TELLING STORIES ANDSETTING GOALS:

A STRATEGIC APPROACHTO COMMUNICATIONS

Who is this guy?•16+ years of design experience•Owner of a successful firm for 6+ years•President of a start-up that crashed and burned

•Probably should be awarded an honoraryJD and MBA as a result.

Okay, so what’s Fifth Letter?

We believe when passionate people come together, there’s no limit to what can be accomplished. We are a multi-faceted design studio working hard each day to make a difference for our clients—and the people our clients serve—by delivering tools and methods that provide value through communication.

We believe when passionate people come together, there’s no limit to what can be accomplished. We are a multi-faceted design studio working hard each day to make a difference for our clients—and the people our clients serve—by delivering tools and methods that provide value through communication.

Ah, so you make stuff... Like what?

But we do much more thanjust that...

Our services include:Brand Development and Strategy•Logo, Icon, Tagline and Wordmark Development•Letterhead, Identity Systems and Graphics Standards•Communications Plans (including social media strategies)

Print•Book Covers, Book Interiors, and Editorial Design•Viewbooks, Catalogs, Brochures and Annual Reports•Posters and Point-of-Sale Materials•Direct Mail and Advertising•Product Packaging, Hangtags and Instructions

Our services include:Interactive•Websites and Web-Based Advertising•Social Media•Newsletters and Media-Rich Emails•Videos•App Development

Environment (Interior and Exterior)•Signage Systems•Murals and Large-Format Artwork

We help solve marketing and communications challenges.

We tend to say “no” a lot. Sorry.

1+1=3

Your goal is to get over the bar — however you can do it.

Today we'll focus on two areas:•Telling a compelling and genuine story to people who care.

•Setting clear goals and understanding when you've reached or exceeded them

But first, a bit of inspiration and insight.

Study the unusually successful people you know, and you will find them imbued with an enthusiasm for their work which is contagious. Not only are they themselves excited about what they are doing, but they also get you excited. — Paul W. Ivey

Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is. — Ernest Hemingway

The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but escaping from the old ones, which ramify, for those brought up as most of us have been, into every corner of our minds. — John Maynard Keynes

No one knows your story better than you.

Visuals and descriptions are great.

Make me care.

Errors Entrepreneurs Make•No clear message regarding product or service benefit (i.e. elevator pitch)

•Not being authentic or telling an interesting story

•Holding the brand too sacred and not be willing to partner with a complimentary business.

Errors Entrepreneurs Make•Selling features, not benefits(burying people in details)

•Staying safe and sticking with what they know (and thinking small)

•Following the latest trend

Errors Entrepreneurs Make•Lack of capitalization, strategy and success metrics (not having a plan or budget)

•Unrealistic expectations, often due to lack of research

•Throwing money at the problem

Errors Entrepreneurs Make•Not being in it for the long-haul (to build relationships)

•No congruency (“The Shotgun Approach“)•The “Field of Dreams“ mentality•Not delegating when professional expertise is needed

Develop a business plan•The problem you're solving and the marketexperiencing this problem.

•A marketing section•A budget and breakdown of costs to start your business and to keep it running

Develop a business plan•Financial projections•Include feedback loops and calls-to-action•Timelines

Additional Thoughts•Pull in advisors and hire professionals when the time is right

•Actively listen both on- and offline•Developing and managing a realistic budget once things are rolling along

•Becoming an expert in your field

Magazines and Websites•Inc. Magazine (Inc. 500/5000)•Fast Company•BusinessWeek•Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)•TED Talks (ted.com)

Professional Organizations•The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA)•The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)•American Advertising Federation (AAF)

Your Networks and Your Idols

Fifth LetterElliot Strunk, Creative Director (or Ringleader)

336.723.5655 or elliot@fifth-letter.com