Perception

At AGC+S, we believe that perception is often reality. And determining how others see your brand is the first step to standing out.

We use a range of research tactics to uncover your audience's thoughts, feelings, and expectations – and then turn those insights into action, crafting evidence-based marketing that drives results. Our approach helps bridge the gap between your brand promise and how it's perceived. It ensures you spend marketing dollars wisely and avoid costly mistakes. It sets a benchmark for measuring impact. And it helps your company to gain clarity for future growth. According to a Harvard Business Review study, businesses that use data and perception insights to inform their strategy are three times more likely to report significant growth than those that don’t.

Changing hearts and minds is long game work that requires authenticity, consistency and a sustained engagement – but has the potential to build trust and spark meaningful change. Whether you need to determine the believability of your positioning or correct a misunderstanding, we do the upfront work to ensure your marketing is not just noticed but resonates.

"88% of consumers are more likely to buy from brands that align with their values."

– Edelman, 2023

"73% of consumers will pay more for products that support causes they care about.

– Nielsen, 2023

"75% of millennial job seekers prioritize principles over paychecks and would accept lower wages to work for companies that share their beliefs."

– Deloitte, 2023

The Denver You Didn’t Know

When executives from across the country were asked to describe Denver in a few words, their answers were fairly expected. “Sunshine.” “Skiing.” “Sports.” What were they missing? One of America's strongest economies, most educated workforces and thriving industries ranging from agriculture to aerospace, to name a few. The Metro Denver EDC saw this perception gap as an opportunity. While locals saw Denver as an economic and business powerhouse, our external prospects for relocation and expansion had some catching up to do.

"The Denver You Didn't Know," challenged C-suite leaders to look beyond things like mountains, Broncos and legal marijuana to discover a region engineered for strategic growth. The campaign’s clever execution made it the go-to platform for promoting Denver's competitive advantages and continues to shape the regional narrative today. Local leaders called it one of Denver's most effective economic development campaigns – proof that sometimes the best stories are the ones hiding in plain sight.

“When refreshing your brand, there is a lot of information to review, stakeholders to engage, and details to consider. Amy helped us plan and manage all of this – and then charted a course that focused on getting to the essence of our brand. We landed on an idea that was authentic, creative, and flexible and together built our identity around it.”

– Ryan Peacock, Copic

Director, Corporate Marketing & Communications

Rise Above

Rise Above, a Colorado nonprofit, sought a fresh take on youth drug and alcohol prevention. Enter the "On the Rise" campaign, which I helped lead at SE2. Instead of scare tactics, we harnessed social norming, a public health strategy that challenges misperceptions with positive messages. By sharing real data, we busted myths about teen substance use and made FOMO work in our favor – showing Colorado teens that the vast majority of their peers weren’t partying as much as they thought. Our strategy included messaging for partners, targeted digital and print, and outreach led by Rise Above’s youth ambassadors. The results? 11 million digital impressions and 74,000 clicks in three months, and an average CTR of .70% across display tactics (approximately 7x the industry benchmark.) The videos were viewed over 5,000 times by middle school and high school students and sparked a dialogue between Colorado’s students, teachers and parents.

LiveWell

When Denver Public Schools considered removing its high school physical education requirement, LiveWell Colorado took swift action. With childhood obesity on the rise and other school districts seeing PE participation decline from similar decisions, LiveWell rallied stakeholders and media, successfully keeping the requirement in place. However, the win underscored a larger issue: to reduce childhood obesity at scale, systemic change was key.Colorado prides itself on being a healthy state, but Livewell knew that 25% of its children were overweight or obese and the state ranked 24th nationally for children’s physical activity.

So SE2 launched the “No More 24” campaign to drive awareness, shift public perception and take collective action to improve children’s health. Paired with legislative outreach and policy change, our mix of digital, social, radio and influencer conversations engaged nearly 200,000 people, generated 100,000 website visits, and achieved a 700% return on investment. LiveWell (rebranded as Nourish Colorado in 2020) continues its advocacy today, focusing on food system reforms that helped Colorado achieve the lowest childhood obesity rate in the U.S.

Comcast

Comcast's reach goes far beyond cable TV and high-speed internet. At SE2, I led a marketing campaign highlighting Comcast's efforts to bridge the digital divide. The campaign centered around Internet Essentials, an innovative program that provides affordable internet and digital training to low-income families – giving them the tools needed to thrive in today's digital world.

Initially launched in Colorado, Internet Essentials has since expanded into a national program – connecting more than 10 million people to the internet over the past decade. It’s helped Comcast shine a light on the company’s efforts to empower underserved families and demonstrated that it offers more than just entertainment – it provides a path to new opportunity.

From brand strategies to corporate social responsibility initiatives to advocacy campaigns, we offer integrated marketing services that combine creativity with conscience.

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