YOUR BRAND CLARITY
Proud to be ranked in the top ten on five
2018 Clutch lists
An Expertise Top 20 ranked advertising agency
There’s something to be said about going out on top, and for 2019 we’re ranked #1 in Sarasota and #4 in Washington, DC by industry watcher Clutch.com.
To our clients, vendors and team members past and present, thank you for your countless contributions towards our success. It’s been an amazing 30+ year ride — but it’s time for us to turn the page on another chapter.
On Friday, December 20, 2019, we will close up shop. Some of the ds+f creatives will continue to assist our clients. I leave this industry knowing that the organizations we’ve served are in good hands.
After the 20th , if you need branding, marketing, web, video or advertising help, I encourage you to contact one of these three superstars:
Mike Raso, michaelraso202@gmail.com
Thema Jennings, tjennings@giftedeyedesigns.com
Tony Caruso, tony@carusodesigns.com
All the best,
Don
A TRUE FULL-SERVICE BRANDING AGENCY
We’ve evolved into a next-generation, cloud-based branding boutique, one built on a bedrock of nearly 30 years of bricks-and-mortar locations in Georgetown and downtown Washington, DC. The brands we create elevate products, connect with audiences, drives sales and ignite engagements across all channels.
ds+f is an award winning, true full-service branding agency, powered by pushing boundaries, by never settling, by doing our homework and executing strategically — locally and around the world. We distill your value proposition down to a clear, memorable and impactful declaration of your promise. That’s brand clarity.
EMPOWERED BRANDS
From international manufacturers to leading non-profits to a DC-area, all-girls, Catholic high school, we improve marketing return on investment for a powerfully eclectic client mix. Our clients are bold. They never go halfway. They’re on a mission to outdistance the competition at every step, on any channel.
BOLD OR SUBTLE. LOCAL OR GLOBAL.
BUT ALWAYS CLEVER AND CONTAGIOUS.
It has been our honor to serve an outstanding group of clients over our nearly three decades of existence, a thrill to see our work viewed in more than 90 different countries. It’s all about the challenge.
Kennametal
Strategy / International Branding / Product Naming / Advertising / Identity / Sales Collateral / Environment Design / Video / Web /
Fleet Branding / Signage / Emailers / Annual Reports
CUTTING-EDGE TOOLING SOLUTIONS BACKED BY LEADING-EDGE ADVERTISING
This Fortune 1000 company, headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, and with offices and factories around the world, manufactures industrial tooling solutions, engineered components and advanced materials that are used by leading companies to improve productivity. As Kennametal’s agency of record, we oversee their worldwide marketing efforts, ensuring that they achieve brand clarity in every country.
Cushman & Wakefield
Strategy / Advertising / Benchmark Reports / Collateral and Event Materials / Trade Show Participation / Emailers
THE LAW OF BRANDING WINNERS
Cushman & Wakefield’s Legal Sector Advisory Group, ranked #1 by American Lawyer Magazine, specializes in advising and representing the largest law firms with their office space requirements.
Fisher House Foundation
Strategy / Advertising / Publication Design / Fundraising Collateral / Logo Creation / Annual Reports
HELPING HEROES HELP HEROES
This Charity Navigator top-ranked charity provides wounded soldiers and their loved ones with free housing during hospitalization for an injury or illness. Fisher House also facilitates the Hero Miles and Hotels for Heroes programs to further help our servicemen and women.
USA Bobsled/Skeleton Team
Strategy / Branding / Sled Wraps / Sponsorship / Event Promotion / Identity / Video / Web / Logo Creation
CAPTURING FIRE AND ICE, ON ICE
The US Olympic Committee’s governing organization for the sports of bobsled and skeleton, this is the team that represents our country in World Cup and Olympic games. We help USABS achieve and maintain sustained excellence by ensuring that their brand represents the highest caliber of performance they embody.
Westinghouse
Strategy / Advertising / Web
TURNING A NEW (GREEN) LEAF FOR NUCLEAR POWER
Westinghouse’s nuclear division provides a complete — and highly complex — range of solutions and services for the engineering and automation of power-producing plants around the world. In the US alone, Westinghouse Nuclear’s technology fuels more than 60 percent of the plants in operation today.
Flowserve
Strategy / International Branding / Annual Reports / Advertising / Motion Graphics / Sales Collateral
CAPTURING THEIR EXPERIENCE IN MOTION
This Dallas-headquartered company is the recognized global leader for the industrial pumps, valves, seals, automation and services that power oil, gas, chemical and other industries. From solutions for moving crude through Middle Eastern deserts to applications that help Heineken create great beer, Flowserve is on the forefront of fluid dynamics.
WIDIA
Strategy / International Branding / Product Naming / Advertising / Identity / Sales Collateral / Environment Design / Video / Web / Fleet Branding / Signage / Emailers
SELLING DIAMOND HARD TOOLS IS OUR GOLD STANDARD
Established in Germany nearly a century ago, WIDIA is an industry-leading manufacturer of industrial cutting tools. With their portfolio of well-known brands, including Hanita and GTD, their precision-engineered products and custom services are respected around the world.
National Retail Federation
Strategy / Branding / Event Branding / Logo Creation / Attendee, Exhibitor Marketing / Advertising / Emailers / Membership Promotion
HUGE IDEAS TO MARKET RETAIL’S BIG SHOW
The flagship event of the National Retail Federation, and the retail industry’s largest global annual gathering, NRF’s New York City-based trade show features unparalleled education, collegial networking and an enormous Expo Hall packed with 35,000+ retailers reviewing and buying solutions.
Offit Kurman
Strategy / Logo Creation / Web / Collateral / Identity / Signage / Promotional Systems / Emailers
THE PERFECT BRAND FOR PERFECT LAWYERS
From less than a dozen attorneys to nearly 200, Offit Kurman’s explosive expansion has positioned them as one of the fastest-growing law firms in the Mid-Atlantic region. Their full-service offerings and expertise make them “The Perfect Legal Partner.”
101 Constitution Avenue
Strategy / Branding / Logo Creation / Leasing Collateral / Web
HERALDING THE EPICENTER OF INFLUENCE
Located directly across the street from the US Capitol building in Washington, DC, this trophy property sets the record for the most expensive office space in this vibrant city. But with one-of-a-kind amenities — like a rooftop deck overlook all of Pennsylvania Avenue — it certainly delivers huge bang for your buck.
rand* Construction Corporation
Strategy / Branding / Logo Creation / Identity / Event Collateral / Web / Video / Emailers
A BRAND WORTH BUILDING ON
As the largest woman-owned commercial construction company in the US, rand* stands alone when it comes to attention to detail and craftsmanship. Not to mention a true understanding of the power of a great brand. Everything rand* does is meant to inspire excellence.
Linemark
Strategy / Branding / Logo Creation / Advertising / Direct Mail / Emailers / Event Marketing / Environment Design / Signage / Web
COMING THROUGH FOR THE COMPANY THAT DELIVERS
More than a leading Mid-Atlantic printer, Linemark is a communications partner to the area’s most prestigious enterprises. Their team adds value at every step, and their quality and turnaround times can’t be matched.
Retrospective
FOCUSED DEXTERITY FROM DAY ONE
Thirty years of opportunity and challenging projects have helped shape our reputation — while refining our spirit and diverse toolbox of approaches. From the (very) early days of technology game-changers, companies like MCI, AOL, Polycom, Cogent and Digex, to branding stalwarts such as National Geographic, Washington Post, David Edward furniture, Auto Alliance, CES Show and many others, we have always returned their trust with our creative prowess.
CONSISTENT RESULTS = LONG-TERM CLIENT ENGAGEMENTS
We’re a true full-service agency focused on maximizing the impact of your message. The results-oriented B2B and B2C campaigns we execute are both memorable and effective. We never forget that your customers’ experiences need to be continuous and universal. Perhaps that’s why our client engagements far outlast our industry’s averages.
NOTABLE ENGAGEMENTS:
| National Retail Federation | 20 Years |
| ASIS International | 18 Years |
| National Association of Broadcasters | 15 Years |
| MCI | 12 Years |
| CES Show | 12 Years |
| Kennametal | 12 Years |
| WIDIA | 11 Years |
| Fisher House | 11 Years |
Every engagement begins with a comprehensive strategy to ensure proper targeting for growth, customer retention, consistency and bottom-line results. We incorporate the latest technologies, trends and platforms to increase your campaign’s reach, influence and success.
- Corporate Communications
- Employee Communications
- Annual Reports
- Signage Systems
- Industrial Design
- Vehicle Fleet Identity
Our team excels at creating, naming and launching or relaunching brands. Years of hard-won experience, an insatiable appetite for cross-channel solutions and a desire to deliver an omniscient customer experience are put to good use elevating your brand to the next level.
- Brand Development
- Consulting/Training
- Strategic Planning
- Product/Service Naming & Commercialization
- Taglines/Mission & Vision Statements
- Logo Creation
- Corporate Identity Systems
- Style Guidelines
- Infographics
From fully integrated print/digital/social/video campaigns to international initiatives in 19 different languages to transforming an entire building exterior into a customer-facing ad, we’ve run our share of campaigns that are, first and foremost, created to get you noticed.
- Print Campaigns
- Digital Banner Ads
- Radio
- Lead Generation Campaigns
Our solutions are focused on content, enhanced user experience and functionality to effectively leverage your brand on any screen, on any device. From complex architecture, content development, storyboarding, animation, scripting and video to interactive, responsive programming, we deliver valuable engagement tools.
- Web Design & Development
- SEO
- Digital Marketing Campaigns
- Social Media Integration
- Scripting/Storyboarding
- Site Analytics/Testing
- Video
- Digital Publishing/Apps
Targeting attendees, selling space to exhibitors, promoting media adoption? Our strategy, messaging and creative effectively cuts through the clutter and sells your event's unique value propositions, but in a way that makes them beneficial to the recipients. In the course of our 30+ years in business we have been honored to work on six of the top 10 US-based events.
- Attendee Acquisition
- Exhibitor/Sponsor Acquisition
- Trade Show Exhibits/Materials
- Cross-Platform Campaigns
OBJECTIVES + PROCESS = RESULTS
There’s creative. And then there’s smart creative. Do your homework, get the strategy right the first time, fire up the creative machine, receive the client’s blessing and then execute flawlessly. This is what drives us.
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Every project begins with your organization’s recognition that you have a need and a goal to fulfill. Our involvement mandates a discussion of desired outcomes, defined budgets and well-managed campaign controls.
KEY ELEMENTS: Logistics / Team Selection / Project Parameters / Budgeting / Scheduling / Milestone Setting
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We study your organization, including strengths and weaknesses, and opportunities and threats — internally and externally. Mining the story from you, your clients, your prospects, perhaps even your competitors, helps us develop solid content with a set of unique value propositions. At the same time, we’re reviewing your data and benchmarking it, concentrating on possible overlooked opportunities, underserved audiences and horizontal/vertical growth areas.
KEY ELEMENTS: Channel Strategy / Competitive Analysis / Brand Positioning
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This is where the creativity flows. This is where we trade our suits in for jeans, roll up our sleeves and begin our conceptualization exercises. And only after many rounds of internal ‘show-and-tell’ do we pitch these concepts to you. Throughout this step our ideas are continually tweaked and tightened for strength and clarity to help establish your new brand.
KEY ELEMENTS: Message Development / Image Establishment / Concept Refinement
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Concepts and initial strategies are fine-tuned and fleshed out for multiple channel delivery. The campaign’s rollout schedule is revisited and locked down. Production is accomplished and every party involved is enlightened as to the role they will play in the campaign’s successful outcome.
KEY ELEMENTS: Final Concept Selection / Approval of Strategy / Approval of Delivery Channels
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An outstanding level of service, complete professionalism and laser-focused attention to detail are the hallmarks of our reputation. Nothing slips through the cracks as we pull the trigger and introduce the world to your brand.
If we’re tasked with analytics, it’s during this stage that we implement the latest measurement tools, program for premium Search Engine Optimization, monitor results and adjust our channel mix for maximum impact and ROI.
KEY ELEMENTS: SEO and Site Stress Testing / Ad Materials Insertion / Collateral Distribution / Printing and Fulfillment / Analysis
FROM MONUMENTAL HALLS
TO VIRTUAL WALLS
From a historic schoolhouse in Georgetown to an iconic loft on F Street in Northwest Washington, DC, we’ve always selected memorable places to create a little history of our own.
Today, we have evolved to be next-generation and cloud-based. For team gatherings and client meetings, the firm utilizes a funky, industrial warehouse in the quaint waterside town of Annapolis, MD, convenient to Washington, DC, Baltimore, MD and BWI airport. And, while our desks are no longer in close proximity, the agency’s cohesive team — with more than 100 years of collective experience — remains positioned to provide the highest level of branding solutions.
Same team, same exceptional service, same award-winning talent and same focus: to bring clarity to your brand and exceed your expectations. The only things missing? Our brutal Washington, DC commutes.
HISTORY
From our founding in 1991, we have focused on removing traditional marketing obstacles and maximizing the impact of our clients’ messages.
While much of our industry’s landscape has changed in the ensuing decades, we have steadfastly remained dedicated to great work, advantageous technological advancements and stellar client service. We look forward to working with you, creating lasting campaigns and a partnership that will enrich your marketing execution.
AWARDS
The industry accolades we’ve collected have been many. But we’re proudest of the results we’ve delivered for our clients — and the bonds we’ve made along the way.
COMMUNITY
We really want to believe that there is a good corporate citizenship heaven. Our pro bono engagements are an integral part of the culture at ds+f. We’ve served dozens of non-profit organizations throughout our history. Presently, our efforts are focused on raising awareness and funds for Fisher House Foundation and their programs, including: Hotels for Heroes, Team Fisher House and Hero Miles.
