Universal Events Inc. is a marketing and branding firm headquartered in Pleasanton, California that specializes in providing comprehensive support to charitable and nonprofit organizations. They are one of very few marketing companies that choose clients based on their statement of purpose.
“I created Universal Events with a specific mission in mind,” says Harmony Vallejo, CEO of the company, as well as its founder. “I wanted to build a company that helped nonprofits with their marketing needs, so they could concentrate their efforts on helping people in need and improving lives in our communities.”
Instead of targeting high-volume, high-income clients, Harmony decided to offer services to organizations with smaller budgets that aim to give back to the community.
The company spent its first few years establishing itself in California, working hard to win over clients and earn their trust. To do that, Vallejo drew upon her experience in corporate marketing (she did a stint in the marketing division of Winners), as well as the mass media (she spent some time working in sales for WLOH ‘The Wolf’ and the television station WYTV in her home state of Ohio).
It wasn’t long before Universal Events Inc. began attracting business. The company soon counted youth programming organizations, children’s medical charities, and law enforcement and anti-drug entities among their accounts.
“By the late 2010s, we were becoming known within the industry,” Vallejo recalls. “We had a couple of successful campaigns, and our clients were seeing increases in donations and public awareness. We were making a positive impact.”
A video montage highlighting some of the work Universal Events Inc. is known for can be viewed here.
As the company’s client roster expanded, other marketing firms took notice and began adopting some of their practices, courting the nonprofit and charitable sector in a way they hadn’t before. By the time the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in early 2020, many other agencies had changed their strategies to include supporting worthy causes during the crisis.
“If we have helped to uplift the idea of nonprofit marketing and show a viable path for that sector, we’re humbled by the opportunity to lead by example. When I started the company in 2014, I had no idea we might one day influence the direction of the industry,” Vallejo remarks.
Now, in 2024, with the pandemic firmly in the rearview mirror, the marketing sector, in general, seems to have retained some of COVID-19’s hard-learned lessons, with a large number of firms now dedicating at least some of their efforts to supporting charitable endeavors and worthy causes. It’s safe to say that a few cues have been taken from Universal Events Inc., as well.
Asked about her company’s legacy, Harmony Vallejo is circumspect. “I believe that everyone has a responsibility to contribute to society’s betterment. Universal Events is my contribution.”