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February 27 , 2006
A new start for Emory Creative Group

By katherine baust lukens

The offices of University Publications, Emory Magazine and University Photo/Video have united under the same departmental umbrella to provide more consistent creative representation and seamless client service to the University community. In order to reflect that unity and in the spirit of sound branding principles, the three offices collectively will be known as the Emory Creative Group.

Susan Carini, executive director of the Creative Group, appointed and charged a committee with finding an appropriate name that captured the work of all three staffs.

“The name ‘Publications’ to define the work done by the creative staff was outmoded, failing to account for environmental graphic design along with Web and new media—all of which are vital components of the service the Office of University Publications provided,” Carini said.

Committee chair Barry Worley, environmental graphic designer, led the name-change process with Andrew Beierle, editor of Emory Magazine, and Kay Hinton, associate director of Photo/Video. “We compared the names of similar offices at peer institutions and throughout higher education, and found lots of departments named publications, marketing communications and creative services,” Worley said. “We asked for suggestions from our colleagues here at Emory, and from this list we voted. Emory Creative Group was the far-and-away favorite.”

“The word ‘creative’ is the true essence of our service to the University,” he said. “We have a very talented group of professionals here, all with many years’ experience in writing, photography and design. Of course, we also form a team; thus the word ‘group’ communicates our collaborative efforts.”

The office actually was called “Creative Services” before changing its name to University Publications, but in the spirit of a new start, with new leadership (Ellen Dracos Lemming, Emory’s new vice president for marketing, oversees this staff), it was decided not to return to the original moniker.

“Renaming this team was a fun and smart move because it creates unity and clarification around the tremendous value it provides to Emory,” Lemming said. “As we expand the capacity of this group, I hope everyone within the University will utilize Emory Creative Group as their full-service, in-house marketing and design shop.”

The Emory Creative Group is organized under Marketing and University Relations, which is part of Development and University Relations, led by Senior Vice President Johnnie Ray. A new Web site reflecting the change is under construction. For questions or for more information about services offered by the Emory Creative Group, contact Carini at 404-727-7816 or at susan.carini@emory.edu.

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