Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Shoestring Creative Group Opens Office in Lawrence, Kansas – the hometown of the company’s founder
Portland-Based and Nationally Recognized Marketing Communications Firm Returns to its Midwest Roots
Lawrence, Kan. -- During his non-profit career, Dan Ward made two important discoveries. One was a passion for marketing, and the other was the realization most nonprofit organizations need a lot of help in their marketing efforts.
“People usually get into nonprofits because they don’t identify with the world of sales and marketing. That means that finding creative ways to drive the message home doesn’t often come naturally.”
“But you can’t get better if you neglect your marketing,” Ward says. “Every single ingredient for success – board development, name recognition, program effectiveness, volunteer recruitment, and of course fundraising – all of these become easier when the organization’s marketing is excellent.”
Ward has been in nonprofit marketing and fundraising since 1989, and has worked with organizations in Washington DC, Texas, Pennsylvania, California and Kansas. His marketing efforts have helped groups working in fields ranging from public health to environmental conservation to the fine arts. His most recent affiliation was with the Kansas Wildlife Federation in Topeka.
Nonprofit groups and state agencies in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska will now have the chance to tap into that philosophy as well as a nation-wide network of nonprofit marketing and public relations experts. Ward – who is opening up the Lawrence office for Shoestring Creative Group – will serve as a senior project director and nonprofit marketing consultant. Shoestring is an award-winning, full-service marketing communications firm that provides marketing, public relations, advertising, graphic design and web development services to nonprofits and good causes.
“I’m excited by this partnership because as far as I’m concerned, Shoestring has exactly the right idea,” says Ward. “Far too often, nonprofits have an approach that I call ‘if you build it, they will come,’ with the notion that money and volunteers will naturally appear if you execute your programs well. Unfortunately, real life doesn’t work like that – there’s just too much competition and too little money.”
“Shoestring’s approach is that marketing isn’t an afterthought, it’s at the center of everything you do. We believe that before you do anything else, you identify your audience, and you craft strong, clear, and consistent messages that will call them to action. By teaming up with Shoestring Creative Group, I’m bringing a nationwide group of experts to the table to help our clients do that.”
Shoestring Creative Group was originally founded in Kansas City by Hannah Brazee Gregory who grew up in Lawrence, Kansas and attended the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Kansas and also worked in the university’s Office of University Relations for several years.
“It has been my goal for sometime to bring my business to my beloved hometown of Lawrence, Kansas,” says Brazee Gregory. “Our mission is to provide high-end marketing, design and public relations services to nonprofits at a price they can afford. Combine this with the fact that we only work with nonprofits and have many best practices to bring to the table, and I know we will be able to make a huge difference to the wonderful nonprofits all around the area – many of which I was involved with as a child and college student.”
Shoestring Creative Group has worked with clients across the country. The company’s central office is in Portland, Maine, with satellite offices in Carmel, Calif., Boston, and now Lawrence. The company’s website is www.shoestringgroup.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Dan Ward (in Lawrence, Kansas)
(785) 249-2165
dan@shoestringgroup.com
Hannah Brazee Gregory (in Portland, Maine)
Managing Director/Founder, Shoestring Creative Group
(207) 582-1345
hannah@shoestringgroup.com
Lawrence, Kan. -- During his non-profit career, Dan Ward made two important discoveries. One was a passion for marketing, and the other was the realization most nonprofit organizations need a lot of help in their marketing efforts.
“People usually get into nonprofits because they don’t identify with the world of sales and marketing. That means that finding creative ways to drive the message home doesn’t often come naturally.”
“But you can’t get better if you neglect your marketing,” Ward says. “Every single ingredient for success – board development, name recognition, program effectiveness, volunteer recruitment, and of course fundraising – all of these become easier when the organization’s marketing is excellent.”
Ward has been in nonprofit marketing and fundraising since 1989, and has worked with organizations in Washington DC, Texas, Pennsylvania, California and Kansas. His marketing efforts have helped groups working in fields ranging from public health to environmental conservation to the fine arts. His most recent affiliation was with the Kansas Wildlife Federation in Topeka.
Nonprofit groups and state agencies in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska will now have the chance to tap into that philosophy as well as a nation-wide network of nonprofit marketing and public relations experts. Ward – who is opening up the Lawrence office for Shoestring Creative Group – will serve as a senior project director and nonprofit marketing consultant. Shoestring is an award-winning, full-service marketing communications firm that provides marketing, public relations, advertising, graphic design and web development services to nonprofits and good causes.
“I’m excited by this partnership because as far as I’m concerned, Shoestring has exactly the right idea,” says Ward. “Far too often, nonprofits have an approach that I call ‘if you build it, they will come,’ with the notion that money and volunteers will naturally appear if you execute your programs well. Unfortunately, real life doesn’t work like that – there’s just too much competition and too little money.”
“Shoestring’s approach is that marketing isn’t an afterthought, it’s at the center of everything you do. We believe that before you do anything else, you identify your audience, and you craft strong, clear, and consistent messages that will call them to action. By teaming up with Shoestring Creative Group, I’m bringing a nationwide group of experts to the table to help our clients do that.”
Shoestring Creative Group was originally founded in Kansas City by Hannah Brazee Gregory who grew up in Lawrence, Kansas and attended the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Kansas and also worked in the university’s Office of University Relations for several years.
“It has been my goal for sometime to bring my business to my beloved hometown of Lawrence, Kansas,” says Brazee Gregory. “Our mission is to provide high-end marketing, design and public relations services to nonprofits at a price they can afford. Combine this with the fact that we only work with nonprofits and have many best practices to bring to the table, and I know we will be able to make a huge difference to the wonderful nonprofits all around the area – many of which I was involved with as a child and college student.”
Shoestring Creative Group has worked with clients across the country. The company’s central office is in Portland, Maine, with satellite offices in Carmel, Calif., Boston, and now Lawrence. The company’s website is www.shoestringgroup.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Dan Ward (in Lawrence, Kansas)
(785) 249-2165
dan@shoestringgroup.com
Hannah Brazee Gregory (in Portland, Maine)
Managing Director/Founder, Shoestring Creative Group
(207) 582-1345
hannah@shoestringgroup.com
