Can you make a brochure out of my triple wall corrugated cardboard?  YES. We did.

This 4 color brochure was prnted on brown kraft paper to match the cardboard.  We had the triple wall corrugated cardboard cut to size and designed the brochure to be adhered to the card with one panel.  The mailing has produced solid leads that have turned into new accounts that have more than paid for the cost of this marketing piece.   Out of the box thinking done here.

If you took a survey in the community, you would get lots of different answers.

Yellow  or  Gold?

What does that mean to you?  lemon yellow, squash gold, atheltic gold, gopher gold, sibley east yellow,   gustie gold, sunshine yellow.  And does it really matter?

I think you can understand the confusion.  Color is very subjective.  The conversation came to the table as we were meeting with the Hutchinson School Superintendent. I asked the question, what is the pms color for the Hutchinson Tigers?  In my efforts to do the marketing thing and make sure that anything we do for the school district was done in the “correct” school colors, I found that the Hutchinson Tigers were Black and Gold or Yellow or….any of the variations listed above.  But everyone has their own interpretation of what color gold or yellow looks like. 

My branding and marketing sense kicked in. I thought, “Every one should be using the same color, the same way.  That is a key component in promoting corporate branding and identity.  After all, the Jolly GREEN Giant is never red. The McDonald’s GOLDEN Arches are never orange.  They are always the same color.”  But ….then I got to thinking again, to me the arches look more like yellow, not golden.  Hence the problem.  

Major companies spend millions of dollars on branding.  It costs a lot.  School districts do not have lots to spend.

Here is what does matter.

They are building a community with diverse population of students united by the school they all attend.  And you know … you would never catch a Hutch Tiger wearing Mankato West Red at a game.  But you will catch them wearing every variation of gold or yellow  possible because they are proud of their school and their athletes and students.

GO TIGERS!

First of all, we are not perfect.  Give yourself some slack.   At Moxie Media, when we finish a big project we go review the strategy, did it work? or do we make changes or come up with new ways to make the work flow even more efficient for the customer and us. We just finished a large catalog with thousands of products in it.  One initiative that came out of our discussion was that we will help the customer to create a “list” of common word usages and spellings in order to make sure everyone who proof reads is on the same page.  It seems really simple, but it can be a very good way to communicate and avoid deviation from what is the “norm” or standard for this client.  It does not mean it is the same for each client or customer either. This suggestion actually came from the customer, who used this process during a previous job experience.

Here is an example.

How do you spell build up – build-up — buildup?  All three are correct.

Needless to say - one person corrected the proof build-up, and another buildup.  So it is not consistent in the publication.  This word usage is now going on the “list” for this customer.

Here is a short list that will help you create your own list.

1. How do you write your address?? do you abbreviate the state??  If so how?   MN – Mn — Minnesota
2. How do you write your phone numbers?  Do you like 320-587-0587 — 320.587.0587 — 1-320-587-0587 — 587-0587
3. Do you use a period at the end of headlines? even if they are not a complete sentence? what if they are not complete sentences?
4. Do you have a style sheet for font usage? Do you use a certain font family? Does everyone use the font – even in their email?
5. Is there certain industry lingo that everyone uses? ex:  predrilled or pre-drilled and undrilled or un-drilled or should it just be drilled and undrilled
6. How do you use fractions?  1/4″  or do you convert to smaller letters – maybe they should be decimals because you are using metric measurements .75  or .756
7. Are the colors used in the document within a certain color pallette that you use for branding?

The list could go on and on.  But I think you get the idea.  Write it down. Give it to the appropriate staff, to your designer, your proof readers, to the printer. It will take some time to get everyone on board. But in the long run it will enhance the quality of your project and how it is perceived in the future.

If you would like help with this on your next project, give us a call at Moxie Media and we can get the ball rolling in the right direction.

If you attended the Black and White Gala for the Hutchinson Chamber of Commerce you will know the answer.

All dressed in black and white attire, the recipients, one by one, received their awards from the chamber.  As I sat there, only knowing one of the recipients, I listened to their stories. And it was very black and white to me (no shades of gray at all) that these people all had a passion for the city and people of Hutchinson.  I started to make notes of who they were and what they meant to the community and to me so I could share it with you..  I hope that this will be read over and over by our existing, potential clients and staff.  I left that night knowing the community of Hutchinson was made up of passionate people.  I felt right at home.

Congratulations!

The following individuals that were honored at the Hutchinson Chamber of Commerce Black & White Gala for their service to the Hutchinson community!

Chamber CVB Awards:

Ag Service Award: Robert Krcil

Many of our clients are in the agricultural industry.  I know they have the passion to persevere, in good times and in bad.  They persevere even when they cannot control the weather which often dictates a great harvest or a poor harvest.  They can do everything right, and one hail storm or tornado can wipe it out in seconds.  They have hope for the future and know that yes, maybe next year will be better.  Thank you Robert for supporting our farmers, who feed the nations.

Volunteer of the Year: Betsy Price

Betsy shared her passion for the arts. The arts is what gives a community a part of its culture. Her involvement with theatre and Crow River Arts as well as her work in the Clay Coyote expresses why she is an outstanding spokesperson for the arts. I have seen art in many different ways in my short time here in Hutchinson.  There is theatre , dance, arts & crafts, music, food, martial arts.    “Creativity is in the imagination of all of us.”

Outstanding Young Leader: Joe Nagel

Joe’s story resonated with me as my son is a police officer in Minneapolis.  I understand how they become a part of the community as Joe has become such an outstanding leader in this community.  His passion for people and their security is wrapped in the trust he builds with the community.  You can be proud of this young man as he serves the community of Hutchinson.

Business Person of the Year: Gus Wurdell

If we all had the energy and the passion that Gus has for business growth, we would be blown away with where our businesses could go.  The first time I met him you could feel the energy in the room. His goal was to fill the Hutchinson Mall, which in turn would increase the tax base for the community of Hutchinson, which is good for us all.  In a time when the economy seems to be coming back very slowly, the Hutchinson Mall continues to expand under the leadership of Gus Wurdell.  He is a can do guy.

Hutchinson Jaycee Awards:

Distinguished Service: Robert Rolander

I applaud the passion of FREEDOM and loyalty to this country that this man portrayed  to us.  He painted a picture of undying commitment to the United States of America and its symbol of freedom, the flag by his humbleness and words broken up by emotion.  I applaud his endeavors as he works with the youth in this community to instill those values that we may never forget the men and women who have sacrificed, even their lives, for us to live in a free country, under a democracy of the people.  I stand in ovation to him.  My dad was a  veteran, and has served his country and has been served well by its people.

Boss of the Year: Brad Lueneburg

Wow! Working and directing an entire staff of women and being nominated by them speaks volumes about this man.  Being boss doesn’t always bring notoriety and fame.  It brings hard work, long hours and a passion to succeed and help others succeed.  My personal goal is to find the natural abilities of my staff and help them to excel and grow on a personal level.  I had one person tell me that a boss cannot have friends.   Hmmm, I think that Brad has lots of friends.

Educator of the Year: Jean Schultz

Last but not least, is Jean.  If we could all have a teacher like Jean who shared her passion for children through being a teacher. When it is hard for a teacher to retire, you know that she truly loves children and finds joy in teaching them.  Could we all be so fortunate to love our professions so much that we don’t want to retire.  Do we have to retire?? Can we continue to share our knowledge and passion with others?  We can and should.  Wisdom is a precious commodity we can continue to share no matter what our profession or life calling.

mnceme.org  &  maximizeminnesota.org

After weeks of frustration from working with a different vendor and not achieving the results they anticipated, the Minnesota Center of Engineering & Manufacturing Excellence (MNCEME) came to Moxie for help.  Moxie had been working with the Center for other marketing needs and understood the vision and mission of the Center.  It was an easy transition to take what was already created and paid for by the customer  and transform it into the two sites shown above.  The first site was for the Center itself  www.mnceme.org and the second site that followed shortly was for their regional seminars called www.maximizeminnesota.org 

The Center is a liason between educational partners and industry partners which are manufacturers in the state of Minnesota.  The board of directors consists of members and leaders from the manufacturing industry.  The Center is state funded and its led by Minnesota State University – Mankato.  

This work was completed in June of 2009.

Community Senior Care Campaign 2009

Hutchinson Health Care Foundation

Philanthropy at its greatest is helping people to help other people.  This is a one of Moxie’s core values and is close to the heart of the staff at Moxie.  We approached the Hutchinson Are Healthcare Foundation to offer them our services as a company.  At the time, we were unaware of the emerging campaign.  We had a connection to the Foundation as one of our owners had been a board member for the Foundation in the past and knew just who we should talk to.  Being local, and having previous experience with community fund drives played a key role in the decision of the Foundation to work with Moxie for this project.  Our previous experience with healthcare campaigns included the Community Cares Campaign for the Immanuel St. Joesphs — Mayo Health System in Mankato MN; annual campaigns for St. James Health Care, St. James MN and capital campaign for Fairmont Medical Center — Mayo Health System, Fairmont MN.

The project included several kinds of media. 

• A full color  mailing piece  printed 4 color on gloss text weight stock that included a return envelope making giving easy for the donor
• the envelope was a standard 6 3/4 return envelope – large enough to hold a personal check
• post – it – notes for a leave behind gift when talking with major donors
• graphic design of a full page newspaper ad to run  in the Hutchinson Leader – ad ran in sync with the mailing effort of the brochure
• copy writing of brochure - donated by Moxie Media, we reviewed previous campaign materials and video to provide a cohesive message throughout the campaign 
• mail list of appropriate audience – matching the donor base with the need of the campaign 
• mailing services – gave direction to the Foundation to obtain non-profit mailing status for their mailing to reduce the cost of the postage
• project management – overall assistance to make sure each piece of the campaign was created, delivered on a timely basis
• writing pens – of course! to write the check in support of health care for the future

The Foundation staff  was a joy to work with and we really felt a part of the community as we completed this effort together.

I enjoy helping  small companies grow into a large successful business. I have had the pleasure of working with a company in Hutchinson, MN called May Wes Mfg.   When I first started working with Mavis and Wesley Bruns in 1989, the May Wes product line could be published in an 8 page flyer. The company has since changed ownership and relocated from Gibbon, MN to Hutchinson, MN. Their market reach is international. 

In January 2010, 20 years later, we will be publishing the new May Wes catalog which has grown to 88+ pages and few thousand part numbers.

The first thing I sold them was business cards. Mavis had hers printed in purple because it was her favorite color, Wesley’s were printed in black as he was a straight forward, hardworking farmer/business man.  The idea of branding their company was simply a foreign idea.  So we started to build their brand with a logo design and choosing corporate colors. Now Moxie is their full service ad agency and is responsible for the entire marketing plan. This plan includes placing ads in national magazines like Successful Farming, design and production of tradeshow display signage, and all collateral printed material, direct mail campaigns, a full e-commerce website and even the shirts they wear to the tradeshows.

As marketing tools evolve, so does the May Wes marketing plan.  We are in the process of bringing the May Wes sales team into the world of social media marketing with blogging, e-newsletters and more.

Sometimes, I think I should have a desk in their office with my name on it. 

Do you have room for Moxie to be on your marketing team? 

Name Recognition, Networking, Promotion – How does the potential home buyer recognize who you are?

As a realtor, you help families and adults make one of the biggest decisions of their lives – where to live as they rent or purchase their homes. Many times clients come to you because of a referral or other type of networking.

One of the many marketing tools that Moxie Media can provide is promotional items or gifts to give to your clients when they complete the purchase process.  We want them to remember who you are and what you have done for them.  These gifts could range from an elegant set of wine glasses and decanter with your logo subtly placed on the decanter along with a welcome home message to a classy keychain with their new home keys on it.  They will always carry a reminder of who was there to help them through the process.  It could be a professional pen that they would feel like they were stealing when they accidently placed in their pocket after signing the closing papers – but you actually give it to them with a great big smile and congratulations. 

Then, when they know someone who is buying or selling a home, who do you think they will remember? YOU.

Look to Moxie Media when you need an expert marketing consultant to help you pick the appropriate advertising or promotional item to support your total marketing plan.  Call Deb Ely, our promotional product expert today . 320-587-0587

While doing some research for possible new customers, I came across a blog that talks about hot things for college bookstores. The blog noted that lap top sleeves were very popular now and showed some frilly, colorful laptop sleeves. Did you know 75.8 percent of college students own laptops.   http://bit.ly/75PercentOwnLaptops  Now here is a product that college bookstores could sell  – laptop sleeves with school colors and customized logos.   Deb, Can you get on that for pricing?  Look for pricing soon.