For Immediate Release:

Thesis, an award-winning digital marketing agency invested its marketing expertise for a good cause. Thesis partnered with The Contingent (formerly Portland Leadership Foundation) to develop the naming, brand identity, website and marketing strategy for the new statewide initiative, Know Me Now (www.knowmenow.org).

The Contingent and Oregon Department of Corrections introduced Know Me Know in January in an effort to mobilize Oregonians to serve families impacted by incarceration. Know Me Now aims to reduce prison-return rates in Oregon by building family-centric support systems—in prisons, homes, and neighborhoods—that ensure healthy reunification between families impacted by incarceration.

Thesis worked closely with The Contingent to understand the situation in Oregon and how the initiative could impact those touched by incarceration. From there, it assembled a core team comprised of experts from its partner services, design, writing and development teams based on their individual expertise, to conceive the brand Know Me Now and bring it to life.

“We consider ourselves the social entrepreneurship arm of Thesis agency,” said Ben Sand, CEO of The Contingent. “If you trace our most effective work, you’ll find that Thesis has influenced it. Know Me Now was built by a diverse team of experts at Thesis and through our collaboration, we have built a brand that is setting out to change the way Oregonians think about incarceration. This is a daunting goal, but by partnering with Thesis, we have swagger out of the gate.”

Right now, almost 14,000 adults are in custody in Oregon. Some estimates suggest as many as 80 percent of those adults have children. Children with an incarcerated parent deserve to see, talk to, and touch their parent at least once per month, and in too many situations, visits are irregular. This affects the family during the sentence and makes the re-entry experience for parents leaving prison incredibly difficult. Often lacking pro-social community to ensure healthy reunification for parents and children, currently, more than half of former adults in custody in Oregon are re-arrested within three years of release from prison or a felony jail sentence. However, in the midst of these challenging realities, there is fresh reason for hope and celebration in Oregon.

“The goal is to provide a much needed platform aimed at facilitating changes to our current prison reform system in the state of Oregon,” said Keely York, president and chief operating officer at Thesis. “At Thesis, we are problem solvers, creators and makers and I believe when we are equipped to impact change, as we are with the diverse talent that makes up our agency, we have the responsibility to do so.”

For more information visit www.knowmenow.org.

About Thesis

Founded in 2002, Thesis, formerly eROI, is an award-winning, full-service digital marketing agency specializing in email marketing, strategy, web design, development, and social media. Thesis offers account planning, performance management and relationship management, as well as brand, campaign, content, social, and digital channel strategy. The agency crafts compelling digital experiences with a strong strategic focus and deep expertise across the digital landscape to help partners connect with their audience in meaningful ways. For more information, please visit https://thesis.agency.