what's with the shovel?Media Relations and Great Label Design—The Perfect Storm
Last year, the Pelican Pub & Brewery released the first batch of a bourbon barrel-aged barleywine called The Perfect Storm—a beer for true aficionados. Only 119 cases were produced so the Pelican wanted to create a buzz around the 2009 batch and ensure it sold quickly in order to create demand for next year. At $20 a bottle, we were up for the challenge.
Our PR team decided to start with the avid beer drinkers and their followers—beer bloggers. We reached out to several well-known Portland bloggers (one who wrote a long, rave review) and kept the bloggers updated on the number of cases left. These updates were then spread over a variety of social media, creating the sense of urgency the Pelican was looking for. Half the Pelican’s cases were pre-sold and the other half sold in less than two weeks. Buzz created, mission accomplished, great beer distributed. Of course the label we designed didn’t hurt the effort either.
Public Involvement through Social Media—The Portland Plan
Our clients at the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning & Sustainability came to us for help in shaping a city planning process that is anything but typical. For starters, the Portland Plan is a once in 30-year plan that will set the course for investment in Portland for the next three decades. In addition the City truly wants as much community input as possible, reaching beyond the “usual suspects.” Coates Kokes has been working fast and furiously with the City of Portland to engage its residents in this process that has just gotten underway.
When thinking about city planning, the image of a sassy grandmother shaking her finger doesn’t usually come to mind. But it was this kind of unusual visual approach combined with provocative language, such as “…Who gives a rip what you think?” that is bringing people’s attention to the cause.
In concert with our direct marketing and media relations efforts for the Portland Plan, social media is providing the backbone of the outreach effort. The social network and microblog platforms in Facebook and Twitter are allowing us to engage citizens who might otherwise be left out of the conversation. Specifically social media are being used to provide an opportunity for “lite” engagement, where people can give the City input in a context that is comfortable for them and where they provide more input than the City would have otherwise received. We also know from our work in behavior change that these lower-bar opportunities for engagement warm the audience up to more involved forms of civic participation—yes even stepping to the mic in a public meeting. Although the ultimate goal is to get Portlanders to attend one of the seven workshops, social media allows them to share insightful facts with friends, give some feedback within minutes and engage with the City in a whole new way.
The campaign kicked off with a news conference with Portland Mayor Sam Adams. The social media campaign has been launched and response so far has already been above expectations. Portlanders are giving their opinions, making suggestions and engaging with the Portland Plan on Twitter and Facebook in a way that the City has never seen with a process like this. The campaign is translating into civic action too, as the first workshop was attended by a standing room only crowd of engaged residents.
Granny Franny is named Portland's next top model
Last week the postcard we created for the Portland Plan hit mailboxes around the city—now our model is famous…or at least The Oregonian says so. Reporter Anne Saker calls Mary Frances “Portland’s next top model.” We agree. Check out the great coverage.
We're hiring an Interactive Art Director!
Mike, the Creative Director will be taking all applications at mike@coateskokes.com. Send 'em on in!
Coates Kokes is looking to add an Interactive Art Director to contribute in the conception and production of website design, interactive interfaces, online advertising and other digital communications such as social media and mobile marketing. This person will thrive while working with a team on projects for both consumer brands as well as business to business communications. The emphasis will be on driving overall look and feel of interactive campaigns and then working with developers through the completion of work. In addition, this person will be responsible for working with the creative director in order to searnlessly integrate interactive campaigns with overall advertising efforts.
Main functions:
- Creative concepting
- Design of compelling user-centered visual design concepts for interactive products, optimizing the use of screen layout and user interface elements.
- Establishes overall creative direction and creative platform for project based on creative brief, project objectives, and client and user needs analysis.
Requirements:
- 2–5 years experience in interactive website design, agency experience preferred.
- Expert in use of software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. used in the design and production of advanced interface graphics and highly creative web experiences.
- Strong design style, knowledge of typography, user-centered design principles and creative design problem solving skills.
- Strong understanding of capabilities of various web browsers and development constraints of the Web and other interactive media. Additionally the ideal applicant has a keen interest in interactive trends including social media and mobile advertising.
We offer a full range of benefits including health, dental, vision, life insurance, 401k, Tri-Met tickets, bike subsidy and more. Salary compensatory based on experience.
We are an equal opportunity employer and do not consider an individual's, race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, disability, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation or veteran status when making an employment decision.
Rain or shine, baby. Rain or shine.
It was a wet ride in this morning. What you can't see is the pool of water forming at Karl's feet or the socks he had to wring out. That's dedication.
Granny transformation
Today, the CK crew went to photograph our client's grandmother for a citywide postcard. She was most likely the nicest grandmother you'll ever meet, but our task was to make her as angry as possible. Check out the transformation.
Watch out, Portland!
The Entire Agency has H1N1!
Coates Kokes has been hired by Oregon’s Department of Human Resources to create television commercials, print ads and other elements of an awareness campaign geared to help the state handle the pandemic swine flu here in Oregon.
Already working on the Smokefree Oregon brand and other causes, this adds another to our roster. With H1N1, as many as 40% of the population is expected to contract the flu, so this is a serious public health issue.
In addition to TV and print, we’ll be planning and placing media, and employing mobile and social media to spread the word. What we wish wasn't spreading is this bug. It's a doozie. Look for the campaign to break in early November and for all of us to be washing our hands a lot.
Eating Our Words
We talk about localness and sustainability and now for the third year, we got to eat our words. Tasty words they were this year too. We're talking about the third annual CK 100-Mile Potluck. For those who missed it, the idea is to cook something up that uses as many ingredients grown and processed within 100 miles of CK headquarters.
Awards are given for most local ingredients, best tasting and for best presentation. This year an Oregon-style African soup took the ingredients category. A tomato basil tart won for presentation. And taste went to a tomato zucchini gratin. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone who participated.
You Can Do It if You Put Some Local to It!
The third annual CK 100-Mile Potluck is almost here. A reminder about how it works and what’s at stake:
Everyone who wants to participate should plan on bringing something ready to be consumed by 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 8th. Prizes will be awarded in the following three categories: 1) most local ingredients (within 100 miles), 2) best tasting and 3) best presentation.
Pick up an official ingredient list document during the week of October 5th to record where your ingredients came from. This will be the deciding factor for the “Most Local Ingredients” prize winner. For the other two categories, each employee of the agency is a judge and will vote for his or her favorite. Each entry must contain a minimum of one local ingredient.
Prizes will be awarded the following Friday@4. Good luck!
Official rules and regulations vary from office to office and desk to desk. Employees, family, friends, neighbors, pets and ghostly counterparts from other agencies are not eligible. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary (though having someone else buy your ingredients makes you weak). All inquiries should be submitted to the Committee for Potlucks of the 100 Mile Variety by mail in a self-sealing, airtight, wood-textured aluminum envelope to 34 NW First Avenue, Suite 300 Portland Oregon 97209.
Three for three. Go team!
The nonprofit, New Buildings Institute (NBI) has hired us to work with their Office of the Future Consortium (OTF) to help them implement the new, national Advanced Energy Office program (AEO). Are you keeping up? Less confusing than who we’re working for is what the program does and what we’ll be doing. First, the program’s goal is to work with building owners and property managers to pilot projects that will reduce energy used by lighting, plug load and HVAC systems by 25% over current codes, while improving lighting quality and occupant comfort. Our job will be to support the program’s business-to-business marketing needs by reaching out to owners and tenants through web development, print, PR and collateral.
