Some of our Redheads looked back at the past year and wrote about their favorite professional moments. We thought we’d share.

I love a good story of people who do good.
The George Washington University School of Business attracts a different breed of business students who share a commitment to use their business education to transform society. They’re out in the world doing extraordinary things –interning at the IMF and World Bank, growing successful businesses while in school, juggling a military career and an MBA. Shoot, when I was in business school my biggest concern was which bar had the cheapest wing/beer special. My favorite professional accomplishment of the year is the series of 1 ½ – 2-minute videos we are creating for GWSB. I love that they’re not your typical talking heads set in front of a bunch of dusty encyclopedias. Our creative reins were let loose and the result are stories that feel very real, dynamic, spontaneous, and fun. Check out the first two here. http://youtu.be/ofPe_g7QjBw

Erin Sarro, Writer

 

My professional highlight for 2011: I have been able to expand my role in the agency to include art direction for some of our clients. I have had a lot of fun designing and creating The 10 Great Things page for MedStar’s publication Inside. I was also able help create trade show booth signage for the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau that highlighted their icons with imagery, which has been used thought out the year on many other pieces.

Carey Christie, Design and Production

 

I think my highlight was being in Park City, Utah moderating some workshops during our client’s (Results Companies) annual conference for their clients and prospects. It was a new part of the country that I’d never seen and it was just a beautiful place to be. They were a fun (and slightly crazy!) group of people to hang out with for a few days. The workshops were very well received and our clients were very appreciative. We felt good that we could help them look good.

Jane Stelboum, President

 

Change has been the highlight of my year. And I’m not always comfortable with switching things up but somehow change actually worked for me this year.

Big changes have taken place at the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau in the last few months. Some have been unexpected from the client and have revolved around their infrastructure. Others have been planned for changes we made on the account such as utilizing new media tactics. Regardless of purposively making the changes or having them pop up unexpectedly – all have worked out very well. The team at the Bureau has been switched up greatly. Many people left the organization, some moved into new positions and new employees have joined. All of these changes have proved to be exciting and positive. They have opened the door for new insights and possibilities to take place. I have been able to forge closer relationships with people I have known through the life of the account but in the past have not had the opportunity to work as closely with as I am currently.

Redhead hired a new media director who approached planning for the Bureau with a fresh set of media eyes. Interactive tactics like email blasts and pay-per-click are being utilized for the first time in a year-long methodical fashion. Great results are already developing. Visits to the PRCB website have improved by 3% already and the PPC campaign has only been running for one full month.

Change can be scary – at least that was always my prevailing thought on the matter. But my opinion has been swayed – for the better. Change is exciting, can bring great things and opens up a multitude of possibilities.

Juliet Gilden, Account Management

 

Hmmm.. My highlight… nothing has really changed in my department other than fewer vendor calls! The year was looking brighter as it went on. Actually, now that I think about it that is totally my highlight ;’)

Amber Wilson, Accounting

 

I stepped out on a limb this year while planning the Puerto Rico Convention Center/Bureau media. I realized it was a big risk to dramatically alter the media plan but was convinced it was the right direction to take. Moving 45% of the advertising budget to digital media (Search engines, email, e-newsletters, banners) literally kept me up at night. But the reaction from the client was overwhelmingly positive. A very validating moment. And you can’t argue with the strong (and trackable) response the campaign is having. Big results and a happy client equals a big win for Redhead and for me personally!

Dave Rehkemper, Media

 

For me, there were a lot of highlights in the world of design and corporate identity. One of my favorite moments was sitting in a meeting with the executives at the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authorities. We were discussing how to brand the organization moving forward and I was excited to not only learn the depth of the project, but also to hear that they agreed with our strategy of how to most effectively get the job done. Maybe that will be part of my 2012 blog!

Cindy McPhail, Art Director

 

Sending an email to a Chinese audience in Chinese and having a 27% open rate with an 8% click through!

Kirk Lutz, Interactive

 

This is my first time interning at a company like this, so it took me a while to adjust to a work environment. It’s been really great so far; I got to meet a lot of awesome Redheads, and I am so grateful that they are all so friendly to me.
Cheers to a new year. woohooooooooo

Isabel Yu, Intern

 

The highlight of the year for me actually lasted the whole year. It was watching this Redhead team put their collective shoulder to the wheel and push together through challenging times. We asked more of ourselves and one another, as individuals and as an agency, than sometimes seemed fair but, as one of my mentors used to say, “Where in the rules is it written that life is fair? Just do what needs to be done.” And we did, and I take great pride in seeing that happen and being a part of it.

Jeff Hankin, COO/CFO

 

I’m very excited that we’ve established Topdown Leadership Development and Coaching. This service fits neatly with our Inside-Outside marketing strategy and will help our clients even more firmly establish their brands and accomplish their business goals. Topdown is about leading as if you’re driving a convertible – open, accessible, connected to the world around. Call us in 2012. We’ll go out for a test drive.

Ed Stern, CEO