karmatomic

New York University

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:33:00 -0400

ATLAS Network
2011

Content Strategy, Technical Writing, Screencast Production

The task
Developing content strategy; writing and producing original training materials for the launch of the ATLAS (Advanced Teaching, Learning and Scholarship) Network, NYU’s global academic networking, course management and collaboration platform.

The challenges
Engaging widespread, diverse student, faculty, research, and administrator communities; providing simple, intuitive online help resources for users who are making a transition from previous applications.

The keys
Thorough discovery process; content audit; crafting user personas; and mapping user tasks from the prior application to the new platform.

ATLAS User Help Index
ATLAS YouTube Channel (relevant screencasts all start with “ATLAS Network Pilot”)

Cartier

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 23:44:00 -0400

E-Campaigns
Publicis Modem
2011

Copywriting

The task
Engaging high-end consumers directly without compromising brand equity.

The challenge
Addressing the inherent contradictions that emerge when a luxury brand engages in direct response marketing.

The key
Balancing tone in execution.

UNICEF

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0400

OneHR
2010-2011

Communication & Content Strategies, Creative Direction, Copywriting

The task
Developing a complete identity system and providing creative direction for the launch of OneHR, UNICEF’s global human resources community brand.

The challenge
Creating a unified brand that builds and engages a community performing mission-critical functions across 191 nations, in disparate environments ranging from small field operations to global headquarters, while bridging many cultural differences and languages.

The keys
Conducting a thorough discovery process; composing a brand bible; addressing negative equity through engagement exercises and language; crafting a communications manual.

J. Crew

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:47:00 -0400

Performance Online
2010

Communication & Content Strategies, Creative Direction, Copywriting

The task
Crafting and implementing communication strategy around the launch of Human Resources’ digital performance management system, Performance Online.

The challenge
Engaging diverse employee population spread out among office locations, distribution centers and stores across the globe.

The keys
Thorough discovery process; crafting user personas to give voice to questions and concerns; achieving the appropriate media mix.

Beck's

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:31:00 -0400

Reasons Not Rules
Publicis Modem
2010

Concepting, Copywriting

The task
Making a responsible drinking message resonate with young men in the UK.

The challenges
Avoiding an authoritative tone that would alienate the target demographic; minimizing the appearance of hypocrisy. (A responsible drinking campaign from a spirits company could easily be viewed with suspicion.)

The keys
For the demographic, drinking is a social experience – the campaign had to be as well. Peer-to-peer communication is not about response to authority, but rather shared experience, interests and values. Encouraging friends to share their own reasons for not overindulging was one prong of the approach.

The other prong entailed applying peer pressure in a counterintuitive direction: encouraging friends to rat each other out – in a light-hearted way – via social media when they do something embarrassing under the influence of alcohol. Touchpoints included a series of humorous Web videos illustrating the pitfalls of drinking to excess.

Using friendship and humor to promote responsible drinking was on brand and consistent with Publicis’ prior work on Beck’s.

Liz Claiborne Inc.

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:42:00 -0400

LizNet
2008-09

Content Strategy & Curation, Creative Direction, Copywriting, Product Management

The task
Redesigning LizNet, Liz Claiborne Inc.’s global intranet (12,000 users), so that it embodied a collaborative, multidirectional approach, in line with internal branding goals.

The challenges
Addressing and respecting differences across a portfolio of sixteen independent brands with offices, studios, distribution centers, and retail stores across five continents; reinforcing a knowledge-sharing culture.

The keys
Prioritization – thorough discovery revealed a common denominator of most-needed resources and tools; customizability of content based on brand, role, geography and individual interests; increasing average visit from 3 seconds to 1.5 minutes.

MasterCard

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:33:00 -0400

Destination: Priceless
MRM Worldwide (McCann Erickson)
2007-08

Content Strategy, Copywriting

The task
Putting together Priceless travel packages and crafting copy to describe them for the Destination: Priceless microsite and supporting media.

Priceless.com was IAB’s 2008 MIXX Gold Award Winner, Best Brand Destination Site

The challenges
Keeping a familiar – and popular – campaign theme fresh; finding activities and elements that were unique, worthy and on brand.

The keys
Finding the right name for the campaign; managing nuances in execution; cracking the narrative tone.

Advertising Research Foundation

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:56:00 -0400

Site Redesign
Time Inc. Content Solutions & Igicom
2007-08

Content Strategy, Information Architecture

The task
Redesigning information architecture to facilitate the growth of the ARF’s online presence from site to portal as well as the inclusion of multimedia.

The challenge
The new resource needed to make an increased volume of content accessible in relevant contexts to a member base with varying degrees of technical savvy.

The keys
Launched with a simple, intuitive interface; offered users feed subscriptions based on topics of interest; availed search that indexed multiple research resources and offered integrated, filterable results.

www.thearf.org

DDB Worldwide

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 03:12:00 -0400

DDB Connect
Tribal DDB & Igicom
2005-06

Content Strategy & Curation, Product Management

The task
Redesigning DDB Connect, DDB’s global intranet (11,000 users), so that it engaged users and promoted a knowledge-sharing culture across an ad agency network that consisted of 200 offices in 86 countries.

The challenges
Overcoming the negative halo associated with the prior version of DDB Connect, which, while heavily populated with content, offered poor organization and usability; building community among agencies and offices with very different cultures and operations.

The keys
The relaunch emphasized cultural content that reinforced internal branding. The redesigned DDB Connect offered robust people and content search functions, and availed a simple content management system that enabled offices to publish their own content directly.

Samsung

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 01:29:00 -0400

Digital Audio Player Product Line Launch
Fly Communications
2005

Copywriting

The task
Launching an advanced line of portable music players in Canada.

The challenge
Defining position as an innovator who offered variety in a market heavily dominated by a competitor.

The key
Emphasis on a ‘custom fit’ — the Samsung product line offered seven models with widely varying features, unlike the ‘one size fits all,’ ‘off the rack’ approach offered by the primary competitor (at that time).

Bushmills

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 00:35:00 -0400

Integrated Campaigns
Pernod Ricard
Fly Communications
2004-05

Copywriting

The task
Refining brand position and stimulating sales.

The challenge
In an increasingly competitive market, Bushmills needed to clarify their positioning.

The key
Emphasis on legacy led to the launch of The 1608 Society, a new brand affinity group that was reinforced via multiple touchpoints — primarily Web, e-mail, direct mail and events. Consistent voice supported the legacy narrative across channels.

Columbia University

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 17:07:00 -0400

Columbia American History Online
2002-03

Content Strategy, Product Management

The task
Create a digital archive for secondary school U.S. history educators that integrated leading scholars’ e-seminars, supporting media, and exercises with national teaching standards.

“High Recommendation,” Library Journal, 2003

The challenges
Establishing protocols; organizing thousands of assets; and orchestrating the efforts of a multilocation, interdisciplinary team.

The key
Databases, databases, databases!! Isolating, associating, and reviewing relevant data was essential to the successful launch.