Results: Helpline Raises Money to Keep its Women’s Shelter Open

If you saw our blog post about the motion graphic we designed to help raise funds for a local women’s homeless shelter, then you might be interested to know that we just learned that they have raised all the needed funds to keep this shelter open. A board member told me this week that the coverage in the local paper, direct mail to donors and supporters, and this motion graphic helped generate enough donor interest in the course of month to sustain its operation through 2012.
 
We’re thrilled at the news, and want to thank any of our readers who helped with this project for their generosity. This is the best part of being professional communicators—when words and images converge to help relieve suffering and bring hope to people in need.

15 Year Anniversary: The Results are In!

The secret to success is often no secret—it’s execution. Pair good strategy with strong creative and a market need, and you can almost guarantee that you’ll see a shift in consumer behavior. We’ve seen it happen countless times.

If any one of those is off, however, it’s much harder to get results. But it’s can still be possible. In this motion graphic, you’ll see a few examples of some the most notable successes we’ve shared with our clients over the past 15 years.

Motion Graphics Helps Raise Funds for Women’s Shelter

Every night 25 women in our community will be homeless—for all kinds of reasons ranging from domestic abuse to addictions. STEP, a local shelter for homeless women,  provides temporary shelter, food and resources to help these women create a plan for independence.
 
When their funds were dramatically cut this month, we created this motion graphic video to help them raise money to preserve this important community service. You can donate one night’s shelter for $15—more if you wish.
 
Giving another person the chance at a better life seems like a great way to start the New Year, doesn’t it?

New Year's Wishes

From all of us at CMBell Company—a prayer for the New Year. Wishing you peace, hope and health in 2012.

Independent Colleges of Washington Uses Animation to Tell Their Story

Washington's private colleges are a cause we love to support because of the way they change lives and help our state's citizens.

 

About 40,000 students attend these ten schools—yet the schools receive less than 2% of the state higher education budget. This saves the state more than $330 million per year in operating subsidies—while increasing choice for those attending college. Contrary to what many think, these schools serve an economically diverse student body, providing quality education to students from all demographics and income backgrounds.

 

We developed this animation for them to help them bring their story to life—and reinforce their key brand messages using a medium that works well on the Web and with social media.

Client Showcase: North Ridge Medical Practice Steps Ahead of the Competition in their Promotion

This new campaign for North Ridge Medical Practice in Colorado combined direct mail with a mini-animation ad—allowing for targeted advertising and putting them ahead of their competition by having a more Web-friendly, social media-friendly promotion. The presence of the mini-animation ad also delivers information in a format that consumers are showing preference for.

 

Physicians who can deliver strong, targeted messages using contemporary media will likely experience immediate growth in their practice if the message is right and the market has pent-up demand. You can see how they've used this on their  Web site—and how it not only brings the Web page to life but reinforces their key brand messages.

 

Have you seen other physician practices breaking out of the print ad-only approach to promotion?

Hospital Anniversary Campaign Incorporates Kinetic Typography

Kinetic typography is a new way of telling your story. It’s essentially a mini-ad that can be used in a variety of ways. Here’s how St. Anthony Hospital North used it as part of their 40-year anniversary campaign:

• Posted on their You Tube Channel
• Posting it on Facebook
• Posting it on their hospital Web site
• Sending links virally—to employees, physicians, donors and key stakeholders

Click the links below to see some of our other kinetic typography projects:

• Dimensions Pain Management 
• Independent Colleges of Washington

And check out some of the other ways that companies are using animation: 

• Good Magazine Infographics 
• (Starbucks)Red Campaign 
• Starbucks Tribute Days 

Check back tomorrow to see our outdoor advertising solutions for this campaign. 

Client Showcase: Animation Can Fuel Web Traffic

We developed a promotional campaign for Dimensions Pain Management, a medical clinic in Colorado, and recommended the addition of kinetic typography to use in social media applications. We've not only found that the presence of an animation increases traffic on our own site, but in industries like health care and law, it's still fairly young and so is a way to get your message noticed. It provides a fresh way of conveying your message in a media that is versatile and can be used in many ways—from posting on one's site, YouTube and Facebook page to sending links via email.

 

The addition of motion and sound amps up a message and delivers it in a way that keeps the viewer's interest. Kinetic typography and other animations can be simple, like this one, or far more complex. They can be used for anything from a new service launch to infusing your Web page with new life. We've also applied them to seasonal e-cards like these: CMBell Company Holiday Animation, Gresham Savage 100 Year E-Card, Gresham Savage Holiday E-Card

 

We love working in this medium and think it holds a lot of promise for business—given the apparent appetite consumers have for productions like these.