Innovation consultants make for goodcompany
Zern Liew is a passionate businessman who is also enthusiastic about goodcompany.
Mr Liew is a director of Vermillion, an `innovation consulting’ business which helps clients re-imagine their business concept, strategic direction, marketing, information systems, processes and social responsibility programs.
Vermillion sets itself apart by spending about one third of their working hours on pro bono jobs for community organisations. When the 2005 Goodcompany Wish Exchange was held in Sydney, Mr Liew was an active participant.
“Events like goodcompany's Wish Exchange make it easy to meet representatives from the community organisations face to face.’’
Mr Liew chose to work with two charities – the Sunnyfield Association which supports people with intellectual disabilities to work towards independence, and the Council of Social Services of NSW (NCOSS).
“We provided consultation to Sunnyfield Business Services to work through an approach for strategic branding of the various businesses and explore creative marketing possibilities,’’ Mr Liew said.
“The project quickly evolved to us helping the parent group (the Sunnyfield Association) to re-imagine and develop their brand. This included a fundamental rethink of how they project their cause, the development of a new logo, and 12 month’s worth of marketing ideas. We also provided input on TV commercial scripts and presentations to the board.’’
At NCOSS, Vermillion worked on their Community Cover insurance project which aims to provide customised, simple, comprehensive insurance cover to the not-for-profit sector.
Vermillion estimates it has already provided about 45 hours of professional work to Sunnyfield and about 25 hours to NCOSS. And it plans to work with Sunnyfield well into 2006 and with NCOSS at least to the end of 2005.
As Mr Liew said, “It is time for individual business owners to start using the power of their businesses to build a better world.”
