Creative solutions: husband and wife combine talents to deliver award-winning ad campaigns.After winning an Emmy for his "Follow The Dream" advertising campaign during the 2000 Olympic Games Olympic games, premier athletic meeting of ancient Greece, and, in modern times, series of international sports contests. The Olympics of Ancient Greece Although records cannot verify games earlier than 776 B.C. , Rudy Gaskins gas·kin n. 1. The part of the hind leg of a horse or related animal between the stifle and the hock. 2. gaskins Obsolete Galligaskins. [Probably short for galligaskins.] was inspired to make his own dream of owning a creative services Creative Services are a subsector of the creative industries, a part of the economy that creates wealth by offering creativity for hire to other businesses. Examples include:
To get started, Gaskins needed a plan and a business partner. Fortunately, he didn't have to look far for the latter. He teamed up with his wife, Joan Baker, whose natural gift of connecting with people, Gaskins says, complemented his business savvy. Soon after, the couple launched Push Creative Inc., which specializes in advertising and promotions for corporations including broadcast and cable networks. "Rudy is analytical and hands-on with the creative process, whereas I enjoy connecting with people and developing relationships with people that would lead to profound communication," says Baker, who notes that the couple's ability to combine talents adds to their business' bottom line. "Joan creates a clearing for fun, thus allowing clients to be more at ease and relaxed," Gaskins adds. Located in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. , the company has five employees and contracts freelance writers, graphic designers, and producers to serve clients such as American Express American Express (NYSE: AXP), sometimes known as "AmEx" or "Amex", is a diversified global financial services company, headquartered in New York City. The company is best known for its credit card, charge card and traveler's cheque businesses. , ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. , Fox News, BET, and SpikeTV. Last year revenues reached $800,000, double what the company made its first year. Media ventures in the pipeline, say Gaskins, boost projected revenues for 2005 to $1.2 million. After four months of operating as a home-based business, the duo entered into a barter arrangement with Image Group, an editing and post-production company. In exchange for office space, Push Creative commissioned its proprietor to handle a portion of its post-production work. The entrepreneurs accumulated $40,000 from their savings to cover startup costs for salaries, marketing materials, and travel. "In the beginning, I had to get over the idea that we didn't start Push Creative just to see if it would work, but for it to succeed," says Gaskins, 44. As for Baker, 40, a working actress and an accomplished voice-over artist, managing her public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most role while becoming computer literate was not easy. Another hurdle was the uncertainty of cash flow. In the beginning, Gaskins and Baker worked on projects without receiving a retainer. To rectify the situation, Gaskins and Baker now require their clients to pay either one-third or one-half of the project's balance up front. In addition, a $50,000 business loan helped to further leverage cash flow. Prior to starting Push Creative, Gaskins was executive producer for the creative department for the Food Network A graduate of New York University New York University, mainly in New York City; coeducational; chartered 1831, opened 1832 as the Univ. of the City of New York, renamed 1896. It comprises 13 schools and colleges, maintaining 4 main centers (including the Medical Center) in the city, as well as the , he worked as a documentary filmmaker for PBS PBS in full Public Broadcasting Service Private, nonprofit U.S. corporation of public television stations. PBS provides its member stations, which are supported by public funds and private contributions rather than by commercials, with educational, cultural, , producer of advertising for ABC News, and vice-president of creative services for Court TV. A $250,000 contract with Spike TV marked the turning point for Push Creative. The firm designed a series of 30-second spots honoring Black History Month and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Confident in the Spike TV campaign, Baker entered it into various competitions, which resulted in the firm winning eight industry awards including first and second place in the 2004 Excellence and Multicultural Marketing Awards. Push Creative is currently diversifying its services to include program development. Mutual vision and respect, say Gaskins and Baker, allow the company to deliver on its promise to bringing superior solutions to clients. Push Creative Inc.; 254 West 54th Street, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , NY 10019; 212-471-3562; www.pushcreative.tv |
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