Grady Britton

PORTLAND, Ore. (Oct. 16, 2008) –Portland advertising agency Grady Britton has moved to the Olympic Mills Commerce Center, allowing enough space for the 35-year-old company’s future growth. After 18 years on SW Washington Street, Grady Britton relocated to the third floor of the Olympic Mills Commerce Center on SE Washington Street. With sustainability and creativity at the core of the Central Eastside’s redevelopment, Grady Britton anticipates a surge of commercial growth that will reflect the bustling urban activity across the Willamette River.

“The decision to move across the river is part of Grady Britton’s evolving culture,” said Grady Britton President, Frank Grady. “The agency’s relocation allows us to expand our team, and therefore grow in the ways we serve our clients.”

Grady Britton’s move parallels the sustainability-based missions and brands of its clients, including Hoyt Street Properties and Oregon Institute of Technology. The agency chose Horizon low-VOC paint for its walls, a brand of eco-friendly paint developed by new client Rodda Paint Company.

“A few of our clients are leaders in sustainability practices across a number of industries,” said Paige McCarthy, Grady Britton’s client services director. “We want to reflect their commitment to environmental preservation, and the Olympic Mills building is a prime location to do so.”

The Olympic Mills Commerce Center is the refurbished B&O warehouse, designed by Beam Development to offer creative companies a sustainable office space in the burgeoning Central Eastside district of Portland. The building was redesigned using the structure’s recycled wood, which was applied to interior wall treatments. Indoor courtyards were created to allow natural light to flow into the building, and recycled metal was also used to build bridges and a bracing system in one of the stairwells.

In addition to the agency’s sustainability efforts, Grady Britton’s new space includes expanded square footage and the latest designs in technology infrastructure to better serve clients. The office also boasts a Nintendo® Wii™ wall, and employees commute down corridors via Razor scooters. It’s innovative employee perks like these that helped Grady Britton earn the title of fifth best company to work for in Oregon for 2008, a designation Oregon Business magazine awarded the agency in March 2008.

“The combination of unconventional benefits, communal space and the creative presence of neighboring businesses within the building encourages a constant convergence of opinions and perspectives,” said Andy Askren, the agency’s creative director.

The Portland Development Commission (PDC) was involved in securing Grady Britton as the anchor tenant for the Olympic Mills building. The agency’s move from the heart of downtown coincides with the Central Eastside’s booming development projects, paving the way for more creative companies to establish themselves within the area.

Mike Holzgang of Colliers International represented Grady Britton as the agency’s real estate broker. Works Partnership Architecture, LLC designed the build-out of Grady Britton’s space.

Defining creative possibility across advertising, media, interactive and PR channels to deliver inspired market success for brands; it’s what Grady Britton has done for its clients since 1974. Based in Portland, Oregon, Grady Britton continues to serve businesses with a will to be great.

For more information, please contact:
Lindsay Buchele
503.228.4118
lindsayb@gradybritton.com

Business software developer looks to enhance branding.

Portland, OR –
 Jet Reports has enlisted Portland-based advertising and public relations agency Grady Britton to conduct in-depth market research that will help refine Jet Reports’ branding and messaging.

Jet Reports, headquartered in Portland, provides business software that allows a company to access key information about its own operations, taking raw data and presenting it in custom reports that are relevant and easy to interpret. Reports can target data on finances, inventory, sales, customers, budgets and other areas, providing visibility and allowing managers to make more informed business decisions.

Grady Britton is asking new Jet Reports customers and non-Jet Reports customers questions that will help identify how companies use reporting tools, how they choose financial reporting software and how they learn about new software programs.  Jet Reports will then use this information to determine marketing and messaging strategy.

“Our experience with creating branding and targeted messaging for companies blends well with Jet Reports’ goals for this research,” said Frank Grady, president/CEO of Grady Britton.

Defining creative possibility across advertising, media, interactive and p.r. channels to deliver inspired market success for brands; it’s what Grady Britton has done for its clients since 1974. Based in Portland, Oregon, Grady Britton continues to serve businesses with a will to be great.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Lindsay Yale
503.228.4118
lindsayb@gradybritton.com

PORTLAND, Ore. (July 15, 2008) – Local advertising and public relations agency Grady Britton named two new partners: Client Services Director Paige McCarthy and Creative Director Andy Askren.

“This promotion reflects Paige and Andy’s passion for the business and desire to continue the legacy of this agency,” said Grady Britton President, Frank Grady. “The addition of these excellent partners signifies the next chapter of the company.”

McCarthy started at Grady Britton eight years ago as an account manager and has worked with Xerox Network Printers, Boise Cascade Corporation and First Independent Bank. “Frank, Andy and I work incredibly well together,” said McCarthy. “Our partnership with Frank means we can work together to continue to meet and exceed the high standards of client service Grady Britton has maintained for more than 34 years.”

Before coming to Grady Britton, Askren worked with such agencies as D’Arcy, Ogilvy & Mather and FCB, with a client list that includes M&M Mars, Coors Brewing Company and AT&T Wireless. Askren, who has been with the agency for almost five years, said this promotion allows him to further his agency experience with “a company that stands for the culture and process that goes into great advertising.”

While the promotion was made official in March, McCarthy and Askren have acted as agency partners since October 2007.

Defining creative possibility across advertising, media, interactive and p.r. channels to deliver inspired market success for brands; it’s what Grady Britton has done for its clients since 1974. Based in Portland, Oregon, Grady Britton continues to serve businesses with a will to be great.

For more information, please contact:
Lindsay Buchele
503.228.4118
lindsayb@gradybritton.com

Portland, OR (July 9, 2008) – Grady Britton has awarded its first ever $25,000 grant for professional services to the SMART reading program (Start Making A Reader Today). SMART was one of 15 Portland-area non-profit and charity organizations to apply for this grant through the agency’s Request For Proposals (RFP) process.

Grady Britton, a Portland-based advertising and marketing agency, will help SMART re-engage its current constituents and attract new ones by creating a marketing campaign that communicates SMART’s updated brand identity. The non-profit’s new identity is designed to highlight the importance of childhood literacy and to encourage Portlanders to become volunteers.

“We truly believe if people are more aware of the direct and indirect affects of literacy – both statewide and locally – they would do more to help, whether as a volunteer, donor or advocate,” said SMART Marketing/PR Manager Melissa Logan. “Grady Britton can help us reach a large audience of current and potential SMART supporters, who will ultimately help us create an Oregon where every child can read.”

Thirty-eight percent of Oregon fourth graders – about 14,000 kids – cannot read at the basic level. “Basic” means a child is unable to understand what they read, or connect to it on some level. SMART works to remedy this through a community of volunteers who read one-on-one with children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade, as well as providing 14 new books to each participating child every year. Over the past 16 years, SMART has helped more than 100,000 Oregon kids become confident readers and productive citizens.

Grady Britton will begin working with SMART in July. The agency will work with the non-profit to create a highly visible campaign, which may include TV, radio, and print advertising, online and interactive, direct mail and more.

“We chose to work with SMART because we know how important it is to not only develop a new, cohesive brand, but to also make sure it reaches the right audience” said Grady Britton President Frank Grady. “In the past, we have partnered with many wonderful Portland organizations to offer our services pro bono. The RFP process was our opportunity to work with an organization we might not have connected with otherwise, and to find one with needs that match our expertise.”

Any Portland-area 501(c)(3) organization was eligible to apply for the grant through Grady Britton’s Web site. Applicants included a variety of Portland-area organizations ranging from children’s charities to healthcare institutions to groups that work to help the homeless.

The agency plans to award a $25,000 grant twice a year from this point forward.

Defining creative possibility across advertising, media, interactive and public relations channels to deliver inspired market success for brands; it’s what Grady Britton has done for its clients since 1974. Based in Portland, Oregon, Grady Britton continues to serve businesses with a will to be great. For more information, visit  www.gradybritton.com.

Media Inquiries:
Lindsay Buchele
503.228.4118
lindsayb@gradybritton.com

Oregon’s only bachelor’s degree program in health Informatics was  spotlighted

Portland, OR (June 30, 2008) –
Portland-based advertising and public relations agency Grady Britton created and executed a focused awareness campaign for the unique Health Informatics degree program at Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT).

Health informatics is a relatively new field incorporating the areas of computer science, information management, and healthcare. Those trained in the career will play an increasingly vital role in healthcare management, administration, care delivery, and quality of care. Industry studies estimate that the demand for employees trained in health informatics will rise sharply in the near future. Studies also suggest that graduates in the field will be among the most sought-after and highest-paid, thanks to the rapidly increasing demand.

Grady Britton promoted the program to local and regional media outlets, focusing on reaching community college students and those in the healthcare and IT industries, which make up the program’s key demographic.

“We’re very excited to be able to help spread the word about this unique and timely academic program,” said Frank Grady, Grady Britton President/CEO. “At a time like this in our economy, it’s great to be able to spotlight a high-demand, high-paying career field with outstanding prospects.”

OIT is the only college or university in Oregon that awards a bachelor’s degree in Health Informatics.  The program is offered through OIT’s Portland East and West campuses.

Defining creative possibility across advertising, media, interactive and P.R. channels to deliver inspired market success for brands; it’s what Grady Britton has done for its clients since 1974. Based in Portland, Oregon, Grady Britton continues to serve businesses with a will to be great.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Lindsay Buchele
503.228.4118
lindsayb@gradybritton.com

Portland, OR (May 27, 2008) – The three little pigs got away in the classic children’s fairytale, thanks to one little pig’s ingenious idea to build a house made of brick.  But what happens when the Big Bad Wolf, the pig’s nemesis, gets his hands on an ICS concrete chainsaw?  The result is an effective viral marketing campaign designed to grab the attention of the concrete chainsaw buyer.

Portland-based agency Grady Britton launched a rebranding and viral marketing campaign for ICS – a Portland-based concrete chainsaw manufacturer – designed to attract general contractors and construction workers. The agency started with a new logo and tagline, and then created print ads, viral videos and a microsite www.mmm-bacon.com telling the story of how the Big Bad Wolf finally triumphed over those delicious little pigs, thanks to an easy-to-use and unstoppable concrete-cutting chainsaw.

Viral Videos and Ads Make ICS Stand Out
Grady Britton created two viral videos and corresponding print ads for the Big Bad Wolf campaign, designed to make ICS stand out in a sea of industry ads solely focused on product function.

“We wanted to show how functional the products are, but in order to really gain the attention of general contractors, we needed to serve it up in a more remarkable way,” said Andy Askren, Grady Britton creative director.  “Once we had their attention, we could promote the product’s attributes and drive traffic to the ICS website.”

The agency is running the print ads in contractor and construction industry publications to drive traffic to http://www.mmm-bacon.com. The ads feature either the “before” concept, with the Big Bad Wolf coming through a doorway he cut with his ICS chainsaw; or the “after” concept, with the three pigs roasting on an open fire, the wolf kicked-back with his ICS saw at his side. The ads contain absolutely no text except for the newly designed ICS logo and microsite address at the bottom.  The http://www.mmm-bacon.com URL is designed to continue the theme.

The microsite contains the full viral videos, with the “before” video offering a product demo as the wolf cuts easily into the brick house with flawless 90-degree cuts.  The site also includes an intro from the Big Bad Wolf – introducing visitors to how the story of the Three Little Pigs really ended – great product attributes from squealing pigs and delicious pork recipes.  A link to the main ICS website helps visitors take the final step to learning more about the company and its products.

Low Awareness Among Target Audience
The campaign is designed to remedy the target audience’s low-awareness, as well as concerns about product safety and ease-of-use. ICS is a respected brand among professional concrete cutters, but most general contractors still use circular chainsaws when cutting concrete.  ICS’ diamond-cutting technology and unique blade design allows for less work – especially when making 90-degree cuts – and surprisingly safer results.  GB transformed the company’s logo to visually communicate the 90-degree cutting abilities and created a new tagline of “Concrete. Stone. Masonry. Unstoppable” for both the microsite and all ICS branding materials.

Launched in November 2007, the campaign has already shown success.  Grady Britton is tracking visits to the microsite, and has seen more traffic when the corresponding print ads are in rotation.

Celebrating over 30 years in business, Grady Britton is a full-service advertising, marketing and public relations firm headquartered in Portland (OR), specializing in creating consumer, business-to-business, and branding campaigns for organizations in a variety of industries.

For more information, please contact:

Lindsay Buchele
503.228.4118
lindsayb@gradybritton.com

Oregon Business just ranked Grady Britton as one of Oregon’s Top 100 Companies to Work For in 2008. But not just one of… number FIVE!

And to think we were satisfied with being #8 last year. Psssshht.

*W+K London gets credit for this headline. (Although they were ranked #31 out of their 100 companies…ahem…which is great. But we were, you know, #5 in ours. Just saying.)

Portland Agency Ranks 5th Among “100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon” by Oregon Business Magazine

Portland, OR (February 27, 2008) – Portland-based advertising and public relations agency Grady Britton ranked fifth among the top 50 Small Companies to work for in Oregon, part of the “100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon” awards given by Oregon Business magazine. This is the second consecutive year Grady Britton was included in the top 10 on the “100 Best” list; the company ranked eighth among small companies in 2007.  It is the only advertising agency to make the top 10 of the small companies list this year.

“Our job is to create remarkable brands, and business and marketing success for our clients,” said Frank Grady, President/CEO of Grady Britton. “This mission creates a high level of energy and satisfaction in what we do every day.  You can feel the good energy when you walk into our offices.

“Coupled with our values, our respect for our clients and for each other, it all adds up to a great culture.  We are a privileged group that loves what it does and doing it together,” Grady added.

Oregon Business magazine’s rankings for the “100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon” were determined through confidential employee surveys and benefits reports.  In the 2008 annual survey, more than 25,000 employees rated their satisfaction in 50 workplace qualities for 312 participating businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies statewide.  The Small Companies list was comprised of companies with fewer than 250 employees. For more information about the survey, please visit the  Oregon Business magazine website. http://www.oregonbusiness.com/100best/

Celebrating over 30 years in business,  http://www.gradybritton.com Grady Britton is a full-service advertising, marketing and public relations firm headquartered in Portland (OR), specializing in creating consumer, business-to-business, and branding campaigns for organizations in a variety of industries.

For more information, please contact:

Erin Greeson
503.228.4118
lindsayb@gradybritton.com