With Grafik’s help, DC Prep’s mission of bridging the educational divide in Washington, DC was put to the forefront with the launch of their new website, www.dcprep.org. Since its inception, Grafik’s work with DC Prep has been comprehensive, spanning all aspects of the school’s communication channels from strategic positioning to brand identity development to two versions of the DC Prep website. In the website’s most recent evolution, our goal was to better serve current parents, support teacher recruiting efforts, and provide potential parents with the information they need to enroll their children. To properly motivate their targets, we felt it important to highlight their awards and academic achievements, provide a rational, streamlined information architecture, surface prominent calls-to-action, showcase vibrant photography that visually demonstrate life at DC Prep, and fully integrate social media to personally connect with the audience.

Founded in 2003, DC Prep was established as a public charter school in order to bring exemplary academics and character development education to more than 3,000 preschool, elementary, and middle school students. DC Prep has a firm commitment to not only improve performance of low-income, minority students, but to also equip them with the skills needed for the rigors of higher education.

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March 20, 2012—Grafik is pleased to announce that its branding work for client JK Moving Services has placed it among one of the world’s most effective rebrands in the eighth annual REBRAND 100 ^® Global Awards. This recognition is the highest recognition for excellence in brand repositioning, and is the first and most respected global program of its kind. Grafik’s rebrand of JK Moving Services encompasses an effort that touches every facet of the brand from corporate mantra, to logo and visual identity, and every execution where the brand lives (e.g., moving trucks to uniforms to corporate website and brochures).

“Many projects had big ideas expressed elegantly through all methods of engagement—language, visuals, sound, etc.” said Shashi Caan, Founding Principal, The Collective US and UK and 2012 juror. Each year, an international and multidisciplinary mix of industry experts convenes to jury this annual competition. They consider “before” and “after” representations of brand transformations with written summaries and supporting elements that showcase integration of social media and mobile engagement.

“It is gratifying to be among the nation’s most recognized branding establishments,” said Judy Kirpich, founder and CEO of Grafik, and the strategic lead of the JK Moving Services account. “We’ve spent a decade focusing on strategic branding. It informs everything we do.”

According to the team at REBRAND^TM, a small consulting firm or brand had as much opportunity to be selected as did global organizations with exponentially greater budgets since the name and size of the brand strategists are hidden from jurors during their review process. Emphasis was on executed strategy that made an emotional connection and met the stated objectives and needs of the identified target audience and prospects.

“Grafik Marketing Communications armed themselves with solid research and customer testimonials before embarking on a one-year rebranding program for JK Moving,” said Charles Kuhn, Founder, President and CEO, JK Moving Services. “They completely reorganized our brand architecture and rolled out a powerful new corporate mantra that resonated with every division and facet of the company.”

The 2012 winners represented over 28 countries and 34 industries. They ranged from One Foundation (Global Ethics Ltd), Pfizer, National Music Centre (Canada), Merck Millipore, and Cisco. In addition to in-house teams, small agencies, and representatives of multinational corporations and nonprofits, competing firms included Interbrand, SNK, Lippincott, Siegel+Gale, and Brandient.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

About Grafik: Founded in 1978, Grafik is an award-winning strategic marketing communications firm located in Alexandria, VA, specializing in brand and creative development across traditional and digital media. Current clients include: U.S. Census, Honda North America, EYA, Convergent Wealth Advisors, Global Automakers, Prostate Cancer Foundation, and DC Prep.

About JK Moving Services: For over 30 years, JK Moving Services (JKmoving.com) has provided local, long distance, and international relocation services to a variety of commercial, residential, and government clients. Headquartered in Sterling, Virginia, the company maintains a full-time, professionally trained staff of relocation and move management experts committed to providing the highest level of customer care.

About REBRAND™ and the REBRAND 100® Global Awards: REBRAND is the world’s leading resource for effective brand transformations. The REBRAND 100 Global Awards is the first and most respected recognition for repositioned brands. Featured in such media as The Wall Street Journal, CNNMoney, Bloomberg Businessweek, various magazines and books, the annual competition has entry deadlines in late September. The full 2012 winners showcase is at www.rebrand.com.

We are very proud of our new work for retail training giant, MOHR Retail, the company that has trained the staff of household brands including T.J. Maxx, New Balance, and Verizon Wireless, in its 30 years in business. Through a discovery process that included a brand audit, interviews, and a competitive review, we were able to define four brand pillars that helped  establish a clear strategy for the web redesign. The site focuses on the importance of MOHR Retail’s trainings by using the main messaging area to promote the core attributes that set them apart from other training programs. Our brand study also made it evident that a name change would reinforce their expertise in the retail space and MOHR Access—became MOHR Retail.  Brand strategy always guides design at Grafik—and that is why clients like Michael Patrick of MOHR Retail have this to say about working with Grafik.

“We are all so proud of what you have created. Thank you for listening, bringing your expertise, and translating our vision into reality. The site shows us in the best possible light. It communicates that we are a leader in retail training, offer fresh and important insights, and are a substantial organization that is ready to handle the full range of needs retailers may have. If this doesn’t grow our brand and drive business, I’m not sure what would. We made the right decision when we chose Grafik!” —Michael Patrick, Founder & President, MOHR Retail.

Washington Area is Key Destination for Strategic Communications

WASHINGTON, DC, January 6, 2012 – The DC Ad Club, metropolitan Washington’s chapter of the American Advertising Federation, announced yesterday that Teddi Alyce Segal is chairperson of Advertising Week DC 2012 scheduled for this September. Segal is vice president of marketing and business development at Alexandria, VA-based, Grafik, the creative agency for the event. Advertising Week DC attracts communications professionals to a four-day event engineered to keep practitioners current on all aspects of marketing communications. Although major metropolitan areas such as New York and Los Angeles have more employees in the advertising and marketing sector, the Washington area has the highest per capita among all the major metro areas in the nation.

According to IHS Global Insight and the Greater Washington Initiative studies, the Washington metropolitan area is home to over 300,000 advertising-related jobs and is the highest per capita employer in the advertising sector. Over 21% of the $489 billion economic output in the Washington area is attributable to advertising expenditures.

“The high concentration of communications professionals is indicative of the demand for top-notch, strategic talent in our region for a breadth of communications disciplines, including marketing, advertising, public relations, advocacy, digital media, social media, and more. Our program is developed to serve the needs of all marketing communications professionals,” said Segal.

Every fall since 2004, Advertising Week DC celebrates the best of the advertising, marketing, and media community with a week dedicated to networking, professional development, and education. It is the area’s largest professional and networking event for advertising, marketing, public relations, and media leaders. The Advertising Week DC Steering Committee is comprised of key players from companies in the Greater Washington advertising, marketing, and media industries. The event will feature nationally recognized marketing experts in an extensive program of discussions and presentations focused on best practices in the rapidly evolving field of marketing communications. The conference will be attractive to client- and agency-side junior talent and, of course, the mainstay of seasoned professionals, and those currently in college studying communications.

“Advertising Week DC is the place to listen, learn, contribute, and engage in lively discussion around our profession. Our objective this year is to raise national awareness that the Washington area is the “go-to” market for strategic communications because of the breadth of marketing work being performed in the region,” said Sherri Anne Green, president of the DC Ad Club. “We’re excited to have Teddi spearheading the effort.”

Segal served on the Advertising Week DC Steering Committee in 2010. She joined Grafik in October 2008 and is responsible for business development and marketing efforts, as well as all public relations and social media on behalf of the agency. She previously served on the American Marketing Association-DC Chapter Board of Directors and is currently serving on the DC Ad Club’s 2012 ADDY Award committee.

Prior to coming to DC, Segal was with several agencies in Miami, FL, including Zimmerman and HDC. Advertising Week DC is a mix of professional development and networking. Both events have taken place annually since 2004. Past speakers have included Joe Grimaldi, Chairman & CEO, Mullen; Shelly Lazarus, Chairman of Ogilvy & Mather; Liz Dolan, former Chief Marketing Officer of The Oprah Winfrey Network; Stuart Elliot, Advertising Columnist of The New York Times; and Miles Nadal, Founder, Chairman & CEO, MDC Partners.

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About The DC Ad Club

Since 1918, the DC Ad Club (a.k.a. the Advertising Club of Metropolitan Washington) has served as the premier industry organization for area advertising professionals. As a chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF), the DC Ad Club promotes integrity and excellence in advertising through professional development seminars, recognizes industry leaders andoutstanding work, and serves as the leading networking venue for the industry. The DC Ad Club membership represents all segments of the industry—clients, agencies, production companies and the media. Ad 2 DC, a subset of the DC Ad Club membership, represents and provides programming for young professionals (age 32 and under) in the industry.

Grafik had its holiday party this weekend.  Here are a few of the photos from the event.  If you would like to see more photos, check out our Flickr page!

Our President, Lance Wain, circulated an email that mandated all employees must attend a meeting to be held in the lobby of our building at exactly 12:10pm last Tuesday. There was no additional information given. Each of us tried in earnest to get out of him what this was all about—including Judy, our CEO. Greg Appler, (who refuses to attend any meetings without first being given the agenda) was particularly sour. I had an RFP due and a conference call at 2:00pm. Others speculated we were leaving to play paintball. This really agitated me. I had no time for paintball. I grabbed some soggy salad from the fridge. I was wearing heels—I had an earlier meeting. I was agitated. This had better be good.

Grafik team on the way to EYA luncheon

Lance started talking some B.S. about promising our insurance rep that we would get ten minutes of exercise in once a month and it was a gorgeous day and we were going to take a walk together. We filed out of the building as a group, (it was a really amazing day) and started walking down Fairfax Street in Old Town. Just as my heels really started to bug me, we arrived at the very nice Italian joint around the corner, and were directed into the private room in the rear of the restaurant where one of our longstanding clients, EYA, was waiting. This was a complete surprise to every one of us.

Terry Eakin, Bob Youngentob, Preston Innerst, Jennifer McIvor, Brian Jackson, Frank Connor—all of EYA were standing amidst a room set for a beautiful lunch. They invited us in and before sitting down, Terry and Bob, the founders and  of the company told us that Preston (VP, Sales & Marketing) and Lance had been in cahoots to pull off this lunch, for the sole reason that EYA was so very grateful to Grafik for all of the hard work and the consistently excellent product that they had received over the years. That they were sincere and their remarks heartfelt, was beyond obvious. Bob Youngentob spoke with passion and authenticity when he said that Grafik had changed the way his company did business.

EYA's logo

Now, I gotta say something. I “do” new business. And I have been listening for three years as many at my firm have been telling the story of how Life Within Walking Distance was more than a tagline, but a corporate mantra that had completely transformed the way EYA acquired and evaluated their properties, as well as developed their sales strategies. In short, the brand strategy we developed, transformed everything about their company.

Hearing this from Bob’s mouth and watching the faces of my coworkers, as well as those of the others on the EYA team, was a huge moment of pride for me. It made all of the versions I had previously heard completely credible, and erased all doubt. It is very rare to experience those moments in my business and it was a great day for my company. And, for a gal who “does new biz” I really got to feel the deep impact of what my people do. And even better, we all got to experience it together. It was awesome.

You probably thought I meant that effective marketing communications changed EYA . . . but really, it changed Grafik that day. I think we all felt, thanks to Lance being able to keep that very big mouth shut, knowing what we can do together when we have a great client like EYA.

Thanks Lance. And thanks EYA.

The Honda In America web and mobile site

Grafik helped Honda GR shift into high gear with the launch of www.hondainamerica.com. Directed towards policymakers on the Hill, the site features the most up-to-date information about Honda’s efforts in the areas of fuel efficiency and advanced safety technology, as well as detailed investment data about the company’s manufacturing, employment, and purchasing history in America.

“It’s a responsive web design, which means it adapts to its environment. The same site looks different on the web and on mobile,” said Greg Appler, VP Interactive for Grafik. This provided great cost savings to Honda, as they didn’t have to build a separate mobile site, but their users are able to easily view the site on mobile devices. “Additionally, the magazine style format leverages contemporary experience technologies to enhance interaction and usability.”

In previous years, Grafik helped Honda GR produce a comprehensive data book, however with this new effort, not only is the company able to extend its reach—but it is more environmentally sustainable.

“We now offer our audiences the same valuable information, and more, via the web with HondaInAmerica.com,” said Edward B. Cohen, Vice President Government & Industry Relations for Honda North America, Inc.

Grafik was so proud of the work, we entered it into the DC Ad Club’s Best of DC Agency Showcase, featuring the year’s best marketing presented by the area’s top creative agencies.  The panel of judges selected the site to be among the work that will be presented. On November 15, Greg Appler and Creative Director Gregg Glaviano will share the inspiration behind the execution of this, deemed one of the best marketing campaigns of 2011.

Grafik has been honored a Silver Award by The International Academy of Visual Arts W³ Awards for our work on Software AG’s “Know” campaign at knowyoursupplychain.com.

The W³ Awards is a web competition comprised of and judged by preeminent executives from businesses of all sizes, such as Disney, Yahoo, and Microsoft, and recognizes small firms to Fortune 500 companies for their work online—websites, marketing campaigns, and videos. The W³ Awards received over 3,000 entries this year and we are proud to be among those honored. Other winners include EXPO, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, and Volunteers of America.

The W³ firmly believes that recognition from the Academy proves to your clients and your peers that your work is truly outstanding.

Lance Wain is the new president of Grafik

Alexandria, VA—October 17, 2011. Grafik CEO, Judy Kirpich, has named Lance Wain, President of Grafik Marketing Communications. Lance is transitioning from his previous position as Managing Director and will assume the day-to-day leadership of the company going forward.

Wain has been responsible for new business development for the agency since 2001. During this time, he cultivated relationships with Gannett, Accenture, Verizon, U.S. Census, Travelex, Software AG, Georgetown University, Johns Hopkins, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Prostate Cancer Foundation, and many others, cementing Grafik as a leader in branding and creative in the DC Metro area. Lance was made a partner in 2007, and in 2009, he was named Managing Director, in charge of overseeing business development, account service, and Grafik’s rapidly growing interactive division.

“Lance has worked by my side for over 10 years and has the vision, skill set, and business acumen to push Grafik to even greater heights,” says Kirpich. “He has my complete support, as well as the support of my partners and our senior management team. I will retain the position of CEO and continue to work with him to grow Grafik and put our firm in a position to be successful in the coming decades.”

This announcement comes on the heels of record third quarter business for Grafik, with over $1M in new business generated for the firm. New clients include Virginia Tire and Auto, CADD Microsystems, developer Basheer and Edgemoore, and the Meltzer Group.

Key to Wain’s vision has been investing in human capital—promoting from within as well as attracting top notch talent from around the country. Wain has been instrumental in recruiting a new leadership team to push Grafik to new heights. “The pieces are in place, as is a great roster of clients, for accelerated growth.” says Wain. “Judy has built a top notch firm over the last 30 years and I look forward to continuing that success.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Founded in 1978, Grafik is an award-winning strategic marketing communications firm located in Alexandria, VA, specializing in brand and creative development across traditional and digital media. Current clients include: U.S. Census, Honda North America, EYA, Convergent Wealth Advisors, Global Automakers, JK Moving, and DC Prep.

Throughout September aka Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, Grafik employees took the initiative to talk to at least one man in our lives to encourage him to get checked  and ultimately, increase awareness about the disease. I chose Anan, the Salvadoran janitor for our building. I looked up how to say “El cancer de prostado es muy embarassado” and from there, we continued to look up the words we needed, like for “regular screenings” and he totally understood. He was grateful for the shirt I gifted him, and promised to talk to his doctor about it. Danielle shot the picture and it was really a gratifying experience. I made a new friend.

Me giving Anan a "Join the Fight" shirt

You can see all our stories here or follow us on Twitter @grafikdotcom and the hashtag #whatitoldhim.