Hunter Ellis
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Strength Behind Execution
Communications Strategist
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Hunter Ellis’s Portfolio Home Media Case Study ONEVOW Case Study Fender Brand Manifesto Levi’s “Honor Blue” Spot Tweets in Time Resume
Brandcenter Track Abbreviations Legend: AD - Art Director CBM - Creative Brand Manager CS - Communications Strategist CT - Creative Technologist CW - Copywriter
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Home Media:
Overhauling Premium Service
Problem: Richmond-based Home Media, an integrated electronics system operator, has been a successful business over the past 15 years starting in 1994. At the core of the companies’ business model has been home theater and audio installations with only small focus on business service and installations. 2007 still remains the most successful year in the company’s history in terms of profits. Unfortunately, this business model Home Media utilized until now had been unable to increase revenue since the inception of the 2008 recession. After conducting interviews with Home Media’s current clients and non-clients that matched their similar lifestyle preferences we found two main reasons of Home Media’s loss of market share being: *Home Media is currently targeting a shrinking market segment (upper-income full installations) *Home Media’s growth formula is not sustainable (building new clients primarily on new installations)
Insights: *Current Home Media customers want to have a constant dialogue with Home Media, even going so far as to recommend an annual check-up or online survey *Once Home Media completes a new installation there is very little reason for a client to upgrade for at least four or five years *Current customers have little understanding of the full installation and service options available to them
Strategy: Level out the peaks and troughs in revenue by moving to a more dependable source of revenue.
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The Actionable Elements of a Service-Centered Platform Core Elements Creating a Better Service Package *Create a tangible product offering of the Home Media service packages *Create a retail presence for Home Media while selling service through retail channels *Potential partnerships include: architects, style boutiques, and contractors
Service Network Expansion *Hire a few certified professionals in Northern Virginia that bring their existing client base to help expand the Home Media service network *Low risk and low cost experiment
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Supporting Elements
Solicit Existing Customers *Targeted direct mail & email to current customers *Leads to: referral rewards, upgrade specials and highly personalized service
Better Service Integration *Scheduled contact focused on service plan offerings *Check-in after 2 weeks/90 days/6 months *Annual diagnostic with service package
Targeted Promotions *Promotions centered on selected Richmond communities *Tuckahoe, Windsor Farms, Union Hill, Woodland Heights and Westover Hills
Outcome: The client selected our strategy. Our recommendation that Home Media expand their service to a physical format through retail channels was particularly noteworthy to our team’s success.
Group Members: Ashleigh Blumer (CBM) | Brekan Kohlitz (CBM) | Kelly Mertesdorf (CS) Oliver Sykes (CBM)
ONEVOW:
Soothing Pain Through Leadership
She is your friend, neighbo Every day she walks her chi sun down, shops at the ma She is the beating heart of And a voice in her commun Your lives are separated by but they run parallel.
Or at least they did.
Six months ago her home w to the ground with her chil Had she been inside she wo But she wasn't. She was pulling water from And as she watched her life raped repeatedly. Now she is HIV positive and Life trembles in her lap like She is too strong to give up something new. Now she needs our help.
YOU KNOW THIS WOMAN.
Developing a Global Initiative: How do you create a global campaign to spread awareness about the effects of violence against women? Will you be a non-profit organization that partners with brands or do you build a cause that they can later join?
Problem: In war-torn areas across the globe, sexual violence is used against women and girls as a war tactic to gain psychological control over an area. The pain does not disappear for these women and girls after an episode of violence.
Post-rape effects include: *Gynecological Problems *Social Ostracization *Depression/Post Traumatic Stress *Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Insights: *Rebel forces in Darfur, Africa are systematically raping women and children, both in the home and at safety camps leaving victims physically and mentally defeated *Women ages 25-54 are more likely to donate to global campaigns vs. local community campaigns when they are able to build towards a physical goal
Mission:
ONEVOW
Intitiate a movement. Build a safe house in Darfur through ONEVOW. ONEVOW stands for Organizing Nations To End Vi- ORGANIZING NATIONS TO END VIOLENCE ON WOMEN olence on Women. ONEVOW reaches out to victims of sexual violence and empowers them to rediscover their voice. Mission Statement: Building safe houses in conflict areas to give sexual violence survivors educational opportunities that help them develop their leadership and life skills.
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Parnership Strategy: Invigorate women both inside and out.
Co-Partnership: V-Day is our co-partner in the creation of safe houses for female victims of violence. V-Day has already partnered with local health organizations to build safe houses in Congo as well as in Asia and South America.
Brand Partnerships:
Kashi has maintained a loyal community through the creation of innovative flavors. Kashi’s brand philosophy is grounded in supporting inner health; giving people the power to make positive changes to their lifestyle.
The Body Shop has already has a wide selection of lotion and soaps that compliment their stance on beauty derived from more organic ingredients. The Body Shop’s mission is enhance one’s natural beauty in an organic, socially conscious manner.
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Fundraising Efforts: *Product Proceeds - Kashi and The Body Shop will rebrand or introduce a new SKU that will see proceeds donate towards the yearlong safe house in Darfur effort. Combined fundraising goal is $2.7 million.
Kashi Body Butter with the ONEVOW label.
ONEVOW labels across Kashi product line.
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Fundraising Efforts Continued: *Events - Marathons held in cities across the US will raise awareness while helping invigorate women inside and out. Fundraising goal is $500,000. *Private Donors - Donations collected through the website, The Body Shop and outreach. Fundraising goal is $100,000. The total ONEVOW fundraising goal is $3.9 million.
Imagery of the U.S. version of the ONEVOW Marathon.
We will raise money and awareness through V-Day’s wildly popular Vagina Monologues productions across the globe. The Vagina Monolgues raised $4 million in 2008.
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Promotion:
Mirror displays will be located in womens’ bathroom stalls give a glimpse of what a woman’s face would look like if beaten or bruised.
Clock display will be installed in major airports that display the frequency of violence against women in the three busiest airports in the world: HartsfieldJackson (ATL), London Heathrow Airport and Frankfurt Airport.
Goal: Ultimately, the primary mission is to educate women around the globe about the reality and frequency of sexual violence in war-torn countries. ONEVOW helps align nations globally to combat the effects of violence against women by supporting them from the inside out starting with the Darfur Center. Group Members: Bill Carlson (CW) | Michael Hagos (AD) | Tim Hurt (CT) | Allyson Otis (AD) Jeremy Paredes (CBM) | Jennifer Stopka (CW)
Fender Brand Manifesto
Initiative: Create a document, video, etc. that takes the essence of a brand you enjoy in a way that only your brand could own for either a internal or external audience.
Insight: Make History. That is Fender’s current slogan. Backed by some of the most innovative designs in rock history, Fender positions itself as the source for classic rock & roll meshed with some of the best technology available. How do you exploit an opportunity to communicate the number of ways the brand has made history? The white space on the back of the Fender string packet. This is a simple, inexpensive and at best six opportunities to speak to how legendary the Fender brand is for Fender employees.
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Outcome: Fender is sitting on a huge wealth of music history firsts and milestones such as the electric bass, the Stratocaster, the Telecaster and The Fender Custom Shop that help expand upon and reiterate the company’s commitment to music and reliable design.
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Levi’s Jeans - Honor Blue*
Levi’s Jeans - Honor Blue* Situation: Create a :30 spot for Levi’s without using any dialogue or subtitles.
Setup: A pair of Levi’s jeans says everything it needs to without you saying a word.You have them on when the bulk of your most memorable experiences occur. They’re well worn and should be honored for being such a large part of your most poignant moments.
Outcome: Our professor, Scott Witthaus, loved the scene and placed it on the student-work loop on the LCD television display located at the Brandcenter entrance.
Jennifer Hunley (left) and Lindsey Neeld look upwards towards the flagpole on a windy but beautiful February afternoon.
View the spot on YouTube by clicking here.
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Group Members: Carrington Faulk (CS) | Jennifer Hunley (CS) | Lindsey Neeld (CS)
Tweets in Time: National Gallery
Tweets In Time: A Portrait of the National Gallery in Washington D.C. in Tweets
Hunter Ellis
Frans Hals Dutch, c. 1582/1583 - 1666 Portrait of a Man, 1648/1650 oil on canvas
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Education Virginia Commonwealth University Brandcenter M.S., Journalism & Mass Communication - Advertising - May 2011 Communications Strategy | Account Planning University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill B.A., Journalism & Mass Communication - Advertising - May 2009 Minor in Asian Studies Scuola Lorenzo de’ Medici Study Abroad in Florence, Italy - Fall Semester 2008 Renaissance Art, History & Culture and Italian Philosophy VCU Brandcenter Experience
Hunter
Undertook strategic planning for clients including Red Bull, Altoids and Depend Familiarity with Simmons Research to help define the market for high-end clothing and accessories company, and brand manifesto videos for Depend * Led a winning semester-long rebranding effort for Richmond-based integrated electronics installer, Home Media * Spring 2010 VCU Brandcenter Prom Planning Committee Member * *
Ellis* Strategic Planner
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Skills Photoshop | InDesign | Flash | Keynote | Twitter | WordPress | Tumblr Final Cut Pro | Simmons Research | Brand Manifesto Videos | Brand Essence Videos Relevant Work Experience
hgellis@gmail.com cell (336) 816-0111
328 Albemarle Ave. Richmond, VA 23226
Blog | creativeriff.com
Woodbine Agency, Summer Internship, May-August 2008 * Worked on projects for Woodbine’s clients including Lowe’s, Ekornes, and Piedmont Federal * Led Piedmont Federal’s sponsorship of the Hanes Park Classic bicycle race The Martin Agency, Summer Student Workshop, June 2008 * Was one of thirty individuals selected out of thousands of applicants * Spent two weeks working on a campaign pitch positioning Hanes No Ride Up underwear to the entire family for the Hanes team * Utilized the resources of Advertising Age’s Agency of the Year 2009 Hobbies writing short stories | bass guitar | collecting ticket stubs needlepoint | racquetball | blogging | video gaming listening to podcasts | reading magazines | acoustic guitar
Twitter | twitter.com/creative_riff
Tumblr | quotesihear.tumblr.com