Kazolu's roots are in brand consultingstrategic planning, copywriting and content production. Clients receive copy & content, strategic brand plans, marketing counsel, and tactical recommendations. We have previously worked with large corporations, independent entrepreneurs and SMEs, universities and colleges, not-for-profit organizations, individual products, and individuals.

Kazolu will be a part of your team, providing solutions you expect from a member of your organization.

Brand Strategy Development


Brand Identity Consulting & Coaching

You must understand your brand. Your brand is the sum-total of every impression that people have about you, and all expectations they have of you. A brand's assets must communicate positively, concisely and consistently, representing you with truth and authenticity.

Behind all sales, marketing, entertainment, politics, and communication, is a brand identity - a recognizable set of attributes that contribute to the way people perceive something to be. A brand's identity has nothing to do with facts. Logic rarely influences our immediate perceptions - how we feel about things. People can (and will) argue with facts, but it is much more challenging to disagree with feelings. The best you can do is to understand your brand's best attributes and communicate them effectively to influence the attitudes and perceptions of others. This understanding should present the best possible version of your company, your organization, your brand, or yourself.

Your brand communicates expectations, and it is your single-greatest business development tool. Brand development is the foundation of effective strategic communications, and Kazolu's work will reveal the essence of your brand – the big idea that is its foundation. From this base, we will develop a clearly-articulated brand identity, positioning, marketing strategy, and effective communications tactics. Strategy must be confirmed before you choose tactics, so we'll draw a map that will clarify your path.

Kazolu will help you to understand the essence of your brand so that you can clearly articulate it to others. Our brand development methodology is proprietary, efficient and effective. It works for companies, products, and people. We'll break down an existing brand identity, and build up the effective communication of that brand.

Once a strong foundation is confirmed, we also develop mission & vision statements, strategic marketing plans, visual brand identities, integrated marketing communications, and business development.

Design


Graphic Design

Books are judged by their covers. Great content is essential, but great content also needs to look great in its visual presentation. Once we have completed a brand plan, a creative brief will ensure that everything in graphic design will accurately represent the core of your brand.

Kazolu works with a broad collective of creative directors. They can design anything imaginable, though Kazolu can manage the process. All you need to know is that you will look great.

Social Media


Social Media

Effective brand communication is your goal. Social media is an action used to achieve your goal, but it can be an essential part of marketing communications. As a part of a brand plan, social media can be an extremely effective way to share your story broadly while engaging with clients, customers, stakeholders, and even staff. You can direct traffic to your website, and you can foster leads, develop thought leadership, and provide up-to-date news and information.

"Going viral" rarely happens - we need to be clear about that - but we have made it happen before. We can provide social media tools that will allow you to get the most out of all online marketing opportunities, and we can train an in-house community manager to manage the tools over time. This person works within your company every day already: they have keys to your building, and they are probably the most trustworthy person to be your "social" voice, with the policies and training that we provide, of course.

Copy Writing


Copy Writing & Storytelling

We write well. Effective writing is our core in-house competency. In addition to offering years of experience with technical and business writing, we are also writers of published fiction, non-fiction and music.

Your message is a bunch of words. We will make those words as concise, compelling, and engaging as possible. Everything should look great, but excellent content comes first. We will tell your story and leave your audience anxious for the next chapter.

Strategic Planning


Strategic Planning

Practical creativity needs inspiration, planning, insight, clarity and understanding. You must identify your destination. You need an accurate inventory of assets that can propel you on your journey, and you need a realistic assessment of your route to success. You need a map. You need a plan.

Many marketers talk about "strategy" and "tactics," but they mean "plans" and "actions." Kazolu offers processes that coordinate the necessary skills and resources to communicate your brand effectively. Plan first, then take action.

Businesses and organizations work best when they have well-informed staff, customers, stakeholders and boards. Decisions are more accessible when necessary information is at hand and lines of communication are open. A thorough plan shared with those who can take action is the benchmark for success.

Audio Production


Audio Production

Kazolu has pretty deep roots in sound production. We operate an in-house full-service recording and sound production studio, and we can provide original recorded music, background music, voiceovers, foley work, audio production for video support - pretty much anything aural. As with everything we do, this work will be strategic and on-message.

Grain Farmers of Ontario Public Service Announcement: "Slow Down" - October 2012
Grain Farmers of Ontario Public Service Announcement: "Be Aware" - October 2012
PrecisionPac - Radio ad #1 - October 2012
PrecisionPac - Radio Ad #2 - October 2012

Video Production


Video Production

Kazolu is a strategic storytelling consultancy, and video - visual storytelling - is where things get really interesting.

Our script writing expertise is enhanced by skilled direction, production, and video and sound editing. We have partners who provide different types of videography, cinematography, motion graphics, and animation. We have produced hundreds of videos that have included commercials, documentary productions, brand videos, public service announcements, preroll commercials, online videos, "enhanced PowerPoint" videos, and internal training videos.

We manage every stage of the process - script writing, strategy, direction, production, conceptualization, videography, editing, sound design, voiceover recording, and music production.

Some recent projects:

IMPACT Code of Practice Module: An introduction to an online tool to support the care and handline of livestock.

Midge Tolerant Wheat. Celebrating the five-year milestone of growers seeding Midge Tolerant Wheat in Western Canada.

Straight from the Field - Saskatchewan Grower Profiles. A video series that allowed growers to share their experience with a product in a relevant, personal, and impactful way.

Wilfrid Laurier University training video:

Leave for Change - A Retrospective. Script editing of multiple interview subjects was compiled to create a retrospective video for the University of Guelph's Leave for Change program.

The University of Guelph - Office of Diversity and Human Rights. Compiled interviews and campus footage defines the Mission and purpose of the Office of Diversity and Human Rights on the Guelph campus.

The Guelph Chamber of Commerce - a brief clip to articulate some reasons why a rebranding of the organization is timely and essential. An example of the potential impact of text-based video, this also features original background music.

Jon D'Eaux and the Sibling Rivals - album launch. Project includes original music, voiceover, script, theme, compiling footage and still images to support script and theme.

Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) public service announcement - "We are Grain Farmers". Project included location shooting, compiling footage to support GFO messaging.

Canadian Dairy Expo 2014. Project included audio recording to create a 'vintage recording' feel; image editing according to client script.

Pioneer Funding Initiative for Rural Emergencies (FIRE). Project included video editing, scoring of original music, voiceover.

Livestock Emergency Response: This is the introductory video in a series produced by Farm & Food Care (Canada), supporting emergency responders to safely and effectively manage livestock emergencies. Project included original music, voiceover, threading images together to support project messaging.

Steve Mills Illustration demo reel:

Grain Farmers of Ontario: "We Asked Kids About Farming..."

Grain Farmers of Ontario - Road Safety PSA "Be Patient"

Grain Farmers of Ontario - Road Safety PSA "Be Aware"

Social Entrepreneurship


Social Entrepreneurship

Social Entrepreneurship uses entrepreneurial business principles to organize, manage and promote the mandate of social ventures, not-for-profit and community benefit organizations.

Kazolu is intentionally located in, and focused on the community of Guelph, Ontario and the surrounding region. Community service organizations are as relevant to community sustainability as its businesses are - both must be adequately fostered for the good of the entire community.

Economic success is essential for the region, and strong principles of business management can be engaged that will align the social sustainability of the community with its economic sustainability. This is where we thrive - and it's where Kazolu can assist community service organizations to do what they do best.

Marketing Practice


A Marketing Practice

Sociable Communications is a marketing, media production and communications firm that works on the model of a practice rather than an ad agency - we're a body of individuals with qualifications and expertise in marketing and its application. We focus on building your business and your brand, not our own. We generate ideas.

Like a legal practice has in-house expertise on facets of the law, we have in-house expertise in all facets of marketing. Whether it's business strategy, national advertising, social media etiquette, mobile app development, or video production - we provide niche expertise in one place.

Brand Communications


Integrated Communications

How (and where) you communicate your brand message is often the essential piece of marketing communications. How you share your message is often as critical as what you are saying, and your message must be concise, engaging, integrated, and useful. You must share the right message with the right people at the right time.

Planning requires "big-picture" deep-thinking that happens away from daily activities. It involves deliberate goals and big decisions. Communications tactics are the short-term actions that work towards your goals, which may include advertising, online marketing, public relations, experiential marketing, and sales activities.

Communication tactics should follow a plan. Once we have defined your brand identity and communication plan, Kazolu will work with you to build an integrated marketing plan that will leverage your resources efficiently and effectively.

Kazolu provides copywriting, public relations, conventional media and will develop tools like websites, audio and video production, and social media engagement to share your integrated message.

Advertising


Advertising 

Share your message with video, radio, public relations, TV, print advertising, outdoor billboards, social media, word-of-mouth, sales tools.... We'll provide big ideas, well-stated - creative communications, creatively distributed. Brand strategy, tied to efficient tactics.

If you have the budget to advertise widely, we will manage the elements that will deliver successful advertising, not noise. We have a strong base of partners with competitive and transparent pricing to deliver whatever you need.

Website Development


Website Development

If you do one thing well in your marketing efforts, make it your website. For many small businesses and organizations, a website is the only branded space that is publicly visible. It's the first (and sometimes the only) opportunity to give people a more vibrant sense of your brand.

Regardless of your size, a great website is the foundation of all integrated brand communications, and it is the most flexible vehicle to provide thorough, engaging information. A great site must adhere to well-defined, well-designed brand standards. It should have great, well-written, easily-updated and easily navigated content. Its content must keep search engine optimization in mind while representing the true essence of your brand.

Kazolu works with third-party development partners to build websites that are driven by your strategic plan. Websites will look great, and they will convey messages effectively with brand-focused, action-oriented content.

Public Relations


Public Relations

The key to public relations success is to listen carefully to what people are saying and provide information that is genuinely relevant to their needs. Consumers want their questions answered – everything from "who are you” to "why are you so great…” or even, "What went wrong here”? Preparation is strategically smart and immeasurably valuable. 

As a part of an overall communications strategy, we will prepare you to deliver the answers. Our principal business partner, Strongly Worded Letters, is the best in the business - we'll take care of you.

 

 

Original Music


Original Music

We can provide unique, original, proprietary compositions for clients that can be used as audio signatures, music in advertising, backing tracks for video... anywhere that original music can support the story we're trying to tell. We've written and recorded everything from jingles, to anniversary love songs, to family albums. 

Kazolu operates a fully-functioning recording, production and publishing company. Recent releases include a online re-issue of Rob McLean's 2015 release "Play Pause Stop", and Jon D'Eaux and the Sibling Rivals' album "If It's Too Loud, You're Too Old," both available for purchase here

Background music is something we frequently provide for video productions. Examples of songs that were written and recorded for client use:

"Livestock Handling" - written to provide a sense of urgency to an emergency services video:

"Now We Dance (Crop Protection)" - this was written to allude to a song that was popular in the summer of 2013, while still being an original (and owned) song.