Here at OrangeRoc we do our share of event planning by default. Luckily it’s something we don’t mind helping with and we have our very own resident event coordinator in the office. When our clients have a great idea for a grand opening, special occasion or celebratory event, we are there to help with ideas and generate the fun. Here’s a few tips to making sure your event goes off without a hitch.

Start organized – Make a plan and set deadlines. You can find numerous online aids to assist with this, take any version and tailor to your event type.

Set a budget – This is key. If you don’t know how much your client is willing and able to spend, you can’t move forward with any planning. This determines everything including the venue, food, etc.

Make a schedule – The day of the event requires the most labor. Make sure everyone you are working with as well as helpers and staff know what to do, when to set up and are available for any last minute needs.

Hire an event planner – This will be your best investment if you don’t already have an event aficionado. They can be there to help you throughout the entire process or simply give you peace of mind on the day of the event. Consider this a necessity, no one ever looks back and thinks they didn’t need a planner in the end.

Enjoy your event! – As easy as it is to worry about every little detail, try to let go and take time to mingle and have some fun. If you followed at least these steps above, feel confident in your planning and know that nothing is perfect and you’ll likely be the only one who notices if anything goes “wrong” or off schedule.

There’s always something at once both a little nerve-wreaking and incredibly exciting about meeting a new client. When I found out I would be working with Geobunga, I couldn’t wait to get started, but I thought I’d be introducing myself over the phone and through email first. Then Melinda mentioned I’d be going with her to Geobunga today. I couldn’t help but be just a little nervous as I drove over to the meeting this morning. I was excited to be working with such an interesting business and I wanted to make a strong impression. As usual though, my nerves proved to be unfounded and completely silly.

Geobunga is amazing and the team clearly has an incredible amount of energy and creative vision. All nerves were forgot by the time I was done shaking hands with Andrew, the owner, and Kasey, this site manager, and I was completely energized by the following discussion of projects OrangeRoc is about to start for Geobunga. If you haven’t visited Geobunga, it’s definitely a trip I would recommend. Especially for anyone interested in outside landscaping and design! Just take a look at some of their site, and I know you’ll agree this is the kind of account that agencies and account teams fight to grab.

The question, “Who loves weddings?” My answer, “I do!” You may think it’s the bride’s dress, the flowers and excuse to dance until my heels don’t fit anymore, but the truth is, I love seeing two people in love on such a happy day. Aside from being maid of honor in a friend’s wedding, I thought being a bride myself was the closest I’d get to being part of the joyous occasion!
When our very own Kelly, asked me to officiate* her wedding to Josh, I was nervous but honored. I realized they weren’t nervous at all and I had the best seat in the house.

What is it about teenagers and shoes? Every time I turn around I see teenagers with brightly colored, crazy patterned sneakers that are impossible to ignore. As much as I try not to be jealous while I ride the bus in my nice work clothes and plain black flats, I can’t help but feel a twinge of envy. Where was this trend when I was a teenager? I totally could have rocked a pair of hot purple Nikes back in the day. Ok, probably not, but I would have tried at least!

Students at Moanalua High have taken the trend to an fantastic new height. Their imagination and creativity has landed them a position as a semi-finalist in VANS Custom Culture competition. The third year competition is a nationwide effort to engage students in art programs and push creativity. Out of the 1,000 submissions, only 50 are picked for the semi-finals, making Moanalua High’s accomplishment quite the achievement.

Each school submitted four pairs of shoes to represent pre-determined themes; action sports, music, art, and local flavor. The twist is that the shoes also have to have an underlying theme to tie the collection together. The winning submission will be available in stores later this year. Additionally the winning school will receive $50,000 for their school’s art program.

5 finalists will be chosen by public vote and given a travel budget so they can attend their showcase in L.A where celebrity judges will choose the winner. Although only one school can win, the other finalists will receive $4,000 each for their school’s art program.

Voting for the 5 finalists closes on May 3rd so don’t delay! Visit Custom Culture’s voting page here and check out the submissions.

Every once in awhile the song “Like a G6″ come into our Pandora station. We’ve even had an office discussion about the meaning. But this week the girls had a chance to “feel so fly like a G6″ or at least get close. To celebrate Kelly’s upcoming nuptials we piled into a limo and headed over to Doraku for a bachelorette dinner of delicious sushi.

My favorite was the White Dragon Roll – but I’ve got to say it was all delicious!

Good luck with marriage Kelly – We all wish you the very best!

The Pros and Cons of Content Management Systems

In the last 8 years the Internet has become a completely different place.  The “Standardization Reformation” has pulled us out of the proverbial ooze and into more, user-friendly web. One of the biggest steps forward o­n the road to refinement is that of the Content Management System. Open source CMS’s like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupel have paved the way and made it possible for business owners to take control of their sites and their online presence. They offer the ability for close control over and expansion of a website without in depth knowledge of complicated coding languages. Read the rest of this entry »

Marketing is dynamic and evolves constantly.

Each business has its own universe of integrated marketing needs from public relations, multi-channel communications with traditional forms of publishing to the all-encompassing digital universe with real time demands. The amount of information that must be processed throughout a day along with the countless deadlines can take on either extreme pressure or excitement. If you enjoy solving problems, producing unique ideas or helping others achieve their goals you may be a perfect match for the marketing communications industry.

Information needs to be disseminated at rapid speeds, sometimes leading to the confusion between positive pressure and stress in an industry that runs on deadlines. Pressure can be stimulating and that’s why the term “the ultimate motivator is the deadline” has lived on and still holds true.

The reason we’re often motivated or jump into gear is because we have a deadline which creates pressure. Say you had weeks to complete a project, study for an exam, or prepare for a presentation to a large group of people but you waited and it’s turned into extreme pressure.

Now, let’s say you like achieving excellence and that you take pride in creative mastery and you feel you don’t have enough time to get the job completed. Well, that’s pressure. The deadline doesn’t change and you do your best to apply will power, energy and the knowledge and experience you’re personally equipped with at the moment.

On the other hand, stress is when you don’t have the knowledge or experience to complete the job or task at hand. Often it’s the lack of ability or appropriate support that feels stressful and daunting. Plus, since the digital world slings information at us at rapid fire, it’s also hard to always be in a position of knowledge.

Some people thrive on juggling lots of projects and creating new ideas. Others on implementing better processes and socializing with a number of team members to bring a project to fruition. Marketing communications is the collective knowledge and experience of many disciplines coming together to communicate a compelling message and represent a brand. It’s an incredible gift to create and invent what’s invisible to be seen by others. The pressure is often constant and occasionally peaks with stressful moments. Manage these moments and look for the answers to the problem so you have balance and a better understanding of pressure verse stress so that those moments turn into jubilation. Job well done!

“Design trends online change more often than the wind, and slightly less often than my socks.”

— Suleiman Leadbitter

As times are ever changing, the Internet has become a valuable resource and a go-to for design inspiration. One of my favorite sites is Pinterest because I’m able to search a specific topic and be presented with the most intriguing variety of results. I become a kid in candy store, eyes wide – just trying to take in all the possibilities.

Since Pinterest is a user-based site, I can quickly scroll through a visual feast of graphic patterns, modern architecture and color palettes.

Another favorite is designspiration for its clean and graphically rich content. Grab your pen and some paper and get ready as the ideas start to flow!

Anything happens at OrangeRoc. Spend ten minutes here and you’ll see what we mean. When our plant cleaning crew came in to handle their biz, they had no idea they were in for a (free) ride. Literally.

As marketing folks, we like to get real feedback from real consumers when we can. That opportunity came in the form of three guys, between ages 22-40, who just happen to fall within our client Podium Raceway’s target audience. The question was simple. Which ad do you like better?

“That one looks polished.”

“This is more laid back, relaxed.”

“This one’s more fun like you know what it’s gonna be like.”

The verdict? They liked seeing more of the track – where the action takes place.

PS. We hooked ‘em up with free race cards to experience it first-hand.

Yesterday we were visited by three of Honolulu Community College’s 15 graduating students. They were kind enough to drop off an invitation to their portfolio show on Wednesday, May 2nd. This year’s theme is “Making the Impossible Possible.”

One of our own, Chanelle Young, happens to be a graduate of the design program at HCC, and has shown us the kind of work the program produces. We’re excited to see the results of the students’ education and hard work!