It's been a busy summer here at Clear Ink and we've put together a new Clear Ink portfolio site to share some of the things we've been working on. This new portfolio site shows over 70 samples of Clear Ink's work ranging from banner ads to hour long immersive video experiences. Be sure to check out some of the humorous Flash and video pieces we've done for Autodesk, like the CPM Explainer video and the Map 3D Interactive Sales Agent. We also included some great, self promotional videos like our Rich Media Reel and an overview of our Second Life services. The portfolio site was put together by Chris Blue, Pia Espinosa, Amanda Mahan, and Lee Springer and it showcases work by everyone at Clear Ink. Enjoy.

The title of this post is a big promise--one on which we deliver everyday. When I interview people, I often ask them what they find satisfying at work. Thanks to Amanda Mahan, we've boiled down the top 6 reasons that Clear Ink is a great place to work. Here we go:

1. We love technology. If you’re lost without your computer, consider Clear Ink home. We focus exclusively on the digital arena, so if you’re passionate about stuff like blogs, podcasts, and Second Life before any of your friends have even heard of them, this is the place for you.
2. Lots of smarties. And we’re not talking candy. If you like bouncing ideas off of incredible people and pushing the edge of the proverbial envelope, you’ll want to apply. Be ready to learn and contribute!
3. We talk. We don't do office politics. Instead, we do direct, honest, and mature communication.
4. We LOL. What do you get when you put this many strange, smart, wonderful people in one loft office? Interesting conversations, chocolate tastings, impromptu cocktail hours, “Fun Fridays,” and lots of laughter.
5. The benefits of benefits.We’ve got all the usual ones, and then some. Would you like rock climbing at IronWorks at a discount rate? It’s worth joining just for that.
6. Location. Location. Location. Our offices are located a block from Berkeley's historic 4th Street district.

I grin as I write this because every company has its oddnesses, and I'm heartened by the fact that we're always working to make the place better!

There's this wonderful thing that happened today, which was a piece of great feedback. The cool thing is that the sender, Kelly Parkinson, accomplished two things:

1. Made us feel good
2. Made us look at her portfolio

Here's 1:1 marketing in action--or just someone like me who takes the time to compIiment people who do something well. [I like to tell our Desktop Support team that my computer is functioning extraordinarily well]. Here's what Kelly said (and you can find her at Copylicious)

"I was talking to [a colleague] the other day and she told me I should look up your company because it was really cool. Somehow I worked my way over to your blog and couldn't stop reading. Every post was interesting and fun. I am just starting out as a freelancer, and reading your posts is like getting a mini-tutorial in marketing. Have you considered writing a book? This stuff is just great--particularly your thoughts on Second Life. You persuaded me to give it a second chance. Anyway, carry on with the good work! And thanks for sharing your ideas."

Doing good work is great, but being validated and delivering breakthrough performance for a client is even better...and getting recognized for our work on 24 Hour Fitness in the press and an ad:tech nomination is the best. Ingrid Nielsen, our Associate Media Director and Senior Search Strategist has done an amazing job partnering with WebTrends and using their Dynamic Search platform ( formerly Clickshift) to the benefit of most of our search clients. Their product delivers on both of these customer needs:

Campaign Management - The overall platform allows us to manage costs efficiently while delivering a highly optimized search program that meets all of the strategic objectives of the campaign.

Sophisticated Measurement - The standardized and consistent metrics allows our analytics team to focus on analyzing data and delivering true value as opposed to being mired in data from disparate sources.

The net effect makes us more efficient and more successful in our search campaigns and ultimately leads to happy and satisfied clients. And it's nice to be recognized for it too! :)