FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Indiana CEOs Invited to Insightful Executive Brief Meeting Reveals the Hidden Value of Separating Sales From Marketing

June 13, 2005

LAFAYETTE, INDIANA�\CEOs from across the state of Indiana are invited to a special breakfast and executive brief on the often underestimated importance of identifying and maintaining a distinction between sales and marketing. The event, courtesy of CEO-NET International, Inc., is scheduled for Thursday, June 23, from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Woodland Country Clubhouse in Carmel.

According to Robert Kennedy, president of Lafayette-based Indiana Design Consortium, Inc. (IDC), and one of three speakers at the event, CEOs will discover how a company can more effectively increase revenue, market share and profitability when it clearly separates its sales and marketing disciplines.

�gMy partner and I have seen it many times,�h says Kennedy, referring to IDC executive vice-president and fellow speaker, Richard Hines. �gWhen a company respects the difference between the roles of sales and marketing, and knows how to make them work together, that company sees better growth because it can proactively anticipate and respond to aggregate market needs, rather than individual customer needs.�h

To elaborate and demonstrate how, Kennedy and Hines�\both marketing experts�\will be joined by Tim Roberts of Successful Selling Methods, an Indianapolis-based sales training company.

IDC provides business development and branding services including direct-response marketing, market research, strategic marketing planning, advertising, design, merchandising, sales promotion and the production of today�fs most advanced digital marketing services, including multimedia presentations, websites and e-business.

CEO-NET is an Indianapolis-based organization comprised of and working for chief executives of Indiana companies. Through conferences, informal roundtable meetings and other focused activities, CEO-NET provides CEOs with a unique forum where they can network with each other and exchange ideas concerning management and business-growth solutions.

For more information about the breakfast and executive brief, contact William McCrea at CEO-NET by calling 317.283.5755, visiting www.ceo-net-intl.com or e-mailing wmccrea@ceo-net-intl.com

LOCAL NEWS: New Hospital Enters First Phase

Some Community Members Will Be Surveyed by Telephone

January 19, 2005
By ABBY LIETZ | alietz@thehj.com

Listen.

That's what White County Memorial Hospital is preparing to do, on a large scale, as they contemplate the necessity of constructing a new facility down the road.

During the monthly board of trustees meeting last evening, Richard Hines of Lafayette-based Indiana Design Consortium, presented a proposed research design his company could facilitate for the hospital in order to determine the thoughts of White County residents regarding the hospital's services.

After much discussion, where many issues were addressed, the board decided to move ahead with the first phase of the process, which involves the creation of questions that would be asked to a random selection of White County residents via telephone and the execution of that survey.

This phase comes at a cost of $6,300 and is worth every cent in gauging how the public truly feels about the hospital, says Chief Executive Officer Paul Cardwell.

“We just want to gather thoughts. Do people know what we offer? What services do they need? What services should we be providing? Is a new hospital needed? ,” Cardwell lists as questions he and the board want answers to.

Hines added that as the board considers a new hospital, seeking public input is a good place to begin.

“The earlier in the process you do this the better. The first thing you do is listen and gain an understanding of what the community needs before you start,” he said, noting in other communities where a new hospital was considered, there wasn't enough listening.

Cardwell says the idea of a new hospital has been brewing during the last year and now is the time to take an upfront approach with those thoughts.

“We're landlocked here and there are so many programs and services we’d like to offer but there's no room,” explained Cardwell. “We're in a 1950s building with 2005 needs and ideas. We're running out of the ability to upgrade where we are. We feel it’s our responsibility to offer the best care and services we can and if that means a new hospital, that’s what we’ll do.”

As part of Hines’ and the consortium’s research efforts, a telephone survey will target various groups of residents throughout the county including
families with children, both males and females to cover gender
discrepancies, those on Medicare or Medicaid and individuals who reside
specifically in various areas as designated by zip code. This will yield a complete, in-depth and accurate account of White County’s public opinion on the hospital.

Hines explained the survey would range from 200 to 400 telephone interviews, the subjects of which would be randomly selected, with each interview
lasting about 15 minutes. Professional telephone interviewers will conduct the interviews.

According to the proposal given to the board, the entire project will take between eight and ten weeks to complete, and upon review, will then enable the hospital to consider their next step in deciding if a new hospital would be warranted or not.

Cardwell says he expects work on drafting questions for the survey to begin by the end of the month.

LOCAL NEWS: County about to be branded

White County is about to be branded.

October 11, 2004
By Abby Lietz | alietz@thehj.com

As branding in the 19th Century was a rangeland's trademark signifying pride of ownership in livestock, so will White County soon have its own mark of identity.

During a Tuesday meeting of recently-formed Economic Action Team of White County, the White County Industrial Foundation, government representatives and community members, plans were discussed gearing the county toward a unified signature in order to market the best of White County to potential businesses. While the meeting was simply a work session to generate ideas and keep interested parties on the same page, the objective of the action team, in addition to attracting economic developments, drifts toward fostering community involvement and a county-wide sense of spirit, ownership and participation. Industrial Foundation Executive Director Valerie Hunter explained one goal of the action team is to obtain a $25,000 Community Comeback Grant being offered through the Indiana Department of Commerce.

Applications, as of Oct. 1, will be accepted monthly and will be awarded to counties that have, as Hunter explained, “been hit with economic hardships and are trying to find creative ways to bounce back. This is a collaborative effort throughout the county where we look at marketing and what we can do to bring business here.”

White County plans to submit an application for the grant by Nov. 1.

Richard Hines, Executive Vice President of Indiana design consortium, Inc. in Lafayette, was brought on board to guide the team toward developing a system of promotion for the county and offered a four-step plan in doing so. A Brookston resident, Hines previously worked in marketing with Fielder's Choice Direct and noted that development of a brand message to be included in an introductory, informational brochure, is step one for White County. Next, a unified, brand concept developed by the team would be incorporated into a comprehensive county Web site followed by additional support materials and continued marketing.

Action team organizer Kevin Lashbrook noted the importance of branding the county and encouraged input from the session participants.

“The message has to be that developing a county-wide Web site is not an end-all to growing economically,” Lashbrook advised. “It's obviously a very important first step in branding our community and developing that brand in a professional manner so that it represents the county as a whole.”

Hines continued his explanation of branding, adding that by answering the question ‘what makes this county unique, different and a better place to move to and do business in?’ a distinguishing White County identity can be created. The process, from there, involves packaging the branding theme with graphics that instill a look and feel consistent with the branding message into visual material.

As participants began to supply their answers to Hines' question, the backbone of the project began to materialize.

“Quality of life,” answered Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Janet Dold. “It's safe with good sound churches; you know people and know who your kids are playing with.”

A good place to raise a family, school systems, geographic location, proximity to educational institutions and parks were just a few other points mentioned during the meeting.

With these strengths in mind, Lashbrook encouraged the development of a sense of community and citizen action across White County.

“We're a very divided community. You've got your farm folks and lake folks, import lake folks and city folks and none of them are on the same page. We've made a lot of strides, but the point is that we need to come together as a community. Until that happens we're not going to be as successful as we could be.”

According to Hines, the next goal for the action team is to develop the brand for White County by the end of the month. The grant money, once secured, will then go toward creating the brochure and Web site.

Said Hunter of the progress being made, “This is exactly what we need. We're all part of one team, we just need one name and to come together to improve this county down the road.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Six IDC Client Designs Published in Renowned Big Book of Logos

September 27, 2004 LAFAYETTE, INDIANA—Six clients of Indiana Design Consortium, Inc., (IDC) will find their newly designed graphic identities published in the upcoming fourth edition of HarperCollins’ Big Book of Logos. The book—compiled by David E. Carter, a noted graphic design authority and author of more than 100 best-selling titles on the subject—offers a study in superior logotype design and serves as an extremely popular reference tool for graphic design students and professionals alike. This, the fourth collection of winning logos as judged by Carter, includes IDC designs for: Bo-Witt Products, Inc., manufacturer of custom-molded thermoset polymers; Earth Images, Inc., a commercial landscaping company; Elrod Corporation, designer and manufacturer of permanent and temporary spectator structures; Park Tudor, a college preparatory school for students of grades K through 12; INDesign, a traveling museum exhibit of Indiana’s finest modern product design creations; and FlyLafayette, a marketing campaign for the Purdue University Airport. IDC is a marketing firm that provides business development and branding services, which include direct-response marketing, market research, strategic marketing planning, advertising, design, merchandising, sales promotion and the production of today’s most advanced digital marketing services, such as multimedia presentations, websites and e-business.

 

Civic Theatre Unveils New Graphic Identities

Aims to Turn More People On to the Joys and Benefits of Its Programs

May 19, 2004

LAFAYETTE, INDIANA—Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette is introducing two new graphic identities—one each for its Civic Youth Theatre and Improv programs. Both designs—created by Lafayette’s own Indiana Design Consortium, Inc. (IDC)—are fundamental components in an overall marketing effort to grow Civic Theatre by increasing community awareness, participation and support.

For those already involved in Civic Theatre, the effect of giving these programs distinction and extending each of them to a broader target market will prove invaluable to the Greater Lafayette area as a whole.

“We’re talking about more than enriching the community through arts and entertainment,” says Susan Kisinger, Civic Theatre’s managing director. “Students who participate in Civic Youth Theatre, for example, as actors or behind-the-scenes volunteers, experience a higher self esteem, learn the values of teamwork and simply earn better grades in school.”

Overall, Civic Theatre—through its five-show-circuit Improv and other programs, such as the slightly more widely known MainStage and Civic Under the Stars series—creates a fulfilling experience for people throughout the community who, by participating in the arts, seek an outlet from their professional “everyday”lives.

With these two new new graphic identities out front, the Theatre’s marketing communications will place emphasis on reaching and appealing to more people in Tippecanoe’s surrounding counties, as well as young families and Purdue University students.

Approaching 75 years, Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette continues to play a major role in the city’s arts community by producing first-class stage entertainment, brought to life through the tireless efforts of local talent and volunteers. Furthermore, the Theatre’s Monon Depot location also houses the Grant Fredricks Art Gallery, which provides a venue whereby local artists can display their work as deemed appropriate for the diverse range of Civic Theatre’s patrons and participants.

Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette’s offices are located at 313 North 5th Street, Lafayette, IN 47902-0022, (765) 423-PLAY, fax (765) 742-7247, members.aol.com/Lafcivic/, e-mail: LafCivic@aol.com

The Civic Youth Theatre (CYT) is a rapidly growing Civic Theatre program that offers classes and production opportunities for area youth ages 6 and up. Each year, CYT presents three productions on the Civic stage.

A relatively unknown success the past six years, Civic Theatre’s Improv circuit includes five shows a year and features local talent acting out extemporaneous plays.

For more information, or to offer your own support, contact
Susan Kisinger, Managing Director
Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette
(765) 423-7529

“Helping the Homeless Come Home”

New Marketing Campaign Makes a World of Difference for Lafayette Transitional Housing

February 27, 2004 Many everyday challenges face the good people who manage one of Lafayette’s most effective social services organizations. Unfortunately, in the past several years, those challenges have included an ever-diminishing source of state and federal funding. By 2003, this organization known as Lafayette Transitional Housing Center (LTHC)—a group truly devoted to helping the homeless get back on their feet—realized that if it was to continue its mission, it must develop some innovative ways to generate more money. According to IDC’s Richard Hines, it was time for LTHC to adopt a whole new financial mindset. “Quite simply,” he says, “the organization had to shift its reliance on public funding to more of an emphasis on private funding, which meant developing a genuine marketing program very much like what a for-profit enterprise would deploy.” As chairman of the LTHC’s marketing committee, Hines brought together a host of local community volunteers who produced and assembled an integrated system of marketing materials targeted primarily for fund-raising community groups, such as Kiwanis, the Elks and others. At the campaign’s focal point was the task of establishing a distinct Lafayette Transitional Housing Center brand that truly differentiated LTHC from other community social services. Out of that came a new graphic identity and letterhead, a professional-grade eight-page corporate brochure, a video and a direct-mail donor communication program. In addition, Lafayette’s own TV 18 helped rally community support by producing a public service announcement and airing it during National Hunger and Homeless Prevention Week—an annual event that takes place across the country every November. The result of all this today is a greater community awareness of the Center and an enhanced financial support base consisting primarily of private donors. Best of all, as Hines believes, it's only the tip of the iceberg. “I’m very proud to have been a part of this early success,” he says. “Lafayette Transitional Housing Center is a social service organization for which I have the highest respect, because it doesn’t just provide shelter. It facilitates a change in behavior. By doing such a great job of educating, informing and motivating those in need, LTHC actually breaks the cycles of homelessness and poverty. It’s worth every possible effort any of us can make to help it prosper.” For more information, or to offer your own support, contact: Lafayette Transitional Housing Center, Inc. 814 North 14th St., Lafayette, IN 47904 (765) 423-4880 | Fax (765) 420-7027 Visit LTHC Online: www.lthc.net

Lafayette Transitional Housing graphic identity designed by IDC.