Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, our front door is almost completely covered with the cards you all have sent.

Thank You 

Thank you for a great year. It has been fun.

Have a wonderful Christmas.

Andy

We often get comments about the view from our office. The view really is nice. This morning we had a visit from a dove. I quess the peace dove just wanted to check in on us.

Monday was a busy day for the OrangeRoc crew. We started the day by wrapping gifts, then loaded up the cars and headed to breakfast at Longies Restaurant (minus the spinach, minus the muffins, and minus the waffles). We exchanged secret Santa gifts and fueled our bodies for the rest of the day.

The girls set off to get all the food for a Christmas feast and the guys drove off to to get a Christmas tree from the Navy Exchange. But to our surprise when we drove up to the tree lot…not one tree was left..just a large patch of green pine needles set into the blacktop. Two days earlier there was a sea of trees. But today the tide had rolled out. So we went to Kmart. They had trees but no tree stands. So we drove to Andy’s house, pet his dog Candy and grabbed a spare tree stand.

Off we went to meet the girls on the west side of Oahu. After a long drive, backed up traffic and a wrong turn we arrived at our destination- A surprise for a family who needed some holiday cheer this year.

OrangeRoc hooked up with the Lokahi Giving Project program from Aloha United Way, KHON 2 and Keiki O Ka Aina. This program lends a helping hand to those who face a life crisis or emergency situation beyond their control. We decided to sponsor a family who was struggling during this difficult holiday season. So we arrived at the family’s home, doned our santa hats and unloaded both cars.

Out came the tree, the decorations, the stockings, the presents, the holiday meal, and even a very large TV which Andy and I struggled to get up the stairs. The family of 5 was so surprised by our arrival and you could tell that part of them didn’t really know what to say or make by all this comotion.

Inside we helped the family set up the tree, sang Christmas carols, placed all their gifts under the tree, took some pictures and said our “Alohas” and “Merry Christmas’”. We accomplished all this in a quick hour and were on our way back as quick as we came.

On the drive back to the office, Kristen was getting work done on the mobile laptop, Melinda was feilding client calls on the bluetooth and Rachelle and I were zoning out in the back seat. Andy and Terri were in the other car driving to thier homes.

Mel’s day was far from over however..She was going to get back to the office just in time to get to her presentation at a board meeting with The Friends of the Missing Children – Hawaii. After that she was flying to Kauai to make a late meeting with a client.

What a day ..but that’s pretty typical in the life of OrangeRoc. We get a lot done in a very short time. It’s one of the reason our clients love us.

Overall we had an amazing day, and we all left the family feeling a sense of joy and accomplishment and that we had made a difference. The family will be able to have a memorable holiday thanks to OrangeRoc and we will have the memories of touching the lives of people who really needed a boost this year.

OrangeRoc encourages all our friends and readers to do what you can this year no matter how large or small to help those who are less fortunate or struggling to make ends meet. Aloha!!

The OrangeRoc “Portfolio in Motion” is our answer to the hyper-speed, viral video, ADHD world that we all live in. This three and a half minute reel Is the latest addition to our website and an exciting and fast paced way to look at some of the ways we are “roc-ing” our clients’ branding, marketing, advertising, web and design.

Getting to know a new client sometimes involves visiting their headquarters or production facility, or talking to their employees and customers. But, probably the best way to get to know a new client is by using their product or service firsthand and experiencing the unique culture associated with their brand.

So how did we get to know the awesome watermen from C4 Waterman? We had a beach party, of course, that included tandem surfing and riding in the Budweiser Outrigger Canoe.

My initial contact with C4 Waterman was a twist of fate.
It was the beginning of their (Todd Bradley’s, Mike Fox’s and Brian Keaulana’s) dream and passion to perpetuate the lifestyle of the waterman. The first meeting was on a magic bus ride to the U2 Concert at Aloha Stadium. The taxi that my son Chase and I had arranged to take us to the concert forgot to pick us up, but then Chase spotted the Polynesian Cultural Center bus in our neighborhood and said, “maybe they are going to the concert.” I said, “sure,” but with doubt walked with him to ask the bus driver if they were going to the concert and the answer was “yes”. WOW!!!!!!

On that bus were Todd and Mike from C4 Waterman – so this bus ride really became our first “business talk story.” Little did I know that weeks later we (OrangeRoc) would get a call from Todd and have the chance to help brand C4 Waterman.

The OrangeRoc and C4 Waterman beach party “client immersion” was a super special day for the OrangeRoc team and we will always remember this amazing experience. Beyond that, it was once in a lifetime experience for me to say I actually tandem surfed with a World Class Champion Tandem Surfer Brain Keaulana.

Please visit their site at www.c4waterman.com and become a waterman or waterwoman.

When written in Chinese, the word “CRISIS” is composed of two characters. One represents “danger” while the other represents “opportunity.”

Here is another lengthy post that I found on a blog from a website that does marketing and advertising for of all things…Dry Cleaners. The message was directed towards the laundry industry but it rings true for every company on the planet.. It’s full of great advice so keep reading:

He who stops advertising to try to save money…
could just as easily stop his clock to try to save time.

To advertise or not to advertise… that is the question.
Recently, it’s become almost impossible to turn on the TV or listen to the radio without hearing a steady barrage of negative press about the current economy. By most indications, the outlook for 2009 is a gloomy one at best. Unfortunately, the media, in this country is very powerful and what is broadcast on TV and radio directly influences the way a large percentage of the population thinks and acts. So whenever the talking heads say,”Times are getting tough,” usually the first thing to get cut is a company’s marketing budget.

Traditionally, U.S. companies have responded to a slowing economy by cutting back, hunkering down and trying to “tough it out,” but tightening the belt a few notches is really not a good solution to the situation. In fact, if your competitor should happen to adopt such a tactic, he would actually be a making a very good choice – for you. That’s because when your competition pulls back on their marketing efforts it weakens their position and in doing so offers you a perfect opportunity to strengthen yours. Since, in a slow economy, many other companies will also be cutting back on their advertising expenses, media of all types become more negotiable and, therefore, cheaper.

The result is that with a much less cluttered landscape, your message can become more visible since you’re not lost in a sea of advertising.

In addition, since there is less competition, it’s not as necessary to make the same kinds of deep discounts that so many companies are making now in order to get noticed and be recognized. Instead, it becomes much easier to attract business in more productive and creative ways.

Then the big payoff really comes when bad economic times rebound into good. When people have more money to spend, your business will have a higher position and a better mind share than will that of the folks that chose not to advertise. Higher mind share leads to higher market share when people begin using your product or service again with greater frequency.

It’s important to remember that during a recession consumers don´t stop buying… they just become more selective. They look for “value” in their purchases. They are going to buy from someone. They’re likely to buy from businesses that they know and like. Why not make sure they know YOU?

Here’s the key: In both good times and bad, marketing is everything. If it weren’t, your company would only subsist on word of mouth and chance… and who can depend on that? You can’t control word of mouth and in the end, only the casinos win the game of chance. The more visible you are, the more confidant your customers and prospects become. The more they are reminded of your legitimacy and staying power, the more they’ll be inclined to believe you’ll be there for them tomorrow. Remember too that during any period of economic downturn your best customers become someone else’s best prospects. When you stop inviting them to do business with you, a more aggressive competitor may become much more attractive.
In addition to advertising heavily when the economy is soft, what else do you need to do?
1. Never take your focus off your customers. Value them, and make sure they know it.
2) Don’t depend on deep discounts. Craft your marketing messages in a more creative manner.
3) Don’t be afraid to negotiate for a better price when choosing media sources and buying space.
4) Focus on improving relationships with your customers.
5) Define your core values and share these regularly with your customers, and your prospects, through your advertising and public relations messages.

Finally, a negative economy can be a crisis situation for many businesses, but it was president Kennedy who reminded the nation “When written in Chinese the word “crisis” is composed of two characters. One represents danger while the other represents opportunity.” It means opportunity for those who are prepared to take advantage and danger for those who aren’t.

So which will your company subscribe to? –
Hide in fear from the danger of a down economy …or ADVERTISE like you never have before and seize some great opportunities?

At OrangeRoc we don’t have to tell you which way we think you should take your business when it comes to advertising and marketing. We suggest that now, more than ever, you need to get your message out to your customers or else you run the danger of missing a lot of amazing opportunities.

I started to recycle cans and plastic bottles for OrangeRoc a few months ago. Then one day in passing Carina our building management queen for Queen’s Court, she asked me if I would like some more cans because the usual lady who had been picking up the building’s cans and bottles had stopped doing it. I said “sure” and it snowballed from that point forward. Now, my son and I recycle the entire building’s cans and plastic bottles for those who choose to make a better choice about our environment.
 
The story ends with my friend passing by the big bags filled with cans and bottles in front of my house – he called them “Hawaiian Snowballs”- and you know what… it’s true, it snowballed from 10-15 cans into hundreds.
 
If you need help being encouraged to recycle, just give me a call at 792-3094.

I remember a time way back in my youth when you could utter the word “Christmas” without the ACLU banging on your door. These days we just say, “The Holidays” so as not to offend. Any way you choose to celebrate or not celebrate the end of December, we all hope you have a fun filled time with friends and families. Given the current state of the economy maybe all the adults should just take the “End of December Holidays” off this year. Kids gotta have something to look forward to but for all of us grown-ups maybe we should not worry about getting the right gift or stressing about calorie intake and making an appearance at every party we are invited to. Maybe we should just all enjoy the festive holiday lights and call it good.

In downtown Honolulu and Waikiki during the month of December, the palm trees (actually most trees) are strung with multi-colored lights creating a stunning sight that I still marvel at each year. Coming from the upper mid-west where I am used to typical pine trees, these palm trees wrapped in lights are something almost otherworldly or like a modern art display.

If you live in Hawaii, don’t miss this opportunity to see these lights and if you are from the mainland, put it on your bucket list of one of the things to do before you die…see the “End of December” light-wrapped trees in downtown Honolulu. Aloha!!

It seems that  we have a new Holiday tradition on our hands,

The Holiday themed flash game that is rolled out shortly after thanksgiving, here is one I found.  

Lets Cheese up our holidays, woohoo (wamu)

Why dont you send me, your best.

http://sprintsweets.com/

The smallest extended member of the OrangeRoc team just had his first birthday. My son Theo (enjoying some birthday cake above) spends his time exploring curiously and growing quickly. Along with keeping me busy when I’m not at the office, he is the source of much creative inspiration and I am so lucky to have him! Theo — x O x O X o x  Love Mommy.