Howard J. Wolff Receives 1999 Marketing Achievement Award

Howard J. Wolff received the SMPS 1999 Marketing Achievement Award (MAA) during the recent National Marketing Conference in Portland. A longtime member, Howard is vice president and international director of marketing for Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WAT&G), architects, planners, and consultants in Honolulu, Hawaii. Below, MAA Program Chair Nancy Cameron-Egan discusses Howard's contribution to professional services marketing and the A/E/C industry.

Simply listing Howard Wolff's accomplishments would be enough to convince you he is a most worthy recipient of the MAA. Still you may not be aware of Howard and his contributions. Liz Quebe, FSMPS, the 1995 honoree, explained why in her letter of endorsement, "Howard now resides an ocean away, in Honolulu. This, coupled with the fact that Howard is a quiet and thoughtful promoter of his firm and our profession (rather than himself), means some of you may not know him as well as others who have been honored."

How has this modest man achieved success in all five categories of professional endeavor identified in the MAA Program? At a time when we all talk glibly about "value added," Howard has gone to the heart of the issue.

Research
Polished presentations and elegant packaging are what we see, yet underlying each of Howard's marketing programs is a solid research component. In his most recent and perhaps most audacious effort, Howard conducted original research comparing the performance of hotels designed by his firm to those designed by competitors. Using the hospitality industry's own yardsticks, he was able to offer proof that his firm's hotels outperformed others by significant margins over a seven-year period. Howard's research quantifies what many say without statistical support - good design has a positive impact on the clients' bottom line.

Marketing Communications
About that packaging? Howard has garnered 12 SMPS awards in the last 11 years, including the 1998 Marketing Communications Awards Best of Show for his precedent-setting brochure "On Creativity & the Bottom Line." The truth is that Howard's marketing pieces are more than just visual knockouts (which they are -they are powerful tools that speak directly to clients in the language of the business.

Innovative Programs
The research and materials are not stand-alone successes but part of integrated programs -amazing, innovative programs. To celebrate WAT&G's 50th anniversary, Howard focused forward with an international design competition that challenged architecture students to design the hotel of the future. The competition drew reponses from 600 students in 34 countries, generating worldwide publicity and the attention of future-minded clients.

Professional Leadership
Even while living in Hawaii and directing a demanding international marketing program involving work in 119 countries, Howard manages to continue his 19-year involvement with SMPS. He has served thoughtfully on juries for both the MAA and the Marketing Communications Awards programs as well as several national committees. Early on he helped found the Upstate New York Chapter and served as Chapter President.

In addition to SMPS, Howard serves the industry in advisory positions for the Space Tourism Society Board, Hawaii Society of Corporate Planners, Travel and Tourism Research Association, and American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Education
With degrees in both architecture and communications, Howard is a natural teacher. SMPS, Professional Services Management Association, AIA, and Coxe Clinics attendees as well as countless architecture undergrads, employees, associates, and principals have been Howard's students.

When the MAA Committee reviewed Howard Wolff's candidacy, the conversation turned again and again to our admiration for him. For Howard the marketer, whose work we wish we could clone, and for Howard the friend and colleague, whose example is exceptional and heartwarming.

As Donald Goo, chairman of WAT&G, wrote in his letter of nomination, "While Howard's specific accomplishments are well-documented and most admirable, it is his integrity and character that are even more significant. To us, it is who he is - as much as what he has done - that is the measure of Howard's uniqueness to this profession."

Serving with Nancy Cameron-Egan on the MAA Committee were Kay Lentz, FSMPS, The Lentz Group, Houston, Texas; Catherine Edgerly, William A. Berry & Son Inc., Danvers, Mass.; Mitchel R. Levitt, FSMPS, Karlsberger Companies, Columbus, Ohio; and Becky Rees, Pasanella + Klein Stolzman + Berg Architects, New York, NY.