Our job is to create memorable brand personas.
The below sampling represents the end-result of a considerable amount of time and effort to ensure that all aspects of visual and written content connect and invites a response.​
Our job is to create memorable brand personas.
The below sampling represents the end-result of a considerable amount of time and effort to ensure that all aspects of visual and written content connect and invites a response.​
Our job is to create memorable brand personas.
The below sampling represents the end-result of a considerable amount of time and effort to ensure that all aspects of visual and written content connect and invites a response.​
Thank you for the opportunity to earn your business
On behalf of S-Squared Creative, I would like to thank you for allowing us to present our information and proposal. We hope to move forward with you and your team, create outstanding work and help you achieve your communication goals.
— Steve Utley, Head of Creative and Strategies
Request for proposal response: Icon Global Brand Refresh and Website
CONTENTS
01. Contents
02. Who We Are
03. Agency Services
05. Brand essence
06. Case Studies
11. Accolades
12. Exec Bio
WHO WE ARE
S-Squared Creative provides branding, communications, and creative solutions for clients. We understand the holistic relationships between solid planning, creativity, and the appropriate use of integrated marketing tactics to deliver award-winning and bottom-line results.
S2 brings together top marketing minds to provide solutions to clients across the marketing spectrum. Our team includes exceptional senior talent; S2’s Steve Utley leads all creative and strategic efforts. The combined experience of Steve’s expertise and the individual team members he engages delivers results.
We pride ourselves that you will receive the direct impact of our combined experience creating, building, and growing brands as a client. We do not push the work down to junior associates; you get our experience and expertise every day on your business with S-Squared Creative.
What sets us apart from the rest is what we call “Creative-Articulation.” Creative articulation engages both left and right brain thinking. It absorbs analytical data, fully understands it, and overlays an innovative direction that effectively communicates the right message to the right people. We believe that the combination of factual information, linear thinking, and abstract, creative thought relates to people on different levels. Delivering information that embodies these ideas often drives excellent communications that motivate an audience to take action.
The basis for any successful communication approach comes with understanding your existing and prospective customers and how you can positively affect their lives/businesses. It’s equally important to define what your company stands for, its culture, and the lasting impression you want to leave with your customers. Most organizations have something in common - they need to get their word out more and refresh their brand messaging. So we do what we do best — make a sincere connection with their target audiences and motivate them to respond to our communications.
AGENCY SERVICES
BRANDING APPROACH
These things can be expressions of your brand, but defining your corporate image begins with you. S-Squared Creative describes branding as a unique, memorable experience that uniquely represents the vision of who your organization is and wants to be. We help you create a level of expectation with every engagement of your products and services while consistently delivering heightened levels of customer experience every time. Your brand happens with every phone call or encounter with your website. So allow us to work with your team to effectively capture innovative ways to accomplish a brand's storytelling.
Developing a solid and authentic brand is a component of success for any business. As your brand architect, we can help discover the image and storyline that delivers curated messaging to targeted audiences.
Strategic content design and customized solutions for integrated marketing take aligning marketing vehicles to function as one campaign. S2 will help you refine your story by solutions such as social media content, advertising, public/media relations, strategic advising, event planning, and consumer engagement. Every client's solution is tailored to what works for their company. Working with a team of experts can help your vision on a timeline to reality with a fresh creative appeal.
The proof of our value is in the results we produce for our clients. Below are a few case studies of the work we planned and created for our clients. Each assignment was unique in itself, planning, using media target audiences, products, services, and goals.
CASE STUDY
Advertising Brand Refresh Campaign
Haynes and Boone needed a new advertising and marketing campaign to promote their Dallas, Texas roots, commitment, and support of the Texas business community.
With Dallas being considered one of the nation's top business markets, Haynes and Boone recognized large northeastern and mid-west law firms began opening offices in Dallas with aspirations to prospect and compete for the many business opportunities. The campaign was designed to create top-of-mind awareness and reinforce their presence as the preeminent law firm in the city of Dallas by leveraging who they are today and the history of the community in which it was founded.
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Client: Haynes and Boone, LLP
Assignment: Create a branded theme and multi-part advertising campaign.
Disciplines: Strategic Planning, Message/Content Creation, Business-to-Business, Branding, Advertising, Media Planning, and Placement
Target: Texas-based corporations
Objective: Branding and lead generation
Solution:
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Create three advertisements focusing on the firm's key areas of focus
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Analyzed and evaluated prospective advertising media opportunities
Result: The Haynes and Boone, Inherently DALLAS advertising campaign achieved its goals by increasing brand recognition, generating significant leads, and onboarding new accounts. The firm renewed twelve existing accounts and added eight new accounts throughout the campaign, accounting for millions in new revenue.
Lawyers, gavels, and scales of justice, all stereotypical and stodgy images used too often in corporate law firm branding and advertising. Changing this perspective was sorely needed to break through the monotony that became the status quo visual grammar. Munsch Hardt asked us to differentiate them with this campaign, so we made it so.
Client: Munsch Hardt Kopf & Harr, PC
Assignment: Create a non-traditional and engaging three-part advertising campaign.
Disciplines: Strategic Planning, Message/Content Creation, Business-to-Business, Branding, Advertising, Media Planning, and Placement
Target: Texas-based corporations
Objective: Branding and lead generation
Solution:
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Create three advertisements focusing on the firm's key areas of focus
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Analyzed and evaluated prospective advertising media opportunities
Result: After the debut of the "No Tale Tales" advertising campaign generated significant leads. The acquisition of five new clients was attributed to the ad campaign, accounting for nearly $1 million in new revenue.
CASE STUDY
Advertising Branding Campaign
CASE STUDY
Feature Film Concept and Branding
Looking to expand his creativity, S2's Head of Creative and Strategies, Steve Utley, has written and published two historical fiction novels and two screenplays. His goal? To adapt his scripts to the screen. Writing under the pseudonym Stephen Shields, Utley created a film concept called Die Glocke – The Battle for Time.
Die Glocke is a film concept based on true-life events and popular conspiracy theories of historical science fiction, alternative history, and suspense-thriller film.
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Client: Steve Utley
Assignment: Feature film production
Disciplines: writing, conceptual thought, branding, online promotion, and video production
Target: Employees and existing clients
Objective: Secure a film agent, promote and produce a feature film
Solution: Script/Screenplay and promotional website
Result: The finalization of the Die Glocke script is being finalized for presenting to prospective agents for representation.
ACCOLADES
Awards and Recognition
Being recognized for your hard work is always rewarding. It's a validation that the time and extra effort spent was a job well done. In addition, accolades showcase your talent to peers and solidify why the client chose to work with you over others.
PUBLISHED WORK (Selected Partial List):
– NEWSWEEK
– Print Magazine
– Graphic Design USA
– Dallas Society of Visual Communications (DSVC) Rough Magazine
– American Corporate Identity
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AWARDS AND RECOGNITION (Selected Partial List)
Recipient of over 100 design and visual communication awards, Notable awards include:
– Platinum Award of Excellence: Houston Film Festival, Houston, TX
– Gold Award of Excellence: Mercury Awards International Competition, NY, NY
– Grand Award - "Best of Show": Mercury Awards International Competition, NY, NY
– Gold Award of Excellence: American Advertising Federation State, Austin, TX
– Gold Award of Excellence: American Advertising Federation Regional, Austin, TX
– 2-time Gold Award of Excellence: The Communicator Awards International
Competition, NY, NY
– 2-time Gold Award of Excellence: The Galaxy Awards International Competition, NY, NY
– 6-time Gold Award of Excellence: Telly Awards, San Antonio, TX
– 3-time Gold Award of Excellence: Dallas Advertising League "Tops" Awards, Dallas, TX
– 2-time Award of Excellence recipient: American Corporate Identity, National
– Award of Excellence: Print Magazine, National
– Gold Award of Excellence: Dallas Society of Visual Communications, Dallas, TX
– Bronze Quill Award, Dallas, TX
EXEC BIO
Steve Utley
Head of Creative and Strategies
P: 214-334-1480
If we don’t say enough about Steve, his skills and talent, please let us know and he will personally contact you to answer any questions you have.
A well-thought-out creative approach in and of itself is a strategy. However, in communications, combining accurate information with a solid creative approach often is the "X-factor" that drives successful results. – Steve Utley
Steve founded and served as executive creative director and president for twenty-one years of Quill Advertising, a Dallas-based integrated branding firm. After selling his agency in 2010, he rebooted two years later as S-Squared Creative. S2 is Steve's latest business venture in his career, spanning over 30-years and covering all aspects of business-to-business and consumer-based branding. Throughout Steve's career, he's had the opportunity to lead branding efforts domestically and internationally, marketing a broad mix of products and services within diverse industries, enabling him to employ a full range of strategies and tactics, using all forms of printed and digital media.
Services – Branding • Strategic Planning • Strategic Partnerships • Advertising • Creative • Direct Marketing • Sponsorships • Experiential/Event Marketing • Promotional Marketing • Multi-Cultural Marketing • New Product Introductions • Vendor Management • Digital Marketing • Database Management • Website Development.
Strategic Consulting – Hiring a consultant allows an organization to have help every step of the way as they approach a new project or try to execute the vision on a current initiative. By coming on board as your strategic marketing team, we can develop a blueprint for success by working with your team to establish critical elements and develop an effective and highly visible brand.
Strategy – Creating a cohesive marketing journey is essential to your overall brand success. We will provide a customized framework through strategic sessions internally with our team and by meeting with your key personnel, using a SMART model to determine the scope of each branch of the project and executing deliverables in an agile way. Our specialized team of talent will ensure that every angle is covered for any high-level decisions needed to be made within your company regarding marketing.
Creative – A successful marketing campaign for the growth of your business is all about selecting the right creative partner who can embrace your vision, capture its core, and set your brand apart from others in your industry business sector. Our team will deliver this approach through great storyboards, prolific designs, and impressive marketing materials that spark commercial and retail consumers' interest. First, let us design a creative suite that boasts the vibrancy and innovating your brand represents. Every client has different creative needs. Then, we will explore your vision and execute the deliverables that you are striving for.
Media Mix – The variation of the mediums utilized in your master media mix is key to making sure you use the correct marketing vehicles to get your message and brand noticed. We specialize in providing an array of options when figuring out the annual components that complement your long-term brand goals and provide the support necessary to make the elements of your campaign effective.
Social Media Marketing – Allow us to help you tell the story and facilitate how you engage among crucial consumers and target audiences for your brand. Company brand goals and initiatives established will be delivered through social media feeds. Content calendars will help prospects have a more robust personal experience through online content, social engagement, and creation through the client and information your organization wants to relate through our team. Using algorithms, trends, and current analytics to make social media ad purchases to boost posts will only increase the reach of the content we curate.
Digital Media – Having a highly responsive and SEO-driven website can affect your click-through rate and the ability for you to convert a potential consumer to a consumer in your marketplace. Keeping your framework integrated with the components that allow you to measure growth is essential to the overall marketing goals established for acute and annual goals. We provide services to keep your website updated and give it a fresh look as we add additional messaging and events coming out of your camp, complementing traditional methods your organization agrees to put in motion.
The term "brand" has become fluid in meaning and varies depending on the company. A corporate brand plays an integral part in the overall flow of your organization. A brand is not:
– Your Logo
– Your Tagline
– Your Product/Service
– Your Advertising
– Your Website
– Your Social Media
– Your Brochures
– Your People
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BRAND ESSENCE
Your brand is your essence and what will be at the core of achieving your objectives.
We take that seriously. When you entrust your brand, whether that is starting new or refreshing, we take the utmost care to ensure we deliver it back to you in a manner that will fulfill your objectives. We have a simple yet proven process for doing this.
San Clemente, California-based GreenMonkey.design is a newly created brand, positioned as The Graphic Evolution of Streetwear.
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The managing partner of Tallgrass.ai approached S2s head of creative and strategies, Steve Utley, with a business proposition to become a partner in a new online apparel company. Steve was given full creative license to create all aspects of the company's image, including brand name, brand identity, apparel design, and online storefront. Located in the epicenter of California's skateboard and surfing scene, GreenMonkey.design targets these cultures, boutique retailers, and cannabis dispensaries.
Client: GreenMonkey.design
Assignment: Create A brand of graphic streetwear that connects to targeted audiences and generates revenue via an e-commerce platform.
Disciplines: Strategic planning, sales strategies, message/content creation, B2C/B2B branding
Target: targeted notional consumer and retailer audiences.
Objective: Branding and sales.
Solution:
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Create, introduce and promote themed apparel and create revenue on an e-commerce platform.
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Analyze and evaluate site analytics to maximize revenue performance.
Result: GreenMonkey.design is planned to be publicly launched spring of 2022. The results of the business are scheduled to be evaluated in, summer of 2022.
CASE STUDY
Brand Creation
After achieving its acquisition goals, Nashville, Tennesee-based Celero Commerce hired S2.
Celero spent two years acquiring businesses to strengthen its core business as one of the notions top transaction payment processors. The acquisitions grew Celero exponentially and changed the completion of the company. In addition, Celero hired S2 to produce an internal and external communications campaign that promoted Celero as a unified and more robust company with more people, additional resources, and capabilities.
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Client: Celero Commerce
Assignment: Internal and external communications campaign
Disciplines: Strategic Planning, Message/Content Creation, Business-to-Business, Branding, Digital Communications.
Target: Employees and existing clients
Objective: Promote the unification of multiple companies merged into one.
Solution: Create and deploy digital direct and social media communications.
Result: The We Are One campaign successfully communicated key messages to internal and external audiences.
CASE STUDY
Integrated Acquisition Communications
Steve began his career as a fine artist and then expanded his talents into graphic design and broader-based forms of media, branding from start-ups to global companies. Looking for additional creative challenges, Steve began shooting photography professionally and has written two novels and two screenplays.
PROFESSIONAL / PERSONAL INTERESTS AND HIGHLIGHTS:
– Awarded and published over one hundred times for creativity and marketing excellence
– Authored two screenplays and published two historical fiction novels titled Anne Bonny and Peak XV
– Climbed Mount Everest, November - December 2012
– Songwriting lyrics to, Hear What I'm Sayin and co-produced studio production with seven-time Grammy Award nominee, Carlos "Six July" Broady and
Movin On, with country music artist Austin Michael.
– Non-profit affiliation: The Jim Utley Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to drug abuse education, awareness and prevention targeting youth,
grade school through high school
– Served as a team member of the Dallas Regional Chamber Communications Steering Committee.
BRAND EXPERIENCE:
American Airlines, Bluegreen Communities, EDS, Celero Commerce, City of Dallas, Comcast, CIBER, FedEx Office, Fujitsu Network Communications, Haynes & Boone, IBM, Paymentech, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sabre, Texas Instruments, Verizon, Vizient, to name a few.
BRAND IDENTITY BUDGET
LAND OF OPPORTUNITY
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OUR TAKE ON THINGS
In words immortalized by or Author Horace Greeley, Go West, young man further reinforced why America became known as the land of opportunity.​
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A lucky few families staked their claims and flourished. From humble beginnings, they invested in their futures. Over decades they grew their farms and ranches, hundreds and thousands of acres resulting in family name prominence, influential power, and generational wealth. Others have realized their dreams through other aspects of land ownership.
Icon Global is a leader in implementing strategic, tactical marketing and sales campaigns for unique, high-end properties. With his unique set of abilities, Bernard Uechtritz understands how to get deals done. He knows that deals are done through understanding and trust as a champion of achieving the goals of landowners and his belief that land creates opportunity.
Consider the term, Land of Opportunity. Through the ownership of valuable land assets, Icon Global's clients are uniquely positioned. In other words, their land is the catalyst for opportunity.
Let's also consider using Land of Opportunity as a branded theme or tagline for the Icon Global brand. The term is commonly used throughout the United States, representing The American Dream, and is also well-known internationally. Our approach to branding often incorporates familiarity, using a familiar word, term, or even colors to represent a company's products and services to accelerate branding and create faster recognition and higher recall. Land of Opportunity can speak to prospects and Bernard Uechtritz as "The Go-To, Can-Do Rainmaker" of real estate and project the value Icon Global delivers.
Icon Global, Land of Opportunity.
Developing a cohesive and professional brand identity is an integral part of any effective branding strategy. Creating a brand identity requires focused attention to detail to create a style that successfully meets the goals.
When S2 creates brand identity, we produce visual perspectives. Our perspectives are comprehensive and illustrate how the identity look and feel integrates consistently across the board. We typically include,
– Logo
– Positioning/themed tagline
– Business cards
– Stationery
– Email-signature
– Sales tool presentation
– Print materials (e.g., brochures)
– Signage (if needed)
– Website
The perspectives we will design will complement the Icon Global service offering, focusing on brokerage services to wealthy individuals or corporations looking to invest in ranch, recreational or unique residential and industrial properties, including appraisal and energy management consulting.
The graphic look we will produce will appeal to wealthy investors age 35 and over, including both men and women who like the outdoors, luxury travel, private jets, privacy, and luxury brands with income over $1M per year.
Our brand development process begins with a discovery phase. Next, we will send you a Q&A document to complete. When completed, your answers will serve as a basis for the work we create.
ESTIMATED COSTS:
– Graphic Design
– Brand Identity Positioning
– Creative Platform
– Graphic Standards
– Project Management
– Final / Approved digital files
Subtotal – $17,000.00
Terms / Payment Schedule: Budget subtotal of $17,000.00 plus $165.00 state sales tax divided equally into three equal monthly payments of $5,721.66. First payment invoiced upon budget approval and due upon receipt. Two invoices of $5,721.66 will follow the first. Additional invoices will be sent on the fifteenth day of each month and due before or on the first day of each month.
State sales tax of $165.00 applied to $2,000 for production and delivered digital files.
WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT BUDGET
Websites work. No matter what your business or profession, a website can generate business, promote goodwill among customers and prospects, deliver marketing messages and be a means to generate leads and revenue.
S2 will align its goals with your objectives; the Icon Global website will be designed to generate sales-ready leads and set the new standard for ranch and real estate websites. In addition, the site's design will set a high bar admired as one of the top websites in the real estate industry.
In addition, the site will educate people about the Icon Global brand, specifically that you don't just handle large deals and can assist with smaller projects, appraisals, etc. We will also engage your visitors with your existing videos and highlight other valuable content.
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PROJECT LIFE CYCLE - PROCESS FOR THE ICON GLOBAL WEBSITE:
Step 1 & 2: Discover & Define
Project Kickoff Meeting
Establish and document site objectives, calls to action, and expected user tasks per target audience group. Users include the end consumer, as well as admins for the site who need direct access to upload and edit their content.
Document Technical Specifications
The features and functionality for the planned website will be considered to gather information about appropriate tools, languages, platforms, other applications that require integration and related factors that will be used in the next phase to define the hosting environment, network topography and analytics suite for the solution.
Information Architecture/Sitemap
S2 will organize and structure the experience to ensure optimum ease of navigation and usability of all content throughout the site in collaboration with our programming team.
Step 3-4: Develop, and Deliver
Website Build / Development
This phase will include all Front-End Development (FED) and Application Development. S2's build and development process includes cross-browser compatibility testing and the use of "search engine friendly" code and META tags.
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The site will be developed using solid and technically sound techniques that will minimize download times and the need for page refreshing and optimize transitions from page to page.
The development will be based on the sitemap, technical specifications, and design agreed upon between S2 and Icon Global.
Back-end development is conducted using modern best practices and industry standards to ensure long-term maintainability and extensibility. Static analysis tools are utilized to ensure standards and practices are followed and that security-sensitive operations are handled appropriately. All code is managed through source control (git), and CI/CD pipelines are utilized when available.
Third-Party Integration
S2 and its programming partners have extensive experience integrating with many third-party systems. We take great care to ensure seamless integration and create enhancements to provide a better user experience. For example, S2 will integrate with a database or email hosting solution for the capture form. Additionally, the site will integrate with Icon Global's social media handles for links to content or posting.
Google Analytics/Google Tag Manager
S2 and its programming partners will enable Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager on the site. For frictionless sustainability, after the site is live, the client will be responsible for account setup and providing relevant details for implementation.
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Quality Assurance/Testing
S2 will subject the site to rigorous internal testing before delivering a Launch Candidate to the Icon Global team for review. The client will then have a testing and review period to uncover any remaining bug fixes, tweaks or updates required. S2 will complete these updates and provide a final site to the client for approval upon receipt of the final list of updates.
Launch, Training and Knowledge Transfer & Post Launch Acclimation
Upon approval, S2 will assist as needed in the launch of the website on the prescribed server. Additionally, S2 will provide any required training on the use of tools developed to manage your site. It is anticipated there will be a content management system with multiple levels of publishing authority.
During the two weeks after launch, S2 expects you to have questions or discover
items that were missed prior to launch, we will be available during this Post Launch
Acclimation period.
Features this scope includes enabling:
– An easy-to-use content management system (CMS)
– Marketing Tools such as HubSpot
– Intuitive navigation
– Clean and focused design incorporating the new logo
– Interactive Map Search (ability to add and remove properties without technical
assistance)
– Property Search (or filter by)
– All applicable content imported from current site
– Optimized with SEO best practices
– Clear path to conversion/lead generation
– Import all tracking code – GA, FB pixel, AdWords Conversion Code
– A blog
– Social media integration (share buttons, follow buttons, feeds, etc.)
– Email update sign-up form
– Contact Form included on all Property Pages
– UTM Form tracking including source, medium, campaign, etc., possibly using HubSpot
or other proposed solution
– Video Gallery
– Property pages with MapRight integration
– XML sitemap
– Landing page templates for campaigns
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Features Not Included:
The following features are not included in this scope because they are too vague and would need additional scoping:
– Language Translation - There are lots of options - Icon Global's specific languages of interest?
– Advanced SEO - Additional information required. S2 outsources advanced SEO
– Blog content development - We do not create blog content. S2 outsources blog content.
– Social Media content development - We do not create content. S2 outsources social media content.
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PROPOSED INVESTMENT
Estimates are based on S2’s high-level understanding of the project considered. The budget is based on a blended hourly rate. The project budget will not exceed your investment shown below without express written consent. Fees are based on available information and are subject to change if the scope and complexity of the project changes.
– Discovery and Site Map
– Graphic Design / Page Layout
– Content: Gaphics / Text
– WordPress / Hubspot
– CMS Development / Permissions & Workflow / Back End Development
– Mobile Responsive Imaging Solution
– Analytics / Foundational SEO
– QA / UAT / Security & Load Testing
– Migration / Launch
TOTAL INVESTMENT
Subtotal – $28,000.00
Terms / Payment Schedule: Budget subtotal of $28,000.00 plus estimated state sales tax (TBD) divided equally into three equal monthly payments of $9,333.33 (subtotal). First payment invoiced upon budget approval and due upon receipt. Two invoices of $9,333.33 will follow the first. Each invoice will be sent on the fifteenth day of each month and due before or on the first day of each month.
This estimate does not include state sales tax. State sales tax will be applied to production and delivered digital files.
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THANK YOU
Thank you for providing the S-Squared Creative the opportunity to present to you. If given a chance to move forward, we will be honored to work with you and your team.
REFERENCES
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Gary Bombalicki
Founder
Rustbelt Industries LLC
805-732-4880
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Scott Johnson
CEO & Managing Partner
Wheelhouse Ventures, LLC
214-929-1189
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