MortarBlog

Where’s the monkey?

Hi, I’m Allyson. Or, Ally. Around Mortar, I’m known as Stinchfield, the new resident PR and social media guru. I met Mortar folks years ago on LinkedIn. We recently found each other again there.

I am happy to be here. I’m excited to help Mortar’s diverse set of clients create PR and social media conversations that harness the power of a Mortar360 branding workshop.

There are a few things that have stood out for me during my first official days at Mortar:

• Everyone is having fun and talking out loud, in a good-getting-great-stuff-done kind of way.
• The resident monkey is nowhere to be found.
• Mortar’s clients are diverse. Already, I’ve written a blog about a company lifting farmers out of poverty in Burma (Proximity Designs), sat in a room with a leading SaaS company forever changing the way marketing and sales teams score leads (Marketo), and talked in-depth with some execs about how to better serve Americans in debt (Financial Freedom Network).
• We get to work with smart professors from all walks of life at Golden Gate University (GGU), one of Mortar’s many long-term clients. The media call upon them regularly these days (great job former Mortar PR gurus!).
• The branding conversation with clients is much more direct than the PR ones I’ve been privy to over the last decade. There’s more focus on getting real rich insights upfront from all stakeholders (customers, partners, critics, competitors, people online and on the street, the media, etc.), and less on creating B.S. out of thin air.
• It’s a truthful 360-leadership conversation where everyone contributes. I’ve watched Mortar share information that clients may not want to hear, but need to. For instance, “Your messaging makes no sense to anyone but you and we fell asleep reading all of those atrocious acronyms.”
• The Mortar Foundation is doing good work in the world. Work I care about too. Like helping less fortunate people who need voices to shout out to them every once in awhile, “Hey, we’ve got your back!”

I look forward to my journey as Mortar’s resident, provisional PR and social media guru. Drop me a line anytime. I’d love to hear from you.

Stinchfield

P.S. Using the power of social media and PR, I’ve learned how to speed up help for AFCECO orphans and once for a miraculous little boy named Oliver. I look forward to contributing my skills to The Mortar Foundation and client causes, too.

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Let's Dance!

Mortar is proud - really proud - to announce the launch of Avinger’s new website.

Avinger is a medical device company devoted to developing innovative treatments for Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) -  a very common, very nasty disease where your arteries clog up and cut off circulation to your limbs, heart and brain.  Most patients leave it untreated too long, which has a lot to do with why PAD is the leading cause of amputation in patients over 50, and is responsible for hundreds of thousands of amputations every year. Yes, we said “amputations.” As in - you leave the hospital with fewer limbs than you had when you entered. 
 Avinger believed there was a better way to fight PAD, so they created one. Let us show you what they’re up to:

Need a tissue? We understand completely.
We’re proud to be a part of Avinger’s amazing work, and pleased to see their shiny new website make its debut. We hope you never need their products - but it sure is nice to know Avinger is there if you do.

Speaking of dancing - other clients? The gauntlet has been thrown down. Right about the time the site launched, look what showed up at Mortar Global HQ.

Y’all just got served. It is on.

 

All we can say is, “It was our pleasure, Avinger.” (Well, that and “Somebody get a really big ice bucket.”)

 

Everything’s coming up noses for Intersect ENT

Surgery blows—especially when your schnoz is involved. But with the FDA’s recent approval of their new product Propel™, our client Intersect ENT is poised to revolutionize chronic sinusitis treatment for good. 

Unlike anything in its category, Propel is a spring-like device made of a flexible, lightweight plastic polymer. This innovative design serves to gently prop open the sinuses after endoscopic surgery. The device also delivers an anti-inflammatory corticosteroid directly to the sinus lining, which keeps patients’ noses from flaring up like a bull seeing red. The result? Improved post-surgical outcomes, and reduced need for oral steroids that can have nasty side effects. It’s genius, really.

Inspired by Propel’s iconic design, Mortar created a distinctive logo to establish the brand identity for our client’s inaugural product. Evoking the shape and warmth of the sun, the mark quickly conveys the elegant nature of the device. See?

There’s also a website on the way, and we designed a trade show booth for Propel’s debut at the American Academy of Otolaryngology’s convention this September in San Francisco. If you’re in town, stop in and rub elbows. Or noses. 

It's not us. It's you.

There’s nothing scarier than walking into a room full of geniuses and asking for money. Well, almost nothing. Zombies are scary. Wolves are scary. Concepts born of too many vodka-pineapples are scary. But still, meeting with venture capitalists is scary. 

So why do most venture capital websites do nothing but talk about themselves? That’s not very friendly, is it? Not what a good host would do, right? These poor entrepreneurs are laying it all on the table. They’re presenting, defending and explaining more than a “venture.” It’s their baby. The thing that’s consumed their every waking moment - not to mention their bank accounts. So, when Bain Capital Ventures approached us about a new website, we suggested they put less emphasis on the “us” and more on the “you.” 

Yes, you. If you’re an entrepreneur with an earthshaking idea, that is. The refreshingly simple site is uncluttered, down-to-earth and friendly, all the way from the tone of voice to the typeface. The entrepreneur-focused Innovation Center provides an online toolkit to help startups get started—complete with how-to articles, local networking opportunities, and even weekly office hours hosted by Bain.

But enough about us. We’d love to know what you think.

 

Smart Solutions For A Dumb Grid.

MORTARBLOG: "The U.S. power grid is so dumb..."

YOU: "How dumb is it?"

MORTARBLOG: "It's so dumb it thinks soy milk is Spanish for "I am milk.""

But seriously, folks, the grid is really dumb. You would not believe how much power goes to waste every day, and how much grossness gets spewed into the atmosphere every day to make all that power that's going to waste. Fortunately there's a simple, free way to start doing something about it. Which is where Mortar client Genability comes in. We could explain what they're up to using boring old words, but we'd rather share our new animated short, "Giving People Power Over Their Power." It's narrated by our pal Ed Begley, Jr., and it has mole people and birds that drop money and even a pony!

Please take two minutes and fifty-seven seconds of your day to check it out.

Pretty cool, right? Did you laugh? Did you cry? Did you want to punch the PG&E guy? (Don't.) OK, then tell all your friends about WhatsMyPower.com, and let's all help make the grid a little smarter.

Lord knows this world could use a little less dumbassery.

Mortar Starts Massive Bowl Movement

It’s not bowling. It’s not golf. And whatever you do, don’t call it “bocce.”

It’s Lawn Bowls. And it’s the next big thing in American sports. Like Mahou Sensei Negima, the metric system, and boxed milk, Lawn Bowls is just another train that our nation inexplicably missed. 20 million people around the world indulge in this delightful diversion, while only 17,000 do in the U.S. The game has been around for 500 years – so exactly why haven’t we recognized its undisputed awesomeness yet?

No sport becomes an American pastime overnight. Do you think baseball was popular in its germinating stages? “Hey guys: Let’s all put on tight, non-breathable pants, have someone throw a rock-hard leather ball at our faces, then dive headfirst onto dirty vinyl bags all day long.” Yeah. Maybe later.

Sports gain popularity through awareness – which is what Lawn Bowls lacks in the U.S. That's why the United States Lawn Bowls Association came to Mortar. And it’s why Mortar is on the hunt for sponsors of all shapes and sizes for the USLBA.

If your brand is looking to gain awareness and boost its image, this is a low-risk move with a potentially huge payoff. Although Lawn Bowls is a sport you can play whether you’re 19 or 90, the average player age is 50+. With the exploding number of baby boomers entering the market each year, these leisure beavers are looking for a fun, low-impact activity to keep them from having to tend to the garden all day and converse with their one-eyed curmudgeonly neighbor.

Not many sports could be more appealing to this crowd – or for your brand. Think curling, but on grass: challenging, fun to play, and with massive potential for cocktail consumption. It’s ideal for TV coverage, but without the need for big slabs of ice and bitter cold. You play on a manicured grass court, and there’s unlimited opportunity for social activity off the green.

Brands, are you listening? Get in the rink before someone else beats you to the jack. Download USLBA's full sponsorship deets here to learn more about why this could be the best decision you’ve ever made. If you’re interested in being a national, regional, local, or event sponsor of the USLBA, contact Craig Patterson at craig@mortaragency.com or (408) 802-9122.

Presenting the American Fair Credit Council. Also: An Eagle With A Knife.

You guys know about debt settlement, right? We’ll break it down for you, just in case: You decide you need a new suit. You buy it. Your boss decides s/he needs a shiny new Gulfstream...which means you get downsized. Suddenly, you’re awash in credit card debt. You need help. A “debt negotiator” appears. They tell you they can negotiate your nut down to pennies on the dollar. You are happy. Then you discover how the racket really works. You are sad.  First, they want a big-ass up-front fee. Then, you’re asked to fund an account that will be used to pay off your debts - yes, for pennies on the dollar - but that isn’t real helpful if you don’t have any pennies to begin with. The whole thing is a lot like high school.  Remember the 300-pound bully who used to throw you against your locker, steal your lunch money and give you a swirlie? When that 300-pound bully is your credit card company, you need a bully to bully that bully. Or at least get their attention. If you had an eagle with a knife in its mouth, you'd be all set. But we'll assume you don't. (If you do, call us, we want to check that out.)

Would like to renegotiate your repayment terms.
Also: is an eagle with a knife.

Say hello to the American Fair Credit Council.

The good people of the AFCC noticed what was going on in the debt settlement racket market, and saw an opportunity. Not the “let’s check the poor people’s couch cushions for change”-kind of opportunity, but the kind that could actually help people get a fair shake in the credit game - a game that’s patently rigged. So, they created a brand new model called “no advance fee debt settlement.” Here’s how it works: You agree to a fee. The AFCC goes to work. Your debt goes down. You pay your debt. You pay your fee. You’re free. A simple, strong idea, worthy of a simple, strong name. Which Mortar was proud to give them.

So. Even if your credit’s good, check out the American Fair Credit Council. They’re a good friend to have, in an economy where one can never have too many good friends, feathered or otherwise.

 

 

A HOME WITHIN has a new home -- online

   


There are many causes that Mortar holds dear- Fair Trade USA, the ASPCA, Martini Awareness Month- however we are proud to announce one cause close to our heart has launched a brand spanking new website.

With Mortar’s help, A HOME WITHIN, a non-profit organization right here in San Francisco dedicated to the mental stability of foster children, has gone live with a beautiful new website to match the beautiful work they do for kiddies around the nation.

For foster kids tossed around until they are kicked out of the system at 18, A HOME WITHIN provides stability and mental support. They match at-risk foster children with therapists and allow them to maintain a relationship regardless of age, location or finances. A HOME WITHIN launched their new site in May to mark Foster Care Awareness Month. With programs like Fostering Art, A HOME WITHIN supports creativity and mental stability in an very overlooked—but needy--population.

Mortar is proud to have been apart of the branding, brochure production and website design for A HOME WITHIN. Hopefully this website will allow A Home Within to reach more kids, connect with more clinicians and grab more funding (hint, hint).

2010 Mortarblog Halloween Spooktacular

AWOOOOOOOO! Happy Halloween! Normally, we’d be in full Elitist Coastal Snob Mode this time of year, as we generally consider Halloween  - along with its yokel buddies New Year’s Eve and St. Patrick’s Day - to be a charter member of the Unholy Trinity of Amateur-Hour Holidays. But you know what? The Giants have us in an incredibly good mood right now and not just because the wind’s blowing this way from McCovey Cove. So allow us to amaze you as we turn a random, hastily-penned scribble wide-ranging and articulate knowledge download into a focused, must-read marketing missive. You won't believe your eyes.

Remember this?

Yikes. Here’s hoping Mr. Bateman doesn’t get too upset when he sees the new logo and business cards we just released for online ad exchange AdBrite.

 

“Look at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it...”

See how we did that? One minute, Halloween. The next minute, Random Movie Reference. Then...BAM! Work Stuff.  Office magic, people. Annnnd scene.

Ok, now on to the Actual Scary Things:

WARNING: Watching This Video In Its Entirety May Cause Violent Diarrhea And/Or The Condition Known As "Death By Embarassment."

We're not kidding. We only made it through the first 0:48. Really. Seriously.
We are so not kidding.

Oops. They pulled it. To be fair, it was supposed to be for an internal talent show. (They have that kind of budget for internal talent shows? That kind of profligacy is...scary! Awooooooo!)

 

 Quick, Scoob! L-l-let’s get out of here!

Ahhhh. That’s better. You can always depend on the classics.
Speaking of which, it's time for...Mortar Halloween Jukebox - iMeem Went Out Of Business Because The Economy Is So Scary-Edition!

No audio jukebox this year. And not as many songs. But you do get video, so there's that.

 

DAVID/MARK/TODD: "Bela Lugosi's Dead" -  Bauhaus.

Remember this from The Hunger? We’re not sure which is scarier - the atmosphere of vampiric menace, or the 80’s hair. Either way....awesomely scary.

SOPHIE: "Two of Hearts" - Stacy Q

We know. We know. But stay with us. This hilarious-yet-creepy scene is from Party Monster, an underrated yet highly scary flick. We’ve got chills just thinking about it.

SERENE: “Ghostbusters” - Ray Parker, Jr.

Wait a minute. Something’s wrong. This is a song from the 80’s. And everyone knows Serene’s musical tastes are permanently stuck in the 90’s. Which means...that’s not the real Serene! And she’s calling from inside the house!

 

HUGH - is about to rip the rubber mask off of what is obviously Pirate-Ghost Serene. Will need to gather strength first. Fortunately, there is “The Crusher” - The Novas.

And finally, a little Halloween treat from our favorite non-sparkle-vampire, Count Floyd.

 

Owooooo! Have fun out there. And GO GIANTS!!!

 

 

Make Ours A Double.

Let us speak of awesome things....and things that are Double Awesome.

Crocodile hijacks plane?

 

Awesome!

Article about crocodile hijacking plane that reads like it may have been written by the crocodile?

Double Awesome!

You get the idea.

So.

Writeup in SFThrillist about fun stuff to do in Reno where each picture is a little bit misaligned which makes it seem like you can rent fully-automatic weapons at local eateries?

Awesome.

Using The Power Of Mortar to reverse Reno’s 13-year decline in visitors, room rates and tax revenues?

Double! Awesome!

The Part Where We Use Numbers To Back Up All That Big Talk:
In first 3 months of Mortar’s “Far From Expected” campaign, 

• The average daily rate paid for a room in Reno Tahoe jumped by 5%. (Awesome.) 
• Taxes from hotel rooms jumped by 25%.
  (Also awesome. You thought we were going to say “Double Awesome” there, but we’re talking about taxes, which carry a natural awesome-deficit, so, sorry, no.)
• Visitors to the area increased by some 82,000 room nights - the first growth in a period of nearly 13 years of decline. (See, now that is Double Awesome.)

 

Double Awesome. It's what we do.

The Part About The Results:
We could have bumped Reno’s numbers up by just giving stuff away. But that’s what’s been going on for 13 years. People throwing their chips in the air as if to say “Vegas! Sort of!” and then a too-low price on a room.  Instead, we went after “a specific subset of SF Bay Area tourists (with) the greatest potential for increased Reno visits.”  
People who liked Reno--but had not visited, or had visited once, time long ago.
People who are active on the Internet. People like you.

A recent EMC survey of over 1,000 adults in the San Francisco Bay Area showed the following:

"Awareness is higher, Intent-To-Visit is higher, and people are talking about Reno Tahoe USA more."

Facebook fans jumped over 1,000 within one week after the national Save RENO 911! campaign and over 600 within 3 weeks after the Bay To Breakers promotion. Flickr and YouTube hits are up 30%.

Some call it "a grown man in sheep suit." We call it: Strategy!

Attributes that were used to describe the Reno Tahoe brand are:  "fun" "good value" "easy" and "unpretentious.” Which, when you consider they used to say “diesel fumes and heartburn," blows right past awesome and heads straight to Double Awesome-town.

Our point? Great creative is awesome. But when it drives great results?
Make ours a double. Fact.

 

 

Illustrations courtesy of the amazingly stupendous Allie "Raptor Face" Brosh, whose blog, Hyperbole And A Half  is required reading of the very finest kind. We should all give her money. Right after we get back from Reno.