When it came time to introduce the brand to US audiences, the distributor knew there would be a lot of work to do. 93 Octane began by creating a website that showcased the product’s remarkable cleaning power with demonstration videos, before and after photos, and testimonials that not only made the case for the product, but made finding it through search engines easy and their Google AdWord campaign affordable. The campaign continued with print ads that contrasted the power and gentleness of the product and revised packaging that featured a unique foil stock.

93 Octane had the rare opportunity to build a new brand from the ground up, starting with a name that reflected the new principal’s involvement, The Novak Consulting Group. From there, we created a new logo and set of complementary corporate identity tools that give them a modern, cohesive look.

The corporate identity work was followed-up with a new WordPress hosted website and sales support materials that articulated how they helped “bring solutions into focus.”

“I love how you have presented us to the world,” said new owner Julia Novak. “We’re getting lots of great feedback on our website.”

The group was looking to polish their image ahead of their new album release, scheduled for release June 5, 2010. The logo ended up being a combination of two of the options presented to the band. The band felt the “type-faces” helped capture the personality of the group, but they couldn’t let go of the distinctive “double D” logo mark either. The combined logo let’s them use the elements together or separately, giving them the ultimate flexibility.

The project was in collaboration with Denise Bird of Bird Marketing, who is helping the band with publicity. “YOU GUYS ROCK!”, said Denise, after reviewing a first round draft of the presentation. Client “Diggity Donny” Atkins agreed. “These look awesome.”

Raymond once called me the “Chairman of Hugs” because of my notoriously soft touch when it comes to dealing with the human side of business. But the truth is, behind closed doors, he was much more of a softie than me.

Like many businesses, we faced difficult circumstances in the past year. And while a lesser man would have approached decisions primarily from a business perspective, his first thoughts were always for his staff. Every decision was made with their welfare as the primary objective. They came first, even if it meant he came last.

Raymond was generous. He never passed a panhandler without rolling down his window and handing them a $5 bill. And if he had no money, he’d borrow it from one of us. He supported innumerable charitable causes, and helped fuel our corporate food and toy drives at the holidays. And over the years, he championed multiple charitable projects for clients such as Tennis4life, Collegiate Schools, and Metro Richmond CASA, to name a few. Raymond had a soft spot for anyone in need.

Raymond was wise. He was the kind of person you would go to when you needed perspective. He had the uncanny ability to see past emotions to the larger picture. There were numerous times I came to question, rail, or complain. Raymond was famous for saying “Fair is a weather condition.” He was not interested in finding a fair solution, so much as the right solution, even if that meant accepting the short end of the stick.

Raymond was funny. You couldn’t write about Raymond without mentioning his famous, wry humor. He had the ability to see the humor in situations that no one else could. And whenever we got too serious, he was always there to remind us that “it’s only junk mail.”

There are many people who profess values to which they fall short. Raymond was not one of them. He didn’t like to talk about his values, so much as he lived them out. And what he left us is an example for all of us to follow.

Fiercely loyal, savagely funny, incredibly generous, Raymond passed away in his sleep on March 6th. His absence is a great loss for not just his family and friends, but for his family here at 93 Octane. We miss him dearly.

Memorial donations in Raymond’s honor may be made to the Richmond SPCA or the Daily Planet.

The direct mail featured two ornament-shaped coupons, each good for a free game for up to 10 players, with staggered expiration dates. The savvy campaign generated nearly 50,000 redemptions, with over five players per coupon, for a total of 250,000 games, driving critical year-end traffic at a time that bowling centers typically see a break from league play.

Packet 360, who performs network analysis, design, implementation and support, conceived of the lecture series as a way to deepen their ties with the tech community and build goodwill among clients and prospects. Okeefe recognized the AVATAR premier could be the perfect opportunity to launch the series, and quickly moved to pull together the event plan. But with little more than three weeks till the opening day, they needed to pull in a partner who could respond quickly, and tapped 93 Octane.

Two days later, the creative team at 93 Octane put together the first of a two-pronged email blast designed to generate maximum interest. The emails were integrated with an online reservation system, giving organizers up-to-the minute information on response rates, and allowing them to tailor arrangements and follow-up communications.

Just days later, responders received a provocative invitation in the mail, complete with fraud-resistant watermarked tickets. The visual approach was even carried through to the event, where 93 Octane created AVATAR themed lanyards for event guests.

The results? The promotion generated a whopping 17% response rate, with over 200 people registering and over 150 attending with little more than week-and-a-half notice. But even more impressively,  the event paved the way to new business meetings and contacts – and all during the December holiday season!

“Even with a daunting timetable, 93 Octane delivered beautiful work that was incredibly responsive,” said Packet360’s Rob Jefferson. “I can’t imagine having not partnered with them for this project.”