Client Portfolio

ADP sought to understand small business owners to better tailor their product line to this segment. As a subcontractor to Coleman Brandworx, we interviewed small business owners of all kinds about their needs, opinions, and values of small business owners. We also looked at how other big companies marketed to this segment in terms of visuals, programs, messaging, and media.

Amanda Strauss & Associates is an interior design company with a unique clientele with unusual needs: professional athletes who are household names. We repositioned the company around this special market niche. The company relies almost exclusively on word of mouth and needed communications that would speak to the athletes themselves, as well as the complex network of people around them including agents, money managers, moms, wives, girlfriends and friends. We created an information architecture and then developed communications that would help define the company and also engage and facilitate a deepening, long term relationship with each client. Our work included the development of an overarching information architecture, copy for brochures, the Web site, blog and other communications, and a video testimonial.

Browning Creek is a new lakeside residential community outside the college town of Starkville, home to Mississippi State University. The community has rich cultural choices, a sports heritage, and natural beauty. We wrote the promotional copy targeted to attracting community leaders, local executives, and retirees to invest in the area.

Chevron knew they had the opportunity to boost profitability if they could get people who pay at the pump to come into the store to buy something. As a subcontractor to CBX, we conducted qualitative field market research into the purchase drivers of pay-at-the-pump customers, taping video interviews of customers and their reactions.

Chicago Induction was a company at a crossroads. A new generation was taking up leadership of the family firm and they wanted to modernize the brand and refocus the company for growth and innovation. We repositioned company around a unique strength, its ability to creatively tailor industrial processes for highly efficient, high quality results. We updated the logo, created a visual system, and wrote and redesigned both the Chicago Induction website , marketing materials including the corporate brochure, and stationery.

Disney Live! Was experimenting with a new traveling show. During previews, we, as subcontractors to Coleman Brandworx, attended some of the early shows to do qualitative field market research using video. We talked to guests as they were coming into the show about their expectations and reasons for coming to the show. We interviewed them at intermission and then again at the end of the show to get detailed feedback about the story, characters, staging and overall experience.

We helped Edison Group, a technology analysis and business consulting firm, write and edit a product test and analysis document covering Novell’s Virtualization Management Solutions. Our goal was to transform the technology writing into language that was more clear and less jargon-filled–ultimately making the document more accessible and useful to executives and decision makers.

The European Space Agency was launching a new global positioning service called EGNOS. One of the important new applications of this technology is high-precision agriculture. We researched the new features and functions of the service and wrote brochure copy targeting the agricultural community in Europe.

Flexible Informatics needed a new name for its flagship medical reporting software that could more effectively compete in a crowded market and that would support expanding products and features in the future. We renamed the medical information and management reporting software as EncaptureMD. In preparation for the launch of the new name, we wrote web and brochure copy.

Four Points Technology is growing beyond its beginnings as a service disabled veteran owned small business into a real contender in the IT services contracting industry. In preparation for a Web site redesign, we researched competitive companies to better understand how they go to market, both in terms of messaging and visuals. We made recommendations for a redesigned identity and wrote the copy for the new (not yet launched) Web site.

During our long-standing relationship with this agency, we have developed names and slogans for over 40 companies including restaurants, retailers, fashion and clothing designers, business services companies, technology firms, and non-profits.

As a subcontractor, we have provided extensive brand strategy and copy writing support to this leading international brand identity agency.

Designed logo and identity for professional indoor soccer team. The logo was inspired to create colors with powerful contrast and memorability so that the team could be more strongly merchandised. Research included reviewing gladiator armaments and soccer teams all over the world. The use of the “Gladium” or specific gladiator short sword will also play into merchandising. The design is intended to be vibrant without being over complicated so that it is readily recognized.

Integration Technologies competes in a crowded category of government technology contractors that includes giants such as Lockheed Martin, EDS and Unisys. They needed to present themselves in a way that would give them stature within this competitive set. We conducted extensive competitive market research including a comparative analysis of copy and design used by competing companies. We positioned the company around the concept of “uncompromising performance” and rewrote the Web copy, brochure copy, press releases, sell sheets and more to better convey the performance story.

Interpublic Group turned to us to name a new agency that unites hyper local marketing intelligence with proprietary technology to unlock the power of precision marketing to pinpoint reach. We conducted a broad name concept exploration, used our proprietary evaluation methods, and delivered a name that is on strategy and has a clear domain name Geomentum.

Jamba Juice was looking for ways to drive traffic to their stores and be more visibly active in local communities. We created promotional programs and materials that individual franchise owners can customize and use for local promotions.

As a subcontractor to Coleman Brandworx, we managed identity creation and contributed to brand strategy for the Johnson & Johnson’s sponsorship of the Tornio Winter Olympic Games and the Beijing Olympic Games.

The company had grown from a small family venture into a multinational manufacturing and branding powerhouse. The company had never really addressed its brand or history, but in preparation for a new web site, wanted to communicate to consumers in a new way. We positioned the Kirch brand around exceptional design and quality construction. We also recounted the company history to emphasize the role design and manufacturing have played in the inception and growth of the company. We also re-wrote the George Nelson catalog copy to better tell the story behind each iconic design in the portfolio.

We coordinated the Kotler partnership with the CBX branding agency to set up offices in Beijing and Shanghai and to find the initial brand strategy and design clients in China.

Working with G Group Marketing, we worked with Lancome, licensee of Ralph Lauren fragrance brands, to conducted qualitative field market research into the new meaning of luxury for Ralph Lauren brand. We video taped interviews with people in seven different localities across different age, ethnic and income groups for a true pulse-of-the-country view of goals and values.

We talked to fashion-forward women about their views of make-up, their own personal needs, and their thoughts about lip gloss and the potential brand extensions of the Fusion brand. We video taped qualitative field market research interviews throughout Manhattan.

We provide ongoing strategic insight for positioning and promoting new products and services for this specialty marketing agency.

Mimic Disc, a technology consulting firm dedicated to the implementation of business continuity and disaster recovery systems, wanted to kick off a sales initiative around a key entry-level service. We created a unique selling proposition and targeted a direct response letter to financial compliance executives. We wrote and designed the accompanying brochure and product Web copy to make it informative and compelling.

Novad is a young management consulting company that got its start as a minority owned government contractor. It had clearly outgrown this limited definition and had earned an impressive track record for its government and private sector clients. We repositioned the company around its ability to come into projects and dramatically affect the speed, efficiency and quality of the work–they really function as a force multiplier. We created a positioning, tagline and graphic metaphor for the company. We then crafted on-strategy Web site, brochure and sales copy.

Promote Uganda is a non-governmental-organization (NGO) founded by successful ex-patriot Ugandan nationals with the goal of improving the economic lot of people in Uganda. We work with this organization on ongoing basis, helping write and design their marketing communications including brochures, their Web site and their videos. Wrote and designed brochure to promote business investment in Uganda.

Proxios had its beginnings as a small technology infrastructure outsourcing company called SuperServer. The company had grown beyond its Richmond, VA roots to have a national reach and had made significant investments in cutting-edge technology. They needed a brand that would convey the true stature of the company and give it a better footing for growth. Our work began with extensive market research, including a comparative analysis of copy and design used by competing companies, and interviews with current, past, and potential customers. We positioned company around the concept of “responsive service”. The SuperServer name could not effectively carry the company forward. We conducted a thorough naming program, testing dozens of candidates and eventually selecting Proxios. We created a new logo that raises the company above the visual cliches so common to the category and designed a visual system that unified the look of all the company’s marketing communications pieces. We wrote and designed the entire suite of communications materials, down to the business cards.

Merriam Associates worked with Ronic, a high-end French kitchen equipment manufacturer, to create an American sub-brand for its state of the art food processors.

Merriam Associates helped create this unique public charity for recovery outreach programs in Malibu, CA. We developed the identity,positioning, marketing materials, managed the incorporation and successfully completed the 501(c)3 filing.