Category: Uncategorized

Steve Jobs said the only way to do great work is to love what you do.

Why it matters: Passion alone isn’t sufficient to create something exceptional (skill and teamwork are significant factors, too). But, there are few examples of inspired work done by uninspired people. 

What we do: CRAFT finds spirited professionals who can bring our clients’ stories to life through powerfully creative content and programming. 

Why it works: Creative storytelling creates value. Whether it’s revealing the latest consumer trends and their impacts on retailers or explaining how the auto industry will shape the future of personal mobility, our work enables our clients to communicate in more interesting, unique, and effective ways. 

Why we’re excited: This year, CRAFT won 12 Telly Awards – a special recognition of outstanding media work. We are grateful to our team for the award-winning efforts and to our clients for the opportunity to do what we love. 

Complete list of awards: 

American Petroleum Institute: 

🏆Silver Telly (Hybrid Events)

🏆Silver Telly (Branded Content) 

🏆Bronze Telly (Virtual Events and Experiences) 

Association of Equipment Manufacturers: 

🏆Silver Telly (Informational Video)

🏆Bronze Telly (Web Series)

Auto Innovators: 

🏆Silver Telly (Branded Promotional Content)

🏆Silver Telly (Automotive Video)

National Retail Federation: 

🏆Bronze Telly (Regional TV, Public Awareness)

🏆Bronze Telly (Virtual Events and Experiences)

🏆Bronze Telly (Hybrid Events)

🏆Bronze Telly (Branded Content) 

The Mosaic Company: 

🏆Silver Telly (Sustainability Video)

We’ve launched hundreds of advocacy campaigns over the last twelve years at CRAFT. Some small, some big—most defied the odds and many have won awards. But every campaign cements our belief in two key pillars that produce real advocacy success. 

Why it matters: Communicators have finite resources, and every campaign depends on creative strategy. By focusing on activities with outsized impact, communicators can achieve more—regardless of budget. 

The two biggest leverage points for advocacy campaigns are creativity and speed.

Mary Barra, CEO, General Motors: “When people ask me that question, ‘what keeps you up at night?’ – I always say speed.” Speed is the ultimate competitive advantage in business and communications. Getting the message right is essential. Getting it out quickly is win or lose. Here’s a recent example:

• The situation: Looking for revenue to offset increased government spending, Congress threatened a major tax increase on American manufacturers.
   
• What happened next: The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) called on CRAFT to push back quickly – before the proposals gained momentum. We moved from concept to placement on airwaves, TV sets, Twitter feeds, and newspapers in less than a week.
   
• The result: A tax provision that would have disproportionately harmed manufacturers was removed from the bill – a major victory for NAM.
  (Video coverage from CNBC.) 

Howard Gossage, Advertising Legend: “Nobody reads advertising. People read what interests them, and sometimes it’s an ad.” We’d take this a step further: it’s rarely an ad. The only way to get them to engage with your ad – and to have any shot of affecting their beliefs as a consequence – is to prioritize creativity in both strategy and execution. 

A winning campaign requires new, unanticipated ways to connect with your audience with content that inspires or intrigues and makes them feel. Here’s an example of creativity at work: 

• The situation: American retailers were doing everything they could to keep prices down despite record-high inflation and Congress wasn’t taking action.
   
• What happened next: The National Retail Federation (NRF) partnered with CRAFT to publicize the effects of inflation and Congressional actions that would reduce economic pressure on consumers. We conceived and produced a creative, tension-building video about inflation (literally and figuratively) that fueled a digital, TV, and out-of-home (shout-out DCA) advocacy campaign.
   
• The result: NRF established itself as a leader in the fight against inflation with a creative promotional video that was seen more than 15 million times in just a few weeks, and on August 16, the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law. 

The bottom line: Creativity and speed make or break an effective advocacy campaign. These are key to better, faster, stronger advocacy.

CRAFT DELIVERS 3RD BLOCKBUSTER WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS’ EVENT

★★★ After a smashing event last year at the BRITISH EMBASSY, CRAFT partnered with THE HILL to produce another memorable White House Correspondents’ event — Politics Without Prejudice: A Toast to Freedom of the Press.

The event delivered world-class entertainment to Washington’s elite, with a special performance by Grammy Award-winning musician and music journalist QUESTLOVE. Guests enjoyed cocktails and dancing in one of Washington’s most historic and beautiful event spaces: THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY.

★★★  CRAFT produces powerful LIVE brand experiences and thought leadership platforms that engage influencers across the country, on behalf of Fortune 500 companies, top trade associations, media companies, and embassies. These event experiences focus on brand advocacy, employee engagement, and influencer outreach.

★★★  CRAFTER SPOTLIGHT: SINEAD CASEY

CRAFT’s experiential marketing practice is lead by Sinead Casey. Sinead is the Director of Client Solutions at CRAFT, where she plays a key role in the agency’s client strategy and creative production. Sinead leads accounts across CRAFT’s media, digital, and public affairs channels, developing and executing strategy for clients including national trade associations, international corporations, and political organizations.

A natural collaborator and battle-tested problem-solver, Sinead has the ability to connect the dots between mediums, disciplines, and people. Sinead is well versed in advocacy-driven communications, digital media, brand-building, and advancing business initiatives.