GB Director of Client Services, Shane Wolfsmith, writes in MediaPost about how agencies can determine where clients have power and influence, or could, and bring it to life in truly meaningful ways. He says, “When goals and objectives around DEI are clearly embraced and illustrated in the defining stages of a client/agency engagement, then it becomes easier to hold each other accountable throughout the process. Change is often uncomfortable, challenging and comes with its own set of risks, which is best managed together as partners.” In the article, Shane outlines when in the process to have the conversation, and how to do it to earn buy-in. So you can do it, too.

Read the full article on MediaPost. 

The post On MediaPost: How Agencies Can Foster Brand Equity And Inclusion appeared first on Grady Britton.

For the last three years, Grady Britton, led by our internal Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity team, has been working to increase our EDI proficiency. Through workshops, seminars and partnerships, we’ve learned the best way to improve is to look inward. And do it honestly, with a critical eye. Review our internal policies and practices. Learn, adjust, and take meaningful steps of action.  

And we know “action” is a long-term, ongoing commitment; not a moment. So we’re going to keep at it, doing everything we can to create real change. We began by putting our money where our passions are.  

Which is why throughout June, Griffs, along with an agency match, donated nearly $17,000 to social justice-oriented organizations. While employees chose the individual organizations they gave to, each one supports communities of color across critical initiatives and services, including education, mental health, legal defenses and bail, and the protection of civil and human rights. 

We’re sharing those organizations below in the hope that they’ll continue to be supported beyond now. We welcome your suggestions for others. And we’ll also continue to share our ongoing efforts and progress happening internally to affect things both in our office and out.

ACLU

Basic Rights of Oregon Education Fund

BEAM

Black Lives Matter Global Network

Black Resilience Fund

Black Visions Collective

Don’t Shoot PDX

Elijah McClain

Equal Justice Initiative

Homeless Black Trans women fund

Justice for Breonna Taylor

Loveland Foundation

Marsha P. Johnson Institute

Minnesota Freedom Fund

Movement for Black Lives

NAACP

NAACP Legal Defense & Education Fund

National Lawyers Guild San Francisco

Oregon Innocence Project

Self Enhancement, Inc.

Southern Poverty Law Center

United Negro College Fund

Until Freedom

The post Our Commitment to Continuing and Bettering EDI Efforts appeared first on Grady Britton.

And just like that – you are here. Your business, your consumers, the brand. Everything that was is in a very different place than when we rang in 2020. 

The disruptions from COVID-19 to markets and expectations are real. They’ve also created ideal conditions for your brand to show up better than ever. Vital, relevant, even – dare we say – magical.  

You can still be the leader and leave the legacy you’ve dreamed of for your brand. In fact, it’s more important than ever that that happens. Consider how your brand would answer these questions, with more to come in following weeks:

Purpose matters more than ever. Now’s the time to really declare it, showcase it, fly it high. Let your brand be the one that shows up (and behaves) as personal, familiar, confident, reliable. Your messages and actions should embrace what’s going on today; does what you’re doing deliver on your mission and values and the promise you made when you first opened for business?

Crises are the ultimate B.S. meters. People are looking for solid, thoughtful displays of brand promises; cliched positivity and blanket messages simply won’t work. 

Do you have something people need right now? Opt for clear and direct.

Do you have something to help people cope? Opt for caring and concerned. 

Do you have something to distract? Read the room, and then opt for sensitivity with optimism. 

Do these things today: 

• Take stock of where your audience engages most with your brand. Is it social media? Which platform? Your website? Invest your time in the platforms that work best for your brand right now. Make sure the content is what your audience is engaging with currently.
• Your brand is a fraction of your audience’s life: free tools like Google Analytics or Facebook Audience Insights can give you a peek at who your customers are and what their needs are right now. Based on those findings, shift messaging so it meets them where they are, or helps them think about you in the future.
• Update your owned channels – your website and social media profiles – with your COVID-19 policies, including closures, changes in hours, updates to work policies, etc. Update Yelp if your business leverages it for business, where you can add an editable COVID-19 Advisory Alert Banner. If your business uses Google My Business, update business hours or mark your business as Temporarily Closed. 
• Keep staff and partners aligned and clear on daily changes; over-communicate via e-mail, all-team meetings and other platforms. The more they know about the state of your business, the better brand ambassadors they will be.

As the country reopens: 

• Audiences will be cautious. They are craving “a return to normal” but will re-emerge slowly – looking for what their trusted brands are doing, how they are engaging in current (ever-changing) conditions.  
• Meet them where they are. Fly your purpose flag high. Concentrate on highly-visible channels where you can update content quickly. Conditions and sentiment will evolve rapidly, weekly, and even daily. Be sure your messaging can, too.  
• Tap into the power of PR to stay relevant and build relationships with the media who are hungry for good news. Which you are a source of, right?

See it in Action:

First Interstate, “Twenty Seconds” 

First Interstate Bank’s purpose has always been to see that their communities thrive. Given recent events, we honed the messaging to be one of reassurance; that in 50+ years of business, they’d weathered a lot of ups and downs with their communities. They are in it for the long-haul, one day at a time — regardless of what those days look like.     

Working with a trusted director who not only shot our idea solo (safely), in his home, with his daughter and wife, we created a thoughtful single-take spot that captures the essence of what it means to be ready for what the day holds. A special URL points to a landing page spotlighting the human moments all around us. 

Total time for concept, to execution, to in-market? Just under 3 weeks.  

We’re helping brands sort through what’s needed now and take action — be in touch if a consultation would be helpful. And we’ll meet you back here for the second part in our series.

The post Welcome to Now: Making Brand Magic in Times of Change, Part 1 appeared first on Grady Britton.

For companies without that same “freedom of budget” as the big guys, they still need a way to get their stories into the world. Those small-to-medium-sized businesses are the engine of our economy. They account for nearly half the country’s employees and were responsible for about two-thirds of net new job creation from 2010 to 2017. It may be difficult to prioritize full-fledged brand development or marketing over dozens of other things they need to run, but they’re not oblivious to it. Many are often already in digital spaces, doing their best while doing everything else to keep the lights on.

Agencies have to make similar business decisions, too. When taking on what might be a smaller company or smaller budget, or even pro bono efforts, it can boil down to, financially, can we make this work?

If agencies want to, then they can often find a way. Read the full article in Portland Business Journal to learn more from Andy about why prioritizing the little guy is more important than ever, and how agencies can realistically get it done.

The post In Portland Business Journal: The Importance of Equitable Access to Great Design appeared first on Grady Britton.

“I’m not opposed to clarity and efficiency in design. I wonder, though, about the overall cost to the discipline when so many brands are electing to use (at least by appearance) off-the-shelf fonts to represent their brands. It’s a legacy that will almost certainly not age well, especially when compared to the iconic brand marks of the last century or so. Vonage has elected to go down the neogrotesque route, with a few bespoke details, specifically the rounded V and A. Vonage isn’t a brand with a deep heritage, but it does have some brand equity worth leveraging. The monogram itself is a simple extrusion of the V, though that wasn’t obvious until I saw the mark animated. Deleting the circle that’s inside the V in the original logo removes any reference to humanity in the new mark. Where I think the brand is more effective is in the integrated campaign; the illustrative elements and palette are more effective. The icons and illustration are distinctive and fun, although how long a shelf life they have is debatable.”

Personally, we’re fans of his use of the words “neogrotesque” and “bespoke.” We don’t think we’ll be challenging Paul to Scrabble any time soon.

While the article only ran in print, you can explore some Computer Arts content online.

The post In Computer Arts: Commentary on Vonage Rebrand appeared first on Grady Britton.

GB Director of Client Services Shane Wolfsmith writes in Campaign US about the importance of bringing humanity into the role of account management. As he says, “There are a multitude of stressors at play in client management that pull us away from our natural sense of humanness, but that very humanness is essential to creating enduring, trusting and influential relationships with clients. And creating those types of relationships are the greatest achievement of any account manager.”

Shane continues by outlining strategies to bring this into daily practice, reminding us all that work is usually the most successful when we get a little personal.

Read the article on Campaign US. 

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When Paige and Andy Askren bought Grady Britton 10 years ago, they wondered…why would a city already saturated with agencies need another one? They decided a strong set of values was the answer to that question, and still is every day. From the people they hire, to the clients they partner with, to the work that’s produced, leading by values is a top-down business decision at Grady Britton.

On Dendrocast, Paige shares how this business model affects operations — for new business, culture and management. Listen now.

The post Listen on Dendrocast: The Role Of Values In Agency Growth appeared first on Grady Britton.

While GB effectively competes by centering everything around near-and-dear-held values, constantly focused on doing right by the world, it’s also about being clear on the work you do…and actually want to do.

Read the full article in Oregon Business Magazine.

The post In Oregon Business Magazine: A Mad Ad World appeared first on Grady Britton.

But it’s more than just the feel-good stuff. Even when opting to be an agency set out to do good, business is business. So while helping the good guys win feels great, agencies have to be prepared for the business challenges to do that work. There will be sacrifices. There will come a time when you have to say no to a big budget. 

In the article, Paige shares more about how to lead with values in every business decision, and the benefits agencies experience when it works. Because the world needs what responsible, thoughtful brands bring. It also needs agencies that help those brands succeed. 

Read the full article on MediaPost.

The post On MediaPost: How Brand Values Impact The Agency Business appeared first on Grady Britton.

To celebrate our anniversary year, we spoke with the two people who started it all—Frank Grady and Cherry Britton—and the two people running it all now—Paige Campbell and Andy Askren. They reflect on where we started, how we’ve grown, and the direction we’re headed next. 

FRANK GRADY, FOUNDER

When you first began the agency, in what ways did you hope to see it grow?
In the beginning, the agency provided a path for me to offer services to local companies in an independent manner. I’ve always enjoyed helping clients be successful, providing solutions and outside perspectives. My goal in the beginning was to build a stable base of clients, and to learn and grow along with them — shared values and mutual success were the overall goals. The payoff was the stimulation of engaging in challenges for a wide variety of companies and personalities. 

What about this agency’s 45-year history makes you most proud?
I am most proud of the culture, integrity, and heart of Grady Britton. The agency has always been grounded in providing high-quality advertising and remarkable service to its clients. The agency has helped our industry and our community become economically stronger. And the heart of GB has helped so many non-profits and individuals be successful. The agency is an example of what good companies can do to grow their employees, be successful, and make our community healthier.  

CHERRY BRITTON, ORIGINAL PARTNER

When you first began the agency, in what ways did you hope to see it grow?
From the beginning, our goals were to create a space that brought value to our clients while honoring the lives and contributions of all who worked at the agency. What that client value was in specific detail changed and grew over time as the agency grew and matured. But the goal of treating clients and employees with integrity never changed. That guided every decision and every transaction, internally and externally.

Of the two of us, Frank was always the one with real vision. It seemed like he knew where he was going from Day One! I hung onto my hat — for the most part — and said, “Let’s go!” Then we both pitched in to make his vision happen.

What about this agency’s 45-year history makes you most proud?
Well, of course the work speaks for itself. Hard not to be proud of that. But what I am most proud of concerns people — how many friendships were made and sustained, inter-agency and with clients. The bands. The bowling and softball team. The Grady Britton Book Club that has continued these many years. And the laughter — that unique mix of goofiness, creativity, and disciplined focus that is necessary to sustain an agency and to produce extraordinary work. I’m immensely proud to see such vibrancy and commitment in the faces of those who work at Grady Britton today. 

PAIGE CAMPBELL, CURRENT PRESIDENT AND PARTNER

What goals did you have for the agency in your first year of ownership?
It sounds crazy, but my goal at that time was for the agency to stay afloat. The recession hit about 6 months after signing our purchase agreement, and Andy and I had just made our down payments. We were experiencing layoffs, and our clients’ marketing budgets were in serious decline. At the time, I remember wondering if/how we were going to make it and wondering what was going to happen next. 

I know when we planned to buy the agency originally we were hoping to build on the great reputation the agency had and to prioritize our culture and clients who had a Will to be Great, but once the recession hit, my goal was to make payroll every month.

How has the agency grown under your ownership?
The agency has changed so much, yet at the same time, it’s true and even more committed to its roots. We’ve become larger, stronger, and deeper in capabilities — and our purpose and culture have become richer and more meaningful. We live and work in integrity each day, and it feels right. To me, it didn’t feel that way 9 years ago. 

How would you like to see Grady Britton’s work impact clients in the future?
We know our strategy and work has the ability to transform our clients’ businesses. And we are committed to helping the good guys win — those special companies doing right by the world. I hope our work introduces, propels, and inspires people who are seeking more alignment and meaning in their lives. Over time, as we help organizations that are helping to create a better tomorrow grow, society will be impacted positively, and our environment and all of us will be better for it. 

ANDY ASKREN, CURRENT PARTNER and EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR

What goals did you have for the agency in your first year of ownership?
That first year took what I had originally set as my goals for the agency and handed me completely new ones. Each month of that year, each week, each day, was about business survival. Just keeping this gem of a company that I’d fallen in love with alive and running, while still keeping the approach our work took “GB-right.” The agency had a reputation to live up to regardless of some little ol’ recession we also happened to be juggling.  

How has the agency grown under your ownership?
To me, the agency has come into itself in a really fantastic way. It’s always had a certain “feel” to it, and an aim to do the right thing. We’ve put a lot of work into defining what made up that feeling, that sense — and then got into the nitty gritty of how we make that happen in a sustainable, tangible way with a common language. Codifying that has attracted folks who take what they do very personally; they’re wholly invested in what they can make happen for our clients and community. 

How would you like to see Grady Britton’s work impact clients in the future?
People are looking for things they can believe in and support: missions, stories, actions. Businesses and brands doing good in the world can be those anchors now. And for the ones who take on that responsibility, I want to see them flood the market and own that charge. I believe GB exists to fuel that movement. I hope we continue to attract more and more clients who want the same thing, and more employees and partners who are up for that. I hope we inspire other agencies to point themselves in that direction, too.

The post Grady Britton Reflects on 45 Years of Doing Good appeared first on Grady Britton.

AdWeek collected responses from designers, asking what they thought of the new look. And while you can never be sure about the discussions that led to it, Grady Britton designer Paul Levy offered a tepid opinion. 

“While I’m not a fan of generic wordmarks, I can tolerate them when they are the primary mark for a brand. What’s particularly confusing about Facebook’s new corporate mark is that it has to co-exist with the brand mark that, presumably, will continue to live on the platform. Creating a corporate mark that doesn’t leverage, or at least pay some kind of homage to, the brand mark seems confusing, bordering upon design malfeasance.”

Paul did add, however, that he imagined the designer was likely in a no-win situation. 

Read the full article—and other opinions—over on AdWeek.

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Portland’s creative and branding agency, Grady Britton, is excited to announce a partnership with fellow B Corporation, North Coast Brewing Company, supporting and bolstering the craft brewer’s PR storytelling and brand messaging efforts.

Based in Fort Bragg, CA, North Coast Brewing Company is an independently-owned craft brewing company rooted in a deep commitment to sustainability and innovation within the craft brewing space.

“Grady Britton and North Coast were drawn to each other because of our shared commitment to doing good and leaving today better than yesterday,” says Grady Britton President, Paige Campbell. “North Coast’s brand values and mission echo Grady Britton’s own mission and what we stand for as an agency.”

North Coast Brewing Company is a long-standing B Corporation, nationally recognized as a top-tier craft brewery and a leader in sustainable farming and zero waste management. North Coast was recognized alongside Grady Britton as a 2018 Best Businesses for the World award recipient, receiving praise as being a changemaker in their community and industry. The company’s work with marine research, jazz education and sustainable farming highlights its’ commitment towards doing good, one pint at a time.

North Coast’s impressive beer roster is award-winning and distributed across the world. The company’s core beer brands have received Non-GMO project verification, emphasizing its’ commitment to brewing with ingredients that are both sustainable to the earth and healthy for consumers. North Coast’s energy use for each barrel of beer is less than half the industry average, illustrating one way North Coast contributes as a leader within the craft beer market.

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