Algert - A Branding Agency

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Head of Marketing at GoodTime. GoodTime helps people and companies drive better results from their most important meetings. The GoodTime Meeting Optimization Engine automates scheduling, makes sure the right people are in the room, and provides actionable insights to meet smarter.

Its flagship product, Hire, allows organizations to win top talent faster with Candidate Relationship Intelligence. Over 300 leading companies like Spotify, Slack, Pinterest, Okta, HubSpot, and Box have scheduled more than seven million smart meetings with GoodTime.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Algert - A Branding Agency, and what were your goals?

We reached an important inflection point in our growth and our current brand and positioning did not match our offerings and future vision for GoodTime. We needed to do a full brand and website overhaul among other things.

Everything but the company name needed to be updated to better reflect our vision and the value that we bring to customers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I knew about Algert from their work in the B2B space and they were on my shortlist for brand agencies. We looked at several vendors but quickly settled on Algert based on their creativity, experience in the B2B branding space, and ability to deliver everything we were looking for on the timeline we needed.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Included in this refresh was: Logo redesign, color palette, fonts, iconography, typography, style guide, photography, video production, website design and development, copywriting, SEO, ads, sales decks and powerpoint templates, social media banners, email templates, landing pages, and rebranding all of our existing assets.

We originally started by tackling the high-level brand elements while providing them with the long-term vision of the brand to ensure the two were aligned. From there, we iterated on logos, fonts, colors, mock-ups of key webpages to see how they might come together.

We spent most of the time really nailing the brand foundational elements while we worked on drafting copy for the entire website. Getting those in place took some time, but it was time well spent because when it was time to actually develop the website and other assets it all came together really seamlessly.

During this process, we also did a photo shoot so that we had original photography for the site - Algert coordinated everything on this end as well. When it came time to launch the new brand and website, everything went smoothly. They made sure that the site speed was fast and optimized for both desktop and mobile and made key adjustments if pages weren't where they needed to be.

They also quickly fixed any bugs that were discovered post-launch. At the end of the project, they provided training on the WordPress/Elementor instance which was set it up in a way that makes it really easy for marketing and developers to update.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We primarily worked with Algert (CEO) and Ximena (General Manager), but they would pull in additional resources from their teams at different times. This helped keep the project moving swiftly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We could not be happier with the results of this massive project. Prospects and clients constantly compliment us on our new brand, which really set us up for long-term growth. The project was completed on time which is really unheard of for something of this scale. Algert truly went above and beyond.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We primarily used Figma for concept reviews and Asana for task management. Additionally, the team was very responsive on email, phone, and our dedicated slack channel.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Speed and creativity are very difficult to come by, but Algert delivered on both fronts. They are extremely creative and had a vision for the brand, but also listened to feedback and adjusted as needed. They work at a rapid pace and iterate quickly on designs.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Given the size of this project, there were thousands of moving pieces that were tricky to coordinate. Asana really helped us work together, but at times things got a little disorganized and we'd have to communicate really clearly and re-organize to ensure that everyone knew what was outstanding, what was approved, and what was needing more revisions. They were always very accommodating and put us and our needs first.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of brand and product marketing within the marketing team of Metadata. We help B2B marketers automate their paid campaigns on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Ads, and Display so that they can solely focus on strategy and creativity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algert - A Branding Agency?

In September 2020, we were still a two-person marketing team in the organization, so we were looking for a small agency that could help us with some general branding and design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Algert has helped us with our branding needs. Initially, we engaged with them on a three-month trial period where they helped us with some smaller design work, such as ads and graphics on our site, to figure out what type of brand design we had in mind. It was a test-and-learn process.

After the trial period, we hired them on an annual retainer basis. Now, Algert handles all our creative work. Their scope includes designing creative assets for our ad campaigns, producing videos, creating out-of-home advertising, and designing and developing anything related to our website. They create their designs on Figma.

As part of their work, Algert has helped us create our brand guidelines. After the initial three-month process, they took what they had learned from our efforts thus far and turned it into a documented set of guidelines. These guidelines included our primary logo, our secondary logo, the color palette, the fonts, and the icons for our site.

Around April 2021, we also had a website redesign project Algert helped us with. They took the branding they had helped us create and designed the site we have today. We already had a website before that, but the backend configuration on WordPress was so bad that we had to set up a new environment. Thus, they basically built a new website from scratch using WordPress and Elementor. We also hosted it on Kinsta per their recommendation, and they helped us with that migration process as well.

Recently, we engaged with Algert on a project we called Brand 2.0, for which they’re helping us take our brand design to the next level. For this project, we wanted to do a custom photoshoot, so we first storyboarded what we wanted to do. Then, they brought in a photographer and a videographer to help take very tailored shoots that we will be using in our campaigns and on our website. These deliverables include static images, animations, and videos. To produce these assets, they partner with a video production agency, but they’re in charge of coordinating everything.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 5–7 people from Algert, including Algert (Founder & CEO) himself, Ximena (General Manager), two senior designers, a junior designer, and two developers.

How did you come to work with Algert - A Branding Agency?

I posted on a B2B marketing Facebook group, looking for a marketing agency that we could hire on a retainer basis. Still, we first wanted a three-month pilot contract before signing a potential renewal for an annual contract.

From that post, I was introduced to Algert. I had never met him before, but we hit it off very well — he thinks with one side of the brain, and I think with the other. The trial period was amazing, so we continued working together.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $350,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our pilot phase in October 2020 and hired them on a retainer basis in January 2021. We renewed our contract in January 2022, and we plan to renew it again at the end of this year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Algert has made us look incredibly good over the years; I’ve been nothing but impressed with them, and I can’t recommend them enough. We’ve had countless positive comments from people on our website and designs. Whenever people ask who we work with, I’m the first one to recommend Algert and direct leads to them; I never hesitate to say who helps us. 

It’s been so long since we started working with them that we don’t keep track of statistics anymore; we simply know that it works. Still, one of our early metrics comes from a case study we did after the first three months of going live. In 30 days, we saw a 250% increase in qualified demos through our website.

As qualitative feedback, Algert delivered a very modular and easy-to-use website so that we didn’t depend on them to do small changes, as opposed to what our previous developer had built. On our site, they implemented a page called Why Metadata, which is the best page we’ve implemented to date. It is very interactive and has an outstanding design, pushing the boundaries of the standard B2B site. I haven’t seen anyone do this kind of work before.

How did Algert - A Branding Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Since Ximena joined as the project manager, our project has run smoothly. Initially, she wasn’t as involved as she is now, and although Algert is excellent on the creative side, planning isn’t his strong suit. Now, we’re very pleased with Ximena’s involvement because she is excellent at planning. We’re thrilled at how she pays close attention to everything, manages the workload on their end, and acts as the main point of contact.

We manage our entire project in Asana. We also try to communicate almost exclusively asynchronously via Slack, email, or Asana. Still, we also have a 45-minute weekly status call on Thursdays to go over high-priority tasks and ask questions. Whenever we have an emergency, I send a Slack message to Algert to have a quick meeting on Zoom, and he’s always happy to do some time for me. It is awesome to know that they’re a true partner for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I consider Algert to have two main strengths. Firstly, their speed and turnaround times are excellent; they quickly iterate on things and deliver. Secondly, the quality of their deliverables is outstanding. Usually, companies offer either speed or quality, but not both at the same time. Working with Algert, we get assets that look very good in a short amount of time.

Additionally, we have an amazing working relationship. One of the things that make our team work so well with Algert’s team is that we let them push the boundaries of what people think is acceptable for B2B businesses, giving them complete creative control. Occasionally, we have them tone their designs down a little bit, but it happens very rarely. Overall, it is a great working relationship where they know they can have fun doing forward-thinking design — we let them do what they’re good at. Another great aspect about working with Algert is that they usually come prepared with excellent recommendations based on their vast experience and eye for design.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Occasionally, Algert’s work seems to be a little disorganized, which is understandable because they’re growing, and their team is distributed all over the world. Still, I know that they have our best interests in mind, so whenever we feel like we’re not getting enough from them, we have good, healthy, and constructive conversations about it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Firstly, ensure that you assign a key decision-maker on your side because Algert works best if they don’t have to have their work approved by various people on the client’s side. Secondly, provide them with clear boundaries to stay in so that they know what you want them and don’t want them to do. Once they have those boundaries clear, let them run free and be creative. If you provide them with boundaries and creative freedom to work within those boundaries, they ultimately deliver magic results.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of content, creative, and customer insights at a SaaS company in the Salesforce partner ecosystem. We’re an enterprise data platform and we help large companies with an investment in Salesforce assume control over their data.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Algert?

We needed a new website. Our old site was unattractive and difficult to manage. We wanted to build a true brand platform that supported our aggressive growth goals and positioned us to compete well within our category.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Algert built our new WordPress platform using Elementor. Initially, we had a look and feel exercise. I led the content strategy for the site. We started out with some basic creative exploration. From there, there were some initial rounds of ideation on the graphic elements, functionality, and design. They did all the designs in Figma.  

What is the team composition?

We worked with Algert (Founder).

How did you come to work with Algert?

I found them through a recommendation. I was impressed with their previous brand work. After talking, we decided it would be a good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2020, and we wrapped up in April 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Qualitatively, we hit every mark. Our internal team feels really great about the end product. The website is set up to achieve our goals. It definitely realizes our ambitions in terms of branding, too. It’s a really powerful vehicle for content and demand generation, too.

How did Algert perform from a project management standpoint?

They did really well and we hit all of our deadlines. Alger did what they said they would do. I never felt like they were behind. The team was reliable and I didn’t have to worry about it. We communicated daily via Slack and managed the project on Figma and Google Docs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Alger brought really excellent ideas. They worked incredibly hard and they were extremely diligent. They built a true design system. The team did a great job of being iterative and constantly improving their work. A lot of design firms only give it one try; Alger kept pushing themselves to raise the bar and make the product better and stronger.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could stand to resource themselves a little better. It’s a small company so there was sometimes a delivery slowdown. As Alger grows, they can bring on more people.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to be prepared to be a partner in the design thinking that you’ve hired them to do. Let them do their work. Have a good brief and know what you want to accomplish.

A lot of people squander their investment in creative agencies by becoming armchair designers and letting their personal opinions dilute the product. They should be asking if it’s effective for their audience or not.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the director of recruiting for Drift. We provide a buying experience for potential customers, generate well-qualified leads, and dramatically accelerate sales cycles. Our main product is a conversation-driven marketing and sales platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Algert Sula?

We needed someone to visualize our brand in product design and marketing materials.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a unique UX, amazing websites, branded content, and marketing collateral.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Algert Sula is one of the best firms around, and Algert continually pushes himself to learn and evolve.

Describe the project in detail.

They provided the original design for many of our products, our corporate website, and an annual event’s website.

What was the team composition?

Algert worked on everything directly, from mockups and design to implementation.  They didn’t do any coding, however. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The brand he helped create is now recognized throughout the world. Companies copy our design every day because of Algert’s style.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

He always delivers speedy results and continuously iterates designs to make them better.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

His passion for design, speed, and results are outstanding. I've yet to meet a better designer.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, not that I can think of at the moment. I wish he could duplicate himself, though.