Dramatic results without the drama

What challenges do you face when developing your organization's marketing materials?

Building effective communication tools can be demanding. Shortly after we were hired to redesign marketing materials for a client, we were warned about a "powerful stakeholder" within their team that could make our job more difficult. Conspicuously absent from every early design meeting, the "powerful stakeholder" appeared for the final meeting with lots of new ideas. Incorporating all of his ideas would have caused a significant delay.

Fortunately, we'd been down this road before. Rather than arguing with the stakeholder, we guided the meeting through a discussion that

included his ideas and we helped achieve consensus within the team. Prior to leaving the meeting, we reached agreement on the necessary revisions and next steps we would take. Because we reached agreement in advance, the revisions were quickly approved and we completed the project on time and within budget!

This type of challenge isn't unique. What is unique is Electric Pen's ability to handle issues that arise with grace and with our clients’ best interest in mind.

Making The Case

1/7

Perkins Coie

Perkins Coie approached Electric Pen to create a website for their Emerging Companies Practice Group. The goal was to create a valuable resource that captured the imaginative spirit of the emerging companies practice. Electric Pen developed a streamlined process and timeline in order to achieve a critical deadline and helped guide the process from planning to final delivery. In order to support the innovative, cutting-edge nature of the EmCom practice, parallax scrolling technology was woven into the site. This approach created an enriched, organic experience for the user. A fresh, yet timeless, aesthetic was achieved by pairing large spaces of lively blue with old-fashioned engravings, effectively capturing the spirit of
the early inventors.

KEVIN MCMURDO, Chief Marketing Officer, Perkins Coie: "We use Electric Pen for a variety of projects every year. We can always count on Electric Pen to thoroughly understand our goals and needs, develop a clear approach to each project and deliver it on time and in-budget. This, we would expect from anyone we work with. What brings us back to Electric Pen, however, is the creative enthusiasm and personal approach they bring to their work. I am happy to be counted among the many satisfied clients of Electric Pen."

2/7

Rekdal, Hopkins Howard, PS (RH2)

Several partners at a large accounting firm decided to break away and form their own practice. All were well respected for expertise in a particular industry. They wanted their practice and marketing materials to have broad appeal. In order to do this, they knew that they had to make people aware of their new firm, but they weren't exactly sure how to accomplish that. They turned to Electric Pen to help build brand awareness. We developed a number of tailored marketing tools including a website, firm announcements, key advertising messaging and business stationery. These tools are quickly and effectively building the desired brand awareness.

Partner MICHAEL HOPKINS notes: "Electric Pen took the time to learn and understand our new firm's values and goals. They developed strategic brand awareness tools that represent who we are and what we do. Electric Pen is a first-class graphic design firm. Their work is creative and artistic, yet always maintains a professional feel. I would recommend them to any of our clients."

3/7

Foster Pepper

This large, Seattle-based law firm hired a design firm to update its existing brand. Unfortunately, the design firm kept pressuring Foster Pepper to "reinvent" their brand. Unhappy with this direction, Foster Pepper fired the design firm and turned to Electric Pen to put the project back on track. We learned that Foster Pepper wanted to modify their existing logo while keeping part of it intact. Armed with this knowledge, we made the requested alterations and developed a new look and feel for the rest of the firm's marketing materials.

LESLIE LARSON, marketing director, Foster Pepper: "With Electric Pen's help, Foster Pepper achieved internal buy-in on a contemporary new look to accompany our name change without sacrificing our brand equity.This allowed us to build on our existing brand and provided our firm with a competitive edge
in the marketplace"

4/7

Touch Business Consulting

Touch Business Consulting provides strategy, operations and executive communications to Fortune 500 companies. They require design services that are precise, powerful and delivered on time. For Touch, the quality of communications is key differentiator. Touch turned to Electric Pen to act as a strategic partner in creating compelling business communications. Electric Pen developed a systemized approach that provides superior designs and a transparent cost structure. Today Electric Pen teams with Touch strategists, analysts and communication specialists to develop nearly all of the company's executive communications.

Managing Principal RAY RASMUSSEN notes: "We rely on Electric Pen to translate complex business concepts into impactful communications. What makes Electric Pen so unique is that they are creative and precise under the significant time pressures that are typical of our engagements. Electric Pen is key element of the fabulous work products our "C" level clients expect
from Touch Worldwide."

5/7

Crocker Law Group

Crocker Law Group is Electric Pen's longest-standing client. We created the firm's first iteration of their brand and marketing materials, and we have worked with them since their 1997 founding. They wanted a brand that could grow organically as the firm grew. Always mindful of this objective, we've approached each project thoughtfully and methodically, never taking a drastic turn. Today, we enjoy a warm and trusted partnership with Crocker Law Group.

SHELLY CROCKER, managing partner, Crocker Law Group: "Electric Pen has been our design firm since our founding. We've collaborated on numerous projects, including business cards and stationery, multiple websites, launching two new businesses, holiday cards, magazine ads and direct mail pieces. Electric Pen always asks for, and values, our input. They think strategically and deliver creative, terrific looking designs. In short, Electric Pen helps us express who we are as a firm both to clients and to the broader community."

6/7

Microsoft | Services - WorldWide Communities

Gianni Zorzino, senior director of WorldWide Communities within Microsoft Services, hired Electric Pen to solve several branding issues. The most critical: a fragmented brand platform that employees used inconsistently. Working with Gianni, Electric Pen unified the elements of WorldWide Communities' identity and created a guide to ensure that Microsoft Services personnel apply the brand assets correctly and consistently. Since then, we've continued working with Gianni and Microsoft Services to produce tradeshow exhibits, logos, brochures, newsletter-email templates and many other marketing tools.

GIANNI ZORZINO, Senior Director of WorldWide Communities, Microsoft notes: "Electric Pen has significantly raised the quality bar and the brand recognition of all our initiatives revolving around Worldwide Communities. From capuring the essence of our issues, to guiding the selection of the choices proposed, to their adoption across a number of communication vehicles, Electric Pen has consistently leveraged their marketing and branding expertise to strive for high quality results. Time and time again, Electric Pen's team has demonstrated that they are fully invested in our success. I look forward to continuing to leverage Electric Pen for our future branding and graphics needs."

7/7

CellNetix Pathology & Laboratories

Elizabeth Dimarco, director of marketing & communications at CellNetix had a branding approach that she wanted to use when creating the firm's new marketing materials. Even before hiring Electric Pen, Elizabeth gathered information to build consensus around this approach while focusing on core business themes relating to the group's practice.

We understood the approach she wanted to take, but needed to educate ourselves about it. As a result, we successfully developed a branding approach for the firm that was quickly approved and rolled out to all of the firm's marketing materials.

ELIZABETH DIMARCO, director of marketing & communications at CellNetix Pathology & Laboratories: "Electric Pen has been an invaluable partner, adapting their approach to our internal branding process. They have been flexible and responsive in development and delivery. Time and time again, I have been impressed by their unwavering professional courtesy and their intuitive knack to get it right the first time."

How can you make your organization stand out in a sea of
similarly qualified competitors?

Does your business offer an unparalleled service or product from a group of people that are talented, skilled and successful? Well, so do your competitors! How do you distinguish yourself from them? That's where Electric Pen comes in.

We listen attentively as we walk through a process of discovery, strategy, creative work and implementation. We learn about your opportunities, your objectives and what makes you different. Drawing on your input and our experience, we create custom marketing and communication tools. This includes brand development that we apply to websites, executive presentations, mobile applications, printed collateral, advertising and more. Our process captures what makes your market position unique resulting in powerful marketing tools and achieved goals.

Can We Help You?

Our Better Half

This is more than a list of great organizations. It's also a list of good friends, like Shelly, Lee, Lincoln, Leslie, Jeff, Ben, Lisa and Gianni. We'd like to add you to this list.

  • Juniper Networks
  • Touch Worldwide
  • Odgen Murphy Wallace
  • Peterson Sullivan
  • Lasher Holzapfel Sperry & Ebberson
  • Crocker Law Group
  • Maveron
  • DecisiveData
  • Inphi Corporation
  • Starbucks
  • Federal Bar Association - Western District of Washington
  • CellNetix
  • Rekdal Hopkins Howard
  • Foster Pepper
  • NBBJ
  • Leadership Tomorrow
  • Microsoft
  • Nokia
  • First Western Properties
  • Bennett Bigelow & Leedom
  • RE Bourke Prosthodontic Art & Technology
  • Greene & Markley
  • The Tucker Law Firm
  • Legal Marketing Association
  • Nordstrom
  • Perkins Coie
  • bluLink Solutions
  • Seattle Radiologists
  • Central Bark
  • Tousley Brain Stephens
  • » Your Name Here «

John Pletsch launched Electric Pen
in 1998 after working as the sole
designer for Perkins Coie, a global
law firm headquartered in Seattle.

While working at Perkins Coie, John learned how to be creative in a demanding environment, how to achieve buy-in from multiple parties, and how to keep projects on track. John has since built on these lessons and has incorporated them into Electric Pen. As a result, Electric Pen is a dynamic organization that creates a full spectrum of digital and print communication tools.

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