Today is the beginning of the Brad Gillum Birthday Celebration. And of course, the celebration would not be complete without proper decorations…

…Birthday donuts…

…and Brownies with homemade peanut butter icing made by our office chef, Mark.

And here’s the Birthday Boy himself, enjoying the first bite of this delectable treat. Be sure to leave him a festive Happy Birthday comment on this post. We know it will just make him giddy with excitement! Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to dig into that Brownie cake. Afterall, abstaining from such sugary goodness would be a crime against all Birthday humanity.

I guess the days of super-sizing are over. Today, when it comes to type—less is more! Maybe you haven’t noticed this trend—but if you are over a certain age (like me) you may be struggling to read a magazine or even a newspaper. Why? The answer is right before your eyes—tiny type.

It’s the trend in print advertising and publications. Text copy that’s only 7 or 8 point (that’s less than an 1/8-inch tall). Aesthetically, it can be quite pleasing. It helps simplify an ad, putting a commanding emphasis on the visual while creating a clear hierarchy for the reader.

But is downsizing your type a good or bad thing? I don’t know. I guess it depends on who your audience is. Obviously, if you are marketing to seniors, you don’t want them to wrestle with the messaging. You will need to find the right balance of what looks right for your design and the objective of your communication tool. Thanks to digital design and advances in printing, which have made reproduction of smaller type crisp and clean, you don’t need to be concerned about the legibility of teeny type.

So, I guess it all comes down to your point of view.

What do you do at Willow?
Controller.

How long have you worked at Willow?
I have been at Willow since February 2007.

When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I can’t remember.

What is your favorite pizza topping?
Sausage.

What was your first pet’s name?
Kali

What was your favorite subject in school?
Math & History.

What was your first job?
Indiana Bell/Ameritech.

What is your favorite movie of all time?
Patton and Steal Magnolias.

If you were a super hero, what would your super power be?
To make things happen quickly.

What drew you into the marketing business?
Accounting.

Describe yourself in 5 words or less.
Willingness to learn new.

If you could be one animal, what would it be and why?
I’m not really an animal person.

Frozen custard or ice cream?
Ice Cream.

How do you eat an Oreo?
As a cookie.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
I’ve always lived here, so I guess my answer is here.

Where do you like to sit in a movie theatre and why?
Not behind anyone else, usually over at the side and not in the middle.

What’s in the trunk of your vehicle at this moment?
Spare tire and some soft drinks that I haven’t taken into the house yet.

What’s on your desk at work?
Accounting papers.

What’s your favorite part of working at Willow?
Accounting.

What’s your favorite Indy restaurant?
Red Lobster.

I work in Account Services at Willow Marketing. The great thing about working at Willow is no day is exactly the same.  Also, since Willow is a smaller shop, I’m able to dabble in areas that typically I might not get to experience.

This week, we are busy getting ready for a presentation at the NICF (North-American Interfraternity Conference Foundation) Foundations Seminar in downtown Indianapolis. You would think that this is a pretty easy task, but getting ready for a seminar doesn’t mean putting together a Powerpoint. We’ve been working hard to think through the information we’ll be presenting, how we present it and what’s going to be the most effective way to stay with each visitor. We also have a booth at the seminar, which takes some planning as well. I’ve taken the lead in getting everything ready for the booth, with the help of my other shrubs.

Along with the presentation at the seminar, we also are working to launch a video contest for undergraduate Phi Kappa Psi members. The Phi Kappa Psi Foundation is hosting the “Show us Moore” video contest, which allows students to submit videos that showcase the meaning of being a Phi Psi. Fellow Phi Psis will vote on these videos and eventually the best video will receive a new flat screen television for their chapter or house. We’ve been working to finalize the launch plan and design of the materials this week and hope to move into web development by next week.

While planning and coordinating the NICF Foundation Seminar and creative planning for a video contest can be time-consuming, I also have to stay up with my clients and make sure that projects are constantly moving. Whether it’s estimates, planning, copy writing, proofing or finalizing projects for print, no real project runs like clockwork. We work hard with our clients to make sure this process runs as smooth as possible.

That’s a quick look at a day in the life of Andrew Smith. Who knows what’s in store tomorrow…

Brad Gillum (Willow Marketing) at AM&AA Summer Conference 2010 from AM&AA on Vimeo.

Having been recognized for our experience in working with small, family-owned, closely-held and entrepreneurial business, we thought we would explore new business opportunities a bit more in the category. Those in the Private Equity market understand that there are more ways than one to develop value in a business. Not all the value of a business is reflected in the balance sheet. By building the brand of the business and creating a loyal customer base we can significantly add value.

Yep, marketing is pretty sophisticated stuff! And it works!