The Heinrich Report Blog

At this time of the year, we like to share extra special projects that we are passionate about and support. Here at Heinrich, through Hispanidad, we’re standing behind the Denver chapter of the nonprofit organization America SCORES. Dedicated to giving third- through fifth-grade, at-risk students a safe place to learn and grow after school, America SCORES helps brighten the future of over 6,000 students across the U.S.

One-third of Colorado’s school-age children are left unsupervised after school. A program that gives guidance to kids who need it most is of course a great idea, but what really got our attention are the two tactics America SCORES brings together: soccer and creative writing. Kids spend two days a week doing each, so they learn principles of teamwork and also get a chance to express themselves. Drew Wilson, the director of business development at our agency partner Hispanidad, sits on the board of America SCORES. He explained how these two different approaches make such a big impact on lives.

“Soccer,” he says, “gets kids excited. It’s the carrot that keeps kids there, while the creative writing offers the educational element. But since 80% of the students are Hispanic, soccer is something they’re really interested in, and want to be a part of.” The Colorado Rapids soccer team also just won the MLS Cup, adding to the enthusiasm.

The kids also get excited by the America SCORES Inspired Art Auction each year. It’s their opportunity to make a creative contribution to the organization that helps them. Here’s how it works: America SCORES students submit their poems to local artists, who then interpret them through a drawing or painting. The work then gets placed in a local gallery. “The poems are so great, and the art that comes out of it is amazing. It’s an interpretation of what local youths are struggling with, and it can be very moving,” says Drew.

In addition to financial support, Drew, on behalf of Hispanidad, donates time and brainpower toward marketing strategies that bring recognition and more contributions to America SCORES.

We’re proud of Drew and Hispanidad, and plan to do what we can to help America SCORES this holiday season. Would you like to help, too?

Learn more about America Scores.
Or
Make a contribution.

Exceptionally comfortable in her own skin, which includes the word “joyous” in Japanese across her back (a nod to half of her heritage), Erin leads a very deliberate life. She looks you in the eye. And as she does, a disarming mix of modesty, honesty and empathy falls comfortably around her shoulders.

Perhaps her composure is due to 16 years in the field. With a master’s degree in applied communications, Erin backs up her best client practices with not only a suite of hands-on experience, but intelligent, independent thought and researched ideas. And this infectious attitude applies to every project she undertakes. Whether Erin is rescuing a diabetic cat from the shelter, picking up her nephew from basketball practice or working through the weekend to help a client meet a deadline, she’s invested, beaming energy forth with the ardor of an advocate, but the subtlety of a sage.

One morning between meetings, she shared some insight with us.

As an account director, you have to balance strategy, creative and client relationships. How do you do that? I think I bridge everything with a real passion for effective communication — a message that truly delivers. We’re in business to build revenue for our clients and that means we execute everything upon a foundation of solid, quantitative support as much and as often as possible. When creative is grounded in business objectives, that’s when we all succeed. And, truthfully, client relationships can make or break projects, but they’re my favorite part of what I do.  

Why are relationships the best part? I care deeply about what we do and about my clients. I know my clients’ kids names, how they feel about their mother-in-law, what their favorite sports team is and what’s behind the brevity of an email asking for a last-minute change to the project. I work really hard to understand my client’s pain points and to help them be successful. To do that well, I think you need an affinity toward empathy. And, I don’t think that’s something you can manufacture.

What do you think of new media? How is it changing your world?  It’s great, but as marketers, we have to be stewards of integration and make sure clients don’t get hung up on the new, hot thing. It’s important to figure out how it fits into the mix. Heinrich is hanging back a little, but keeping an interested, involved eye — maybe because we know that social media is actually direct marketing remastered. It’s what we’ve been doing for years. So in this iteration, we want to be thoughtful about our approach. We want our recommendation to make perfect sense to our clients and their customers. One-to-one communication should be compelling and relevant to a single person and executed in the way that they want to be communicated to.

How do you ensure client success?

I listen. I ask questions. I listen more. Then I work with a team to deliver solutions. I was in the restaurant business for a while, and there are two ways to serve — you can just take orders or you can try to give your customer a positive, memorable experience. Some agencies are content to just take your order. I work hard to become my client’s partner, and try to deliver in ways that exceed their expectations. Also, because a good partner knows their products and services well, they can help the client determine what best fits the bill and try to make sure their client doesn’t order the wrong thing off the menu.

Some people just have a knack for knowing what sells and builds revenue. Would you say you’re one of them? Maybe. But I wouldn’t call it a knack. Marketing is often considered a soft and subjective profession. It’s not. As I like to say: A hunch is a hunch. But knowledge is something else.

Clearly, Erin knows the difference.  

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As the driving force of a direct marketing agency that buttresses multimillion-dollar clients and a small business owner in today’s budget-conscious times, he can speak from multiple perspectives. How is it that he manages to produce world-class work, motivate a team of talented individuals and keep pedaling over a mountain pass when the economy’s storm clouds, so far, have refused to disperse? Read on.

What’s the secret to your staying power amidst the game-changers of the past few years?   

Two things. First: overdelivery. We always try to add more value than the client’s expecting. Ask for two loaves of bread. We’ll give you three. Plus some organic olive oil to dip it in. Maybe a nice asiago cheese spread. A richer deliverable.  That’s pretty typical agency speak, but we actually do it. Second: striking a fine balance between client care and business development.  We know how to acquire business and make that profitable. Heinrich employs that same strategy with our client’s objectives.  We go deep, always ensuring a strong connection between execution and more customers.

What’s your leadership style?
I don’t take myself too seriously. In fact, I fundamentally believe that if I’m the smartest person in the agency, we’re in trouble. One person can’t do that. I work hard to make sure I’m hiring people who are smarter than I am, and I listen to them. I still need to guide the ship and I know where we’re going, but I’m flexible on that path.  I’m a numbers person by nature, and my concern is the balance sheet. My job is to make sure we spend our money wisely.

How do you keep morale high?
It’s all about a high level of transparency. At Heinrich, once a month, I provide lunch for everyone in the office. We gather together and talk in an open forum. We discuss the shape of the business, where we’re going and what’s new. I connect with them. That meeting is like currency. It makes my team feel safe — especially in this uncertain economy. And that leads to better performance from everyone.

I also reward people. If someone is carrying a heavy load, recognition through words is important. I try to find people who are driven by more than dollar signs. I thank them a lot, because clients often don’t.

Is Brand dead?
It’s a fair question, but brand and awareness are still key. Heinrich works from the bottom up. Our first question is: How are we going to help drive revenue for our client’s business. That puts us in a position to create and/or support a brand from the direct perspective. It’s vitally important.

What’s a common misconception in today’s marketing world?
Agencies are often too distracted by the bells, whistles and whirl of design, particulary in the new media space. Customers, on the other hand, are still seeking solutions and information. Too much focus on this is like worrying about the wedding instead of the marriage. A cool website isn’t going to provide a profit.  You have to go so much deeper. Heinrich does. 

What are your thoughts on social media?
We’re studying it and integrating it where appropriate. We know we need to integrate these new channels, but we can’t forget about the rest. Channel choice and frequency still depends largely on the client. Their goals. Their audience. The fact is, social media is still immature. There’s not a lot of verifiable evidence for what works consistently for traditional brands. Little has been tested. It just hasn’t been long enough. As for Heinrich, I feel we are poised well for the new world order. We’ve been building relationships and credibility for years.

Any advice to marketers for the future?
This is for clients, too: Nimbleness. You got to be quick on your feet. You must have the willingness to shift rapidly to consumer taste and behavior. George Eddy’s final word: I’m optimistic. We can’t be afraid of change. Is it hard? Yes. But it provides new opportunities and allows a company to step back and reexamine their goals. 

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Fifty-six year old Ernest was out of options. With no treatments left to slow the advanced-stage cancer in his liver, he’d lost his job and his home to his illness. He had no family to turn to. Unable to afford food and too ill to walk to the food bank, his weight and his hope were dwindling.

Imagine the difference it makes to Ernest to open the door every Saturday to a friendly face and a week’s worth of nutritious meals — in a package hand-made to look like a giant encouragement card.

Ernest recently became one of about 800 Denver-area residents served by Project Angel Heart. And his next delivery from this remarkable nonprofit just may arrive in a package decorated by volunteers from Heinrich.

Before delivering Project Angel Heart meals to people coping with life-threatening illness, volunteers package them carefully inside oversized paper bags. Mostly donated, the bags are very plain-Jane — until volunteers cover them in colorful artwork and uplifting sentiments that mean the world to someone coping with devastating health conditions and loneliness.

“Many of our clients are homebound,” explains LaKeasha Smith, Project Angel Heart public and community relations coordinator. “So it’s not just about delivering meals. Once a week when they open that door and a volunteer hands them a hand-decorated bag, it feels personal. They feel thought about.”

While volunteers are asked not to write phrases like “get well soon” because many clients will never get well, “They really reach inside themselves and express compassion,” says Smith. “It makes a real difference for people to see that they’re not forgotten.”

What made this project unforgettable for our Heinrich team was sharing in something with such power to lift someone up.

“It feels good to volunteer my time to a good cause,” says Heinrich team member Erin Iwata about participating in the Project Angel Heart bag-beautifying project. “It’s a great feeling to know that something you created can put a smile on someone’s face.”

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Twisted lunge, anyone? Heinrich Hispanidad translation specialist and yoga devotee Victoria Mendoza snapped this photo during one of our free on-site yoga classes for Heinrich employees. She and fellow participants have been so impressed by yoga’s benefits that they go out of their way not to miss a class

“Yoga class helps us recharge our energy,“ says Victoria, “or just refocus in the middle of a busy workday. We love it! When somebody is too busy or tired, we’ll give then a friendly push to make it to yoga — and they usually do!”

Our yoga class participants are so enthusiastic, they were unfazed when instructor Desi Springer couldn’t make it to the Denver Heinrich office to lead class one day. “The person who had been practicing yoga the longest took the lead — and the rest got to enjoy a good class,” recalls Victoria.

Thinking of offering a yoga class at your office? It’s a win-win.

“Yoga increases productivity and decreases sick days by helping people manage stress and improve their overall health,” says Desi, who owns Vital Yoga in Denver and has led classes at Heinrich for two years. “It’s a sound investment and wise choice on George Eddy‘s behalf to offer this program to Heinrich’s Denver advertising agency employees free of cost.”

Victoria and Desi say class regulars have improved their balance and flexibility, reducing their chance of injury while going all-out in their favorite sports. Plus, the classes double as team building: “People from all different departments attend, and Desi makes it fun and inspirational,” explains Victoria. “So we get to share something positive with coworkers we don’t usually interact with in the office.”

Still can’t see yourself wearing yoga pants in a roomful of your office mates?

“The self-consciousness quickly passed when we realized how much you’re concentrated in your own mind and body during yoga,” says Victoria.

Here’s a resource we like for more info about starting a yoga class at your office: http://blogs.yogajournal.com/yogabuzz/2009/07/yoga-in-the-workplace.html