Our job is to create memorable brand personas.
The below sampling represents the end-result of a considerable amount of time and effort to ensure that all aspects of visual and written content connect and invites a response.​
Our job is to create memorable brand personas.
The below sampling represents the end-result of a considerable amount of time and effort to ensure that all aspects of visual and written content connect and invites a response.​
Our job is to create memorable brand personas.
The below sampling represents the end-result of a considerable amount of time and effort to ensure that all aspects of visual and written content connect and invites a response.​
Case Studies
The proof of our value is in the results we produce for our clients. Below are a few case studies of work we planned and created for our clients. Each assignment is uniquf, with thoughtful planning, using media target audiences, products, services, and goals.
Promoting a museum and an American Icon
Overview: American Airlines aimed to promote the C.R. Smith Flight Museum through an ongoing conversation series highlighting world-renowned celebrities. The series’ inaugural event focused on an American aviation icon, General Chuck Yeager.
“The secret of my success is that I always managed to live to fly another day.”
— General Charles “Chuck” Yeager
Client: American Airlines
Assignment: Promote the C.R. Smith Flight Museum through an ongoing conversation series
Space: Event marketing and promotion
Target: Friends of American Airlines, notable business, and community leaders
Scope: Creation of printed and online communications designed to build awareness and motivate people to attend ongoing conversation series events
Business Goal: To introduce the American Airlines Flying First Class Conversation Series and increase revenue through private donations and corporate sponsorships, benefiting the C.R. Smith Museum.
Recommendation: Create a marketing plan focusing on the appeal of guest speakers who have achieved high celebrity status. Promote the personality of each guest speaker and the notable career accomplishments that they have made.
Solution: Plan and establish a marketable brand for the event and market the event series to targeted individuals and area corporations.
Strategy/Tactics/Media:
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Situational analysis
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Target audience profile
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Brand and identity look and feel
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Key messages and consistent communications
Media: Printed and electronic communications and event signage
Results: The inaugural event achieved its attendance goals. Brand and identity communications significantly project a professional and current image to the target audience. The event was attended by 78% of the people that were invited.
Creating awareness
Overview: Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) asked us to create branded communications to promote their Employee Pass (ePass). The ads were to be displayed within DART buses, light rail, and stop locations. With limited exposure, we created a mix of colorful, trendy pop images with fun messages to capture the attention of DART commuters. The campaign connected with commuters. The program grew by 38 percent, with more corporations adopting the program and over thirty percent new commuters added.
Serving-Up Profit
Overview: “The DB2 ‘Serving-Up Profit’ campaign far exceeded any previous campaign our team has ever done. It captured an outstanding 55.2% response in the Americas and achieved an impressive 21% overall response rate. The campaign attributed to millions in new revenue.”
Marisa de Peralta – IBM Worldwide Channels Campaign Manager
Client: International Business Machines (IBM)
Assignment: Create a direct marketing campaign design to motivate new revenue
Space: Business Software
Target: Business partner resellers
Scope: Create and distribute printed and online communications
Business Goal: To raise awareness of the business opportunities in selling DB2 software across all targeted IBM Business Partner audiences, to recognize and reward top sellers, and to motivate into action those not selling DB2.
Recommendation: Created a hybrid marketing campaign that combined three-dimensional direct mail with customized HTML e-mails designed to reinforce the message and drive responses through a specific Web microsite. The campaign theme, “Serving Up Profit,” used restaurant menu creative and copy, along with the call to action to visit the microsite, learn more about DB2, and invite a client to dinner.
Solution: Produced a worldwide marketing campaign that captured the attention of IBM Business Partners by cutting through the clutter of promotional materials and communicating the benefits of adding DB2 to their solution portfolio.
Strategy/Tactics/Media:
Printed and online marketing:
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Three customized direct mail pieces
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Three customized HTML e-mails for each group
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Personalized cover letter
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Web microsite landing page
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Digital presentation
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Response/registration form
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Database review microsite
Special Offer: A $100 American Express gift cheque for group one, a $50 American Express gift cheque for group two, and a free starter kit and book for group three.
Results: The IBM DB2 campaign achieved an impressive 21% overall response rate determined by tracking registrations on the Web microsite. Group one response was 38.4%, group two was 18.6%, and group three was 6.1%. Results were also tracked geographically, with 55.2% of responses coming from the Americas, 39.7% from Europe/the Middle East/Africa, and 5.1% from the Asia Pacific.
Results: The IBM DB2 campaign achieved an impressive 21% overall response rate determined by tracking registrations on the Web microsite. Group one response was 38.4%, group two was 18.6%, and group three was 6.1%. Results were also tracked geographically, with 55.2% of responses coming from the Americas, 39.7% from Europe/the Middle East/Africa, and 5.1% from the Asia Pacific.
Building Public Awareness
Overview: Continue raising public awareness of the need to conserve Dallas’s water resources. Upon embarking on a two-year assignment for Dallas Water Utilities, we were tasked with increasing Dallas-area public awareness of the need to conserve water. Promoting indoor- and outdoor-oriented household water conservation tips through various media resulted in 65% unaided recall of advertising and 69% overall behavior change, compared with 51% recall and 53% behavior change the year before.
The beginning of Year Two of the assignment brought an even greater purpose to our advertising efforts – continue to raise public awareness of the need to conserve water, especially as Dallas had been experiencing the most significant drought since the 1950s.
The more urgent need to get the water conservation message out to the general public meant utilizing a different creative approach. Since the use of household water-saving tips proved successful in changing behavior, we continued to promote the message of the tips in multiple languages. The tips are emphasized in the creative through large type popping against backgrounds of vibrantly colored graphic illustrations. Each original layout supported the three indoor and three outdoor water-saving tips by reminding the audience of the increased importance of conserving water during drought conditions and directing the audience to an online destination to find more information about ways to save further. We applied the new creative to various forms of advertising, including newspaper print, radio, television, outdoor billboard, transit, and online.
Client: City of Dallas, Dallas Water Utilities
Assignment: Public awareness of the benefits associated with water conservation
Space: Resource conservation
Target: General English-speaking Population and Targeted Ethnic Populations: Hispanic, African-American, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese of the City of Dallas (adults and children)
Scope: Creation to response measurement for an integrated public awareness campaign
Business Goal: Continue to raise public awareness of the need to conserve water in general, especially Dallas’ water resources, while experiencing the most significant drought in the area since the 1950s.
Recommendation: After achieving a 65% advertising recall rate and a 69% overall change in behavior during Year One of our assignment, compared to a 51% recall rate and 53% behavior change the year before, we recommended continuing the successful approach of promoting household water conservation tips through various forms of advertising. To continue improving advertising recall and behavior changes, we created more of a vibrant, graphic look for the visual advertising used the prior year.
Solution: Produced an integrated advertising campaign utilizing multiple forms of media (print, radio, television, outdoor, transit, and Internet) to reach as much of Dallas’ population as possible in multiple languages.
Strategy/Tactics/Media:
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Create communications in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean
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Media research, planning, and buying
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Focus group testing
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Print advertising placements in The Dallas Morning News and a variety of ethnically-targeted community newspapers
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Radio traffic sponsorship spots, 10 -:15 (English and Spanish languages)
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DFW-area television broadcast affiliate advertising (English and Spanish languages)
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DFW-area cable television advertising (English language)
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Outdoor billboard advertising (English and Spanish languages)
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Transit advertising (English and Spanish languages)
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Internet digital advertising on major local news websites
Results: The approach of promoting indoor- and outdoor-oriented household water conservation tips through various media resulted in 65% unaided recall of advertising and 69% overall behavior change, compared with 51% recall and 53% behavior change the year before.
Creativity – Account Pitch
Overview:
Haynes and Boone needed a new advertising and marketing campaign to promote their Dallas, Texas roots and their commitment and support of Texas and its people and businesses communities. With Dallas being considered one of the nation's top business markets, Haynes and Boone recognized large northeastern and mid-west law firms began opening offices in Dallas with aspirations to prospect and compete for the many business opportunities.
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Our concepts represent the creativity behind an account pitch. S2 responded to Haynes and Boone's Request For Proposal (RFP) and presented our strategy and concepts. The campaign we designed was intended to create top-of-mind awareness and reinforce the firm's presence as the preeminent law firm in the city of Dallas and the southwest. We planned to leverage not only who Haynes and Boone are today but also the history of the community in which the firm was founded.
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Client: Haynes and Boone, LLP
Assignment: Create a branded theme and multi-part advertising campaign
Space: Corporate law
Target: Corporate counsel and top business executives of Fortune 1000 and large companies
Scope: Brand awareness and lead generation
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Strategy: Our creative strategy emphasized Haynes & Boone's identity as a historic Dallas law firm, positioning the firm uniquely against its competitors and leveraging current brand standards. In addition, we focused on three key components inherent to DFW and Haynes & Boone – stability of character, longevity from performance, and growth through excellence.
Recommendations: Analyze and evaluate advertising media opportunities. Create a series of advertisements focusing on the firm's key practices. For example, creating a promotional video with the campaign themed applied, digital and social media communications, targeted emails, (ads and posts) LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.
Integrated Acquisition Communications
Overview:
After achieving its acquisition goals, Nashville, Tennesee-based Celero Commerce hired S2.
Celero spent two years acquiring businesses to strengthen its core business as one of the nation's top transaction payment processors. The acquisitions grew Celero exponentially and changed the completion of the company. In addition, Celero hired S2 to produce an internal and external communications campaign that promoted Celero to a more unified and robust company with more people, resources, and capabilities.
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Client: Celero Commerce
Assignment: Internal and external communications campaign
Disciplines: Strategic Planning, Message/Content Creation, Business-to-Business, Branding, and Digital Communications.
Space: Transaction processing/digital transactions
Target: Internal and external audiences
Business Goal: Promote and communicate the unification of multiple companies merged into one.
Solution: Create and deploy digital direct and social media communications.
Result: The We Are One campaign successfully communicated key messages to internal and external audiences.
From Unkown to a #1 Ranking
Overview: Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management, hired us with one goal in mind: build a brand that would turn an unknown school into a world-renowned university. We helped the university achieve its goals. The school went from being unranked to receiving a #1 ranking in International Business Management by U.S. News & World Report, BusinessWeek, and The Wall Street Journal.
Guide to America’s Top Business Schools: “Anyone seriously interested in international business cannot fail to consider attending this school for a master's in business.”
BusinessWeek Magazine
Client: Thunderbird University, The American Graduate School of International Management
Assignment: Redefine Thunderbird as the premier school for global management education
Space: Graduate education in International Management Studies
Target: Prospective students, public and private sector funding sources, and government grants
Scope: Global marketing program and brand awareness campaign to increase student recruitment, improve public relations with the U.S. and selected foreign-based corporations, and advance relationships with appropriate Washington agencies.
Business Goal: Communicate Thunderbird’s advantage over traditional M.B.A. programs by highlighting the connection between the needs of global business development and comprehensive educational programs like those offered by Thunderbird.
Recommendation: Initiate a global advertising/brand awareness program using world-class publications. Contact a Washington lobby group to open doors to appropriate granting agencies. Prepare a plan to make personal visits to U.S. corporations for funding.
Solution: Initiate a deliberate and robust advertising message to differentiate the M.I.M. from the M.B.A. and better define the advantages of the M.I.M. for the students interested in international management and international institutions looking to hire them. Advantages include:
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Thunderbird is the oldest and largest graduate school of international experience, with 50 years in global education.
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More than 9,000 companies in the 50 U.S. states and 133 countries employ 25,000 Thunderbird graduates in management positions.
Approach:
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Research to determine brand awareness before the campaign launch
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Target market analysis
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Develop advertising messages focused on a three-tier marketing approach
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Fine-tune marketing/advertising campaign based on the first-year results of brand awareness and student recruitment
Strategy/Tactics/Media:
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U.S. News & World Report
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BusinessWeek
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The Economist
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Far Eastern Economic Review
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Visíon
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Visão
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Washington Post
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The Wall Street Journal
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World Trade Magazine
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New York Times
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Forbes
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Fortune/Europe
Result: Thunderbird became AACSB accredited and eligible to be ranked among all accredited business schools. The U.S. Department of Commerce awarded Thunderbird a $2 million grant to establish The American Business Centers in Russia. U.S. News & World Report and BusinessWeek ranked Thunderbird #1 for international business education.
Achieving Causeworthy
Client: The Last Well
Industry: Nonprofit
Assignment: Branding, Public, and Media Relations supportive of fundraising efforts
Business Goal: Fundraising efforts to reach $2,290,000 in donations, provide 500,000 Liberians with safe drinking water, and save 25,000 lives in the process.
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Question: What is one of the greatest needs in the world today?
Answer: Access to clean and safe water.
Question: Where is one of the most challenging places in the world today without clean and safe water?
Answer: Liberia, Africa.
Overview: Since the organization's inception, The Last Well has provided more than 1.7 million Liberians with access to safe drinking water through more than 5,759 projects completed in the country thus far. The group needed to reach approximately 800,000 more Liberians in about 4,000 communities to finish their mission. When The Last Well began work in 2008, more than 50 percent of Liberia lacked access to safe drinking water. Today, that number is less than 20 percent – but those people need life-saving water. The Last Well has raised more than $25 million toward its goal.
HOPE FLOATS is a humanitarian relief fundraising effort conceived by Todd Phillips, Founder, and President, with the goal is to raise funds needed to continue to introduce freshwater wells to provide clean water and send messages of peace through the words of the gospel to the people in Liberia Africa.
Why Liberia?
Worldwide, roughly 748 million people lack access to clean drinking water. That’s over twice the population of the U.S. using dirty, disease-filled water for cooking, cleaning, drinking, washing, and more. Nearly half of those in need are in sub-Saharan Africa, where Liberia is located. Almost one million of those living in Liberia. As a result, tens of thousands worldwide die every year from preventable, water-related diseases. Sadly, children are the most vulnerable to unsafe drinking water and sanitation problems. Of the tens of thousands who die yearly, up to 90% are children under five.
Todd and The Last Well team decided to take bold steps to raise awareness of Liberia’s critical need for clean water and to raise in-kind donations needed to solve the country’s issue. Todd planned to place himself on a floating barge off the shore of The Harbor on the waters of Lake Ray Hubbard, committing to not leaving the barge until they meet their fundraising goals. The funds raised will be used to install wells to provide access to clean water for the entire nation of Liberia by 2020.
Results: After living on a wooden barge on Lake Ray Hubbard for almost a month, the promotional fundraising event achieved its goal of raising $2,290,000: By reaching its goal, Hope Floats safe water Initiative will reach 500,000 Liberians with safe drinking water and save 25,000 lives in the process!
Extending Brand – Through Advertising
Overview: Verizon Directories and Idearc Media, the official publisher of Verizon Directories, looked to us to produce advertising and other communications to support both the Idearc Media and Verizon Yellow Pages brands. The challenge was to create an integrated communications program that would provide Idearc marketing managers with flexible advertising options that could be used and customized to suit their marketing needs and conditions across 31 U.S. markets while presenting a consistent brand image.
Client: Verizon Directories and Idearc Media
Assignment: Create radio and outdoor/billboard and sports-related advertising campaigns
Space: Yellow Page/Phone Book Directories
Target: Consumers and businesses that advertise within the Verizon Yellow Pages
Scope: Creation of radio and outdoor/billboard advertising campaigns designed to build Idearc Media’s brand and promote awareness of the Verizon phone book directories within 31 U.S. markets.
Business Goals: As the official publisher of Verizon Directories, Idearc Media needed to accomplish three goals:
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Provide Idearc marketing managers with the flexibility to select advertisements and other communications that best suit their needs within the markets they support
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To continue to build and maintain market awareness of the Verizon-branded phone book to advertisers that place ads in the Yellow Pages.
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To raise the awareness level of Idearc Media’s newly formed brand.
Recommendation: Create a brandable umbrella theme to be consistently applied to the advertising campaign and media options.
Solution: Since Verizon and Idearc’s marketing managers are spread out within 31 U.S. markets, we created a centralized and online destination where marketing managers could review all the communication options available. The site also provided an online form allowing the marketing managers to select the communications they were interested in using. Once the marketing manager submitted the online form, Idearc corporate marketing, and our representatives were notified and sent the requested communications. The Communication Support Site delivered:
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A campaign overview and description of how best to utilize an integrated advertising approach
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Visuals of outdoor advertising options
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The ability to see and hear Idearc video and radio advertising commercials
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Visuals of Web-based and transit advertising
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Written descriptions of community-related marketing programs
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The ability to request marketing support communications
Strategy/Tactics/Media:
These options were also made available in different forms of media, including:
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Billboard (Outdoor OOH
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Radio
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Transit
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Print
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Internet
Results: Idearc Media successfully planned and implemented the advertising and communications program. Through careful planning, we were able to achieve the company’s goals of producing a flexible campaign approach that supported both the Verizon Yellow Pages brands. All communications were made accessible 24/7 through the use of the Internet. Over the campaign, advertising sales increased by 23 percent within the markets we supported.
Introducing Hot Sauce to Mexico
Overview: A success story of how Pace capitalized on the opportunity to market its product to Mexico’s consumers and introduce its brand into Mexico, which captured 22% market share within six months, becoming Mexico’s brand leader.
Client: Pace Foods
Assignment: Product introduction to Mexico
Space: Consumer products
Target: Female consumers
Scope: National brand introduction, planning, and implementation of an integrated brand communications program
“The Pace Picante success story in Mexico equals bringing coals to Newcastle.”
BusinessWeek Magazine
Business Goal: Introduce Pace Picante Sauce produced in the United States to a market where salsa Picante is an everyday staple and indigenous to the country’s culinary heritage.
Recommendation: Craft a three-phase marketing plan with a focus first on the test market city of Monterrey. Design an advertising campaign consisting of television, print, and collateral materials, including a recipe booklet. Initiate a public relations campaign and identify community involvement programs to influence the "hearts and minds" of our target audience.
Solution: Based on the positive results of our marketing analysis and focus groups, develop a "slice of life" advertising campaign. Additionally, spearhead a series of public relations and community involvement programs detailing the benefits of the Pace Picante Sauce product line.
Strategy:
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Situational analysis/market research
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Target market profile
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Three-phase product introduction advertising campaign and public relations/community involvement programs
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Long-term account planning and implementation
Strategy/Tactics/Media:
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Televisa – regional and national daypart soaps/food/homemaking programs
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BUENHOGAR - homemaker magazine
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Cocina Fácil – cooking recipes and suggestions
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Contenido – Reader’s Digest type magazine
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Saludable – focuses on health and diet
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Selecciones – Reader’s Digest in Spanish
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TV Tele-Guía – TV guide in Spanish
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VANIDADES – fashion, beauty, cooking, short stories magazine
Results: Based on capturing a 22% market share in a period of six months in Monterrey, our planned second phase rollout to the city of Guadalajara was initiated and netted similar positive results in Guadalajara; our third and final phase was a national rollout that made Pace Picante Sauce became Mexico’s brand leader.
Marketing Security Through Insecurity
Overview: What strikes fear in the hearts of IT network managers and CIOs of corporations? The insecurity and certainty of knowing their company’s most sensitive information could be vulnerable to a world full of hungry network predators hell-bent on hacking into their system. The common question: Is our company’s data secure?
Client: Electronic Data Systems
Assignment: Deliver EDS’ Hosting Service offering and value proposition to executive-level audiences
Space: Business-to-business: Managed IT services
Target: CIOs and CTOs of Fortune 1000 companies
Scope: Targeted electronic and printed communications
Business Goal: Convince corporate buyers of managed IT services to switch to EDS Hosting Services. Extend the EDS corporate brand.
Recommendation: Our team created a highly-targeted direct marketing communications program, positioning EDS as the best choice for IT executives to switch from their existing hosting service provider. Communicate to prospects by asking them if their network is secure from “hungry predators.” EDS is their best option for secure hosting solutions, with over 40 years of experience managing information. Providing prospects with a no-hassle-free switch if they choose EDS as their hosting service provider.
Solution: Deliver targeted direct marketing through a visually appealing 3D graphics solution and content.
Strategy:
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Strategic planning
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Database management
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Plan and execute an integrated communication program
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Maintain and extend EDS’ global branding efforts
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Plan and implement targeted direct marketing, sales promotion, and lead generation program
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Deliver effective communications aimed at decision makers of IT network services within Fortune 1000 companies
Tactics/Media:
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Printed communications
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A photosensitive sound chip that played the “JAWS” music theme when activated
Results: “The JAWS campaign resulted in a significant lead generation. The targeted approach, messages, and graphics delivery of the communications program gave our sales force the edge they needed to open the doors and obtain the face-to-face meetings they needed to get closer to making a sale.”
Chip Rosales – Marketing Director, EDS Hosting Services
Brand Refresh – Transform and Revolutionize.
Overview: As the most prominent group purchasing organization (GPO) in the United States, MedAssets wanted us to create a theme to play their brand across diverse media and environments.
Client: MedAssets
Assignment: Theme and advertising campaign creation
Space: Group purchasing organization
Target: Business-to-business: Healthcare and supply chain industry
Scope: Brand refresh
Business Goal: To create a communications theme to be integrated across all branded communications.
Recommendation: Create a campaign theme used to describe the value MedAssets creates as an organization and the healthcare industry, and apply the idea to printed and digital advertising three-part advertising series
Solution: create, produce, launch and measure the effects the advertising campaign had on creating broader awareness, measured by website traffic, sales leads, and revenue generated. The creation of the theme: Accelerate. Transform. Revolutionize.
Strategy:
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Research competitive brand positioning and communications
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Interview company leaders and customers
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Develop key messages supporting MedAsset's position as the industry's thought leader.
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Plan and implement an integrated brand communications program that will support image perception, marketing, and sales efforts
Tactics/Media:
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Branded theme creation
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Printed and digital advertising campaign
Internal application of theme and design approach:
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Printed collateral
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Industry tradeshows
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Direct marketing communications
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Printed and digital selling tools
Results: The theme we created was well received by MedAsset's existing and prospective clients. Our creative approach was applied nationally across their six regional office locations. The website traffic of unique visitors and click-through rates increase to a monthly average of 38%. We increased overall revenue by 6% over the campaign's duration.
Brand Differentiation by Design
Overview: Tyler Technologies is a world leader in Municipal Court management systems. Odyssey, the company’s new software product, had been completely redesigned in preparation for launching at an essential national tradeshow focused on court technology. Tyler wanted a new brand direction for Odyssey – something different and compelling enough to attract the target audience of court technologists.
Client: Tyler Technologies
Assignment: Re-brand the company
Space: Case management software
Target: Business-to-business: C-level IT executives working for city and state government
Scope: Brand creation, planning, and Implementation of an integrated brand communications program
Business Goal: To create an integrated brand approach for Tyler Technologies and Odyssey.
Recommendation: Showcase the difference between the redesigned Odyssey. To capture a sense of movement and change, we created a brightly colored abstract design and a new tagline, “Moving Forward.” The creation of this tagline predated Toyota’s adoption and wide use of the same “Moving Forward” tagline.
Solution: Create a brand direction far different from all competitors, free from the worn-out icons: gavels, scales of justice, etc., overused by competitors.
Strategy:
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Research competitive brand positioning and communications
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Interview company leaders and customers
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Develop key messages that would support a timeless brand
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Plan and implement an integrated brand communications program that will support image perception, marketing, and sales efforts
Tactics/Media:
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Printed and online communications
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Printed collateral
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Industry tradeshows
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Internet-based communications
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Direct marketing communications
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Printed and electronic selling tools
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Digital presentations
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HTML email
Results: Increased sales leads that led to the closing of several multi-million dollar deals were attributed to the re-branding efforts for Tyler Technologies and the launch of Odyssey.
“Our re-branding efforts for Tyler and the launch of Odyssey were hugely successful! The ‘Moving Forward’ campaign made an enormous impression in our industry. Our expectations were exceeded across the board. Our sales team has generated significant leads and closed several multi-million dollar deals”.
Brian Miller – Director of Marketing and Sales, Tyler Technologies