Making the Brand extends deadline, expands focus to assist Denver small business community’s return to fiscal health

Thu, Jan 29, 2009, Denver, CO – The contest presenters of Denver’s Making the Brand (www.denversmakingthebrand.com), a contest to award a single Denver-based small business a $25,000 branding and marketing package, announced today that they have extended the nomination deadline to February 14, 2009. The decision was made in order to assist as many small businesses as possible in their struggle to return to economic health.

In addition, the contest presenters have decided to expand contest eligibility beyond the retail sector of the local economy, which had been their initial focus for 2009, and to reinstate the more inclusive policies of last year’s contest.

Last year’s winner, Renaissance Adventure Guides (www.raguides.com) – a Denver-based adventure travel company – received their Grand Prize package in mid summer, just as economic warning signs were starting to appear. “Even with the economy beginning to slow down,” says Max Young, owner of Renaissance Adventure Guides, “our sales increased by about 50% after we began to implement the new brand. And, we’re shooting to close the year at a 200% increase.  All the collateral looked great, but more importantly we saw a significant increase in sales as a result of the new brand rollout.”

Kandra Churchwell, founder and Creative Director of Phases Design Studio (www.designfiles.net), says she and the other presenters and sponsors felt that a deadline extension to February 14 and an expansion of business category eligibility “would give even more local, independent companies the opportunity to break out of the economic doldrums with a professional identity and marketing package.”

Run by a consortium of independent branding and marketing firms, Denver’s Making the Brand was founded to allow small businesses to get in the ring and compete with larger companies through professional quality services that are often perceived to be out of the reach of small businesses.

Travitt Hamilton, owner of The Write Stuff (www.travitthamilton.com), says, “It’s easy to sit back and complain about how bad things are. What we want to do is take action. Small companies are the core of the economic engine that’s going to pull us out of this slump, so we figured the more we can do for these folks, the better.”
This year’s contest will award a Grand Prize Package including, if necessary, a new logo, a new name and tag line, a marketing plan, layout, design services and copy for a website – including Search Engine Optimization – print collateral, product photography, a 30 second commercial or web video, outdoor advertising, screen printed garments and more. Everything a small business might need to implement a successful new branding and marketing strategy.

Small businesses in the Denver Metro area, which have been in business for at least a year are eligible for the contest. Nominations are open through midnight February 14, 2009. Anyone, including the owner, can nominate a business by visiting the contest Web site, www.denversmakingthebrand.com, clicking on the “Nominate” button and filling out the entry form.

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