Purging is good for the soul.

Recently my family took on the monumental task of spring-cleaning. My wife’s adage is, “if you haven’t worn/used/missed it in a year, get rid of it.” For a natural-born pack rat like myself, that’s quite a challenge. Maybe I haven’t worn it in the last year but that doesn’t necessarily mean I’ll never wear it again. I just know those pants will fit again. What about the tie-dye shirt with the peace sign? Or the college homecoming sweatshirt from the 80s? Or the white suede shoes? I do own a pair of white suede shoes. You never know when you’re going to be invited to a Pat Boone theme party.

A year ago I tried an experiment. I took everything out of my closet and then re-hung it with all the hangers turned backwards. Every time I wore an item, and returned it to the closet, I turned the hanger around the right way. By the end of the year I had a clear picture of what I wore. And what I never wore. Everything on a backwards hanger was added to the pile of donations bound for Goodwill. I was empowered to remove clothes I really didn’t like but felt that I needed to keep around.

My closet was suddenly more functional. Things weren’t hidden and wrinkled behind others. There was so much more space. I could focus on what I like, and what served my needs best.

Helping our clients is a lot like cleaning closets. We all have a tendency to pile up, hang on, and never let go even if it is outdated and ill fitting. But sometimes our job is to help purge — see what hangers are turned around — and tell the story in a fresh, clear, strategic way. Your message is as compelling as ever! But hitting your audience with all things important to you isn’t necessarily helping them see who you are and what’s in it for them.

Sometimes less communicates more. When we design a logo we don’t to try and represent every value or product or feature of your organization. When we redesign a website we encourage our clients to start from scratch and resist the urge to peek back at their current website for reference.

I still recall a classic example of helping one organization update their logo. They are in the business of supporting and equipping Christian business owners to operate their companies with biblical principles – a high and excellent calling! But their old logo was such a hodgepodge of symbols and objects that the meaning behind it was completely lost. Intertwined around their company’s initials were objects including a triangle, a dove, a flame, and several figures seated around a conference table that were meant to represent different ethnicities and genders. I could almost imagine the committee that designed it. We took a more minimalistic approach. Starting with their company initials we stripped out all the symbols, updated their logotype, and transformed the last letter into a burning torch. That was it. Their new logo very simply reflected their mission of helping their customers “lead the way” in the business world by operating their organizations by biblical principles.

Here are three tips to purging your brand and simplifying your message:

1. Who cares anyway?

Are there communications pieces that exist purely to serve the internal politics of your organization? Is the information on your website or literature more for you or your customer? Is there an overemphasis on your history and the story of your founders? Establishing the stability of your organization is important, but devoting lots of real estate to insider stories isn’t relevant to your customer. Learning the back-story of Apple or Coca-Cola is interesting if you’re a fan of those brands. But you’ll never hear any mention of Steve Jobs or Dr. John Pemberton in their marketing materials.

2. Start from scratch

When developing a communications piece the tendency is to use the last one as a template. Next time try starting from scratch. I’m not talking about reinventing the wheel. There may be important messaging or branding elements that need to remain consistent and true. But step back and think through what you are saying and why. Start by answering, “What do we have that our customer needs?”

3. Analyze your analytics

If you have a website make sure you pay attention to your analytics. Google Analytics is a free service that not only tracks overall traffic on your website, but also shows how often each page is visited. Find out which pages are getting the most hits and which are rarely visited. If those pages are not providing value to your customer, trash them!

It sounds simple, but if you think like your customer — know what you do, know what your customers want, and know what our customers need — you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to focus your message.

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How do you keep your communications fresh and clutter-free? Share your tips in the comments section.

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Why do we do good work? Some would say that it’s all about karma — what comes around goes around. Hey, let’s do good things for others so good things will come our way in return! Kind of like a cosmic boomerang. Others say that we have a moral obligation to leave this planet in better condition than when we got here. I’m not sure why, but I keep getting a picture of the final scene in Planet of the Apes. Yikes! Some believe that we need to do as much good as possible to somehow override all the bad stuff we do. I’m not sure about you, but I can generate a lot of bad stuff. Quick, are there any old ladies that need help crossing the street?!

But I think the need – the drive – to do good runs much deeper.

We root for the good guys. We want our own super power. But let’s face it, we live in a pretty broken world. Sure, there are good things that are happening all around us. Beyond bunnies and flowers even, there is real beauty all around. But somehow we know that things just don’t seem to be as they should. Things are working. But not quite right. It seems like there is pain and hurting everywhere. We are moving forward, but the car can’t seem to get out of first gear.

The letter of James says, “Faith without works is dead.” As a person of faith, I’d say that is a pretty convicting statement. If I don’t do good works then I don’t really have faith, right? Maybe I’m aligned a little more closely to some of the viewpoints I mentioned earlier. Better start piling up the good works to make sure my faith is in good standing. But I don’t think James is saying that our works are a requirement for faith as much as they are a confirmation of our faith.

I believe that there is something fundamental in all of us that longs for a world that’s whole and unbroken. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. So when we do work for good causes — from revitalizing impoverished neighborhoods through word and deed, to protecting endangered species around the world, to serving the widows and orphans — we are looking forward to things hoped for, yet unseen. Working with organizations that are redeeming our broken world aligns with our own sense of righteousness and justice. Our clients don’t merely consider us as another vendor, but rather a partner in their story of making a difference in the world. They know we share their vision. We get it. We don’t just help with their communications needs (branding, print, web design). We champion their cause.

Why do we do good work? Because I believe there is something inherently programmed in all of us to make a difference in the world. To right the wrongs. To put the pieces back together as we look forward to the Home where someday everything will be right and whole and good.

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Desire Street Ministries was founded in pre-Katrina New Orleans in the Ninth Ward in 1990. Lead by executive director Danny Wuerffel (winner of the 1996 Heisman trophy), their passion to transform impoverished urban neighborhoods into thriving and sustainable communities has spread to Atlanta, Ga., Dallas, Tx., Lakeland, Fl., and Montgomery, Al. by partnering with local ministries.

The Challenge

Urban children face remarkable challenges. But as Desire Street worked with local ministries they saw that urban ministry leaders walk amidst some of the toughest challenges in the United States today: concentrated poverty, failing schools, unsafe streets, deteriorated housing, high unemployment, inadequate health care. Urban leaders were virtually unsupported. Research shows that half of urban ministers will burn out within five years. Desire Street Ministries’ goal is to help those in urban ministry not only survive, but thrive. The best investment for lasting change in the toughest places is equipping, encouraging and connecting leaders. One investment in the life of a leader yields exponential rewards in the lives of hundreds of urban children and their neighborhoods.

The Solution

Our solution was to develop a print and web campaign around a central concept: Transforming Neighborhoods Two Steps at a Time. While some might say that the way to tackle a tough problem is one step at a time, Desire Street has the experience to know that the key to real change for impoverished neighborhoods is relationships. Long-term revitalization requires a “two steps at a time” approach – leaders walking side-by-side, working together toward solutions. This concept focused on Desire Street’s expertise and how the ministry is sharing its experience through encouraging, equipping, and connecting grassroots leaders. The visual and graphic style followed Desire Street’s strong urban graphic identity. The primary image was a silhouette of two men engaging each other and walking together in an urban setting. The content reinforced the motivating goal behind Desire Street’s ministry: The beauty of God’s renovating, restoring work in ministry leaders, in neighborhoods, in families, and in the hearts of individuals throughout the urban communities where Desire Street partners.

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According to the American Community Survey published by the US Census Bureau, there are 120.6 million married Americans, which equal fifty percent (50%) of the American population. And unfortunately, fifty percent (50%) of those married Americans will get divorced (Divorceguide.com). For Christian marriages, the statistics are just as staggering.

Seventy five percent (75%) of divorced couples in the U.S. cite money as the cause of their martial fighting (Newsweek). These statistics, and many others, prove that the lack of or poor money communication is tearing couples apart. The reason this crisis had not been addressed is because it had never been identified, defined, or given a name.

Scott and Bethany Palmer, or “The Money Couple,” with 38 years of combined financial planning experience, decided to take on this epidemic head on by identifying and defining this problem and offering concrete solutions to fix it through their book, The 5 Money Personalities.

The Palmers wanted a sophisticated, yet whimsical solution for their book cover design and hired Beaver Design Group for the task.

Scott and Bethany Palmer are regulars on national TV, radio and speak internationally about “Love and Money”. Visit their website to learn more.

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“Beautiful music is the art

There are more than 300 children victimized by the sex trade each month in Atlanta. Sixteen musicians and countless others donated their time and talents to produce this Christmas CD and concert to directly benefit ministries fighting child sex trafficking and give voices to the voiceless.

Postcard to promote the Concert of Hope to benefit Innocence Atlanta and the fight against child sex trafficking in Atlanta. Photography by Phillip Spears.

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