Live an extraordinary life

That’s a tall order. I know the folks at Bishop Gadsden are living such an existence. Big Gnome joined Blue Ion’s creative team to write the new web site for this life care retirement community in Charleston, S.C.

Mike Henry sums up the project nicely on Blue Ion’s blog. The passion for life that permeates the community, from the residents, as well as the leadership and staff – and their ability to articulate that passion – gave me, as a writer, a strong, creative base from which to develop the content.

Another tall order was to avoid the traditional positioning and verbiage of retirement community marketing, which is about as fresh as 30-year-old potpourri.

Off-limit wording included “peace of mind” and even “retirement.” Bishop Gadsden residents are anything but retired.

We also had fun developing different elements to the site, including resident profiles, an interactive map of Charleston, and a sweet, sliding timeline of Bishop Gadsden’s milestones.

The Force was with us.

A colleague referred us to one of its clients, a legal nurse consulting firm, to produce its first round of business cards and collateral. Under a ridiculously tight deadline to get the materials concepted, written, designed and printed, Big Gnome rocked it out.

Many thanks to Cheryl Barnette, one of our designers, for pulling some Jedi mind reading and producing perfection from the get-go. The client was so thrilled, we went on to design its full suite of identity materials.

Hot off the press

Before the holidays, Big Gnome worked with General Recreation, a company specializing in the design and installation of parks, playgrounds, skate parks, and other outdoor leisure areas, to create its first quarterly newsletter, The Recreation Landscape, for its South Carolina market.

The production experience was amazing, with the client so well-engaged in the process that we finished ahead of schedule. During this time, the client upped the quantity and decided to have us create a second version for its Pennsylvania/ Delaware/New Jersey market for Spring 2008.

A special thanks to General Recreation for simply being enjoyable to work with. And congrats on the meeting you guys landed with Charleston County Schools after they received the newsletter a few weeks ago.

PR secrets…shhhh, don’t tell…

Public relations secret number one: do pr. Ok, ok it’s not that simple. Often, the results are not immediate. But, when they are, holy smokes, clients are pleased.

Earlier this fall, I set up an interview for Period Three, a sweet web development firm in Columbia, SC, on the South Carolina Business Review radio show. Here’s what happened…

“I’ve gotten probably 20 phone calls and we’ve landed at least 3 clients from that interview. You rock for that idea and I owe your entire family dinner…”

- Gene Crawford
Owner, Period Three

We only eat filet mignon, Gene.
Ok, so they did an interview. If the firm didn’t get positive feedback or responses, then, that’s no help. But, here’s a comment they received via email:

“Just wanted to drop an email and say how refreshing it was to hear about you on NPR last week. Your CEO (can’t remember his name) was very on point about everything that’s good about web design, and it was awesome to listen to. I’m on board with anyone who thinks flash intros should go away forever and never ever come back.

Anyway, thanks for restoring my faith that even here in little Columbia, SC we have people that know how to use something else besides tables and a scrolling marquee.

- Mike”

I’m sure Gene doesn’t mind the dude forgot his name. They have three new clients now.

Mini site for money condos

In partnership with Blue Ion, I had the pleasure of developing copy for a small Web site to promote hot, new townhomes in a West Ashley, SC neighborhood undergoing revitalization. The Windermere Townhomes site was fun to write because it was a project that you could put yourself directly into the reader’s shoes. I tried to sell myself a townhome. It’s cool that the client kept in a shout-out to Gene’s Haufbrau, boasting the best selection of beers on tap in probably all of Charleston. Cheers!

Email marketing goes green

Two different clients knocked our socks off this week for the same reason. They understood that building a email database of qualified contacts takes time, effort and patience – and will pay off when the email marketing campaign begins. One client is starting this process, while the other, EduCare, has been cultivating their list for several years. No shady list purchases. Just all-natural, organic growing methods.

Within a half an hour of sending out their e-message, EduCare’s phone was ringing off the hook and emails were coming in for orders of their new line of breast health patient education brochures. They’re ecstatic, not only with the fresh, new design of their marketing materials, but with the immediate results of their campaign.