Meazzo Design Studios Helps Companies to Be Genuine in the Marketplace

By Nicole Zaro Stahl, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Authenticity is just as important in today's world as it was when Shakespeare penned these immortal words, "This above all: to thine own self be true." The difference is that the advice now applies as much to business as it does to the individual.

Marcus Meazzo, principal of Meazzo Design Studios, specializes in brand communication design for both online and traditional marketing channels. As the rise of social media spawns dynamic new tools for business promotion, like proximity alerts and YouTube videos, Meazzo finds that a company's reputation is its greatest selling tool as a business, and "being genuine and meaningful in the marketplace" is imperative.

Technology now allows customers to peer into virtually all the inner workings of a company. What they see on the inside should match what they see on the outside, Meazzo advises. Such transparency engenders the need for the assorted perspectives to converge into a uniform picture, expressed through the brand.

"The brand on the outside is only as strong as it is on the inside," he notes, pointing out that the strongest corporate brands, like Starbucks and TOMS Shoes, are admired as much for their organizational character as for their products or services.

A newcomer to Pleasanton, Meazzo opened his new business at 5638 Owens Drive, Suite 108, last month, after a move from southern California. For the past eight years he was the proprietor of an agency, Open Door Creatives, where he served such clients as Toyota Owners, Jamie Oliver Food Revolution, Payoff.com, CB Richard Ellis, Energy and Power Solutions, and the Los Angeles Forum. He has also worked with multiple service bureaus as a brand consultant.

On relocating to Hacienda, he decided to branch off from the agency mode into a new direction as a sole practitioner. "From my experience, it is common that small to medium size businesses want to collaborate with a consultant who can bring a group of talented freelancers, including myself as the art director and designer, without having to hire an agency. I can call on my team of other creatives when necessary, but here my overhead is lower, which my clients appreciate. It's like getting the quality agency talent without the big agency prices."

Meazzo's move north was the result of a family decision. His wife's parents have lived in Pleasanton for 25 years, and the couple's frequent visits inspired them to make the city their new home. He is enthusiastic about applying his creativity to help neighboring businesses craft their identity through the visual characteristics of their brand.

"Who you say you are should match the reputation you hold in the public arena," he counsels. "If you are looking to make a difference in your business by developing a genuine brand presence and identity, need help formulating a marketable idea, explore relevant and new ways speak to your customers online, or simply need a new creative marketing brochure, we should talk."

To find out more and view his portfolio, visit www.meazzo.com.

Photo: Marcus Meazzo brings a unique philosophy and perspective to his work as principal of Meazzo Design Studios. (Photo illustration courtesy Marcus Meazzo.)

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