Notes from the Rock Archives - Red Rock

Category Archives for "Notes from the Rock"

international women's day graphic
Mar 07

Celebrating Women’s Leadership in New Haven and Beyond

By redrockadmin | Notes from the Rock

This International Women’s Day, we wish to acknowledge and appreciate the outstanding women leaders who contribute to and inform our Red Rock client community. We are so fortunate to be able to learn from them every day.

jill mayer headshot president of manufacturect

JILL MAYER

President of the Board of Directors of ManufactureCT, unifying and advocating for the needs of manufacturers statewide. Also the CEO and 5th generation leader of the family-owned electronics firm Bead Industries, Jill was recently named to the Power 25 list - Class of 2022, published by New Haven Biz. 

maritza bond, MPH headshot director of public health city of new haven

Maritza Bond, MPH

Director of Public Health, City of New Haven, fighting for the health of New Haven families and health equity, community-wide. Over the past year, Director Bond has overseen Covid-safety, reopened businesses, and led the Health Department through rebranding and a strategic planning process. 

city of new haven health department full color logo - new
Lynn Madden PhD MPA headshot CEO & President of the APT Foundation

Lynn Madden, PhD, MPA

CEO and President of the APT Foundation, where taking bold risks to break down stigma and confront stereotypes is leading the way for open access to evidence-based treatment of opioid and other substance use disorders across Greater New Haven

apt foundation logo full color treatment research and recovery
jill williams MD headshot medical program director nyc tcttac program
nancy covell PhD Medical Program director headshot nyc tcttac

Jill Williams, MD &

Nancy Covell, PhD

Medical and Program Directors, respectively, of the TCTTAC initiative, now known as “Tic-Tac,” a project of the DOHMH Bureau of Mental Health, operated in partnership with Center for Practice Innovations at Columbia Psychiatry and the Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc., at the New York State Psychiatric Institute, in partnership with Rutgers University. The program demonstrates and provides training in how to effectively integrate strategies for addressing tobacco use into behavioral health care settings.

NYC TCTTAC Logo Color
soledad matteozzi headshot board member conscious capitalism connecticut chapter

SOLEDAD MATTEOZZI

A law professional and Board Member of Conscious Capitalism, Connecticut Chapter, Soledad helped develop the Chapter’s new Conscious Leaders Network and is now collaborating with the Sustainable Law Network to rally the law profession around tenets of Conscious Capitalism. Shifting her career away from traditional law towards ESG, she co-founded Thinking Beyond Business to help small and medium-sized businesses grow and become more profitable while operating in a socially and environmentally friendly way. 

conscious capitalism connecticut chapter full color logo

We salute your service and leadership, and look forward to new opportunities to help you realize your vision!

Glen and the Red Rock Team

work from home backroom staff
Aug 24

Meet the Backroom Staff

By redrockadmin | Connect with the Rock , Notes from the Rock

We decided this week our backroom staff deserves some public attention. After all, these loyal colleagues are joining our online zoom meetings and helping each day go by faster. As you will see, they each in their own way help us get our job done!

ELLIOT

Austin, TX

Elliot is an 8 month Boxer. He goes by the names of Elliot, Ellie, Smelly Ellie, Magooguhmuh, or Jelly Belly. On a typical day he likes to sleep late and cuddle. He loves to go for walks at a park called Mueller, where there’s lots of flowers,paths, a big turtle pond and a farmers market. While Dad plays the guitar or harmonica Elliot sings and howls along, (Click here to watch Elliot jam out to harmonica!) Sometimes Elliot's best friend Duke will come over and they will wrestle all night. Duke and Ellie are essentially just like Dumb and Dumber when they get together. By the end of the night when everyone is ready for bed,  Elliot crawls into the middle of the bed, takes up all the room and puts his paws up, lips hanging out and eyes closed, ready for cuddles and whatever show we are binge watching.  He has sweet puppy dreams and is ready for the next day.

JODYE

Austin, TX

Jodye is a rabbit, he is named after A$AP Rocky aka Lord Pretty Flocko Jodye. He’s an intellectual. He has the education level of a kindergartener, we know this because he came from a kindergarten class and now he has a loving home with us. He loves to eat carrots, apples, celery, special rabbit food, toilet paper rolls, hay, anything he can dig his big rabbit teeth into. His layer is set up next to the window that looks out onto what we call “the chicken tree”. Jodye likes to be chauffeured to his two story penthouse on the patio where everyone spends time outside. By the end of the night, he gets chauffeured back to his room, bobs his head up and down and gets put back to go  to sleep in his den.

DEXTER

UK > Spain > CT, USA

Meet Dexter the Cockapoo! Dexter is a well traveled pup having been born in Southampton, England, lived in Spain and now residing in Connecticut making him possibly the most well traveled Cockapoo in the world! He was named after the infamous TV serial killer and he spends his days dreaming of chasing tennis balls or snuggling up with clients in therapy sessions as he is an Emotional Support Animal.  His favorite food is chicken anything and pigs ears.  Prince Dexter, as he likes to be referred to, is very active on social media with regular posts to Facebook (Click here to connect) and see some of his modeling work and a video of him landing at JFK

FLUORITE

Charleston, SC

Fluorite the betta fish is named after her blue, purple and green scales that resemble rainbow fluorite gemstones. She also goes by Fluo (pronounced flow) for short. On a typical day you’ll find her napping in the corner of her tank under her plant or searching for food. In fact she’s a pretty low key and dismissive gal unless you bring her food pellets around... then you’ll get her attention. Fluo’s seen videos of Alley’s previous betta fish, Opal, traveling and hopes that once the Covid virus settles down, she can take her first airplane ride (yes, fish can fly too).

GB

West Haven, CT

GB stands for Gorgeous Bird (as if I needed to tell you that!) I am a Blue Indian Ringneck Parrot. Elinor is my person. I have been with her since Nov 2019. Sometimes she calls me by my nickname, “Geebs.” Elinor is lucky to be at home more lately to behold my gorgeousness. We chat throughout the day. I am quite the conversationalist! I mainly ask her “What’s going on?” over and over. My favorite treats are walnuts in their shells and fortune cookies. I also really enjoy having the whole Red Rock flock together on zoom calls! Signing off, MMMWAH

 I help with filing! Here I am chewing a business card 

SPRINKLES & ODIN

Milford, CT

These 2 blokes, Sprinkles (top) and Odin (bottom) are deeply committed to their 18+ hours a day sleeping schedule. Since COVID they have become our feline co-workers and often feature in the zoom background. Many of my zoom callers like to show how well read they are with real or virtual libraries and stacks of books, but I prefer these two on the couch in my zoom background.

 

We hope you enjoy seeing the critter friends on our Red Rock team. COVID has given all of us humans a greater appreciation of their role as "emotional support" during these trying times. We are much better able to do what we do with them by our side!

2019 Video Content Trend Blog Post Red Rock Branding
Feb 22

Marketing Trends for 2019 – Why video?

By Glen McDermott | Notes from the Rock

My affection for cameras began at an early age. Finely machined, infinitely calibrated and ready to do awesome work if properly handled. It was not until my first immersion in the dark room that I became hooked.

My dream job as a photojournalist was never realized, but the camera became a permanent travel companion and our steady partnership has lasted many countries over many years. We always encouraged one another to climb that peak at sunrise and seek that special light as we took the road less traveled.

This journey led to different roles in the film industry in outback Australia, with Meryl Streep and Sam Neill in  “Cry in the Dark,” Tom Selleck in “Quigley Down Under,” and Ben Mendelsohn in “Dangerous Game.” I now knew what the camera was capable of in the right hands.

As a storyteller, my relationship with the camera is now one of total commitment. The camera has also dropped a lot of weight and is no longer the expensive luxury item it used to be.

While we have eluded the mythical “viral video” at Red Rock, we tell our customers story with authenticity that viewers love and our clients are very satisfied with millions of views, comments and shares.

WHY VIDEO?

We are all trying to make a personal connection with our audience. When building your brand, always follows these steps: Get to KNOW, LIKE, TRUST. A good video strategy can do this authentically and at scale. Videos should prompt people to engage with a brand in a genuine fashion. TELL, Don't SELL.

FIRST - CREATE YOUR GOAL

Set a goal for your video whether it's to gain awareness, build an audience, convert, etc. Make sure your video creative has purpose and will lead to your desired result. Ask yourself the following questions before following through.

  • How many stories are you trying to tell
  • Is it something your audience wants to see
  • Is it the right length (shorter the better)
  • Will this people a single video or part of a series
  • Is the video true to Your Brand

TYPE OF VIDEOS

Here are a few common video types that can be used to promote your business.

  • Introduce yourself, your team, where you work, and why you do what you do
  • Share testimonials
  • Offer behind the scenes access to your product/business
  • Instruction/demo of your product 

HOW TO START

Do your research. Stalk the competition - see what's popular, and what's been done before you. Come up with a concept based off this information making sure that it will stand out and be successful. Once you have a clear concept, create a storyboard. Use the passion you have for your business to speak to your audience in an authentic way. 

Check 1, 2 and 3. Good audio and video quality is important. Technology has come a long way but a successful video must have clear audio and visuals to retain viewers. To shoot great video, apply the same basic rules of photography with lighting and composition.

TAKE IT FROM US

As a marketer, video is our best tool, as its the fastest way to build trust. At Red Rock we create video content at scale, without the Hollywood budgets. When it's ready to go, we push it out to the right screen at the right time.

Dealing with mental health issues is a communication challenge when the symptoms are invisible, its surrounded by myths and no one wants to talk about it.

Tractors have many moving parts. Good product demos can shorten the sales cycle and drive showroom traffic with customers ready to buy.

Set your video apart by filming from unique perspectives. There is no angle off limits when you use a drone to film your video.

Let your testimonials be more than just quotes. Use video for a more personal and convincing testimonial/demo. Include some of your most valued customers to let them know you appreciate their business.

Entering 2019, video will become the most high-preforming content for businesses. This means in order to compete in the market, you should be creating an abundance of video content for your channels.

While creating successful content on your own is doable, we are here to do the job for you. If you see video as a way to drive your brand story, then ask me how we can help create, connect and thrive your brand. So drop an email to [email protected]

Tracy Crutchfield How I became a graphic designer blog post boat photo
Jan 02

How Did I Go From Owning Of A Fishing Boat To Art Director At Red Rock?

By Tracy Crutchfield | Notes from the Rock

February 1990, the wind was coming out of the east at a gale. Three foot waves were predicted… they were at least five footers. I jammed my feet into the scuppers along starboard rail thinking that could help hold me on the deck and keep me from falling over every time a wave hit. Did you ever have bruises on top of your toes, in the winter no less? It hurts to walk for days if not weeks even in slippers.

It could be a tough job, but I was always interested in the ocean. I worked at a marine science lab in high school, my grandfather was a marine mechanic and I have been a risk taker since birth. When my boyfriend, who was a captain, said “we should buy that boat from Allen,” I thought, “Why not, that could be a fun adventure.” I wrote a business plan and convinced a bank to loan us the money. We had zero credit, zero down payment, but we had loads of energy and enthusiasm.

SO HOW DID I GO FROM OWNING A FISHING BOAT TO ART DIRECTOR AT RED ROCK?

To keep my boat, the Poquahaug, and nautical lifestyle afloat, I worked second shift at a local newspaper running a horizontal reproduction camera and dark room. Five days a week I jumped off the boat at 2:30 pm, ran up the dock and changed in the marina bathroom to go to work by 3 pm, sometimes smelling like fish guts and thankful I was in the dark room by myself! Even with the daily mad dash to the job, I grew to love printing. 

After a few years of trying to make it work, our youth and inexperience caught up to us. We had to sell the boat or risk losing everything.  After a few years of trying to make it work, our youth and inexperience caught up to us. We had to sell the boat or risk losing everything. I went to work for a start-up label printer. They had sixteen employees, all men except me. It was exciting to be there from the start. The owners hired me to do their manual based pre-press operations. I convinced them to buy a Mac computer, an imagesetter, Pagemaker and Macromedia Freehand. I taught myself, with a little help from some friends, how to use it and maintain it. I worked insanely long hours, sometimes sleeping on the big rolls of paper out in the warehouse.

I learned so much about typography and what draws viewers to your product on a busy grocery shelf. The salesmen would hand me faxes with images of labels on them and I had to recreate them. It was here that I was introduced to art directors from big NYC agencies who came to the plant to do press checks on their printing projects. I started to create my own label designs and I quickly realized that I wanted to learn more. In 1995 I quit my job and went to art school for graphic design. I thought I would eventually work for an agency as a junior designer and someday an art director. I started getting freelance projects while still in school, first from a childhood friend who owned a billboard business, then others followed

The freelance world started to lose its charm and my financial responsibilities were mounting when I went to work an in-house freelance gig in 2004. A year later I was competing for this new graphic designer position at Yale New Haven Hospital. For a few years I worked as the only in-house creative on the communications team at Yale New Haven Hospital and that was where I really honed my organizational and relationship skills. 

I juggled multiple projects, deadlines and clients for years, alone. I had the opportunity to work with a talented group of colleagues - writers, public relations pros, photographers and clinicians who were on the forefront of the changing healthcare landscape. The projects ranged from bi-weekly newsletters, brochures, displays, signage, to a high-end case statement for the development fund at Smilow Cancer Hospital that helped raise $100 million towards construction costs.

In 2012 the healthcare landscape was shifting in a radical way. I became an Art Director when our three sister hospital marketing departments came together as one department and we shifted to a more global system structure. The department went from 12 staff members to 34 managing the needs of three hospitals and 20,000 employees. I was the design lead working directly with the Associate Director of Branding when we began the process of a large scale rebranding of Yale New Haven Health.

Fast forward to 2016. My husband was diagnosed with leukemia. Caring for my husband and my aging parents became difficult while balancing the demands of a traditional corporate environment. Tapping into some of the same risk-taking attitude that allowed me to start my own fishing business years earlier, I decided to explore options for a new chapter of this book called Life.

Everything clicked into place when Glen, who was starting to build Red Rock, asked me to come to a meeting as an advisor to healthcare based client. Red Rock seemed like the perfect setting for my next chapter. I love working with the team at Red Rock. It is a true collaboration, where all of us have an equal voice and we are all learning, encouraging and pushing each other to grow.

I look back now and realize, through all the chapters in my life, one lead to next as if it were planned. The next chapter, at Red Rock, is still being written.

Alexandra Sordi Why I'm A Graphic Designer Blog Post Childhood Photo
Oct 16

You Might Be A Graphic Designer If…

By Alley Sordi | Notes from the Rock

My brother and I coloring.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

When I was 5 years old, I could easily answer this question. I wanted to be a teacher. However as I grew up and took on many different interests, this question became harder and harder to answer.

Eventually there came time where I was applying to colleges and had to choose a major that would reflect what I wanted to be. I didn’t like the pressure of having to choose one thing. I was interested and curious about almost everything!

At the time I had been taking a digital art course at my high school and worked on a specific project; design a product, its brand and its packaging. I really enjoyed this class and felt there was so much more to learn so I made a split decision to choose Graphic Designer as “what I wanted to be”.

I attended a liberal arts school, got a degree in Digital Art and Design, and now I can say I happily hold a position as a graphic designer at Red Rock.

I have to admit, I wasn’t sure why being a graphic designer is such a great fit for me until I had to sit down and write this blog post, but I think I’ve figured it out!

You might also be a graphic designer if...

1. YOU GET BORED EASILY

When I find something that interests me, I tend to dive-in and give it my all until I find there’s nothing left to learn and it’s no longer challenging. It’s at that point where I become bored, lose interest and move on to something else.

The marketing and design world is constantly evolving. There’s always new technologies, strategies, platforms, etc. to stay on top of. This allows me to continuously learn and challenge myself, thus I never seem to be bored.

2. YOU LIKE LEARNING ABOUT NEW THINGS

The great thing about working for a marketing agency is that I’m constantly working with a wide variety of clients. Each time we take on a client, I get to learn a lot about a particular business and subject. For example, I now know more about psychosis from working with MindMap and rowing/racing shells from working with Vespoli.

3. YOU LOVE CREATIVE PROJECTS

There’s something fulfilling about going through the creative process of making something tangible, unique and different. Even though I design for clients, I am still able to express myself through my work. I also get the chance to creative problem solve and work with other creative people.

4. YOU LIKE THE IDEA OF EVERYDAY BEING DIFFERENT

For reasons previously stated, everyday at a marketing agency is different. Whether it’s designing new material, solving a client’s problem or working past an IT issue, there’s always something new in each day.

5. YOU WANT TO WORK FOR A COMPANY THAT SHARES YOUR VALUES

I appreciate working for a company whose values are aligned with mine. Red Rock works with nonprofits, health and wellness initiatives and other small to mid-size business that bring something positive to their surrounding communities. We really care about telling our clients’ stories, building communities and marketing in a way that is transparent and honest.  Designing for a company like Red Rock allows me to really stand behind the work I produce.

The work environment at Red Rock is very collaborative. For the most part, every person on our team has a part in every project. We all come from different backgrounds and have different skill-sets so when we come together, we produce better results. I am able to to learn from and be challenged by my coworkers.

The Red Rock Team

Glen MecDermott Story on How he started his own marketing agency blog post
Aug 15

How I Bicycled My Way to Better Branding

By Glen McDermott | Notes from the Rock

Growing up in Australia, I fancied myself an early explorer temporarily based in the new frontier town of Canberra. I spent hours drooling over maps and reading of faraway exotic lands, planning my exit. 

The world atlas was my bible.

That's me on the back.

My quest for adventure multiplied when I got my first bicycle for my 10th birthday. Suddenly, my ability to escape my siblings went from five miles on foot to 20 miles on my bike.

I bonded with those two wheels, and together we went places on the roads less travelled. Short tours around Australia and Tasmania led to extended rides throughout Southeast Asia.

These trips were transformational.

Cappadocia, Turkey.

Mount Nemrut, Turkey

Riding 100+ miles a day gets you in great shape, so I arrived at these places in the height of wellness and full of gratitude.

I had made a huge personal effort to travel, inspiring openness and appreciation in most everyone I met. I had invested in getting to their town.

On a bike, you are unprotected, exposed, and vulnerable, and vulnerability is the ultimate human connector. The people I met wanted to know my story, and they wanted to tell theirs. It’s the ancient exchange of travelers —a precious global currency and I have plenty.

From the Buddhist temples of Indonesia to the remote goat herder camps along the Russian border, I was warmly received by complete strangers over and over, everywhere I went.

We shared stories. We communicated across language barriers. This kind of true human connection is hard to achieve when you travel tucked away in planes and cars.

Bagan, The ancient capital of Burma (Myanmar)

Mountain ranges are daunting obstacles on a bike tour. But if taken one visible stretch at a time, it's doable.

Slow and steady.

Not only does reaching a mountain summit on two wheels give an immense sense of accomplishment, it offers an awesome view of the world and an appreciation for what is humanly possible. This has been one of my biggest takeaways  from the many countries and ranges I have ridden.

Anything is possible!

​Throughout these bicycle trips, I served on marketing teams for Australia’s Country Road, Metro in Singapore, The Limited in the U.S., and other Fortune 500 companies. But those miles changed me. I wanted to do something more meaningful, more healthy, and more authentic. I knew I had to leverage my creativity and deep well of gratitude to help people live better and more meaningful lives. 

The Blue Mosque, Istanbul

I now had a responsibility to apply my skills in creating ideas, images, and video to build a better world. I wanted to support the companies and organizations that are part of the solution.

Slow and steady.

And so Red Rock was born here in New Haven, Connecticut.

Red Rock takes the corporate world’s best marketing practices and applies them to nonprofits, health and wellness initiatives, and small to mid-sized businesses. We tell our clients’ stories with compassion, empathy, and authenticity, key ingredients for effective communication and a connected customer base.

WHY RED ROCK?

The vast featureless plains of the Australian Outback lead to a massive red sandstone rock.

Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock or simply “The Red Rock,” is Australia's iconic spiritual center. This monolithic sandstone feature rises out of the desert, an icon to be seen from miles around. It’s a gathering place for local tribes, an oasis and a focal point of their ancient storytelling.

The Red Rock is everything a good brand needs to be.