Atlanta's full service urban, multicultural advertising and public relations resource group with DIVERSITY REPUTATION UNITY MANAGEMENTTM (DRUM), and brand strategies for reaching the Urban, African American, and Latino markets.

We also provide a wide range of marketing communications services. Our client base includes local, regional, national, and international clients.

© Copyright, Gray & Associates, 2003

Gray & Associates 2677 Tritt Springs Trace Marietta, Georgia 30062 (678) 560-9272

Tracy Gray, President and CEO

Tracy is also the co-author of the book “Differences Do Make A Difference” written with Dr. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. director of The American Institute For Managing Diversity Inc. The book explores national trends of workforce diversity and offers insights to build stronger and more competitive corporations and organizations.

Tracy Gray began his career in media, advertising and public relations 25 years ago. Over the ensuing decades and working for major agencies and brands, Tracy became a master of all of the diversity advertising and public relations disciplines. Gray & Associates was established to provide a new vision and "New School," of diversity and ethnic marketing.

Thought of by many as “the leading voice for diversity advertising and public relations in America,” Tracy Gray has spoken to corporate executives, managers and organizations about the truly profound role a diversity and multi-cultural perspective can play in the challenge of increasing internal workforce diversity awareness to develop new customer bases for brands and organizations. His message is entertaining and compelling. He formed his diverse team of Associates from seasoned advertising and public relations professionals who share his passion for diversity focused marketing communications.

We focus on multicultural advertising and public relations, brand planning and diversity strategies targeted to the Urban, African American, and Latino markets.

Our creative process, program design and management create support, involvement, and commitment for internal and external diversity initiatives. We help you increase your shareholders return on investment by maintaining your local, regional and national diversity vision. We can provide new research to revitalize and build long-term employee and consumer trust as well as M/WBE supplier relationships.

Our experience includes a wide variety of projects and initiatives for major brands such as: Chevrolet, Chick-fil-A, The Coca-Cola Company, Disney, Kimberly-Clark, The Martin Luther King National Historic Site, McDonald’s, Pfizer, Starbucks Coffee Corporation, and Sony, Turner Entertainment, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy.

We created the DIVERSITY REPUTATION UNITY MANAGEMENT™ (DRUM) to help clients face marketing communications challenges with boundless enthusiasm and energy.

Our History

Our vision is to provide world-class creative, implementation and client service support to help our clients become smarter and better prepared for the challenges faced in their marketplace.

We are committed to providing responsive and ethical counsel, backed by the most relevant demographic and psychographic research. We will help our clients construct the best practice system of proactive DIVERSITY REPUTATION UNITY MANAGEMENTTM (DRUM) strategies. Driven by our vision of a new urban marketing experience and strategies partnerships, we will deliver measurable results for your brand.

Authentic advertising, Internet synergies and public relations partnerships maximize revenues and monetize your brand.

Vision Statement

*The Urban, African American, and Latino consumer markets are expected to spend $1 trillion nationally this year.

*During these times of slow national economic growth, urban multi-cultural demographic marketing provides cost effective marketing.

*The overarching goal of increased market share is related to the DIVERSITY REPUTATION UNITY MANAGEMENTTM (DRUM) of your brand, business, department and organization.

*Today’s cluttered marketing environment requires better understanding of how your products or services are obtained in the community you are targeting.

*It is important to understand and explore the barriers that impede your ability to reach your target market including any mores that may prevent consumers from developing a relationship with your brand.

*Local thought leaders must be wired into your brand to help convey your message across all forms of media. This process builds trust, relevance, perception, awareness and commitment for your brand.

Today’s Marketing Situation

Urban Markets African American Markets Latino Markets Business-to-Business Website Design, Construction, Hosting and Content Management Business-to-Consumer Database Marketing Technology Based- Decision Support Corporate Communications Crisis Management DIVERSITY REPUTATION UNITY MANAGEMENTTM (DRUM) Direct Marketing Interactive Marketing Sponsorship Marketing Entertainment Marketing Event Marketing Health Care

Gray & Associates provides scaleable and cost effective marketing communications that include the following specialties and services:

Specialties

Public Relations Recruitment Advertising Sales Promotion Sports Marketing Market Research Focus Groups Public Affairs Government Relations Political Affairs Media Buying New Product Launch Brand Rejuvenation Brand and Line extension Repositioning Of Brand Market and Target Expansion Incremental Volume Campaigns Corporate Identity Building Multi-Segment Chain-Value Marketing

Public Relations

Community Relations Institutional Programs Special Events Observances Public Service Public Affairs Consumer Products Awareness PR/MarketingBusiness-to-Business PR/Marketing Business-to-Consumer Crisis Communications Media and Communications Training

Investor Relations Research and Planning Political Affairs Dealing With An Angry Public

Citizen Participation Programs Corporate Giving Strategies Integrated Communications Print Television Radio Online

Corporate Identity and BrandingPackaging Design Photographs Point-of-Purchase Special Event Marketing Sales Promotion Specialty Advertising Interactive Messaging Interactive Media Interactive Marketing New Media

TV/Film/Audio Services

Television commercials Cable commercials Infomercials Cinema commercials Non-Broadcast video Radio commercials Non-Broadcast audio

Advertising Services

Newsletters Magazines Brochures Collaterals Special Purpose Publications News Releases Press Kits Media Kits Interactive Media/Marketing CD's Direct Mail/Direct Response Audio Programs Video Programs Video News Releases Audio News Releases Media Tours

TV and Radio PSA’s Speeches Feature Stories Editorials/OP-ED Columns Industry and Trade Shows Creative Services Media Buying Brand Planning Print for newspaper and magazines Professional and Trade Publications Direct Mail Packaging Design Consumer Magazines Free Standing Inserts Coupons Point of Purchase

We develop advertising and public relations pathways by leveraging a variety of marketing communications tools to create strong, effective and measurable programs. Our pathway process creates the spark to drive your business and build awareness and sales for your brand.

*The process begins with comprehensive research to gain better understanding of your industry, general consumer markets and purchasers of your product or services.

We provide valid market research among the Urban, African American, and Latino markets to discover historical relationships with your brand and industry category.

*We look for common themes, criteria for selecting companies, preferred sales approach, unique buying habits and decision-making processes.

*Gray & Associates uncovers traditional and non-traditional key purchasing influencers – family, community company image, advertising and media coverage.

*We identify important cultural, social and political themes as it relates to your brand’s position. Gray & Associates helps guide your strategic thinking as you develop strong relationships to increase sales and brand awareness.

We start by confirming our understanding and objectives. Using our research and account planning skills, we develop marketing communications efforts that are cost effective, meaningful and measurable.

This brand and consumer knowledge combined with our experience and insight delivers the creative spark that helps us create traditional and non-traditional marketing pathways to reach the desired market and successfully acquire and retain customers.

Our Certifications and MembershipsAfrican American Business Enterprise, (AABE) Certified

City of Atlanta’s Equal Opportunity Programs Certification

Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, (DBE) Certified

DeKalb County, Georgia Minority Bidders Certification

Georgia Department of Transportation Equal Opportunity Division Certification

Georgia Governor’s Small Business Center, (MBE) Minority Subcontractor Certification

Georgia Minority Supplier Development Council (GMSDC) Certification

Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority

National Minority Supplier Development Council, (NMSDC), Certification

Office of Contract Compliance, City of Atlanta Certified

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) DB Certification

U.S. Small Business Administration Small Disadvantage Business, SDB, Certification

Our Certifications and Memberships

Atlanta Visitors and Convention Bureau (ACVB)

Atlanta Press Club

Mexican American Business Chamber, Atlanta Chapter

National Black Public Relations Society

National Black Public Relations Society, Georgia Chapter

Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

Public Relations Society of America, Georgia Chapter

Gray & Associates is composed of creative and experienced diversity, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals. The senior members of the Gray & Associates team include the following:

Tracy Gray President & CEO Oscar Sinisterra Director of Latino Marketing ManagementOwen Montague Director of Marketing Debra A. Miller Director of Public Relations Frederick Garner Director of Internet DevelopmentMike Katz Director of Interactive MultimediaMonica Chapman-Liburd Manager Account Services

Tracy Gray

President and CEO

Tracy Gray has 25 years experience in mainstream and diversity, domestic and global public relations, advertising, and marketing communications. Tracy's primary responsibilities are management and coordination of operations and strategic direction of Gray & Associates. Prior to Gray & Associates, he served as Director of Public Relations and Diversity Program Management at IMAGES USA, an advertising and public relations agency. Tracy designed and managed internal diversity programs, multicultural advertising public relations and awareness programs for clients that included U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, McDonalds, CDC, Pfizer and the Georgia Department of Community Health. Prior to his work for IMAGES USA, Tracy served as Account Supervisor, Public Relations at Pollak Levitt & Nel, (PLN), advertising, public relations and interactive agency. His duties included management of diversity and general market public relations and communications for eight business units of Kimberly-Clark Professional Health Care. He has also designed public relations for Sony, Chevy, Disney, Atlanta Falcons and Georgia Power.

Tracy also worked in the area of general market, diversity, ethnic marketing, advertising and public relations at ABOA Golin-Harris Communications, Vargas Flores & Amigos Communications, and the National Office of the Arthritis Foundation. He is co-author of a book on Managing Workforce Diversity. Tracy was formerly S.E. Bureau Chief for Entertainment Tonight and served as a TV and radio producer, reporter, and anchor and news director covering local, national and international assignments. He has received numerous national and regional awards for his journalism work including the National Drum Major for Justice Award in Journalism from the S.C.L.C. Tracy attended Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism for his M.S.J. degree.

Oscar Sinisterra

Director of Latino Marketing Management

Oscar Sinisterra, Director of Latino Marketing Management, is an Associate who focuses on advertising, product differentiation, operational competence and customer responsive relationships. His professional life has been spent helping brands improve their value proposition and operating model in Europe, Colombia, and the United States. He has executed extraordinary marketing programs for major brands that include Levi's Strauss & Co., Arthur Andersen & Co., National Bank of Colombia and The Foreign Service of Colombia. He is an entrepreneur, author and founder the Hispanic marketing company Go2Hispanics. Oscar also has background and experience developing Latino advertising and market awareness programs with companies that range from real estate to technology. Based in Atlanta for the last six years, he has designed new marketing models which are synchronized to create certain superior value and relationships with Latino customers for clients that that include Plaza Fiesta and El Banco de Nuestra Comunidad.

Oscar has built a solid reputation for his knowledge and ability to enhancing impact in Latino and Hispanic communities. His academic credentials focus on business and he holds a Master in Science Management from Boston University.

Owen H. Montague, Jr.

Director of Marketing

Owen provides leadership and account management by orchestrating the work of others. He has more than 30 years of senior management experience including strategic planning, operational, financial and organizational direction. He has worked in the corporate, non-profit, and association environments. As general manager of Healthcare International Management Company, he evaluated domestic and global fiscal requirements and monitored the verification and reconciling of budgeted funds. As president of the Montague Group, he developed training and implementation programs, print graphics, medical and health care awareness initiatives, advertising and public relations programs.

Owen co-founded the Atlanta Exchange where he developed and managed the operations of a non-profit consortium of 27 African American business and professional development associations representing nearly 3,000 members. He also served as the Executive Director/State Director of the Minority Business Development Authority/Pennsylvania Office of Minority Business Enterprise (OMBE). In these positions he learned how to communicate to and produce result for corporations and supplier diversity programs that impacted African American, Hispanic, Asian and Women M/WBE. Owen is skilled in the creative craft of design and implementation of marketing studies and analysis of full service advertising and public relations programs. He received his Masters of Business Administration in Corporate Planning from the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton Graduate School and holds a B.A. in Clinical Psychology from Philadelphia's LaSalle University.

Debra A. Miller, APR

Fellow PRSA – Director of Public Relations

Debra is a seasoned communications strategist with more than 25 years of experience with a full spectrum of capabilities including strategic change management, internal communications, external communications and human resources. She is a skilled public relations counsel and diplomat in the diversity communications areas of training/development, organizational development, measurement and evaluation, integrated marketing communications and publication management.

Debra has lead the strategic measurement program Corporate Marketing and Communications at Bank of America which obtained quantitative and qualitative feedback from 160, 000 employees. Her work is creative and unique generating high impact, revenue and awareness with metrics for clients that include Shell, Capital One, Levi Strauss, Miami Convention and Tourism Bureau and the U.S. Census.

Frederick H. Garner Jr.

Director of Internet Development

Hardware and software skills and the creative capacity to innovate termed wetware are the elements that make up Fred's Internet development expertise. He has the skills to design new media marketing elements to reach the web-focused Tweens, Teens, Gen-Xers, Boomers and all relevant consumers. His marketing and eyeball instincts led him to create relationship landscapes that deliver results. Fred's seamless designs mesh with perfection and collaborate seamlessly with our off-line marketing and awareness tools. He has over 7 years new media experience in Internet development including: web design, graphic design, artistic layout, E-commerce, video/audio streaming and database solutions.

In a collaborative yet highly personal community, Fred has the proven ability to create sticky communications with Urban, African American, and Latino target markets. He is able to provide measurements of the interactive relationship with a client's brand using Internet advertising including: banner design, HTML E-mail layout, meta-tag submission, and meta-tag generation/optimization. Fred also breaks through the clutter for clients using retentive software strategy and robust Internet hosting including: Cobalt systems, server management, e-mail accounts, FTP access, DNS management, streaming, secure hosting and Unix/Linux/Microsoft 2000 based hosting. His client experience includes: Free Georgia Company, Linda Gray Realty, The Milestone Group, Accuformance Motors, Liberty Plus Insurance, City of Dallas, and BellSouth.

Mike Katz

Director of Interactive Multimedia

Mike has more than 20 years of communications and marketing experience. The most important aspects of his professional skills include his ability to communicate to the media and diverse audiences. He has the experience to develop your message and project your company's image in a manner that is functional and interactive. He directs our production in English and Spanish of full service custom interactive CD's, CD press kits, multimedia presentations, video news releases, satellite media tours, and radio media tours. Mike has all the latest technology at his disposal and is extremely proficient at using it. But, he never let it get in the way of clients communication. He directs the design of bi-lingual interactive multi-media that will project your internal and external image both visually and in a form that is easy for diverse audiences to navigate.

Mike is the founder of ICD Media. His experience includes developing Val-Pak, now a multi-million dollar marketing company. He also was the Atlanta Bureau Chief of Medialink, where he spent six years working with clients on Video News Releases, Satellite Media Tours and other multi-media bi-lingual campaigns. Mike's client experience includes Sony, Lockheed Martin, Ketchum, The Panama Tourism Institute, US Army and Weber Shandwick Worldwide.

Monica Chapman-Liburd

Manager Account Services

Monica has 15 years of experience in healthcare, non-profit organizations and logistical coordination. Her skills highlight her understanding that the ultimate power of relationships come from an awareness of "in-culture" details when targeting the Urban, African American, Hispanic and Asian markets. She has field experience in planning, developing and implementing highly successful Healthcare HIV/AIDS conferences. Her experience in managing client relationships, media relations and vendor performance for offices in Atlanta, GA Washington, DC Johannesburg, Cape Town and Vryburg, South Africa honed her skills in successfully juggling complex account service responsibilities in a domestic and global environment.

Monica is able to maintain vital program communications with corporate clients and government officials to execute internal and external diversity, advertising and public relations programs that are effective across all brands. With her work with The Carter Center and The Atlanta Project programs of Emory University, Monica developed the ability to manage the ever-shifting portfolio of stakeholders inter-connected with community-based campaigns. Skilled in database management, budget oversight and account services, she is brilliant in building relationships while understanding the unique dimensions and phenomenon of multicultural communications.

Gray & Associates have worked with the following brands to provide powerful initiatives that increase revenue and awareness: