We're a '10': Gilbert & Associates Ranked by Pacific Business News

Gilbert & Associates is Hawaii's 10th largest advertising agency according to the Pacific Business News' 2012 "Book of Lists."

The ranking marks the agency's fourth growth spurt in five years, climbing from 14th in 2008, 13th in 2009 and 2010, and 11th in 2011. Annual rankings are based on the previous year's capitalized billings.

The Kahului-based agency continues to be the largest firm outside of Honolulu. 

Gilbert & Associates has provided award-winning marketing, public relations, advertising and creative services for clients throughout the Aloha State and beyond since 1974. Click here to read entire post!

Vines Promoted to Director of Public Relations and Social Media

Gilbert & Associates, Hawaii’s largest advertising agency outside of Honolulu, today announced the promotion of Todd A. Vines to Director of Public Relations and Social Media.

“Todd’s passion for community outreach and knowledge of new media tools has helped our family of clients best share their story with the greatest possible audience,” said Larry Gilbert, founder and president of Gilbert & Associates.

“This promotion further illustrates the ongoing evolution for our agency and steady elevation of our client services.”

While the accompanying photo is shared tongue-in-cheek, Todd does, indeed, feel sparkly about advocating for clients. 

He can be reached at todd at gilbertadvertising dot com, or (808) 871-6230. Click here to read entire post!

10 Ways You Can Tell That It’s Obviously the Holidays at Gilbert & Associates [2011 Edition]

10. Jingle bells, felt, sequin … out come Linda’s holiday vests!

9. Disgruntled elves join the North Pole “Occupy” movement, threaten to disrupt Santa’s delivery of coal to G&A art department.

8. G&A social geeks begin to follow @Reindeer5, the notoriously snarky Twitter feed from Comet.

7. Staffers maced in break room melee over client gift baskets.

6. Secret ingredient to annual holiday management iron chef challenge: Reindeer!

5. Team’s perpetual bachelorettes canvas ceiling of their offices with mistletoe (and are subsequently undisturbed until after the holidays).

4. Staff openly eulogize the passing of our motion-activated, African-American Santa Claus.

3. Mid-day slacking off excused as “settling down for a long winter’s nap.”

2. Todd is (again) locked in his office, commanded to come up with “10 (More) Ways You Can Tell That It’s Obviously the Holidays at Gilbert & Associates.”

And the number one way you can tell that it’s obviously the holidays ... 

Gilbert & Associates will enjoy a short holiday break. Huzzah!

Our office will be closed December 23, 26, 30 & January 2.

We will have limited staffing December 27, 28 & 29 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

Happy holidays, Mele Kalikimaka, Hauoli Makahiki Hou and mahalo nui loa. Click here to read entire post!

The New Look of Friday Night on Maui

Gilbert & Associates is proud to have been selected to design the logos for the new Maui Friday Town Parties initiative developed by the County of Maui Office for Economic Development. The program, which kicks into high gear this December, promotes an organized celebration of food, art, music and Maui culture in four historic towns each month:

• Wailuku: First Friday of each month
• Lahaina: Second Friday
• Makawao: Third Friday
• Pa‘ia: Fourth Friday

When it came to the design, frankly, we had fun with it. We’ve long loved logo projects and felt that since fun and community were the heart of these gatherings, they should likewise be at the heart of the creative process.

In the end, we adopted a modern, “street art” concept and developed a series of logos with a one-color stencil/spray paint feel. We kept the iconography simple, easily identifiable, and organic – a logo of the people, for the people.

Some component highlights;

• Townscape: Represents merchants, street and town setting, and offers sense of place
• Palm Trees: Represents tropical island, Maui setting and sense of place
• ‘Ukulele Player with Musical Notes: Represents entertainment, with Hawaiian vibe, with identifiable human character, and alludes to sense of sound
• Stars: Represent evening setting, offers sense of time

On the selection of custom colors for each town’s individual logo;

• Maui (master logo): Deep purple, representing night - to be used whenever only one, overall logo is needed
• Wailuku: Green, representing lush foliage of the area, and its landmark Iao Valley
• Lahaina: Gold, representing its spectacular West-Maui sunsets, and its royal Hawaiian history
• Makawao: Red, representing the area’s paniolo community, and its well-known rodeo
• Pa’ia: Blue, representing its vibrant ocean coast, and its surf-town feel

Check out this MauiNow.com clip on the announcing press conference from the mayor's office, with a great logo introduction at about the :40 mark by our own Mary Cajski.

 

Gilbert & Associates has also been selected to help build a web presence, engineer the initiative’s social media channels and assist with other aspects of Maui Fridays fun, so stay tuned.

The party is just getting started. Click here to read entire post!

Success in a Flash (Mob)

The challenge? Build awareness of annual two-day hula festival with a few hundred dollars.

The inspiration? Gilbert and Associates put a cultural spin on topical phenomenon, organizing the world’s first Tahitian dance flash mob. For this ambient event, our team leveraged existing relationships with production partners and performers to arrange low-cost and in-kind participation. Ka‘anapali Beach was selected as the performance locale for its high concentration of visitors, central Westside location and role as Ka‘anapali Resort’s main pedestrian artery.

On July 22, 2011, a typically placid morning on Ka‘anapali Beach became a swirl of song and dance in a flash as visitors, hospitality workers and other onlookers watched more than 20 youth rise and sway to the sound of Polynesian percussion. The performance was captured on video and posted on Lahaina Cannery Mall’s branded YouTube page.

The return?

• More than 1,300 attendees at the weekend event
• Official flash mob video by Lahaina Cannery Mall received more than 15,000 views in the first 14 days of being posted, and a massive traffic spike to Lahaina Cannery Mall’s official YouTube page
• Tens of thousands of impressions garnered via social sharing (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)
• Video was shared on Facebook via the HawaiiNewsNow.com posting alone by more than 1,000 individual
• Story made statewide new cycle of every major news network in Hawaii, including KGMB (CBS), KHNL (NBC), KHON (FOX) and KITV4 (ABC), for almost 24 hours (evening, late and morning news broadcasts)
• Video featured very prominently on Maui-based TV/internet newscasts, including MauiNow.com and MauiTVNews.com (full-length video included)
• Mentions in various offline recourses including the Honolulu Star-Advertiser
• Single-month record for visits to official website LahainaCanneryMall.com set in July and again in August
• Spike in YouTube subscribers and Twitter followers
• Recognition from industry publications, including being lead story for Shopping Center Weekly

And, yeah, we got to spend the afternoon at the beach, so there’s that, too.

As the official video has a permanent home online, we can surmise the future will hold thousands of additional impressions promoting the Lahaina Cannery Mall brand to new audiences and reinforcing the center’s reputation as industry thought leaders and culturally aware community members, and, ultimately, promoting the Lahaina Cannery Mall brand indefinitely.

Much credit goes to our client, Lahaina Cannery Mall and CBRE, for allowing us stray from the box a bit, and to our partners at Silver Shark Media for their wiliness to work on a shoestring budget. Not to forget, of course, a big mahalo goes out to the kids and kumu from Te Tiare Patitifa, who embraced this idea passionately.

Thanks for the support. Click here to read entire post!

Sweet New Logo Work

We love logo work. We get passionate about crafting icons that are functional, simple and stick in your head. We're proud to announce Gilbert & Associates' logo design was just selected by the County of Maui's Office of Economic Development for a new program (details to come). Another sweet logo project we've been working on is for The Gluten Free Bakery.

Leslie Kayser, who herself is allergic to gluten, has started her own boutique bakery which, as the name suggests, produces sweet treats that are "made with love" but completely sans gluten. Her business is young, but if you want to learn more you can reach out to Leslie "The Gluten Free Lady" at TheGFBakery@Gmail.com.

In the mean time, check out this sweet new logo and cupcake "bug" we've done. Click here to read entire post!

Fair Grounds for Fun

We have a lot of traditions at Gilbert & Associates. We get Thai food on birthdays. We prank each other on April first (and other times).

And we support the Maui Fair.

We’re proud to be a sponsor of the 89th annual event, to be held September 29 through October 2.

And while some aspects of the fair have changed through the years (like @MauiFair being on Twitter, and check out the new logo we did), the family-friendly weekend is still this island’s largest annual event and the primary source of funding for many of Maui’s nonprofit and community organizations.

If your business can help out, please do. Sponsorship packages are available to fit every budget. With an attendance of nearly 100,000, The Maui Fair relies entirely on corporate and local business sponsorships, donations, and volunteers for support.

Want to learn more? Give these fair folk a shout.

• Carolyn Nishimura: Publicity@MauiFair.com or 808.871.6230 [X13]
• Mahie Wong: Mahie@GilbertAdvertising.com or 808.871.6230 [X12]
• Sherri Grimes, Managing Director: Sherri@MauiFair.com or 808.280.6889

We’ll see you at the fair. Click here to read entire post!

Behind the Scenes with a Social Media Manager

Sure we're a full-service agency with a broad skill set. And no surprise, in recent years that skill set has evolved to include the use of social media for the bulk of our clients. But we still occasionally run into folks who think social media management is little more than the occasional 140-character chatter.

Check out this brilliant infographic from SocialCast. It pulls the curtain back a bit and offers some insight on the life of a social media manager.

And while we feel "refuel with java and peanut M&M's" is a glaring omission, the snapshot is mostly spot-on.

One colleague, however, did note that not all of us get a full five hours of slumber. Click here to read entire post!

Cajski Promoted to Senior Art Director

Gilbert & Associates, Hawaii’s largest advertising agency outside of Honolulu, today announced the promotion of Mary Kukana Cajski to the role of senior art director. She was previously in the role of art director.

“Mary’s work is proof that art can simultaneously be beautiful and functional,” said Larry Gilbert, founder and president of Gilbert & Associates. “Her innovative design and knowledge of the Hawaiian language and culture has given life to creative, quantifiable campaigns for our family of clients throughout the islands.”

Cajski’s current projects include new campaigns for the Maui Flower Grower’s Association and the rebranding of The Shops at Wailea and Kupanaha magic dinner show at Ka’anapali Beach Hotel. Click here to read entire post!

‘Aloha for Japan’ Celebrity Carwash Raises Four Thousand Dollars in Four Hours

EDITOR'S NOTE: While we're typically in the business of assuring the spotlight shine brightest on our family of clients, I wanted to use our blog to additionally acknowledge the hard work of our G&A team on this event. For the long hours and hard work, congratulations on a successful event for both a worthy cause and our client.

- Larry Gilbert, President Gilbert & Associates


KAHULUI, MAUI, HAWAII -- A volunteer effort from Maui musicians, entertainers, politicians, youth and community members raised more than $4,000 for the American Red Cross and its relief efforts in Japan.

The “Aloha for Japan Celebrity Carwash” was held this past Saturday in Wailuku at Ho’ole’a Terrace at Kehalani, the island’s newest community from Maui-born developer Stanford Carr. Over the course of four hours more than 100 cars were soaped up and sprayed down by dozens of volunteers, including familiar names such as Mick Fleetwood, Henry Kapono and Marty Dread.

Laurie Lee, principal broker for Stanford Carr Development’s Ho’ole’a Terrace at Kehalani, credited the generosity of the Maui community for the success of the event.

“Aloha lives on Maui,” said Lee. “Many showed their aloha with their wallets, and many more by donating their time to lend a hand for the greater good. Our most sincere appreciation goes out to our family of volunteers and our island community. It’s because of them we surpassed our fundraising goals and are able to send a little aloha to our extended ‘ohana across the Pacific.”

Ho’ole’a Terrace representatives will present 100% of the proceeds to the American Red Cross later this week.

Celebrity volunteers who appeared include;

• Mick Fleetwood, Legendary drummer and co-founding member of the iconic band, Fleetwood Mac
• Marty Dread, Acclaimed Recording Artist
• Henry Kapono, Acclaimed Recording Artist
• Kathy “Tita” Collins, Mana’o Radio Personality/Comedian
• Sista Val, KPOA Radio Personality
• Hawaiian Homeboy Shane Kahalehau, KPOA Radio Personality
• Hula Honeys, Recording Artists
• Maya Iida, Miss Maui 2011
• Brian Kohne, Screenwriter, Get a Job
• Council Member Gladys Baisa, Maui County Council
• Makani, KISS-FM Morning Show Host
• Carol Reimann, Executive Director Maui Hotel & Lodging Association
• Tom Blackburn-Rodriguez, KNUI Maui Breakfast Club Host
• Chef James McDonald, Pacific’O & I`O
• Terryl Vencl, Executive Director Maui Visitors Bureau
• Representative George Fontaine, State House of Representatives
• Sherri Grimes, Managing Director, Maui Fair
• The Throwdowns, Hawaii’s Newest Hottest Band
• Rick Chatenever, Entertainment & Features Editor Maui News
• Jessica Griffiths, Face of Hawaii-inspired "American Girl" doll
• Kit Okazaki of Nuff Sedd, Recording Artist
• Amanda Taulare, Comedy Hui
• Maui Fire Department Chief Jeffrey Murray & squad from Engine 1 Wailuku

Generous book and CD donations were also made by Chef Mark Ellman of Mala Wailea and award-winning musical duo The Barefoot Natives.

Youth and parents from the Kahului Falcons and hula troupe Hui Lanakila also generously donated their time to help wash cars. Click here to read entire post!

Car Wash!

Feeling dirty?

The G&A team has organized a "Celebrity Carwash" this Saturday (10A-2P) at Hoolea Terrace (Wailuku) to support "Aloha for Japan" relief efforts.

How is this car wash different? Aside from the fact we'll be there, you’ll get soaped up by some familiar Maui folks, including ...

• Mick Fleetwood, Legendary drummer and co-founding member of the iconic band, Fleetwood Mac
• Marty Dread, Acclaimed Recording Artist
• Henry Kapono, Acclaimed Recording Artist
• Kathy “Tita” Collins, Mana’o Radio Personality/Comedian
• Sista Val, KPOA Radio Personality
• Hawaiian Homeboy Shane Kahalehau, KPOA Radio Personality
• Hula Honeys, Recording Artists
• Maya Iida, Miss Maui 2011
• Stella Rivers, Co-Director, Maui Film Festival
• Brian Kohne, Screenwriter, Get a Job
• Council Member Gladys Baisa, Maui County Council
• Makani, KISS-FM Morning Show Host
• Carol Reimann, Executive Director Maui Hotel & Lodging Association
• Tom Blackburn-Rodriguez, KNUI Maui Breakfast Club Host
• Chef James McDonald, Pacific’o & I`O
• Terryl Vencl, Executive Director Maui Visitors Bureau
• Representative George Fontaine, State House of Representatives
• Sherri Grimes, Managing Director, Maui Fair
• The Throwdowns, Hawaii’s Newest Hottest Band
• Rick Chatenever, Entertainment & Features Editor Maui News
• Jessica Griffiths, Face of Hawaii-inspired "American Girl" doll

This is an official American Red Cross certified event. 100% of the donations go direct to Japan relief efforts.

Event is 10a-2p this Saturday. Map and full details here.

If you're feeling dirty, come see us. We appreciate the support!
Click here to read entire post!

Vines, Wong Promoted to Senior Management

EDITOR'S NOTE: While the content of this post is most sincere, G&A did opt to have a little fun with the associated photo. Mahalo for allowing us to indulge in our own silliness.

Gilbert & Associates, Hawaii’s largest advertising agency outside of Honolulu, today announced the promotions of Todd A. Vines and Mahie Wong to the role of Senior Public Relations and Account Manager.

“Through their years of service these two have a track record of providing sound strategy and superior service for our family of clients,” said Larry Gilbert, founder and president of Gilbert & Associates. “Their innovative ideas and insight have elevated our company, evolved our team and, most importantly, been an asset for our clients on every level.”

Vines is the primary for clients including The Shops at Wailea, Lahaina Cannery Mall, Maui Hotel & Lodging Association, First Wind and NeilPryde Maui. He can be reached at 808-871-6230 (X 15) or todd@gilbertadvertising.com.

Wong is the primary for clients including A&B Properties, Stanford Carr, Maui Kai (Kaanapali), Kukui Grove Center and The Maui County Fair. She can be reached at 808-871-6230 (X 12) or mahie@gilbertadvertising.com. Click here to read entire post!

Face the Nation: Who Owns Facebook?

True or False? Bono owns Facebook.

The topic of Facebook's ownership came up not long ago in water cooler conversation and, after consulting almighty Google, we were admittedly a little surprised to see the list of stakeholders.

And then along came this awesome infographic.

So who's profiting from the behemoth social networking service that boasts 600 million+ monthly active users?

Noted in this chart:

• Facebook staff: 30%
  
• Co-founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg: 24%
• Co-founder Dustin Moskovitz: 6%
• Co-founder Eduardo Saverin: 5%
• Napster’s Sean Parker, Founding President of Facebook: 4%
• Digital Sky Technologies, a Russian investment firm: ~10%
• Goldman Sachs: ~0.8%
• Goldman Sachs’ clients: ~3%
• Greylock Partners, a venture capital firm: ~1.5%
• Meritech Capital Partners: ~1.5%
• Peter Thiel, PayPal co-founder and Clarium Capital president: ~3%
• Elevation Partners (yep, that includes U2's Bono among others): ~1.5%
• Other investors: ~9.7%

Other stakeholders not listed include Microsoft (1.6% stake) and Hong Kong billionaire Li-Ka Shing (0.8%).

Interesting infographic. And such pretty colors. Click here to read entire post!

10 (More) Ways You Can Tell That It’s Obviously the Holidays at Gilbert & Associates

10. Daily regimen of antacids distributed via advent calendar.

9. The police aren’t immediately called when Larry dons a fake beard and asks people to sit on his lap.

8. Company develops new iPhone app “Gilblasted!: Holiday Mixology Recipes and Hangover Remedies from G&A.”

7. Elves appear and attempt to tie down our 6’8”graphic designer Al ala Gulliver’s Travels.

6. When a coworker tells us to “go elf yourself,” we don’t take offense.

5. ‘Mele Kalikimaka’ becomes the default ring tone on all company phones.

4. Company’s @GilbertAds Twitter feed transitions from brand mouthpiece to Christmas wish list.

3. Corporal punishment carried out with massive candy cane.

2. Todd is locked in his office and ordered to come up with “10 (More) Ways You Can Tell That It’s Obviously the Holidays at Gilbert & Associates.”

And the number one way you can tell that it’s obviously the holidays ….

Gilbert & Associates will enjoy a short holiday break. Huzzah!

Our office will be closed December 24, 27, 30 and 31. We will have limited staffing December 28 & 29 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

Happy holidays, Mele Kalikimaka, Hauoli Makahiki Hou and mahalo nui loa. Click here to read entire post!

Good Fortune

When was the last time you were given a fortune cookie and didn’t read the script inside?

Smart and simple – not to mention tasty – is a solid recipe for sharing your message, even with the advent of new media and powerful tech tools.

This idea was cooked up for a recent “road show.” Working with a local bakery, we crafted about a dozen custom “fortunes” for those hungry for our message.

Bon appétit. Click here to read entire post!