Thought Leadership—The Burbank Group, LLC

On a recent trip to Manhattan, I was thankfully able to eek out a few minutes of time for the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). The wall of Monet water lilies was inspiring, of course, but what truly caught my eye might surprise you… There, heralding the row of abstract, chaotic Vasily Kandisky (1866-1944) works was a comment by the Russian born French artist that caused me to stand in contemplation. To the tourist that offered me some sticky notes and a pen, “Thank you!”

The wall read, “Kandinsky stressed the impact of color and its association with music, explaining that ‘color is a means of exerting direct influence upon the soul. Color is a keyboard. The eye is the hammer. The soul is the piano, with its many strings.’” 

What struck a note with me (couldn’t help it!) was how inline this is with what I have always said–creating a durable brand, from concept, to look and feel, and to marketing and advertising messaging, requires the same kind of imagination that preparing gourmet foods, writing a best-selling manuscript, producing a piece art, and even litigating a case all necessitate. Ultimately, the end goals are focused on delivering the message or creating an experience for your intended recipient. Chefs, authors, artists, and lawyers all create a reality for their audience. So, here’s to your concertos, Mr. Kandinsky…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

The Burbank Group, LLC. Rebrands Georgetown University’s DC Alumni Club

September 28, 2008-Rockville, Maryland. The Burbank Group, LLC. a corporate branding specialist, led by President Karen M. Greenwald, was hired to reinvigorate the branding of Georgetown University’s DC-based flagship alumni club.

Located in the Washington, DC area, footsteps beyond Georgetown University, the DC Alumni Club is the largest of all of the University’s affiliates, the Club boasts a constituency of approximately 40,000-and this year, membership was made available to a larger array of the Georgetown community. The Club also commenced two new solutions for members: enterprise sponsorships, and a “members only” jobs board. The Burbank Group worked with the Club’s leadership, giving them strategic counsel, a new “look and feel,” and a stronger online presence (www.dchoyas.org).

“The DC Alumni Club needed a website that would appeal to alums of every age and could successfully encourage them to join, stay updated, and actively participate,” said Greenwald. “The Club now has its own brand identity and logo.  The newly launched flexible website focuses on the visitor’s experience by balancing contemporary aesthetics, with a considerable nod to Georgetown’s centuries-old tradition.” This is highlighted in elements such as photography taken by Events Chair, Sean Redmond, and sidebars whose contents change with each click on to a page. The Burbank Group, “…gave careful consideration to laying out the site so that something relevant was obvious for every age and interest. For the sake of utility, an interactive events calendar, sponsorship section, and jobs area have been added.”

Club President, Stephanie Ortbals-Tibbs remarked about changing their previous “best kept secret” status, “We had a higher quality product than we were letting on. Karen recognized this from the moment she began consulting with us, and suggested solutions that have transformed both our image and operations for the better. Our new web site design is ideal, offering a modern yet timeless design, user-friendly features for club members and volunteers, and top-quality architecture and programming. This is a site that serves us well now, and will be useful for years to come.

Meg Chambers, Associate Director, Market Development and Alumni Engagement, works with the Club and also commented about the new branding efforts, “We are thrilled with the outcome of the site. It meets the D.C. Alumni Club’s needs and is much more user friendly.” She added, “Working with Karen was a pleasure. She wanted the best possible outcome for the Club and wouldn’t settle for less.” Chambers commented that Greenwald’s, “…dedication and willingness to listen to our needs shows in the final product.”

Ortbals-Tibbs was so impressed with Greenwald’s product, that she offered her a leadership team position-namely, “Brand Consultant.” According to Ortbals-Tibbs, “Karen went above and beyond for us as a client: she has both keen attention to detail, and impressive long-term vision. Her level of communication and respect for the customer was amazing. It’s been a fantastic partnership.”

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ABOUT THE BURBANK GROUP, LLC.

Located in Rockville, MD, a D.C. suburb, The Burbank Group is a premier boutique branding shop. We work with domestic and international clients, offering fresh and imaginative services to define, strategize, and deliver your message. From award-winning creative content, brochures, websites, media work, and logo design to marketing counsel, and sophisticated flash movie creation and production, our persuasive, inventive solutions focus on your ultimate goals. From technology firms, educational institutions, and attorney clientele to the hospitality industry and everything in between, The Burbank Group helps clients get the attention they deserve.

For more information, visit: www.burbankgroup.net

ABOUT THE GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY DC ALUMNI CLUB

Founded in 1880 at the request of then President Patrick Healy, SJ, the Alumni College establishes a constitution. In 1881, all alumni clubs and organizations are formally combined to form the Georgetown University Alumni Association. The DC Club is Georgetown University’s flagship alumni club, serving the needs of Washington, Maryland, and Virginia based graduates of the university system, faculty and staff of the Georgetown University, and parents and friends of alumni. The Club offers several types of memberships, a wide variety of activities, events, and networking opportunities.

For more information, visit: www.dchoyas.org

“For more on this topic, check out our website at www…”

How many times have you heard someone on a cable broadcast, Sunday talk show, or even pop culture exposé direct you to yet another resource for the “full story?” The format and mode of delivering newsy information is becoming more interactive, while the depth of real time content is rapidly shrinking. Now, (annoying) scrolling infobars gracing the bottom of TV screens (i.e.: MSNBC newscasts) seem almost robust.

Enter the “text” messages—these blurbs not only reveal secrets among friends and “under the radar” levity to business team members during long meetings, but have somehow morphed into amazing, enticing tools for delivering the message. Today, long established journalists, cultural icons like Larry King, and even presidential campaigns offer breaking news updates on a 24/7 basis. Clearly, the mode of communicating has caught up with that of the communicator.

So, how do you factor this new messaging into your public relations scheme? Glad you asked! It is likely that you are not going to be texting your customer base—but, even if you are, the art of the text message is not unlike the skill required for a technique that is a little more “old school.” If you think about it, the text message is actually just a modern twist on an age old message delivery tool known as the SOUND BITE.

In a succinct number of well-chosen words, authoritative speakers use sound bites as a way of consolidating the essence or central point of any interview or commentary. The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms* defines a sound bite as either: (1) [a] short, striking, quotable statement well suited to a television news program, or (2) [a] brief, simplistic, memorable, identifiable statement focused at your target market. Therefore, what gets recorded becomes the definition and summary of the entire speech, discussion, or other presentation.

Making its grand arrival in the late seventies/early eighties, this slang term has continued to be the goal of politicians, business executives, and other newsmakers who are seeking broadcast and print top billing. A perfect sound bite can be your best evangelist. Why? A few powerhouse words are more likely to be reprinted and repeated than is a stream of content. After enough play, sound bites become a part of our colloquial lexicon and gain a life of their own. You quote sound bites every day. Ever uttered, “Houston, we have a problem,” before?

Basically, whether you send a text message or play it old school with a strategically placed sound bite in an interview, the main point that all Thought Leaders should remember is this: keep it short, clear, interesting, and memorable.

* The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.