the maplewood

As business people and marketers, all our endeavors present an opportunity to communicate in a purposeful way. Regardless of media or physical manifestation, all our work provides a chance to reinforce our brands and solidify the relationships we maintain with our audiences. The products we build, the hours we’re open, the questions our websites answer, the conveniences we offer. These are all brand touch points.

I was reminded of this recently as I watched the installation of street entry signage for our client Maplewood Nursing & Rehabilitation. As part of its brand, The Maplewood takes very seriously its commitment to the Village of Webster, the home of the Rochester-area skilled nursing facility for more than 30 years. This commitment led The Maplewood to build a more direct connection between it and the Village. This connection is in the form of an entrance and parking area off Main Street, which now augments The Maplewood’s existing Daniel Drive entrance.

Dubbed the “Webster Gateway”, this project communicates in a physical way the Maplewood’s commitment to Webster, thereby reinforcing the family- and community-related elements of its brand. With extra parking created by the new entrance, village patrons now have enhanced access to The Maplewood and neighboring businesses that share this improved convenience. With the entrance and parking area’s carefully designed walkways, landings and crossovers, Maplewood residents and family members now have easier access to the Village, which opens up new options for warm weather activities.

The Maplewood’s project exemplifies the commitment between an exceptional business neighbor and the village it calls home. Yes, The Maplewood can expect a boost in visibility through its new entrance and signage. But that boost will only come as a result of the careful planning, design and construction of this new gateway, which is as much a brand-building endeavor as anything it communicates via “typical” marketing media.

What are some of the ways you communicate your brand outside of typical media? What additional opportunities exist to be leveraged?

Winning an award within your industry is always a thrill. The affirmation from your peers is always welcome. But just as the awards we’ve earned recognize the effectiveness of our creative approach toward solving business problems, they also recognize our clients’ vision and commitment to objectives-based communication design. For that we’d like to thank Greg Chambery at The Maplewood and Rob Ewanow at Photo Booth Fun. The environment they helped create paved the way for a handful of 2012 Summit Creative Awards. Those awards are:

• Gold Award in the Consumer Service Website category for The Maplewood Nursing & Rehabilitation
• Silver Award in the Health/Medicine Website category for The Maplewood Nursing & Rehabilitation
• Bronze Award in the Consumer Service Logo/Trademark category for Photo Booth Fun

So what is a Summit Creative Award? With an 18-year history, the award competition recognizes and celebrates the creative accomplishments of advertising agencies and creative groups with annual billings under $30 million. Included in its panel of judges are leaders of top creative agencies, universities and corporations from across the world.

Entries in 23 categories came from over 20 countries this year. Judges searched for innovative and creative concepts, strong executions and the ability to communicate and persuade. In the end, winners were selected in a wide-range of categories from print and broadcast to emerging media and viral marketing.

Our award-winning clients offered their thoughts and enthusiasm on the recognition:

Greg Chambery, Administrator of Maplewood Nursing & Rehabilitation
“Sometimes it’s important for an organization to go outside of traditional approaches and thinking when considering what current and future customers desire. This website presented us with just such an opportunity and we’re glad we chose a design that represented a road less traveled.”

Rob Ewanow, President of Photo Booth Fun
“When I started my business, one of the first things I knew I would need is a quality logo, one which would clearly communicate what my business offers. It had to be fun, whimsical, unique and above all clear. Having prior experience with the team at Bob Wright Creative I went right to them with my challenge and they delivered. I had a number of logos to choose from, making the decision even more difficult. I'm very happy with the one I selected, as it effectively represents our brand in a variety of media including traditional and digital.”

Again, thanks to Greg Chambery and Rob Ewanow. And of course, thanks to our creative team for their tireless commitment to providing exceptional work on behalf of our clients!

Mike Gastin, Jim Mattiucci and I just returned from Best of the Web 2012, presented by Rochester Business Journal. As blogged about recently, our client The Maplewood was selected as a finalist in the Healthcare category.

Well, turns out we didn’t win the prize this year. But it was enjoyable to view many other award-level websites that are aesthetically beautiful and, more importantly,  clearly operating as valuable business assets.

During each category’s build-up, it was interesting to hear about the enhancements the finalists have planned for their websites in 2012. The three things I noticed most are:

• Introduction of video (or creation of more video)
• Addition of a mobile version
• Lead management, order processing and other forms of user input

The first two speak to how audiences are using the web. The third speaks to what website owners want to achieve with their web properties. This is exciting to me because it’s a reminder that we’re truly in a new era of web publishing where user needs and organizational expectations for tangible business-relevant return are both paramount.

What are some of the enhancements you have planned for your web presence in 2012 and beyond? Is it a focus on your content strategy and ongoing content creation? Perhaps it's the establishment or formalization of web lead management? Some combination? Something completely different? I’d love read your thoughts.

Well done, Best of the Web finalists in and around Rochester. We have every reason to be proud of the websites, applications and content that represent our corner of the online universe.

We're very excited for our client, The Maplewood, for being selected as a finalist in this year's "Best of the Web" competition, held by the Rochester Business Journal. VisitMaplewood.com is in the Health Care category. Winners will be chosen during a ceremony on March 13.

The Bob Wright Creative team worked with Maplewood administrator Greg Chambery and his team to complete a marketing strategy and re-branding initiative, out of which the new Maplewood website was born.

In creating the website, we knew the importance of producing a centralized information hub to live at the heart of a purposeful inbound marketing effort. The site has a number of features including a virtual tour, multiple blogs, videos, and audio podcasts. The result is a deep, valuable resource for current and prospective residents and their loved ones, advisors, and members of the medical community.

Many thanks to Greg Chambery and The Maplewood for the vision which has driven the site's creation, and congratulations to all of the finalists. We look forward to March 13!

Sometimes the full essence of a particular story can’t be fully conveyed through one media type alone, or even a collection of certain media types. When rebranding The Maplewood and building a new website for the long-term and rehabilitation care facility, we uncovered a challenge: Not everything that makes The Maplewood special can be conveyed via text and photos. The intangible qualities of staff – personalities, life experiences, values, passions – are all crucial elements in understanding the full Maplewood story. Observation of these qualities is important to prospective residents and families as they navigate what can be uncertain waters. Communicating these qualities requires a creative approach. The result was a series of “Getting to Know” videos, each highlighting a different member of the Maplewood family. With video, we were able to bring a range of human characteristics to the full Maplewood story. Here’s an example:Peace of mind is critical for those making long-term and rehabilitation care decisions. Through the help of video, the Maplewood’s audience can be confident that the right choice of care is being made. In your world, what messages pose a challenge for traditional media? How do you leverage video and other forms of new media?

Congratulations to Greg Chambery, Owner/Administrator at client company The Maplewood. Greg recently made a guest appearance on "the CEO Hour" where he, along with attorney Kevin Cooman, discussed financial and legal issues pertaining to long-term nursing care.

For me, an interesting take-away is the level to which The Maplewood dedicates itself to innovation within the ever-changing long-term care operating environment. This is especially impressive when we consider the ripple effect Baby Boomers will soon have. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents, aunts and uncles! But, it seems that commitment to innovation will be key as the demands of this sizable demographic are felt.

Greg's participation in this forum also illustrates The Maplewood's commitment to being a valuable resource not only to its residents and family members, but to the greater community as well.

Click here to listen to Greg Chambery on "the CEO Hour".

With your first step inside The Maplewood in Webster, New York, one thing becomes abundantly clear - the nature of long-term and rehabilitation care has changed. The Maplewood's foundation of innovative clinical care is housed within a model that is focused on hospitality, not institutional confines. The Maplewood feels more like a resort, and less like a nursing home. With this in mind, we set out to deliver a new website that captures the unique nature of the Maplewood brand. "Distinctly Different" is a key pillar of The Maplewood - one that informs every aspect of the website. As the central hub for Maplewood information, family members, residents, professional community, and staff all benefit from a rich presentation of valuable content. Highlights include photo slideshows, in-depth information, "Get to Know" videos, and a growing blog presence. Soon to be launched will be an audio podcast series to help listeners make informed decisions around long-term and rehabilitation care. Many thanks go to Maplewood's owner/administrator, Greg Chambery, for having the vision and commitment to developing a site of this nature. We invite you to visit www.MaplewoodNursingHome.com, and lend us your feedback.