We at Good & Gold are thrilled to announce our recent certification by the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). This milestone is not just a mark of recognition—it’s a reflection of our core values and our commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in every aspect of our business.
Why This Matters
As an LGBTQ+ and woman-owned company, we understand the importance of representation and inclusivity in the business world. Our team comprises of diverse talents who bring unique perspectives and ideas, driving innovation and creativity. The NGLCC certification is a testament to our efforts in building a business that not only aims for excellence in digital marketing but also champions the rights and recognition of the LGBTQ+ community.
Aligning with Our Values
At Good & Gold, our mission goes beyond providing exceptional digital marketing services. We are dedicated to crafting a brighter future for all, especially for those who have historically been marginalized. This certification aligns perfectly with our ethos of inclusivity and our dedication to supporting causes that defend fundamental rights, like the Equality Act and protections for LGBTQ+ individuals under Title IX.
Our Commitment to the Community
Receiving the NGLCC certification is another step in our journey to help create a more equitable business landscape. It strengthens our resolve to continue advocating for the LGBTQ+ community in and out of the workplace. Whether it’s through diverse hiring practices, supporting LGBTQ+ businesses, or creating campaigns that address and challenge discriminatory legislation, our goal is to make a lasting impact.
What This Means for Our Clients
This certification means that when you partner with Good & Gold, you are choosing a company that does not just deliver results but does so with integrity and a commitment to social justice. It means your brand’s message is crafted by a team that understands diverse audiences because we embody that diversity.
Looking Forward
As we celebrate this achievement, we are motivated by the current socio-political landscape and the upcoming 2024 presidential race, recognizing the critical role we play in advocating for and protecting LGBTQ+ rights. In light of increasing challenges, such as anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and rhetoric, our work and your support are more significant than ever.
Join us in celebrating this milestone. Together, we can continue to push boundaries and make a difference, not just in marketing but in the world.
This Earth Day, we're taking a moment to reflect on our personal connections to the planet we call home. At Good & Gold, we make a point to celebrate the beauty and importance of the Earth in our everyday lives. This Earth Day, we’ve asked each of our employees to give us a glimpse into their relationship with nature. Whether it’s through sustainable practices, efforts to better our environment, or simply reveling in nature, each of us has a unique way on how we connect with the Earth and the important role it plays in our life.
Carrie
For Earth Day, I conduct a household audit to identify areas where we can improve our environmental stewardship. This includes strategies for composting kitchen waste, reducing plastic use, and optimizing energy and water consumption. To connect with nature physically, I enjoy hiking in Forest Park or the Gorge. Additionally, I participate in neighborhood clean-ups, like this year's city-wide effort organized by We Believe in Portland.
Hannah
I spend as much of my time outdoors as I can, whether that’s daily walks in my neighborhood to recharge and take in the fresh air or going out to surf, snowboard, and camp. Mother nature provides us with such a huge playground and never fails to ground me! It’s important to me to do my part everyday in small ways, like biking more as transportation and growing my own vegetables, to keep the Earth happy so we can enjoy it for as long as possible.
Ryn
I generally take a walk everyday and watch the seasons as they change. I’ve been loving the long spring Portland gets and seeing all the trees and flowers bloom over the last couple of weeks has made me feel very connected to the springtime.
Parker
The trails by my house are serene and vibrant this time of year. It’s always good to see the foxes and deer out and about again, amongst many other animal populations. Trash pickup along this trail and the woods around it make for a fulfilling springtime and it shows in everyone’s uplifted spirits.
Maggie
I stay connected to the Earth through gardening. I’ve found it so rewarding to learn how to compost, recycle seeds, and use organic materials to support an abundant garden. Gardening is very grounding, and has helped both my physical and mental health! It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Jackson
Whenever I take time to quietly observe nature, whether in a dense forest or a city park, I start to understand the deep connections among all living things on Earth. These moments make me feel part of a larger, vibrant cycle of life that spans hundreds of millions of years. They also remind me of humanity's significant impact on other species and our environment, highlighting our greater responsibility as stewards of the Earth. These observations help me stay committed to reducing my ecological footprint by minimizing waste, using renewable energy at home, supporting conservation efforts, and engaging in land restoration projects.
Kyle
I love Earth. I enjoy spending my spare time surfing, snowboarding, and riding bikes on the fun playground Earth provides. I also enjoy the cute animals and interesting plants that you can find on land and in the ocean. Earth is pretty cool, I think everyone should do their part to protect it.
Alison
Most mornings I start the day with a bike ride. As the city wakes up - usually with a stunning sunrise - I’m pedaling through Portland’s parks, vibrant neighborhoods, and winding trails, giving me a feeling of abundant appreciation for this planet. The fresh air fills my lungs, and the sights and sounds of the environment become vividly alive, reminding us of the importance of preserving and cherishing our planet. Each turn of the pedal serves as a gentle reminder of our responsibility to protect and sustain the natural world for future generations.
Emily
A big focus for me is how to reduce my environmental footprint. This includes biking more often, using reusable items such as totes for shopping, and growing my food in my garden! This year I’m planning on a couple of new home projects focused on the environment as well, including raising chickens and starting a worm bin!
Iulia
Gardening and embarking on long bike rides through nature serve as my sacred rituals. In the garden, I nurture life from seed to fruition, grounding myself in the cycles of growth. Through these acts, I find solace and belonging, harmonizing with the natural world around me and fostering a profound sense of interconnectedness.
Starting a business isn’t just about selling products or services-it’s about building a brand that resonates with your audience. It’s an opportunity for creative expression and will ensure your business has a unique, memorable identity that will stand out in the market. A comprehensive style guide will guarantee consistency in your brand, ultimately leading to a strong brand presence and great content. To help you on your brand journey, we are sharing our 4-part process to create a brand identity that stands the test of time.
Part 1 - Getting to Know Your Brand
When creating a brand identity, the goal is to channel your brand personality and values into a clear visual style. In order to create an authentic and memorable brand, it’s important to start with some questions. What is the product/service you’re providing? What is the story and mission behind the business? Who is your target audience? Narrowing down your story, demographic, and goals will help to pinpoint the visual style that will best suit the brand.
Part 2 - Conceptualize Your Vision & Create a Moodboard
Once you’ve defined the core values of your brand, it’s time to conceptualize. We recommend starting with a moodboard - it’s a great way to quickly generate ideas and see what aesthetic you gravitate towards. Some things to consider when looking for inspiration include:
When all is said and done, the moodboard should align with the vibe and purpose behind your brand.
Part 3 - Designing & Refining
Once a general style has been established and you have your vision in mind, it’s time to bring your brand elements to life. As these are important decisions, it’s easy to get stuck on one idea - we emphasize the importance of experimentation with multiple concepts for logos, color palettes, and style guides. Aim for at least three variations of these to help you discover what feels most authentic to your brand. Once you narrow down a singular concept, continue to refine your elements until they feel complete and authentic.
Part 4 - Brand Guidelines
As the finalization of your design elements takes shape, it’s crucial to create them into a style guide-your own brand guidelines. Your brand guidelines ensure consistency in how your brand is presented across various platforms. Remember that this should function as a rulebook for how to use your brand. Anyone you pass it off to should be able to understand how your brand should be implemented. At minimum, your brand guidelines should include:
Once all of these boxes are checked, your brand is ready to launch! Remember that you don’t have to stop here. As your business develops and evolves, so does your brand journey. There’s always room for more innovation and refinement, so keep pushing the boundaries of what your brand can achieve.
Understanding and managing email subscriber preferences is key to an effective email marketing strategy. We wanted to share Good & Gold’s approach which provides a month-by-month plan to help you master subscriber preferences, ultimately leading to more engaging and successful email campaigns.
Goal: The aim is to focus on subscribers who are most actively engaged with your brand, as they will provide the most reliable data for your initial tests and analyses. Plus, adding first and last name fields to your signup and preferences forms will allow you to send more personalized emails to new subscribers.
Task: Start by analyzing your email list to identify the most engaged subscribers. For larger audiences, segment those who have interacted with your emails in the last 90 days. It's also important to update your email signup form and email preference page to include fields for subscriber’s first and last names. This will allow you to personalize your campaigns to each subscriber.
Goal: To plan a varied approach that not only drives sales but also enables direct connection with your audience. Each type of content offers a unique opportunity to engage and understand what resonates with your subscribers.
Task: Develop a content calendar that includes a mix of sales promotions, brand stories, and important announcements. Incorporate creative approaches, like the successful Winter Horoscope campaign Good & Gold recently launched for Alfred Coffee.
Goal: The primary objective is to understand which specific elements of your email campaigns are driving engagement. By controlling one variable at a time, you can accurately determine the effect each has on subscriber behavior and preferences. This focused approach to A/B testing will provide you with clear, actionable insights to improve your email marketing strategy.
Task: Begin A/B testing with your email campaigns by varying one element at a time. This could include testing different email send times (AM vs. PM), experimenting with subject lines (using emojis vs. not using them), and altering the placement of your call-to-action (CTA in the header vs. after the body text).
Goal: The objective here is to gain clear insights into what specifically resonates with your subscribers and have that inform your strategy with your next campaign. Did you find that more people opened your campaign in the evening? Consider sending future emails in that time frame.
Task: Once you've conducted your A/B tests, it's time to dive into the data. Analyze which version of your email campaigns performed better and why.
Goal: To further enhance the personalization and relevance of your email campaigns. By now, you should start seeing patterns in what your audience prefers, allowing you to tailor your content more effectively.
Task: Based on your findings from Month 2, start refining your A/B testing strategy. Try changing the metrics you're measuring for each variable. For example, if you found that more people opened your email in the evening, you should consider testing to see if they actually placed more orders in the evening as well!
Also, now that you’ve likely gathered the names of some of your new subscribers, try testing personalization in some of your campaigns.
Goal: To establish a more targeted and effective email marketing strategy that aligns with your audience’s preferences. The aim is to increase engagement, which could lead to higher open rates, click-through rates, and ultimately, conversions.
Task: Take the most successful elements from your A/B tests and start implementing them in your regular email campaigns. This might involve changing your email send times, updating your subject line strategy, or reformatting your email layout.
By following this 90-day plan, you'll be better positioned to understand and cater to your email subscribers' preferences. Not only does this lead to more successful email campaigns, but it also helps in building a stronger, more meaningful relationship with your audience.
Need assistance in mastering the realm of email marketing? We've got you covered. Connect with us today for expert guidance on your next email marketing campaign!
The team at Good & Gold is spectacular. They were quickly able to assess our marketing needs and offered a thorough and measurable plan for achieving results. Working in partnership, we have exceeded most of the goals we set out to achieve and have moved on to impressive new objectives. Additionally, and importantly, the team is staffed by wonderful humans. We were cautious when bringing in a marketing partner, but the folks at Good & Gold have become an extension of the Stumptown family.
As a business owner facing the challenge and opportunity of bringing our marketing efforts up to speed in an increasingly digitally-driven industry, the team at Good & Gold went above and beyond in building out a continually evolving digital marketing roadmap with our ideas and brand top of mind.
The team at Good & Gold is not just knowledgeable and lightning fast, they are who we trust with our digital marketing needs. They have become an important part of our team who we rely on daily. Never has there been a challenge that have not been able to tackle.
