Barnhart

Denver based Barnhart Communications recently added a new member to the account management team: Alan Luu.

As Barnhart’s new account executive Luu brings six years of experience to the firm and will service various Barnhart clients including: Wyoming Suicide Prevention, History Colorado and Wyoming Tourism. He most recently served as a Senior Accounts Manager at Moxie Sozo in Boulder, working with clients such as the Aspen Music Festival, Bonzini, CatEye Electronics, PROBAR and Colorado Ski Country USA. He also has extensive graphic design knowledge having taught visual communication at Arizona State University, and as the founder and head designer at Luu Fu Creative.

A gradate of Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz., Luu lives in Boulder, Colo.

We just had to share this blog post by fellow communicator Susan Young at Get In Front Communications. We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. Enjoy!

13 Communication Tips to Help Survive Thanksgiving

I usually blog about business communication tips but since most of us won’t be working on Thanksgiving, we’ll have to communicate with relatives and/or friends. It may be easier to go to work!

Here are 13 quick communication tips to help make your day festive and enjoyable.

Bookmark this post, as it will come in handy for the entire holiday season!

1. Forget previous holidays, discussions, disagreements, and conversations. Go in with a clean slate and an open mind that you will have a fabulous and relaxing day.
2. Have a drink. I didn’t say get drunk, because things could turn ugly. One drink can help you relax and take the edge off.
3. Remember, not every comment or statement requires an answer. Silence and a smile can be very powerful. In other words, bite your tongue.
4. Use the phrase, ”Isn’t that interesting?” If Uncle Grouch starts in at the table with off-color remarks, recite these three magical words. ”Isn’t that interesting?” neutralizes virtually every situation. This phrase leads to a verbal dead-end. Then smile politely.
5. Mingle with the kids. This can bring levity to the day.
6. Take a walk. Invite someone special, or the entire group, to take a walk around the corner. The dynamics will shift, the conversations will lighten up, and the fresh air will be rejuvenating.
7. Keep a few friendly and neutral small-talk starters or stories in mind. Be ready to drop one in if things get awkward or tense.
8. Pass on being a “topper.” If Uncle Fred is bragging about his week in Florida, let him have his moment. Don’t chime in that you just returned from a free month in Bermuda because you were the No. 1 sales rep.
9. Be nice. Gossip often rules at family gatherings. Steer clear of pettiness. Don’t say anything behind someone’s back that you wouldn’t say to their face.
10. Avoid touchy subjects. There’s a lot of angst out there with unemployment, money, and everyday life. You don’t know everything that goes on in other homes, marriages, or relationships. Focus on positive topics and stay away from turning your feast into a “pity party.”
11. Cite three good qualities of someone who is with you that you dislike. Think of these qualities before you join the crowd so you can get rid of “old baggage.” Plan to relax and have a good day!
12. Offer to help. Some of the best conversations I’ve had with family and friends have taken place while we’re clearing dishes, taking out the garbage, or loading the dishwasher.
13. Communicate your gratitude. Regardless of how happy or unhappy you were during your visit, tell your host that you appreciate their efforts and invitation.

Barnhart Communications recently added three new staff members to its talented roster, including Phil Metz, Director of Digital Services / Account Director; Adam Nelson, Art Director; and Lynda Pfaff, Media Director.

“We’re pleased to officially welcome Phil, Adam and Lynda to the team to help us meet growing client demands,” said Bill Schumacher, President and CEO of Barnhart. “Their collective talent and experience supports our mission to be the most vital marketing partner for our clients and to create great work that works.”

Account Director Phil Metz also serves as Barnhart’s Director of Digital Services with more than 10 years of experience creating and managing innovative marketing campaigns in the real estate, resort, hospitality and marine industries. He recently returned to Denver after spending six and a half years in Tampa, Fla. as Vice President and Interactive Department Manager at United Landmark Associates.

Adam Nelson is an award-winning art director who also returned to his native home of Colorado after spending six years at GSD&M in Austin, Texas; David and Goliath in El Segundo, Calif.; and Abend and Moore in Atlanta, Ga. His credits include work for AARP, Ace Hardware, Horseshoe Casino, Kia Motors, Mammoth Mountain and Zales, among others.

Lynda Pfaff brings more than 25 years of experience in marketing and media to Barnhart, having most recently led marketing efforts for Papa Murphy’s central region, spanning 360 stores across 23 markets. Prior to Papa Murphy’s, she held media director positions at Modern Media, Inline Media and Kelley/Dexter Advertising & Marketing. Over the years, she has been responsible for media planning for ski resorts, homebuilders, restaurants, banks and HMOs, among many more agency accounts.

Unconventional- that is the word I would use to summarize my journey from college to interning at Barnhart. I never expected to be working for an agency. I often take the road less traveled in my journey through life; focusing my journalism studies more towards technical writing was one of those decisions.

It is my second major, history, that launched me into the world of public relations. I applied for an internship at History Colorado last summer in their PR department, thinking I could mesh my two majors into one.

I haven’t looked back.

After several months there I was introduced to Barnhart, and accepted as an intern. Here I have been assigned to work with (yes, you guessed it) History Colorado! With a newly built museum scheduled to open in Spring 2012, and as a place close to my heart, I am excited to promote the story to local and national news outlets, and even more excited to learn about the process.

Barnhart has taught me a lot of new skills; I have a very different perspective to bring to the table, but also a lot to learn about the public relations world. One instance is the QR Code trend happening in PR and marketing right now. QR codes allow businesses to send consumers directly to a URL, potentially increasing sales, increasing awareness of a product, or even offering special promotions.

And those are just the basic ideas. Can you imagine what a little creativity could do for such a new idea?

And I think it is my history major that makes me look around at the office with glee. Barhnart’s office is located in an old bank building. The space is open, artsy, and has charms only old banks could offer including beautiful railing on the second floor, spacious view to the area below, and a bank vault.

Great work atmosphere, great people and a great learning experience- this is Barnhart to me.

-Ashley Lauwereins

It was the second semester of my sophomore year that I decided I wanted to work at a communications agency. I loved everything that revolved around marketing, public relations and advertising and the ever-changing and fast-paced environment of an agency seemed like heaven. Unfortunately, until now, I had never had the opportunity to intern or work at an agency. Now, as an intern at Barnhart, I can hardly wait to get started.

This being my first internship at an agency, I do not have any specific expectations in regards to events or activities I think will happen. I am at a bit of a loss as to what to expect. I have a huge learning curve as this internship is unlike any other I have ever had; all I know is that I just want to learn as much as I can as fast as I can. The great thing about Barnhart is not only do they specialize in advertising but also in marketing as well as public relations and social media. This provides tons of opportunities for knowledge expansion as an intern – I can’t even imagine all of the learning potential there is.

Have I mentioned the location yet? Denver, Colorado! I may be a bit biased being a long-term Colorado resident myself but I love everything that is Colorado. Also, Denver itself is such a beautiful and vibrant city – I am glad to have an excuse to come into the city multiple times a week. Barnhart’s location, which is less than two blocks from 16th Street Mall, is phenomenal. Barnhart’s office is practically at the center of everything in Denver; who could ask for more?

I have also just been assigned a travel and tourism project I hope to learn a lot from. It involves researching industry statistics in regards to travel and comparing that to current clients. Then I will take that research one step further and research more about the “best” advertising practices in the industry. I hope this project will allow me to learn more about the travel and tourism industry as well as various advertising practices within this industry. I am curious to see what else I may stumble upon throughout the project.

Even though it is only my second week as a Barnhart intern, I am so thrilled to have this opportunity. I hope by the end of the term that I have learned what it’s like to be a part of an agency as well as various aspects of marketing, advertising and public relations. I hope I will understand how these three strategies work together to create dynamic campaigns and how to be a viable agency professional in this industry.

– Liana Ruiz

Today is the first day of summer. I’m taking the liberty to compare June 21 to January 1, aka the day of resolutions. While I’m not one to make New Year’s resolutions, I do take the time to reflect on the last year, and look forward to what I will accomplish in the new one. June 21 isn’t the start to a new year, but because it is the start to arguably the best season (and scarily enough, half-way through 2011), I think it’s only appropriate to reflect on and redefine my goals.

My co-worker walked in this morning talking about her new workout regimen, and I about my re-focused eating habits. Everyone probably has personal goals that sometimes need to be dusted off and renewed. But what about professional goals? I’m officially declaring mine here, in public view on the Barnhart blog, to put that extra kick in me to remain accountable.

1. For each goal, make a plan with measureable objectives. Everything I do during my workday should help me achieve at least one of the agency’s or my clients’ goals. If it doesn’t, then it’s a waste of time. A crucial aspect of a plan is ensuring that you know when you’ve found success, or when you need to adjust your tactics. This requires measureable objectives.

2. Make time for things that should be a priority. It’s all too easy to let things slip to the backburner because other important tasks need to be completed. No one (be it a potential client, co-worker, current client) will be impressed with so-so.

3. Share awesome. This is especially true for social media marketing, but is applicable to just about any and all messaging.

Now let’s see how I can walk the walk, too.

Note: I also attribute this inspiration to attending Explore & Engage with Jason Falls and Brian Solis last week. I highly recommend these two influencers and future Social:IRL events.

A large number of important factors are shaping the evolution of print production and production process management: job functions, customer requirements, standards, workflow management, the Internet, cross-media production, etc. It is probably safe to say that my role as an agency production manager will continue to shift significantly.

I find myself working on more and more interactive/digital projects and leaving my print roots behind. While many of the skills I honed over the years in print management are applicable (in terms of project and staffing management for example), I keep wondering, how can I learn all of this? And aside from bugging my coworkers on a daily basis, where can I go for answers to the many technical questions I have?

Last year I discovered Print Production Professionals Group. It is one of the top 500 SuperGroups on LinkedIn. This group doesn’t allow free form soliciting, and only relevant topics are permitted on the discussion board.

I am finding this group a great source of combined information and wisdom. Check ‘em out.

DENVER, Colo. – April 1, 2011 – Barnhart Communications, a Denver-based integrated communications agency, today announced that new work for the Wyoming Office of Tourism began airing on television stations in key markets this week. The two, 30-second spots are part of the new “Roam Free” advertising campaign that rolled out earlier in the month with national print and online executions.

Produced by Barnhart Communications, the agency of record for the Wyoming Office of Tourism since 1998, the “Roam Free” effort is an expansion of the award-winning “Forever West” brand positioning and platform launched in 2006 with the “Reflections” campaign.

“The authentic western adventure message that we have been delivering over the past few years has resonated extremely well with consumers,” said Darren Brickel, associate creative director for Barnhart. “We’ve discovered that people have a deep emotional connection with what Wyoming has to offer as a vacation destination.”

Set against a backdrop of Wyoming’s awesome, untamed, rugged and wide-open spaces, the commercials show a place that hasn’t been compromised by the craziness of everyday living. Combining the majesty and beauty of the place itself with the solitude and peace of mind sought by many, the campaign sets out to harness a basic human truth about personal discovery, adventure and individual freedom.

“There’s still part of all of us that aches to roam free and the new campaign gives people permission to do just that, in a place that encourages it – Wyoming,” Brickel added.

The spots – “Anthem” and “Boundaries” – will run through the 2011 season in 13 markets, including Chicago; Denver; Kansas City; Madison; Milwaukee; Minneapolis; Oklahoma City; Omaha; Portland, Ore.; Salt Lake City; St. Louis; Tulsa and Wichita.

The print campaign launched at the beginning of March with three, four-color ads appearing in national and regional publications including Family Fun, Parenting (School Years Edition), Whole Living, Working Mother, Cooking Light, More, Backpacker, Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel, Outside, Shape, Condé Nast Traveler, AARP, History Channel, Sunset, Smithsonian (55+ edition), Midwest Living and Audubon.

I’ve spent the better part of my professional career pursuing “great” advertising. The pursuit has often been elusive, always challenging and never dull.

I’d like to share some observations on how to improve the chances of getting “great” creative work. For purposes of our conversation, “great” advertising is defined as advertising that generates sales results in the present, while building brand equities, imagery and reputation for the future.

These observations are based on my collective experience as both an adman and a client. In fact, quite a lot of the thinking was done at Kraft Foods in the advertising services group, since those of us in the unit were charged with stewarding and advancing the advertising work of the company. So, these observations have the benefit of many good minds and perspectives. And, they have been confirmed many times over by my experience at Barnhart.

The principles are based on several key insights. One is that some clients consistently get better advertising than others, even from the same agency. And, the second point is that those successful clients share a set of principles that maximize the chances for “great” advertising. They essentially are the same principles that can be used with any creative resource or in any creative pursuit.

The following thoughts are primarily directed to clients—or people who manage an agency or external resource towards excellence in some creative form.

1. Believe in the power of advertising. This is critical. You must consistently show the agency you believe it. Don’t assume they know it. You should convey that you expect something significant to happen to your business as a result of achieving superb advertising. You should give advertising or whatever creative area you are focusing on a high priority. Demonstrate an interest in learning more about advertising and an openness to explore new things. And extend that curiosity to better understanding your consumer or customer. This may mean opening up your own life to experiences that keep you in touch.

2. Build a partnership with the agency. Respect their expertise. Value their judgment. As someone once said, “Don’t buy a dog and bark yourself.” Understand the unique role that an agency can play on your business, recognizing they bring a different perspective and different talent to that business. Involve the agency in your business and provide them necessary information. Ensure common purpose. Give clear direction. Supply honest, direct and timely feedback. And, make sure the agency knows what you expect of them.

3. Demand excellence. In advertising or any creative project, your agency generally will reach as high as your expectations. Make sure you set a high standard. Ask for it, demand it, enthusiastically commit your time and budget to it. You have every right to expect your agency team will present only work they passionately believe to be great work. But, this requires creating a positive environment that encourages this excellence—one that nurtures and supports original thinking and creative expression. An important aspect is to keep the creative approval process as simple as possible.

4. Demonstrate courage. There often is an element of uncertainty associated with “great” advertising. It usually is out of the ordinary. It may break rules. And this involves risk. You can’t take risk without demonstrating courage. And, sometimes, it means fighting for work when others may not be in agreement.

5. Let your “humanity” show. Advertising or any other form of creative communications is a very human product—that should make an emotional connection with the intended audience. Infusing some humanity into the development process will help produce “great” work. Get to know your creative resources. Be enthusiastic about them and their craft. React to their work as a person, not as a manager or executive. Smile, frown—even laugh. Treat the creative product with care and respect—but also with honesty. You’re not only nurturing an important creative product, but also a human relationship.

The good news is that most people—client and agency people, alike—want “great” work… and know when they’ve got it. Hopefully, these principles will improve your odds of getting it.

Good luck in your pursuit!

DENVER, Colo. – March 10, 2011 – Barnhart Communications, a Denver-based integrated communications agency, today announced the addition of two senior staff to its account services and public relations teams along with a creative staff promotion.

Kim Barker, account supervisor, joined Barnhart from The Integer Group, where she was most recently an account executive working on major brands in the consumer packaged goods industry. While at Integer, Barker provided strategic marketing, program execution and client counsel for MillerCoors and Polaris Industries; oversaw global brand identity for Molson Coors; and was instrumental in driving organic revenue growth and new business wins. Prior to joining Integer in 2005, Barker was an assistant account executive at Tracy Locke Partnership in Wilton, Conn., where she worked with Pepsi, Sierra Mist, Lipton and Frito Lay.

Kathie Gonzalez recently joined as public relations director with more than 12 years of corporate and agency experience. Gonzalez served most recently as director of corporate communications for DISH Network, where she led consumer and trade media relations, social media, crisis communications, internal communications and broadcast production. Formerly, Gonzalez was communications manager for CheapTickets and Lodging.com, and group manager in the Travel and Lifestyle Marketing Practice at Weber Shandwick in New York, providing counsel to clients including The Islands Of The Bahamas, Royal Caribbean International and Atlantic City, among others.

Darren Brickel was recently promoted to associate creative director. Brickel joined Barnhart in 2007 as senior art director and over the years has been instrumental in providing creative stewardship, campaign development and interactive support for many of the firm’s clients, including Wyoming Office of Tourism, Denver Public Library and History Colorado, among others. Prior to Barnhart, Brickel worked at Swanson Russell in both Omaha and Lincoln, Neb., supporting such clients as Woolrich, Humminbird and Briggs & Stratton.

About Barnhart
Barnhart Communications, an integrated communications agency located in Denver, Colo., and Cheyenne, Wyo., was founded with one simple mission: to be a vital partner for its clients. For more than 35 years, the firm has been providing big ideas and personal service for clients in a broad range of industries, including travel, tourism and hospitality; technology; food and beverage; consumer products; real estate and health care, among others. Barnhart offers a full range of services to make clients’ brands more vital, including brand strategy, identity and design; marketing planning; advertising; interactive; public relations; social media; media planning and buying; consumer/customer insight and research; and campaign evaluation. For more information, call 303.626.7200, email info@barnhartusa.com, visit www.barnhartusa.com, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter.