Newsmakers 2017: Jeff Rawson

It's not uncommon to find Jeff Rawson with his hands full, whether it be ink, paper, laptop or coffee.

Sometimes it's with awards, which has been the case the last two years, when the creative director and manager for rustmedia walked away from the American Advertising Awards, which recognizes the region's best in advertising.

Rawson's versatility of talents and ability to navigate a multitude of media platforms were recognized when rustmedia claimed Best of Show in the cross-platform division for its presentation of "Cape Comic Con" in 2016 and "Life Without" at the ADDY awards earlier this year. Rustmedia doubled up this year with a print division Best of Show for "Downtown Cape Branding" as part of a five-gold haul.

The awards are merely confirmation for Rawson, an easy-going sort with an attentive feel for clients' needs and a deep appreciation for talented comrades.

"Those awards every year are great and they are great for the team to see the work celebrated," Rawson says. "We are a relatively small crew and are proud of the local and national branding work that is recognized each year."

LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.com Jeff Rawson

A native of Dexter, Missouri, Rawson has proven to be a nimble learner over the years. Artistic since his youth, he set out to be a fine arts major at Southwest Missouri State University but changed course to advertising and marketing. Somewhat fittingly, SMS rebranded itself his senior year, changing its name to Missouri State. "My diploma says Missouri State University, but all my T-shirts say SMS," Rawson says with a smile.

At rustmedia, he first started helping newspaper clients with ad design and other services, including website presentation and content. However, the focus has shifted to branding. His artistic ability plays out from logos to videos, and the platforms range from old-fashioned print to the ever-changing avenues of social media, helping businesses discover or rediscover their voice with customers and the general public through anything from business cards to Facebook and Instagram.

Rawson, a married father of three, attends LaCroix Church, where he sometimes assists in video production, and has started Cape Creatives, a club of local creative thinkers who meet monthly around town.

"I'm passionate about making things and the creation of not just what I do day to day, but art relationships," Rawson says.