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Rick’s Blog
Klündt | Hosmer Sparks Creativity and Performance
Klündt | Hosmer competes in local and national design and marketing competitions on a regular basis. It's good to see how our work compares to that of other design firms around the country and it's always nice when our work is recognized and awarded by industry professionals.
Henry, Mastery, Diane and Ashley with our winning projects recongnized at the Spark Awards.
One competition that we always enter is the Spokane Regional MarCom Association Spark Awards, where participants submit samples of their work for judging, along with a write-up of the project goals, budget and how the project met the client's goals. So beyond merely judging the projects on how they look, they are also judged on how they perform - which is the ultimate measurement of our success in the eyes of our clients.
Last night we attended the 2012 Spark Award event, which was held at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, in Spokane. Klündt | Hosmer entered six projects in the competition and we received awards for the following projects. We are proud of our collaborative work with these great clients and congratulate them and our creative team on a job well done!
Excellence: 2010 Avista Annual Report
Excellence: Kalispel Tribe of Indians 2012 Calendar
Excellence: StepUp Spokane Logo Design
Merit: Klündt | Hosmer's "Mug Shot" Facebook Campaign*
*If you attended the event and found a KH mug in your goodie bag, don't forget to snap a pic of yourself with the mug and email it to ashleym@klundthosmer.com to be included in our Facebook "Mug Shot" gallery.
Q&A at GU
Rick conducting an interview at Gonzaga University.
Photo: © 2012 Dean Davis Photography
I had a great time last week working with Dean Davis Photography and Carie Weeks from Gonzaga University while interviewing students and a professor for a feature story I'll be writing for the upcoming Gonzaga University recruitment view book.
Our team is providing the graphic design for the publication, as well as developing a recruitment website design.
Since the book won't deliver for a couple of months, I can't share what the article will be about. But I sure enjoyed conducting the interviews and art directing some of Dean's photography.
Brilliant students. An insightful, passionate professor. All the makings of a great feature story.
2012 ADDY Awards
The 2012 Spokane Advertising Federation ADDY Awards were held last Friday evening at the Masonic Hall in downtown Spokane.
Advertising agencies, design firms and interactive development companies were well represented in the competition and at the event. The judges goal was to award the best advertising, graphic design and web design produced in the Spokane region in 2011.
Klündt | Hosmer was proud to win awards in multiple categories at the competition
• Gold ADDY and Best of Division for 2010 Davidson Companies annual report
• Gold ADDY for 2011 First Night Poster
• Silver ADDY for SmartTop/Leisure Concepts tradeshow exhibit
• Silver ADDY for Kalispel Tribe presentation folder
• Silver ADDY for J. Craig Sweat Photography website
• Silver ADDY for Megiddo game board design
We also were involved in the art direction of a Silver ADDY award-winning photograph for Avista shot by J. Craig Sweat. Congratulations, Craig!
The above projects will advance to the American Advertising Federation District XI judging, where they will compete against 2011marketing and design projects produced in Washington, Idaho, Alaska, Montana, Oregon and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta.
John Mujica: Intern Awesomeness
John Mujica is a talented, aspiring designer, soon to graduate from Eastern Washington University. He also happens to be interning and working part-time with us at Klündt | Hosmer.
John Mujica, design intern.
Prior to working toward his BFA degree at EWU, John graduated from the design program at Spokane Falls Community College. He's also making a name for himself by winning several ADDY design awards in student competition.
John's got an eye for typography and photography that we are already exploiting at Klündt | Hosmer.
When I asked John to send me his resume and other infomation to help write up this blog post, I loved the description he gave me about his work at Klündt | Hosmer,
"I get to do what I was trained for… to create awesomeness."
There is no better way to describe what we expect from John.
Planting Social Networking Seeds with Shepherd's Grain
I just got back from a quick trip to Moscow, ID to talk with a group of about 50 grain growers about social networking and the use of websites for in-bound marketing.
The big question is, why would 50 grain growers care about Facebook and websites?
Karl Kupers, co-founder of Shepherd's Grain follows Rick's presentation at the Best Western University Inn in Moscow, ID.
These growers are associated with a company called Shepherd's Grain. Shepherd's Grain works with growers that are local to the region who raise wheat, barley, oats and garbanzos using a sustainable, no-till technique that reduces erosion, conserves water and increases soil tilth.
Shepherd's Grain then takes the grain, oversees the milling and distribution of the flour to bakers, restaurants, pizzarias, bagel makers, baking mix producers and others throughout the Northwest.
A few months ago, Shepherd's Grain hired Klündt | Hosmer to develop a new website and social media strategy for the company. Today I presented our work at their grower's meeting and explained how a strong website and social media strategy will enhance the marketability of the product these farmers raise and harvest.
The new Shepherd's Grain website will launch in a couple of weeks.
Many of these growers are very astute regarding technology. They harvest using GPS-guided combines and use the Internet to research the best type of seed to plant. Having dirt under their fingernails doesn't mean they don't understand the importance of using technology to open new markets for the sustainable, local products that they grow. We're proud to be associated with these growers and with Shepherd's Grain.
Abominable Snowphone
A few weeks ago, Katie Kolahi and I were at Washington State University in Pullman, WA meeting with their College of Pharmacy. This was our first meeting with the team after being hired to develop key messaging and a new website for the College.
The meeting date happened to be a morning that a big snow storm hit the Inland Northwest. Katie and I drove the 80 miles to Pullman on icy roads and into about 8 inches of snow in the roads in Pullman. We found a parking space in an unplowed lot and headed to the meeting.
We had a great session with the the client and representatives from WSU's marketing team. After the meeting, we got into the truck to head back to Spokane. On the highway home, I asked Katie to find my iPhone in the back seat so that I could call my wife and let her know that in spite of the snowy roads, we were headed back to Spokane.
After looking around, Katie reported that she couldn't find my phone. I had her call it so we could hear it ringing, but no ringing came from the backseat, either.
That left one conclusion... my iPhone had fallen out of of the vehicle when we got out for our meeting and was currently buried under 8 (and deepening) inches of snow.
Not wanting to turn back in the storm, I'd have to find a way to get my iPhone out of the snowbank the next day.
The next morning, classes were cancelled at WSU. I emailed my brother-in-law, Brett, who works in Pullman at SEL to see if he could do search for my phone. It was a long shot, but it was my only shot.
That afternoon, Brett called and talked with Katie (I was in a meeting at a client's office). She told Brett where I may have dropped my phone. Brett hiked through the snow to the area that Katie had mentioned. Standing in over a foot of new snow, Brett called my number. In the distance, a dog quietly started barking. Wondering if the barking dog was my ringtone, Brett hung up his phone. The barking stopped. Calling again, the barking resumed. Brett turned his ear to the ground and reached down into the pristine snow. With snow up to his elbow, his fingers closed around my iPhone. The phone was working and Katie's directions had Brett standing 6 inches away from it when he called.
Brett dried out my iPhone and FedEX'd it to me the next day. The phone arrived safely, with 50% of the battery charge still remaining.
I've got to hand it to Apple for developing a phone that can survive being buried for over 24-hours in a cold and wet Pullman snowbank. But then again, maybe its survival had something to do with the iPhone case my wife had bought me for Father's Day last year.
Abominable Snowphone
I have seen the future, and it's name is Frank
Everytime I hang out with Frank Swoboda, I learn something.
Whether it's a great beer to order at Jones Radiator, how writing down your goals will help you achieve them, or how a video shot on an iPhone can out-perform one shot with a big budget, Frank and his crew at Corner Booth Media are an informative and inspiring group.
While looking through Frank's blog, videothatmoves.com I came across a YouTube 101 video from The Ant Farm explaining how to upload a video to YouTube.
I laughed, AND I learned something.
Typical Frank Swoboda. He gives me something I need to know, while entertaining me at the same time.
Now it's my turn. Take a look at this video and you won't be "an idiot" like Bob, ever again. You'll be "able to upload like a mofo, now!"
Ira Glass on Developing Creativity
Something I came across on Facebook that I thought would be good for everyone to read:
Boss, Friend or Partner. How to work with your design firm.
Today Jean Klündt passed on a great article link from the AIGA (the American Institute of Graphic Artists) website. The article is titled, "The True Partnership: How to Get Great Design Solutions".
The article explains the three types of client/designer relationships:
• Boss/Worker
• Friend
• Partner
In very clear language, the author also explains how from a client's standpoint, the ONLY way to get great concepts and design from the design firm is to engage them as a Partner.
I encourage every designer, design student or corporate client to read this article and take its recommendations to heart. I think even art directors can learn how to more effectively work with their designers by following the guidelines in this article.
A Win at Nike
Earlier this week I took a trip with Carie Weeks, Dean Davis and Mark Forman to Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, OR to shoot photos and conduct video interviews of Gonzaga alumni for use in the University's recruitment view book and microsite that Klündt | Hosmer is developing.
Nike's DNA branding exhibit.
Nike has an incredible facility in Beaverton. It is set up on nearly 200 acres, much like a college campus, with well-designed buildings, beautiful water features, inspiring artwork... truly an amazing place to work.
We shot images of people and places around the campus along with video interviews of several alumni telling their career stories for potential Gonzaga undergrads. I will use the images and interviews as source material for writing a feature story for the view book and microsite.
The people at Nike were very accommodating and the passion they have for their work and products is clearly seen and felt. We captured some great images and very insightful interviews that are sure to inspire potential Gonzaga students.
I shot some photos on my iPhone while we were there and posted them to a Facebook album. Check them out.
As a bonus, after our work on Nike's campus we did a little shopping at the Nike Employee Store (nice shoes) and enjoyed a Thai meal together with a wonderful crew of people.
Thanks to Nike, Gonzaga University, Dean Davis Photography and Forman & Company for making the trip so successful.
