The Nutcracker ballet is a timeless performance that has delighted audiences for more than a century. Over time, it has cemented its place as a beloved holiday tradition and one of the most popular ballets of all time. Each holiday season, Texas Ballet Theater (TBT) stages 35 performances between Dallas and Fort Worth, which sets the tone for ticket sales throughout the season. For some ballet companies, sales from The Nutcracker make up more than 85% of a company’s ticket revenue for the season. While its popularity makes it easy to sell performance tickets, The Nutcracker also creates a unique opportunity to attract a broader audience to experience the art of ballet.
As the agency of record for the past six years, Schaefer Advertising has helped TBT increase ticket sales year-over-year to make The Nutcracker a revenue powerhouse. Fresh off a record-setting year in 2022, TBT increased its goals for 2023.
To meet the new goal, our team acted quickly to implement new optimizations that leveraged our current campaign assets, made strategic recommendations for TBT-owned channels, and proposed a few incremental options to get in front of new attendees. A peak-valley-peak approach to paid search led to higher revenue for lower costs, making paid search a key driver of conversion revenue. The coordinated email marketing campaign launched in late November ranked second in revenue generation.
Results
The Nutcracker campaign concluded its 2023 run with record-breaking revenue and ticket sales, surpassing each previous year’s revenue and 2023 goals for both Dallas and Fort Worth. Total revenue closed at 120% to goal, with online sales specifically growing revenue by over 30% from last year.
The North Texas Community Foundation (NTCF) is a Fort Worth-based philanthropic organization committed to driving meaningful change through charitable investment in North Texas. With a strong reputation, deep community knowledge, and tailored services, NTCF helps high-net-worth individuals structure their philanthropic giving for immediate impact and long-term legacy.
Challenge
As a central figure in the community with a wide range of audiences and causes, NTCF needed a way to articulate their offerings to specific audience sets with very different wants while positioning their own brand for growth. In addition, they needed to improve their user experience online to better meet the demands of visitors.
Tailoring the message
NTCF is beholden to not one but three separate audiences – fundholders who support charitable giving, professional financial advisors whom NTCF partners with to manage donor funds, and nonprofit leaders who leverage grants and gifts to proactively respond to the needs within the community. While the driving purpose and service offering are the same across all partners and clients, it’s crucial to shape messaging around the intended audience.
We started the process by first establishing a brand archetype – NTCF is a Caregiver – and letting that lead to a clear and compelling brand position and purpose. This step helped cement NTCF’s mission to drive meaningful change, unify the internal team and motivate all partners to advance toward a shared future. Next, we tailored key messages to resonate with the distinct needs and priorities of each audience. From cross-functional partners to clients and community stakeholders, brand messaging is tailored to the unique perspectives of each audience.
Design with a growth mindset
To further illustrate the Caregiver archetype, we evolved the brand identity to better mirror the trust, support and service NTCF is known to provide. From logo to photographic styling, we created a comprehensive design system that perfectly encapsulates the brand’s dynamic service offering. The vibrant yet strong color palette features navy, periwinkle and complementary shades of yellow, orange and blue to balance optimistic and approachable with the more intuitive and assertive sides of the NTCF brand. In addition, we expanded creative assets to offer more versatility and the ability to grow with the brand.
Creating a seamless experience
A website acts as a front door to your organization, and NTCF could benefit from a more inviting user experience. The previous website structure was dense and the navigation was choppy, leading to confusion and cognitive overload for site visitors. On the back end, employees lacked the ability to easily create, modify and publish content.
To provide current and potential fundholders with an enhanced experience, we restructured the new site to reduce page count, minimize clicks and better guide visitors to the information they were seeking. We also developed a custom content management platform, empowering the internal team with the tools needed to edit and manage their site without extensive coding knowledge.
Results
Developing an impactful brand strategy and tailoring every message to suit the intended audience allowed NTCF to better communicate their purpose and address a multifaceted branding challenge from a foundational level. The new brand identity also aligns each audience with the overarching vision of NTCF and positions the brand for success and growth.
A more intuitive website improved the user journey while empowering the internal team with the ability to easily develop and manage brand materials and content. When compared to the previous year, the new website saw outstanding results:
28% increase in visitors
7% reduction in bounce rate, illustrating users found the site more relevant
21.7% increase in page views, indicating stronger user engagement post site launch
Data measured from Feb 2021-Aug 2021 and Feb 2022-Aug 2022.
Developing sales support materials that are on time, on budget — and on the mark.
Situation
Galderma, a leading manufacturer of OTC and prescription skin care products, had developed a new formula aimed at helping teenagers fight acne. The new product’s launch faced two challenges: First, it had a new and unique Mechanism of Action (MOA) that needed to be communicated to dermatologists and other healthcare professionals (HCPs). Second, a limited budget restricted the options that their large global brand agency was able to provide.
Goals
Support the new brand launch of Twyneo
Distill key product information and prepare highly memorable assets
Expand the reach of launch budget by providing better value than larger global agencies
Encourage HCPs to write Twyneo for teen acne patients by clearly differentiating the product
Strategy
At the core of the product’s efficacy was a microencapsulation technology that combines tretinoin and benzoyl peroxide (BPO). Both molecules have proven efficacy for the treatment of acne but had never before been combined into one formulation. The goal of the initiative was to equip the sales reps with materials that could simply outline and educate how microencapsulation works on the skin, to an audience of HCPs.
Solution
Healthcare professionals tend to be busy people, and the solution needed to communicate quickly and effectively. Schaefer designed a compelling sales aid that used custom die-cut and pop-up images to clearly show how encapsulation worked, and how it set Twyneo apart from other products on the market.
A complementary animated video brought the MOA to life and used Key Opinion Leaders for narration. Schaefer created a visual tool that did the heavy lifting of differentiating the product, while working within the brand’s existing graphic standards.
These effective, engaging sales tools enabled the reps to make a visually compelling case for how this never-before-seen combination of molecules provided HCPs — and their teen patients — with a new solution for moderate to severe acne.
Results
Working on a tight timeline and narrow budget, Schaefer:
Developed a suite of sales resources (innovative sales aid and MOA video) that equipped the sales team for a successful product launch.
Highlighted the unique and innovative nature of the new product
Supported successful first-year adoption through in-person sales
Summary
By working within the client’s budget and timeline, Schaefer provided a level of value and quality that extended the client’s budget far beyond the capabilities of a large, global agency. Our “right size” agility and flexibility enabled us to mobilize quickly, and develop distinctive, memorable launch assets that led to a successful adoption curve with HCPs.
For the TearCare® System, a crucial step in promoting their solution was to become an advocate for change.
Situation
At first glance, dry eye disease (DED) sounds like a mere inconvenience. However, left untreated, this chronic, progressive condition can impact the vision, surgical outcomes and quality of life of millions of patients. Even though meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is the most prevalent form of dry eye, in-office procedures to address it are relatively new — and none are reimbursed by insurers. As a result, only patients who can cover the out-of-pocket expense receive treatment.
The TearCare® System is designed to address MGD by evacuating obstructed glands using therapeutic heat and natural blink responses. However, to gain wider adoption, fair reimbursement was needed. The company sought to change reimbursement policies and broaden access to care by raising awareness of the situation. TearCare® tapped Schaefer to lead this effort.
Goals
Reiterate the threats associated with MGD
Raise broad, industry-wide awareness of current compensation and reimbursement limitations
Reach an array of stakeholders with a message of “Fair Access”
Rally the market to support reimbursement and accessibility for the benefit of patients, practices and payors
Increase awareness of the TearCare® System
Strategy
The client was ready to promote the need for change and had allocated resources to do it. However, to truly influence the market, the brand also needed to demonstrate the growing support of this movement from eye care professionals (ECPs), patients, employers and other key constituents.
Solution
To convey this message, Schaefer created a campaign that captured the feel of a public protest or political rally. In each execution, a real ECP, patient or eye care industry figure appeared with a sign that read “MGD Care Is Not Fair For All.”
Using precise targeting, Schaefer reached optometrists, administrators, payors and other audiences with a “protester/spokesperson” relevant to them. Using faces and names that are known throughout the industry helped build momentum over time, and, ultimately, drove awareness over the top.
Results
By cutting through the clutter of standard medical device advertising, the campaign achieved a high degree of visibility and effectiveness. Within the first few months, the brand realized noticeable results, including:
228 new requests for information on the TearCare® System from qualified users
More importantly, the strategy worked.
After years of sustained engagement, phase 4 trials, negotiation and ECP testimonials, TearCare announced MAC coverage to great fanfare. The industry took note and recognized MGD as a reimbursable procedure.
Summary
Not only is this a victory for TearCare, but more importantly it’s a win for patients who need access to an option for their MGD. Through our intentional, strategic approach to planting this message, TearCare was able to connect with a human need and make a meaningful difference in the marketplace.
Differentiating products with a consistent messaging platform
Situation
Argon Medical Devices faced a challenge that is not uncommon among large and diverse manufacturers: Their core audience of surgeons and clinical staff knew the names of their more successful product lines (such as Skater™, Option™ and Cleaner™), but had little awareness of their corporate brand. This made expansion and cross-selling across their 2,000-product portfolio more difficult.
This was particularly true of their soft tissue biopsy division which, as their largest U.S. division, accounted for a significant portion of the total soft tissue biopsy market. However, the biopsy market had remained stagnant as a category and Argon and Schaefer saw an opportunity to differentiate the lead product, BioPinceTM, by selling against an emotional benefit for the interventional radiologist. Schaefer leapt at the challenge to set the biopsy division apart from the crowd — while providing a consistent platform that would support the various biopsy products and areas of specialization including lung, kidney, liver and breast.
Goals
Differentiate the Argon biopsy division from competitors
Provide a consistent platform to support the various biopsy products
Create a campaign to allow Argon to demonstrate the versatility of its soft tissue biopsy portfolio across multiple organs
Strategy
The agency developed a breakthrough campaign around a simple insight — interventional radiologists need to get in, out and achieve a clean sample for accurate analysis. Minimal disruption, maximum confidence is the goal.
While a feature-heavy product-selling message was table stakes in this market, no one had really tapped into what a device really delivered — confidence that comes from a better sample.
Solution
Working closely with the soft tissue biopsy team, Schaefer developed a messaging platform that elevated the brand above product attributes, and tied into the corporate Argon tagline, “The Pursuit Of Better.” Using the theme of “Sample Better,” we developed a campaign designed to “cut through the clutter” – in this case, the endless barrage of look-alike devices that exemplified the category’s advertising.
Images drawn from the popular “Jenga” game were used to represent the delicate balance and precise execution required to obtain optimum biopsy samples. The “Sample Better” theme also carried a dual message: It implied the superior quality of the Argon products, but also spoke to the cares and concerns of radiologists, for whom better sampling meant fewer patient call-backs, as well as easier and more accurate diagnosis.
Results
By developing this flexible and relevant platform, the Argon soft tissue biopsy division was able to:
Establish a consistent positioning that will stand the test of time
Strike a balance between a consistent platform and customizable messaging
Cut through the clutter of “product/feature” advertising
Provide an extendable platform that all biopsy product lines can embrace
Leverage all product and division communications to create greater awareness and recognition of the Argon name.
Summary
The messaging for the Argon soft tissue biopsy division is a prime example of Schaefer’s commitment to delivering solutions that work harder and provide extended value. By creating a “better” message, Schaefer was able to establish a foundation for the biopsy division could easily adapt for their own products and audiences. As a result, the various team members were free to operate somewhat autonomously, while still reinforcing the overall Argon brand. This approach also freed them from an endless cycle of product/benefit advertising and enabled them to launch and support products with a campaign that would continue to build brand awareness with each and every future execution.
Northpointe is a new master-planned community by Lennar that offers young families an ideal place to call home. Before opening to homebuyers, we needed to build the Northpointe brand to engage a wide audience and drive home that master-planned communities provide a practical and enriching lifestyle for young families at an unmatched value.
Understanding Northpointe’s Local Competition
Before offering any strategic recommendations, our team performed an in-depth competitive analysis to better understand the local market and isolate any opportunities for competitive differentiation. One specific challenge was that some of Northpointe’s competitors used the word
“North” in their brand name, which required us to offer direction that differentiated the Northpointe brand through visuals and copy.
Finding Brand Differentiation
Since Northpointe was in the pre-construction phase, we had to develop the brand from the ground up, setting the tone for the community to offer potential homebuyers a sense of home and depict a reliable place where friends and family can gather and enjoy each other and the community. Furthermore, we needed to create a flexible set of brand assets that the Northpointe team could leverage internally and in future marketing campaigns.
Our discovery process revealed that Northpointe is incredibly accessible and cost-effective, and an excellent option for young families seeking to buy their first home. More than that, Northpointe offers residents fantastic amenities without compromising on an excellent price point. So, we leaned into creating an attainable, yet elevated brand that appealed to people who are ready to put down roots.
Building a Fluid Creative Platform
The landscape was an important part of how the community was planned, so we tethered the brand story to the scenic views and natural beauty surrounding the area. We positioned Northpointe as the attainable, unique option and highlighted the scenic nature surrounding the community to illustrate its natural beauty and striking topography that envelopes the community.
The brand mark is quiet and subtle and the arrow above the “N” signifies the true North where home lies. The color palette is natural, but vibrant and balances the reserved nature of the brand mark.
Our tagline “When home calls, head North” is emotive, aspirational and strong, which further elevates the subdued nature of the brand mark. It also illustrates the beauty of home and touches on the natural surroundings that make Northpointe such a valuable place to live.
The stylistic complements we developed for the brand helped create a sense of place that can be used throughout the community. These pieces will weave the community together and keep the feel built within the brand alive throughout.
Results
Crafted a brand that will attract and engage new homebuyers
Created a flexible brand that is simple and seamless for Northpointe’s internal team to utilize
Extended the brand through community elements like trail-markers, landmarks and wayfinding solutions
The Gary Patterson Foundation raises thousands of dollars every year to benefit various education and children related entities. After experiencing Mack, Jack & McConaughey in Austin, the Gary Patterson Foundation was inspired by MCM’s efforts to empower kids through 2-days of fundraising and fun. After careful consideration, they decided to shift their traditional Joe T’s annual event into a weekend filled with fundraising activities from golf to galas. With a shift as big as this, they needed to create an impactful brand.
Goals
Develop brand name, narrative and messaging for the non-profit event series
Create a dynamic brand identity system that communicates the values of the non-profit
Finding the Way
We worked closely with the Gary Patterson and his team to better understand the audience and impact of the new events, and create a strategy that would speak to their target audience. The events needed to attract all generations of donors in North Texas, and be accessible to those that would like to donate for the first time. The new initiative also needed to be the core fundraising event for the Gary Patterson Foundation. So, we had to position it as an accessible, diverse non-profit open to those that aren’t passionate about sports, but also welcome those that are – it had to be inclusive and suitable for a diversity of mediums. From black ties to tailgates, the mark needed to be flexible enough to feel at home at any type of fundraising event.
Plenty of Good to Go Around
To communicate the breadth and impact of the fundraising efforts, we knew the brand and mark had to be big. With an emphasis on the good.
The organization landed on the name, “The Big Good,” which is direct, yet powerful. Its strength is in its simplicity. A quick read with enough flexibility to cover more than one specific event or fundraiser. The Big Good indicates the diversity of events and their monumental impact on North Texas families and beyond.
The typographic logo is purposefully simple to communicate the variety of events at the heart of the Big Good. Each of the letterforms is customized and unique which further emphasizes the diverse structure of the Big Good. The crossbars on the “H/E/B/G” are all different and intentionally illustrate the fun and engaging nature of the events that offer something substantial for everybody, and specific need in Dallas Fort Worth.
A subtly simple mark, paired with a direct brand name can make an impactful and memorable impression. The Big Good branding illustrates the power of using simplicity to communicate and represent a brand.
When it comes to oncology, medicine has advanced in big ways. But the business side of running an oncology practice hasn’t kept up. In the age of automation, back-office operations are often tedious, siloed and completed manually. Factors that contribute to misused resources and the growing cost of cancer care. That’s where AC3 comes in.
AC3 is a practice intelligence platform that harnesses the power of data to improve the quality and speed of back-office work. Allowing doctors and staff to trade paperwork and process for a more meaningful purpose—caring for patients. With care being core to their business, the real obstacle was creating an identity that lived up to AC3’s cutting-edge capabilities as well as their impact on patient care.
Bringing Care Into Focus
Cancer is humbling and, most importantly, human. So the branding had to communicate the function of a tech-driven product in a very human way. In addition to a visual identity, AC3 needed a way to talk about themselves to a more public audience. We developed positioning that helped define who they are. And rooted it in the real-world, analog benefits doctors and patients experience. Productivity, revenue, quality of care, this platform gives doctors the ability to do more. A lot more.
For the mark, we took a nod from the company’s namesake—Advanced Cancer Care Centers—and aligned it with the platform’s ability to improve operations within a practice exponentially. We let positioning guide design and the result was meaningful.
With any tech-based product, there’s a concern around sharing proprietary imagery—a challenge we faced when representing the product in a tangible way. Rather than showing the software itself, we focused on the moments AC3 makes possible.
When we took ownership of Lilyana marketing, the community needed a brand that better connected homebuyers to the true joys of living in this community.
Honing in on Key Differentiators
This community is far from cookie-cutter, so it only made sense to highlight the factors that make it stand out in a cluttered and crowded market. For Lilyana, it’s the conveniences and lifestyle that make it a truly special place to call home. With more than 50-acres of green space, the community is packed with natural amenities, numerous parks and things for homeowners to do outdoors. All of which keep the community and people connected.
A Refocused Brand Position
Lilyana is located in Celina, a peaceful, up-and-coming town remote enough to harbor tranquility and close enough to Frisco to take advantage of its entertainment, energy and everything it has to offer. When we began to evolve the brand position, we pulled the thread of accessible tranquility to show prospective homebuyers that it is possible to have it all when you live at Lilyana.
Communicating Joy and Tranquility
We needed a way to portray the very real, and often intangible, qualities that make this community so special. By incorporating bubbles as a visual element, we were able to communicate the true value of a Hillwood community—connection, comfort and an ethos rooted in community. All while positioning Lilyana as a place to pause and enjoy the moment.
In addition to visually refreshing the brand, we also revitalized the brand language to communicate joy in the Lilyana lifestyle. “A place to embrace life’s moments” communicates that Lilyana is a community for people to slow down and enjoy their lives – right here, right now.
Building a comprehensive brand story gives real estate brands more space to have meaningful conversations with home buyers. Developing Lilyana’s position in a cluttered and competitive space helped the brand stand out, and ultimately led to more home sales.
Legacy. Capability. Values. Intention. These are big ideas that drive everything Hillwood Communities builds for the communities they create. So, when Hillwood needed a brand refresh and updated messaging, we leaned hard into these core tenets to accurately summarize the massive impact Hillwood has on the communities they build and the people who live there every single day. We needed to communicate these central beliefs in a cohesive and convincing brand brochure that would attract home buyers and investors.
Updated Messaging
When creating updated messaging for Hillwood, we expanded on the word “community” to accurately define the effect that Hillwood has on each of its developments. “We Create Community,” is the direction that we decided upon for the updated brand messaging. From Live Smart amenities to featuring a community garden, Hillwood takes extra steps to make each development a unique place to call home. More than that, Hillwood’s offering of communities, each with their own natural aesthetic and intrinsic values, ensures that there’s a Hillwood Community for every new homebuyer.
A Refreshed Brand Brochure
The Hillwood corporate brochure is where homebuyers and investors can interact with the Hillwood brand on a more extensive level. It needs to convince investors that Hillwood is an excellent investment opportunity and communicate to homebuyers that there is a community waiting for them underneath the Hillwood brand.
Evolved Brand Identity
Hillwood is a pioneer within the community development space. Each community they build focuses on elevating the quality, innovation and sense of community for their homeowner, offering unparalleled conveniences, all while taking subtle and grandiose steps to harbor a real sense of community among the neighborhood. Beyond the amenities that they create for their homeowners, Hillwood emphasizes the natural beauty of the land that they build on and rely on its inherent attraction as a central selling point. Every single step is taken with incredible intention aimed at improving the life of each resident.
The brochure connects all of these points by giving a detailed overview of each Hillwood Community and featuring evocative imagery of the natural aesthetics that define each community. Beyond the physical characteristics that define each community, we used imagery that captured the shared experiences and everyday interactions the amenities and walkways create. Each of these visual stories creates a compelling argument for why new home buyers should call a Hillwood community “home.”
For potential investors, the legacy of pioneering big ideas and sparking engagement are enticing selling points that illustrate the long term and historical health of Hillwood Communities, which makes it a desirable investment. Sharing the story of Hillwood’s success and legacy right up front, aided by the visuals illustrating where Hillwood operates communicates the strength of the brand and implicitly tells investors that this is a worthy investment.
