Adventures in Glendale, CA – DreamWorks Studio Tour

At North Star, we have always strived for a homogeneous approach to life where work and play blend together seamlessly. Afternoon trips to the gym, running errands, or spending time with family are not uncommon occurrences during the work day in our office. During an in-market trip for our new BrandPrint client, Glendale, California, however, we were introduced to a work environment that blended work and fun so effortlessly, it was hard to see where work started and fun ended. DreamWorks Studios, in the heart of Glendale’s Creative Corridor, has jumped from number 47 to number 6 as one of the best places to work by Forbes Magazine. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2010/full_list/ At the risk of making you unhappy about your current job, I will let you in on a few of the perks enjoyed by DreamWorks employees that we learned about during our tour of the campus.



Our tour began in the lobby of the main building which houses their many awards. I have to say, it is difficult not to get giddy that close to an Oscar statue. I may or may not have let out a squeal. They won that little treasure for a movie you might have heard of… Shrek. Ring any bells? A few other DreamWorks’ hits include Monsters vs. Aliens, Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon and Kung Fu Panda.



In order to fully comprehend how well DreamWorks treats their employees, it is best to walk through a day in the life of a DreamWorks team member. Let’s say a DreamWorks employee named Dave arrives to work around 8:30ish and immediately heads to the cafeteria for a delicious and nutritious, organic breakfast. If he’s wanting to protein bulk, he can have a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast, and bacon. If he’s feeling up for a little lighter fare, they also have fruit, cereal, and yogurt. You might expect Dave to pull out his wallet and pay for this scrumptious meal, but he does not. No, Dave is not a thief; he doesn’t pay because at Dream Works everything is free. And let’s be honest, food just tastes better when it’s free. Hmmm…maybe Dave should go back and get another piece of French toast. (If it makes you feel better Dave and most employees DO gain weight after starting their jobs) After Dave finishes breakfast, he heads to work, but before he gets to his office, someone reminds him it is Monday. Monday, Dave remembers, is the day that the theater plays yet to be released movies! After the movie wraps up, Dave takes care of some emails and does whatever it is that Dave actually does then decides that he could use a nap. He gets a good 30 minute power nap before heading back to the cafeteria for a delicious, nutritious, free lunch. After lunch, he notices a pilates class on the lawn in the courtyard. He is feeling a little weak in the core after that piece of French toast, so he decides to partake in a little core strengthening and then heads back up to his office (which by the way he decorated from an allowance provided by DreamWorks).By now, Dave is feeling very refreshed, energized, and strengthened, so he accomplishes a very good amount of work. One of Dave’s buddies, Stan, asks Dave if he would like to go downstairs and play some video games. They pass a few folks playing foosball and others working out in the state of the art gym on their way to the video game room. “Ahh,” sighs Dave, “It’s just another beautiful day in Glendale, California!”

How do they get any work done you might be wondering? Somehow they do! With their bellies full, their chakras cleansed, and their bodies alert, they have cranked out three feature length films in one year and are the first animation studio in history to do so. You may have already seen How to Tame a Dragon, and be on the lookout later this year for Shrek Forever After and Megamind. Dream Works’ tactics may not be traditional, but there is no arguing with their results. Now, if you’re smart, you will forward this blog onto your boss.

~ Samara Anderson

Meet the Bloggers!

Welcome to the North Star blog! Here you will find one-of-a-kind views on all things community branding . . . and a few things not.
We are encouraging every employee at North Star to blog on what wows them in the community or destination branding world. Following is a bit about every blogger you will meet up with on this site. Of course, for a more official bio check out our website at www.northstarideas.com. But what you really want to know is right here.

Don McEachern . . . Our CEO and fearless leader. Don occupies the corner office where he sits at a huge desk with legs that came from a baby grand piano. One whole wall of our office building (which is in a restored historic home) is dedicated to plaques and pictures from various baseball and basketball teams he has coached. Something you may not know: He built a barn and a 40-stall horse stable with his dad just a few years ago. Despite a big Nashville tornado (which hit them), they stand today.

Samara Anderson . . . Our Marketing Director. If I told you she has two yip yip dogs she carries on planes in a furry bag . . . what would you think? Actually she is young, vivacious and has been with North Star longer than anyone but Don. She is quite a competitor and WILL tube right over the top of your face during the tubing contest at North Star boat day (although later at the ER she will apologize). She is the queen bee of community branding.

Angie McReynolds . . . Our Accountant and Office Manager. Everyone’s mother, confidante and right- hand woman, Angie is the best. She is lightening quick on her calculator but just as quick with a smile. She makes sure all our finances AND Don’s complicated travel schedule are in order. And she boasts a head of hair so beautiful it can make you weep.

Kevin Hinson . . . Our Creative Director and owner of our sister agency Blue Bike Creative. After 40+ years of bachelorhood, Kevin is getting married. And like every good creative director, he has thrown himself into the design of this wedding headfirst. But we forgive him his Groomzilla-ness because he is a consummate handyman who can fix anything that goes wrong in our restored historic home. (Can you imagine?!?) Plus we just pretty much like him.

Ed Barlow . . . Our Director of Project Management. The walls in his office are so filled with white boards and organization and creative ideas that they fairly buzz. He has a master’s degree in creative writing and works with his dad to create breathtaking metal work (in his spare time, which he no longer has since coming to North Star). With a laugh that is at once infectious and frightening, Ed’s office always has a line of people waiting to learn, chat or chuckle. And despite living in the South where it is 90+ in the summer, he is ALWAYS wearing fleece.

Jennifer Williams . . . Our Project Manager. Jen is soft spoken, articulate, always calm and professional. With a quiet grace and a deep understanding of marketing, she competently manages her projects and her toddler daughter Leela (usually not simultaneously). And despite her quiet exterior, Jen knocked the socks off the other competitors on North Star trivia day. More importantly, she has fantastic long red hair reminiscent of the Little Mermaid.

Kari Harris . . . Our Project Manager. At 4 feet 11 inches tall, Kari has more energy in her little finger than most people have in their . . . well, you get the idea. She is an identical twin, which is cool but disorienting when her sis comes to visit. She takes her dog to doggy day care every day, and is also engaged to be married for the first time in the fall. Kari is pretty laid-back and casual about her wedding and may let Kevin (creative director, see above) plan it for her.

Will Solomon . . . Our Brand Research Manager. Will can interpret data and format a report faster than most teenagers can text. He is a sublime cook and makes things like pie crust and cookie dough from scratch. As a graduate of nearby Vanderbilt University, he knows every hip restaurant and club in the area, which is helpful to those of us who live out on a farm. He is funny and good-natured and our college intern program has blossomed under his care (and his knowledge of hip clubs).

Shannon Gray . . . Our Director of Research. Our resident cultural anthropologist, Shannon can get people to open up to her about anything. She has more higher degrees than an oven and is bubbling over with research ideas. She recently bought her first home and not long after, her first lawn mower. Like all good researchers, she performed numerous studies to select the best neighborhood in which to buy. The lawnmower, though, was just an impulse purchase.

Anthony Domine . . . Our Marketing Coordinator. Our most recent hire, Anthony fell in love with the idea of community branding. He is a social media whiz kid and is always figuring out how to use it to help our clients. His goal is to help North Star get more Twitter followers than Ashton Kutcher. And because this is Nashville, he is also our token singer/songwriter. He can Tweet with one hand and with the other play the guitar while singing an original song about the Monday morning status meeting.

Davi Reynolds Sprenkel . . . Our Strategic Planner. Davi has a sharp strategic mind but an even sharper strategic wit. She is known for her practical joking sense of humor, especially during in-market trips (never ever on clients!). An unbelievable internet researcher, she can find information in seconds that you’ve been looking for all day. She used to be a public information officer so Davi understands the politics of community government better than most, which comes in super handy.

Christi McEachern . . . Brand Strategist and Principal. It is no freak coincidence that two people with the last name “McEachern” work at the same small company. I am married to Don McEachern and serve as the “voice of North Star.” That means I write things like our website, blasts and articles. It does not mean I have a big mouth as my son suggested. Lest you think my role was an effort for Don to employee his wife, I have a master’s in communications and more than 20 years (pre North Star) of marketing writing.

I am writing this intro blog . . . but in the future expect to hear from the articulate – and oh so funny – bloggers of North Star.

~ Christi McEachern

Destination Branding: Williamson County, TN Case Study

Confucius says that if names are not correct, language will not be in accordance with the truth of things.

The truth of things for the cities and unique communities that comprise Williamson County, TN is a special one. The communities of Franklin, Cool Springs, Brentwood, Leiper’s Fork and Nolensville, among others, form one of the crown jewels in Middle Tennessee’s tourism treasure.

Each community tells a unique story that when woven together create a romantic historic fairy tale full of intrigue, song writing, quirky characters, suspense, providence and a lot of happy endings. From a tourism perspective, perhaps the best known community in the County is Franklin, famous for its historic downtown and hip shopping.

But the language was not in accordance with the truth of things. Rather than leading with the name loaded with tourism equity, the area was being promoted as simply Williamson County, which research showed carried little weight in the minds of visitors. Because Williamson County did not have much tourism name recognition, it had to be anchored by its geographical proximity to Nashville.

North Star recommended a county-wide tourism strategy that leveraged the hospitality gravitas of well-known Franklin to pique people’s curiosity in the region as a whole. The individuality and personality of each of the cities and unique communities could then be showcased based on the abundance of textured and varied stories that radiate from each.

“This approach lets the area spend less time defining what Williamson County is and more time sharing the songs, ideas, passions, intrigues, history, mystery and yes, great food and shopping, that are its hallmarks,” said Don McEachern, CEO of North Star.

The resulting creative work simultaneously conveys a sense of history, beauty and the area’s almost indefinable aura of gracious cool. The line “Find Yourself in Our Story” elevates the visitor and Franklin—Williamson County to a shared plane of discovery.

Community Branding: Lima-Allen County, Ohio

Some opportunities are so galvanizing they can bring together two cities, eight villages and 13 townships. Such was the case of Lima-Allen County, Ohio.

The Ohio Department of Transportation gave Allen County leaders a chance to submit input regarding the design of four concrete interstate overpasses. Traveled by about 50,000 vehicles a day, this project represented a real opportunity for Allen County to make a big impression. But what would that impression be? Seventeen internal efforts had taken place over the past 20 years, all aimed at defining the County’s character. But all had fallen short of uncovering a singular identity. Savvy stakeholders decided it was time to go outside the County for an objective view of the Allen County vision.

North Star research found that Allen County exemplifies all the things that made America great . . . a heritage of strong industry with the famous Abrams Tank and Lima Locomotive; groundbreaking work in areas like nanofibers and alternate fuels; a regional hub for healthcare; amazing artistic and cultural amenities and numerous higher education institutions and learning centers. Like so many Midwestern communities, Allen County had suffered some economic setbacks during the Rust Belt era, but research pointed to a core of strength and a plethora of capacity that ensured its future.

North Star recommended positioning Allen County as a community for industrious people who embrace Midwestern values and a strong work ethic where capacity energized diverse thinkers and doers to fuel advancement, generate momentum and cultivate strength.

Allen County then partnered with North Star to create a PowerPoint presentation detailing the year-long journey of discovery the community had undergone. The PowerPoint will be used to educate businesses and citizens on the potential of their new identity.



Recognizing that Allen County is analogous to America, the line developed to support the brand is “Real American Strength.” The gear-inspired logo represents that strength in a manner completely unique to Allen County . . . industrious, hard-working, always moving, perfectly timed, geared for success.



The logo and line are part of a larger creative concept based on a post-war, mid-century illustration style that communicates strength and timeless values. The illustration style connects the optimism and success of post-war America in the 40s and 50s with Allen County’s approach to success and values today.



"The reaction from community leaders, businesses, elected officials and citizens in our community after the unveiling of the brand has been very positive with the majority embracing Allen County's new brand and stating that North Star has captured the uniqueness of our community and our brand" stated Jed E. Metzger, Chair, Allen County Community Branding Committee.

Action ideas for implementation were developed to integrate the concepts of capacity and strength in every corner of the community. A sampling of those ideas:

- Rewarding citizens for acts of real American strength
- Co-branding merchandise with gyms, coffee shops and businesses



- Commissioning composers to craft a custom performance for the Lima Symphony that embodies all sides of genuine strength
- Creating a strength-in-diversity task force
- Throwing a fourth of July celebration that recognizes the community brand even as it recognizes our country’s birth
- Promoting a strength-in-our-streets neighborhood watch program
- Using the I-75 corridor overpass as a physical representation of real American strength.