Gus Forward Portfolio

AUGUST 17, 2012

GUS FORWARD|PORTFOLIO

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Job References Richard Bonnin, Executive Director of Media Relations, University of Houston “Gus Forward is aptly named. He is a self-starter who has a deep reservoir of ideas and initiatives that constantly move the needle forward in pursuit of the university's goals. He works exceptionally well in a team environment and has a vast network of campus contacts who contribute their time and talents to marketing projects Gus has initiated. He is a multi-tasker who handles responsibilities with confidence, but he also knows when to seek guidance. It's a pleasure working with him.”

Watson Riddle, Senior Graphic Designer, University of Houston “Working with Gus Forward is like working with natural talent. His keen ability to conceptualize complex marketing ideas and articulate them via words and action is not only impressive, but award-winning. Gus masterminded "Legacy of the Pride, " recently recognized by the Houston Chapter of AMA with a Crystal Award, leading the entire UH Marketing team to create an exhibition never attempted before. His clear vision and leadership gave me the creative freedom I needed to create exhibition and signage graphics for "Legacy." Bringing his idea to life was a high-point in my over 30 years in professional graphic design. Many people have the talents Gus possesses, but few know how to use them as effectively, efficiently, and with such mature marketing sophistication. Gus makes ideas come to life. It is a pleasure helping him realize visions others only dream of. Add the fact he is a great person to work with and know, and you have one amazing, unstoppable talent.”

Marsha Carter, Writer/Editor 2, University of Houston “Gus Forward balances creative and business development goals beautifully in projects he manages. He works closely with the creative team while keeping a steady eye on the client’s expectations and target audience. I’ve worked with him on several projects, including the Imagine branding presentation, which demanded original branding, follow-through creative and strategic presentation. The Welcome Center Posters gave the university contemporary, character-driven photography with a fresh approach to copy. Gus also manages major video projects, such as the Choose Houston TV spots, from inception to completion.”

Jessica Brand, Social Media Coordinator, University of Houston “Gus is one of the most inspiring people you will ever work with. He has big ideas and the skills to bring those ideas to life. He is creative, organized, and a fantastic leader. We have worked together on many projects, all of which turned out much bigger than we ever imagined and all of which were hugely successful. Gus is one of those people who can show you the success of a project not only in quantitative data, but in qualitative data as well. As an added bonus, he is a kind an warm person. He continuously maintains a positive attitude and outlook, even in the face of great challenges. He would be incredibly valuable to any team.”

Michelle Klump, Writer/Editor, University of Houston “Gus was one of the most energetic and creative people I worked with at the University of Houston. Not only was he full of great ideas, but he was also willing to put in long hours of hard work to make sure those ideas came to fruition. There is no better example of this dedication than his efforts on the university's Legacy of the Pride project and You Are the Pride interview series. From helping to put together a beautiful video presentation, to arranging artifacts and exhibits, to recruiting and training student volunteers, Gus was directly involved in every facet of the Legacy event. The event was a huge success, and Gus made it happen. His work on the You Are the Pride series was also stellar. As an interviewer, Gus was able to put interviewees at ease 2 with his thorough preparation.”

Notable Projects Keep Houston Red Campaign (Present) I’m currently spearheading Keep Houston Red (KHR), a community outreach campaign that celebrates the university’s 85 years of community impact in the city of Houston. With my talented team, I orchestrated all messaging, programming and promotional collateral for the event, which encourages area businesses, residents and governmental agencies to fly the UH flag, wear red, volunteer in their community and embrace red as the symbol of unified support for UH as Houston’s community outreach driver. Last year, my KHR campaign won two AMA Crystal Awards for Best Social Media Campaign and Overall Judges Favorite, and directly contributed to $75 million in corporate/community donations, $8.4 million in alumni contributions.

ESPN College GameDay (‘11) In 2011, I was team lead at several campus media events, managing the development and implementation of national TV spots, promotional giveaways, outdoor signage, social media blitzes and multimedia presentations that included ESPN’s College GameDay Tour at the University of Houston. In addition to directly contributing to $75 million in corporate/community donations and $8.4 million in alumni contributions, the special event struck a chord with target audiences and cultivated deeper reasons to believe in UH. You Are The Pride Campaign (‘10) In 2010, I conducted market research (focus groups, email surveys) from campus audiences and community leaders to effectively develop grassroots initiatives for You Are The Pride (YATP), a community awareness campaign that would help re-establish a national identity and community of cougars. Coordinating external vendors, in-house marketing and creative teams which included brand ambassadors (student volunteers), I executed a founder’s day event (Legacy of the Pride) and multimedia video series of organizational hero (prominent current students, alumni) testimonials that told the nostalgic story of a university and city reaching greater heights over an 80-year history. The YATP programs, which won an AMA Crystal Award for Best Non-profit Event, successfully re-defined the public image of the university and directly contributed to over $50 million in corporate/community donations and $5 million in alumni contributions.

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Recent Accolades AMA Crystal Awards - Best Non-profit Social Media Campaign (Keep Houston Red), '12 - Judges Favorite (Keep Houston Red), '12 - Best Advertising TV Single (Choose Houston), '12 - Best Nonprofit Event (Legacy of the Pride), '11 - Best Marketing Video (Legacy of the Pride), '11 IABC Bronze Quill Awards - Graphic Design (Tier One Heritage Mark), '12 - Outdoor (QB Case Keenum), 12 - Photography (Case Keenum Photo), '12 - Advertising, Conventional Media (Tier One Campaign), '12 PRSA Excalibur Awards - Integrated Marketing Campaign (Tier One), '12 - Grassroots Program/Guerilla Marketing (Keep Houston Red), '12 - Collateral Poster (Interlocking UH), '12

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Internships My internships at UH further enhanced my career as a communicator: shooting video packages and writing press releases for the Office of University Relations and C.T. Bauer College of Business. In addition, media relations w/ notable Houston heroes including President Renu Khator, professional quarterback Kevin Kolb and Gallery Furniture’s Jim McIngvale “Mattress Mac.”

“Every year, among the many talented students at the University of Houston, a few stand out among all the rest and Gus was one of those the first time I met him some four years ago. I have seen Gus tackle projects with creativity, enthusiasm, and a complete commitment to get them done well and on time. Gus has rare talent and will be an asset to all who work with or around him.”

John O'Dell, Director Alumni Development, C.T. Bauer College of Business

“Gus Forward is a high energy team oriented leader.

During his time with the Bauer College, he was directly involved in the development and implementation of several key marketing pieces that included video commercial production and social media marketing. I have enjoyed a close working relationship with Gus and have found him to have the necessary experience and network to execute complex marketing challenges in today's ever changing technological world.”

Brian Stephenson, Program Manager, University of Houston, Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship

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Entrepreneur As a junior in college, I negotiated a video contract as an official video vendor of the University of Houston, filming, writing and producing marketing promos for the academic institution.

Major successes include the infotainment web series, That Bauer Girl. “Gus is an energetic, creative, results driven professional. He launched and produced the "That Bauer Girl" video series for UH Bauer College, our first foray into student-driven video, and did a fantastic job.�

Jessica Navarro, Interim Marketing Director, C.T. Bauer College of Business

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Marketing Coordinator Before the advent of my senior year, I was offered a marketing coordinator position with the Office of University Relations. In that role, I led brand awareness and capital fundraising projects, including ecommunications messages and web page updates.

I also managed the videography department, writing and producing web promos and TV spots, which includes co-producer credits for the award-winning Inspiring Excellence video series.

“As a student intern Gus proved himself a valuable and creative component of the university's marketing and advertising team. His energetic and aggressive approach to the projects he was assigned helped overhaul the marketing and branding of the University of Houston.

Because of his ability and tenacity he was recruited to join the marketing and advertising department full-time.

Gus' vision and attention to detail helped facilitate numerous successful multi-media initiatives which ultimately played a big role in the significant enrollment increases the university experienced. To that end, I would highly recommend Gus moving forward and believe that he would be a valuable team member for any organization looking to achieve cutting-edge, consumer engagement marketing and advertising programs.”

Jason Lisovicz, Director of Marketing, University of Houston

“Gus is a passionate professional who delves wholeheartedly into each project he undertakes. When given the opportunity, he has the ability to breathe life into a project with originality and creative insight that produces an outstanding final product. What truly makes Gus a top asset is his "team player" personality. I have seen Gus manage small projects and large, complex projects all with success. I highly recommend Gus.” 7

Dan Singletary, Project Manager, University of Houston

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Marketing and Branding Manager In 12 months, I was promoted to the position of communications and marketing manager, where I have received numerous awards and accolades for leading multi-discipline projects in the areas of public relations, web, social media, maverick marketing, media events, TV and video.

“I have known Gus Forward for several years while he worked as a Marketing Manager at the University of Houston.

I have been consistently impressed by both Gus's outstanding attitude towards his work and his performance on the job. His interpersonal and communication skills have allowed him to develop productive working relationships on campus and with staff.

“Gus was one of the most energetic and creative people I worked with at the University of Houston. Not only was he full of great ideas, but he was also willing to put in long hours of hard work to make sure those ideas came to fruition. There is no better example of this dedication than his efforts on the university's Legacy of the Pride project and You Are the Pride interview series. From helping to put together a beautiful video presentation, to arranging artifacts and exhibits, to recruiting and training student volunteers, Gus was directly involved in every facet of the Legacy event. The event was a huge success, and Gus made it happen. His work on the You Are the Pride series was also stellar. As an interviewer, Gus was able to put interviewees at ease with his thorough preparation.”

Michelle Klump, writer/editor, University of Houston

Gus has excellent skills as a video producer. In addition, he possess a natural talent for marketing that has allowed him to advance quickly in his career.

I highly recommend Gus Forward for video, marketing and communications positions. He is a pleasure to work with and an asset to the University of Houston.”

Elisa Crossland, Interim Executive Director of Marketing & Branding, University of Houston

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LEGACY OF THE PRIDE|PORTFOLIO Legacy of the Pride Exhibit, a fourday event which consisted of print advertising, multimedia videos, event signage, e-communications, web pages, rare archival photos and artifacts that promoted UH’s humble beginnings as a junior college out of San Jacinto High School to a premier, urban research institution on the cusps of becoming a national Tier One university.

In addition, writing and producing credits for the award-winning Legacy of the Pride video.

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IMAGINE CAMPAIGN|PORTFOLIO In Fall ‘11, I led an ad-hoc marketing communications team that pitched a strategic plan to establish a long-term brand identity and creative rationale for the University of Houston.

The proposal shaped the current institutional messaging, heritage mark promotion, photography and magazine layout, TV/radio spots, and outdoor signage.

“Gus is a wonderful addition to any team. He is self-driven and motivated. He works extremely hard and has an excellent mix of creative ideas and the leadership to execute them. He has come up with a number of great ideas and saw them through to become award winning projects. Gus is an invaluable team member and a great person. He comes with my highest recommendation.”

Thomas Campbell, University Relations Photographer, University of Houston

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CHOOSE HOUSTON CAMPAIGN|PORTFOLIO After shadowing outside creative agencies for two years, I wrote-produced UH’s national TV campaign, Choose Houston, which aired on ESPN, CBS, ABC and FOX.

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Keep Houston Red Campaign In 2011, I initiated and managed the Keep Houston Red campaign, a series of community outreach programs, social media initiatives and e-communication messages that solicited to campus and external audiences to wear UH RED and support Houston’s university. The campaign achieved over three million impressions within the first semester.

High-Achieving Red Programs: •Cougar Red Friday (www.uh.edu/crf) •TOSS (http://bit.ly/hwHMaN) •Crank It Up Coogs (www.crankitupcoogs.com) Media Coverage: •UH Media (http://bit.ly/t5HKrc) •KTRK-TV13 (http://bit.ly/vhBlKK) •FOX (http://bit.ly/tkxcB8) •KHOU11 (http://yhoo.it/tG9dny) Video Portfolio: http://bit.ly/t6GufI

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KEEP HOUSTON RED|PORTFOLIO

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ESPN College GameDay In 2011, I led media events during the nationally televised ESPN College GameDay visit at the University of Houston, including TV spots, outdoor signage, promotional giveaways and social media blitzes. http://www.youtube.com/user/UHGame Day

Analytics: •Total TV viewership over 2,000,000 •5,000 people in attendance •10,000 impressions from institutional video spots •Over 3500 Facebook views and 2400 Tweets •Over 13,000 views on UH GameDay YouTube Channel •1,000 UH T-shirts and cheer signs were disseminated to the crowd 20

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