Case Studies
The institute of Hip Hop Entrepreneurship -
the situation:
The Little Giant Creative brand agency won a Knight Foundation funded grant called "Knight Cities Challenge". They were awarded over 300k to pilot an entrepreneurial incubator in Philadelphia for Philadelphians. The program was required to launch within the following calendar year and the founders (LGC) assembled a team immediately.
the goals:
The mission of the program was to "level the playing field for ambitious, nontraditional youth who, due to a variety of barriers, are too often denied access to the knowledge, resources and networks necessary to take entrepreneurial ideas from concept to reality."
the deliverables:
I was hired to manage the staff, be the direct contact with all students and guest speakers, produce each 'classroom' session, balance the budget, and acquire 3rd party catering and tech support. In short, I was contracted to execute the founders' vision for IHHE through event management, brand awareness and nonprofit administration.
the outcomes:
The program was completed on schedule and on budget. It provided each student with thorough industry resources and contacts via hard copy and digital files. The institute gained national press and created awareness around the lack equity and diversity in business. The IHHE brand connected with influential social media accounts with over 15 million followers garnered over 40 million unique impressions.
Hilary Beard-
the situation:
Hilary was gaining a public following for her work. She had surpassed the title of 'writer' to also include editor, public speaker, trainer and coach. She put the brakes on a growing business because she was uncertain about how to market herself. She knew her brand values but was overwhelmed by her brand position. She felt unable to pitch and promote her present brand.
She said, "I knew that I was only ever doing one thing: educating people about how to live healthily and fulfill their human potential. But the fact that I shared that information by way of so many different modalities made it difficult to explain what I do to someone who defines their life more traditionally. More importantly, I wondered if doing so many things made me come off as confused and if people would struggle to trust me."
The Goals:
She needed to reevaluate and better understand her new value proposition. This would allow her to continue her content creation practice (over many different modalities) and take on new clients all while preserving her brand direction and core mission.
the deliverables:
I led her through a series of exercises (digital worksheets) designed to audit her brand and bring clarity to her (present and future) vision. This also required her to specify her product offerings and identify ideal clients. We met weekly to review her process within a few short months.
the outcomes:
As a result she has been able able to share her 'meta' brand message. It successfully ties all of her modalities together in a way that people not only understand but also feel inspired by. I strategized a marketing campaign to publicize her rebranding but unfortunately her schedule can not allow for the additional consulting. She refers to her self as a "solo-preneur" and enjoys pace of sustainable growth. We keep in contact often to discuss her brand evolution.
Small But Mighty Arts -
http://www.smallbutmightyarts.org/
the situation:
SBMA "recognizes and responds to the needs of artists who enhance the arts landscape of the city and are integral to building a stronger creative economy" through events, micro-grants, and resource newsletters.
the goals:
The founder was in process of elevating the brand and the impact of it's newsletter into a new website. She had already hired web designers. She needed digtial marketing support in order to successfully launch.
the deliverables:
I worked directly with the founder to provide critical marketing and promotion support through brand development, social media management and arts administration. I built a website launch timeline and marketing activation.
the outcomes:
The new website will soft launch this summer.