Before she came to jhP last spring, Chelle Decker was the marketing director for the Topeka Civic Theatre and Academy. During that time she was in charge of advertising, public relations, printing, design and helping plan special events for TCTA. She was almost a one-woman marketing machine!

In this short clip, Chelle explains the differences between her theatre job and her position at jhP.

I surprised a local storeowner when I told her that I liked Topeka because it has so much more to offer than my hometown, Lawrence. Here are the top five reasons why I think Topeka has Lawrence beat:

1. Authenticity: In Topeka, there are countless hidden spots to discover – and a lot of them look just as they did 40 years ago when my mom and dad attended Washburn. 

Taco Casa at 1423 S.W. Sixth Ave. is one of these authentic places. It’s small, soiled and a little too dark but, at the same time, perfect. In Lawrence, if a building is around for 20 years, it will have been remodeled (or, as my friend Jan calls it, “restroyed”) two or three times. There are very few places that are untouched, nostalgic and authentic.

2. Affordability: Most things in Topeka, including food, houses and antiques, cost less than they do in Lawrence. Also, there are more stores to shop, antiques to find and restaurants to try.

I’m also impressed by Topeka’s enthusiasm for garage sales. There are so many I often drive around on my lunch break and find four or five. They usually start on a Thursday and go through the weekend. A friend once told me she shows up with a bag on the last day of the garage sale and negotiates a price to fill it.

Housing is cheaper here as well. In Lawrence, the median house price in the fourth quarter of 2010 was about $150,000. In Topeka, it was around $110,000.

3. Trumpet the Lamp Dancer: Although his moves are getting progressively vulgar, Trumpet continues to make me smile, dancing with his lamp on the corner of 10th and Kansas Ave. He moves like he’s possessed by music. The instant I see him, two things come to mind: First, what might it be like to dance on a street corner, sober, in daylight? And second, how great it used to feel dancing for hours with my friends.

One time I heard Trumpet say in an interview that he’s out there dancing so that people will remember to look out for one another, and that we need to prop each other up. I’ve only seen Trumpet once when he was not dancing. He was pushing a woman in a wheelchair across a street.

4. Food: I love Topeka’s love of cheap, California-style Mexican food (Tortilla Jacks, Taco Casa, Taco Villa, etc.). Topeka is also home to the first “food truck” I’ve seen. These mobile kitchens are a major trend in food/cuisine today, but Lawrence has very few of them. Lawrence has more restaurants focusing on seasonal/local cuisine, but if you’re looking for cheap and delicious, go to Topeka.

5. Diversity: When it comes down to it, Lawrence is a white, middle-class, small town. Topeka is a lively and diverse metropolis. There are so many different cultures represented here – and that can shift the way people view and appreciate each other. 

To demonstrate these points, my coworkers and I trolled Topeka on our lunch break to look for some lucky finds.

Topeka offers many unique and hidden gems. Check out Suzie’s favorite places, then tell us: What everyday Topeka wonders do you love?

What are those Think signs all about?

Dan Billen’s curiosity got the better of him after seeing these bright orange Think signs posted in several people’s yards. Our graphic designer allowed us to follow him on location to see what these signs are all about. Take a look to see what we discovered.

What other outrageous advertising schemes have you come across?

Art Team creates fundraiser logo for Silver Lake family 

jhP team members believe in sharing our time and talents – and a community fundraiser gave our graphic designers the recent opportunity to contribute creatively.

In July, Marissa Stromgren, a former jhP intern, told us about her friend Bryan Lindstrom, a Silver Lake man with a rare form of intestinal cancer who’s going through aggressive – and expensive – chemotherapy treatments. Marissa asked us if we’d be willing to design a logo for an annual benefit golf tournament, called “Birdies for Bryan,” for Bryan, his wife and two young children.

“I believe in jhP’s strategy, mission and the level of stellar talent on board,” Marissa said. “I knew the agency has continually had a hand in many local non-profit projects, so I thought the staff would be inspired by Bryan’s story.”

She was right. In fact, our Art Team was so moved by Bryan’s story that three designers gave the logo project a great deal of attention – even though they were booked solid with agency work.

Here’s what our designers had to say about their emotional investment in the development of this special logo.

Dan: When I heard about Bryan, my heart went out to him and his family. The feeling was mutual among the entire art team. We knew we had to come up with something really special to help promote the “Birdies for Bryan” event, so Bryan and his family would know that they aren’t alone. This was not our average assignment, and when you look at all of the great ideas we produced in such a short amount of time it’s apparent we took this one to heart.

John: I wouldn’t say we as a team gave any more effort than normal. Rather, the synergy between the artists and the event organizers allowed us to create something we could both be proud of. A good logo is nothing without a worthy cause to place it on.

Suzie: I felt a personal responsibility to act with immediacy and create a meaningful mark for Bryan Lindstrom. My family, like many others, has been touched by cancer. I am extremely proud to have been able to contribute to this project.

Community gets inspired, too!

What started as a casual conversation about helping a family in need quickly turned into a huge summer event. Thanks to the efforts of many community members, 46 golf teams and 30 volunteers will participate in “Birdies for Bryan” at the Wamego Country Club on Friday, Aug. 19. In addition, more than 70 local businesses, individuals and families have made donations in support of the Lindstrom family.

If you would like to read Bryan’s story or make a donation to the Lindstroms, please go to Bryan’s Caring Bridge website. (Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on the “Make a Tribute” link.)

With so many apps out there, have you ever wondered when they’ll invent one that lets you pay for groceries from your smartphone? Well, thanks to several companies, a digital wallet is on its way! Here’s a look at how two options work:

• payWave (Visa) – This app allows Visa cardholders to use their smartphone to pay for items with their Visa card. According to Visa, cardholders will eventually be able to use their phone for a variety of services “including e-commerce, mobile commerce, micropayments, social networks and person-to-person payments. The wallet consolidates multiple Visa and non-Visa payments accounts and can be used in mobile, e-commerce, social network and retail point-of-sale environments.” How it works.

• Google Wallet (MasterCard) – Google reports that this Android app “turns a user’s phone into a payment device. Using NFC (near field communication) technology, users can pay by tapping their phone on MasterCard paypass terminals. As well as being able to make payments, users can also receive offers and store loyalty points via the app.” How it works.

What businesses need to know

payWave – According to Visa, its e-commerce technology will allow companies to “send alerts to your best customers in near real-time. Expand your loyalty offerings and exclusive deals and increase customer lifetime value. [Visa] connects payment and transaction services across online, mobile and retail channels and offers powerful business analytics, so you can focus on your business instead of payments and reporting.”

Google Wallet – Google’s website says its app allows businesses to:

• “Drive the right traffic to your store. Push offers to shoppers who are actively searching for your products in your area. Customers can save your offers with Google Wallet, then redeem them in-store – enabling you to analyze online marketing against in-store purchases.
• “Better serve your customers. Paying with Google Wallet is faster and more convenient. Instead of fumbling for cards, cash and coupons, your customers can simply pay with the tap of their phones.
• “Retain more customers. By storing loyalty cards on their phones, Google Wallet provides your customers with a convenient way to carry them.”

What about security?

Both payWave and Google Wallet have incorporated multiple layers of security into their apps. Features range from security codes and fraud monitoring to secure encryption technology and limited liability for unauthorized purchases.

Still, privacy advocates worry that hackers will be able to easily figure out a smartphone user’s PIN number – after all, most people aren’t very inventive when they create their security codes. On the other hand, credit cards and online payment systems have been vulnerable to hackers’ attacks for years – and most of us have survived such shenanigans.

Are you down for a digital wallet?

So now tell us if you will be using an e-commerce app anytime soon. Why or why not?