We are honored to announce that Fr. TJ Martinez, SJ and Susan Branda Martin have been nominated for the AMA-Houston Chapter-Marketer of the Year in the Education Category! Cristo Rey Jesuit is thrilled to even be considered for such a prestigious award. Bo Bothe, President and Chief Creative Officer, BrandExtract, LLC, the graphic design company that has generously created our brand and marketing materials, is also excited about the nomination
“You are most deserving of the nomination for everything you have done this year,” said Bothe. “It's incredible how much momentum you have built for the school.”
The marketing duo took only a few moments out of their busy schedules to take in the exciting news of their nomination.
“Cristo Rey Jesuit is such a great story to tell, we don’t really think of it as marketing the school,” said Susan Branda Martin, Communications and Public Relations Director. “All of us at Cristo Rey Jesuit feel so passionate about what we are doing and how the school is changing the lives of 100 students that getting the message out to anyone who will listen just seems like a natural thing to do.”
“Working with Fr. Martinez helps –he is such an enthusiastic leader for Cristo Rey Jesuit that you never stop to think something isn’t possible…you become a committed spokesperson or a volunteer for Cristo Rey Jesuit just by being near him, listening to his passionate vision for these kids.”
Fr. Martinez takes on many roles at Cristo Rey—besides being the leader of the school, he is also a very strategic marketer. He is constantly thinking of innovative ways to showcase Cristo Rey Jesuit and broaden the school’s appeal to the Greater Houston community.
“I believe that marketing is one of the most important areas of a business, and frankly, Cristo Rey Jesuit, is just that—a Catholic, college prep school in the business of educating low-income youth—kids who would have never dreamed of getting such an education—getting them off the streets, and sending them, prepared, off to college,” said Fr. Martinez. “Although the Cristo Rey business model did not have the position of a Communications
Director until year 3 or 4, when I was appointed president of the school, I made the decision to have a Communications Director from the very start. I knew the importance of establishing brand identity and setting the standards on how we communicate our message to the public. With the incredible generosity and talent from our friends at BrandExtract, the Cristo Rey Jesuit brand design and identity has helped us become the ‘buzz of Houston.’ None of this would have been possible without the vision and support of Bo Bothe, Will Cunningham and Aimee Moore at BrandExtract.”
AMA-Houston is the premier association for professionals in the marketing industry. It leads the industry in educational information, career building and networking opportunities. On March 15, 2010, at the Alley Theatre, AMA Houston will honor 41 Best of Category winners and announce the 2009 Marketer of the Year.
Last year, 180 outstanding Houston-based companies, organizations and institutions were nominated by their industry peers, marketing leaders and chapter members for their innovative and effective marketing programs, and 33 were selected as Best of Category winners by a vote of members. Past Marketer of the Year winners include the Houston Zoo (2007), Weatherford International (2006) and the Houston Symphony (2005).
We are also proud to announce that Will Cunningham, Senior Designer at BrandExtract, received the bronze medal at the 54th Annual Art Directors Club of Houston Award Show for his work on the Cristo Rey Jesuit logo. Mr. Cunningham said, “We would like to thank Father T.J. Martinez, Susan Martin and all of the amazing staff, faculty and board members involved for trusting us with such an important project. Opportunities such as these are what drive us to do the Magis.” Read More about Will's Award at BrandExtract's Blog.
