For so many people, welcoming a new decade brings with it new opportunities and a fresh start. We are energized by our launch into 2010 and our ninth year in business, grateful that our clients rely on us for support to grow their businesses and to work through business challenges. We will maintain our focus on providing strategic counsel smartly paired with impactful marketing and communication tools.

Our business approach continues to resonate with our clients: deliverables on par with full-service agencies at a much more attractive cost. Another key differentiator for us is high-touch, personalized service—we’re involved in every step of every project. Our clients also appreciate our sense of urgency to their deadlines. We respond with speed because we’ve walked in their shoes and understand how business challenges and opportunities often require fast action. To further support delivery of quick-turn projects in 2010, we are adding a financing option to pay by credit card based on client requests.

Siegfried Dunlay’s leadership coaching practice remained a strong and growing area of focus this year. We help leaders improve their communication skills and polish their leadership abilities to achieve greater career success. This is a very rewarding aspect of our business – knowing that the leaders we coach are making such a positive impact on the employees they lead and the teams they support.

This year, in our clients’ honor, we supported two nonprofit organizations. We made a financial contribution to AEON, a provider of affordable, high-quality homes for more than 3,000 Twin Cities families. We also donated our marketing expertise to New York-based Mary’s Pence, an organization that funds women-based projects in the Americas that are designed to increase economic security. This mission-based charity transforms the impoverished lives of women, their families and the communities where they work and live.
For more information, visit:  aeonmn.org and maryspence.org

We are honored to share our values and deliver our best work for so many wonderful clients on inspiring projects. Here are a few highlights from 2009:

• Partnered on a new business launch by developing a strategic marketing plan with measurable goals, creating the visual brand identity and key message platform, and preparing launch marketing materials;
• Helped a client recruit a VP of Corporation Communications position;
• Worked with three businesses refresh their brands and update their marketing approach, including development of key message platform and new marketing materials;
• Led content strategy, wrote and produced a quarterly global employee newsletter, translated into 10 languages;
• Wrote and distributed a variety of press releases for clients;
• Created a global communication strategy and tactics for an annual giving campaign in multiple locations;
• Designed a leadership survey to assess leader-as-communicator effectiveness within a global organization;
• Developed compelling and visual customer testimonials for a global client to reflect their key business successes;
• Facilitated development of an interdisciplinary strategic communication plan working with numerous departments and functions within the organization;
• Supported major change within an organization with development of a communication toolkit, leader-as-communicator workshop and presentation coaching;
• Produced highly impactful customer PowerPoint presentation to position product options which addressed increasing regulatory concerns;
• Partnered with a fine artist to build his name and reputation nationally;
• Have begun the process of recruiting for a VP of communications, a newly created position for one of our growing clients;
• Orchestrated a successful “on-the-water” media event on Lake Minnetonka for one of our clients, garnering longer-term interest along with immediate PR results;
• Coached numerous clients throughout the year, helping them enhance their communication skills and polish their leadership abilities;
• Led the renaming and rebranding of a healthcare organization with multiple stakeholders involved in the process; and
• Paired our fine-artist client with our architecture client for a successful “by invitation only” event that showcased the home and art.

It is humbling to hear directly from our clients about our work results:

• "I am grateful your expertise was sought out on this project…it was invaluable to the successful launch of this change initiative and great to have your support."
• “We really appreciate your help on our change communication. I heard many positive comments on your contributions. Thanks so much to you both…I remain a big fan and supporter."
• "Thank you for helping me prepare for the communication workshop. There is no way I could have delivered a meaningful message without the guidance you provided. Getting the right message across was critical."
• "Thanks so much for being so speedy. We’re very glad to be partnering with you on this. You rock – what you provided us was perfect and you’ve added tremendous value, quickly."
• "Thanks to you for not only working so hard but for caring about my success. I so appreciate all your work and what I learned in that short amount of time with you was amazing. I use it every day. Thank you so much."
• "We’ve gotten very positive feedback about the new work you’re doing with our organization guiding our leaders through the strategic planning process, which is very important to our business. We are very pleased with our new partnership, and the progress you’ve helped us make in a short period of time."
• "Is almost unheard of that one gets results before a strategy has fallen into place. And that is a good problem to have."
• "Thanks for the great work on our rebranding effort. You guys are great to work with; you’re fun and you’re fast. We need more people like you on our team. You can really add value and guide our marketing teams to new levels."
• "It’s been a delight to work with you. You have a great business model, and you add tremendous value without the traditional high fees of a full-service agency."

As we look ahead, our promise of achieving results for our clients continues to inspire us.
Wishing you all the best,

Barbara and Janell