Rose McCoy

Music and marketing design are both pursuits of artful arrangement. They invite interpretation, stimulate emotion, and command engagement. They have rhythm and flow, structure and style, and a hook — a catchy phrase, an evocative image.

But what does music have to do with your marketing plan?

In the early 1990s, Rose McCoy was a professional pianist based in San Francisco. Music didn't pay the bills (surprise!), so she took a day job writing newsletters and grant proposals for a local nonprofit. After writing each issue of the newsletter, Rose took the typed pages and photo prints to a magical place down the road where they were transformed into a great-looking little publication. She started lingering at the studio, peered annoyingly over the designer's shoulder, and thought, "I can do that!" To her delight, she found that telling stories visually felt a lot like making music.