Marketing media portfolio

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This page presents snapshot summaries of several of the marketing projects that I’ve worked on, for client-driven and internal applications. At the bottom of each summary is a link to the complete project documentation.

Commercial projects

(1) Gaffney Homes: Marketing media consulting; America’s Best Builder project

(2) The “Lost Liberty Hotel”: Various marketing media

(3) Galt Ocean Mile INSIDER magazine: Brochure & supplemental material

(4) Yes!Press: Logo, brochure

Non-profit organizations

(5) Virginians Over-Taxed On Residences (VOTORS): Brochure redevelopment

(6) VirginiaPropertyRights.org: Print ad

(7) Visiting Musicians: Logo, print ad

(8) SPCA: Design for a new dog-information & -status sheet


Commercial projects


(1) Gaffney Homes: Marketing media consulting; America’s Best Builder project

Background: As this homebuilder approached its twentieth year in business, it decided to enter the annual America’s Best Builder Award competition, the most prestigious in its industry. In addition to detailed responses to a series of marketing and operational questions, the ABB requires disclosure of the firm’s business plan.

The Challenge: I was retained by Gaffney Homes to consult on, design, write/edit and produce the firm’s first comprehensive business plan and all ABB materials, and conduct a thorough marketing program assessment.

The Result: Gaffney Homes won the America’s Best Builder Award. Read a feature story about Gaffney’s victory, here.

“Jon assured us at the onset that he would assist us in producing a business plan and application that would be immediately distinguishable from others […] One judge specifically cited the easy to follow layout of our business plan as being a critical factor in helping to put us over the top.”

– Mike Gaffney, founder & President, Gaffney Homes

See complete project profile here.


(2) The “Lost Liberty Hotel”

Background: In June 2005, by a 5-4 margin, the U.S. Supreme Court established a “new interpretation” of “eminent domain.” It ruled in Kelo v. City of New London that a city has the right under eminent domain to seize private property, and transfer it to another private party, if the latter’s use would provide greater tax revenue or economic benefits to the community “as a whole.”

The Challenge: To take a fellow advocate of liberty’s raw idea – to see if this “new interpretation” also applied to the property owned by the Supreme Court justices who voted for it – and turn it into finished media, from press releases to a logo and beyond, that would get attention.

The Result: With the aid of the media tools that I created, the “Lost Liberty Hotel” burst into the American consciousness – and catapulted the client who developed it from obscurity into an interview subject on top TV news programs.

“I love this… this is how you fight this stuff, folks… this is how you do it … you turn it right around on them […] the ‘Lost Liberty Hotel’… you just have to love this…”

– Rush Limbaugh, one day after the project’s press release that Jon edited was issued

“The pro-liberty movement is fortunate to have Jon Sutz among its ranks. [H]e edited our first press release – which led to national media exposure […] and also a vital follow-up press release, and our first newsletter […] and developed a beautiful logo… [J]on’s creativity, passion and strong work ethic were vital assets to us, and any serious liberty-oriented organization would benefit by enlisting him in its development and outreach efforts.”

– Logan Clements, CEO, Freestar Media, developer of the “Lost Liberty Hotel”

See complete project profile here.


(3) Galt Ocean Mile INSIDER brochure & supplemental materials

Background: The Galt Ocean Mile INSIDER (“GOMI”) was an extremely innovative local interest magazine that Jon conceived of, designed, edited and published, for an upscale South Florida community. Because of its special merits, advertising in the GOMI cost four to six times or more than in its low-quality competitors. Detailed info on publication here.

The Challenge: To develop marketing materials that explain why the GOMI is such a superior value, in an apples-to-apples comparison, in a very low cost, but high-design method.

The Result: A detailed, four-page black and white brochure, and a one-page “ad cost comparison worksheet” enabled prospective advertisers within and outside the target area to have all the relevant facts before them in one, convenient package.

See sales material development here, and logo here.


(4) Yes!Press brochure

Background: Yes!Press designs and operates skills-training and certification seminars, particularly relating to healthcare.

The Challenge: To develop a new logo for Yes!Press, and a new brochure for its Clinical Aromatherapy Certification program.

The Result: The client was thrilled:

“The logo you designed for us is exactly what we were looking for! It has the ‘punch’ and positive aura that we try to bring to our work, and it is far superior to the logos of our competitors. Thank you for doing a really superlative job.”
– Sarah Krueger, Executive Director

See complete project profile here.


Non-profit organizations


(5) Virginians Over-Taxed On Residences (VOTORS)

Background: From 2000 through 2006, modest- and fixed-income individuals and families throughout Virginia were being taxed out of their homes, due to ever-increasing annual property tax increases. VOTORS was created to advocate for a proposal to limit the power of cities and towns in Virginia to increase property taxes by no more than 1% per year.

The Challenge: To consult on, rewrite and redesign all of VOTORS’ media, including its logo and brochure, to make the entire project more professional-appearing and effective – especially to educate low-literacy homeowners of how they would benefit from its proposal.

The Result: The media tools that I created (and recreated) for VOTORS were deemed a major success by its board:

“Jon has been impressively responsive from the moment I began to work with him to change our logo. So impressed was I with our new logo that I asked Jon to use his abilities to help us to improve our VOTORS brochure… [J]on has become a welcome and essential element in our grassroots effort. I could not be more pleased with his work.”

– Al Aitken, founder & Chairman, Virginians Over-Taxed On Residences

See complete project profile here.


(6) VirginiaPropertyRights.org

Background: In the immediate aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Kelo v. City of New London (see “Lost Liberty Hotel,” above), several principals of the Jefferson Area Libertarians (Charlottesville, VA) – a group with whom Jon had worked in the past – wished to rapidly create a local nonprofit to fight to protect Virginians’ property rights.

The Challenge: I was asked to rapidly develop a logo and an initial print ad for the organization the JAL principals created, VirginiaPropertyRights.org, with which they could seek funding and political support.

The Result: The JAL was thrilled with both the logo and the ad, which I created in less than one week (see testimonial under JAL):

“Jon’s considerable talents… have helped to raise the profile and effectiveness of [the JAL’s] communications and outreach efforts. [W]henever I am approached by liberty-oriented organizations and candidates in need of help with media materials, Jon is the first person I recommend. Jon is a tremendous resource for the liberty movement.”

– Jim Lark, Ph.D., Secretary; past Chairman, Libertarian Party of America

See complete project profile here.


(7) Visiting Musicians print ad

Background: While I was caring for my mother after she suffered a stroke, she required rehabilitation, including mental stimulation. She had numerous mobility and functional limitations, however, which made this quite difficult.

The Challenge: To create a volunteering opportunity for her, within her limitations, that would aid in her rehabilitation. After having her do all the exercises in the career-planning book What Color Is Your Parachute?, we determined that she would be best suited doing something with music and children.

The Result: The flyer at right, for “Visiting Musicians,” a volunteer organization I created for my mother, which would arrange for various musicians to play for and with seriously ill children at the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

See complete project profile here.


(8) Design for a new dog-information sheet for the SPCA

Hello info sheet v1Background: The in-cage data sheets on each dog, at the time, were not only boring and tedious to read, from a volunteer standpoint, one had no idea what obedience skills the pup (or adult) had learned, to make them more adoptable, so we’re not covering old territory, or focusing on what needs to be worked on. Plus, there was no info on what makes the dog unique.

So as a volunteer dog-walker and graphic designer, I created the attached, as a prospective solution to enhance volunteer efficiency, and make the dogs more adoptable, a tool that perhaps could be adapted for use by other SPCAs – and credited to the CASPCA for being the first to use it.

The Result: The local SPCA declined to utilize the design I created, primarily because of software limitations.

See complete project profile here.


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