Lisa Gerber

Advance your idea from concept to reality

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Using Story to Make Complex Messages Understandable

The protagonist:

Friends of the Pend Oreille Bay Trail, City of Ponderay

The problem:

The Pend d’Oreille Bay Trail is a community asset that stretches from Sandpoint towards Ponderay for about 1.5 miles along Lake Pend Oreille. It provides precious waterfront access to the public with many places to explore and linger. It’s lovely but could be so much more than it is now.

The yet-to-be-named cleanup is a multi-phased project which will extend this trail to iconic Black Rock and Ponder Point, connecting three towns to create a stunning two-mile trail for everyone to enjoy in a multitude of ways.

The project has many layers. It involves cleaning up the soils by way of a U. S. EPA Brownfields Multipurpose Grant, the purchase of private property, and, eventually, a railroad underpass.

The funding is in place to do all these things. Friends of POBT asked Lisa to generate awareness but also get put to answer the following question:
How do we do it in a way that preserves our connection to the past, our natural environment and becomes something our community can be proud of for generations to come?

Resolution:

We wanted to give the project its own name, brand, and story. This would help people remember and understand all the issues at hand.

After interviews and a stakeholder workshop, Lisa created the story of this project in a way that would educate and involve the local population. This story is about providing safe and easy access to the waterfront for everyone, an asset not to be taken for granted since much of the waterfront land is being developed into high-end homes. Also, this will be a messy project that will require the community to come together and help as well, this became

The Front Yard Project
Our waterfront. Our front yard

The logo was developed with partner Barbara Schelling.

The following video was produced in two time lengths for public and private presentations. The script and storyboard, by Lisa and video production and editing by Gwen Le Tutour. We wanted the video to take a complex issue and make it understandable and actionable.

In 2021, an outreach plan is being developed with social, digital and public outreach.
This story doesn’t have an ending yet, but stay tuned!

What they said:

Lisa’s excellent work has helped us distill a complex message into something memorable and understandable. We love the name because it makes it relatable.”

Susan Drumheller, executive director, Friends of Pend Oreille Bay Trail.

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Amazing Things My Clients Say

You’ll notice I cc’d only you because I trust you not say something stupid.
Un-named Client B
You are worth every penny we haven’t paid you yet.
Un-named Client A

What Others Are Saying

Thanks to Danny Brown for listing Lisa as a top 5 blogger to watch in 2013:

I first got to know Lisa Gerber from working with her when she was part of Arment Dietrich, and I knew then that she was a smart cookie… Her blog (has) become a staple part of my reading diet.

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