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With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, it’s appropriate that the theme of this Communiqué is “heart.” We look at it from all angles, from the clinical to the strategic.
  For practical help expressing what’s in your heart, check out the
e-Valentines on our website!
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 “Heart valves” doesn’t sound like something rich in possibilities for graphic interpretation. Yet Aaron Design, Inc. has proven that even this unlikely ground can spark creativity – not just once, but twice.
The Howard Gilman Institute for Valvular Heart Disease at Cornell Weill Medical College needed a memorable corporate identity.
 The logo had to work with medical, patient, and donor constituencies, on the Institute’s website, with marketing materials, and correspondence. It also would be needed for the Institute’s brochure publicizing Valves in the Heart of the Big Apple: Evaluation & Management of Valvular Heart Disease, a conference attended by health professionals from around the world. Aaron Design, Inc. responded by developing a logo based on an abstraction of the cross-section of a heart valve. The logo’s red matches that used in other Cornell Weill materials.
The co-director of the Gilman Institute, Dr. Jeffrey Borer, turned to Aaron Design, Inc. again when he founded the Heart Valve Society of America (HVSA) to inform both professionals and the public about heart valve disease. HVSA needed a look that would have a visual link with the Gilman logo and be recognizable to a consumer constituency. The “heart + V” uses the same color and abstraction and clearly symbolizes the organization’s name.
 Dr. Borer got to the heart of things when he said: “The logos that Aaron Design, Inc. created for the Gilman Institute and the Heart Valve Society succinctly convey the essence of each organization’s focus while being eye-catching and esthetically pleasing. Aaron Design’s brochures and posters are clear and attractive and have been critically important in successfully reaching our audience.”
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That takes the cake! The Gilman Institute apparently found their logo good enough to eat. They served this logo cake at a recent event.
Forbes: Aaron Design, Inc. has been chosen as one of five recommended design firms on Forbes.com.
Back by popular demand: A number of readers requested a PDF of last issue’s article on file formats. Le voilá! (Happy downloading.)
Award-winning work published: Photos of three award-winning projects by Aaron Design, Inc. were published in Graphic Design USA. Call if you would like to see a copy of the article.
Matzo files: When not designing for clients, Stephanie Aaron refreshes her creative wellsprings by painting and drawing. Her work is included in a local group exhibition called Matzo Files on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, sponsored by the Artists Alliance, Inc. The show, housed in a unique space at the Streit’s matzo factory, was featured in a major article in Time Out NY and received press coverage as far away as Japan. matzofiles.org
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By Lori Schwab
“Oh, you mean it’s not just a feel-good thing?”
That’s what I heard from some very savvy business professionals when speaking about the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and the Revlon Run/Walk for Women’s Cancer.
The answer is, “No. It’s not just a feel-good thing,” although that’s part of it. When a for-profit company joins with a non-profit organization to mutually further their goals and enhance their reputations and brands, that’s cause-related marketing. Handled well, it can produce winning results for both partners.
American Express created this marketing approach in 1983, by making a well-publicized 1¢ per transaction donation to help restore the Statue of Liberty every time someone used an American Express card. The number of new cardholders grew by 45%, card usage increased by 28%, and the restoration project got a badly needed cash infusion. Those results would make anyone feel good.
For-profits and non-profits can work together in many ways. There can be a simple, one-time agreement, such as donating a percentage of an item’s price to a charity project, or longer-lasting, more complex projects, such as Revlon’s ongoing commitment to the Run.
Liz Claiborne Inc.’s Love is Not Abuse campaign took on an issue important to many consumers and ultimately repositioned violence against women from a hidden dialogue to a public health crisis. As a result, Claiborne’s CEO was asked to serve on the White House Domestic Violence Advisory Board. Such recognition of a company’s social responsibility brings increased exposure in a very favorable light.
For cause-related marketing to work, both parties need to make the effort to get to know each other well and be certain they are comfortable with what the other does, their message, and their organizational culture. The top executives need to spend time together to get a sense of each other’s chemistry. Ideally, the non-profit’s work should tap into the passions of a senior corporate executive, because that will produce a champion willing to commit time and resources for the long haul.
The relationship can take time to build. The potential for reward is great where the partners understand and trust each other.
Lori Schwab provides strategic direction and communications support for both for-profit and non-profit organizations. As founding executive director of the New York New Media Association, she branded and sold an industry before the industry existed. Lori recently joined Roz Goldfarb Associates, a recruitment consultancy and executive search firm that specializes in assisting creatively focused business organizations.
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Aaron Design, Inc. creates innovative visual marketing solutions that capture the spirit of your company or the passions of your organization. We craft extraordinary designs for print, exhibits and electronic media, including:
 Striking brand identities |
| Sophisticated marketing and corporate communications |
| Impressive and intelligent publications |
| Eye-catching, accessible websites |
| Inventive event and promotional materials |
Our award-winning team helps demanding corporate clients and non-profit organizations meet business goals. We'd love to help you meet yours. Contact us by e-mail info@aarondesigninc.com or call us at 212 414-1522.
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