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.

I did it. I grew my Mo’ (that’s slang for moustache). And what a wild ride it has been. What started off as a simple gesture to support a client (PCF) and a cause (Movember for men’s cancers), became a personal test of dedication and perseverance. I know, we’re talking about some facial hair on the top of my lip at the end of the day. But as my wife often tells me, I am a vain Wain. And I do care about appearances, particularly in the work place. So with a full slate of meetings and pitches set up throughout the month of November, there was certainly some anxiety about letting my follicles run wild. And that anxiety was going into full force week one.

Can see the little fuzz just prior to catching a train to New York.

I had to travel to New York for a new prospect meeting at the Harvard Club and partner networking event at the historic New York Public Library. As my colleagues can attest, I had SERIOUS reservations about hitting both with the peach fuzz and contemplated breaking out the old trusty Gillette. But I sucked it up, got all decked out in a suit and tie, and sported the infant Mo’ for all of New York to see. All I kept thinking about on the train ride up is that the folks in my meeting would be staring at my lip and if it were me, would I really want to do business and talk to a dude with a weak attempt at growing a ‘stache? But much to my surprise and delight, I was greeted at both venues with “you’re doing Movember aren’t you?” Suddenly feeling like the guy from the Old Spice commercial I proudly replied—YES I AM!

Week two—the stubble started to turn into real hair and I was getting some serious attention. Every time a colleague would walk into my office, I would either get a smirk, a chuckle, a double take, or a full blown laughing attack (Cheryl Haar). As I posted on my Facebook page, I felt like a cross between Tom Selleck and the fictitious Dirk Diggler (see Boogie Nights). But again, I was shocked when one of our clients came in for a meeting and immediately said to me “Good for you Lance—I take it you’re doing Movember.” He told me he donates to the cause on an annual basis, but couldn’t go through with growing the Mo’. I was starting to feel proud of what I was doing and riding some serious Mo’Jo.

Ever more confident in week three, and heading into the Turkey holiday, I had to mix it up a little bring some flavor to the face.

This opened up a whole new round of critiques.

These are some of the comments that I jotted down:

From one of my friends—Fu Man Jew.
From a female colleague—OMG—Ew….
From a  male colleague—Fierce, Lance. Really fierce.
From my 5-year-old niece—You look like a man from the highway.
From my sister-in-law—I’ll give you 500 bucks to shave it off.

While the last offer was tempting, at this point, nothing was going to get in the way of me and my Mo’. In fact, I found myself looking forward to each morning to do a little trim and manicure to make it looked polished for the day.

How time flew. Yesterday was the end of the month, and just as my Mo’ has really become a part of me, the campaign came to a close.

Me and my full grown Mo’.

So what are my key takeaways from this experience?

1) I actually enjoyed being a walking billboard for Movember and raising a few bucks for men’s cancer research in the process.
2) I had no idea there was so much recognition for Movember and what a successful viral brand it has become.
3) As attached as I have become to my Mo’, I don’t believe moustaches are making a comeback anytime soon (although it’s December 2 and I still haven’t shaved).

Speaking of viral, yesterday the entire Grafik team sported fake Mo’s and surprised me with a small celebration showing their amazing support. It was hilariously touching. See for yourself.

Grafik get hairy for Lance's Movember Suprise

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.

It's time to grow a Mo'

It’s Movember! For those of you not in the know, Movember is a month-long campaign where men (Mo Bros) let their facial hairs grow to raise awareness for prostate cancer and other cancers affecting men. There are almost 93,242 men in the United States who will be growing a variety of mustaches and a whopping 169,773 in the UK. (I guess they like mustaches more in Britain.) Not only are the men responsible for growing a hairy upper lip, but they are also responsible for getting financial support for their efforts.

We are proud to announce that our own president, Lance Wain, has joined the Prostate Cancer Foundation‘s team and is looking forward to attending a ‘stache bash at the end of the month. Grafik is proud to announce that we have donated funds for this worthy event, and we encourage all those who love Lance and support the efforts to fight prostate cancer, to step up the plate and support this worthy cause.

Grafik President Lance Wain growing out his 'stache!

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.

Last week, I opened an email from a client—to say the least, I was pleased at what I received in my inbox. Let me just start by mentioning, the greatest part of being a designer is seeing your finished work have a life outside of the studio.

Over the summer, I was heading back to DC from the beach. I was nearing the Bay Bridge stopped at a red light, and saw one of JK Moving Service’s brand-new, 53-foot moving trucks in oncoming traffic. This truck makes a huge statement when you see it on the highway or down the street in your neighborhood. I simply remember the sheer excitement of seeing my design the first time driving down the road on the pristine, glowing-white 18-wheeler.

JK Moving Services truck

So back to this email. I began to read it and it was not about a current project, rather it was about cake. Yes, cake. Unfortunately, there was no actual cake on my desk to blissfully devour, but the email left me drooling just as if there were. JK had a meeting with a contact of theirs and decided they needed to really make an impression, so one member of the staff baked a cake modeled after a JK Moving Services truck! If seeing my work on the highway wasn’t enough—now it had been “temporarily immortalized” with delicious ingredients that are easily consumed. It makes me think of TV shows where people create the cakes to commemorate things like a beloved Disney character or a famous landmark—all with a story to tell. This cake may not be on some prime-time television bake-off, but in my eyes, it sure feels like someone was inspired enough by my design to pay tribute to it. Obviously this wasn’t the case, but just let me have my moment.

Homemade JK Moving cake

As cool as it is to see a logo, identity, or website outside of the studio that I’ve worked on, this definitely takes the cake (that pun is super intended). It’s amazing to see just how much life can be injected into a brand—especially when that brand is given an extension like a cake. I mean, who doesn’t like cake?

By the way, my birthday is coming up. Now how do I get my hands on one of them cakes?

Looks delicious!

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.

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.

Before working at Grafik, I knew nothing about prostate cancer. Now after having the privilege of working with our client, the Prostate Cancer Foundation, I have become much more aware of the disease. Knowing what I know now, I’ve taken it upon myself to share this information with the special men in my life, particularly my dad. My dad Bert turned 70 this past Blue September and although he’s in great health for his age, he’s the type of person who isn’t a fan of doctor’s appointments. But with my weekly “Did you know this about prostate cancer?” tidbits, he has agreed to have more regular checkups. It’s a amazing what a little awareness and persistence can do. Okay, may be giving him the “Join the Fight” shirt may have helped a little.

My precious dad sporting his new "Join the Fight" shirt

During the month of September aka Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, we have been talking to the special men in our lives about prostate cancer. You can see all our stories here or follow us on Twitter @grafikdotcom and the hashtag #whatitoldhim.

For Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, I decided to give my Join the Fight shirt to my grandsons. Here’s a photo of Tank (left) and Gus (right) sharing their shirt. Tank wasn’t too keen on sharing. It’s never to early to have that talk!

Tank and Gus "Join the Fight!"

During the month of September, we have been talking to the special men in our lives about prostate cancer. You can see all our stories here or follow us on Twitter @grafikdotcom and the hashtag #whatitoldhim.