We see a bright new world
…of sunshine and daisies, where children play zithers and lambs frolic in — sorry, hold on… wrong vision.
We do see a world with more trees and less irrelevant, intrusive marketing that squanders valuable assets. It's a place where marketing is a positive resource for companies and consumers alike, for communities, and for the planet. Where good business recognizes that social and environmental leadership reinforces profit.
Ambitious? Optimistic? You bet. And doggedly savvy to boot. Our dual mission is to provide:
- Brilliant communications that create long-term prosperity for our clients in an exponentially evolving world.
- Innovative communications that contribute to a sustainable, equitable, thriving society.
Not long ago, those two goals were distinct, even at odds with each other. But the world has changed in fundamental ways, and today they're one and the same. That's the insight that drives HELSINQI.
THE TRIPLE CHALLENGE
The 21st-century marketing environment presents three specific challenges:

Transparency
The new consumer has it all at her fingertips — information about you, your performance, your reputation, even your practices and supply chain. Embrace transparency before it embraces you.
Multilateralism
The new consumer is talking back, talking to her peers, talking to your competitors. She's probably even talking to your mom. Check your hard-sell at the door and bring something real to the conversation.
Flux
Starting yesterday, change is the only constant. Tech, media, global influence, social mores — nothing stays put. Time to find your center, grasshopper, and get your marketing aikido on.
THE KEYS
Turning the Triple Challenge into a Triple Opportunity takes the right set of keys:
Integrity
Know who and what you can be relied on to be and do. Connect that authentic identity to the genuine needs of your audience. Integrity is what keeps you focused in Flux and Transparency.
Participation
Control the conversation? Not going to happen. Lose the soapbox and be someone the world wants at the party: open, helpful, inspiring, and you make killer artichoke dip.
Creativity
It's how people connect: through stories, humor, novel ideas, emotional engagement. As tastes accelerate and global influences cross-pollinate, real creativity is more essential than ever.
Trust = Integrity + Participation
Be true to yourself. Involve your stakeholders. Trust is the master key, and you can't spin your way into it. Building trust takes a creative marketing partner who gets it, 100%.
Relevance = Participation + Creativity
The best campaign ever is a liability if it doesn't address the need. Conversely, on-point messaging is no messaging if it puts people to sleep. Strike the perfect balance and create relevance. In a Multilateral world, it's why they care.
Agility = Creativity + Integrity
Riding the wave of Flux takes agility. That doesn't mean chasing the flavor of the day. Real agility takes engaged, innovative Creativity rooted in the steady confidence of Integrity.

MARKETING AS LEADERSHIP
Old-guard marketing uses a lot of battlefield lingo: Penetrate the market. Launch a media blitz. Target the consumer. The talk is backed up with tactics to match, expressly designed to exploit peoples' vulnerabilities. Spin — i.e. deception with deniability — is just part of the arsenal.
No wonder people are fed up with blitzkrieg marketing! It's hard to imagine a worse strategy for building trust. Time for a new perspective.
Relate & Translate
At HELSINQI we see commerce as an ecosystem. In an ecosystem, your long-term prosperity depends on the health and vitality of the ecosystem as a whole. The smart strategy is to strengthen relationships, empower consumers and other stakeholders, and keep community and planet healthy.
To make it happen, we don't target people, we relate: we take a genuine interest in our stakeholders and find out how we can make their lives better. And rather than spin, we translate: we communicate in the language of our audience to make things more clear, not less.
When you Relate & Translate, you market from a position of mutual confidence. That's marketing as leadership. It's how you make allies. It's how you build trust.
That's the HELSINQI vision. Putting it to work creating prosperity for our clients — and making the world a better place in the bargain — is our mission.
LIFE IS GOOD
Our clients are making the good life genuinely good in industries where style and quality are critical, such as food & drink fine wine gourmet locavore restaurants caterers markets clubs cafes design & home green building interiors furniture fixtures fashion & lifestyle designers clothiers retailers salons art & culture museums galleries theatre books music health & wellness spas yoga massage acupuncture travel & hospitality eco-tourism eco-resorts events & beyond…
CLIENTS & PROJECTS
Native Arts & Cultures Foundation
Carlton Cellars artisanal winery
Fondazione Carlo Grandori
Joël Belgique classical viola project
FearNoMusic 21st-Century Ensemble
YWCA of Portland
Harriet Sanderson — fine artist
HiiH handmade lamps
Wine & Spirit Archive — wine education
Alberta Cooperative Grocery
Naylor Building
hill2 Executive Coaching & Consulting
Parallaxis video & music concert
Fields & Lane quality leather gloves
Zoomtopia artist & organization space
HPV2014 — scientific conference
Alliance Française de Portland
Seattle Parks Dept. — ArtSparks
Northwest Research — donor research
Portland Public Schools