world’s largest commercial building and Chicago landmark, 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza. “We are very excited about our continued growth and the addition of our Chicago office,” says Sandra Harbrecht, President and CEO. “We are seeing strong demand for our results-oriented communications in this vibrant market and plan to build on our strong ties and relationships within the business community to further expand our services and client roster.” Harbrecht plans to make monthly visits to the new office to meet with clients and prospects. In Chicago as in Columbus, Werth provides a full range of communications services to drive client success:
We welcome visitors to our new office! Call or e-mail David O’Dowd at dodowd@paulwerth.com or 312-297-1416 or Sandy Harbrecht swh@paulwerth.com or 614-224-8114. Werth Designs Featured in LogoLounge Master SeriesJuly 29th, 2010 A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a great logo can be worth thousands … or even millions … of dollars as the visual embodiment and “face” of a brand. Classic examples are the Nike swooshes, the swirling red font of Coca-Cola and the stalwart blue initials of IBM. Werth’s logos not only help clients stand out in a cluttered communications landscape, but they’ve also been recognized for industry excellence. Three logos Werth designed will be published in the LogoLounge Master Library Series, Volume 3, Shapes & Symbols, which features exemplary logo design work from around the world. This volume of the LogoLounge Master Library won’t be available until 2011, but we’re happy to give you a sneak peek, along with our analysis of why these logos stand out.
An elegant logo design may appear deceptively simple. However, effective design requires a multi-layered discovery and development process involving several prototype designs and refinements. At every stage, logos are evaluated for their ability to meet several goals: 1. Clearly identify the company and express its vision These three logos were developed for Columbus-based technology companies that needed new identities to help them stand out from their competitors. These are all combination marks with icons and type treatments that are clean and scalable for the Web. The icons are interesting shapes that can stand alone, while the integrated text is clean and contemporary. Infosaic Technologies is a full-scale Windows Web hosting and applications development company. Initially developed in a single dimension, the logo evolved into a three-dimensional design that delivers greater impact. The type and color choices push the contemporary feeling. Best Light Video is a video production house that helps brands develop their online video presence. This more abstract mark takes its influence from the visible light spectrum. From Web to print to video, this logo needed to be adaptable to multiple platforms and has been translated into several variations. Capital City Radio is an online radio station streaming out an eclectic mix of news, music and original programming. Through the discovery process, we learned the station wanted to focus heavily its Ohio location. As a result, we developed a representational mark, playfully using sound equalization levels to create the state of Ohio. The accompanying text is concise and provides supplemental clarity. Contact Chief Creative Officer Ken Waldron at 614-224-8114 or kwaldron@paulwerth.com for a consultation about effective logo design for your organization.
You can dance if you want to …July 29th, 2010 But you’ll leave your friends behind.This month the National Safe Boating Council kicked off a unique campaign to promote life jacket awareness. The ‘80’s hit song “Safety Dance” was used in a video featuring a young man and woman who appear to be dancing. This “dance” is a metaphor for what they would look like if they were under water without a life jacket struggling to survive. In the end our subjects don a safety jacket and float safely to the surface and off the screen. The campaign was just recognized by the United States Coast Guard and the United States Department of Homeland Security for outstanding work in the area of Marine Safety.
In the end, you are encouraged to forward “The Life Jacket Safety Dance” link to friends for a chance to win a Flip MinoHD™ camcorder, with the ultimate goal of spreading the word to as many people as possible about the benefits of wearing a life jacket. The contest caps off Werth’s second successful year of managing the National Safe Boating Week, Inflatable Life Jacket World Record Day and “Wear It!”campaigns for the National Safe Boating Council. Werth began national media outreach in February, targeting local media that reach active boaters. To date, the campaign has placed 455 articles and online media hits, reaching a potential audience of more than 106 million. Highlights include:
TV Meets the InternetJune 7th, 2010 Opening up closed channels gets the creative juices flowing. And Google TV will make it happen, according to The Official Google Blog: “Google TV is a new experience for television that combines the TV that you already know with the freedom and power of the Internet. With Google Chrome built in, you can access all of your favorite websites and easily move between television and the web. This opens up your TV from a few hundred channels to millions of channels of entertainment across TV and the web. Your television is also no longer confined to showing just video. With the entire Internet in your living room, your TV becomes more than a TV — it can be a photo slideshow viewer, a gaming console, a music player and much more.” You will no longer need to imagine a world where you turn on the TV and content is displayed based on your preferences. This is now a place where YouTube, network and cable TV converge, and your website can stream all of them with user-generated comments — in real time! This announcement got me excited about the possibilities for advertising and content. No doubt that Google will incorporate AdWords, but this will bring interesting ways to distribute brand content. Integrating the Web browser into TV will further user control on how to find, interact with and share content. As the Internet continues to open up traditionally closed media and channels become more integrated, marketers will need to enhance their strategic approach. Telling a brand’s story that engages an audience will continue to get more complex — because we are creating the medium and the message. What about your marketing approach today? Is your brand positioned to embrace the convergence of a digital world? What possibilities do you see in the new TV? Video and Kinetic Type Transform Your MessageApril 29th, 2010 I don’t know about you, but I can’t watch CNN without reading the scroll at the bottom of the screen. I’ll listen to what’s being said, but for some reason, I can’t stop focusing on that scroll. Why? First, people just love to read headlines. I admit, I’m not a huge fan of reading books, my attention span just won’t let me last that long. But put a magazine in front of me or e-mail me a quick news link, and most likely, I’m gonna read it. Second, people are naturally visual. They like to look at something and create their own story in their head. Everyone has a story, or at least likes to imagine one. That’s why kinetic type is the new “it thing” in advertising. We use type to illustrate a script, create cool motion graphics and literally bring the words to life. The moving type creates energy and excitement, and with all that, who wouldn’t want to buy the product? Here’s an example we just released: Ohio Industries, Grow Your Future The other benefit is that the message is being delivered in two, sometimes three ways at the same time. The graphics are spelling out the script word-for-word, and the words are animating to represent their meaning. Sometimes, a voice-over reads the entire script. Talk about hitting you over the head. The message is undoubtedly being delivered — loud and clear. The kinetic approach is really taking off. You see it everywhere. There’s some good, some great and some…not so great. In cases of the “not so great,” the creators really lacked a creative direction. With technology at our fingertips, and stock imagery and footage so readily available, sometimes creativy is dictated by what’s available out there on the Web, and not by what should ultimately be custom-created specifically to deliver the appropriate message in a style that is consistent throughout the entire piece to hold it together. Even though kinetic is a new approach to delivering brand messages, it still needs to be true to brand standards. Today advertisers are looking for cost-effective ways of delivering messages as quickly and precisely as possible. Kinetic is one answer to that question. Couple kinetic with viral video, and you’ve got yourself a campaign. Werth has a talented team of creative professionals on staff, specializing in motion graphics, editing, shooting and delivering your advertising message on time and on budget. We understand how to deliver strategic branding and can help to determine whether kinetic is the best tool to help you get there. Give me a call at 614.224.8114 or e-mail me at kwaldron@paulwerth.com, and let’s talk about your next brand opportunity.
When I Grow Up, I Want to Win an AddyNovember 16th, 2009 It’s that time of year again. Time to look back at the work we’ve done over the past year and see what has Addy award potential. The questions start to swirl: • “Do we have enough to enter?” The last question is interesting. We creatives love to imagine, and sometimes our ideas aren’t right for our current clients. This is a terrific stretch opportunity. I see nothing wrong with developing a great idea and selling it to a prospect — when it’s the right fit. Sometimes, off-the-wall, in-the-moment creativity leads to long-lasting, profitable relationships. A former boss of mine once came up with an idea, called a potential client and said, “I have a great idea that you must hear.” He met the prospect for drink, wrote a tagline on a cocktail napkin, slid it across the table….and a 10-year relationship was born. On the flip side of the coin… there’s nothing better than winning an Addy for an existing client, especially if it’s a concept that resulted in increased sales. Years ago there was an award called “Documented Success.” To me, this was the most important Addy of all. This award recognized great creative, great marketing and the work that created the biggest return on investment. What client wouldn’t want to be part of that award? And then there are the awards won for really good creative, but with little return on investment. Bottom line, these ads failed. Remember: the ultimate goal for advertising is to sell products. If we create something that is a work of art that never sells, we’ll end up being starving artists with a sad reel of unsuccessful work. I’m proud that Werth has a reel of advertising successes with clear return on investment. Want to join me over coffee or drinks to inspire that next great Addy idea that will drive your sales? Give me a call at 614.224.8114, send me an e-mail at kwaldron@paulwerth.com or leave me a comment on this blog post. Huntington Bank ‘Backpack Index’ Helps 14,000 Children Head Back to School Prepared to LearnAugust 28th, 2009 COLUMBUS, Ohio – As part of its annual “Backpack Index,” Huntington National Bank is wrapping up a back-to-school donation program equipping 14,000 children with backpacks and school supplies in the communities it serves. This is the fourth year Paul Werth Associates has supported the Huntington Backpack Index campaign, which compiles annually the approximate costs of required classroom supplies at the elementary, middle and high school grade levels. “Werth is proud to be a partner with Huntington rolling out the Backpack Index every summer,” said Sandra Harbrecht, Werth president and CEO. “It was even more rewarding this year to share the message as Huntington took the program to the next level by supporting families in need in partnership with Big Lots and Meijer. “Huntington has always understood that back-to-school supplies shopping can strain the budgets of families already having difficulty making ends meet,” Harbrecht said. “Werth applauds Huntington’s vision in enhancing the Backpack Index with this generous donation.” Huntington’s donation announcement attracted media recognition throughout the bank’s Midwest service area, with coverage in all of the primary and surrounding Huntington markets: Akron/Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Toledo and Youngstown. Additionally, the cost index appeared in coverage nationwide, including FOX Business’ “Money for Breakfast” program and Bloomberg. Through tracking typical school supplies lists, Huntington has observed a significant increase over the past three years in the cost to send children back to school. Costs have risen 34 percent for elementary school children, from $351 to $472, and 11 percent for high school students, from $894 to $998. Only costs for middle school students have remained relatively stable, at $535. About Paul Werth Associates Paul Werth Associates has previously received nine Silver Anvils, which is the highest level of recognition in the public relations industry. The Silver Anvil Award recognizes complete programs incorporating sound research, planning, execution and evaluation. They must meet the highest standards of performance in the profession. New Werth Vice President featured in ‘Business First’ SpotlightAugust 28th, 2009 COLUMBUS, Ohio – Kristin Mack Deuber, recently promoted at Paul Werth Associates to vice president, shared her background and insights in the Aug. 28 edition of Columbus Business First in the “People on the Move” Spotlight feature. Business First’s Spotlight is a featured Q&A that provokes responses about career decisions and professional trends. “There is a growing need for public relations in all areas of business, so I have always felt the career opportunities in this business are endless,” Mack Deuber wrote. “My day is never the same. I can be helping a client deal with a crisis, developing a social media strategy, scheduling media interviews and planning a grassroots community event – all in the same day.” Mack Deuber cited her best career move as her decision to return back to Paul Werth Associates after a corporate stint in commercial real estate. Her biggest job challenge: “Keeping up with the ever-changing media world.” To read the full profile, click here. About Paul Werth Associates Paul Werth Associates has previously received nine Silver Anvils, which is the highest level of recognition in the public relations industry. The Silver Anvil Award recognizes complete programs incorporating sound research, planning, execution and evaluation. They must meet the highest standards of performance in the profession. |
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