When smart metering was in its infancy in California, ckdt principal, Stephan Burckhardt, helped build awareness around intelligent homes and this new technology. He was involved in a large public affairs campaign for major urban waste disposal issues in Switzerland, which has some of the toughest environmental standards worldwide.

ckdt created environmental and social reports for major global companies, and Stephan developed strategic communications for an industry-leading 3BL (triple-bottom line) project in Ghana.

Burckhardt with sustainable energy guru and recipient of ten honorary doctorates, Amory Lovins.

The communications and marketing components surrounding issues of migrating to best practice clean technology, and, even more importantly, building the required political will, stakeholder consensus and public buy-in are complex and more critical than ever.

The public will not move to large scale behavioural change without B2B and consumer stakeholders

1.   Understanding the issues
2.   Seeing the benefit of the “move to clean” while accepting inevitable down-sides
3.   Forming an emotional link and buy-in to the above and
4.   Leveraging these into permanently changed behaviour (the most difficult and critical step)

Strategic marketing and values-based environmental communications are key success factors, especially with adverse or conflicting economic drivers, one for which ckdt has been and is making significant and lasting contributions.

Contact ckdt today to discuss your green, clean energy technology or service issues and see how carefully crafted and well executed communications and branding can significantly contribute to your bottom line success.

He has superior technical skills in communications, is dedicated and involved, has an imaginative approach to his work and is a constructive and open-minded team player.

- Tom Engelsman, President, Landis & Gyr Energy Management (now part of Toshiba)

I think the new website is excellent — really excellent.  It’s comprehensive, professional, and persuasive.

- Rt. Hon. Joe Clark, Chairman, CSR Developments; Director, Triton Logging

We are very pleased with Stephan’s work; he is proving very thorough and easy to work with… Great job!

- Stuart Harrison, VP Marketing / Sales, Domestic Automation Company (PG&E smart metering trial)

By effectively connecting consumers with branded products and services online, affiliate marketing has powered large sectors of e-commerce through various forms of online advertising and SEO tools, as well as the extensive use of Web2.0 blogs, forums and social networks.

Affiliate marketing is growing rapidly across many sectors that now include financial services, healthcare, publishing, travel and entertainment. The affiliate industry is continuing to expand during these economically difficult times. Affiliates are expected to spend US$2.3 billion in the US alone this year according to Forrester Research.

Branding in the brick and mortar world builds trust, identification and loyalty with consumer groups. As these move online, the models pioneered by Amazon, eBay and other successful online merchants are being adopted by vendors in many mainstream sectors with the affiliate channel opening up new opportunities every day.

Being part of an online community from groups on Facebook or LinkedIn to Twitter feeds, and interacting with its other members, builds trust that can — with care and over time — be converted into sales.

The explosive growth of social networks has made them the hot, go-to place for online marketing. They do however need to be part of, and integrated into a broader marketing mix. The same holds true for affiliate marketing campaigns.

Driven by the recessionary need for value, the renewed focus on ROI has made both social network and affiliate marketing highly attractive lower-risk, lower cost propositions.

Nevertheless, due to the unregulated frontier mentality of these emerging media, the risks for companies can be considerable. That is a lesson certain large consumer brands had to learn the hard way through negative viral campaigns launched against them, which they were unable to contain.

Affiliate marketers and networks are making so much money, merchants of all flavours would be foolish not to pay attention.

With the tremendous pace of change and increasing competition from other market entrants, established player Swisscom needed to demonstrate it was changing in synch with the times.

Under the theme of “Moving in a Changing World” the Swisscom report was executed in two separate volumes, with the image component kept in a strong visual language dramatizing the dynamics of today’s communications marketplace.

Talk with someone who knows the service business as well as technology. Contact ckdt today.

Installation in Turkish travertine limestone, carved in China

Chinese craftsmen have been carving stone for thousands of years. ckdt helped make this craft available to home owners, designers, and architects through a marketing strategyand website for Dancing Stone.

Its products are custom manufactured to exacting quality standards and detailed specifications in a specialized factory in the Beijing area.

Using a soft market introduction for the company, ckdt created a corporate design, website, advertising and printed collateral including basic materials for a trade show presence.

After the photography of existing home installations in Western Canada and the United States, ckdt chose a distinguished visual identity that emanated craftsmanship and high-end design.

Using a visually driven approach, the website makes use of product photography, testimonials, background information and technical specifications to provide an online presence that would support the word-of-mouth marketing such a business is often primarily based on.

Through SEO techniques for a stronger web presence, the site is now reaching customers all over North America enabling the company to ship its products through various ports of entry across the continent.

Talk with someone who knows the service business. Contact ckdt today.

As sub-contractor to TM NewMedia, ckdt created an interactive DVD with vignettes of special situations that arise during a provincial election. The production for Elections BC demonstrates the correct conduct for the voting process according to the provisions of the Election Act.

Screen capture of interactive training DVD

This DVD formed part of the training package that was delivered in one two-hour session to more than 30,000 election workers from urban neighbourhoods to very remote corners across the province.

Talk with someone who knows the service business. Contact ckdt today.

This series of ten training videos was created for negotiation and arbitration in construction, insurance, real estate and other disputes. It is used to train practicing lawyers

who volunteer their time to settle cases out of court through the American Arbitration Association.

Training lawyers in mediation and arbitration translates into significant time and cost savings for all parties

The videos were filmed in San Francisco with AAA trained lawyers specialized in various areas of conflict resolution and dispute settlements.

Talk with someone who knows the service business. Contact ckdt today.

Visual Identity is an important aspect of branding whether in the corporate, product, or service area. Yet branding encompasses far more than a pretty logo (of which we’ve created many).

ckdt has built powerful brands for start-ups, spin-offs, as well as growing industrial, service, and retail companies. It has also led extensive branding efforts in complex global companies.

Such projects include brand analysis and competitive positioning, brand creation and management, corporate and company naming and taglines, branding hierarchy, as well as integrated brand campaigns across traditional channels and electronic media.

Though the logo sets the tone, it is only the tip of the branding iceberg. It should be the first taste of an entire, satisfying meal. We’ll make sure your customers will want to taste your brand and take more than just one (c)lick!

Talk with someone who knows branding. Contact ckdt today.

Esso (ExxonMobil) used its country-specific annual report to strengthen its brand profile and better connect with customers. The company chose to reinforce the long-held tradition of its association with the tiger (in the tank).

ckdt created a playful image piece for Esso that makes a sympathetic link to its business and end customers.

The reader’s attention is held by contrasting pages on facts, figures, and product information, interspersed with interesting scientific information about tigers.

The bold, unconventional, and entertaining presentation of this annual report stood out in the industry.

Talk with someone who knows the service business. Contact ckdt today.

The most highly regarded annual report by ckdt communications was produced in multiple languages for Migros, the largest and most successful retailer in Switzerland.

The client, known for decades of innovation, chose an unusually creative approach in design, structure, presentation, and content.

This annual report received a prestigious top ranking in an annual business publication survey. It became the creative standard by which such corporate publications are measured.

The project led to ckdt becoming the go-to leader in this specialty, creating as many as twelve annual reports annually during the same, hectic couple of months.

Talk with someone who knows the service business. Contact ckdt today.

The 100-year old industrial firm Landis & Gyr, a major supplier to the utility industry worldwide, needed to move from mechanical to digital technology, and update its business model. Burckhardt directed the communications efforts in the division most involved in a major restructuring that affected 4,000 employees.

As a senior member of a small change management team involving HR, OD and communications specialists, he headed an extensive internal and external communications and marketing effort that touched all stakeholders worldwide.

All required disciplines were linked in teams to serve internal and external customers spanning the globe

Leading both a vertical team in Energy Management and a horizontal team for Region Europe, Burckhardt implemented activities ranging from internal, multi-lingual media and major employee events, to corporate advertising, international customer conferences, electronic media, reputation management, and corporate services for senior management.

For a competent and trustworthy voice in your change management project, contact someone who’s been through it successfuly.

The highly sensitive announcement was generally very well received due to his thorough information strategy.

He has superior technical skills in communications, is dedicated and involved, has an imaginative approach to his work and is a constructive and open-minded team player.

- Tom Engelsman, President, Landis & Gyr Energy Management