Jean Gazis Copywriting & Content Strategy

I've been working on promotions for Event Horizons, an Internet Week event hosted by Box of Rain (aka my other half) that happens tomorrow at Webster Hall. My role was to do a slew of website updates (including pulling together content such as speaker bios that were needed, setting up a webcast player, and just tweaking things in general), do some promotion such as online event listings, write a press release, and create this postcard graphic for an email blast.

I'm psyched to try out some of the new stuff that the conference speakers & panelists are developing, especially Zeitbyte and Mobify.

Ideally, OTHER peoples' mistakes. Here's a great bit of marketing advice for web developers on applying lessons learned from the things your users do wrong to improve your site on Gaspedal's "Damn, I Wish I'd Thought of That!. This is also a very good email newsletter - you can sign up on the blog.

It's always cool to see something linking two of my favorite topics! I found this blog post on The Language We Use via Drupal guy Michael Angeles's user experience blog. It's a discussion of how the words employed can shape thinking without the speaker being aware of it.

Excerpt: "what can be dangerous about design patterns is that some patterns get TOO ingrained in our minds. They become the only way we can even conceive doing X,Y,Z, and we freeze our creativity."

I got this link from a Facebook friend, and it's well worth a look for anyone interested in building better websites. 10 Harsh Truths About Corporate Websites by Paul Boag.

Here's a great quote: "if you build a website for everyone, it will appeal to no one." There are is also some great stuff on content management systems and social networking.

I have fun with digital photography, mainly of my children, nature, and city scenes. Here are a few of my pictures. Enjoy!




Reeds in Promised Land State Park in the Poconos region of Pennsylvania. Used in the Sierra Club's Daily Ray of Hope email for April 28, 2008.









Pumpkins in a doorway in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Used in the Sierra Club's Daily Ray of Hope email for December 3, 2008.










Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn.













Late summer rose, Hudson River Park.











Tourists looking at a big crocodile, Mara River, Kenya, August 2001.









Rainbow over Celebrate Brooklyn, Prospect Park, Summer 2009. Used in the Schmap! Guide to New York City.







See more of my photos on Flickr.

Celebrate Brooklyn! Program Ad for Consulting Firm

Sponsor ad for Celebrate Brooklyn! concert series printed programs and website. Corporate logo, ad concept, copy, and graphic design.

Celebrate Brooklyn! Program Ad for Counseling Services

Sponsor ad for Celebrate Brooklyn! concert series printed programs and website. Copy adapted from yellow pages ad, design, typography, layout.

“This looks great, thanks for sending it over to us so quickly!" – J.K., Celebrate Brooklyn

Concert Program Ad for Technology Consulting Firm

Sponsor ad in programs and on website for Celebrate Brooklyn! concert series. Concept, copywriting, and graphic design.

I've been scanning business cards collected from various networking events to get the contact info into a database. I can see why someone might want a two-sided card to put a nice big logo or tagline on the back. But why, why, WHY would anyone design the card so that the actual business name and URL – or worse, their name and title – don't also appear on the front of the card at all? That is just stupid, people!

Effective Marketing Rule #1: Put all the information people want where they can get it easily!

I've been working with graphic designers on virtually every type of marketing piece since the late 1980s. I've hired, managed, and directed designers to create trade show exhibits, event invitations, direct mail, motivational posters, product and service brochures, print and online advertising, recruitment materials, corporate identity, newsletters, and more.

"To turn visitors into users your homepage needs to make them feel the way they will feel when they use your service - happy, satisfied, excited." - Andy Rutledge