Cricket Bo – President/Owner
As the owner of The Cricket Contrast, I am a creative and a strategic thinker with a track record for growing sales, market share and profit. I am highly skilled at concept development and consultation, project management, and identification of ways to effectively solve any marketing, design or web projects’ goals. As a business partner with Growth Nation, I am also expanding my services to local and international companies who are interested in growing. We collaborate with companies who are interested in any expansion phase and guide them through branding, strategic planning and execution of their business development goals.
EXPERIENCE
I have over 30 years of branding strategy, marketing and graphic design experience and over 12 years of web development experience. Prior to starting The Cricket Contrast, I was Art Director at Willdan Associates, providing concept and graphic support for engineers, architects and planners. My core strategies in business have resulted in a drive to identify ways to increase efficiency and leverage a company’s resources to grow profitably while always maintaining the strength of a client’s brand. My strengths lie in determining what each client needs to achieve results, then creating the brand strategy, marketing concepts and quality products to satisfy those requirements.
PROFICIENCIES
- Strategic Branding Plans and Execution
- Strategic Marketing and Consulting
- Creative Direction and Design
- Project Management and Organizational Expertise
EDUCATION
- BFA/Graphic Design – Arizona State University
- MBA Certificate Program – Tulane University
AFFILIATIONS
- AZIGG – Arizona Int’l Growth Group
- SCORE
- Arabian Horse Association
- Cherish Our Children International – Board Member (past)
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central AZ – Board Member (past)
Jennifer Catapano – Integration Manager
Throughout my career I have consistently developed and applied successful strategies that help promote various agendas. As a person who possesses a strong work ethic and is able to work well with all levels of staff and clients, I am proficient in strategizing, developing, and implementing productive and profitable plans and tools to the advantage of my clients.
EXPERIENCE
For 10 years I successfully navigated advertising and communication campaigns for my clients and worked with all departments within an advertising agency setting to develop and execute those campaigns. The management of the campaigns I oversaw would include determining the strategy and scope of work, budget development, creative execution, social media planning, public relations initiatives, media buying strategies, and campaign result measurement. My experience includes both business-to-business and business-to-consumer accounts, with advertising budgets exceeding five million dollars. The campaign meetings I facilitated included high-level government and city officials as well as executive staff from private and public corporations.
PROFICIENCIES
- Project Management
- Team Leadership
- Meeting Facilitation
- Vendor Relations
EDUCATION
- BA/Communication, Arizona State University
- MBA, University of Phoenix
Kelly Isola – Art Director & Senior Designer
I am a creative and conceptual thinker with a track record for designing marketing materials at the highest level to ensure the greatest result. I am highly skilled at design, computer production and support and use the software available on the Mac platform to its fullest potential. I am committed to identifying ways to increase efficiency and profit in all levels of project management while maintaining the highest level of customer service.
EXPERIENCE
I have been the Senior Designer and Art Director at The Cricket Contrast since 1999. I have over 20 years of experience in the field of publishing, graphic and web site design. Prior to starting at The Cricket Contrast I was Art Director at Ashland Media, a Spanish language publication firm, managing a staff of 5 and responsible for the design and production of several weekly publications, including Televisión y Más Phoenix, Tucson, and El Paso editions, TV Weekly, Mensual de los Diamondbacks, La Voz and Scottsdale’s NewDigest.
My core strategies in business have resulted in ensuring client relations are positive and stable; in establishing the strategic direction of all projects, conceptual development, advertisement, promotional marketing and interactive media applications; working with Marketing Directors in development of design of outstanding quality for print, broadcast, direct mail and other forms of promotion.
PROFICIENCIES
- Project Management
- Organizational Skills
- Creative Concepts to Final Execution
- Computer Support
EDUCATION
- BA/Anthropology & Archaeology, State University of New York at Geneseo
- Masters of Divinity – Unity Institute, Kansas City, MO
Josephine Morris – Brand/Social Media Strategy, Web Development
I am committed to an effective work protocol that guarantees clients an excellent result and return on their investment. I continue to immerse myself in on-going education to best serve our clients.
EXPERIENCE
I have over 11 years experience in branding, marketing, public relations, web development and interactive media. Throughout all those years, I have worked for or with health care organizations. I pride myself in implementing creative ideas in a timely manner. I am skilled in all areas of web development, most importantly in how all-interactive pieces come together. I am skilled in the following languages: PHP, Ruby (Ruby on Rails), C# (ASP.NET), JavaScript, HTML and CSS. In 2005 I founded Sprout Strategies, a web development company. Since then I have created over 50 web sites and custom software solutions for large as well as small-to-medium-sized businesses. Prior to Sprout Strategies, I was the lead project manager at Banner Health where I oversaw the web strategy and development for over 20 healthcare facilities in seven states.
PROFICIENCIES
- Web Strategies, Web Development, Custom Software
- Content Management Systems
- Search Engine Optimization, Interactive Communication, Social Media
EDUCATION
- BA/Journalism and Spanish, Arizona State University
- Master of Arts, Communication Studies, Arizona State University
Karen Gray – Brand Development, Consultation, Copywriting
As a team for the past 30 years, Cricket and I have developed a working relationship that allows us to effectively provide our clients with the best information to complete on any needs their project might require. My creative skills have been honed during more than 35 years of work as a project director, writer, and marketing innovator, working for advertising agencies, retailers, banks, educational institutions, healthcare and technology companies, non-profit agencies, and a raft of other businesses. A primary strength is my ability to discern both what clients want and what they need, and to construct original and imaginative solutions that deliver both. My ultimate goal is to create successful outcomes for every project I undertake, whether its goals are explicit or ephemeral.
EXPERIENCE
Since 1975, my experience has included the creation and production of corporate, educational, institutional, and industrial and retail ads for print, radio and television, and writing of web sites, brochures, catalogs, direct mail, and technical material. Technical writing projects range from software and hardware manuals to product documentation, including development documents, ads and specification sheets. I have been published in local and national magazines and have ghostwritten and edited numerous books.
PROFICIENCIES
- Strategic Planning
- Concept Creation and Execution
- Client Consultation and Interface
- Content Development and Delivery
EDUCATION
- BA/English and Journalism, University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana
- Postgraduate work University of Illinois and Arizona State University
