Julia Monahan
following my passions:
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Info
- SummaryI am passionate about the work I create. I love solving puzzles and creating solutions no matter where that leads.
Branding is the culmination of all the puzzle pieces. Creating identities for a single product or a whole company is where I am at my best.Specialties: Brand Strategy & Identity, Brand Implementation - Logos, Print Design, Web Design (Front End), Social Media Content, Experiential MarketingExperience- Jan 2012 - PresentMarketing Intern / Denver Art Museum- Coordinating with over 90 local businesses on promotional efforts for exhibitions - Managing traffic flow with the creative team to insure businesses get their materials on time
- May 2011 - PresentStreet Marketing Lead / Rocky Mountain Rollergirls- Creating new interactive marketing ideas to engage potential fans - Coordinating distribution of posters and handbills - Working with local events to set up appearances
- Mar 2009 - PresentGraphic Designer / The Creative Group- Building web pages for small businesses - Producing weekly newsletters - Updating archives for database
- Jun 2009 - Jan 2012Content Manager / This Week in Denver- Managing workload for self and team members - Evaluating trends to ensure optimum user experience - Setting up weekly newsletter distribution for subscribers - Updating social media outlets with relevant information
- Feb 2009 - Oct 2011Brand Developer / Sage Green Style, Inc.- Creating a cohesive visual identity on multiple touchpoints: business card, website, social media, packaging, etc - Designing solutions for issues concerning media and branding - Managing online social media to create a consistent brand voice
- Jun 2007 - Feb 2009Graphic & Web Designer / The Parent Company- Led design team in build out of new of babyuniverse.com which included redesigning the home, brand and category pages and creating a new Safety Center section. - Producing new graphics for 5 websites on weekly basis - Building newsletters for the website subscribers multiple times a week
- Jun 2007 - Jan 2008Website Producer / eToys Direct- Producing graphics for company websites on a weekly basis - Building newsletters for the website subscribers multiple times a week - Creating new pages as needed for sales department * Merged with Baby Universe to become The Parent Company
- Apr 2007 - Jun 2007Photographer / Unforgettable Images- Assisting in set up for photo shoots - Photographing subjects in studio - Editing Images and Packaged Images for clients in Photoshop
- Aug 2006 - Dec 2006Designer for Point Magazine / AIGA- Designing page layouts for 4 page spread - Writing and interviewing prominant designer for a 4 page feature - Photographing for a feature spread
Education-
2011 - 2014University of Colorado at DenverMBA / MS in Marketing
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2001 - 2006Colorado State University-PuebloBA in Mass Communication and Design
Activities: Resident Assistant for University Housing, Student Activities Board Member
Additional Information-
Websites:
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Interests:photography, travel, concerts, snowboarding, roller derby
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Projects
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Posts
Illegal Pete’s has partnered with PBR to produce a one of a kind Pint Glass for the Rocky Mountain Roller Girls. The limited edition (limited to 500 glasses) will be sold at Illegal Pete’s for $5 and that purchase will include a 16 ounce PBR. Half of the proceeds from the sale of the glasses…
Kraft Mac & Cheese came up with this stunt to get people to like their facebook page. I’m all about creating a connection with your audience but how does this create a return on investment? Sometimes I think people just do stuff because they think it’s sound new and interesting without thinking about how it’s actually going to benefit the company…
Whether your goal is to galvanize public awareness around an important social issue or showcase new spring denim colors, aim to deliver relevant, sharable content for your customer across multiple touch points that connect to their life moments.
That is the most succinct advice you can give about brand strategy. The goal isn’t to get them to “like” you but to become part of their lives so that when they think about your brand they identify it as part of themselves.
- Marketing Roller Derby Teams
Another unique challenge of marketing for Roller Derby is the unique league structure that doesn’t exist in many other professional (or even semi-pro) sports.
Most leagues not only have an all-star roster that plays other leagues but also home teams that play within the league (and sometimes against other league’s home teams).
The challenge I’ve come across is explaining this to the new fan. “Well see this is two teams and they are on the same league…” “Why are they playing each other then?”
Some leagues have come up with creative solutions for this. Nashville Rollergirls simply does not have home teams. This stance means that they definitely have to do a bit more work to play bouts but that it’s always clear who the fans should be rooting for. Gotham actually has both their home teams and all-star team but brands each home team as one of the many Burroughs of the city (Bronx Gridlock, Queens of Pain, etc).
In the end it’s definitely all about making sure each team has an identity that fans can get behind.
- This is Roller Derby - Texas Rollergirls
Love, love, love this campaign for Texas. It has all of the essentials that my marketing research survey suggested would attract more fans.
- A better understanding of the game.
- Player connection to the fans.
Actually, it has an additional “get people in the door” extra - the $5 off student discount too.
Which makes me love it even more.
So not only is it explaining to people what roller derby is in general, they will be looking for Sadie at the game and, at the very least, can follow her during the bout.
Heads up Denver, it looks like anyone 25-34 believes that Denver is the place to find a job or just be one of the cool unemployed.
I’m actually surprised because you’d think that people would go where the jobs are not where they think is the coolest.
Denver, the new hipster capital.
Supercuts is jumping on the [branding with bands] bandwagon with “Rock the Cut,” a pun-riddled integrated push by ad agency Element 79 that likens the hair-salon chain’s stylists to aspiring rock stars—or something.
Or something is right. So the concept is that if you get your haircut at Supercut’s you’ll be a rockstar? That’s a bit of a stretch, and pretty generic as well.
I wish I could have been in this meeting just to tell them “no. really? that’s what Supercuts thinks their image is? no. stop it right now.”
Supercuts is the value store of hair salons, the idea that they could appeal to new customers with this campaign is slightly ridiculous. Not to mention it’s not doing anything to affirm current customers that they appreciate them.
A better concept would have been to go documentary stye; use the bands talking about how hard it is on the road and all the penny pinching they have to do. Indie bands are all on a budget, but want to look good - where do they go? Supercuts. The campaign could have used this indie rock cool leverage and added a bit of reality to it to make it work for them.
Reason’s why this is so smart:
- It’s completely in line with their brand personality that they are environmentally friendly
- It’s actually environmentally friendly
- It makes them money (for charity)
Kotex created gifts for inspiring women on pinterest. Pretty clever branding for a hard to market object. Although I debate how many conversions they will get from it, they definitely made everyone smile at the thought that went into it.
- How do you market a new product? Awareness vs Branding
It’s so hard to market something that people don’t really understand. There is so much complexity to it that there’s even a theory called “Diffusion of Innovation” (a really great read if you are interested).
The short version is when a product is so new, you have to first increase awareness by explaining it over and over again until people go “Ohhhh. I get it! How cool!” and start to buy in. But in practice it gets a lot more complicated.
I’m currently a marketing volunteer for Rocky Mountain Rollergirls. They are one of the best roller derby leagues in the world and located in one of the most sports enthusiastic cities in the country (Denver is one of only 13 cities that can claim four major professional sports franchises). Yet we have seen a decrease in attendance over the last couple of years… what gives?
Did you know that there are 22 roller derby leagues in the state of Colorado? This is actually one of the problems. The low barrier to entry for roller derby mixed with the fact that people create a league for the skaters (not for the fans or profit) has created a unique circumstance that is hard to translate into ordinary marketing practices. What do you do when people don’t know what roller derby is yet can go see it anywhere? How do you get them to come to your game instead of one of the newer leagues?
Do you know what the most annoying and thoughtless part about this update was? The fact that there was no warning that they had changed the name when you updated it on your Android phone.
So all of a sudden people had no clue where their Market went! I personally spent an extra couple minutes searching for Market until I realized that there was a similar icon that was now called Play that had not existed before.
I love the fact that they were trying to create a cohesive brand but the most important part about branding is the customer experience! They did not start off on the right foot.
- Activity is not engagement; branding is more than posts
Many people will always tell you that the key to social marketing is posting at least once a day. While that is definitely a good starting point that is a bit simplistic.. just because you are talking doesn’t mean anyone is listening.
In fact there are a ton of articles now reminding people that it’s not enough to just post new content everyday. As more and more brands join the internet with the intention of getting their voice out there all that happens is a lot of noise. The most important thing is to engage your fans.
A weird, made up, example. Most people aren’t going to care too much about which grocery store they go to. Sure people can say “Oh yeah, I like King Soopers more than Safeway” but if they are on their way home from work they will go to which ever one is more convenient. So what does it matter if they chose King Soopers on facebook where they just announce new jobs or that promotion is still going on; it obviously didn’t make them feel as if they have to drive that extra mile.
Instead they should focus on engaging their fans, with stories about their employees, great customer service experiences, little known facts that make fans feel exclusive, etc. These are even just surface examples that take little effort beyond posting. Then maybe if they have to go get that gallon of milk they will drive the extra mile because they know exactly where that milk came from, or that King Soopers will make sure that you are in and out in 5 minutes, or whatever clicks for that person.
We want Boba Guys to look, feel, and taste the same everywhere it appears. This not only applies to graphic design and communications, but also crosses over into presentation and perception.
Great little exposition about how every new company should approach branding. So many times a company will think too much about 1 aspect but forget everything else! The logo is only the end result of the company’s tone and presentation.
human nature dictates that people have a hard time genuinely connecting with, being close to, or really trusting other humans who (pretend to) have no weaknesses, flaws, or mistakes
More and more people are recognizing businesses as people too; so companies need to start acting more like it. Would you be friends with someone that is shallow, constantly telling you “I’m so Awesome” and never listening to a thing you say? No. We want to be friends with the people that are interested in what we’re interested in (maybe even hate what we hate) or, at the very least, get us into that cool event that everyone is talking about.
- Rocky Mountain Rollergirls Season Opener!!
The Rocky Mountain Rollergirls United States Pummeling Service delivers. And they’ll be hand delivering a special package of fast paced, hard hitting roller derby at the Fillmore Auditorium the first Saturday in March.
It’s some of the most fun you can have for close to $20, and kids 12 and under get in free. Or, if you’re looking for a value, check out our Party Bus for $27 that includes a ride from Scruffy Murphy’s (the official after party location) with all the free beer you can drink on the way there!
Doors open at 6 p.m., and the bout begins at 7p.m.
Admission: $20 pre-sale at Derbyville or $22 at the door, $24 online, $27 party bus Absolutely adore the execution of this rebranding for this San Francisco Restaurant done by Manual.
The new logo is simple and refined but gives just enough quirky edge that is expanded upon in its materials. I immediately know what to expect when I walk in that restaurant now.
Many people don’t think about how their logo is just the starting point for your brand. It gives the “elevator pitch” for your business but the execution of the brand is in all the touch points. A good logo is the starting point for visually creating the personality of it’s business; it should be used as a reference when creating any new marketing material by asking “does this reflect what our logo is trying to say about us?”
What if 70 percent of brands in the world just disappeared overnight? Most people wouldn’t care.
Great read about the progression of brand loyalty.
There’s so much noise out there now that people just don’t care unless they feel that the brand is also invested in them.
Just another reminder to engage your audience!
Wow, what an awesome idea to generate interest, get some free buzz for the upcoming game, and reward their audience. NSFW due to tons of cursing.
- Do Bands Brand?
Have you ever questioned how bands handle branding? I think most bands just book as many concerts as possible and sell as much merchandise as they can; anything beyond that is just asking too much.
OK Go took advantage of YouTube and created interesting videos to reinvigorate their image and gain new fans. They have now become “that band” for being on the cutting edge of interesting music videos. Or if you want to go old school just look at the Rolling Stones’ logo that was originally just created for an album; but Jagger created a whole image based on it.
I wish more bands had the awareness that branding is an important tool in their arsenal. It gets them more visibility, and creates stronger connections with their fans.
And that’s what bands want, right?
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Upcoming
- Denver, CO, US
- Denver, CO, US
- Englewood, CO, US
- Denver, CO, US
- Denver, CO, US
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Checkins
- Earl's Court Exhibition CentreWarwick Rd
- The Diner2 Jamestown Rd.
- London Heathrow Airport (LHR)234 Bath Rd.
- Denver International Airport (DEN)8500 Peña Blvd.
- Obento709 16th St
- Snooze700 Colorado Blvd
- Cherry Creek Shopping Center3000 E 1st Ave.
- 3 Kings Tavern60 S Broadway
- Sputnik3 S Broadway
- Thai Basil540 E. Alameda Ave.
- Three Cutters485 s. pearl st
- Summit Music Hall1902 Blake St.
- Illegal Pete's1530 16th St.
- Front Porch1551 Larimer St.
- Katie Mullen's Irish Pub1550 Court Place
- Hash2339 44th
- Tom's Diner601 E Colfax Ave
- Fillmore Auditorium1510 Clarkson St
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Tweets
- I just unlocked the "Ten Hundred" badge on @foursquare for checking in over 1000 times! http://t.co/lCcIKwzk
- I just reached Level 2 of the "Greasy Spoon" badge on @foursquare. I’ve checked in at 5 different diners! http://t.co/fzFQIcml
- Tried the Ice Cream Float - Marscapon... @ Sweet Action Ice Cream - http://t.co/UqcffWiI
- lots of great things happening on Sat - @Tellerpalooza concert, @RMrollergirls bout, Cinco de Mayo.. let's see how much I can do in 1 dayMay 03, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Garbage concerts in Denver ate postponed! I hope they don't reschedule when I'm gone...
- way to go ABDC give the dirtiest song to a group of 13 year olds. #failApr 18, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- Download the free April mixtape from @Insound featuring Crocodiles, Devin, Eternal Summers, M.Ward and more! http://t.co/UpYVOn7d
- Hot Chip, why you no come to denver on US tour? Please amend, kthx
- I just unlocked the “4sqDay 2012” badge on @foursquare! Cupcakes and crowns for all! #4sqDay http://t.co/YbI7vHdX
- The view from the operations box. Not to bad right? (@ Coors Field for SF vs COL w/ 18 others) [pic]: http://t.co/XYSTvKTo
- Walked by a tour van today and was like "huh, I wonder who that is" then my phone reminded me Death Cab is playing Tues. Problem solved.
- I just unlocked the "Player Please!" badge on @foursquare! http://t.co/jmJZLlnA
- Copeland + yeasayer = geography
- concert season has started! See you at @TCGO1974 on Tues, @OurNameIsFun on Thurs, & @bandofskulls on Friday. also a @RMrollergirls game Sat!Apr 02, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- I just unlocked the Level 3 "Zoetrope" badge on @foursquare! Sweet! http://t.co/HOrDKh9s
- guess @Westword hasnt seen Spinal Tap yet to know how awesome my derby name is (Alda Wayupta 11) but these are good too http://t.co/pJQjxXw6Mar 29, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- if you weren't aware, the #YSLDenver exhibit is amazing. So go check it out!Mar 27, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
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Map
- London Calling2012-05-16 - 2012-06-04
- Phoenix, AZ, December 20112011-12-18 - 2011-12-28
- Seattle, WA, September 20112011-09-07 - 2011-09-11
- FunFunFunFest2010-11-04 - 2010-11-08
- San Francisco, CA, October 20092009-10-09 - 2009-10-14
- Omaha, NE, October 20092009-10-06 - 2009-10-11
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Photos
