A year ago, I wrote an article entitled “Make it easier for your customer to do business with you.” The main point was that using an iPad makes it easier for your customers to do business with you. A year later at StudioNorth, we have done just that. We’ve created an iPad app we call the StudioNorth SalesKit for our own sales force to use every day, and it’s rapidly becoming a valuable part of our sales process. We use it to show our work, brainstorm with clients, gather industry intelligence, do research on the fly, and ensure we follow up with our clients immediately following meetings. Here are a few key takeaways we found along the way.

1. Don’t reinvent the wheel — make it better.

The iPad AppStore is full of apps that can make you more productive and help you research like a PhD. You can take advantage of Google Maps to find the best route to a client. You can use the Calendar to keep track of all your appointments. The Contacts app keeps everyone’s info at your fingertips. Mobile Safari can let you find a definition or a competitor in the middle of a meeting. With Keynote, you can present anywhere, at any time.

However, all these apps are all built for generic purposes. When it comes to your brand and your product or service, you may need a bit more focus to overcome a prospect’s objection or to save the day for your existing accounts. At this point, you should consider creating your own app. A custom app can help you support your brand promise and deliver laser-focused info about what your company has to offer.

2. Go native.

If you’re targeting mobile users in general, and you need to be compatible with multiple devices, a Web app is the way to go. Applications that are created to run in the mobile device browser using standard Web technologies can reach any device that’s connected to the Internet. Web technologies that are not mobile-optimized can limit you from accessing the full power of the device hardware, which can make animations slower and the app less feature-rich.

When you have a dedicated device like the iPad, nothing performs better than a native app. Apple gives you all the tooling you need to make your app useful and provide an enjoyable user experience. The learning curve is high, but the benefits are worth it. We were able to create an incredibly integrated presentation platform that included whiteboarding capabilities, collaborative note-taking, a page-turning portfolio, client locator, and more. All of it takes full advantage of the iPad’s graphic capabilities, as well as other hardware features like the built-in GPS system. By having access to WiFi^® and cellular hardware, we have made the application available with or without Internet access.

If you decide to create a similar tool for your organization, make sure you sign up for Apple Enterprise Developer program to be able to distribute your app directly to your internal company users without having to push it through the Apple AppStore.

3. Govern your brand while giving the sales force flexibility.

These digital sales kits can have the entire power of the Internet cloud behind them, giving your sales force unlimited scalability and availability. The app should be backed by tools to allow your sales folks to create the presentations they need and refer to intelligence they gathered on sales calls.

For example, you can develop web-based tools that allow them to create content from anywhere. This way, they can prepare their attack from their office and integrate with existing software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions so their data is with them wherever they want it. These “builder tools” give the sales force the ability to create the content they need, but it restricts them from modifying the brand look and feel. At StudioNorth, we call these types of tools “Brand Governance” tools, and we have a long history creating them for our clients. With these integrated resources, the iPad app becomes the consummate tool for a sales team to use when they are in front of the client or prospect. Remember, the power in this little device is truly shown in intimate settings like an office or a lunch table. Your sales person should be able to show their presentations or data from anywhere at any time.

4. Measure everything.

Once the app is in the hands of your sales team, analytics can help you refine your efforts and make the tool more effective. The app should be constantly recording activity in the background — reporting back to you about what specific area of the tool they are using, where they are encountering errors, etc. The other aspect is actively asking users for feedback. Many times they don’t realize they need a feature until they are on the road actually using the app. Give them a way right in the app to send you feedback — this will provide you with more user responses as you seek to upgrade the app. It also allows users to capture feedback when it’s top of mind for them, before they forget.

Don’t forget that technology is a tool, not a solution. The real solution is in what you offer and why. Building an iPad app for your sales force helps them communicate what your company can do for your clients in an insanely great way. It shows your innovative approach, which is really what folks are buying in the first place.

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In communications, “planning” the message can be equally rewarding and frustrating.  On one hand, you’d like to be thoughtful and strategic in messaging. But, on the other hand, with the rise of video and social media channels, it becomes increasingly important for messaging to be conveyed in the most real and authentic manner. But how do you capture that “realness,” avoiding contrived, almost robotic manifestations of messages?

Video offers enormous opportunity for authentic messaging. Recently, I was developing a video proposal for a client. After reviewing the format of the proposal and the content within, including the messaging, I finally presented it. To my delight, the client said not to get overly concerned that every message was in the document.  She declared, “Sometimes organic messaging can be the most effective.”  It was probably the most liberating commentary I had received in my professional world in a long time. I thought to myself, “Did I just hear what I thought I heard?”

Organic messaging. What a concept. What is it, exactly? In the World English Dictionary, organic (ɔːˈɡænɪk) is defined as, “developing naturally: organic change through positive education.”

To me, the operative word is “naturally.”  For something to develop naturally means that it’s normal, genuine, or even spontaneous.  Unfortunately it’s quite common for communications professionals to feel stifled by our legally bound world, always second-guessing the message, perhaps watering it down to the lowest risk factor. But organic messaging presents an entirely new paradigm in messaging, allowing the message to take on a life of its own.

I’ve thought about organic messaging a lot lately, and even applied some methods to recent video work. And, while organic messaging doesn’t imply a lack of planning, it offers a fresh approach to delivering a message, naturally.

A recent assignment called for a series of interviews with individuals on their experience with flexibility in the workplace. The client had a set of required messages, yet I knew the individuals had their own personal stories. Again, how do you strike the balance of planned yet natural delivery of messages?   While different media require different strategies, here are some tips for creating videos that evoke natural — organic — delivery of messages.

1. Think about the preferred message beforehand, but don’t overthink it.  Leave room for personal stories and examples to underscore the point.
2. Quickly develop a relationship with the “subject.”  It’s easy to focus on the message too intently while forgetting about the person delivering the message.  Understanding a bit about the person beforehand can help trigger compelling proof points or anecdotes.
3. When videotaping, start with small talk. If they feel comfortable in small talk, they’ll feel comfortable on camera. You have about three minutes to set the stage for either a stodgy, formal interview or an interview that’s energetic, spontaneous, and fun.
4. Give the person on camera permission to be natural. Tell them to treat the taping like nothing more than a conversation.
5. Finally, as the message crafter, producer, or cameraman:  Be natural!  Avoid technical jargon when engaging the person on camera. Don’t be too formal in the interview. Keep the interactions light and fun to allow the real person to flourish in the interview.

What sort of experience have you had with organic messaging?

Both relationships begin in the romantic stage — in many ways, one might say we’re courting each other. We begin in the interviewing stage, choosing our words carefully and remembering to position ourselves in the best possible light. The employer reserves the most impressive conference room for the interview and maintains a confident yet warm and welcoming composure.  The potential employee dresses to convey a sense of professionalism and success. Both parties use their wit and charm to express interest in the other. It reminds me of some exotic rainforest bird trying to attract the attention of a passing potential mate.  When you stop to think about it, you can see quite a few similarities between interviewing and courtship.

Like a romantic relationship, we might assume our working relationship should just automatically flourish. In the most ideal cases, the courtship blossoms — both parties come to an equally beneficial agreement and partner together to do great things. But we know relationships are complex and often difficult; and they require honest communication, effort and grace. Without investment in the relationship, it simply will fail.

Here are some recommended strategies to keep the “fire” in your employer/employee relationships:

1. Acknowledge that not all relationships are meant to stay the same. Both employers and employees have the ability to modify and refine their strategies over time, and in some cases, the relationship is destined to transform into something different from its original form. That can be a very rewarding experience for both parties.
2. Be yourself from the very beginning. Be honest about who you are and what you can bring to the table. Be comfortable articulating what your expectations are of the other party, and what they should expect from you.
3. Sometimes it’s the simple things that can make the difference in letting someone know you appreciate and enjoy their partnership. It’s in those wonderful moments of giving, or just saying “thank you,” that one party recognizes and appreciates the other. Mutual respect is unquestionably required to build a strong, lasting relationship at work.
4. Focus on the positive aspects of the work relationship. The employer-employee relationship is symbiotic in its nature, and should be revered appropriately by both parties. The key is to hold on to that excitement and enthusiasm that brought you together. Don’t allow yourself, over time, to focus on the “imperfections” you once thought were unique and maybe even engaging.
5. Invest in your relationship by communicating frequently so you don’t drift out of sync and lose the ability to have impactful, open and honest conversations.  Your ability to communicate with each other is absolutely critical to sustain.  As the years go by, don’t allow yourself to progressively withdraw from each other.

If you truly care about your working relationship, treat it like an important personal relationship and you’ll both have the opportunity to build a long-lasting and rewarding future.

What strategies do you use to keep the employer-employee relationships healthy?

There is certainly a great deal of hype about social media these days. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are just the beginning. How is it that a professional networking site like LinkedIn is valued the same as the company that owns Dr. Pepper and Snapple? $9 billion for a website?

Nonetheless, in order to really understand social media, you have to look past the hype to see what social media really is. Here’s how I explain it: The rules have NOT changed at all.

• The world is built on trust.
• Trust is built through relationships.
• Relationships happen on the web through social media.

How does social media build relationships on the web? Think about it this way — look at the words “social” and “media.” At the end of the day, it’s really various types of content (i.e., media) that is shared (i.e., social) with people in our spheres of influence. The tools we use to share (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) get all the hype, but that’s all they are — tools that make it easier to share and listen to content/information you care about.

Make no mistake about it, media has always been “social.” It’s always been shared. “Have you seen that new John Wayne movie that just came out?” “Wow, I just had this great new drink. It’s called Coca-Cola!” The only difference today is that it’s so much easier to share content. And not just to your circle, but to the world.

And as the world turns, now you can build relationships with anyone in the world.

So, that was the “theoretical” part of the explanation. Sometimes, examples speak even louder – here are four:

1. Let’s say you’ve found out you have a degenerative disease called ALS. In the past, you could talk to you doctor about it. Now you can also engage with an entire community of patients with the same disease, trading notes on practical ways to deal with the disease, find the best treatment, and support each other.
2. What if you’re a budding social entrepreneur looking to connect with others who share your passion for building businesses that solve social problems? No problem, just do a search on Twitter for #socialentrepreneur and connect with people who are already talking about it.
3. Say you’re a quality/compliance engineer at a big pharmaceutical company and you’re worried about the next time the FDA shows up to inspect your facility. So, you join the LinkedIn group of 7,000+ members all talking about FDA inspections.
4. You’ve planned that vacation to Oahu, Hawaii, and you want to try a few great sushi restaurants. None of your friends like sushi, so you’ve got no recommendations to go on. So, you hop onto yelp to read a few of the nearly 800 reviews of the 10 highest-rated sushi restaurants on Oahu.

Has anyone recently tried explaining social media to someone who didn’t quite understand it yet? How did it go?

In the age of brand building, compliance processes govern the corporate filters of our ideas, words, images, and marketing materials. Anyone foolish enough to use a rogue font or print the corporate logo in the wrong shade of blue has discovered that non-compliance will not be tolerated.

Yet we know compliance provides a consistent voice critical to all stakeholder groups. Brand alignment results in a strong position that commands premium pricing, deflects competition, resists commoditization, and speeds buying decisions. It also supports relationships built on focus, distinction and trust with customers. Who doesn’t want that?

Perhaps it’s not the concept of brand compliance that’s concerning, but rather the process of brand compliance at the heart of the issue. Most of the frustration we hear from our clients is with the process: “It takes too long,”  “It’s too complicated,” “I don’t understand it,” “The rules keep changing,” There must be a better way.

There is a Better Way

Brand governance tools are becoming increasingly popular among companies looking to manage the integrity of their brands.  Top branded companies are leveraging them more and more every day.

Tools such as asset libraries or portals – where images and messages are stored – can help highly visible programs such as web sites, tradeshows, corporate brochures, and annual reports provide a consistent brand experience.  Another area where brand governance tools can provide consistency is in the execution of customized tactics such as PowerPoint Presentations and electronic communications (which includes social media). These tactics often slip past the process. Whether it’s through non-branded templates, unapproved content, typos, or horrible clip art,  your brand risks erosion on the front line. The result — your brand equity is damaged, affecting your bottom line and market share.

Brand governance tools offer many benefits to help marketing professionals address these issues, including:

• Bridging the gap between control of the brand and flexibility in customization.
• Offering pre-approved templates, imagery, and content that can help customize communications in a very fast and effective manner.
• Combating misuse of the brand, especially with the highly customized tactics used daily by the front-line team members.

Two of the more popular examples of these tools are PowerPoint Builders and Newsletter Builders.

PowerPoint Builder

This web-based tool allows front-line sales representatives and marketing professionals access to dozens of pre-approved, brand-compliant PPT presentations and slides. Most slides are locked from editing, which protects the brand by ensuring that every PPT template, bullet point, image, and chart is being used consistently among all your representatives. In turn, there are certain areas that are customizable, including title and agenda slides. You can also choose and merge slides from presentations to create exactly what you need for any given audience and opportunity.

Newsletter Builder

Similar to PowerPoint Builder, this tool is web-based and allows front-line sales representatives and marketing professionals access to pre-approved electronic newsletter templates and associated content. Through this tool, users can choose from several pre-approved electronic newsletter templates and populate them with dozens of pre-approved stories, videos, podcasts, etc. Users can simply drag the desired content over to the template where it’s automatically populated and formatted.

This allows you to build a brand-compliant newsletter customized to your client’s individual needs. You can create a one-to-one or a mass newsletter communication in minutes. By connecting the Newsletter Builder into your sales database, you can also send and track the newsletter to see who is opening it and what stories are most relevant.

Value added to the business

There are many other brand governance tools available, including Communication Builders, Virtual Tours, and Message Mapping. In each case, everyone involved can rest assured that true brand alignment is being achieved in look, content, and quality. There is significant value added to the business through these tools:

• Decreased time spent building presentations
• Increased speed-to-market
• Ability to adapt quickly to market changes
• Shortened approval processes

Brand governance tools are great examples of using technology to improve efficiency in your current processes. Once adopted, you will see they are one of the most important tools to protect the investment and integrity of your brand.

Interested? StudioNorth has created and implemented dozens of brand governance tools for Fortune 500 companies around the world. We’d be happy to share our demos and assess your needs. Feel free to contact me directly to set up a time: dougd@studionorth.com

So lighten up on the “Brand Cops!” There is a solution for compliance avoidance and your brand is definitely worth it!

In contrast to incremental innovation, disruptive innovation involves establishing an entirely new platform (for business, communication, etc.) that is so simple, people can adopt and interpret it for their own unique applications. It strongly impacts (and, without a doubt, changes) the way we interact with the world. The Internet and Facebook are prime examples of disruptive innovation where everyday users with evolutionary vision could build on a brand-new foundation . The uncanny adoption of these platforms makes them true game-changers.

With incremental innovation, it’s not about steering the boat in a totally different direction. Small shifts can yield significant results. A unique campaign that increases brand awareness, launches a business line extension, introduces an unconventional site architecture, or redefines segmentation can serve to be incrementally innovative. This is why incremental innovation plays a major role — progressive ideas can make a big impact on many levels, and not just with respect to the bottom line (although there’s no denying that’s a good thing, too!)

Incremental innovation, determined by the net value generated from executing on an idea, needs to be tightly integrated within a client’s strategy to be truly worthy of the title. When a client looks to us as a partner, rather than a vendor, together we can make magic happen. How an incremental innovation is aligned within the client’s business plan is critical to its success. Because ideas have to be sold twice—first to the client, then up the company hierarchy—a unified partnership can help the most innovative ideas see daylight and yield some pretty awesome results. On that note, I reference The Morton Arboretum Perennial Report as a good example of incremental innovation here at StudioNorth.

The Morton Arboretum asked us to design their annual report. From a sustainable and practical standpoint, we recommended they move from print to online. It would be the first time they would do so, and their biggest concern was alienating their less tech-savvy donors. One of the benefits of being online was that the client could manage content on an ongoing basis throughout the year, and avoid the final push to compile year-end data. It would also make the site a vital place for donors to remotely connect with the Arboretum. Both the SN team and client wanted the site to reflect the emotional and experiential properties of an actual visit to the Arboretum’s beautiful preserve.

The final deliverable started with an elegant printed invitation, which housed an abbreviated excerpt of the annual report and invited the reader to view the full report online. We renamed the piece the Perennial Report instead of Annual Report, as it would be resurfacing year after year.

An HTML solution, which would have been easier to manage from a content perspective, just didn’t seem to lend itself to the right user experience. So, the online component was programmed in Flex along with a supporting custom content management system — something that was fairly out of the ordinary for Flex at that time. At completion, the user experience encompassed imagery, tone, motion, and navigation that mirrored the cadence of a walk through a live outdoor experience and supported the Arboretum’s brand personality. It was a unique case of experience design away from the actual experience! In addition to exceeding expectations and adding positive brand value for our client, the site recently won an American Graphic Design award.

July 14, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Margie Mandli, 262-515-6109

NORTH CHICAGO, IL — StudioNorth was awarded a BMA Gold Award for its production of CDW’s calendar, and two Bronze Awards for the International Justice Mission’s (IJM) annual report and Follett Software Company’s web site.  “Today when agencies are under greater pressure and scrutiny to meet business needs and objectives, StudioNorth walked away with not just one but three awards for its ability to creatively meet the needs of its customers,” says Mark Mohr, President and Owner, StudioNorth. “We take pride in being more than just an agency – we partner with our clients to feel their pain and help identify ways to communicate with their stakeholders that help them stand out.”

• The CDW 2011 calendar was developed for IT staff in hospitals and healthcare facilities to position the company as the technology solutions source. StudioNorth developed and applied a futuristic theme to offer an imaginative view of how today’s technologies may morph in the decades – and centuries – ahead. The concept built on CDW’s Healthcare brand by connecting their current healthcare technology offerings to these “out-there” gadgets of the future.

• The International Justice Mission (IJM) Annual Report was designed to effectively communicate IJM’s commitment to protecting those who cannot protect themselves.  “No one else is doing justice work on such a comprehensive scale in the areas of victim relief, perpetrator accountability, victim after-care and community transformation,” said Chris Cacci, Art Director, StudioNorth. “And so we capitalized on this opportunity to depict both tragedy and triumph.”

• The new Follett web site and tagline – support for the life cycle of learning – allows visitors to identify the right educational solutions. “A fresh design was important, but more important was a need to update Follett’s brand positioning and ensure the design conveyed Follett’s brand equity and expertise in the industry, as well as the comprehensive breadth of their solution offerings,” said Jim DeVuono, Director, Client Services.

Business marketers have long sought an easy-to-implement, sure-footed, business process that would simplify and demystify brand messaging development, while getting all stakeholders – both internal and external – “on the same page.” Message Mapper web software service leads marketers through the process of developing a complete messaging platform, ultimately presented in an impressive and practical graphical format that enhances adoption of the messages by internal stakeholders. It helps to operationalize corporate and product brands by aligning messages throughout all stakeholder groups. Message Mapper also helps promote message alignment in external marketing at all brand touchpoints: PR and web, print collateral, advertisements, and sales presentations and other personal interaction. In today’s ultra-fragmented media environment, consistent messaging is essential to effective audience targeting.

Message Mapper’s comprehensive, holistic process walks users through a “Summit Session” involving six distinct steps based on best practices in brand development. The Map Wizard feature helps users analyze information from this cross-functional Summit Session and presents it in a graphical message map format that elegantly and clearly communicates official messaging.

Message Mapper’s co-creators, Greg French, V.P. Strategic Solutions and Andy Goodfellow, V.P. Interactive at StudioNorth, officially launched Message Mapper version 1.0 on April 14, 2009. “We’ve conducted nearly a hundred message mapping Summit Sessions manually over the past 10 years for some of the world’s premier brands. With each one, we improved the process along the way,” says French. “Many users experience continuous value…it just keeps giving back over the lifetime of their brands.” Message Mapper software offers unprecedented flexibility and speeds the process of message development, consolidating the work of three or four different off-the-shelf software packages into a single, easy-to-use interface. “Message Mapper is made for the job…and it gives marketers a lot more control over their messaging,” French continues.

Because Message Mapper is a web-based application, no IT support, upgrading, or installation is required; a standard web browser and login/password gets subscribers up and running in less than two minutes. “Message Mapper is a business application that’s ‘future proof,’ so it grows with your organization,” cites Goodfellow. “It has been built from the ground up with proprietary business logic and emerging technologies, so it’s powerful, yet easy to use, and fits almost any departmental budget.”

For users who prefer facilitation of the process, StudioNorth or its growing network of certified marketing consultant partners, called “Message Masters,” can assist. For an additional fee, these Message Masters can guide corporate users through their first Message Mapper Summit Session and Map Wizard process. The software subscription remains with the user so they may continue to refine and expand their messaging to other products and brands. Strategic marketing consultants are now being recruited for certification nationwide.

For more information visit www.messagemapper.com or contact Andy Goodfellow at andyg@studionorth.com.

About Message Mapper and StudioNorth

Message Mapper is an operating division of StudioNorth focused on development of software solutions that help build brands with technology-driven process. StudioNorth helps its innovative client companies achieve real results with breakthrough brand communications and advanced technologies.

Recently published contributions to the R|L executive blog include “Profitable Diversity: Bridging the Gap Between Workplace Diversity and the Marketplace,” written by Allstate’s chief diversity officer, insights into “Building a Global Company” offered by a global P&L executive, and “Is Your Supply Chain GREEN Enough?” written by Advocate Healthcare System’s Supply Chain VP. The blog can be viewed at http://robertsonlowstuter.wordpress.com.

Creating the blog was a key driver behind the recent revamp and redesign of R|L’s website, accomplished in partnership with StudioNorth, a North Chicago-based integrated brand communications firm. “We have a unique opportunity to mine the ideas of some of our top talent,” explained Clyde Lowstuter, R|L President, CEO and founder. “And we wanted a vehicle to provide access to some of that thought leadership. This is something our clients have been clamoring for.” A soon-to-be published blog by Lowstuter is titled, “I’ve Heard There’s a Recession…I’ve Decided Not to Participate.”

In addressing the overall design and content for the website overhaul, the R|L / StudioNorth team first considered an electronic newsletter format as the platform for sharing these executive insights. “They understood how important it is to keep web content fresh,” noted Mark Mohr, CEO of StudioNorth. “But one of the recurring issues we see with companies who use e-newsletters as customer touch points,” Mohr continued, “is how much effort it takes for them to keep the newsletter going.” Ultimately, R|L realized a blog would be the best way to manage both of these challenges.

In creating this “community of collaboration,” R|L got a tremendous response to their request for submissions from their client and alumni base of industry leaders from all business sectors. “We know the sharpest people, doing cutting-edge work and they’re excited to share with the rest of the R|L community,” Lowstuter added.

In developing the technology side of the website, StudioNorth employed its custom content management system (CMS), allowing R|L staff to easily maintain and update the site’s content on a day-to-day basis while offering extreme creative flexibility. Based on StudioNorth’s recommendation, R|L chose to employ WordPress blogware for its ease of use in managing the executive blog.

R|L has received positive reviews for the new overall look and feel of their website, hearing from more than 100 top executives upon its deployment.

About R | L

Robertson Lowstuter (R|L) is an industry leader in senior-level executive development, coaching, and career transition/outplacement services to executives, teams, and organizations. R|L helps individuals achieve peak performance and companies increase their productivity, profitability, and effectiveness.

Founded in 1981, and headquartered in Bannockburn, IL, a suburb of Chicago, R|L provides executive coaching, high-performance team building, and executive career transition guidance, as well as transformational executive development programs offered through the R|L Leadership Institute.

R|L has counseled thousands of executives and their teams in more than 88 different industries from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies. They enable clients to perform at higher levels of effectiveness by helping them understand the accelerants and inhibitors to their success. Over nearly 30 years, R|L has built an extensive business network and an enthusiastic community of authentic leaders who have passed these transformational skills onto others.

About StudioNorth

StudioNorth helps its innovative client companies achieve real results with breakthrough brand communications and advanced technologies. Founded in 1978, StudioNorth provides strategic marketing and award-winning creative communications supported by in-house multimedia and marketing technologies. This platform comprises a comprehensive partnership for marketers in the education, healthcare, technology, and manufacturing industries.

As they have done for the past several years, the Mohrs will be journeying to the developing world to meet with the beneficiaries of their work and discuss plans for sustainability of their endeavors. Their February 2009 trip will take them back to Kenya, this time accompanied by a group of friends, associates and one of StudioNorth’s employees.

The 18-member party will visit the GUREC School in Nairobi, Kenya, run by the courageous Pastor Regina, providing an oasis of learning and security amidst the chaos of the ghetto. Last year StudioNorth made a contribution that helped Pastor Regina purchase ten acres of land on which to build a new school away from the slums of Nairobi. “Our plan this year is to spend time boosting the children’s morale, helping them build a chicken coop, and supporting their school in any other way we can,” explains Mark Mohr. “We’ll also be delivering a giant banner, filled with encouraging thoughts, wishes and prayers.”

This banner will be created using messages of hope submitted through a microsite [www.studionorth.com/givingback] StudioNorth has designed to tell the stories of the children of the GUREC school and others in the developing world whose lives have been improved through the Mohrs’ work. An invitation to “spread peace and joy and encouragement” through the power of words is being is being widely circulated to promote the banner, which, when printed, has the potential to be up to 100 feet long.

While in Kenya, the group will visit another school in Kibera, the largest slum in Nairobi. They also will make a side trip to Nyharubu, a village outside Nairobi, where they will be talking to local businessmen, setting up a water purifier the group is delivering, and determining other ways in which they can have a positive impact on the region.

The Mohrs will also be following the progress of a separate initiative they are driving to save the street children of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Preliminary discussions revealed that the local culture was more conducive to supporting foster family arrangements than an orphanage. In light of this knowledge, plans are in the works to empower potential foster families through the establishment of sustainable, reproducible micro-enterprise solutions.

Their newly established NGO is currently training leaders for a pilot program and preparing to hire a dedicated program director with small business experience to serve as mentor and coach, and stay connected to the foster families. A typical model for such a program would involve providing a sewing machine, along with training, coaching and ongoing support, to facilitate a tailoring business generating enough profit for a family to support one or more foster children.

“The world’s problems loom large,” notes Mohr. “And we want to make a difference. Instead of sending our clients popcorn or a fruitcake, we’re making a contribution on their behalf, working to build a foundation for a better, safer world for everyone. These efforts could not be more critical, especially in this time of global economic uncertainty, when we’re all feeling less secure.”

About StudioNorth

StudioNorth helps its innovative client companies achieve real results with breakthrough brand communications and advanced technologies. Founded in 1978, StudioNorth provides strategic marketing and award-winning creative communications supported by in-house multimedia and marketing technologies. This platform comprises a comprehensive partnership for marketers in the education, healthcare, technology, and manufacturing industries.