Dazzle Issue 5: Growth
We’re excited to present Ideaworks Marketing’s latest issue of Dazzle, our award-winning agency magazine. We sincerely hope that you enjoy this issue, as we’ve worked hard to showcase the growth and success of our agency over the past 20 years with the hope that it inspires fresh ideas for your own personal and professional growth. A few articles that might be of particular interest to you include: “20 years of Passion and Perseverance,” an infographic look at the past two decades in business, along with a note from our team (pg. 6) “From My Perspective: Growing as a Women-Owned Business,” an insightful message from Ideaworks owner Judy Steve (pg. 9) “Sowing Seeds of Success,” our feature article that highlights new initiatives and our continuously evolving portfolio (pg. 10) “Life@197,” which includes snapshots of what’s new and exciting with our team (pg. 16)
We’re excited to present Ideaworks Marketing’s latest issue of Dazzle, our award-winning agency magazine. We sincerely hope that you enjoy this issue, as we’ve worked hard to showcase the growth and success of our agency over the past 20 years with the hope that it inspires fresh ideas for your own personal and professional growth.
A few articles that might be of particular interest to you include:
“20 years of Passion and Perseverance,” an infographic look at the past two decades in business, along with a note from our team (pg. 6)
“From My Perspective: Growing as a Women-Owned Business,” an insightful message from Ideaworks owner Judy Steve (pg. 9)
“Sowing Seeds of Success,” our feature article that highlights new initiatives and our continuously evolving portfolio (pg. 10)
“Life@197,” which includes snapshots of what’s new and exciting with our team (pg. 16)
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expansion authenticity Success
ISSUE 5
growth
focus
4 5 6
EDITOR’S LETTER
FROM CHELSEY TUPPER
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING
COMMUNICATIONS
IN IT FOR THE
LONG RUN
AN INFOGRAPHIC LOOK
AT SMALL BUSINESS LONGEVITY
THE REEL DEAL
BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF
OUR NEW AGENCY VIDEO
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE:
GROWING AS A
WOMEN-OWNED
BUSINESS
INSIGHTS FROM IDEAWORKS
OWNER, JUDY STEVE
20 YEARS OF PASSION
& PERSEVERANCE
8 9 10
SOWING SEEDS
OF SUCCESS
FEATURE ARTICLE
14 16 17
CELEBRATING
LIFE @ 197 UNDERSTANDING THE
GROWTH & SUCCESS
A LOOK AT WHAT’S NEW “VALUE” OF VALUE-BASED
AT THE AMERICAN
WITH OUR TEAM
ADVERTISING AWARDS
AGREEMENTS
INSIGHTS FROM IDEAWORKS
OWNER & CCO, PETER STEVE
contents
EDITORIAL
Editor-in-Chief: Chelsey Tupper
Contributing Editor: Alyssa Ellsworth
Art Director: Allison Simenkiewicz
Contributing Art Director: Gabby Creazzo
CONTACT US
Call Us: 570-609-5650
Email Us: info@ideaworks.marketing
Visit Our Website: ideaworks.marketing
FOLLOW US
@IdeaworksAgency
facebook.com/IdeaworksMarketing
@ideaworksmarketing
Ideaworks Marketing
2 DAZZLE: ISSUE FIVE DAZZLE: ISSUE FIVE 3
EDITOR’S LETTER
CHELSEY TUPPER, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
ALLISON SIMENKIEWICZ
PRODUCER & DIRECTOR
BRIAN LEONARD
CONTRIBUTING PRODUCER
CHELSEY TUPPER
CONTRIBUTING SCRIPTWRITER
ALYSSA ELLSWORTH
CONTRIBUTING SCRIPTWRITER
GET OUT OF YOUR
COMFORT ZONE
A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT OUR NEW AGENCY VIDEO
Our video producer/director Allison Simenkiewicz and members of our team got
together to share details of the creative process behind our new agency video and
discuss how filming this project in-house drew all of us closer together.
Most mornings, you can find
me at the gym, getting a good
sweat session in before a busy
day at the office. Waking up in
the wee hours of the morning
isn’t fun, but it’s the best time to
go since I’m also a workaholic
who stays late at the office most
nights. While working out, it isn’t
unusual to hear a trainer say,
“Getting out of your comfort
zone is when you see change –
it’s when the magic happens.”
I wholeheartedly agree with that
statement and have also found
that it rings true in many aspects
of life – not just when you’re
pushing your body to the max.
For me, my career is one facet in
which that saying is especially
true. Excitingly enough, I
celebrated my two-year
anniversary with Ideaworks in
May. When I think about it, two
years doesn’t seem possible,
4 DAZZLE: ISSUE FIVE
but then I recall how much I’ve
grown in my career since, and it
feels much longer – in a good
way! I attribute much of my
growth to my bosses Donna and
Peter, who have each pushed
me to become a better writer,
editor, manager, presenter
and communicator – a more
seasoned professional overall.
They have asked me to handle
projects, clients and situations
that were new to me, posed
a bit of a challenge or were a
healthy mix of both. I also credit
this growth to my colleagues at
Ideaworks as there have been
many times when we’ve had to
figure out a solution to an issue
we didn’t foresee or think outside
of the box about a project. And,
by no means can I forget to
mention the clients I’ve had the
pleasure of working with since
coming on board. Being faced
with new projects or requests
on a daily basis will undoubtedly
force you out of your comfort
zone – fast!
I am not a fan of plateauing.
When I feel that way with my
workouts, I shake things up.
When I feel that way with my
professional growth, I read, I
research, I do whatever I can to
combat it. However, since joining
Ideaworks, I haven’t felt stagnant.
I’ve always felt challenged; I’ve
always felt motivated to go
outside of my comfort zone. It’s
one thing (out of the many) I love
about this agency.
As we all know, life isn’t always
comfortable. While some
probably wish it were that
way more often than not, it’s
no reason to get into a funk.
Embrace the uncomfortable.
See what you can learn in the
midst of those situations. For
businesses and people alike,
those that don’t take risks
and get out of the comfort
zone are also those that don’t
grow, achieve goals and feel
accomplished. Twenty years ago,
Peter and our VP of operations
Patty didn’t let the uncertainty of
starting a marketing agency hold
them back. Instead, they each
got out of their comfort zones
and began Ideaworks Marketing.
The rest is history.
“I have enjoyed working
with our team on this video
project as it has helped to
strengthen my video production skills.
It’s also always fun to work on a creative
project of this nature. I couldn’t wait to
share the final cut of the video with our
team; I was so excited for everyone to
see what I created!”
– Allison Simenkiewicz,
producer & director
“One of the many things I find gratifying
about what we do is how we take a
concept and work together to bring it
to life. Our new agency video started
off as a group discussion, and it’s been
fun to be part of the process since the
beginning, especially when I had no
idea how we were going to pull off an
in-house shoot. Our team never ceases
to amaze me though, and the shoot
moved along seamlessly. This video was
truly a team effort, and certainly evokes
the theme of togetherness all the way
through – just how we
wanted it to.”
– Chelsey Tupper,
contributing scriptwriter
PETER STEVE
DONNA HANSBURY
PATTY PUGH
ALLISON SIMENKIEWICZ
STARRING
CHELSEY TUPPER
BRIAN LEONARD
ALYSSA ELLSWORTH
“Creatively speaking, we set
collective targets for the video,
and I sincerely believe we hit
each one. We wanted to speak
to who we are. We wanted to make
people laugh. We wanted to show our
edge and our desire to do whatever it
takes to get a job done right. And above
all, we wanted to do everything as a
team.”
– Alyssa Ellsworth,
contributing scriptwriter
“I jumped at the chance to work on
our agency video! Even more exciting
for me was the opportunity to show
off our agency’s personality. We work
extremely hard, but we also have a
tremendous amount of fun as well.
I think the video will be an amazing
tool for clients to see our natural
talents and each personality we have
in the office. We came together as
a team, played off of one another’s
strengths and produced a
really stellar piece!”
– Brian Leonard,
contributing producer
KELLY ALANSKY
GABBY CREAZZ0
ELISHA CAPIE
CHRIS KONNICK
SERVED OVER 345 CUSTOMERS
Thank you!
EMPLOYED MORE THAN
82 TEAM MEMBERS
COMPLETED
MORE THAN
6,600
PROJECTS
WON MORE THAN
55
AMERICAN
ADVERTISING
FEDERATION
AWARDS
BELONGED TO MORE
THAN 10 PROFESSIONAL
ORGANIZATIONS
CREATED
MORE THAN
70 VIDEO
PRODUCTIONS
AFTER 20 YEARS OF
PASSION & PERSEVERANCE ,
IDEAWORKS HAS…
All of us at Ideaworks
Marketing are proud to
announce that 2018 marks
our 20th year in business.
It was on July 20, 1998
that we first opened our
doors and started the
process toward
becoming a full-fledged
marketing company.
20 YEARS
OF PASSION & PERSEVERANCE
What started with two employees and a simple goal to
“help our clients succeed” has resulted in achieving two
decades of innovation and steady growth.
Today, Ideaworks has more than a dozen talented
professionals on staff, each with their own unique skill
sets and agency expertise. Our company’s success
and longevity are due, in large part, to these creative
individuals, and the many others before them, who
never settled for “good enough” and who always looked
for ways to make our work innovative, engaging and
results-oriented.
These past 20 years have been an intense yet incredible
journey filled with many accomplishments. We want
to take this opportunity to thank our terrific clients
and customers. Without them, there would be no
Ideaworks. We also want to thank our many partners
and associates who have helped us produce awardwinning
work. Finally, a huge thank you to our families
for understanding the long nights, the countless road
trips and missed gatherings because work had to get
done. Here’s to another 20 years and more. Cheers!
PURCHASED
MORE THAN
25
COMPUTERS
SPENT
MORE THAN
$21,000
IN STOCK
PHOTOGRAPHY
&
DOWNLOADED
OVER 19,934
PHOTOS, VIDEOS &
ILLUSTRATIONS
BEEN TO 25 STATES
AND 2 COUNTRIES FOR
BUSINESS TRIPS
SUPPORTED
MORE THAN 15
COMMUNITY CHARITIES
BEEN
LOCATED IN
2 OFFICES
& NOW RESIDE
IN WYOMING &
PENNSYLVANIA
(AKA: WYOMING, PA)!
SUBSCRIBED
TO MORE THAN
20 MAGAZINES
& NEWSPAPERS
ANNUALLY
PRESENTED AT
MORE THAN
6
NATIONAL
CONFERENCES
& CONVENTIONS
6 DAZZLE: ISSUE FIVE DAZZLE: ISSUE FIVE 7
RISK FACTORS
IN IT FOR THE LONG RUN
A LOOK AT SMALL BUSINESS LONGEVITY
AMERICA’S SMALL BUSINESSES AT A GLANCE
55 MILLION
WORKERS
were employed
by small
businesses in
2010, mostly in
firms with 20-
499 employees.
RISKY BUSINESS
Today’s small businesses have
generated 65% of net new jobs
over the past 17 years, but many
owners believe the current economy will
hinder their opportunities for growth.
Slow Economic
67% Recovery
59%
56%
Taxes
Uncertainties about
Federal Regulations
Despite these hindering factors,
33% of small business owners
are optimistic that the economy
will get stronger.
79.4%
of business
owners have
no other
employees,
and most have
fewer than 20.
WORKING
TOWARDS
SUCCESS
When it comes to
running a successful
small business, owners
are crediting several
factors for keeping
their doors open,
including their
employees’ hard work
and fewer regulations.
68% of small
business owners
feel their businesses
are operating at a
successful level.
In 2011,
more establishments
opened than closed.
Quarterly Established Openings
Quarterly Established Closings
OPEN
2010
1,433,703
Bankruptcies 47,806
With 50% of the nation’s
small businesses closing
up shop in their first year,
it can be hard to stay
optimistic about small
business longevity. What
are the secrets to staying
in business and locking
down success?
Let’s take a look.
% change
from 2009
1.4%
1,424,390 -0.7%
-15.1%
STAYING ON TOP
Business owners are working hard to stay in business. Here are
some of the steps they actively take to keep their doors open:
80% 76%
69% 65%
Finding ways to cut costs
Strengthening existing client relations
Looking for new clients
Refining business strategies
A larger pool of
qualified employees
47%
Improved demand
for products &
services
CURRENT TOP INDUSTRIES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
According to small business
owners, their success can be
attributed to:
43%
Fewer rules
and regulations
57%
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE:
Growing as a
women-owned business
Earlier this year, individuals around the world recognized International
Women’s Day, celebrating the many commendable achievements and
advancements women have made in the workforce and beyond.
As I reflect on women’s many achievements and what they mean for
Ideaworks, I am grateful for the opportunities we have had through the
years to grow and develop as a WBENC-certified women-owned business.
This year marks our 20th year in business, and it is an honor to work
with such a talented group of career-minded women, including
Ideaworks’ president & CEO Donna Hansbury, vice president of creative
and operations Patty Pugh and director of marketing communications
Chelsey Tupper. Together with these ladies and the rest of our talented
team, we have dedicated ourselves to delivering the best marketing and
creative work for our clients. Our entire team showcases attributes that I
believe are crucial to have not only in a women-owned business but in
any business enterprise. Characteristics like sheer talent, respect for one
another’s unique abilities, and a willingness to work hard, dive deep, and
actively immerse ourselves in each client’s industry. These are the qualities
that make our agency valuable to our clients and competitive in today’s
ever-changing marketplace.
It’s an honor to have built this business and team with my fellow female
executives. I am genuinely grateful year-over-year that Ideaworks is a
women-owned business, dedicated to solving clients’ most pressing
marketing challenges with innovation, creativity and an exceptionally
talented team.
CANDY
The confectionary
industry, as a whole,
grew 3.7% during the
52-week period
ending April 19,
according to the
National Confectioners
Association.
MOBILE APPS
Venture-capitial firms
such as Kleiner Perkins
have begun investing
in app producers to
capitalize on this
growing trend. The
Sand Hill Road firm
has earmarked $100
million for the market.
ACCOUNTING
SERVICES
Private accounting
firms have seen a
20.9% growth in
profit over the last 12
months, according to
data from Sageworks.
FAST-CASUAL
DINING
With a growing trend
in gourmet food
trucks, business has
the potential to boom.
It’s predicted that food
truck industry
revenues will grow
over the next 5 years.
GREEN
CONSTRUCTION
The overall green
building market is
expected to more than
double from $49
billion to $140 billion
this year, according to
a report from
McGraw-Hill.
-Judy Steve,
Owner
WHERE TO THRIVE
1. AUSTIN, TX 2. OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 3. DENVER, CO 4. RALEIGH, NC 5. SALT LAKE CITY, UT
6. DURHAM, NC
8 DAZZLE: ISSUE FOUR
7. SEATTLE, WA 8. HOUSTON, TX 9. NEW YORK, NY 10. SAN JOSE, CA
Original Source: The Hartford, U.S. Small Business Administration, Business Journals, Inc.com
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How Ideaworks Continues
to Evolve Its Portfolio After
20 Years in Business
written by: ALYSSA ELLSWORTH
cultivation
Achievement
progress
focus
When a child is learning how plants grow, a teacher
or parent often places a few items in front of him or her: a pot, soil,
seeds, water. Whomever is doing the instruction goes on to explain
the process. First, take your seed and push it into the soil. Cover it. Pour
a little water on – not too much. Set your pot in the sunshine. Water it
each day. Wait patiently. The desired outcome, of course, is to show
the child that with some work – the right conditions for growth and
a little tenacity – seedlings become full-fledged plants. As a child
matures, one might hope that this becomes an analogy for his or
her work ethic.
As business professionals, this analogy, though simple, is one that
shouldn’t be lost just because we might have learned it when
we couldn’t comprehend its deeper implications. In marketing,
especially for business owners and operators, it is crucial to
continue “watering” your business. Without embracing current
technological innovations, exploring new avenues for expansion
and learning about clients’ most pressing challenges in order to
offer actionable solutions, we become stagnant. We are no longer
valuable, no longer the kind of lush, green plants that once bore
fruit. If a business turns stagnant, clients and prospects will, quite
simply, take their business elsewhere.
We are proud to say that the growth analogy
has not been lost on us at Ideaworks, even
as we proudly celebrated our 20th year
in business this past July. As marketing
professionals, we’ve continued “watering.”
We’ve continued examining the right
conditions for growth, much like a child
places a pot in the sunlight, filled with hope.
We’ve continued to exert that tenacity so
we can sow the seeds of success through
two new initiatives: gemworx and GPS
Marketing small business packages.
10
DAZZLE: ISSUE FOUR 11
10 DAZZLE: ISSUE FIVE DAZZLE: ISSUE FIVE 11
Don’t shy away from encouraging your clients to leave you an online review;
these reviews will greatly help to build your business and increase your brand’s
online visibility through search engine optimization (SEO). This is because the
more people talk about your brand online, the more likely it will be for your
website to appear on the first page of results for searches performed on Google,
Bing or Yahoo. Some SEO experts claim that reviews represent around 9.8% of
all ranking factors. Additionally, online reviews are absolutely crucial for those
brands that wish to stand out from their competition.
Other reasons online reviews are so important include:
of people trust online
reviews as much as they do
personal recommendations
of people first check out a business or service
online; this means that most of the time,
prospective clients will form their initial opinion
on your catering business solely based on what
the reviews state
of people will only interact with brands
that have positive reviews, BUT if you do
get a negative review, take the time to
try and reconcile the situation because
the reviewer just might come back and
leave a positive note
ONLINE MARKETING
Introducing
Ideaworks president & CEO Donna Hansbury’s brainchild, gemworx
is a subscription-based online marketing platform built for caterers of
any size. It is designed as an innovative tool that affords caterers the
ability to create customized marketing collateral and event materials
in a matter of minutes. Subscribers simply select a design from an
extensive collection in the gemworx library, then customize the
content with their own logo, photos and the like. Caterers can then
download PDFs of their collateral or place an order for printing.
A GEMWORX SUBSCRIPTION GIVES CATERERS ACCESS TO:
table
12 DAZZLE: ISSUE FIVE
Burgundy Beef Tips
with Mushrooms
Braised Beef Tips in a Burgundy Wine and
Beef Stock Reduction with Onions,
Mushrooms and Fresh Herbs
Bailey &James
TOGETHER WITH THEIR FAMILIES
REQUEST THE PLEASURE OF YOUR
COMPANY AT THE CELEBRATION
OF THEIR WEDDING
SATURDAY
AUGUST 26 2018
SAINT VINCENT CHURCH
1601 VETTEN WAY, CHICAGO, ILLNOIS
dinner to fo low
AT FOUR
O’CLOCK
Hundreds of
professionally
designed tools and
materials created
specifically for
catering businesses
Marketing tools
that individuals can
customize with their
brand identity and
information
Operational items
like item identifiers
and table cards
that can be easily
personalized
Themed collateral
that caterers can use
individually or as an
entire campaign
90%
88%
72%
Revenue-generating
materials like invitations
and save-the-date cards
that event professionals
can sell to their
customers
Marketing resources
like white papers and
tip sheets to maximize
caterers’ marketing
efforts
Since launching gemworx at the annual Catersource
Conference and Tradeshow in Las Vegas earlier
this year, our team has been working hard to make
subscriptions even more valuable to users and
celebrating our collective success.
GPS
small
business
packages
GPS
GROWTH • PROFITS • SUCCESS
A SIMPLIFIED APPROACH TO CREATING A MARKETING PLAN THAT YOU WILL USE – NOT LOSE.
Built from years of industry experience, our team developed GPS Marketing:
A Simplified Approach to Creating a Marketing Plan You Will Use, Not Lose. This is
a powerful tool that helps turn any small or large business’ ideas and visions into an
easy-to-use, actionable marketing plan. We are currently in the process of putting
together small business packages to attract more local clients, partnering with them
to create actionable plans that boost sales and improve ROI.
Completing the GPS Marketing workbook is the first step in this process,
and it’s broken into five key areas, including:
TRUE NORTH: Where a business must conduct an honest
assessment of where it is in terms of its market, customers and
competition. The section includes sample questions business
professionals should ask themselves, a simple grid to conduct
a S.W.O.T. (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats)
analysis and more.
ROUTE: Where business professionals want to go in order to
grow their companies and increase profitability. Professionals
are asked to take this step after they have determined who
they are as a company. The Route section propels individuals
to establish S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, attainable/
achievable, relevant and timely) goals using a template that
separates what they want to achieve, how they measure their
success, what actions are taken to achieve the goal and the
timeframe needed to complete it.
NAVIGATION: Where a business determines how to get
where they want to be through the use of strategies (the “map
view”) and tactics (“the turn-by-turn” perspective). Strategies
are determined by setting a reasonable expectation for producing
a desired outcome, e.g. “Communicate with clients at least 12
times per year to engage them and encourage new business
referrals.” Tactics are the specific actions you take, e.g. “Email a
monthly newsletter to clients featuring blog articles. Include links
to the blog, social media sites and upcoming events.”
SYSTEM DISPLAY: Where a business determines
what they want to say and where, i.e. the messaging and
mediums. The section includes mediums for consideration,
like loyalty programs, e-mail marketing, public relations efforts
and QR codes. Tips are also provided so businesses can craft
appropriate messages for their target audience that add value
to their lives.
EXPENSE REPORT: Where a business develops its
all-important budget. This is where professionals must
determine what they can afford to do without putting their
company’s financial health in jeopardy. A marketing budget
calculator is included for use.
When Donna presented on the GPS Marketing
Plan at the Catersource conference earlier this
year, she left her audience with a valuable piece
of advice echoing Benjamin Franklin:
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”
This sentiment has proven true to Ideaworks time
and time again, especially as we continue to evolve
our portfolio even after 20 years in business.
DAZZLE: ISSUE FIVE 13
CELEBRATING GROWTH
& SUCCESS AT THE AMERICAN
ADVERTISING AWARDS
SELF-REFLECTION: It’s a beautifully necessary act,
both in business and in our personal lives, whether done in
the comfort of our own homes early in the morning, while
driving home after a long day or as we take time to look at
the past year in review.
At the beginning of each year, we look forward to the
self-reflection that comes with compiling our submissions
for Northeast Pennsylvania’s annual American Advertising
Awards (formerly known as the “ADDYS”). Like in any
reflective moment, the questions begin to roll. What creative
work really pushed the envelope last year? How did we grow
as an agency, and how does our work reflect that? We put
trust in our best creative efforts and submit projects that
showcase who we are – those pieces that best speak to
our strengths.
SILVER AWARD
SNAPSHOTS
DIRECT MAIL CAMPAIGN
“Innovation meets nostalgia” was the unspoken theme of the campaign that
earned us a silver award in Direct Mail. We sent View-Masters® to this client’s
prospects, urging them to envision a partnership with this particular company.
SELF-
PROMOTION
We took a comical approach
to our 2018 calendar, featuring
some “almost famous”
four-legged friends while
paying tribute to our charity
of choice, Blue Chip Farm
Animal Refuge in Dallas, PA.
“CREATIVITY REQUIRES THE COURAGE
TO LET GO OF CERTAINTIES.”
– ERICH FROMM
President & CEO Donna Hansbury and marketing communications
manager Alyssa Ellsworth enjoying the Awards dinner
This year’s American Advertising Awards Dinner was held at
the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel in Scranton, PA. We
accepted three silver awards in the Self-Promotion, Direct
Mail and Brand Campaign categories with submissions that
showcase some of our strongest capabilities:
• Reinforcing consistent messaging
and design across multiple platforms
• Infusing projects with humor
and nostalgia where appropriate
• Using innovative marketing efforts to elicit a strong
response from our clients’ target audience(s)
BRAND CAMPAIGN
This lively set of health and wellness resources encouraged
individuals to take charge of their own well-being in the workplace.
Alyssa accepting our three new American Advertising Awards
Appropriately, the theme of this year’s Awards Dinner was
Hollywood, which, when you think about it, is where individuals
go when they have dreams of making it big, and once
there, they aren’t afraid to let go of certainties with courage.
Members of our team had a most enjoyable evening filled with
networking, camaraderie and celebration, and we accepted our
awards knowing they reflect collective growth and success that
will only continue in the years ahead.
14 DAZZLE: ISSUE FIVE DAZZLE: ISSUE FIVE 15
L IF E @ 197
IT IS WHAT IT IS
PETER STEVE, OWNER & CCO
Kelly Alansky, our new initiatives
manager, is enjoying watching her
son Porter play t-ball for the first time!
He’s excited to be on team Dash!
Kelly also
welcomed Eden
Lane Alansky
into the world
on July 8 th !
Welcome to the Ideaworks
family, Eden!
UNDERSTANDING THE
VALUE OF VALUE-BASED
AGREEMENTS
Donna Hansbury,
president & CEO,
thoroughly enjoys watching
her great-niece grow into
the coolest little person
on the block. Harper is
coming up on two years old
already this September –
wow, how time flies!
On April 25th,
in honor of
Administrative
Professionals Day,
we celebrated Chris
Konnick, our amazing
administrative
assistant, by sending
her a gorgeous flower
arrangement and
treating her to lunch.
Chris keeps us all in
line, manages multiple
office tasks and often
surprises us with
afternoon treats!
Thank you,
Chris, for all you do!
Brian Leonard’s daughter,
Evangeline (Evie), recently
turned seven! Following in her
dad’s creative footsteps (Brian is
our creative director), she chose
a painting party for her and
her closest friends. Originally,
Evie chose a unicorn as the
painting for the group. However,
she later went with a horse
“because boys might not like
to paint a unicorn.” She is such
a thoughtful and caring young
girl! The kids really
enjoyed painting;
although, it seemed
like the parents
enjoyed “helping”
them more!
Alyssa Ellsworth, our marketing
communications manager, married her
high school sweetheart, Alex, in June.
The couple honeymooned in Italy, and
their favorite spots included Florence
and the Amalfi Coast!
Gabby Creazzo, graphic
designer, was excited to hit
the road with her friends
and travel to Myrtle Beach
in South Carolina earlier
this summer. She especially
enjoyed living the “beach
life” for a few days, soaking
up the sun and relaxing with
a good book!
Elisha Capie, graphic
designer, recently got engaged
to her longtime boyfriend,
Will. They’re excited to begin
planning and scheming for
what is sure to be a fantastic
wedding. Elisha is already
close to finding her dress!
Chelsey Tupper, director of
marketing communications,
and her husband Brian
recently visited New York
City. While there, they dined
at Buddakan – the restaurant
in which Carrie and Big host
their rehearsal dinner in
the Sex and the City movie.
Chelsey has wanted to eat
there ever since she first
saw the film, and it did not
disappoint. Their dinner was
amazing, especially the oxtail
dumplings!
This past winter, Allison
Simenkiewicz, graphic
designer, adopted two
bunnies, Henri and Trixie,
from our local charity of
choice, Blue Chip Farm
Animal Refuge! Pictured
is Henri. While he is a
little on the shy side,
Trixie warms right up
to anyone and is super
loving!
Peter and Judy
Steve, owners of
Ideaworks, are
excited to announce
the engagement of
their oldest son, Peter
III, to his fiancée Sara
Bielski! Peter popped
the all-important
question in April
while he and Sara
were at the Masters
Golf Tournament in
Augusta, GA. Also
there was Tyler
Steve, Peter’s brother,
who captured the
special moment.
Congratulations,
Peter and Sara!
Recently, our agency was asked to
participate in an RFP with a technology
company that was looking for a partner
who would be willing to enter a risk/reward
(or value-based) agreement to win the
business. While such RFP requirements are
not new to us as we see similar requests
with growing frequency in the industry, it
did get me thinking about the real value of
such agreements for both parties involved.
In theory, a value-based
agreement has benefits for both
the client and agency when
executed correctly.
From the client side, they receive
some assurance that the company
they are partnering with has enough
confidence in their work to risk some
of their compensation. By nature, this
type of agreement also creates a more
open environment for the exchange of
information and the mutual commitment to
achieving agreed upon goals.
For the agency, value-based agreements
demonstrate their willingness to share
the risk for the work they are developing.
It instills a genuine focus on creating and
executing a strategy that achieves success,
although any agency worth its while should
maintain this position with all its clients. It
also makes the agency feel more like they
are part of the client’s team – working
together to produce measurable results.
For the client, value-based agreements
offer a way to evaluate the commitment
of the agency they are considering
employing. Beyond a screening mechanism,
value-based agreements also provide an
added level of confidence regarding the
investment being made not only in the
agency but also in the project or initiative
under development.
Regardless of which side of the equation
you are on, both parties should expect to
receive as much in return as they risk.
Financial incentives aside, the most
important consideration for all involved
with value-based agreements is the
measurement process. But how do you
measure the success of a campaign,
program, ad, etc.?
Our experience with such agreements has
shown that there are key factors that must
be in place for such agreements to be
successful including:
• Mutually Defined Measurable Goals
• Quantitative Baselines for
Benchmarking
• A Means to Empirically Track
Performance
If the proper measurements are in place
and there is complete transparency on
the part of both parties, then value-based
agreements can represent the start of a
wonderful and lucrative partnership for
both the agency and client.
16 DAZZLE: ISSUE FIVE DAZZLE: ISSUE FIVE 17
ALL IN
NE PLACE
Bailey &James
TOGETHER WITH THEIR FAMILIES
REQUEST THE PLEASURE OF YOUR
COMPANY AT THE CELEBRATION
OF THEIR WEDDING
SATURDAY
AUGUST 26 2018
AT FOUR
O’CLOCK
SAINT VINCENT CHURCH
1601 VETTEN WAY, CHICAGO, ILLNOIS
dinner to follow
Visit gemworx.com to learn more.