Share
The tiny business card with curved edges fits in a palmed hand. It is simple, yet intriguing. There is luster about it — more than just the luminous paper on which it was printed. It says, "Iridium Group-Invigorate Your Brand," with a picture of the company's element in the left margin.
Flip the card and it changes to a cadmium red background with white lettering. In crisp font it says, "Identity/Marketing/Communications."
With the definition cleverly inscribed in smaller font, the card has to be held closer to read, "Iridium n. Symbol IR (atomic number 77) Just like the precious metal, our solutions are a combination of strength and beauty. In every engagement we apply research and intuition to develop sustainable value for our clients."
Iridium Group president and Virginia Tech alum, Dwayne Flinchum, left Blacksburg with big ideas and his eyes on the apple. Over the years, this small business, stationed in New York City, has made graceful strides in its industry. Iridium Group has worked for clients such as the American Red Cross, ESPN The Magazine, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Time Inc. and Sears.
For several New York minutes, Flinchum spoke of his business strategies and breaking through the clutter in a world where iconic images and phrases are omnipresent.
"The positioning of this company — it's a boutique but it's broadly positioned to handle lots of different communication and marketing tools," said Flinchum.
He continued, "Its sort of a dichotomy, it shouldn't exist. We are still a throwback to those old '70s firms they were multidisciplinary and could create anything. We tried to create the same kind of model with 12 people, which is really hard because you are spread very thin."
With such a broad range of clients, each encompassing a different interest, each project has to be specifically tailored to fit specific needs.
"I'm doing the thing that every consultant advised me not to do which is cross industries and make anything you want," Flinchum said with candor.
Flinchum's eye for marketing and methods of work is the apple of the organizations' eyes he creates for.
"Really good designers intuitively design around the market for who they are creating for," said Flinchum.
The sound of competing businesses can sometimes be so deafening that it transforms into white noise. By marching to their own beat, these 12 drummers have made themselves heard in a city with selective hearing.
Leave a comment 0 Comments Write a letter to the editor
All letters to the editor must include a name, e-mail, daytime phone number and affiliation to Virginia Tech. Affiliation includes: year and major for students; position and department for faculty and staff; current city for alumni and parents.