Marketing that moves missions forward.
Deep Varnish helps purpose-driven organizations see what’s possible and build the strategy and creative to make it happen.
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![SAE Foundation brand guide showing updated visual identity]()
36%
Increase in First-Time Donors
for SAE Foundation -
![Exterior image of Boler School of Business at John Carroll University]()
27%
Surge in MBA Admits
for Boler School of Business -
![Attendees at an industry association conference]()
30%
Increase in Member Renewals
for SAE International -
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22%
Increase in Ecommerce Sales
for OSTRIM
We're greedy about results.
We look at the whole picture. Where the spend is going, whether the website converts, whether the brand is actually pulling its weight. We stay on it until the numbers move.
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We build a focused plan around your goals, channels, and budget, then help you execute it. Every decision is tied to a specific outcome.
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We find what's genuinely true about your brand and build your messaging, voice, and creative direction around it. The result is a story your whole team can tell consistently.
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Senior marketing leadership without the cost of a full-time hire. We set direction, align your team, and stay accountable to results for as long as you need that level of guidance.
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We make sure your website, channels, and paid campaigns are working together. The foundation has to be right before the spend makes sense.
Problems we solve…
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![White number 1 on a brown circular background.]()
Our marketing spend isn’t paying off.
We’re throwing money at tactics without a real plan and getting little to show for it.
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We don’t have the time or capacity to do this well.
The team is stretched thin, and strategy keeps getting pushed aside.
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Our brand voice is all over the place.
Different teams are saying different things, and it’s showing up in our marketing.
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![Number 4 inside a brown circle]()
We aren’t sure what’s working.
Either we’re not measuring the right things, or we don’t know how to use the data we have.
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Our messaging isn’t connecting.
It’s too vague, too technical, or too focused on us instead of our audience.
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We’re producing a lot of content, but it’s not doing much.
It’s not driving traffic, interest, or action. It’s just eating up time.
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We’re struggling to reach the right people.
Our audience isn’t engaging, and we’re not sure how to change that.
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Our brand or website feels outdated.
It no longer reflects who we are or what we do best.
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We’re afraid to stand out.
We play it safe, and our marketing blends in instead of breaking through.
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We’re stuck doing tactics without a bigger plan.
Emails, posts, and campaigns are going out, but there’s no bigger plan tying it all together.
Results that speak for themselves.
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![A photo of Alan Miciak.]()
"Deep Varnish was a great strategic partner and provided valuable insights to shape our MBA enrollment marketing strategy. Their understanding of higher education marketing resulted in recommendations that helped fuel our admissions efforts. We are already experiencing an encouraging improvement in enrollment and the overall MBA grad experience."
Alan Miciak
Dean, John Carroll University's Boler School of Business -
![A photo of Lori Gatmaitan.]()
"I engaged with Deep Varnish on a range of projects including brochure development, photography and videography, SEO, collateral design, annual giving optimization, social media and email strategy, and a full website and brand redesign. Shawn was an exceptional partner throughout. His innovative thinking and thoughtful approach gently pushed our organization beyond its comfort zone in ways that ultimately strengthened our fundraising and advanced our mission. I would highly recommend Shawn and Deep Varnish to any organization seeking a creative, strategic, and truly invested partner."
Lori Gatmaitan
Former VP, SAE Foundation -
![A photo of Darin Smith.]()
"Our web presence vastly improved with our new website and SEO. We dove right into a new marketing strategy and instantly had positive results in quote requests and sales. Deep Varnish was able to quickly learn our industry and gave us insight as to what our next steps should be."
Darin Smith
General Manager, Printscape Imaging & Graphics -
![A photo of Scott Imblum.]()
"Once we started growing I needed help with a strategic direction for the brand. I went to Deep Varnish to help understand our SEO, marketing strategy, and web presence. Within three months of working with them our sales tripled. It has been an incredible experience."
Scott Imblum
Co-Founder, Pump Peelz -
![A photo of Matthew Adams.]()
"Shawn’s ability to pull out a brand’s story is unmatched. Our creative direction is just one example of how he’s transformed how we show the thrill of attending one of these events through incredible visual storytelling. He was able to work beyond organizational challenges and helped us focus on improving one piece at a time. We’ve seen huge improvement in our digital engagement, and now feel more confident pitching sponsors to support our efforts. Thank you, Shawn!"
Matthew Adams
Product Marketing Specialist, SAE International
