Howard
J. Wolff Receives
1999 Marketing Achievement Award
By
Nancy Cameron-Egan, Chair, MAA Committee
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.
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