At Ruby Porter, we are so proud to support and promote our clients. The Eugene Generals hockey team is working hard this year to give back to the community. Last month it was raising money for breast cancer research, and now this month the focus is on helping kiddos in the Sacred Heart Hospital Pediatrics Unit with their annual holiday toy drive.

New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off at the locations listed below. All donations will be picked up on December 14, 2011. See more info on the Eugene Generals Facebook page.





SELCO                                                                              YMCA
299 E. 11th Ave., Eugene                                                  2055 Patterson Street, Eugene
3169 West 11th Ave. Suite A1, Eugene                             
221 Division Road, Eugene                                               WAL-MART
925 Harlow Road, Springfield                                            2659 Olympic Street, Springfield
5531 Main Street, Springfield                                             4550 West 11th Ave., Eugene

MIKILAS BOOT CAMP                                                    6TH STREET GRILL
4540 Commerce St., Eugene                                            55 West 6th Ave., Eugene

JERRY'S                                                                           KADELS AUTO BODY
2525 Olympic Street, Springfield                                       1700 W. 2nd Ave., Eugene
2600 Highway 99 N, Eugene                                              4350 Main Street, Springfield

RITE AID                                                                            RIVERBEND HOSPITAL
57 West 29th Ave., Eugene                                                3333 Riverbend Drive, Springfield
1970 Echo Hollow Road, Eugnee
2130 Marcola Road, Springfield

Often, we are asked to donate design and other work for nonprofit organizations. We’re happy to oblige and do so when we can. However, when you’re running your own business, you might not feel like it makes sense to give something away for free. Isn’t being able to make a living the reason you are offering your services in the first place? But sometimes the best way to secure new clients and inspire goodwill for future clients is to offer free services and donate your time. This can allow you to get your work out there for potential clients to see, and it can help you build your overall network.

Building your network: Making connections in your community is priceless when you’re running a small business. You never know who you may meet or what opportunities those connections may provide in the future. Donating your work can open the door to a whole new group of people, which can in turn relate you to yet another group of people you wouldn’t have otherwise come into contact with.

The COSTCO effect: Who can resist free samples of good-smelling food while shopping? COSTCO is smart in that they know you’re not likely to buy an item in bulk without getting to try it first. But a sample allows you to get a taste before making a commitment to a huge package. Similarly, the more often hungry clients get a taste of your work, the more likely they will come back for and pay for a second helping.

Community involvement: Being genuinely involved in your community can help secure your place as a trustworthy source for information about your field of expertise. Donating your services can also help you to get to know those who could come back for other services in the future. Again, this can connect you with more people, but better than that, it can create a place for you in your community.

So, before you turn down donating your services, remember that giving back can also help generate more work for you, and a great feeling inside for being able to help others.

How much to give? Only you can answer that for your business. However, we’ve found a good rule of thumb is somewhere between five and ten percent of your overall marketing budget. Giving back should be a line item in your marketing plan right alongside advertising, giveaways, etc. If you plan for it, make room in your budget for it (regardless of what the dollar figure happens to be) and do it in ways that make sense for your business, you’ll get back far more than you ever give.

Until next time,
The Ruby Porter Team

Amos Lee's music combines elements of soul, contemporary jazz, folk, and rock.  A New York Times reviewer described Lee as having a "honeyed singing voice — light amber, mildly sweet, a touch of grain" which he features "squarely, without much fuss or undue strain". His 2011 album Mission Bell hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart when it debuted earlier this year. Enter to get a chance to see him perform songs from his chart topping album right here in Eugene! Amos Lee Website

How To Enter

1. Like us on Facebook AND
2. Share with us on Facebook the best example of business marketing you’ve ever seen. Why was it so great?

The best story wins a pair of tickets to the Amos Lee concert on August 14, 2011. You must share your marketing winner by Friday, August 5, 2011 to be considered for the contest. The winner will be notified on Monday, August 8, 2011.


Why do a Contest?
We believe that our community helps make us who we are. Part of what makes Eugene so unique is its great venues and exciting perfomances. We strive to give back to those around us in a variety of ways. Stay tuned for more goodies from us as the year goes on.

Cheers,
The Ruby Porter Team

Here at Ruby Porter we love to give back to our community. Recently we did so by donating a poster design to a client who organizes the Steep Hill Chase run. Steep Hill Chase is an annual event that benefits our local Special Olympics. They turned to us to help them increase their number of participants in the run. To do this, we redesigned their event poster, one of their primary marketing tools. We updated the look of the poster giving it a more modern and audience appropriate look. Take a look at the transformation below:

What a huge difference a new design can make! Because the new design has a more timeless look, our client will be able to use this design in years to come. We redesigned the poster to increase the level of professionalism for the event. The more participants our client gets for the Steep Hill Chase, the more is donated to our local Special Olympics. What a great cause!

Do your marketing materials need an updated look? Contact us to find out how.

Cheers,
The  Ruby Porter Team

Congrats to Jill Dose of Cheeky Monkey Love! We were won over with your post (who could resist the mention of PEZ???)!

Now, make sure you wear comfortable shoes and arrive hungry/thirsty. There will be lots of great eats and yummy treats!

Enjoy!

We have an extra ticket to Chefs' Night Out on Tuesday, April 5th.

If you're interested, the ticket could be yours. The person who writes the most creative response as to why he/she deserves the ticket will win.

Deadline is this Thursday by 5:00 p.m. Winner will be notified on Friday, April 1st.

For the second year in a row, Ruby Porter Marketing + Design will be providing FOOD for Lane County all the graphic support needed for Chefs' Night Out 2011. Last year was so much fun and we can't wait to do it all over again. Be sure to tune in to the FOOD for Lane County website for details on this HUGE fundraiser.

Ruby Porter Marketing + Design is excited to announce that owner Joyen Pendowski has been selected as a member of the 2010-2011 class for the joint Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce and Springfield Chamber of Commerce Leadership Academy. The class will meet monthly and discuss topics of importance to our local community. We are excited to see how Ruby Porter Marketing + Design can become an even greater contributor to our community through this innovative leadership program.

Ruby Porter Marketing + Design is proud to be a sponsor for the second year in a row of the Women's Business Network Annual Trade Show. Now in it's 11th year, the trade show has grown to include a robust silent auction, as well as a boutique with gently used or like new items which are being sold as a fundraiser for a local charity. The show is September 15th from 4:00-7:30pm at the Eugene Hilton. Admission is free of charge. Come down and support your local businesswomen! Learn more about WBN at www.wbneugene.org

Ruby Porter Marketing + Design was recently selected to work with the Ice Sports Foundation of Lane County to assist them in reaching their mission objectives of maintaining, promoting and supporting the ice sports community of Lane County. The first major task at hand is raising $2.4 million for repairs to the Lane Ice Center. Want to learn more? Visit www.chillatlaneicecenter.com