Case Studies
Prepared by Ripson Communications L.L.C.
May 1, 2015
Confidential and Proprietary – Ripson
Communications L.L.C. Copyright 2015
Case Studies
 Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce
 Village of La Grange and La Grange Business Association
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Lincoln Square Ravenswood
Chamber of Commerce
Opportunity: Small and medium-sized businesses located in
the Lincoln Square and Ravenswood Chicago neighborhoods
were looking to dramatically boost their marketing and
promotions with consumers on the north side of Chicago
during the Holiday season.
Solution: In 2012, The LSRCC implemented a comprehensive
program for the holidays tied with the Shop Local Program
with the City of Chicago, and American Express Small
Business Saturday. In 2014, the program grew to include
dozens of businesses and American Express choosing Lincoln
Square for a Main Street Makeover and a large heavily
attended tree lighting.
Results: Black Friday and Small Business Saturday were a huge
success. Crowds were so large on SBS you had to wait to get
into stores. And people spent money. One local retailer saw
a 62% increase in revenue over 2013. Another retailer saw a
52% increase and still another a 23% increase.
Media: NBC 5 Chicago Live Coverage 5:00-7:00 am, 5:00 PM.
ABC 7, FOX 32, CBS 2 Chicago, DNAinfo.com, Chicago
Tribune Sunday Front Page article, WGN-AM radio
Businesses With Holiday Media Exposure: 15
The Village of La Grange and
La Grange Business Association
Opportunity: The Village of La Grange and LGBA
wanted to expand it’s one day Hometown Holiday
Saturday program in December 2014 from year’s past to
a season long campaign that helped businesses
increase their bottom line between Thanksgiving and
New Year’s Day.
Solution: With the leadership of Ripson Communications,
the Village of La Grange and LGBA implemented a
comprehensive program for the holidays in 2014 tied
with the Shop Local Program with the City of Chicago.
The program also featured Small Business Saturday with
American Express and included the creation of their own
program fueled by media relations, digital, and online
marketing.
Results: The Unwrap La Grange for a Hometown Holiday
campaign helped to bring nearly $152,008 in local retail
sales tax revenue to the Village of La Grange in
December 2014 through March 2015. The amount is
$18,072 or 13.49% more than a year ago. This is the
highest overall monthly receipt amount during the past
six-year rolling report period.
Media coverage: NBC 5.com, CBS 2 Chicago, WBBM
Radio, WGN-TV and WGN Radio, The Suburban Life,
Pioneer Press and Chicago Tribune.
Confidential and Proprietary – Ripson
Communications L.L.C. Copyright 2015
Philosophy
Our philosophy at Ripson Communications is “success stems not only from knowing what to say – but
how to say it, when to say it, and who you want to reach.” We develop messages that influence
your key audiences and determine the right time for action. In today's competitive environment,
conveying complex messages to informed audiences can be difficult. It is essential for companies to
cut through the clutter with clear, concise and compelling messages. With more than 20 years of
combined journalism, marketing, social media and public relations experience, Ripson
Communications possesses the knowledge and expertise to present your message to the
appropriate audience.
Our vast media expertise will give your organization an unprecedented advantage over the
competition. We have the skills and inside knowledge to help you build compelling news stories. We
have years of experience to let you know when a storyline will work and when it won’t.
We work hard to maintain an unparalleled level of contact with our clients, while working to
continually identify opportunities to highlight your business or organization.
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Lisa
Ripson
As the principal of Ripson Communications, Lisa Ripson prides herself on delivering results
for her clients. She spent the first half of her career as an Emmy-award winning
broadcast news producer at WMAQ-TV NBC 5 in Chicago. In 2006, she took her story
telling skills to the world of public relations. First at Edelman Worldwide and currently as
the principal of Ripson Communications. Ripson has a passion for not-for-profit
organizations and small businesses. For the past six years she has handled the public
relations and marketing efforts for the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of
Commerce and Old St. Patrick’s Church, among others. Ripson has also worked with
national brands such as the National Religious Vocation Conference, CVS Caremark,
Runner’s World and Men’s Health Magazine. Ripson received a Bachelor of Arts degree in
radio, television and broadcast news from Drake University and has served on the alumni
advisory board at the Des Moines-based University.
Confidential and Proprietary – Ripson Communications L.L.C. Copyright 2015
Chris
Comes
As executive vice president of Ripson Communications, he has spent two decades
as a seasoned public relations and marketing professional based in Chicago
working most recently for Clearwire as the national director of media relations and
social media. During his tenure at Clearwire, he oversaw the launches of 4G
mobile internet markets across the country, numerous product launches and was
also the director of social media. Prior to joining Ripson Communications, Comes
has worked for numerous telecommunications clients including AT&T, Cingular,
AT&T Wireless and Sprint PCS. Since joining Ripson Communications again, he has
worked with the Village of LaGrange, Toronto based Retailcommon and Learn to
Live. His U.S. public relations agency experience includes both Golin/Harris and
Fleishman-Hillard.
Confidential and Proprietary – Ripson Communications L.L.C. Copyright 2015
Sheldon
Ripson
Sheldon Ripson is a consultant with Ripson Communications. He owns R5 Communications, a firm providing
businesses integrated communication strategy, content and consulting services. Notable clients include
Husky Corporation, Roeslein & Associates Inc., Roeslein Alternative Energy LLC, MedPlus Health Care LLC,
Gannon International LTD, and VirPack.An accomplished journalist, Sheldon was a reporter and news anchor
in seven Midwest cities. He's interviewed and reported on a wide variety of people including presidential
candidates, Nobel Peace prize winners, Fortune 500 CEOs, labor union presidents and entrepreneurs.
As an executive leading large news operations, Sheldon's teams delivered content that resulted in local and
state laws being changed, received numerous honors including regional Emmy awards, and earned high
ratings and revenue.Sheldon holds an Executive MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, where he
graduated in the top 20 percent of the class and was voted Most Inspirational by his classmate peers. He
received his undergraduate degree at the Drake University School of Journalism and Mass Communication,
where he was named Alumni of the Year in 2006.
Confidential and Proprietary – Ripson Communications L.L.C. Copyright 2015
Michelle
Collins
Michelle is co-owner of SilverGrass Marketing, working directly with clients such
as FLOR, Maui Jim, Chicago Cut Steakhouse, Lincoln Square-Ravenswood Chamber
of Commerce, Professional Counseling Services, and many others. She has more
than 15 years experience working with IT teams to develop solutions to meet
customer needs, as well as 12+ years developing and implementing marketing
technology applications. She works with clients to define and set program goals, to
implement and perfect processes to ensure delivery toward those goals, and to
integrate data to measure against benchmarks throughout the process.
Confidential and Proprietary – Ripson Communications L.L.C. Copyright 2015
Jay
Clark
Jay has nearly 20 years of marketing and advertising experience directing digital
and print teams for B2C and B2B clients.
He has worked in strategic planning and project management in for a variety of
sectors such as retail, food/beverage, automotive, and software. Currently he is
working on a new iteration of SilverGrass Marketing’s wine inventory and ordering
application, used by restaurants throughout the United States.
Confidential and Proprietary – Ripson Communications L.L.C. Copyright 2015
Confidential and Proprietary – Ripson
Communications L.L.C. Copyright 2015
Thank You!
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