An Introduction to Highly Evolved Marketing

Getting Where You Need to Go?...

Highly evolved marketing happens when new marketing technologies are seamlessly integrated with
traditional media and informed by good old fashioned strategic planning. The result? Websites, email
campaigns, traditional print advertising, on-line marketing efforts are all coordinated in intelligent ways
to achieve your marketing goals.
 Matt Dodds Anne Dodds Erika Hardy Jonathan Wilson Nicholas Szumowski Justin Campfield Cooper Fellows
Chief Brandthropologist Media Brandthropologist Creative Brandthropologist Interactive Brandthropologist SEO Brandthropologist PR Brandthropologist Interactive Brandthropologist

What’s a Brandthropologist?...

Mix one part brand strategist, one part cultural anthropologist and one part new technologist -- you’ve
got a good start. Our brandthropologists take their work – but not themselves – seriously. We’ve been
out in the world working with companies such as Procter & Gamble, Hong Kong Travel & Tourism
Board, Visa and PepsiCo. And we’re having fun bringing these skills and disciplines to Burlington, VT.
2010

Our Clients...

We prefer to work with fewer clients and to work with them more deeply. This allows us to get to know
their marketing challenges -- and to work beyond just the “promotion” element of the marketing mix.
We’re especially proud of the way that we work over time in delivering value for our clients
• Four Walls Exercise • Focus Group Research • Four Walls Exercise • Four Walls Exercise
• Internal & External Interviews • Google Analytics Implementation • Internal & External Interviews • Internal & External Interviews
• Google Analytics Tracking & Tracking • Brand Tracking Research • Avatar Review & Analysis
• Press-Ganey Review & Analysis

Research...

There’s an art to our business and there’s a science to our business. We think the former becomes a
lot more effective when it’s informed by the latter. Which is why we perform any number of research
projects on behalf of our clients on a regular basis.
CVMC’s Thematic Campaign Pyramid CNB’s Campaign Pyramid

Ever Built a Pyramid?...

We can build this together. A brand pyramid outlines in a nutshell how and why consumers should
select your brand. Take these two examples we’ve made for our clients. Both are based on significant
research, and define relevant, differentiated benefits that set them apart from their competitors.
Identity Work...

We love identity work. Each project is unique; for some, like SafetyCaps, we create an intimate & fun pres-
ence. For others, like our work for digitumbra, we project modernism & professionalism. It depends on each
client’s unique needs, and to whom they are trying to appeal.
 H I

phone: 770-9
3581 Habersham at Northlake, Tucker, GA, 30084 | www.pecga.com

Printed on 100% PC Recycled Paper

Printed on 100% PC Recycled Paper

Printed on 100% PC Recycled Paper

Christopher F. DeBlois, PE, Principal, Structural Engineer
phone: 770-908-9908, fax: 770-908-9919
®

M A R K E T I N G
3581 Habersham at Northlake, Tucker, GA, 30084 | www.pecga.com 3581 Habersham at Northlake, Tucker, GA, 30084 3581 Habersham at Northlake, Tucker, GA, 30084

Christopher F. DeBlois, PE a: 3581 Habersham at Northlake

Principal Tucker, Georgia 30084
Structural Engineer p: 770-908-9908

E V O L V E D
f : 770-908-9919
e: chris.deblois@pecga.com
w: www.pecga.com

H I G H LY
Palmer Engineering Company

Printed on 100% PC Recycled Paper

Printed on 100% PC Recycled Paper

Printed on 100% PC Recycled Paper

3581 Habersham at Northlake, Tucker, GA, 30084

Christopher F. DeBlois, PE, Principal, Structural Engineer

Christopher F. DeBlois, PE a: 3581 Habersham at Northlake

phone: 770-908-9908, fax: 770-908-9919

Principal Tucker, Georgia 30084
Structural Engineer p: 770-908-9908
f : 770-908-9919
e: chris.deblois@pecga.com
w: www.pecga.com

Palmer Engineering Company

3581 Habersham at Northlake, Tucker, GA, 30084 | www.pecga.com

Printed on 100% PC Recycled Paper

To view website click here Letterhead Business Card & Envelope

Identity Kits... 3581 Habersham at Northlake, Tucker, GA, 30084

Christopher F. DeBlois, PE a: 3581 Habersham at Northlake

Principal Tucker, Georgia 30084
Structural Engineer p: 770-908-9908
f : 770-908-9919
e: chris.deblois@pecga.com
w: www.pecga.com

See a recent example of our identity work above. It’s for Palmer Engineering Company, one of Atlanta’s
largest structural engineering firms. Beyond the identity work shown here, we are also working with them Palmer Engineering Company

on their website and recruiting efforts. Printed on 100% PC Recycled Paper

kyledetarnowsky.com champlainbank.com gk-architects.com

Websites...

Look at our interactive work. But even more importantly, look at how it interrelates with our “off-line” work.
Whether it’s a huge site – like that for Champlain National Bank, or a small boutique site – like that for
the Vermont Hickory Open, we “get it” – orchestrating different media to “open the sale” and others to
“close the sale.” Click here to view our web gallery.
Vermont Transit -- view spot Champlain National Bank -- view spot Northern Insuring -- view spot

Television...

We’re currently on air with several of our clients. Our “$30 promotion” for Vermont Transit created the
greatest year-on-year sales increase in their history. Watch “Antiques Roadshow FYI” on WPTZ and
you’ll see our spots for Champlain National Bank. Our recent work for Northern Insuring is helping
underscore the “Buttoned Up” positioning we created.
Radio...

Radio is a great tool for local marketers, especially considering its affordability. Yet so many local radio
ads are just plain crap. That’s unfortunate, because we feel the medium is a great venue to display
creativity, especially via “theater of the mind”.
 The Little Things

Jack Hurlbut, St. Albans

Grandma Wendy Campbell of Swanton cuddles with her grandson Ben.

Kevin and Lindsay Jarvis with their daughter

Payton (now nearly 2), Fairfax, Vermont

In late 2003, Jack’s right knee was bad. “I could’ve lived with the pain...but I wanted to be able to play golf with my grandsons.”
New Mobility He came to local physician Dr. Robert Beattie, and was soon fitted with a replacement joint at NMC. Recently, his left knee
started causing him pain and he came to us again. “Shortly after knee replacement surgery, I was bending my knee and doing
exercises. It was a complete success. The orthopaedic service up here far exceeds everything that I’ve seen elsewhere. It’s given
me back the game I love!”
For more information on orthopaedic surgery call Janet at 802-524-1280 or visit:
www.NorthwesternMedicalCenter.org.
The soldiers of the US Army’s 131st Engineering Company had decided ahead of time; they would all sacrifice their personal
internet time for their buddy Kevin, whose wife was expecting their first child. This allowed Kevin, with a little help from the
Family Birth Center nurses and the IT folks at Northwestern Medical Center, to experience the birth of his daughter Payton
while on duty in Iraq, half a world away.
For more information about a hospital that goes a little further to care for its community, call Janet at 802-524-1280 or visit:
www.NorthwesternMedicalCenter.org.
Wendy Campbell of Swanton has been diligent about attending her annual physical. Last year, the unthinkable happened; her mammo-
gram indicated she had a lump so small that it could not yet be felt. Her physician, Dr. Frank Zsoldos, immediately set up an appointment
with Dr. Michelle Sowden, and within three days, her surgery at NMC was complete. It’s too early to declare victory, but for now, the
cancer is in remission. Wendy’s now enjoying the company of her newest grandchild, Ben, and is pleased that she had her mammogram.
For more information on finding a doctor and scheduling your own annual physical, call Janet at 802-524-1280 or visit:
www.NorthwesternMedicalCenter.org.

Saint Albans, Vermont

Print Campaigns...

After a five agency review, NMC selected us to guide their branding efforts. We led them through an
extensive brand audit process. It’s allowed us to help them tell their story, while reminding residents of
all the excellent services that are available to them locally.
 Why is a Dartmouth–Hitchcock medical technician in Berlin at 3:27am?

Helping central Vermonters get a better night’s rest.

When you’re waking up, Holly Pryor is probably going to sleep. And a lot of people are getting a better
night’s sleep because of it. Having one of the country’s finest teaching medical centers operate a state-
of-the-art sleep lab at CVMC certainly helps. Our alliance with Dartmouth–Hitchcock – it’s another way our
community medical center provides big benefits to our area.

Print Campaigns...

When you look at our work, you’ll see the level of consideration and continuity we bring to our clients’
marketing challenges. This may be one reason that our work for Central Vermont Medical Center earned
first place in the New England Society for Health Care Communication’s print advertising category.
Print Campaigns...

How do you compete against national competitors such as Key Bank and Citizens’ Bank, who have
invaded your marketing area with a rash of recent acquisitions? Simply put: go local. We helped
Champlain National Bank find its voice via our “Your Community: Bank on it” campaign.
 Mountain Lake PBS: Buttoned up by Northern

At 7:33am on April 18th, Mountain Lake

PBS’s tower crashed to the ground. A
major catastrophe? Yes. However, with
quick action on the part of the staff
at PBS, as well as some favors from
sympathetic friends at places like Time
Warner, WPTZ & WCAX, the signal was
soon back on air.
The William H. Miner Agricultural Research Institute: Buttoned up by Northern We couldn’t be prouder to have played
It may be called Miner Institute, but it has major
insurance needs -- from state-of-the-art laboratories
a small part. We worked with Mountain
Lake to write their policy. The tower,
Condo Pharmacy: Buttoned up by Northern
to turn-of-the-century barns. Which is why, when related equipment and some labor are When you run a family owned pharmacy, finding the
looking for an insurance carrier, they did their insured for $ 1.7 million dollars. Fixing
right insurance partner is no small matter. Which may be
the tower on Lyon Mountain may take
research. Their choice? The firm with the North why, for two generations, Condo’s prescription for risk
until October – or perhaps longer. But
Country’s strongest reputation, deepest resources, management has been the firm with the North Country’s
one thing is assured; the assets are there
and most knowledgeable representatives. to start rebuilding. And that will be a strongest reputation, deepest resources, and most
Are your business assets buttoned up? towering achievement for a firm that knowledgeable representatives.
understood how to manage its risks.

Are your business assets buttoned up?

Are your business assets buttoned up?
Steve Moore
28 Montcalm Ave.
Business Insurance Coverage

www.northerninsuring.com
www.northerninsuring.com

Plattsburgh 561-7000 AuSable Forks 647-8100 Whitehall 499-0444 Massena 315-769-2404 Plattsburgh 561-7000 AuSable Forks 647-8100 Whitehall 499-0444 Massena 315-769-2404

www.northerninsuring.com

Plattsburgh 561-7000 Au S a b l e Fo r k s 6 4 7 - 8 1 0 0 Whitehall 499-0444 Massena 769-2404

Print Campaigns...

Our work for Northern Insuring is helping them to dramatically illustrate the depth and breadth of their
insurance and employee benefits service offerings. And our “Buttoned up” tagline highlights reasons
customers (enterprise, corporate & personal) should select Northern over competitors.
 VT National: Brandthropology

Gardner Kilcoyne Architects:

VT National: Michael Riddell

Central Vermont Medical Center: Branthropology

Palmer Engineering Company: Curahee Club

VT National: Branthropology
Photography...

We understand the power of imagery, and work with our clients to capture those moments that best
highlight their strengths. Sometimes this means that we take the photography ourselves, sometimes
we work to find existing photography that delivers on the strategies we’ve developed with our clients.
 Center
The
post
Central Vermont Medical Center’s Quarterly Newsletter
Judy Tarr appointed president & CEO
Early this summer trustees at Central
Vermont Medical Center announced the
appointment of Judy Tarr of Damariscotta,
Maine, as the new President and Chief
Executive Officer . The appointment will
be effective September 10, 2007, accord-
ing to John Nicholls, Chair of the CVMC
Board of Trustees .
“I am pleased to report that the recruit-
ment process was very inclusive and thor-
ough . We reviewed an outstanding group
of candidates from a national search and
our decision was unanimous to offer the
Thank you...
Dear CVMC Family,
Words cannot express the
appreciation I feel for the
send off. The readings, the
best wishes, the scholarsh
sculpture!) and flowers, memory
album, and gifts were overwelm
Please know that I truly feel
You all are great! Keep up
fortunate to have known
the good work and thank
Newsletters...
Summer 2007
position to Judy Tarr,” said Nicholls in
making the announcement .
Tarr has been President and CEO
of Miles Healthcare since 1993 . Miles
Health Care is located in Damariscotta,
Maine, consisting of a hospital, nursing
facility, assisted living facility, congre-
gate house/independent living facility,
physician practice and home health
agency . She will be the fourth Presi-
dent and CEO of CVMC, since it was
established in 1968 .
wonderful and warm retiremen
t development programs in order to reduce
ip fund, the food (and ice
ing.
and worked with all of you.
you all so much.
Daria receives a memory album at her
retirement party. More photos from the
party continued on page 2.
We’ve worked with Central Vermont Medical Center to dramatically improve the quality of their commu-
nications -- both to external and to internal audiences. Above you can see an example of the medical
center’s Centerpost newsletter.
Volunteers Abroad
This is the second in a series of interviews with Central Vermont Medical Center personnel who have done volunteering on their time off,
in other countries or states. If you feel you have an experience that could be included, please contact the author at 371-4197 or email
Tamahú, Guatemala – Mir Pace International
Maureen McQuiggan RN, currently an
analyst in CVMC’s HIS department and
Susan Becker RN, director of care man-
agement, spent 10 days in the spring of
2006 in the hills of Guatemala .
Like so many events in our lives, this
one was sparked by their children’s
interests . Maureen’s daughter Mary
Teresa went to Guatemala with Mir Pace
International when she was a senior at
Montpelier High School back in 2004 .
Rose followed in her sister’s footsteps
as an eighth grader and then pulled in
mom Maureen to assist with fundraising
when she was a high school freshman .
Susan’s son Chris decided to check out
the opportunity to go to Guatemala as a
Judy Tarr - New President & CEO
teen volunteer . Maureen and Susan found
themselves two of the five chaperones
who accompanied 25 high school stu-
dents, the majority from Montpelier High
School, to Tamahú, Guatemala .
At a Glance... Mir Pace International is a program for
volunteer teens to provide humanitarian
aid . The organization is committed to pro-
Trustee Profile: Jan Cody . . . . . . . . . pg 2
viding worldwide humanitarian relief and
Construction Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 3
CVMC Open House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 3
vulnerability, alleviate human suffering,
Capital Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 4
Kay Curtis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 4
and restore the self-sufficiency and liveli-
hoods of disaster-affected populations,
Rose Black Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 5 while fostering cultural understanding
Woodridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 6
Volunteers Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 8
New ED Docs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 9
Employee Profile: Dixie Mercier . . pg 10
Nurse Researchers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg 11
New Midwife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg 11
Above & Beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 12
The Center Post is produced and
edited by the CVMC Department of
Community Relations & Development .
Daniel L. Pudvah, Vice President
daniel .pudvah@hitchcock .org
Editor: Susan Kruthers
susan .kruthers@hitchcock .org
Photographer: Hjonis Hanson Susan Becker, RN and her son Chris with Maureen McQuiggan, RN
and her daughter in Gautemala.
hjonis .hanson@hitchcock .org
8 Dr. Kalev Freeman & Dr. Robert Amburgey join the ED
by Susan Kruthers
susan.kruthers@hitchcock.org
and volunteerism through International
High School Mission (“IHSM”) programs .
The first indication of what was to come
occurred before the bus left Montpelier .
Most of the students had about $100
spending money for the trip . Maureen
exchanged their money for Guatema-
lan currency and when handing it back
explained that their spending money was
enough to build two houses in Guate-
mala .
The group stayed in a small village
where the “rich” people lived . “Rich” in
Tamahú meant that everyone had electric-
ity and about half had indoor plumbing .
Ironically, Habitat for Humanity built two
nice houses in the village which were
sitting unoccupied because no villagers
could afford the $30 per month rent .
Most of the people in the area were
Mayan and although some Spanish was
spoken in the village, natives in the sur-
rounding mountain hamlets spoke two
different Mayan dialects, often unable to
communicate with each other .
They arrived on Easter weekend and
were privileged to observe the religious
fervor of the villagers as they celebrated
their Easter rituals . Cobblestone streets
were covered with dyed sawdust, placed
in patterns simulating oriental carpets .
During the Easter vigil, village inhabitants
wended their way up a mountain path
holding lighted candles, creating a mov-
ing tableaux .
Although most of the work they did,
tearing down and building houses was
in small impoverished settlements on
the side of the mountain, they ate three
meals a day back in the village where they
slept . Mir Pace hired a large multi-gener-
ational family to cook for the volunteers .
The volunteers and the family ate all of
their meals together .
Maureen, Susan and another chaper-
one shared quarters in the home of the
Moran family . They had three children
and were relatively well off because the
dad was a school teacher . There was a
cold water shower with a cement block
floor, cement walls, no shower curtain
and cockroaches running up and down
the walls . The task of killing cockroaches
fell to Susan, bravest of the three room-
mates . Maureen resorted to tying up her
luggage in a big trash bag every night to
keep the bugs out .
The group built three houses on this
trip to replace structures literally created
out of sticks and mud . The new houses
were cinder block squares that boasted
window cut-outs but no glass or other
protection against the bugs and the ele-
ments . This small structure, no bigger
than many of our offices, would house an
extended family of 8 to 14 people . These
people had nothing . There was no furni-
ture . They wove banana leaves into mats
to sleep on . Maureen described one little
boy laughing his head while chasing mice
with a stick, whacking it on the head and
then waving it around .
Divided into three sub-groups, Mau-
reen’s group was dropped off at the foot
of a mountain with a 25 minute walk up
to the house they were working on . She
saw a little girl about seven years old,
severely underweight and obviously mal-
nourished with matted hair that looked
(cont . on pg . 9)
(Mir Pace, cont . from pg . 8)
like it had never been combed . She had
bugs on her and was wearing a nightgown
that covered only about half of her body
and was all ripped . She was not with the
other kids and looked lost and frightened .
Later, Maureen asked the priest and the
group leader about this child who looked
like a ghost . The child was retarded and
therefore they didn’t feed her, not out of
malice, but because they couldn’t, they
couldn’t feed themselves . Upon hearing
this explanation, Maureen started crying
and screaming . There was a lot of crying
CVMC welcomes new Emergency Department Doctors
Dr . Philip Brown, Medical Director of
Central Vermont Medical Center’s Emer-
gency Department announced that two
doctors have been added to the existing
Emergency Department . “We antici-
pate that between 29,500 and 30,000
patients will be evaluated by CVMC’s
Emergency Department this year,” noted
Dr . Brown .
Dr . Robert Amburgey received his M .D .
from the University of Cincinnati College
of Medicine and did his Emergency Medi-
cine Residency at Wake Forest University
Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem,
North Carolina . His undergraduate work
was done at Michigan State University
where he earned a Bachelor of Science,
Cum Laude in Human Biology .
While at the University of Cincinnati
College of Medicine he was team captain
of the intramural basketball team, co-cap-
tain of the flag football team and founded
“the Locker Room,” an after-school pro-
gram for urban adolescent males in the
greater Cincinnati area . On why he chose
to join the CVMC team, Dr . Amburgey
said, “It’s an extraordinary combination
of a wonderful place to live and great
people to work with .”
Dr . Amburgey and his wife, Dr .Laurie
Amburgey, a high risk obstetrics Fellow at
the University of Vermont’s Fletcher Allen
Health Care, live in South Burlington . In
on this trip .
The teens were exposed to situations
they never imagined: the 14-year-old girl
appreciation for what we have back
here,” summed up Maureen . Susan
talked about the incredible spiritual con-
with a 15-year-old husband, expecting nection and how even though the Mayan
people had very little, everybody was
their first child; the woman with six or
seven small children living with her par- happy .
ents because her husband went insane Susan plans to go back again this
and kicked them all out; this family’s chil- coming spring . Maureen would like to
dren all weaving cloth and yet owning lit- go again, but needs a little more time to
erally only the clothes on their back, and recover from her encounter with bugs
wearing no underwear, no bras, no socks . and crawling insects .
Both women were profoundly impacted For more information
by the experience . “It gave me a huge www .mirapaceinternational .com
Correction to Spring edition:
The web address for Hands to Honduras
is www .HandstoHonduras .org
his spare time Dr . Amburgey plays basket- enjoys playing bluegrass and jazz vio-
ball, enjoys backpacking and hiking, and
is learning to play golf .
Also joining the CVMC Emergency
lin, snowboarding, mountain biking and
accompanying his wife, a botanist at the
University of Vermont, on field collec-
tion trips . “I feel very lucky to have the
Department is Kalev Freeman, M .D ., Ph .D .
opportunity to work at CVMC, with its ter-
Dr . Freeman participated in the Medical
rific reputation, while living in Vermont,
Scientist Training Program at the Uni-
versity of Colorado, a National Institutes a state known for its skiing, hiking and
bluegrass music .”
of Health-funded program for combined
M .D . and Ph .D . training . He received his Dr . Freeman and his wife Monique
Bachelor of Science degree from the McHenry live in Duxbury .
University of Michigan . Dr . Freeman com-
pleted his Internship in Surgery at the
University of Colorado and Denver Health
“...a wonderful place to
Medical Center . He did his residency in
Emergency Medicine at Boston Medical
live and great people to
Center, an Echocardiography elective at
Maharaj Hospital, Chiang Mai, Thailand
work with.”
and a Pediatric Echocardiography elec-
tive at The Children’s Hospital in Denver,
Colorado .
Dr . Freeman has been
extensively published
and he was a mentor at
the City School Sum-
mer Program at Boston
Medical Center and a
music therapy volun-
teer in the Department
of Pediatrics in col-
laboration with Berklee
College of Music .
In his spare time he
9
 Direct Mail in
Translucent Envelope sent to
upscale database

Free Standing Insert in targeted

local papers
Direct Mail Unfolded

Direct Marketing...

Our client put it this way in Vermont National Country Club’s member newsletter: “Our August promotion
was our most successful end of the summer program in the history of Vermont National.” Our combined
direct mailings and free standing inserts have helped sign up 40 new members this year, exceeding the
club’s initial estimates by mid-season.
 Want your MRI ASAP?
Want Your MRIs ASAP? I don’t want to wait 4
weeks for an M.R.I. !
4 Weeks
I don’t want to

providers in Franklin, Lamoille and Chittenden counties

4 Weeks wait 4 weeks!

Based on phone survey, Feb. 21st, 2008 of MRI

1 Week 1 Week

Same Day

1 Day
Option A Option B Option C

Do you have patients that want their MRIs quickly, but the wait times for
processing at your regular institution are unacceptably long? At Northwest-
ern Medical Center in St. Albans, you can have an MRI scheduled within If you have an illness or an ailment that requires an MRI, it’s only
a week -- in fact, in most cases, we can complete an MRI for your patients natural that you want to be examined and find out the results
within the same day.
quickly. Yet the wait times for MRIs at many medical facilities can
For more information on our MRI services or to schedule an appointment, be lengthy -- up to four weeks. Talk to your physician. Let them
please call us at 524-1058, or toll-free from within Vermont: 800-696-0321, know that at Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans, you can
extension 1058. get in for an MRI within a week -- in fact, in most cases, we can
complete your MRI within the same day.

For more information on our MRI services or to schedule an ap-

pointment for the care you need, please call us at 524-1058, or
toll-free from within Vermont: 800-696-0321, extension 1058.
www.NorthwesternMedicalCenter.org

Direct Mail postcards sent to a

database of local physicians www.northwesternmedicalcenter.org

Newspaper Print ad

Direct Marketing...

Our recent promotion for Northwestern Medical Center -- a coordinated effort between direct mailings to
area physicians and newspaper ads targeting patients -- created the single greatest return on investment
for any marketing campaign the hospital has conducted to date.
Annual Reports & other Collateral Material ...

We’ve created a great number of collateral materials for CVMC -- from annual reports to medical prac-
tice brochures to lobby banners. We’re extremely proud of how unified we’ve kept the look and tonality
of the medical center’s communication materials.
 Medical Benefits

How to button up your Medical Benefits Plan

The Northern Approach to Benefits Planning Medical Benefits Plan Options
With today’s ever-changing regulatory environment and expanding roster of health care options,
administering your medical benefits is increasingly complex. We can help. Here’s an overview of
Medical benefits can sometimes seem like a mine-field of acronyms and specialized terms. We thought
our disciplined approach:
Northern’s disciplined approach to creating your customized benefit plan ensures that you have the the following guide would be helpful:
best possible coverages, sound operational procedures and complete regulatory compliance. Em-
ployee benefit plans aren’t static; they are constantly evolving. This is why we work with all of our
clients to conduct annual reviews. Are your Employee Benefits buttoned up? Step One - Review Your Current
HMOPlan:
(Health Maintenance Organization)
We start by stepping back and taking a big picture
A managed system oflook at the
health caredesign of youra current
that provides plan. What’
comprehensive arraysofworking? What isn’t?
medical services on a prepaid basis to voluntarily en-
Are you currently complying with government
rolled regulations
persons living (SPDs, geographic
within a specific COBRA)?region.
Are there particular
HMOs likes or
both finance dislikes?
health How
care and deliver health services. There is an
emphasis on
much do you contribute as an employer? Howpreventative
does thatcare as wellto
compare as others
cost control.
in your industry? We gather information we
can use to analyze and improve your plan’s design.
Initial Meeting Direct HMO
Step Two - Review Your Needs:
Annual Meeting An HMO where participants are able to meet with specialists directly -- without the need for physician (or other gatekeeper) referrals.
We evaluate your employee census. This is important in matching benefits to your employees’ unique needs. Are there
Enrollment gaps in coverage? We look at your group’s eligibility requirements. We can help you find a cost-efficient rate structure.
Employee Education
Implementation & PPO (Preferred-Provider Organization)
Should it be two-tier? Three-tier?
ort
Customer Support Information Gathering
Group Meetings Step Three - Analyze FindingsA &
benefit plan that contracts
Creatively with preferred providers to obtain lower costs for plan members. Often, this can take the form of
Restructure:
groups of health care providers that contract with employers, insurance companies, union trust funds or third party administra-
We use the information we havetors
collected to start creatively restructuring your plan. We can add a lot of value here,
to provide health care services at a reduced rate based on volume.
because we’re intimately familiar with the various plan offerings that exist. We can determine whether your current rates
are competitive. We can even benchmark your benefits versus others in your industry. We will secure customized quotes
POS (Point-of-Service
for those plans you are considering, Plan)
creating detailed comparisons and cost summary sheets.
Formal Plan Proposal A hybrid arrangement that combines aspects of a traditional medical expense plan with an HMO or PPO. At the time of medical
Current Benefit Review
& Recommendations Step Four - Finalize Your Newtreatment,
Plan: a participant can elect whether to receive treatment within the plan’s network or outside the network.
It’s time to make decisions. We’ll meet with you to review your options in our formal plan proposal. Our specific recom-
mendations will guide you through the selection of your medical benefit plan.
EPO (Exclusive-Provider Organization)
Step Five - Implement Your New Plan:of a PPO in which coverage is not provided outside the preferred-provider network, except in those infrequent cases
A variation
where
Our involvement doesn’t end once thethe network
plan does not
is finalized. have an appropriate
Northern specialist.customer support, which will in-
provides continual
Creation of Customized
zed
clude conducting educational meetings where employees are brought through the details of any new plan benefits. This
Benefit Plan Operational
Ope
might include comparisons toHDHP
the current plan, education about
(High-Deductible Healthbenefits,
Plan) &prescription
HSA (Health use, and costs.Account)
Savings We answer their
Review
R
questions. We even prepare any needed plan paperwork, and help your employees through the enrollment process.
HDHPs are medical expense plans that use insurance policies with high deductibles -- often as much as $5,000 or more. They
Regulatory are commonly used with consumer-directed medical expense plans. HSAs are a type of personal savings account from which
Compliance un-reimbursed medical expenses can be paid. They can be used by employees or self-employed individuals, and are established in
COBRA conjunction with a HDHP.
Federal/State mandates
Self-Funding/Self-Insured
ERISA “As our staffing increased, we recognized that we
A method by which an employer can finance the cost of an employee benefit plan. In the method’s purest sense, the employer
IRS Codes could benefit from professional help.
pays benefits from currentNow,
revenue, with
administers all aspects of the plan, and bears the risk that benefits payments will exceed those
the aid of Northern, we’re providing employees
expected.
with more benefits options.”
Mini Meds
Alice Recore, Mountain
A mini-medical Lake
plan provides PBS
only limited medical and prescription drug costs, but not catastrophic coverage. These plans are
not designed to replace major medical coverage, however, they offer a basic threshold of coverage to employees who are otherwise
ineligible for -- or cannot afford to -- purchase employers’ comprehensive plans.
www.northerninsuring.com/groupbenefits

Implication Plattsburgh 518-561-7000 AuSable Forks 518-647-8100 Whitehall 518-499-0444 Massena 315-769-2404
Plan
www.northerninsuring.com/groupbenefits

Pocket Folder with Die Cut Process Overview Sheet

Plattsburgh 518-561-7000 AuSable Forks 518-647-8100 Whitehall 518-499-0444 Massena 315-769-2404
Implication

Tabbed Product One Sheet

Sales Kits...

We’ve worked with Northern Insuring to brand their process. We’ve suggested this because we believe
it illustrates a meaningfully differentiated benefit -- as the North Country’s largest insurance provider,
they have capabilities and personnel that their competitors do not possess.
 reputation facilities experience

Where Nature meets Nicklaus The Veranda

An invitation to experience ... 18-hole Jack Nicklaus/Jack Nicklaus II

Signature Design championship course
on 400 of Burlington’s most scenic acres.
Few settings are more elegant than
dining and dancing on the curved
veranda overlooking an Adirondack
sunset.

© Michael Riddell
Tournaments Practice Facilities Functions & Events The Restaurant

Join our leagues, where golfers of all skill Spacious bent grass chipping & putting Be swept off your feet by the sweeping Our new chef, Mark Timms, is the winner
levels compete. Even better, our signature greens, long & short practice ranges with view off the west facing veranda. Savor of Atlanta’s “Iron Chef” competition. One
tournament “The Bear” draws attendees from real turf to hit from: you won’t find a better a drink with friends, or simply relax with taste of his Sunday brunch will have you
all over the nation. place to improve your game. your family. seeing five stars.

Brochures...

OK, so we aren’t exactly Country Club types. But we can always learn can’t we? Here is an example of
our work -- a pamphlet Vermont National is using with great effect in promoting membership sales.
Package Design...

We also have experience with product packaging. The above designs are for PocketWizard, a line of
flash synchronization tools for high end photography applications.
Public Relations...

Not all marketing communications have to be paid advertising. We get a lot of coverage for our
clients by the skillful use of press releases and other public relations strategies. We estimate that for
CVMC alone our efforts have helped generate $175,000 worth of media exposure in 2006.
 The Place to Be!

The On-Campus Nursing Home of

Central Vermont Medical Center.

Our Approach to Care...

Providing resident care is a team effort, with the resident
the most important member of the team. Each plan of
care is individualized according to the person’s desires and
needs. Nurses, physicians and support staff offer residents
and their families options for care and honor the right of
residents to make their own decisions.

…satisfaction with the care and

service provided is to be the primary
objective of all of Woodridge’s inter-
disciplinary health care team.
– from our Philosophy

Video Production...

Woodridge nursing home is part of Central Vermont Medical Center. They reported that families were
having difficulty getting their elderly relations comfortable with the idea of moving into a nursing
home. We helped develop a DVD and an accompanying brochure that allows potential residents to
view the facilities in a private manner.
Media Planning...

Our media planning has been a strength since we opened our doors in 2005; our media planning pro-
cess is directly derived from Matt’s years with the Procter & Gamble company. We’ve got the
know-how and the buying clout to get you where you need to go.
Can we arrange a time to present?

862-2400 x22
matt@brandthropology.com

www.brandthropology.com