pretty pastel

disney on dreaming big

2012-01-23T20:08:00.000-05:00

When I went away to college for the first time, my Dad encouraged me to take the Myers-Briggs test. He gave me the little blue Please Understand Me book and away I went on my journey. Taking the test, and studying its meaning, was one of the most important things that I did for myself as I navigated a very open-ended time in my life. I learned the implications of what it meant to be creative, both positive (intensely curious, generating excitement) and negative (being too abstract, having a hard time finishing what you start).

As an ENTP (extrovert intuitive thinker perceiver), I am defined as an Inventor and have the same preferences and personality as people like Walt Disney and Julia Child. Today, as I briefed my experiential agency on our events campaign for the year, I was reminded of how much this Walt Disney quote connected with me as a young girl, and continues to do so as a brand manager today. In marketing, if you can dream it, you can do it. The difficult part is aligning your cross functional partners to make the momentum of the dream a reality.

mlk jr on leadership

2012-01-16T11:22:00.000-05:00

As many of us reflect on the positive progress in humanity that we have made today, let us not forget that the greatest example MLK set was how to be a leader.

neon

2011-12-31T11:42:00.000-05:00

From top: 1) JCrew vintage cotton v-neck tee in vibrant flame, 2) Forever 21 lacquered pyramid bracelet in neon orange, 3) Jennifer Hagler geo stud earrings in neon yellow from Quirk Gallery, 4) Bobbi Brown neon pink lip color, 5) Forever 21 fishnet tights, 6) American Apparel unisex solid knee-high socks in neon pink, 7) Essie neon pink nailpolish, 8) 7 For All Mankind neon light twill skinny jeans.

1) Felted soap with neon pink deer, 2) Neon pink and yellow bottle opener, 3) Duck neon orange duck tape, 4) Project Neon iPhone / iPad app, 5) McCormick neon food color, 6) neon pink moka express silkscreen print, 7) neon yellow horse a pois, 8) plastic neon shot glasses.

faux sushi & sparkle plenty

2011-12-17T12:04:00.002-05:00

From top: 1) Faux sushi / fortune cookie wall designed by Edie Hess of Very Richmond Indeed catering, 2) Mom's white cranberry pear vodka spritzer recipe with stripey straws from Mongrel, 3) like mother like daughter, 4) whimsical and wonderful flowers by Strawberry Fields, 5) cucumber cream cheese fushi ("faux sushi"), 6) pb&j fushi, 7) fruit "sashimi," 8) yummy crudite baguette cups, 9) chopsticks from Tokyo Market in Carytown tied with jingle bells and glittery takeout boxes from Michaels, 10) colorfully adorned fortune cookies, 9) Sparkle Plenty exhibit at Quirk Gallery, 10) big kid coworkers taking time to enjoy an afternoon off of work.

london

2011-12-17T11:11:00.002-05:00

From top: 1) the iPhone predicting good weather, 2) Mom and Austin settling in aboard a British Airways flight to Heathrow, 3) the incredible Langham London hotel, 4) the beautifully executed visual brand standards of the Langham, 5) sweeping view of London from our hotel room, 6) eggs benedict at the Wolseley, 7) DJ Bruce Wayne spinning some great tracks at the Picadilly Circus Nike store, 8) fit for a princess at Moira of Bond Street, 9) Penhaligon's near Mayfair, 10) picking out a new fragrance, 11) most beautiful hosiery in the world can be found at Wolford on Molton Street, 12) Liberty of London, the absolute best retail experience in England, 13) fantastic charm chop at Liberty, 14) the magical top floor of Liberty, 15) rewarding ourselves with macarons at Ladurée Harrods. 16) tired feet after a long day of London retail therapy.

cotswolds | blenheim palace

2011-12-17T10:49:00.000-05:00

england | oxford

2011-12-17T10:45:00.000-05:00

cotswolds | burford

2011-12-17T10:40:00.000-05:00

cotswolds | lower slaughter

2011-12-17T10:33:00.000-05:00

bloom spotts wedding

2011-10-30T13:32:00.002-04:00

From top: 1) Chandelier and string lights in theballroom at the Country Club of Virginia Westhampton Clubhouse, 2) rich earthy pallete in the lovely collection of Fall flowers, 3) wedding matchbooks, 4) caramel apple favors, 5) William & Mary's a cappella group The Stairwells, 6) College of Charleston girls, 7) investment bankers, 8) lovely dessert bar, 9) caricature drawings made a fun addition to the wedding reception.

remembering a world-class brand manager | steve jobs

2011-10-06T09:12:00.000-04:00

Sent to rememberingsteve@apple.com

...........................................................................

As a young brand manager, I view Steve as the portrait of brand; his products are the epistles that future generations will seek to emulate in essence and popularity. He was the most visionary and inspiring steward for which a company could have ever asked. The precise definition of world-class. I am proud to be among his tribe of followers and will forever remember how his products shaped my education as a brand manager and, to this day, continue to exceed my expectations.

2003 iPod

2005 iPod shuffle

2006 MacBook Pro (used to study brand management at the VCU Brandcenter)

2011 iPhone 4

2011 iPhone 4 (for work)

Best Regards,

Katie Kelley

m is for mathers

2011-09-19T20:45:00.001-04:00

b is for bachelorette | annapolis to baltimore, md

m is for mathers | davidsonville, md

b is for bachelorette: 1) the happy bride-to-be on the way to zbest limo, 2) day trip to the piedmont wine trail, 3) lovely vines of boordy vineyard, 4) historic boordy barn, 5) picnic for ashley with homemade goodies and boordy wine, 6) meg and casey enjoying the day, 7) trip to federal hill before dinner, 8) overlooking the baltimore harbor, 9) loving her flashing ring rock, 10) corks in baltimore for dinner.

m is for mathers: 1) pastoral setting of davidsonville, maryland, 2) handsome mr. harris, 3) hors d'oeuvres, 4) merry guests enjoying cocktail hour, 4) m is for mathers, 5) horseshoe door knobs, 6) two become one, 7) rustic place cards, 8) elegant place setting, 9) the groom gives a toast, 10) the happy couple cuts one of the many homemade cakes and pies.

nation's triathlon | 9/11/11

2011-09-11T20:43:00.000-04:00

From top: 1) Early wake up call at the hotel in Dupont Circle; 2) Lincoln Memorial looking lovely at around 7:00 am; 3) Just over a mile into the bike race; 4) There he is! Austin on his way to make his transition into the run; 5) crossing the finish line with his second fastest 10K time to date; 6) officially a triathlete; 7) post-race pesto pasta with basil from the garden.

baby merriment

2011-09-05T10:37:00.003-04:00

I feel so blessed to have been a part of the baby shower of my beautiful friend Courtney. Owner of Merriment Events, she is truly one of the most creatives souls I know and her Southern spirit was the muse for the entire event. So fun.

From top: 1) Handsome Forest Hill Dutch Colonial Revival, 2) perfect Southern spread, 3) Courtney's creative touch on the flowers, 4) a combination of Forest Hill farmers market flowers and celosia stems from Dunman Floral Supply, 5) heart shaped watermelon, 6) calligraphy cards, 7) gorgeous baby-friendly punch bar with stripey straws, 8) Mommy and Daddy having fun in the photo booth by LOL richmond, 9) Daddy getting a taste of what's to come, 10) ABC paper from Mongrel with leopard ribbon from Michael's, 11) saving the best for last - whale tub!

clift goodall wedding

2011-07-17T14:32:00.001-04:00

From top: 1) Balcony from the Jefferson Suite at the Jefferson Hotel, 2) in the Bridal Room at Bon Air Baptist Church, 3) the Midlothian friends preparing Jessica for her entrance, 4) beautiful bridesmaids bouquets prepared by Bloom at the Jefferson, 5) radiant bride and happy groom excited to toast with one of their favorite California sparkling wines, 6) gorgeous ice sculpture paying homage to the couple's wine theme, 7) table assignments with a monogrammed cork and wine stopper gift, 8) the tables were named after vineyards which Jessica and Adam had visited, 9) shimmery dinner menu, 10) having a great time, 11) Maid of Honor Elizabeth reminiscing on younger days, 12) cheers to a great couple!

Clift & Goodall wedding announcement in the Richmond Times Dispatch.

virginia beach

2011-07-06T22:41:00.000-04:00

phil's continental lounge

2011-06-26T22:11:00.000-04:00

greenwich & upper east side

2011-06-26T22:02:00.001-04:00

first agency trip

2011-06-12T21:45:00.000-04:00

From top: 1) View of Chicago from the air, 2) 35 West Wacker Drive, 3) neat interior ceiling of the Leo Burnett office, 4) big ideas come out of big pencils, 5) View of the Chicago River from the Creative floor, 6) a Chicago original, 7) Agency team whipping up on the Brand team, 8) Chris, our agency account director, getting crazy, 5) Trump Tower looking lovely at night.

northern neck

2011-06-07T07:34:00.000-04:00

From top: 1) crossing the Rappahannock River Bridge, 2) the "River", aka Edwardsville, Virginia 3) Jones Cottage, 4) open for business, 5) the makings of pineapple, mini bell pepper and onion salsa, 6) Mr. Harris working his magic on the grill, 7) happy camper, 8) looking North to Maryland, 9) looking West into the sunset.

Chanel Esprit Crouisiere

2011-05-14T17:15:00.000-04:00

brunch & berries

2011-05-08T21:46:00.000-04:00

From top: 1) Butter croissant French toast with fresh blueberry syrup and peppered bacon. 2) Homemade grapefruit and coconut salt scrub with a flower pen and Fekkai Glossing shampoo. 3) Strawberry patch at Chesterfield Berry Farm. 4) Mom picking strawberries on the vine. 5) Happy Kelley girls. 6) Around $40 worth of sweet Virginia strawberries. 7) Gather at the old Hallsboro General Store on Mt Hermon Road.

ode to my mother

2011-05-06T11:15:00.000-04:00

K.A.K.

giver. creative. colorful. kind. gourmet chef. collector. entrepreneur.

beautiful. stylish. decorator. seamstress. animal lover. film producer.

My mother means the world to me.

spring in the piedmont

2011-05-02T12:23:00.004-04:00

From top: 1) Patrick Henry Highway in Nelson County, Virginia. 2-3) Blackrock Overlook in Wintergreen gives a beautiful view of the George Washington National Forest. 4-5) Hill Top Berry Farm on the Monticello Wine Trail produces fruit wine and mead. 6-8) Gravel Hill (ca. 1906), the Kelley family farm, looking lovely on a cool Spring day. 9) A beautiful old apple tree at Gravel Hill whose apples disappear so quickly once the deer realize they are ripe for the taking. 10) Raspberry mint margarita 11) With the arrival of sockeye salmon in Richmond comes a wonderful Spring dinner; citrus chipotle sockeye salmon, crab cake and couscous.

spring in the piedmont

(raspberry mint margarita)

ingredients:

patrón

one pint raspberries

2 cups freshly picked mint

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice

Boil 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup raspberries until mixture becomes a pretty pink color. Strain seeds from raspberry simple syrup and set aside. Muddle 4-5 mint leaves in the bottom of your favorite cocktail glass. In a silver shaker, prepare 1/3 raspberry simple syrup, 1/3 lime juice and 1/3 patrón over 5-6 ice cubes. Gently shake and then pour over muddled mint leaves. Bon appétit.

pink & green salad

2011-04-25T15:36:00.001-04:00

Grilled chicken salad with strawberries, cucumbers, honey roasted sunflower seeds, chives and homemade buttermilk dressing on sassy baby blend.

easter 2011

2011-04-24T19:45:00.000-04:00

spring 2011 | color trends in the garden

2011-04-10T18:44:00.000-04:00

From the top: 1) Around $130 worth of plants from the Great Big Greenhouse and Home Depot. 2) Drilling 3, 1/4" drainage holes into an indoor planter with a ceramic drill bit so that the pot can be used outdoors. 3) Pink planter with pink Snapdragon, pink Molimba, white Petunia, pink Gerbera. 4) Hanging planter with Coleus, Petunia, John Creep and Gerbera. 5) Assorted planters with blue Lithodora, John Creep, Creeping Jenny and Petunia.

lovely coworker wall art

2011-04-06T18:05:00.004-04:00

packaging | ponte vedra inn & club

2011-03-22T16:34:00.000-04:00

In two words, I would describe this packaging as elegant and understated. There is absolutely nothing innovative or unique about the construction, but the colors and historic imagery make you want to keep it around your own bathroom at home. Lovely.

verrines

2011-03-20T19:21:00.001-04:00

After drooling over the upcoming class at The French Pastry School in Chicago on Incredible Ice Creams, Sorbets, Gelatos, and Frozen Cakes, I came across the concept of the verrine. My good friend and Parisian coworker Claire informed me that verrines are one of the newest and most popular concepts in French cuisine. Essentially, a verrine is a small treat containing many layers of ingredients, that can either be sweet or savory.

Identifiable by the recent cake pops at Starbucks, Mini desserts are one of the fastest growing trends in prepared food in the US. Curious to see if the editors at Martha Stewart had picked up on the verrine trend, no search results were found on the site.

On the other hand, a Google image search for verrine returns an incredible array of colorful and creative images. I was so inspired by the concept that I thought it would be fun to attempt by own mini fusion of taste.

Most verrines broach the subject of amuse-bouche or dessert. I thought it would be fun to push the envelope with a breakfast theme. The result: raisin French toast verrines with kiwi, strawberry and coconut cream cheese dressing, drizzled with warm real maple syrup. I mixed it up by serving them in antique crystal stemware.

sole society

2011-03-10T08:35:00.002-05:00

Akin to the Google fashion concept boutiques.com, where styles are paired to pictures which you choose as a representation of your personality, Sole Society is a new members-only site for the footware obsessed. The platform is unique in that it provides an individual with one pair of shoes a month for a flat rate of $49.99. You do not rent and return but rather, own.

Sole Sister was kicked off by HauteLook, after having recently been purchased by Nordstrom. See more info in this Internet Retailer article.

At the last stage of signing up for the site, I noticed one product-related issue that they might need to address in the near future. I am both a size 8.5 (sandals) and a size 9 (flats/heels).

twenty eight

2011-03-06T16:11:00.000-05:00

pastel "k" cookies

2011-03-02T11:54:00.001-05:00

In anticipation of my 28th birthday, my Mom and I made fun "K" shaped cookies in a preppy combination of pastel pink, green and blue. I used a sugar cookie icing recipe from AllRecipes.com and found the letter K cookie cutter at Sur la Table.

trend: pink

2011-02-16T18:21:00.000-05:00

There's no denying that with the announcement of Honeysuckle pink as the color of 2011 by Pantone, brands have gone crazy developing products to feed the frenzy. There is no doubt that everything from the kitchen to the closet will be impacted.

Gallery Leather Recipe Organizer, Tory Burch flats, Bodum French Press, Macaroons, Kate Spade Round Barrette, Belvedere Pink Grapefruit Vodka, vintage twisted necklace, Chanel Spring 2011 Blush in Espiegle, Burt's Bees Rosewater & Glycerin toner, Pink iPad cover.

cake pops

2011-02-13T21:06:00.001-05:00

keep nontradition alive

2010-12-28T14:40:00.013-05:00

This holiday season has been out of the ordinary, to say the least.

For Thanksgiving, we ate out at restaurants for both meals. Don't get me wrong, there are few things I like more than James Schroeder's Jefferson Hotel cooking...but it's different.

The "Blizzard of 2010" created a beautiful, though unusual, scene of snow in Richmond.

It was also my first Christmas cooking dinner for the entire family. A black tablecloth with black napkins and deep red roses (a gift from Mr. Harris) created a different feeling around the table. Root, mussels pistou, caramelized onion & grapefruit salad, and homemade banana pudding were a few of the foreign delights I served on the 25th.

My mother even displayed a lovely form of rebellion from the norm, with blue and black presents from London gracing the bottom of the tree.

Looking back I realize how details such as color and taste are tiny tactics to keep my own personal form of invention alive, particularly around the most traditional time of the year.

history on a wrist

2010-03-15T17:03:00.017-04:00

Last week for my 27th birthday, one of my best friends gave me an adorable book on charm bracelets by Tracey Zabar. Tracey designs charm bracelets for Barneys and Kate Spade. Not only is it a beautiful account of the history of the hobby, but it has sent me seeking new charms for my own personal milestone markers.

I originally started my charm bracelet as an alternative to a college ring. Charleston has some of the best charm vendors in the world located in the market, so naturally I found several trinkets that signified my collegiate experience: a purse to represent the four years I spent working at Saks Fifth Avenue (and the purchase of my first Marc Jacobs); my minor in studio art; the College of Charleston school seal picturing Randolph Hall; St. Michael's Church where I attended church on (most) Sundays; flip flops for the pair of khaki hemp Rainbows that never left my feet.

These are a few of the charms that I have come across which intrigue me on both a personal and professional level. I'm hoping to have a charm to represent my life as the daughter of a grocer, my Master's in Creative Brand Management from the VCU Brandcenter, as well as one to represent my love for bluegrass music. Also, I would love to have a few charms that signify my tenure as a marketing analyst for Small Kitchen Appliances.

Grocery cart, coffee bean and stand mixer all from Rembrandt; Amethyst charm, Sarita Supplies; Scotsman bagpiper, Kline's Jewelry; Typewriter, Purple Daisy Jewelry; Banjo, Bright Eyes Treasures; Frying pan, found on Ebay.

reducing churn

2008-04-11T13:40:00.005-04:00

Yesterday we had the pleasure of hearing John Adams, Chairman of the Martin Agency, speak during our brand leadership class with Peter Coughter. John is a tall, striking, yet soft-spoken man. When he raises his voice, you know he means business.

Mr. Adams spoke about the importance of operating at a high level while still being able to execute the smaller, more insignificant details. "Have bifocal vision," he said.

One point he raised was particularly interesting. That was the topic of churn. "The only enduring setting for the creation of brilliant advertising is a powerful, deep, collaborative relationship with the client." I have so much admiration for this man. I felt honored to be sitting in front of him. We should always be faithful to our own companies, to the people who believe in us enough to put food on our table. However, we should honor the fact that how we behave toward our clients will ultimately have an economic value, whether that is positive or negative. Relationships, then, are the most important element in the reduction of churn.

starting a revolution

2008-03-16T23:58:00.009-04:00

As my family joined together tonight to watch the beautiful premiere of the HBO miniseries John Adams, it occurred to me how the principles of strategy and branding are similar whether you are launching a new product line or in the making of a revolution.

You need what my dad calls a "level 5 leader." This is someone who brings humility and courage to the table. An individual who is able to inspire others to action and perhaps transform cultural paradigms. When we were children we learned about Thomas Jefferson and George Washington as brilliant thinkers and leaders of our colonial era, however, it was John Adams who engaged them to act.

You need a core of believers. These are people who come from a variety of places and represent various traditions and economic conditions, however, all share the same set of values and mission in life. Even though John Adams was very different from his delegate from South Carolina, John Rutledge, they both valued their independence to the extent that their differences could be laid aside.

You need a rallying cry. "Join, or Die," for instance, was a term coined by Benjamin Franklin in a 1754 cartoon depicting the disunited state of the British American colonies. It was a line used well into the Revolution as a method of persuading others to act upon their independence.

You need a measurement tool. For the newly established United States of America, the Constitution was the first measurement of law. To this day, it holds each branch of government accountable for independence as a whole.

http://www.hbo.com/films/johnadams/

goodbye is all we have

2008-01-29T09:12:00.001-05:00

It's safe to say that how you end a note says a lot about who you are and your intentions toward the recipient. The same applies for American corporate etiquette and the way in which we conclude our thoughts in an email. It's important to be friendly but not too familiar. I think the absence of a written conclusion also says something about your expectations for the receiver.

Some people even brand themselves with how they end an email. My friend Rob, for instance, is a motivational speaker and always ends his emails with "keep on smiling." Not only is it a throwback to his favorite quote, but a life dedicated to helping others feel their finest.

Three years ago I picked up the habit of ending my emails with "Best." It was the perfect pronunciation of how I wanted others to feel at the close of my communication with them. I'm fairly certain that I lent it from my college buddy Lance Hagaman. Perhaps, then, the way in which we conclude our correspondences is a direct reflection of not only our intentions toward the recipient, but also our homage to an individual who at one point inspired us.

uncommon sense

2007-12-26T14:15:00.001-05:00

When we were children, it seemed the most common form of feedback revolved around our "use of common sense." When we were younger, it was easy to be foolish because we did not know any better.

As I grow older, there still seems to be this pressure around having common sense; making wise decisions with the right friends and business partners at the right time. More or less, common sense is about risk aversion. However, it seems to me that successful people do not get where they are going using common sense. These people become successful as a result of taking on risks using a little uncommon sense.

Uncommon sense can be defined as "a remarkable or unparalleled capacity to judge practical matters." As left-brained thinking nears the end of its life cycle and right-brained thinking makes a comeback, should we not favor the unfavorable?

selfless leadership

2007-12-04T19:29:00.000-05:00

The Richmond Region is fortunate enough to have a legacy of so many wonderful presidential, academic, athletic and business leaders. I have always viewed a leader as someone who is able to serve the needs of others. A person who is able to envision positive change. However, vision does not exempt actionable behavior.

I think that the best leaders have followers and they don't even know it. They feel called to act and do so because they feel that it is in the best interest of their brand, their community, their team, or all three. Often, their vision is unpopular at the time he or she decides to act. Elizabeth Scott Bocock was one of these leaders.

In 1956 she founded the Historic Richmond Foundation. This was at a time when sprawl was consuming the region and neighborhoods like southside's Salisbury were very en vogue. Today, the people who are making decisions to live in historic districts such as the Fan or businesses that decide to have their culture be a part of Shockoe Slip, Adcenter included, are following the mood and mechanisms that ESB put in place half a century ago. She led selflessly.

piles of creativity

2007-11-27T22:17:00.000-05:00

Our assignment last week was to take a Myers-Briggs personality test in order to learn a little bit more about ourselves, as well as to appreciate the differences in our fellow classmates. I have known I was an ENTP since my freshman year in college, but decided to take the MBTI STEP II again just to see if my preferences had changed in the last six years. They have not.

My father always teases me about these little "piles of creativity" that I leave behind myself. In reality, my personal brand is all about constant creation. In fact my personality type is even nicknamed "the inventor." If I see something that I think I can make or do better, I go buy the supplies and experiment. If I am bored, I start a new project. My life is all R&D. Mom is always asking me if I have seen this television show or that but the reality is I do not even watch TV because I am so consumed by my own thoughts and hobbies.

What personality does your brand have? Is it introverted or extroverted? Is it a brand of constant creation? Is R&D considered a grooming tool or is it left to external consultants and advertising agencies?

friendship is a cure

2007-11-22T13:39:00.000-05:00

This morning I received a lovely email from one of my very best friends, Ms. Ashley Chaplain Hepburn (whose nickname is Ferdy). Last weekend I paid her a visit in Georgetown. On Monday morning when I awoke to start the week, I felt refreshed and more like myself than I have in quite a while. Our conversation and laughter over the weekend had made me remember what a strong person I am, and should be, for the people in my life and the organizations that I serve.

Friendship is a cure for the every day social and emotional maladies we endure, as well as our long-term physical ailments. On this day of Thanksgiving, let us be thankful for kindred spirits.

channeling churchill

2007-11-14T23:22:00.000-05:00

A couple of weekends ago my boyfriend Evrard and I were fortunate enough to be the guest of my parents during the annual LifeNet benefit. Located at the beautiful Nauticus Center in Norfolk, the event was completely sold out. It was a marvelous success.

LifeNet is the largest organ and tissue bank in North America. My father has served faithfully as their strategic consultant for the past year. Among the many things he has helped them develop, the mission was the most proudly displayed outcome of his work. "Saving lives and restoring health" was joyfully repeated by every single speaker at the black tie.

Mission and values are two of the most important elements of strategic success, economic stability and culture. I have come to find that the way we can measure the effectiveness of mission and values is if the employees of the corporations with which we consult use these judgments in their every day speech. When they are proud of the objective, they are eager to share the good news.

gravel hill farm

2007-11-08T19:29:00.001-05:00

The days of summer are finally over. Fall has descended its chilly nights and short days upon our family's Victorian farm. This morning as I woke, beautiful frost-covered fields were a nice reminder that Christmas is only 48 days away. Straightshot, the quarter Clydesdale that lives next door, was nibbling his way around the fence posts where higher-growing grass had not frozen.

I cut an older apple sitting on the counter, slipped my duck boots on and summoned our sheltie Buddy to accompany me outside. I climbed over the fence in the furthest field making my way toward Straightshot and his companion donkey, Polly. The barn cats, confused about not yet having received their morning meal, followed us curiously toward the horses.

Buddy often disappears for half-an-hour now and again to snoop around at Mary Ellen's farm. Several years ago she and her husband lived at Gravel Hill. It grew too expensive of a property for them, so they divided the land and turned the barn-keeper's house into their own. She has a Rottweiler named Banjo who Buddy likes to visit.

Hallsboro is a simple kind of life. There are only a few of the original families left around these parts and they live back in the woods, never making a sound. It is a good place with a slow culture. At 7:30 on a frosty Thursday morning, the city of Richmond seems so far away and the rest of the world is nothing but a dream.

rawle murdy values

2007-11-05T10:25:00.000-05:00

This past summer I was a brand planning intern for a wonderful agency in Charleston, SC called Rawle Murdy. Founder and co-owner David Rawle commissioned me to create a brand essence video of his company. Rawle Murdy is a strong regional brand with clients like Orient-Express Hotels, Trains and Cruises, the Piggly Wiggly, the South Carolina Aquarium, Patriot's Point, Mayor Joe Riley and The Sea Pines Resort.

I surprised David with two videos. Here is the first, the second is to follow.

rawle murdy essence

2007-11-05T10:11:00.000-05:00

superfruit juice

2007-11-02T09:38:00.001-04:00

Six weeks ago I discovered the wonderful world of the Minute Maid website. It was promoting a new pomegranate blueberry drink. Dad and I searched for several days in a number of grocery stores until we finally found the very last SKU in the refrigerated section of the Sycamore Ukrop's. What I started to realize was that several brands had this combination available.

I decided to embark on a coolhunting journey for other brands out there with variations of the pom/blueberry juice. I was aware of POM, which is a wonderfully packaged brand that has been out for a while. Among other brands I tried were Tropicana, Bolthouse Farms Blueberry Goodness, V8 and R.W. Knudsen. Even Old Orchard, which is a value brand typically known for its apple juice, had adapted to the trend of superfruit juice.

My favorite product by far was the R.W. Knudsen Pomegranate Blueberry. It was just sitting on the shelf at Joe's Market waiting for me.

These drinks are known as "superfruit juice" because they carry huge amounts of nutrients and antioxidants. Other superfruits besides pomegranate and blueberry to be on the lookout for: acai, red grapes, guarana, mangosteen, noni, seabuckthorn and wolfberry (or goji).

lifestyle brands

2007-10-29T10:47:00.000-04:00

Last week I wrote an internal culture analysis on the Vera Wang brand. I have a question. How can a brand with a strong reputation for couture wedding dresses enter into the mass market at a moderate price point?

A wikipedia definition for 'lifestyle brand' states, "one key indication that a brand has become a lifestyle is when it successfully extends beyond its original product category." While we know Vera has extended her brand name into different product categories, we cannot be sure as to whether or not those moves have been a success for a few more years.

High-end manufacturers like Wang are struggling to strike a balance between exclusivity and driving volume sales because the definition of a luxury lifestyle is changing. The increasing popularity of knock-offs as well as people who trade down to trade up are two reasons for this.

In other words, luxury brands are making bad decisions. They are trying to push their iconography into areas not relevant to their brand and its culture.

For me, Anthropologie is a very successful lifestyle brand. Though its merchandise does not have the name "anthropologie" on the tag, the store sells culture. Everything within the store is attainable and you feel the same way shopping as you do wearing items from the store or using them to make a souffle in your kitchen.

I am not quite convinced that a brand which sells $35,000 gowns in a Manhattan boutique as well as mass-manufactured clothing at nearly 800 strip mall department stores in the US is a lifestyle.

eustress & distress

2007-10-25T23:35:00.000-04:00

A few days ago I went with Dad to his storage shed on Midlothian Tnpk. to go through his old books. I was drawn to a book about stress, as I have been more in touch with how my stress affects my quality of life lately. Basically, humans are affected by two types of stress: eustress and distress.

Distress is what happens when an individual experiences anxiety, sorrow or pain. It is the pressure to get things done the right way on the first try. Distress is what manifests itself on us physically and causes people to get sick.

Eustress is defined as "normal psychological stress interpreted as being beneficial for the experiencer." In other words, this is the type of stress that you experience when you are swimming in a race or when you get married. It lifts us up to a higher place.

How is your brand's culture affected by stress? In the case of the Adcenter, distress is inevitable and encouraged. During our board member breakout session yesterday, my board member said, "get out right now if you are not willing to work your body as hard as it can go for the next ten years of your life." He is used to working for agencies with a culture of distress. I think this is an unfortunate aspect of the advertising industry. Time spent apart from work is often what allows an individual the opportunity to reinvent and regenerate.

Stress is basically good. It pushes us to work harder and achieve greater things. However, distress might not be the type of culture that you want for your brand. If this is the case, how might you transform your brand to a culture of eustress? I think the new building will help transform the Adcenter's culture from one of distress to one of eustress.

trading places

2007-10-19T12:23:00.000-04:00

No, I'm not talking about the 1983 movie with Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd. I am talking about vegetables.

I am no longer allowed to eat leafy greens, as they contain high amounts of Vitamin K, which is one of the most important nutrients in your body (not mine) responsible for clotting blood. Foods like spinach, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, and cranberries all contain the highest amounts of Vitamin K. While two tablespoons of parsley contain 153% of the recommended daily amount, a cup of spinach lettuce contains nearly 4,000 times the daily amount.

Foods containing high amounts of Vitamin K would counteract with my Coumadin, thereby increasing my blood coagulation levels. While your blood has to be at a thinness of 1, mine has to be between a 2 and 3 (the numbers are reversed).

So, I have vowed to return to my southern roots and remain properly nourished with okra. I am sure Paula Deen would be proud.

Forget the cuisine, I am saying "more okra please."

smart service recovery

2007-10-14T21:09:00.000-04:00

At MCV there is a tiny little Chick-fil-A tucked away beside the gift shop in the Main Hospital. In every stay this month you could have considered me a valued customer, but on one particular occasion I had a craving for a cookies & cream milkshake. After checking for me, Dad said milkshakes were not available at that location. Nuggets would have to do. (I am actually really surprised they don't have milkshakes there, because besides ginger ale sick people want milkshakes.)

So, eventually, I traveled to the Chick-fil-A on Forest Hill to relinquish that milkshake craving. Much to my dismay, the hot water heaters at the location were down and I would not be having the milkshake, again. However, to my surprise, I found all of the location's employees outside at the beginning of the drive-thru line greeting me with a smile and handing me a coupon for a free chicken sandwich. (Although it was likely that they were smiling because they didn't have to work.)

Chick-fil-A has a culture of service. Not only do I always feel good about my experiences there, even when they make a mistake, I still feel positive about my relationship with the brand.

I found an interesting definition for service recovery on The Johns Hopkins website. They define service recovery as, "turning potentially negative situations into positive ones." Dad says service recovery is about "how you act on a mistake." In other words, it is about using tools to turn a mistake into a positive and profitable situation when it could be a loss. I remember every Thanksgiving and Christmas growing up, Dad would have to leave for several hours in the afternoon to go deliver turkeys or flowers to people who were not happy with their Ukrop's holiday meal. In the case of Chick-fil-A, they use a coupon to try and help recover lost business and potentially negative feelings. (And) When I go back to have my coupon honored, I will probably buy the waffle fries and a sweet tea to go with it. Now that is smart service recovery.

What service recovery plan(s) do you have in place for when your consumers encounter a potentially negative situation with your brand?

brand documentaries

2007-10-09T15:06:00.000-04:00

With help from Andy Lynn in the marketing department at Ukrop's, this was the first brand documentary I directed for my dad's consulting firm.

The St. Christopher's School brand centers around the idea that it is important to educate boys not only with regard to academic performance, but also extracurricular excellence. The website comments that "each faculty member is committed to bringing out the best in every boy regardless of whether the pursuit is academic, artistic or spiritual." Thus their tagline, and brand promise, is educating the whole boy.

We practiced on Davis Wrinkle, director of alumni relations for St. Christopher's School. Not only is he an outspoken advocate for the value of a St. Christopher's education, but he is a passionate flyfisherman. Enjoy.

my personal style of leadership

2007-10-05T07:58:00.001-04:00

Dad recommended a book for me this week called A Leader's Legacy. The author defines leadership as "the study of how men and women guide us through adversity, uncertainty, hardship, disruption, transformation, transition, recovery, new beginnings, and other significant challenges."

I was inspired by the topic of this book, my recent adversity and recovery, as well as my dad's graduate Leadership Theory class at the University of Richmond to define my own personal style of leadership. It is as follows:

I will be the type of leader who is compassionate and prizes forward thinking. I will treat all of my superiors, counterparts and direct reports the way I would like to be treated, with honesty, esteem and a smile. I will endlessly educate myself on the meaning behind the brand(s) I serve and I will strive to create importance for their consumers and authors.

I will be the type of leader who does not go home early on Friday. I will set a good example for younger members of my organization by working hard to confront conflict and living the healthiest life I can to ensure the astuteness of my mind. I will be a values-driven leader.

I will be the type of leader who prizes creativity over conformity. I will seek flawless execution from my company and I will work hard to build and contribute to a diverse, full and rich company culture.

theory of constraint

2007-10-02T09:59:00.000-04:00

What is the most important element of your process? What keeps you afloat and your customers happy? Would you believe that for an envelope manufacturer, it is the stickiness of the flaps? Would you believe that for a 24-year-old it is a blood thinner?

This past week I discovered a little bit about my own personal theory of constraint. It's my medicine. After two mini strokes and several tests at the hospital, neurologists and hematologists discovered that I have two genetic blood clotting disorders (Factor V & Factor II). I will take Coumadin at 5:00 every evening for the rest of my life. This is how doctors will ultimately measure my health and I will be effective for the organizations I serve. (The doctor who administered my TE heart test took this picture of me on her iPhone shortly before I went under.)

My genetic disorders will require discipline. As a creative child, discipline and creativity have not always gone together for me. As my lifestyle changes to exclude stress, certain dietary elements and physical activity, I need to be more creative about how I live my days. This week I am forming the habits that will guide me for the rest of my life and developing understanding around the most important element of my personal process.

the brandcenter

2007-09-30T13:15:00.000-04:00

The new name for the Adcenter. I got thinking about whether or not this term exists in our culture and, if so, what does it mean? The first place I turned to conduct my research, of course, was Google. Here are a few of the finalists:

McDonald's
Ryder
Adobe
MetLife

As the Adobe website puts it, a Brand Center teaches a brand communicator about "best-in-practice communications." Many of the websites I turned to had different sections for different types of communicators, such as clients, internal practitioners and brand extensions. So basically, a brand center right now is a virtual place that teaches a bunch of different communicators about how to communicate the same message.

Although we'll not be the first users of this term at VCU, we do have an opportunity to influence its bricks-and-mortar definition and certainly raise the bar for branding best practice.

I wonder what our new icon will look like.

going green

2007-09-18T23:23:00.000-04:00

I was very inspired by last week's assignment to present a new strategic initiative for The Home Depot. After meeting my own opinion with a travel through the website and a visit to the store I realized what a wonderful opportunity the retailer has.

Wal-Mart owns the everyday low price retailer position. They do this by negotiating lower prices with their vendors, who often have to develop line extensions (sub brands) in order to make a profit. In these extensions, packaging and product are sub-par to the typical brand product (thank you, Rob, for explaining this to me with regard to Boston Cutlery). Vendors who have a hard time adapting to the often quick turnaround time end up losing money.

With growing concerns for the health of our environment, a lot of people are asking "what can I do?" Eco-friendly products are not just a trend, they are a a byproduct of our mixed economy, advocated in both earned media and advertising.

The Home Depot's two main consumers are somewhat opposed to each other is philosophy. The construction worker has his or her tried and true methods of production with familiar products at familiar price points. The do-it-yourself[er] is willing to experiment with methods and products, given the price point is within reason.

Culture is encouraging the individual to go green for him- or herself. What if The Home Depot promoted their "Eco Options" campaign to the DIY target in-store by making a decision to keep its vendors accountable for the environmental sustainability of their products?

What if THD went to vendors and negotiated for more eco-friendly line extensions? These products could stand apart from others on the shelf with a green SKU label. THD could encourage environmental responsibility in our economy's largest industry, construction, in a small way. They could lead the green movement.

The Home Depot could go green.

"culture" vs. "brand"

2007-07-13T10:43:00.001-04:00

How is culture different from brand? Would it make a difference in peoples' minds if I were attaining my master's degree in creative culture management and not creative brand management?

Ultimately, I think the individual responsible for building a brand is just as responsible for building culture. The only difference - a brand has to do with how a product or service fits into the mind of the consumer and a culture has to do with how one feels when they make a commitment to be a part of a brand.

A brand is driven by external perception, a culture by internal clarification.

gauging the present as a predictor of the future

2007-07-08T02:23:00.000-04:00

Tracking is the dirty word around my agency these days.

As a young brand planner, I am beginning to realize the importance of having a structured tracking process in place for your campaign so that you can be nimble with regard to messaging.

Think about the way that a horse track or Nascar speedway works. They are incredibly over-engineered pieces of ground. During a race, every inch of the people who perform in these environments is measured in some way: speed, agility, distance. The ultimate measure of success is who can make it across the finish line first. Depending on your position during the race, you may have to change your strategy moving into the future. (This picture is of Richmond International Raceway, the speedway that my former civil engineering firm Timmons Group is responsible for engineering.)

So what is *your* brand's ultimate measure? Depending on if you are a packaged product, service, extension of the government or pnp, your brand has several different values that contribute to its overall success (or failure). For a hotelier, the ultimate measure is occupancy but other values might include inquiries through phone call or website visits, as well as articles published in the newspaper and how the concierge greets the customer. Is every single message consistent? Ultimately, you want to look, and sound, like a more consistent brand.

During new business pitches, it is extremely important to demonstrate the agency's desire and aptitude for tracking, even outside of the client's "ultimate measure." I think a system of tracking, whether one is not in place or not custom enough, is a big reason why agencies lose business, as well as a why clients lose customers. By becoming a business partner with your clients, you are creating an emotional connection with them.

advice for first years

2007-07-06T17:46:00.000-04:00

Keep your heads up.

The first week at the Adcenter flew by last year. I entered school having worked two professional jobs:

1) a civil engineer for a local firm

2) FEMA's youngest architectural historian in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina hit (that's me, in the back row, with my team at our JFO (joint field office) in western LA).

I hardly knew the first thing about advertising or marketing or branding or public relations. All I knew was there was a huge discrepancy between what I was seeing in Louisiana and what people back home in Richmond knew to be the truth. I wanted to make a difference in the world and the Adcenter was where I was going to start.

Things are much different now. Many failures and a couple of triumphs later, branding is my favorite topic and "what's the position" is as frequent of a phrase in my mind as "when should I eat."

It's a tough year, but at the end of it you will be glad you made the decision to be a student at the Adcenter.

my twenty-something philosophy on best friends

2007-07-05T20:35:00.000-04:00

A philosophy on friendship and how it relates to our hearts.

A very wise man* once told me that you basically have three doors in life.

The first door is where you invite in acquaintances of all types. These are people you know cordially through work, church, friends of friends and in passing along the street. You probably know the person’s name and occupation, though not much more about him or her. I am never choosy about who I let into my first door, though some people are.

Your second door is where you invite people to know you on a more personal level. They are people you eat lunch with on occasion and who are likely to know you on a somewhat topical level. You probably enjoy discussing business with them and they are the people you will see at parties. I tend to not be choosy enough about letting people into my second door and consequently I overload my schedule with lunch and dinner dates, which causes my school work to suffer. I would say that I juggle a hundred or so of these individuals at a time; these are the people whose numbers fit comfortably into my cell phone.

My third door is sacred, the key to which is held by very few individuals. I probably have no more than ten of these individuals in my life. They understand me inside and out and I rely on them for inspiration and advice. They would be the ones to carry me out on a stretcher if I were ever in need. A few of these individuals are family members, a few are high school friends and a few are friends from college. There are probably one or two individuals from work that I let in through my third door.

These are the people I refer to as my “best friends.”

*dad