Greenville Business Magazine 2009 August Issue : Page 47››emerging companies ››SmartWorks “I’m not doing this to make money. I don’t want to make money,” says Joyce Smart. Her comment baffled me, so I asked her why on earth she would launch a new business and not want to make the big bucks, she replied, “I have only one client. And that’s exactly how I want it.” That one highly desirable client is the much-heralded and antici- pated Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Center. Smart says, “Since 2004 I have served as an Advisory Board member with the Salvation Army. It seemed like a natural step forward to see if The Salvation Army could use a PR and communications person to continue the work of the committee and assist in the process of getting the Kroc Center built.” She signed an exclusive contract with the Kroc Center and is now busily forging ahead with bringing that treasured client to the forefront of the community awareness. Joyce Smart has a long and impressive history of public service. A founder of the Upstate Hunger Coalition and the RoundTowners Volunteer organization, Smart also held the prestigious and high profile job as BI-LO Director of Corporate Communications for more than 16 years. She took early retirement from BI-LO last June and decided it was time to become her own boss, “I wanted to work indepen- dently, not in a corporate atmosphere and I am motivated by the value of the job in terms of the community and my belief system, not by money alone.” She continues, “For the Kroc Center, I will be setting up meetings with community leaders from the greater Greenville area to increase our profile. And we’ll also be contacting other non profits here to see where they have unmet needs and if there are gaps in services and where the Kroc Center can fill those voids.” The doors of The Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Center- Greenville are expected to open in early 2011. And you can expect Joyce Smart to be there, holding that door,welcoming the crowds. ››MOCA “When we approach any new project, our first question is ‘What story are we trying to tell?’” says Tim O’Neill,MOCA co-founder . This then, is the story of MOCA. “We’re a creative advertising/ communications agency specializing in crafting stories for a variety of clients.,” says O’ Neill. “ We have defined our skills as senior creatives at other agencies and are now ready to work directly with clients instead of through layers of translators one finds at bigger agencies,” O’Neill says when asked why he and partner Ashley Maness would start a marketing/ public relations agency in a time when most busi- nesses are cutting back instead of forging ahead with advertising and marketing. He and Maness work together as a team – Ashley is the art director, O’Neill is the writer. “ We started MOCA now because we observed both opportunity and need. For a while, marketing was just a matter of numbers. Spend X on media and Y on mailings and you’ll receive a Z rate of return. That’s no longer the case. Today it’s more important than ever that company’s message – or story – connect with its customers in an effective and memorable way,” says O’Neill. “If a company’s story is defined, then we can find solutions to help tell it. If the story doesn’t yet exist or it needs some fine tuning,we can help with that as well.” O’Neill says his passion is creating great work. “For us, “ he says, “great work is defined as intriguing and memorable messaging that is well written,well designed and consistent with a client’s overall story.” Garnering recognition that every agency would be proud to add to its list of credits,MOCA was recently honored with a National Addy for a brochure created for the White Elephant Hotel Residences. MOCA was one of only three Greenville agencies to receive National Addys this year.www.themocaagency.com ■ AUGUST 2009 | GREENVILLE MAGAZINE 47 >>emerging companiesKatrina Daniel››SmartWorks Publication List |
|
