DESIGN DUO: Take talent and hard work, mix in marketing, then combine connections built client by client and success is likely to follow. For the twin graphic design duo Jason and Justin Wister of Rancho Cordova's Pair design, those ingredients landed them a lucrative contract with Internet security firm McAfee.
Their assignment: design environmentally friendly marketing tools for McAfee's inaugural Focus 08 conference in October – a relationship built from a phone call to a software firm nine years ago.
The Bee sat down with the brothers Wister at their Rancho Cordova offices to talk about their campaign.
You've designed brochures, fliers, signage and other marketing tools for this project using environmentally friendly or "green" materials. Whose idea was that?
Jason Wister: They (McAfee) decided. They really came to us with that need, that demand. We're using recycled paper, soy-based inks.
The Focus 08 security conference in October (Oct. 20-23 in Las Vegas) is a first for McAfee. Knowing that, does your assignment carry with it any added pressure?
Justin Wister: This is their inaugural conference, so there's a lot of pressure. The look and feel of the materials is just as big as the content. It's got to be interesting looking. This is a high-visibility piece. There will be a lot of people with it in their hands.
Jason Wister: There are six of us and during the course of the project everyone will have some role in it.
Has the sluggish economy posed challenges to your business and what advice do you have for other businesses?
Justin Wister: Now is not the time for companies to cut their marketing budgets. For instance, we realized we should update our Web site.
Jason Wister: Now we've got the time to focus on marketing ourselves.
– Darrell Smith
dvsmith@sacbee.com
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