The Dunstan Group

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Checks and Balances

You know what they say about all work and no play. And that might be what makes this particular story about The Dunstan Group’s role in a charity golf tournament anything but dull.

It’s not unusual for a charitable organization to host a golf tournament, for members to be asked to play a role in organizing the event, or for a business and civic-minded guy like Scott Dunstan to be part of a group that’s doing both. What’s funny, is that Scott doesn’t even play golf.

“But I can sure help plan a fundraising event!” said Dunstan, owner and president of The Dunstan Group.

As a member of Succession Charlotte, Dunstan got the nod to join the team planning the group’s 12th annual golf tournament that raises money for Junior Achievement programs in 50 counties in the Charlotte and western North Carolina area, as well as three bordering counties in South Carolina.

Dunstan said the team effort was plenty of work, but it all paid off for Junior Achievement. Particularly when it came time to present that big check. The sold out event at Carolina Golf Club netted $15 thousand this year, and has raised more than $100 thousand over its twelve year history.

For the record, Dunstan didn’t play in the October 17 tournament, but made sure players and sponsors were well taken care of on event day.

“I just helped out it because it’s the right thing to do, that’s why,” said Dunstan. “It shows the kind of deep commitment we all have to the community.”

Special thanks to all of the teams who registered and played, title sponsor SPX FLOW, and sponsors Roby Electric, Roby Commercial, Einstein Brothers Bagels, Dilworth Bar and Grill, and Which Wich for their support at this year’s Succession Charity Golf Tournament.

If you’d like to fill out a foursome at your golf club, consider other options. If you’re looking for a partner to make your branding and marketing efforts an unqualified success, call on us at The Dunstan Group!

Close to Home for the Holidays

There’s the Christmas classic that says there’s no place like home for the holidays. Granted, we might all have our opinions on that, but the sentiment couldn’t be more apt when it comes to how we’ll spend our holiday shopping dollars. Once we even get a within a whisper of Thanksgiving, there seems to be a whole lot of attention paid to deals, discounts, and door-buster specials.

Sure, we all want to save a couple of bucks now and again, but being thoughtful about the big picture means keeping small business owners in mind. When we spend our dollars locally, they tend to stay there. For every $100 spent at a locally-owned small business, $68 of it stays in the local economy. That figure drops to about $40 when that same $100 is spent in a big box retailer, and drops to near zero when spent online. That’s easy math.

Yes, The Dunstan Group works with nationally-recognized brands. They’re part of the economic ecosystem, too. But as a locally-owed small business ourselves, the bulk of our business is done with other small businesses. And it’s not hard to do, with about 90% of all businesses employing fewer than 20 people, and small businesses accounting for 57% of all jobs in the US.

As we approach the end of the year and the thick of the season of gratitude, it seems only fitting to make a pitch supporting the many small businesses who not only support The Dunstan Group, but essentially, the local economy as well. You’ve seen many of them in our feature articles on our website, in our emails, and our social media. From restaurants to retailers, manufacturers, and not-for-profits; you won’t have to look long or hard to keep it close to home for the holidays.

Want to add some local color to your marketing in the new year? Look no further than The Dunstan Group, your local source for branded merchandise and logo’d apparel!

Doing the Dance: Getting Creative with Charlotte Ballet

’Tis the season, as it were, for holiday traditions of all sorts. Along with Christmas trees and holiday parties, around here, one of the sure signs the season is truly here is Charlotte Ballet’s Nutcracker. And with a much talked-about $1 million gift from the McColl family, there’s an all-new look and feel to this traditional holiday production.

“Choreographer Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux has collaborated with a world-renowned design team to re-imagine his Nutcracker production,” said Logan McSwain Evans, director of marketing and communications for Charlotte Ballet.

Since 2006, Charlotte Ballet has performed Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s version of Nutcracker using sets and costumes purchased from other companies. This new production of Nutcracker was created especially for Charlotte Ballet and Charlotte audiences. The McColl family gift in honor of Jane Spratt McColl, Evans said, means the Nutcracker will be enjoyed around here for many years to come.

The business of promoting Charlotte Ballet and the Nutcracker isn’t all about costumes, sets, and artists. Evans grew up studying dance and journalism. A love of storytelling, she said, made working for Charlotte Ballet a perfect fit.

“I knew I wanted a career working in the arts,” she said, “it was the ideal combination of my passion for dance and background in communications.”

But the best part about the job isn’t the multi-million dollar productions or the star-studded events, but the constant source of inspiration that’s always around her.

“It’s the people! I’m energized not only by the people I work with, but also the people we reach through our performances and programs,” Evans said. “I work with incredibly talented artists and arts administrators. There’s literally always something being created in our building – a ballet, a costume, a blog post, a set, an outreach program, a promo video.”

Evans said the there’s lots to be excited about as the Charlotte arts community continues to grow, and hopes we see more collaboration between established arts organizations and emerging local artists.

North Carolina Dance Theatre changed its name to Charlotte Ballet in 2014. With that name change, branded merchandise and apparel from The Dunstan Group were a large part of their awareness and branding efforts. Since then, The Dunstan Group has continued to stay in step with Charlotte Ballet’s marketing needs, providing apparel, product, and photo backdrops for events, and much more to connect the Charlotte Ballet brand with it’s productions and audience.

“I really love connecting audience members to the ballet,” she added. “When audience members experience ballet for the first time or are really moved by what they saw on stage – those are the moments I love.”

Ready to get creative? We know all the moves! Collaboration begins with just a phone call or email to The Dunstan Group. 

Giving Tuesday

Here at The Dunstan Group, we’ve seen how one person can make a big difference in the community. Start adding more people, families, and businesses to that equation, and the difference made is even bigger. That’s the simple math behind Giving Tuesday, the worldwide holiday giving effort recognized the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Just last year, 700,000 people contributed more than $116 million to charitable efforts and not-for-profits.

Over the years, The Dunstan Group has been lucky enough to work with an inspiring list of not-for-profits, raising money and awareness to fight cancer, support the arts, veterans, or children and families far from home during extended hospital stays. Many of these same groups are beneficiaries of generous folks like you, and efforts like Giving Tuesday.

 

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And yes, each and every one of these not-for-profits started with one person (or just a few) and an idea to make a positive impact on the community. Some have been here for years, others are brand new. And the best part is you can help every one of them make a difference donating your time, voice, or dollars toward the effort. Here’s to Giving Tuesday kicking off the holiday season of giving!

The Dunstan Group provides marketing materials, branded merchandise and logo’d apparel for businesses, non-for-profits, events, and programs with local and national impact. Ask us how what we do can impact your effort to make a difference.