Branding & Graphic Design
“I came to Friends of Dorothy with a vision, and they made sure every detail aligned with my brand and values. — Faisty Art, graphic design & website client
The most successful brands are the ones that can cut through the noise of our busy world and stand out among the rest. Deliverables include a style guide with 4-6 brand colors with hierarchy and use cases, font(s), logo suite, iconography, brand voice, mission and vision statement, & more, along with a team meeting to review brand guide and ensure buy-in from key stakeholders.
We hate to admit it—but people really do judge a book by its cover! Your packaging & branded merchandise are essentially free advertising for your brand. For every person who goes grocery shopping with your tote bag or wears your t-shirt in the stands at Queer Soccer Club, there’s a passerby who could become your next customer. At Friends of Dorothy, we understand that your merchandise is a public representation of your brand and should never be an afterthought.
Physical marketing design and implementation for your business. We can design and negotiate on your behalf with billboard companies, flyer printing and placement, as well as signage for your business. We will help you strategize where and when to use this form of advertising and offer this in a package format depending on the size and goals of your business.
Digital Assets created for a suite of placements to make sure that you are hitting the right customer, with the right information, at the right time. We provide these assets in a monthly package and/or as pay per hour for designs. This can be anything from a social media post to a full ad set to run a display advertising campaign.
merchandising
A successful e-commerce strategy involves more than simply uploading cool products to your web store—it’s about showcasing your products & making your merch irresistible to the masses. At Friends of Dorothy, we keep track of consumer trends so that you don’t have to—and we use that info to get your products in front of people who will slam that purchase button so fast, they barely have time to say “there’s no place like home.”
You know how you can never leave the grocery store without a sweet treat (maybe two…)? This is all by design and developed from thorough research. We take the time to find the best placement for items in your storefront to make sure that every product finds a home with each of your clients.
“Everyone needs to have a t-shirt!” But do you? We have experience building out the products alongside/for our clients to make sure you are not just “some merch seller”, rather that you offer the pieces your customers will actually enjoy and not end up in the back of the closet. We can help through design, finding partners for fulfillment, and making sure it is up to your brand standards.
Brand & Business Development
“Friends of Dorothy designed a site that looks clean, professional, and modern — and more importantly, one that’s easy for our patients to use." — Summit Dental Care, website & newsletter client
Social media is no longer just the purview of cute cat videos and fail influencers—this online terrain now now represents billions of dollars in monthly online purchases AND soliciting billions of dollars more in in person purchases and services. We are here to help you navigate this landscape and find your community while building your business.
You (like us) have probably also fallen prey to an influencer or two getting you to go to a new restaurant or purchase the newest line of an already famous brand. These are normally high paying ad placements in an organic sphere that without knowing you think you could just hire any tiktoker to do. We are experts in the field and not only will help you find the perfect person to advertise your business, but we will also go through the process of negotiating that contract on your behalf as part of your overall paid media.
Friends of Dorothy will create a website that makes your brand not only real but irresistible. The question we hear more often than any other is, “Do I really need a website? I’m just a [insert type of business that really does, in fact, need a website]. A website is not just a landing page or a sales channel—it proves your brand’s legitimacy. “A website makes it real” is not an exaggeration—it’s clear from consumer behavior that this maxim is accurate to how the masses behave.
Public relations is the art of getting your brand in front of new audiences by forging strategic partnerships with the media. Now more than ever, scoring key media placements is not about the quality of your product—but rather which publications have a relationship with you or members of your PR team (us!). With decades of relationship-building with news outlets large and small, Friends of Dorothy can get your business in front of new potential customers far and wide, thus expanding your reach within your target market and flying sky-high towards those sales goals.
Who better than a bunch of queers to meticulously organize your metaphorical “closet?” Clear, comprehensive, repeatable practices are key to any successful business. Efficient systems help improve the employee experience, increase employee retention, and decrease unnecessary labor costs. When executed well, systems are the invisible work that customers never see but they feel. “Oh, your shop is run so well!” “Oh, I came in and found everything I needed so easily.” That’s what you’re in for with systems, babyeeee.
Without market research, marketing can feel like shooting arrows in the dark, blindfolded, with one hand tied behind your back. Where’s the target? Is there someone in the way? Will they be upset if I hit them in the eye? Probably!
With market research, marketing feels like when your parent would hold you up to the basketball net as a child to help you score a basket. The ball is in your hands, the basket’s there—just throw ‘er on in.
Market research is the backbone of any successful marketing campaign. Market is 6/9ths of the word marketing! Friends of Dorothy will help you understand market trends, map your competition, and issue data-driven recommendations for how to proceed.
Ready to open a second location or pop-up in a new city? Or maybe you want to develop co-branded merchandise with a partner company? Friends of Dorothy can help make your expansion a success by backing up your concept with market research.
You have an amazing product or service. Now let’s make sure people can actually buy it. Whether it is retail, e-commerce, wholesale, or affiliate partnerships, we help you identify, optimize, and expand your sales channels so your work gets in front of the right people in the right places. We also build the backend systems to support those channels, making sure nothing slips through the cracks once the orders start rolling in.
“F.O.D. used a small ad budget to book me out weeks in advance every month!"
Kelsey, Hex Appeal Hair Studio
SEO & Paid Advertising
What good is a website if it doesn’t show up in search results? Friends of Dorothy’s SEO services will put in the work to make sure your content gets the love, praise, and attention it so deserves. Every queer (or ally—we love y’all) deserves to be in the spotlight—and your website is no exception.
Search engines and AI platforms process over 10 billion queries daily, and each one is a potential moment of connection with your next customer. Using smart analytics and strategy, we stretch your budget (big or small) to get your business in front of buyers when they’re most ready to act. We’ve managed campaigns ranging from $200 to $100K/month and have driven returns as high as 15x.
Hitting the right customer at the right time with the right ad doesn’t stop at search engines—it’s about showing up wherever your audience scrolls. Everyone uses the internet a little differently, so your marketing should reflect that. From Instagram ads that remind folks what they left in their cart, to TikTok Shop placements that feel like magic, we craft paid social strategies that convert. And don’t sleep on influencer marketing—because sometimes the best ad doesn’t feel like an ad at all. We help you partner with the right creators to authentically connect with new audiences and make your brand the next big thing people can’t stop talking about.
Whether it be Google, Apple Maps, or even Yellow Pages (Yes, this is still a thing!) your business can be found on a number of websites that you can’t have direct control over and will often make “user suggested changes” that are not true of your business. We will help you with everything from being listed everywhere to keeping the information correct even for last minute closings or holidays you want off!