Designer’s Guide to Self-Promotion

D e s i g n Id e a s a t w o r k

self-promotion

Design Annual

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Perfect
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 For designers, self-promotion is a never-ending process.
When you’re a student, you’ll do whatever it takes to get
work. As you establish your studio, your promo efforts are
more focused. And as your business evolves, your brand
has to change too. Here are three case studies of firms that
have done self-promotion right at each stage of the game.

c a s e 1 c a s e 2 c a s e 3

Sometimes self-promotion can work a little too well.

Little Jacket is well-known in Cleveland for their screen-printed
and letterpressed concert posters. And because of their visibility,
the creative group, started by three visual-communication design
by grace dobush
graduate students at Kent State University, is often lumped with
poster producers like Aesthetic Apparatus and The Small Stakes.

But that can be frustrating for a group that wants
to be seen as a multifaceted creative studio. “We didn’t
set out to be poster designers,” Ken Hejduk says. “We
thought, hey, maybe we can use this as a way to get
some design work doing the things we all really wanted
to be doing, including, but certainly not limited to,
posters.” And it worked.
Hejduk, 31, and Mike Burton and Joe Parlett,
both 23, make up Little Jacket. They saw a hole in
the local market for concert posters when they started
their business in spring of 2004. “We felt that Cleve-
land lacked color and a voice for the music scene on
the streets, and we really needed an outlet for our
aesthetic,” Hejduk says. After ironing out the mun-
dane details—like teaching themselves how to screen-
print—they were ready to go.
They’ve established relationships with many Cleve-
land venues, so when they want to create posters for
a concert, they just contact the artist or label and
make the posters for free in exchange for three tickets

w w w. h o w d e s i g n . c o m  HOW • 
 p o st e r p ro m ot i o n
With the Les Savy Fav poster,
Little Jacket was trying to
promote themselves to both
Little Brother’s in Columbus,
OH, and the band’s label,
French Kiss Records. French
Kiss liked the poster and
began working with the
firm. The Trombettas was
the trio’s first commissioned
poster. Little Jacket got good
feedback from the poster and
did more work for the Akron
band before they broke up.

d o n e by h a n d
This “paint-by-number” idea was inspired by Andy
Warhol. Little Jacket sent it out to the Warhol
Museum as a self-promo piece for an upcoming
Joanna Newsom concert. All of the artwork for
the poster was hand-drawn and then merged in
Illustrator. The guys traced the main type out of an
old calligraphy book. The other font is Mrs. Eaves.

d e s i g n o n a d i m e
Little Jacket’s D.I.Y.
ethic isn’t limited to
their I.D. system: Even
their posters are thrifty.
For instance, the four-
color Joanna Newsom
poster, printed on
French’s Construction
Whitewash 100 lb.
cover, was done in a run
of 100 and cost them
only $70.
 • HOW w w w. h o w d e s i g n . c o m
 and permission to sell the remaining posters. Using
concert posters as their main form of self-promotion
makes them more of a design firm for the people.
Any kid going to a show can start to recognize Little
Jacket’s style and then visit the website (www.jacket
Little jacketjacket.com), an occurrence less likely to happen
with, say, Nesnadny + Schwartz.
Jacket’s new Burton, Hejduk and Parlett all have won awards
identity individually, but the first big award for the company
was a merit spot in the poster category of HOW’s 2005
system is D.I.Y. International Design Awards.
at its best. Although much of the attention they’ve received
has been for their posters, Little Jacket’s list of clients
“Our whole is nothing to sneeze at. Their projects include a cam-
schtick is paign for Homeless Awareness Week in Columbus,
OH; T-shirt designs for Strhess Clothing; and the pro-
that we do motion and documentation for an exhibit marking the
so much by 35th anniversary of Robert Smithson’s “Partially Buried
Woodshed,” an art installation at Kent State.
hand.” Students have a way of making do with what’s
K e n H e j d u k around, and the guys don’t have a problem keep-
ing their costs down. They pay no rent for using the
school’s graduate studio and letterpresses, and they
easily get back the ink and paper costs by selling post-
ers on their website.
And Little Jacket’s new identity system is D.I.Y. at
its best: They had rubber stamps made of refined ver-
sions of their logos and imagery instead of having busi-
ness cards and stationery printed. “Our whole schtick
is that we do so much by hand,” Hejduk says.
Burton, Hejduk and Parlett share a wacky sense of
humor that’s apparent as they eat chips and salsa with
ink-stained fingers at a burrito joint near Kent State’s
campus. A website redesign follows the new identity
system, and if the guys’ jokes are to be taken literally,
the new site will have “no lasers and more farting” than
the last incarnation. Someone makes a joke about an
“ex-stench-ion,” and the group cracks up.
But seriously, they try to keep the website as simple
as possible while still including fun elements “to show
we’re a smart company, but we’re not afraid to do
something silly,” Parlett says. Back in March, they
printed about 100 two-color, 11-inch-by-17-inch post-
ers for Parlett to put up while he was in New York
City over spring break. The poster showed a medical
diagram, altered for comedic value, and the line “Little
Jacket … It’s kinda like givin’ a scissor kick to Paula
Poundstone.” Parlett pasted them up around concert
venues and slipped them under doors.
The campaign showed immediate results: The
design blog Unbeige (www.mediabistro.com/unbeige)
mentioned the posters the day after Parlett hung them
throughout the city.
All three designers finished their master’s degrees
in August, and they hope to keep doing what they’re
doing, with the advantage of having no classes to dis-
tract them from their real work. Exact plans for what
happens now are still up in the air, but it’s possible
that they might end up in three different locations
around the country. “It’s modeled after Pentagram,”
Parlett says, jokingly. Given the buzz they’ve generated
already, Parlett may be onto something.
Grace Dobush is a senior journalism major at
Kent State University and a former HOW intern.
gdobush@kent.edu

c a s e 1 c a s e 2 c a s e 3

It feels like an out-of-body experience to look back

at the past 14 years of my firm’s life and review our promotional
strategies. There were times I steered my team very intentionally
with a clearly thought-out marketing plan. And there were other
b y J O S H UA C . C H EN
times when our “self-promotion strategy” was just the natural next
step in the growth of the firm. Probably our most enjoyable promo

efforts were accidental: We got so engrossed in a Build a foundation.“Methodology,” which we created

project that our work reached a level of excellence
just because we got lost in the creative act. And then
serendipitously—or not—a magazine or an awards jury
or a potential client noticed that particular project, and
word spread. With luck and planning, Chen Design
Associates became a little more known.
Over the years, we’ve taken the following steps to
broaden our reputation, cultivate new business, instill
confidence and solidify relationships:
in 1998, was the self-promotion piece that launched
us to a whole new level. It was the first time our self-
promo material received awards and recognition, in
addition to bringing in new clients. “Methodology”
was an end-of-year, client-appreciation gift that was
more concept than calendar. It illustrated 12 time-
less elements of design in the form of a scientific lab
book. We completely dove into the joy of design and
handwork, proving once again to the rest of the world

w w w. h o w d e s i g n . c o m  HOW • 
M e t ho d A c t i o n
CDA’s first significant promo,
“Methodology,” was a 1999
desktop calendar styled on an
old-style laboratory chart. In the
waning days of 1998, the design
team spent endless hours tipping
on inserts and binding the cal-
endars by hand. This handmade
tradition continued in later years,
with client gifts of home-baked
cookies and custom-brewed beer.
that designers are truly neurotic. Imagine me and my
staff spray-mounting cover stock in my garage into the
wee hours of the morning. And then, for hours on end,
stringing elastic bands, applying bookbinding tape,
collating pages and stamping unique serial numbers
on each of the calendars.
The payoff? Our hard work was recognized by
numerous organizations and publications, including
raves from the AIGA/San Francisco’s “Judge and Be
Judged” Show, Print, Summit Creative Awards and a
few others. The sudden burst of accolades was a pleas-
ant surprise that raised CDA’s profile among peers and
industry partners alike.
Keep in regular contact.People are busy and need to be
reminded of who you are and what you do well. Send-
ing quarterly press releases of good news (new clients,
released projects, new team members, etc.) helps
communicate capabilities and keep the firm’s name in
 • HOW
b u i l d i n g o n s u c c e s s
“Methodology” drew such
attention (scoring design
awards and attracting
clients) that Chen wanted
to capitalize on its suc-
cess. So later in 1999, he
created an identity based
on graphic elements from
the calendar. That system
served as a transitional
brand; in 2000, CDA
launched a new, more
flexible identity that’s still
in use today.
front of people. My studio has stayed in contact with
a handful of prospective clients for many years before
projects started coming in. Persistence pays off.
CDA’s e-newsletter has been particularly effective.
It was well-received as a text-only e-mail for years, and
last November became a smart, image-rich market-
ing tool called “Refresh.” The new generation of our
publication has yielded magazine coverage, project
meetings and goodwill with our subscribers.
There were seasons, particularly
Give a little, gain a lot.
during the low spots of our economy, that I chose to
spend resources on unpaid projects. Pro-bono work
and working for trade are good ways to gain more
control over the design, greater exposure or more
experience in a desired type of project. CDA took on
San Francisco’s 65th Anniversary Stern Grove Festival
because of its high citywide profile and potential for
artistic autonomy. Similar benefits have come from
w w w. h o w d e s i g n . c o m
 trading with high-tech start-ups, retail entrepreneurs
and other artists. We’ve also given our services in-kind
as sponsor of an event, performance or cause. This
“My studio self-promotion strategy allows your talents to support
something worthy, while putting your name out there.
has stayed
in contact Branch out. Thanks to our experience in book design,
Rockport Publishers asked CDA to author and design
with a “One-Color Graphics.” The book was a huge step
handful of forward for my firm, a tremendous learning experience
and an opportunity for international exposure. And it’s
prospective boosted our credibility in the eyes of potential clients.
clients for It also prompted me to form CDA Press and to
many years publish our own book. “Peace: 100 Ideas” showcases
high-quality design without being yet another self-
before congratulatory creative-firm promo.
projects The project celebrates design in the context of
communicating a much larger, more important idea.
started Juxtaposing 100 simple ways to promote peace with
coming in. 200 pages of compelling original artwork, the book is
conceptually layered and challenges readers to rethink
Persistence preconceptions of peace and to reexamine the roles we
pays off.” have as members of an extended community. “Peace:
J o s h u a C h e n
100 Ideas” spawned an art exhibit, website (www.
peace100ideas.com), e-peace cards and notecards.
And the payoff has been very rewarding. Organic
Style magazine commissioned us to design an exclu-
sive book and notecard gift set for the holidays. We’ve
received coverage in numerous publications, including
Communication Arts, Metropolis, Print, cmyk, dwell,
even a 5-minute television feature on A&E’s “Breakfast
with the Arts” (which is viewable on our website).
Meet the press. With our public-relations efforts, we
had already intentionally and naturally developed rela-
tionships with the media. As a result of our press
releases and e-newsletter, I’ve been interviewed,
invited to speak and lead workshops, and asked to
contribute editorials for publications.
Tapping into the media is such a valuable method
of promoting your firm, your work and your design
philosophy. It can be tough to break in, but we’ve
found persistence really does pay off. But don’t be
a bother! Offer the kind of information you know a
particular editor is interested in and in a form they
prefer. Research, investigate and get in touch with the
right person.
Thanks to a lot of planning and hard
Make it a priority.
work—and a little good fortune—we’ve raised CDA’s
profile during our 14 years in business. Successful
self-promotion requires that you keep your eyes open
and take calculated risks to bring your firm to the next
level. That you’re consistent and persistent in your
efforts. Above all, that you do good work—and tell
others about it.
Joshua C. Chen is principal and creative director of
Chen Design Associates in San Francisco, an award-
winning firm specializing in strategic, concept-driven
design communications. With a clientele that spans
nonprofit, corporate, health, education and arts orga-
nizations, CDA has garnered attention for its intel-
ligent, elegant and sophisticated solutions.
www.chendesign.com

c a s e 1 c a s e 2 c a s e 3

Their peers have become accustomed to seeing

Morris Creative’s work in design annuals for a decade. More
important, their clients have come to expect effective, strategic
work. The San Diego firm (www.thinkfeelwork.com) has made
b y b r y n m oo t h
a name for itself in the toy, game and electronics markets, creat-
ing products, collateral and brand identities for heavy-hitters like

Sony, ESPN and Mattel. Principal Steven Morris
recently sat down with HOW to talk about how the
new direction he’s charting for his studio is prompting
a whole new self-promo effort.
Steven, I’ve been familiar with your firm since HOW
featured you in our 1999 Business Annual. Give me a bit of
background on Morris Creative up to this point.
I founded the firm in 1994, when I moved to San
Diego from Washington, DC. I started working from
my house, and then my wife kicked me out and made
me get a studio. Working in a home studio was quaint
and fun and all that, but I wanted to work with a larger
client base, and that required more employees. So we
moved into a small office, brought in some new clients
and hired a couple of people.
We started as a generalist firm, as most do, but we
focused on nonprofit arts and environmental organiza-
tions. We created everything from event branding and
identity to collateral pieces. We were humming along


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p ro m ot i n g p e a c e
Chen published “Peace: 100
Ideas” as a nontraditional
vehicle to showcase his firm’s
work. Rather than touting
CDA’s portfolio and client
list, “Peace” carries a larger
message. And it’s generated
additional buzz both in and
outside the design world.

Ta k i n g r e s p o n s i b i l i t y
Having full control of the
book project meant that
Chen was completely respon-
sible for the front-end invest-
ment and for promotion and
sale of the book. He notes
that this kind of endeavor
is not for the faint of heart.
Getting out there to sell the
book has been a lesson in
self-promotion and retailing. p e a c e f u l e x i st e n c e
CDA printed “Peace: 100
Ideas” with all earth-friendly
materials, and 10% of the
proceeds benefit co-author
David Krieger’s Wagingpeace.
org. Krieger’s list of 100 ways
to promote peace inspired
the book.

with three to five employees, and we were doing really
good work. We went after clients we really wanted to
work with and could connect with.
Over time, I developed a deeper interest in market-
ing to consumers, especially the youth market, and we
started to get a reputation for that. We’ve honed that
focus to the point where more than 75% of our work is
for consumer audiences, from senior-citizen lifestyle
stuff to work aimed at preschoolers. Right now, our
three largest clients are Sony Electronics (we do work
for Sony’s consumer products, like digital camcorders,
cameras and personal audio products); Upper Deck
Entertainment (we’re their agency of record; we’re on
retainer to do advertising, promotion and merchandis-
ing for brands like Yu-Gi-Oh!, Marvel and DC Com-
ics); and ESPN Consumer Products (which is a new
relationship). We also work with Mattel, National
Geographic, Wild Planet Toys and other toy and game
manufacturers.
For the most part, we’re communicating to people
who are younger than 40 years old. The weird thing is
that youth is aging—the older people get, the younger
they want to feel—so our audience is growing. We
need to speak a language that relates to these people
on an emotional level. I call it the “Viagrafication of
America”—now everyone wants to feel young, vibrant
and alive.
You’ve evolved from that home-office setup to a busy,
growing design firm with a national reputation. What’s
made you successful?
I think it boils down to two things in particular, and a
third thing that may be less relevant: The first has to
do with our focus on speaking to an audience. Where
other firms get hired to do what the client says, we go
into campaigns knowing we have to help that client
relate to their larger audience. The second is to always
do great work, because it’s authentic and it builds

 • HOW w w w. h o w d e s i g n . c o m
 o u t w i t h t h e ol d
The “eye” over the stylized
“M” in the firm’s previous
identity highlighted the
visual focus of Steven Morris
Design/Morris Creative. The
M created both a column
and platform for
the eye icon. “I
designed it to be
bright and alive
because it needed
to reflect our aes-
thetic approach,”
Morris says.

i n w i t h t h e n e w
“The new logo is a modified version of Univers Condensed,”
Morris says. “Univers is a timeless face that can easily adapt
and take on characteristics of the surrounding elements. The
imagery comes from photos that I’ve taken of our neighborhood
and culture. We wanted our new identity to be ingrained in the
fabric of our surroundings and to speak to our focus and pas-
sion—how people relate visually to their surroundings and how
our firm relates to the things around us.”

strong brands. Great design speaks to the heart. The
third, which is sort of a fringe thing, but still important
to us, is that we create emotive communications—we
start with smart business strategy and translate that
into strong emotional connections with people.
What has been your biggest challenge in directing your
design business?
As you grow as a person—and as your company
grows—your role as chief cook and bottle washer
grows, too. Where I used to do tons of design work, my
role has changed into a designer of a much different
sort—creating bigger ideas, creating the relationship
part of our business, talking to clients and helping
them sort out their own goals and challenges, being
not a vendor but a partner to them. I hardly ever
design in the traditional sense these days; a lot of my
work has to do with creating a vision, designing strate-
gies and managing our firm.
It’s interesting that you talk about that in a positive way;
so many designers have a hard time making the shift from
doing creative work to running a creative business.
I guess I don’t see it as that big of a leap. What I do is
an incredibly creative process; it just happens that the
expression of that is in a very different way. You’re not
moving around elements on the page, you’re designing
plans and ideas. I continue to love what I do. It would
be really hard if you didn’t love this aspect of design.
That attitude has probably helped you be successful.
I don’t think it hurts. My team still sees the fire in my
eyes, and they’re along for the ride.
So, after a decade-plus in business, you’re steering your
firm in a new direction. What’s next?
We’re changing our name. We went through this
intense process of whether we wanted to take the
Morris out of it, or make a more subtle change. In the

w w w. h o w d e s i g n . c o m  HOW • 
end, we settled for something less drastic. Our new
name is Morris Communication.
We’re taking “creative” out of the name because I
think it’s incredibly limiting for what we do. As we’ve
evolved, so has our work. The name Morris Creative
used to fit us really well, but it no longer does. We’re
renaming to catch up with who we really are, not just
from a services standpoint but also a culture stand-
point. The change reflects what everyone here does
every day.
How has the studio’s name evolved?
We started as Steven Morris Design and changed it
to Morris Creative in early 2000. We became Morris
Communication this summer.
I can see the trend, sort of pulling back the camera as
you’ve gone from design to creative to communication.
It’s pulling back the camera, but also turning a tele-
photo lens on our client niche. We’re broadening the
scope of what we do but narrowing the focus of who
we do it for.
How does the name change, and the evolution that goes
with it, open the doors to new clients?
This honing process we’ve gone through over the past
couple of years has expanded the type of services we
offer. We’re not a full-service agency, because we don’t
buy media, but we’re much more like an agency than a
design studio. We’re hired for strategic thinking before
we even do any creative work, and we develop market-
ing campaigns and strategy, some of it with very little
design execution.
Do you think the concept of a design firm is limiting?
Many clients have a limited vision of what a design
studio is. A lot of studios present themselves as simply
designers; they’re not focusing on the strategic work.
It’s a catch 22—the design studio only does cre-
ative work, but they can’t get hired for anything else.
Whereas, if you begin to step beyond simply being a
creative shop, you have different access to decision-
makers, and all kinds of doors open up to you.
Reinventing your own brand seems pretty intimidating.
How did you approach this project?
It is and it isn’t scary. But part of being an entrepre-
neur is that you have to be comfortable taking risks
and facing the changes that come with those risks. You
have to believe you’re doing the right thing. The thing
that I get concerned about is making sure that I’m not
only steering the ship, but also bringing the crew along
with it. Part of it is my own self-interest. I’m exercising
my freedom of choice to pursue an interest, and I see
a business opportunity—and we can still have fun and
make money at it.
You’ve had the strength of your convictions …
Yeah, and that goes a really long way. It helps get you
through the scary parts. If you’re not convinced your-
self, there’s no way you’re going to convince anyone
else—and that goes for both your employees and your
 • HOW
clients. You follow that internal pulse, and you apply
your expertise in the right direction.
Is your staff on board with the new brand?
Absolutely. They’ve been involved every step of the
way, including the process of the name change, and
we’ve all talked about what our brand means and how “If you begin
it relates the culture. These guys are amped up for
this—they seem very ready for the evolution.
to step
beyond 
How will your marketing materials reflect your brand?
simply being a
There’s a significant shift in the expression of our
brand. We’re getting rid of the eye icon that we’ve creative shop,
used over the years. What we’re trying to say with our you have dif-
new I.D. is that we have our finger on the pulse of
what’s going on in the world around us and that we’re ferent access
constantly paying attention to our social culture, espe- to decision-
cially in the client fields we’re playing in. We want to
show that we speak a language our clients understand, makers, and
so they see that we’re experts, that we understand the all kinds of
business side as well as the creative side.
doors open
How do you think your clients—both existing and prospec- up to you.”
tive—will respond to the Morris Communication brand? S t e v e n M o r r i s
I hope there’s a real wow factor. And I hope it really
resonates with them and that it elevates us a couple of
rungs in terms of their perception of who we are and
what we do. We’re fortunate right now because a lot of
clients come to us through referral. That means they
have a preconceived notion of us. Hopefully, this new
identity works to change or elevate that opinion.
And our work speaks for us—the work that you
show is the work that you’re going to get. When we
meet with clients, we show them specific examples
from our portfolio that demonstrate what we can do.
I mean, it’s hard to get a client to give you an annual
report project if you don’t have an annual report in
your portfolio.
So the heavy lifting comes from your portfolio?
It really does. I liken it to going to the theater: You see
the curtain lift and see the stage set, but you don’t get
a sense of how the play is going to unfold until the
characters come out and start speaking. The set has an
impact, but it’s minimal compared to the actual story.
Where do you see your firm in 10 years?
I think we’ll be multicoastal. We’ll have offices in
San Diego and also in New York City, and maybe
somewhere else. New York is a hotbed for a lot of the
lifestyle work we’re doing, and a lot of our clients are
there. And I see us doing a lot more interactive than
we do now—right now it’s 40%; it may get to 70%.
Hopefully, we’ll be able to stay nimble enough to
keep up with the changes in mass culture. I don’t want
it to get too big—I love the agility of a boutique, but
I also want to have enough strength to take on great
projects.
Bryn Mooth is HOW’s editor; she has worked for the
magazine in various capacities for 15 years.
bryn.mooth@fwpubs.com
w w w. h o w d e s i g n . c o m
 If you’ve given a gift that didn’t
go over well, you may have consoled
yourself by thinking, “It’s the thought that counts.”
And when it comes to the thirteenth homemade pot-
holder bestowed on your Great Aunt Betty or the box
of chocolate-covered cherries delivered to your dieting
girlfriend on Valentine’s Day, poorly chosen presents
are forgivable, as long as your heart’s in the right place.
But when you exchange gifts in business, there’s less
room for error. The items you present reflect your level
of professionalism and give the recipients insight into
how well you understand them—you want to show
that you’ve been paying attention.
Smart professionals know that gift-giving isn’t lim-
ited to the holiday season. Sending small presents
throughout the year is an excellent way to solidify
relationships with clients and business contacts. For
freelancers, this can be especially important because
it’s an opportunity to showcase your skills and accom-
plishments, generating interest from potential clients
and employers.
“You should mix your gifting and marketing efforts,”
says Austin Baskett, director of marketing for Ameri-
can Crew Inc., based in Denver. “It’s a way of inform-
ing your customer base about your talents and recent
projects. For example, if you’ve designed for a major
event, give tickets as gifts. If you’ve been working on
anything cool—even a T-shirt—send it along!”
But remember: While smart gift-giving can be a
boon for your business, an inappropriate present—
such as perfume or an item that’s too costly—can
make people uncomfortable.
the perfect gift
The end of the year often seems like the right time to thank your clients for their
business and colleagues for their hard work. Here’s how to wrap it up the right way.
w w w. h o w d e s i g n . c o m 
Gift-Giving basics
How can you determine the best token for every occa-
sion? It’s more of an art than a science, but it helps to
understand basic etiquette.
• How much should I spend? There’s no hard-and-fast
rule. Jeff Barfoot, president of the Dallas Society of
Visual Communications and editor of its monthly
magazine, Rough, feels that the value of your pres-
ents should reflect your relationship with a client.
“Sometimes, a gift such as an iPod is appropriate for
your larger clients,” he says. “For those from whom
you receive less business, a nice card might suf-
fice.” Many firms place limits on the value of gifts
employees can receive, so you’ll want to avoid being
too extravagant.
• S hould I give everyone the same thing? Probably not,
says Ilise Benun, founder of the Marketing Mentor
program and author of “Self Promotion Online” and
“Designing Websites for Every Audience.” “Some
people perceive it as uninventive, particularly in the
creative field,” she advises.
•D  o I have to give holiday gifts? No. In fact, bypass-
ing year-end gift-giving and instead marking offbeat
occasions, such as Groundhog Day or Flag Day, can
help you stand out from the crowd.
• How do I respond if I receive a gift from someone I had
not planned on giving one to? A nice thank-you note is
enough to show your gratitude. Expressing genuine
appreciation is more important than an obligatory
reciprocal present.
Want to bestow business gifts with grace and style?
Read on for a list of ideas and advice:
by t h e c r e at i v e g ro u p
i l l u s t r a t io n b y H a d l e y H oo p e r
HOW • 
 tasty Treats
They say the best way to people’s hearts is through
their stomachs. Perhaps that’s why indulging others
with food and wine has become such a popular strat-
egy. If you want to tickle someone’s tastebuds, forgo
the hackneyed fruit basket.
• Send hometown goodies. Give faraway contacts a taste
of your hometown by sending locally grown produce,
specialty items or pies from your favorite bakery.
• Throw in something extra. For example, if you’re send-
ing an assortment of imported teas, add a book on
the history of tea-making or an elegant container to
store it in.
• Leave the baking to them. If you know the person is a
gourmet but are unsure about his or her tastes, pick
up the latest kitchen gadget or cookbook.
• Be sensitive to health and cultural concerns. You
gifts that give back
If you’re at a loss for what to get someone, consider a
donation to a charitable organization in the person’s
name. Before making your donation, determine the
appropriate charity by considering what’s closest to
the recipient’s heart. For example, does one of his
or her family members suffer from heart disease? If
so, consider a contribution to the American Heart
Association. Likewise, you might donate to a literacy
organization for a client who publishes books. Top off
Terrifically Tacky Tchotchkes
As you well know, kitsch can be fun—and a great way
to stand out from the countless bins of popcorn and
rows of gingerbread houses. Benun recently told her
e-newsletter subscribers about a company that makes
edible greeting cards. With the Internet, weird and
wacky wonders are easier to find than ever. Have you
heard of desktop figures sculpted out of forks or old
vinyl records transformed into party bowls?
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While presents like this can be Hfun—especially
among an audience who appreciates off-the-wall think-
Wearable Wonders
Apparel and accessories can be a fun and practical
gift for the fashion-savvy on your list, but selecting
the right items can be tricky if you don’t know the
recipient well. Increase your chances of an enthusi-
astic response by selecting pieces that incorporate the
person’s interests or hobbies. Or surprise your recipi-
ent with a personal creation—a hand-knit scarf, for
example—to introduce him or her to a hidden talent.
• Skip the sizes. Avoid anything that requires specific
measurements. There’s nothing more awkward than
giving a small sweater to someone who normally
wears an extra-large. Instead, opt for “one-size-fits-
10 • HOW
wouldn’t want to give a cheesecake to a diabetic, a
country ham to a vegetarian or a Beaujolais to some-
one who doesn’t drink.
• Lead them not into temptation. It also might be unwise
to inundate the recipient with mounds of chocolate
or other guilty pleasures, which can be an unwelcome
source of temptation. “Every year, especially dur-
ing the holidays, our office receives an overwhelm-
ing amount of candy and other treats we know we
shouldn’t eat,” Baskett says. Instead, select foods
that support a healthy lifestyle—like vegetable tap-
enades or gourmet granola—to help save someone
from snacker’s remorse.
• Beware of perishables. If you decide to send anything
that can melt or spoil, make sure your contact will be
around to receive and enjoy it.
your donation with a handwritten note explaining that
you’ve made a contribution in the contact’s name.
Another option is to give your time. If your co-worker
is a blood-donor advocate, for instance, arrange for the
local bloodmobile to stop by your office during lunch.
If you know a client is already active in a certain char-
ity, ask if you can volunteer with him or her. It’s a great
opportunity to spend quality one-on-one time with that
person and solidify an important relationship.
ing—if you go overboard, you might leave recipients
scratching their heads.
Stick to something that reflects your personality or
the recipient’s. For example, a fan of ’70s culture might
appreciate a music box that belts out the best of Abba.
Also, make sure all presents align with your image.
If your business is known for high-end products and
services, for example, don’t give inexpensive plastic
trinkets. Ultimately, the gift is an extension of your
brand and should reflect it.
all” apparel, such as hats and scarves.
• Avoid intimate items. Perfume and—need we even
say it?—lingerie are definite no-no’s. Something as
simple as a bracelet may seem safe, but your client or
co-worker may still feel awkward given the personal
nature of the present.
• Shop for them. Focus on your colleague’s tastes, not
your own. Just because you love leather doesn’t mean
your client—a devout animal-rights activist—will
appreciate the nubuck gloves you chose.
• Remove price tags. But do include a gift receipt in case
the recipient wants to exchange the present.
w w w. h o w d e s i g n . c o m
Spiced-Up Useful Stuff
While few people look forward to receiving socks
for their birthdays, practical items make smart pro-
fessional gifts, particularly if they’re personalized to
reflect your business.
• Make it uniquely you. An address book, calendar,
poster, bookmark, wrapping paper or note cards cre-
ated by your firm is not only useful, but also serves as
a reminder of your talents.
• Keep it coming! The gifts you create, such as desk
calendars or address books, may be something your
clients look forward to every year. So if you hit on an
idea that works, stick with it.
• Consider Flag Day. While your year-end gift may get
lost in the shuffle, your Flag Day present may be the
only one someone receives. Embrace Your Geekiness
Day (July 13) and Internet Day (October 29) are just
two of the many occasions you could use to surprise
someone. You could even invent your own holiday!

Electronic Options
E-cards are gaining popularity among web surfers of all
ages. These are appropriate to quickly thank someone
for a small favor or to send out an informal holiday
greeting. But they lack the impact of a more personal
gift, unless you have the skills to create a unique
e-greeting. As Benun notes, “People appreciate the
time you spend on gifts more than the money.”
Before hitting send, think about whether your vir-
tual greeting might be better received in person. For
example, it might be preferable to take a colleague out
to lunch or invite that person to a concert or sporting
event. Even calling a long-lost contact out of the blue
can be a nice “gift.” If you decide to stick with a simple
greeting, a handwritten note is always a nice surprise.

Gonzo Gift Wrap

Half the fun of receiving a present is admiring the
wrapping, then ripping through it to uncover what’s
hidden inside. Don’t deny your clients and colleagues
a good time by packaging your presents in a boring bag
or—gasp!—nothing at all. Think outside the box—lit-
erally. If it’s someone’s birthday, for example, you could
put the gift inside a round container and place candles
on the top so the package looks like a cake.
• Skip the store-bought supplies. Spice things up by
crafting your own wrapping paper. Make photocopies
of the brochures you’ve recently completed, recycle
makeready sheets from a project you’ve just printed
or use your logo as the design. It’s a subtle way to
promote your brand.
• Personalize it. Ditch the generic note and, instead,
take time to create a handwritten, personalized mes-
sage reiterating the reason for the gift and the sig-
nificance it has. For example, you might create a card
with a golf motif that reads, “The printing on the XYZ
job was a hole in one. Thanks for your work.”
• Deliver it in person. Stopping by to present your gift
can add a nice touch. Just don’t pressure the recipi-
ent to open it on the spot or demand too much of the
person’s time.

The Thought Really Does Count

While a few off-target gifts won’t spell disaster for your
business, presents that miss the mark mean you lose
an opportunity to forge a tighter bond with clients and
colleagues. That’s why it’s important to put thought
into the process. Benun was shopping recently when
she spotted a perfect toy for a client’s dog. Although no
holiday was on the immediate horizon, she purchased
the item anyway. “My client was very touched when I
gave her something that was so personal,” Benun says.
“Don’t wait until the last minute to locate the perfect
gift. You need time to think about what you buy.”
In the end, nothing is more treasured than a gift
well-suited to the recipient’s tastes. For example,
Barfoot recently received a portable USB memory
card, the perfect present since he often shuttles work
between home and the office.
How do you discover what your clients and col-
leagues long for? Ask yourself how they spend their
free time, what items adorn their offices and what they
usually talk about. Still drawing a blank? Speak with
the person’s assistant or co-workers to gain insight. By
taking a clever, creative and considerate approach to
gift-giving, you may find that it truly is better to give
than to receive.
The Creative Group is a specialized staffing service
with offices in major markets across North America,
and HOW’s official career partner.
www.creativegroup.com
J e f f B a r foot D a l la s jbarfoot@spddallas.com
Au st i n b a s k e t t d e n v e r austin@unionjackproducts.com
i l is e b e n u n h o b o k e n , n j www.marketing-mentor.com

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