catalyst houston interactive media & design proposal...marquette companiesnaperville,illinois...

Marquette Companies Naperville, IllinoisCatalyst Houston Interactive Media & Design Proposal

(contract #3112)

prepared byPlainJoe Studios

July 15, 2016

7345 Piute Creek Drive / Corona, CA 92881 / 951.735.4587

PlainJoe Studios / Marquette Companies Branding Proposal

July 15, 2016

Page 1

The journey is the destination. Darren Sloniger

Marquette Companies

401 S. Main Street

Naperville, Illinois 60540

630.420.4737

[email protected]

July 15, 2016

Dear Darren:

It is our pleasure to able to present the enclosed proposal for integrated marketing strategy development,

interactive media and design services for Catalyst Houston. The enclosed pages contain example projects,

qualifications, and development guidelines that demonstrate our expertise, experience, and ability to create an

interactive and engaging brand identity to raise awareness and elevate the unique story of Catalyst Houston.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns your team may encounter as they explore

this proposal.

Sincerely,

Blake Ryan

Managing Principal // PlainJoe Studios


July 15, 2016

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1 / Statement of Purpose:

Marquette Companies is developing its second Catalyst project, following the successful brand premier in

Chicago. This pioneering mixed-use project for downtown Houston encompasses the first high-rise residential

tower in the immediate vicinity of Minute Maid Park, a 7-story "neighborhood scale" mid-rise component, and a

signature restaurant venue at the street level.

In the face of significant new market competition/supply, as well as the regional petro-chemical based economic

downturn, it is imperative to tell the Catalyst "story" effectively in order to connect your destination to potential

residents, but also to occupy the largest swath of collective "mental real estate" possible. Being first in mind is

more important than being first to the market.

At first blush, two messages appear to be foundational to our integrated strategy.

The Heart of a World City:

As America's first emerging World City in the third millennium, the Houston metroplex represents a

Postmodern, polycentric urbanism, with multiple suburban nodes surrounding the historic core. Although these

competing nodes provide the land use elements that make up a city, they provide a "denser" version of suburban

archetypes such as malls, vertical office parks, and empty sidewalks.

2 / Project Description:

PlainJoe Studios proposes to provide an integrated branding / storytelling solution to Marquette Companies in

order to 1) reinforce downtown Houston as the premiere live/work/play destination in the emerging Houston

metropolitan region and to 2) successfully introduce the Catalyst brand and product to the Houston

market. Our unique background and approach allows us to fulfill our mission by uniquely telling your story and

connecting to your audience across three dimensions:

• Strategic Ideation: Design that walks away with you.

• Interactive Media: Design that you interact with.

• Spatial Storytelling: Design that you walk into.


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In every world city, there is only one "there" there.

• One center

• One downtown

• One bullseye

• One heart of the city

In recognition of this, Houston is undergoing a "heart implant" by replacing the "missing teeth" of its urban fabric

(surface/empty parking lots) with urbane, walkable blocks lined with new retail, residential, and recreational

opportunities, such as the premier city commons: Discovery Green. Like other World Cities, the auto-centric

transportation system is being supplemented with a significant investment in transit-oriented infrastructure.

In the heart of this World City, Minute Maid Park represents the single largest gathering place and the site of

communal victories and celebrations.

Elevated Live/Work/Play Living:

For Millennials and aging Boomers around the world, the preference of walkable urbanism over car-dependent

suburban "products" is being made clear. Rather than being forced to pay for, drive, and store cars for every daily

task, a safe integrated live/work/play destination in the heart of the city has been the preferred mode of living

for most of human history (other than the immediate "car-crazy" post-War decades.

Within the range of options for walkable, urbane residential options, those who can afford high-rise residential

living, do so. This "elevated" lifestyle scratches at the "eternity in our hearts" through unique perspectives/views

and communal gathering areas which facilitate vertical and horizontal connection.

Next to Houston's largest gathering place, one iconic tower rises and one singular opportunity presents itself to

house this lifestyle, for those who want to be in the heart of the city, but also above the city.

2 / Project Description: (cont'd)


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Unlike other branding/marketing agencies, PlainJoe Studios was launched specifically to connect your story

from the ether to your environment to the largest possible audience (the "Average Joes" and "Plain Janes" out

there) across three dimensions:

• Strategic Ideation: PlainJoe Studios will perform a "brand audit" of the existing Catalyst print, media, and

web material in order to evaluate any opportunities to "localize" and enhance the Catalyst brand to the

soil-specific Houston market. Our signature PERSONALITY process distills the core emotional arc of the

story we will be telling and the emotive reaction to the brand. This is the "design that walks away" with

our target audience upon being presented the brand in graphic design and print collateral.

• Interactive Media: PlainJoe Studios will outline a web, video, and social media strategy effectively

immerses the audience into your story before, during, and after visiting the physical environment.

• Spatial Storytelling: Our team of environmental designers, led by Mel McGowan -- a former Disney

Imagineer -- have the unique ability to tell the Catalyst story in three dimensional space through

Environmental Graphics and technology, augmenting the work of your existing facility design team. This

effort can be focused in your sales / preview center or be expanded to include other high-impact areas,

including defining a "story path" for prospective tenant sales tours.

2 / Project Description: (cont'd)

3 / Scope of Work: PJS will guide Marquette Companies through a discovery process in order to understand Catalyst Houston's

personality and story. Once discovery is complete, the results will be defined visually in order to tell the story

and elevate the services provided across various communication platforms.

The full scope of work can be found in section "9 / Scope".


July 15, 2016

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4 / Qualifications: A handful of projects that reflect our work and relevancy to your project:

Las Vegas Mob Experience / Las Vegas, NV

Brand Development / Social Media Marketing / Design Support Services / Website Design and Development

(Concept Design, Schematic Design, Design Development, Programming, Staging, QA, Launch & Maintenance

support) / Concept Design / Attraction Design / Environmental Design / Show Writing / Show Producing

Nissan Automotive / Infiniti Global

Complete Website Design and Development (Concept Design, Schematic Design, Design Development,

Programming, Staging, Testing, QA, Launch & Maintenance support).

Glenn Ivy / glenivy.com

Brand Development / Social Media Marketing / Design Support Services / Website Design and Development

(Concept Design, Schematic Design, Design Development, Programming, Staging, QA, Launch & Maintenance

support) / Video Production (Video Example)

Restoration Roasters / RestorationRoasters.org

Brand Development / Social Media Marketing / Environmental Design / Design Support Services / Website

Design and Development (Concept Design, Schematic Design, Design Development, Programming, Staging, QA,

Launch & Maintenance support) / Video Production (Video Example)

Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination / Las Vegas, NV

Concept Design / Attraction Design / Environmental Design / Show Writing / Show Producing

Marketing Strategy Clients:

• Creative Artists Agency

• CAT

• Google

• Wells Fargo

• Toyota

http://bit.ly/1UJ00mZ

http://bit.ly/1KJudh2


July 15, 2016

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5 / Who is PlainJoe: PlainJoe Studios is a multidisciplinary design studio based in Corona, California, specializing in Strategic

Ideation, Interactive Media, and Environmental Design. Our multi-faceted staff includes designers, strategists,

illustrators, art directors, project managers, web developers, and programmers. This diversity allows us to

effectively and efficiently tackle a very wide range of project needs across an entire brand experience. Founded

in October of 2001, with three designers, PlainJoe Studios has grown to over thirty-five full time team members

with successive growth year after year.

Blake Ryan / Managing Principal

Before becoming a Partner and Managing Principal for PlainJoe Studios, Blake worked for Provision Ministry

Group, Church Development Fund, Stadia, Capin Crouse, LLP and Goehner Accountancy. His background

includes an Accounting degree from Azusa Pacific University and years of for-profit and non-profit experience

in management, finance, marketing and information technology. Blake also founded Restoration Roasters and

acts as the Director of the Corona Norco Rescue Mission.

Peter McGowan / Design Principal

Peter, prior to co-founding PlainJoe in 2001, had a background in information technology. He worked for

IBM, Johnson & Johnson, ThinkWare, and PMGX-a technology firm he founded and still owns. His background

includes a Business/Information Systems degree from Cal Poly and years of experience in Information

Technology, design production, brand development, marketing and advertising. Peter is also the co-founder

of ethur and devotes much of his day-to-day time serving as the Creative Principal and President of PlainJoe

Studios.

Mel McGowan / Chief Creative Principal

Mel co-founded PlainJoe Studios after spending a decade with the Walt Disney Company and leads the Spatial

Storytelling practice of PlainJoe Studios. Mel is an AICP certified Master Planner and has led architectural,

interiors and construction teams on projects around the globe. He is the author of Design Intervention and an

Adjunct Professor at CBU's College of Architecture, Visual Arts & Design (CAVAD).


July 15, 2016

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Shawn Stewart / Director of Strategy

Prior to joining PlainJoe in 2015, Shawn was national brand strategy and brand management lead at Kaiser

Permanente, a multibillion-dollar health care provider and not-for-profit health plan serving over 10 million

members nationwide. His background is in graphic design and brand identity development. In his 19-year

career, Shawn has worked on everything from branding a sustainable technology in the HVAC market to

working with the former marketing director of Tommy Hilfiger at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New

York City. He graduated with honors from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and is a recent graduate of the

AIGA Executive Management Program for Creative Leaders at Yale University. Shawn and his wife, Val, have

two kids and reside in Fullerton.

5 / Who is PlainJoe: (cont'd) Joe Sibal / Director of Interactive Media

Joe graduated from Chapman University in 2001 with a degree in Fine Arts in Graphic Design and worked

with Primedia Inc., Kelley Blue Book, and Foreshock before joining the PlainJoe team in 2006. His background

experience includes UI design, usability, and a fair knowledge in programming. He's worked on the web

campaigns for Sony PlayStation, the MotorTrend website, Kawasaki, Bosch, and many others; today he leads

the web and interactive media team at PlainJoe, maintains client relations, and occasionally still finds time to

help with programming and design.

Johnny Davis / Art Director

Johnny attended Mira Costa College and San Francisco's Academy of Art University, earning a B.A. in

Illustration with a focus on character animation. Before joining the PlainJoe team in 2006, Johnny completed

design work for Penton Overseas Publishing, Archeon, MMDesignWorks, and Home Depot. He has been

mentored by Conrad Vernon, Director of Shrek 2 and the voice of "Gingie" for Dreamworks Animation. Johnny

serves as Art Director and Illustrator for PlainJoe. Johnny and his wife have two kids.


July 15, 2016

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6 / What We Do: Core Competencies Strategic Ideation: The strategic development of an idea or concept into an emotional response. Every company

has a brand, but many companies minimize its importance. A brand is not just a logo or a series of products-

it's the emotional bond you create with your customers. What is the story your brand tells? PlainJoe can assess

an organization's unique personality and target market, create a brand package, and design a strategy for

permeating that brand throughout its print materials, web presence, and physical location. We believe every

mission and vision aligns with a graphic identity, and we can help and articulate it.

Environmental Design: This team specializes in creating spaces that tell a story, creating a sense of place that

helps develop the brands that they house. The directing of guests through a space with wayfinding graphics is a

key area of development for us. Helping our clients find a way to communicate their brand in bricks and mortar,

and helping their customers find what they need from a cup of coffee to the classrooms for their kids. Our

environmental team works with clients and budgets of all sizes to establish a design theme for the interior of a

building and bring it to life with entry and identity features, directional systems, and inexpensive yet creative

flourishes that truly develop a sense of place.

Interactive Media: At PlainJoe, we think digital first. Our designers and programmers approach each project

with years of experience and come armed with training in the latest methodology and technology. Not only

can we revamp a website, but our audio/video team produces commercials, corporate event videos, and even

animated 3D virtualizations of completed building projects.

Whatever the business, we can find it's story and help it make a meaningful connection.


July 15, 2016

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7 / Project Management Process: There are three key parameters that we measure and manage throughout our development process:

Scope / Schedule / Budget

Project Managers at PlainJoe Studios serve as the client's day-to-day hub or point of contact for all issues

related to their project. Once budget and scope is agreed upon-by the client and PJS-the project manager

compiles and submits to the client a Project Phase Breakdown. This detailed breakdown allows everyone

involved with the project to be continually aware of current and upcoming milestones. Furthermore, the Project

Manager also coordinates Technical and/or Design Reviews until the completion of the Project.

When developing interactive media such as websites, video production, or social media campaigns, we usually

follow a phased design development process. A sample visual of our process for web design is shown on the left.

No matter the type of project, our process has the same basic elements and is somewhat circular, building upon

each previous phase. The circling process gives us a full and varied view of how the solution is taking shape as

well as any issues that surface while working through the project.


July 15, 2016

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8 / Branding Development Process: Working with you, our creative principals identify the target audience, develop the functional goals of the

project, and address these two key components with a design that communicates the story or big idea with the

audience.

PlainJoe Studios believes in not only providing a short-term solution to a client's need but also in maintaining

a long-term relationship with a client. An integral part of this is to walk with our clients throughout the

development process educating them to the core components. It is also key for us to transfer knowledge and

provide training to our clients so that they can maintain and hold up the value of the solution. This is of great

value when providing brand management and support to a client's long-term image as perceived by their target.


July 15, 2016

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9 / Scope:

Marketing Strategy:

• Kickoff session to determine scope and allocation of effort

• Identify target market and condition out audience lifestyle

• Identify competitive advantage, competition and possible challenges

• Provide marketing strategy documents with design concepts

Branded Marketing Campaign:

• Select stylistic theme and possible marketing platforms

• Provide style guide including colors, fonts and graphics

• Create consistent branded copy and voicing strategy to be used in multiple channels

• Brand Marketing approach that positions the product as well as the location

Marketing Collateral:

• Provide design files for print marketing collateral

• Print and production of brochures, outreach marketing and business cards

• Price point dependent on specific details including print run and design details

Website Design & Development:

• Creation of responsive design website

• Branded on page content and stylistic theme

• Links to social media sites, blog and corporate website

• Contact form to capture name, phone number and e-mail address

• Access to content management system

SEO Strategy:

• Keyword research including SEO audit of competitors and keywords used

• Implementation of keywords and descriptions

• Optimized responsive web template

• Develop on page and off page SEO strategy


July 15, 2016

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9 / Scope: (cont'd)

Social Media & Content Marketing Strategy:

• Develop social media strategy consistent with brand voice

• Provide style guidelines and design strategy for social posts and visual content

• Content strategy, scheduling and execution with a focus on audience engagement and two way

communication


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10 / Schedule: Our typical project lifecycle can vary depending on the complexity and overall scope of a project. Typical

timeframes for a branding project can range from four to eight months depending on scope.

Proposed website launch date 90-120 days from signing.

Integrated Marketing Strategy Development timeline to be determined.

Marketing collateral design completed by October 2016.

11 / Budget:

All Schedules are pending contract sign dates and kick-off meeting schedules and are subject to change. This proposal and all of its

figures and dates expire within 15 business days of printed proposal date (July 15, 2016).

Total Project Budget: $51,500

Payment Schedule:

• 50% Deposit to Commence Work

• 35% Upon Completion of the Website

• 15% Upon Project Completion


July 15, 2016

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12.1) This section is intentionally left blank.

12.2) REVISIONS: Design requests will be limited to three (3) revisions per piece once digital art has been

presented unless so designated or expressed in Project Scope. Additional fees will be charged for revisions

reflecting a new direction to the assignment, or new conceptual input.

12.3) CANCELLATION AND KILL FEES: Contract cancellation by either the client or the studio requires the

receipt of a 90-day written notice. Cancellation ("kill") fees are due based on the amount of work completed.

Fifty percent (50%) of the final fee is due within 30 days of notification that for any reason the job is canceled

or postponed before the final stage. One hundred percent (100%) of the total fee is due despite cancellation or

postponement of the job if the work has been completed. Upon cancellation or kill all rights to the art revert to

PlainJoe Studios and all original art must be returned, including sketches, comps, or other preliminary materials.

12.4) CREDITS AND COPIES: A credit line suitable to the design of the page will be used. Client agrees to pay

an additional fifty percent (50%) of the total fee, excluding expenses, for failure to include credit line. Credit

line is required independent of Artist's signature, which shall be included at PlainJoe Studio's discretion unless

otherwise agreed in writing above. Client agrees to provide Artist with ten (10) sample copies of any printed

material.

12.5) PAYMENT: Payment for finished work at standard billing rate is due upon acceptance, net thirty (30) days.

The Client's right to use the work is conditioned upon receipt of payment within thirty days of acceptance, and

upon Client's compliance with the terms of this agreement. A one and one half percent (1.5%) monthly service

charge will be billed against late payment. Prepayments are due upon acceptance, if prepayment discount ($150

per hour billing rate) is taken over the standard billing rate ($225 per hour).

12 / Other Terms and Conditions:


July 15, 2016

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Exhibit D / Other Terms and Conditions: (cont'd) 12.6) This section is intentionally left blank.

12.7) ADDITIONAL EXPENSES: If Client does not provide a courier/shipping number in the space provided

above, shipping charges will be added to the final invoice. Client agrees to reimburse PlainJoe Studios for the

following expenses:

• a) Reproduction Services: Includes copying & printing. In-house prints will be billed at $6.00 per sheet

for each client set and for a final in-house review set. The client is welcome to contract directly with an

outside reprographic firm for those services not provided in-house.

• b) Commercial Delivery Services: Including Express Mail, Federal Express, UPS, and independent courier

services.

• c) Travel Expenses: Mileage to and from the job site will be billed at the prevailing IRS rate per mile with

no markup and travel time will be billed at $75.00 per hour, per man, one-way. Airfare will be billed at

cost plus 10%.

• d) Per Diem: Per diem for overnight stays will be billed at $191 per day, per person.

• e) Reimbursements: Reimbursable items will be charged back plus a nominal charge may be added to the

reimbursed item to cover administrative costs.

12.8) PERMISSIONS AND RELEASES: The Client agrees to indemnify and hold Plain Joe Studios harmless

against any and all claims, costs, and expenses, including attorney's fees, due to materials included in the Work

at the request of the Client for which no copyright permission or privacy release was requested, or for which

uses exceed the uses allowed pursuant to a permission or release.


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13 / Authorization: This Agreement shall be binding upon the parties, their heirs, successors, assigns, and personal representatives.

This Agreement constitutes the entire understanding of the parties. Its terms can be modified only by an

instrument in writing signed by both parties. No terms attached to any check for payment under this Agreement

can modify this Agreement except with an independent writing signed by both parties. Any dispute arising out

of this Agreement shall be resolved by binding arbitration before a single arbitrator pursuant to the Expedited

Commercial Rules of JAMS and any award rendered may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. This

Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of California without reference to any conflict of law

provisions.

Venue shall only be proper in Riverside County or Orange County, California. In any arbitration or other

proceeding arising out of this Agreement, the prevailing party shall be entitled to reasonable attorneys' fees and

costs incurred.


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Telling your story.

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