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

DAZZLE:

DAZZLE:

ISSUE

ISSUE

FIVE

FIVE 9

---

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.