Our Firm
We’re committed to results and impact. We want to make a difference for the people we work with—and for the world.
Our Values
There are solutions. Let’s find them.
People can understand each other, if you listen and appreciate where they are coming from.
People may not always understand the details of what you say, but they always understand the emotional content of what you say.
About Us, In More Words
Big marketing and communication challenges require more than simple technical expertise. They require insight, patience, listening, and an appreciation for the subtleties of brand and culture. Engagement is about thoughtful, curious and respectful dialogue.
We help our clients connect to the needs and motivations of their clients’ communities and stakeholders: we offer communication that motivates and engages. We work in the areas where strategy, marketing, and stakeholder relationships intersect: on engagement, marketing, communication, brand and culture issues.
Small landlords were facing challenges even before the pandemic, but when the COVID lockdown hit, matters became acute. The Neighborhood Building Owners Alliance (NBOA), which represents small and medium-sized landlords, retained us to rebrand their members as housing providers, and to communicate the challenges they face. We helped humanize their members by showing that housing providers are neighbors who rent to their neighbors.
When Taco Bell needed a new strategy for its new store development process, we worked with them to shape a process that integrated community affairs into the upfront work of siting and building new stores. This changed how they approached projects and how they built their development teams. The work resulted in more agile and successful new store development.
The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership has opened a new workforce and education center for the traditionally underserved communities on the South Side. We orchestrated a community-based conversation that kept the complex mix of stakeholders, including multiple community groups, vendors, and elected officials informed and enthusiastic about the project.
Harris Chicago Community Bank, Ameritech Illinois, Dominick’s Finer Foods, Foster Wheeler, Tetra Pak USA, B&B Development, Dartmoor Homes, The Harp Group, and United HealthCare: we helped these and many other corporate clients execute communications campaigns to achieve their business objectives.
City Colleges of Chicago, Black United Fund of Illinois, the Niles Park District, Bloomingdale Park District, the Project on Civic Reflection, the Illinois Association of Park Districts, the Illinois Public Recreation Association, Asian Human Services, the Chicago Urban League, and Manufacturing Renaissance: for these and many other nonprofit and public sector clients, we’ve helped with community engagement and public education.
