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Graphics, marketing, editorial content and revenue development strategies for print, web and other digital media.

Remember, success means more work!

About Us

PRINTABLE VERSION

Myra Anson Nicholas

Ok, you asked for it. I have tired to keep even this short, and have probably missed keywords that would affect a search... but please email me with any questions.

BASIC CONTACT INFO:

905 Lincoln Avenue, Falls Church, VA 22046
home office: (703) 241-5583   •   fax: (703) 536-7295

SYNOPSIS

Results-driven. Intensively creative and relentlessly seeking improvement. Over 25 years in graphic design, marketing and PR - desktop publishing to multimedia and internet. Conversant in all formats, electronic, web, and paper-based, and the strengths and weaknesses of each. Strong public relations/marketing copywriter. Teaching, mentoring and project management experience, major team player, with the ability to pitch in where needed.

Have worked in all aspects of marketing & PR; print, electronic publishing (CD and web), POP and display - including concept development, copywriting, design and production. Have developed both promotional programs and educational seminars to much success. Wide range of interests, from new technologies (bio & IT) to literature, and anthropology.

Excellent direct response and promotional writing and design skills, production management. Experienced in initiating/managing marketing and fulfillment programs, strategic planning for print and website development. Website rethinks, website overhauls, landing pages, lead generation/direct response, product development, problem-solving processes, and improving existing marketing programs also strengths.

RECENT SUCCESSES
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
SOFTWARE
EDUCATION

RECENT SUCCESSES

  • For the last 2 years, have helped design and implement a digital design curriculum, identified weaknesses in current offerings and have written syllabuses and taught several classes new, but vital for students success, to a local university.
  • Have designed and produced a series of promotional materials and a marketing program, for a trade association that cut previous printing costs by 40% and mailing costs by 60%. Attendance for conference that promotion was intended for rose by 10%.
  • With 2 months notice produced, promoted and finalized agenda for trade association's 2-day educational program. With minimal help from committees and staff, developed agenda relevant to membership's wishes, line up speakers, develop promotional campaign and produced the program. Program was rated 2.9 on a scale of 0-3, association made a profit, attendance was double that of previous programs and speakers have since written articles for association publication.
  • Soon after taking over a database-drive website for a nonprofit workforce organization which had major navigation troubles (and no budget left for reprogramming), created a series of jump-to's, pop-ups linked to relevant stories, put up an e-newsletter and made small edits to site which has resulted in major kudos to the nonprofit from city and county executives.
  • With less than 1 day's notice, placated high-tech company who was contracting website services from a longtime client. Proceeded as ad hoc project manager for the duration, resulting in recommendations and future website development work for client.
  • Identified printing and mailing practices costing publishing company over $20,000 per year, introduced strategies that could bring in additional revenue as well as fulfill the company's mission for increased national exposure. Success was demonstrated when company was purchased by Post-Newsweek.
  • Designed and produced 4 color DR brochure for international telecommunications company, which resulted in a sign-up rate exceeding 20%.
  • As lead designer of a team, redesigned and overhauled website for publisher which resulted in a subscription renewal program rate (the first test of the site) of over 15% for the 60,000 subscribers in the program.
  • Designed and produced 2 color Direct Response lead generation postcard program for US division of a 100-year old British technical consulting firm unfamiliar with selling to American companies. At the end of the second month of the program, the division had the largest number of leads in its history. Company requested campaign be adapted for use in its other offices (currently being translated into Spanish for the South American division)

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Anson-Bowles & Assoc, Falls Church, VA     1979 - 1993, 1998-Present

ONGOING WORKING RELATIONSHIPS INCLUDE:
Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board (NVWIB)
The SkillSource Group
Stratford University
Altman Dedicated Direct (and their clients)
Marketwise, Inc. (and their clients)
Strategic Futures (and their clients)
GlobalPhone Corporation (and their agents, worldwide)
Whereoware, Inc.
ACAT/National Association of Accountants
GeoScience World
Altered Arts Magazine
NotJustPartz
and many others...

Principal, (company launched in 1979) A customer-oriented marketing and graphic design venture specializing in new media and technology marketing, including business-to-business (print-based, broadcast fax, internet-based and PR) and the planning, copywriting, design, consulting and implementation of campaigns. Consult for a variety of software and website development companies as 'creative director' and lead designer. In February 2005, concluded serving as web diva & the e-communications point person for The Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America (SIGMA), currently maintaining the website and developing new web initiatives for the Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board (NVWIB), teaching class in at Stratford University 1-2 evenings a week in their digital design curriculum, and on an ad-hoc basis, providing graphic services for 2 web development companies, a telecommunications company doing affinity programs, and a host of other long-time clients.

Northern Virginia Technology Council -1998 to 1999 - Creative Director/webmaster/senior designer… continued relationship on a consulting basis after leaving.
Started as consultant on a triage basis. Ended up responsible for everything the council produced for membership and public viewing from a massive website (over 1,000 files) with daily updates, to monthly newsletter, event promotions (print, fax, ads and signage) as well as other print and multi-media products.
Besides writing promotional copy, designing logos (or "branding") each event and committee, was a resource for all the non-techies onsite. On a less formal basis, also helped other staff understand the tech community, provided stats and anecdotes to spice up publications, photographed some events, and served as consultant for several committee initiatives. Worked closely with committee members to achieve their goals.
Major projects were the website overhaul and a redesign of the graphic "look" for the council. The web overhaul (see 1999 successes), Hired & trained successor (webmaster) to take over after overhaul was complete.
The redesign of the newsletter, event signage and brochures had been a continuing process, and will continue to be so. Am still doing ad hoc work for the newsletter (now called a magazine) and have done several covers and thematic ads.

Anson-Bowles & Associates - between 1997 and 1998 worked on several large projects:
On a consulting basis for EEI Communications as creative director/project manager for clients such as National Geographic, NIH, Smithsonian Education, and many others.
On a consulting basis for Technology Business as Marketing Director to launch new marketing effort
On a consulting basis for Tech Capital helping them launch the magazine.
As a direct marketing consultant for Guthy-Renker Corporation (Intellectual Property Division) which involved package design and DR ads and mailings.

Washington Technology/Tech News -1996 to 1997 - Marketing Director (retained for ad hoc consulting after leaving position)
Was responsible for concept development, copywriting, design and production of collateral for Washington Technology, a biweekly 4 color high-technology publication, and other ancillary ventures such as The Almanac, TechExpo and WTOnline, the internet version of the publication. Other responsibilities involve strategic planning, reviewing all print and online vendor contracts, planning broadcast fax and e-mail campaigns. Management had involved me in everything from planning new ventures to market research, budgeting, trade show activities, and client problem-solving. Researched, compiled statistics, directed, wrote, designed and produced Media Kit.
When The Washington Post Company bought the publication, duties expanded to include producing (and enforcing) production schedules for all promotions and events, budgeting, extensive copywriting for multimedia pieces, helping maintain sales department morale throughout reorganization, helping new VP of Marketing with transition. Resignation due to the nature of the position changing to more administrative, less creative.

ASA(a division of A&T) -1995 to 1996 - Graphic Art Director & Group Manager
(Group Manager) Managed the Graphics department and staff of 4, while coordinating with video, programmers, and instructional designers to produce deliverables for civilian and defense agencies and fortune 100 companies. Oversaw the "look" of each project, recommended software, color, and format of product, as well as duplication methodologies. Met with clients to determine style, hired and trained staff, recommended new purchases, worked with vendors. With 4-person staff, produced animations, graphics for CBT, brochures, electronic presentations, web page design and production, deliverables. Staff was in two locations, requiring careful coordination of workflow and equipment. Worked with corporate office in Connecticut to identify marketing opportunities. Responsible for technological problem solving such as palette shifting issues, platform limitations, navigational icons and contract "gotchas" not anticipated in the bidding process. Resigned after layoffs decimated office's productivity.

National Alliance of Business -1993 to 1995 -Product & Marketing Coordinator (and contract web work in 1998-2001)
Essential part of marketing, publications, and communications department. Responsibilities included: designing and producing presentation materials, books, brochures, newsletters, logos, catalogs, annual reports, and posters; consulting on and directing print products, mailing lists; initiating, designing, writing promotional materials for publications, services, and conferences; designing/implementing marketing feedback opportunities. Overseeing on-site graphics temps. Designing membership fulfillment materials. Marketing regional/national events to public and private sectors. Consulting with NAB's clients to produce deliverables. Have, in the past 3 years, provided consulting for them ranging from overhauling 2 websites to developing marketing programs to promote them.

Tab Books division of The McGraw-Hill Companies- 1991 to 1996 - Consulting Designer
Ad hoc basis: designing and producing magazine inserts, advertisements, direct mail promotions, quarterly card decks and other collateral for the Tab Books division of McGraw-Hill. Projects required coordination from editing copy to final film output, working as a team with copywriters, illustrators and photographers, and troubleshooting. Consulting arrangement ended when the corporate office closed the Tab Books division's office in Pennsylvania.

DataTrends Publications, Inc. -1992 to 1993 - Production Coordinator (retained for ad hoc consulting after leaving position)
Designed, formatted, produced, organized and otherwise tracked all publications put out by DataTrends, a high end "executive" newsletter publisher primarily covering large IT software developers. Responsible for newsletter production, direct mail, design and testing new products. Worked directly with vendors.

Anson-Bowles & Associates -1979 to 1992 - Principal
A full-service graphic design and marketing venture specializing in high quality publications, brochures and ads. Managed staff of 2. Coordinated projects with vendors and freelancers, worked directly with clients. Transitioned from mainframe and standalone code-based typesetting systems to desktop publishing, educating clients, and consulting with those companies who went in-house. Purchased equipment, hired staff did marketing, billing, et. al. Client list oriented towards high-tech companies and associations. Retained some clients on a consulting basis.

Positions prior to October 1979: Art Director, Boat Owners Association; Production Artist, Bureau of National Affairs. Many other, less relevant projects

SOFTWARE

Although not a software program, coding for SEO is a key strategy for all the web work I do. Editing text for punch and creating extensive photoshop montages is another element i bring to my work to add to the final product's effectiveness.

Most commercial web site development applications and hand-coding HTML page construction, javascript, some database-driven web applications (Dreamweaver, CSS, some Cold Fusion, some ASP). Some Flash (can edit flash templates), can edit ASP coding, familiar with shopping cart elements and most database interactions. Quark X-Press (Mac and Windows), Adobe Photoshop (Mac and Windows), and the whole Creative Suite of Adobe, Corel Draw! Word Perfect, Most Microsoft's Office products. Lots of diff rent programs, just ask.... Cross-platform compatible. Familiar with Internet/Web navigation & accessibility requirements, database and legacy issues.

EDUCATION

Virginia Commonwealth University, BFA, Communication, Arts & Design, 1976
Newsletter Association seminars on marketing, 1993-94; DMAW seminars, 1993, 95; Seminars on Corel Draw! 4&5, 1994-95; Advanced Quark, and Photoshop seminars, 1994-95; Professional seminars on multimedia, marketing, pre-press troubleshooting, direct mail, scanning and trapping, and "future of the industry" speculations, 1993-94; Exhibit and Trade Show Marketing seminar, 1995-96. Various web development seminars 1996-98, Guerilla Marketing seminar 1998-99.


celebrating 25 years in Northern Virginia

Copyright 2005 Anson-Bowles & Associates, coyote@nanosite.com   •   Voice: 703.241.5583   •   Fax: 703.237.5641