Newest Web Site Showcases Law Firm

The most recent Catalyst-created web site, which went live last week, is for the law firm of Gilliland & Hayes.

The site is designed to be attention compelling and appealing to those seeking legal counsel, while reflecting the dignity and high professional standards of the long-established, widely-respected law firm. To reinforce the geographical scope, as well as the substantial litigation services of Gilliland & Hayes, we utilized dramatic photos of distinctive court houses around the state. This also serves to vividly contrast the site from so many others that use bland and trite stock photography.

One of the hallmarks of the site is its highly-efficient, user-friendly cross-navigation and information structure. Site visitors can easily find, and move between, the various interest points to cross reference the information. This provides convenience for those searching among specific areas of practice, explanations of those services, attorneys concentrating in particular areas, and the attorneys practicing at each of the five Gilliland & Hayes offices around the state.

Prior to developing the site, Catalyst conducted a branding analysis for Gilliland & Hayes which led to our creating a new firm signature and branding statement to set the tone for the site.

More proof that "One person's trash is another's treasure."

Catalyst is fortunate to have a varied and immensely interesting client base. Here is an example of how the involved, hands-on service we provide turns into fascinating, exciting experiences.

A recent find at the Kansas Underground Salt Museum caught our attention: a pile of trash left by miners in the 1950s. We consider it delightful, not because we have a fascination with trash, but because of the well preserved stories it tells about brands of that era.

As you're probably aware, access to the mine has always been by one small hoist. That limited entrance space, and obviously the same for exiting, means virtually anything taken down into the mine has stayed there. This includes vehicles, machinery, boxes and, yes, even their trash. When something being used by the miners was no longer needed, it was just easier to leave it in a mined out area; after all, who was ever going to see it anyway?

As a communications major in college we learned about the different aspects of branding. The most interesting part to me was the historical perspective: how well-known brands change over time. Looking at the trash pile was like looking at vintage snapshots of several long-established and still-used brands. There were cans of Campbell's soup, boxes of Arm & Hammer baking soda, projector lamp light bulbs and boxes from Westinghouse Electric Supply, tins of Velvet pipe and cigarette tobacco, and even pages from a 1953 Raybestos-Manhattan calendar. (In case you're not familiar with the name, Raybestos-Manhattan was a major producer of automotive parts such as brake linings and clutch facings as well as industrial rubber products.)

Through research, we have found that Raybestos-Manhatten had also been an asbestos producer. That, of course, was before it was known that asbestos caused lung cancer, mesothelioma, and various other fatal conditions. Asbestos was once seen as a marvel of technology, and was used in the manufacturing of numerous products.

The Westinghouse Electric Corporation acquired CBS in 1995 and adopted its name to become CBS corporation. However, the Westinghouse Electric brand lives again, after BNFL acquired the commercial nuclear power businesses of CBS in 1999 and restored the name. (Now the Westinghouse Electric Company is owned by Toshiba Corp.)

Velvet pipe and cigarette tobacco was produced by a company called Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company. A man named Christopher Foulks owned a snuff mill in New Egypt, New Jersey in the early 1800s and his business gradually evolved into the fourth largest tobacco company in the United States. In 1996-1997, they had become the first tobacco company to settle smoking related litigation brought by the Attorneys General of several states. In 1998 Liggett signed tobacco litigation Master Settlement Agreement and 1999 saw the formation of Vector Tobacco, Inc. Liggett Vector Brands, Inc. then sold L&M, Lark and Chesterfield brands to Phillip Morris Companies, Inc.

Today's branding and packaging of Arm & Hammer baking soda is virtually unchanged. The same goes for Campbell's soup. Talk about consistency...and success. Both are still popularly recognized, used, and relevant 60 years later. May the same be said for Catalyst in 2038!

Catalyst's Newest Explore Hutchinson

Catalyst Creative's newest additions to the team went on tour Thursday to become more familiar with the city of Hutchinson and discovered what the city has to offer residents and tourists alike. Carry Farris, Office Manager and Account Executive, and Jerrod Ketchersid, Public Relations Coordinator, had fun learning all about the local spots. The "Free" FAM (familiarization) Tour, hosted by the Greater Hutchinson CVB showcased:

Reno County Museum

A great place to experience Hutchinson history, the Reno County Museum had several exhibits that caught the eye of the Catalyst crew. Their Transportation Gallery included a Schuttler wagon, an Amish buggy and an Indian motorcycle and side car! The museum also had an exhibit that consisted of all the favorite things the Historical Society staff could find going through their stores of artifacts! The majority of these items had never been placed on display before this exhibit. The doctoral exhibit was interesting, though was met with several onlooker's cringes as they checked out the foot-pump dentist's drill. And we thought going to the dentist today was a pain in the neck!

George Pyle Park

The revitalization of George Pyle Park was evident as Jim Seitnater pointed out the new landscaping, stone, and river work done to help spruce up the curb appeal.

Lloyd's Loft/Armstrong Antiques

Stationed above Armstrong Antiques, Lloyd's Loft told its own story in the fine detail and work that went into fully restoring this old boarding house. While renovations were first being done on the building, a sign on the northern wall of the building was found...evidence that the loft wasn't always there. This outdoor sign featured an advertisement for Selz "Royal Blue" shoes. As an interesting fun fact, Lloyd told the tour that back then, one was not allowed to use the word "royal" in advertisements or products unless it was directly related to the Royal family. He told the group that Queen Elizabeth herself commissioned Selz to make her shoes and the store was thus able to use the word "royal" in its product line.



Cool Beans

It's in the name! The FAM tour stopped at Cool Beans to cool off, drink some lemonade and enjoy a cookie. Records, posters, and pictures of famous musicians spiced up the walls and ceiling of this old but still-used train station eatery.

Hutchinson Zoo
Construction of the new rehabilitation center at the Hutchinson Zoo is going well. The new center will have areas for wounded animals, animals with minor ailments, as well as a section to quarantine animals that have more serious illnesses.


Dillon Nature Center
Jim from the dillon nature center greeted the group outside of the visitor center and talked about the various points of interest around the area. We then toured the inside exhibit and stepped outside to check out the lake and local vegetation.

Hutchinson Art Center


On our final stop, the tour group explored the Hutchinson Art Center. The galleries featured work from artists across the state. From there, we were encouraged to participate in Hutchinson's Third Thursday event that featured an Art Walk. Artists displayed their work up and down Main St., musicians played on many of the street corners, and there was plenty to eat from local vendors.


Other fun places discussed during the tour were the Hobart-Detter Field, Fairgrounds Water Park, tennis courts, Farmer's Market, Fox theater, Kansas Cosmosphere & Space Center and the Kansas Underground Salt Museum.

Note: I heard Sarah Evans, Sevans Strategy (#4) recently at the Free State Social in Lawrence. She is contagious. Her savvy in all things PR and her focus on new media has earned her a spot on Entrepreneur's 10 Hot Startups. Congrats @prsarahevans! -Jill

10 Hot Startups

Why these independents made us say 'Wow!' Learn how yours can, too.
Entrepreneur's StartUps - June 2010


A "hot" startup company isn't the entrepreneurial equivalent of a winning lottery ticket. Probe a bit beneath the surface, and what you'll find is a combination of creativity, determination, hard work, great products and services--not to mention a strategy that produces rapid growth. They are the companies that capture the hearts and minds of their potential customers and, with them, that indispensable thing called market share. They're invariably run by men or women with an eye for sustainability--and expansion. The list runs the gamut of sectors. Some have venture capital money behind them; most were bootstrapped. Some are service companies. A few are manufacturers. Others are retailers. And while we routinely receive news of hot startups, and it's usually impossible to compare apples to oranges--or in the case of this list, apps to beer--these 10 independents, with their fast-paced success and future potential, are the ones that made even our seasoned staff and contributors say, "Wow!"


1. Cigar City Brewery
Tampa, Fla.
Founded: 2007
Self-described "beer geek and home brewer" Joey Redner had been around craft breweries for years. He had worked for both a craft beer brewery and an importer. He wrote a column about craft beer for the St. Petersburg Times. And, all the while, he thought about what it would be like to run his own enterprise. In a city the size of Tampa, it was only a matter of time before someone opened up a local craft brewery--and in 2007, he decided to be the one to do so. Using local flavors like guava and high-end ingredients, Cigar City Brewery's brews are more expensive, but have caught on far beyond the Tampa city limits. "We have a great demand in the northeast. People from Philadelphia were calling their relatives in Tampa and asking them to get our beer," says Redner. Launching a beer company is no easy task, but those thirsty customers have driven up brewing volume tremendously: The company sold about 1,000 barrels in 2009. By the end of the first quarter of 2010, it had already exceeded that threshold and was on pace to sell more than that per quarter throughout the year, marking more than a 400 percent growth in 12 months.


2. VeryMeri
Encino, Calif.
Founded 2006
Whenever first-grade teacher Meri Zeiff saw one of her students wearing a shirt that said, "Spoiled Brat" or something similarly negative, it bothered her. After years of listening to her daughter gripe about the same pet peeve--and her desire to start her own company with positive T-shirts for kids--her mother handed over $2,500 and told her to do something about it. That something was the launch of her T-shirt company, VeryMeri. In addition to creating kid-power T-shirts--sentiments include "Peace, Dude," "I'm a lucky ducky," and "Imagine"--she also donates a percentage of her profits to charity. Now, the company takes submissions for T-shirt designs to be voted on by the public. Each winning designer has his or her T-shirt produced and 3 percent of profits from the sales of those shirts go to a designer-chosen nonprofit. More than $50,000 has been donated to various charities so far.  Do the math.


3. Smule
Palo Alto, Calif.
Founded: 2008
As the app world explodes, one of its perennial hit-makers is Smule (aka Sonic Mule), the iPhone application developer responsible for popular mobile phone apps like "I am T-Pain." "Ocarina," and "Magic Piano." Founders Jeff Smith and Ge Wang, both tech company veterans, have grown the company fast, landing nearly $12 million in hard-to-get venture capital in two rounds over the past year, allowing them to invest in more people, more infrastructure and more app development. Smith says Smule has "three gigantic things in the hopper now," presumably apps, although he declines to specify. The company is also building the "Sonic Network," a cloud network of its application users, which allows users to connect with each other through the network. Smith suspects it will ultimately be a building block for the company, uniting users.


4. Sevans Strategy
Elgin, Ill.
Founded: 2009
When Vanity Fair magazine calls and wants to feature you as a leader in your field of expertise, it's a good day. That's what happened to Sarah Evans, founder of Sevans Strategy, a new media and public relations consultancy. In the six months since she founded her business, Sarah has landed a beefy six-figure client roster that includes Fox News Chicago, Fox Corporate, Qmobius and Radio Shack. Evans is a highly prolific tweeter and Facebook participant, using social media and public relations as part of the counsel she provides to her clients. In addition, she's become a prolific speaker on social media topics, boosting her notoriety and spurring her projected 120 percent growth in 2010 alone, including the hire of three full-time employees.

Go to full article for rest of list http://www.entrepreneur.com/magazine/entrepreneursstartupsmagazine/2010/june/207004.html

Recounting of a First Day

I was always the kid that got completely excited about the first day of school. I'd get my clothes out the night before, pack and re-pack my supplies and books, read the first few chapters of each book before school even started. I'd race up to the school to look at the paper taped to the front door of the school a few weeks before classes started that told me what teacher I would have and who all was in my class. Yes, I was nerdy like that.

Apparently I haven't changed much. Today was my first day at Catalyst Creative Services, and you better believe I was prepared. Clothes were set out and ironed. I perused the company website to make sure I had everyone's name right. I glanced a few times at the scanned image of the business cards that would be waiting for me. Yes, I'm still nerdy like that.

Having become accustomed to working second-shift, my sleep schedule needed a major overhaul. Getting up at 7 a.m. was, of course, a battle in itself. I think I'll go to bed a little earlier tonight. My mind is reeling with the realization that I have a professional job with professional responsibilities...and I love it. I knew almost immediately that I would like the place, Jill brought coffee from Starbucks. I sit here in awe as I look at my desk, my computer, my telephone, my pencil holder. I know that sounds weird, but it is a completely different atmosphere than I am used to. I can't help but think, "Yeah...this is what I spent four years of my life in college trying to achieve."

So far, I've started learning about our clients, done research for one of them, and am now blogging. Social media is encouraged. I think I'm gonna like it here. What are my expectations from this place? I don't know for sure...yet. I'm still figuring out the lay of the land. I relish the prospect of all the opportunities that Catalyst has to offer me. I look forward to meeting new faces, going to events, and doing my best to provide a positive image for clients we serve. And, of course, getting to know Hutchinson better.

When It Comes To Social Media, Many Marketers Jump The Gun

NOTE: I heard Jeremiah OwYang at the Free State Social in Lawrence, KS recently. He is a thought leader and shares industry research freely. If you are interested in Social Media, I recommend following him. -Jill

Is your company really ready to interact with customers--and critics--online?
Jeremiah Owyang, 05.17.10

Greenpeace's organized brandjacking of Nestle SA's Facebook page is making CMOs afraid of social media. There is good reason for this: The power has clearly turned to those that participate, and now detractors are starting to organize using the same organized marketing campaigns that companies create.

Greenpeace takes issue with Nestle's purchase of palm oil from farmers who are destroying forests. The organization prepared a frontal assault with prepared assets such as off-brand logos, detrimental videos, and called for their Twitter followers to attack Nestle's Facebook page. Nestle, the giant food company, was unprepared. It apparently lacked qualified community managers, a community policy and an advocacy program. Proof of the power of online communities: Today the Swiss company said it will work with a nonprofit organization to probe the firm's palm oil suppliers.

Many companies jump into social marketing before they are ready. The opportunities to connect with customers, learn from them and benefit from word-of-mouth marketing are irresistible. But CMOs must first establish the internal resources and processes that are necessary for their companies to be successful in social marketing.

Here is a checklist to help marketers prepare for social media interactions:

--Have a strong understanding of your customers: Brands must have "socialgraphics," the measurement of how your customers and consumers are using social technologies

--Do a social media audit: Who in your company is already using social tools, where are they and what is their status? Get the same information about your competitors.

--Develop business processes: Develop a triage for how information from different business units and geographies will be cascaded to certain groups in real time.

--Create a crises response plan: Incidents move faster in social media. Develop scenario planning. For instance, how would your company react if some of its products turned up in an unflattering YouTube video on a Friday evening before a three-day weekend?

--Create qualified roles: Brands need at least two specialists dedicated to social marketing: the social strategist and the community manager.

--Develop the right organizational model: Social media spans multiple business units, so a new organizational model will appear--even informally. There are at least five organizational models, including organic, distributed, coordinated, multiple hub-and-spoke and holistic. Organizational models around social will depend on size and culture.

--Have education programs: Don't expect employees to grasp new forms of communication quickly, especially disruptive ones like social tools. Develop internal methods for sharing and experimentation. Allow internal experts and peers to share their expertise and experiences.

--Create a measurement strategy: New media requires measurement. The old adage holds true: "You can't improve what you can't measure."


--Have the mindset to "fail fast." Plan for mistakes to be made. Encourage active sharing around "opportunities missed" without being punitive. New practices require risk and change--embrace this as your customers likely already have.

Social marketing isn't anything like traditional advertising and direct marketing. It is relationship-driven. Engaging with customers, and critics, creates significant changes in the way people think, act and measure success within organizations. To learn more about getting prepared internally, watch our no-cost recording outlining in detail the resources needed for success.

Jeremiah Owyang, a Web strategist, is partner, customer strategy, at Altimeter Group.