Anchour

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and executive director of a private non-profit agency called Sandcastle Clinical & Educational Services and a DBA called L/A Hearing Center.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

The DBA is a particular service arm of our agency that looks at providing audiological services. We wanted to do a branding of that entity of our business. We put out a request for proposal statewide and granted the proposal to Anchour for the branding work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The proposal consisted of getting a new website, a video, a new logo, and collateral material like business cards and brochures. Their involvement in the beginning, even before they were granted the proposal, was really impressive. They were the only agency that actually came to Sandcastle to meet with us in order to find out more about the agency before they wrote a response. Once we granted the proposal, they broke up in divisions. We met with the professionals from Anchour that developed the website, logo, and video for our website. The website was developed on WordPress.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

They are located in the same city where my business is located in. We had heard a lot of good things about the work that they were doing. They’ve been pretty active in this community, and I have had opportunities to see some of their work. They are out and about in a lot of different community events, marketing their service and being present. That’s how I knew of them and their work. Nevertheless, I put out the proposal to 12 different firms statewide, and Anchour clearly came in the strongest. That was why they were given the job. We have worked with other branding agencies before them.

How much have you invested with Anchour?

It was $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October/November 2016. The project is just wrapping up now in March 2017. It’s been a very thorough and comprehensive process. We will definitely onboard them for future projects without hesitation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We haven’t launched the site yet as we are still in the process of finishing up. We had board members and committee members involved in the reveal of the video that Anchour made, which is going on our website. It was received really well. I had no doubt that we were going to get a good reception to that. It was very well done. We recently did a big event with 400 people in attendance where we put out the new logo that they had done in the form of an advertisement. We got a lot of really good feedback on that as well.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

The organization, in terms of how they deliver and they communicate, is really well done. I’m impressed with their processes, efficiencies, and communication. They had a launch calendar with lots of follow-up and confirmation. We would communicate through email.

What did you find most impressive about Anchour?

I think it’s the fact that they’re more current. They really seem relevant to what’s going on now. I also felt like, when compared to other agencies, they went a mile further. They were the only agency that took the effort to come out and really get to know our mission. As a mission-driven agency, they really wanted to understand that. They’re also very open minded. At the end of the day, it’s really about pleasing us, and they went to great lengths to make sure that happened.

Are there any areas Anchour could improve?

I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a Maine-based consulting firm offering a full range of services in the electric utility engineering field. I'm the HR coordinator.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

We wanted to make our brand more cohesive. We had worked with a graphic designer in the past, but most of our branding was done in-house before Anchour. We wanted to establish and define our brand identity and effectively communicate who we are and what we do.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We've worked on a lot of projects with Anchour. We're currently working with them on a completely new website design. They've helped us with various print material and redesigned our logo including a special 10-year anniversary logo for our firm. They've done photography and employee photos for us. They also created a brand film which will be featured on our new website.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

I know many of the people at Anchour personally. I've seen examples of their work and what they've done for so many different companies to make their brands stand out. So we had the confidence in them to do the same for us.

How much have you invested with Anchour?

We have made a total investment of around $26,000 representing several different projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in 2014 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The biggest project we've worked on together is the website which we are just starting to wrap up. I'm really excited to see the return from that. This past year, they created a custom Christmas card that was sent out to more than 100 business contacts. We've also met hundreds of people at career fairs and expos and have shared the employment brochure Anchour designed for us which highlights what we do and our company culture. That's been a great tool for us. They also created a new hire orientation package for us and I've heard a lot of positive feedback from team members coming on board about how professional it looks. It's something I'm proud to hand out.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

They have done a great job of getting all our projects done. They're really responsive. I hear back the same day whenever I ask a question or need information.

What did you find most impressive about Anchour?

They’re very personal. They take the time to get to know the clients they serve. What we do is very technical but they really put forth effort to understand what we do and I think that makes a huge difference when working with them. They're a real team so they collaborate with each other. I think that makes a much stronger product.

Are there any areas Anchour could improve?

They are a young and energetic company experiencing a lot of growth and it's great to be a part of their journey. They put out a great product and are wonderful to work with. I feel like those two things are most important and they do them extremely well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and sole photographer of Lost In Reverie Photography. Our clientele is a little bit different so we don’t stick to one little niche. We do weddings, newborns, maternity, and commercial work.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

My problem was that the majority of my work when I started a couple of years ago was achieved by word of mouth. I wasn’t really advertising. When I did a session or wedding, I would post teaser albums on Facebook. Last year, I noticed that I wanted to change my target market. I didn’t want low-end clientele anymore. I knew it was the time to make the jump because my weddings were filling up much quicker. Clients were not walking at my price, so I knew it was time to make a change based on the quality of my work.

I needed exposure. I had created a website on WordPress, but I actually never wanted to direct clients there because it was terrible. I never had time to update it. I needed to establish a brand and my strategy to get myself there was by hiring Anchour to create a website for me.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When I first met with Josh at Anchour, we talked about what my goals were. We were very honest as to where we thought we could go. I have another full-time job at a hospital, and I would still like to keep that job, but I want to be able to find a balance between my creative outlet and still making an income out of it. We talked about what I had as a brand at the time and what my online presence was, which was nonexistent.

As far as strategy meetings, we sat down with Anchour’s creative team and talked about why I love photography, what’s important for me as far as my photography goes, and what’s important for me for the outcome of my clients. They did a psychological analysis on me without even me knowing it, defining me as a person and as a company in order to reach my ideal clientele. They asked questions about what inspires me and what my goals are for my clients. For me, it’s more about making connections than it is about my photography. That is a very important piece for me. They were able to bring all of that together in a strategy to create a brand for me. The website was made on Squarespace.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

Anchour is a company that I have always followed on social media and I admired their work. At the time, I knew that I couldn’t afford their kind of work. It was a pipe dream for me, but I knew that if I had to, I would go to them. They’re a small, local company with great customer service. Ultimately, my brother owns his own business and he used them as well. I do photography for my brother’s business, and he put me in touch with Josh, the COO of Anchour, saying that we would be a really good fit. The moment I met Josh, I had to find a way to make it happen. Every time you walk in through the door they literally sprinkle confetti on you; I’m not even exaggerating. They look at you and welcome you to their office. The connection was an obvious and natural one for me, and I was very pleasantly surprised with how much more I got than what I initially thought I was going to get. It’s more of a professional friendship relationship rather than simply saying “these are the guys that built my website.”

How much have you invested with Anchour?

It was less than $7,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in October 2016. They gave me an estimated timeline of six to eight weeks from start to finish for strategy, logo design, and web design. It did take a little bit longer than that, but that was because of my doing. I was a little delayed in giving them some of the information that they needed. My website has been live for a month.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Although the site has been live for a month, I’ve done some analytics on my posts. When I posted a blog before, I didn’t even want to post it because I didn’t want people to see my website. One of the biggest things for me was that I had never received an email inquiry from my old website. Everything would be through Facebook messaging. I remember that when my first blog post went up, I had already received five emails on wedding inquiries just in the first week. That alone, for me, was huge because that was something I hadn’t ever received. It was really exciting.

My subsequent blog posts are getting a lot more exposure than they ever did—going from a few hundred people looking at them to over 1,800 hits in the first two days of posting. The overall general exposure I’m getting is showing me to a bigger clientele. Like I said before, most of my clients were all from word of mouth, and now I’m getting inquiries from people I don’t even know who are coming into Maine wanting to do an elopement or a destination wedding. The reach is a lot broader than I ever had, and I’m actually proud of everything on my website now because it’s me and my work, and it represents my clients as well.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

They are phenomenal. They communicated with me every step of the way. I was having some technical issues with my email when I first started because Squarespace was a new system for me. They replied to me within minutes through email to help me out with that. Everything from start to finish—whether it was the brand, strategy, or a technical issue—was seamless. All these people survive on are Pop Tarts and seltzer water. I just wrote a blog post about them, and they got a kick out of that statement and about how awesome they are.

What did you find most impressive about Anchour?

They took me for who I am and tried to define me in my business. They did not ever try to convince me to blend in. For photography in my area, it’s all very feminine—light pinks, light greens, and light golds. It’s a very different style than what I personally have, and they never once tried to steer me into something that wasn’t me. They really sat down and focused on who I am, what my goals are, and who my ideal clients are. It was the most personalized experience I’ve been a part of. I have been in other fields and worked with other organizations, and I’ve never been actually treated that personally, professionally, and respectfully ever. They truly care about you as a person and the end result. They’re supportive and motivational. They have an overall awesome demeanor that is infectious. They’re just an awesome group of creative humans. I cannot say enough good things about them.

Are there any areas Anchour could improve?

I seriously can’t think of a single thing that hasn’t been awesome from start to finish. I was having trouble with switching over from WordPress. I tried for a day and a half and I couldn’t get it through. Steven, Anchour’s CEO, took his credit card number and paid it for me. I had to touch base with him, and then we squared up after that. That’s not something I feel like you would get with another company.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The Maine Crisp Co. is a small specialty food business making gluten-free crackers. I am the founder and started the company in my home, and only recently moved into a commercial space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

A part of growing the business is creating more professional and better-designed packaging which can allow the product to be shipped across the US.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Anchour has provided the design work for the new packaging, as well as our sales sheet, which describes our product, along with photographs and pricing. The packaging I was previously using had too many elements, which made it inefficient; Anchour identified this and improved it.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

This was my first time working with an agency. I had used a local graphic designer who created my initial label. I started to look for a design firm which could handle our logo, branding, and package design. Anchour was the third company I interviewed. By looking at their past work and meeting with Anchour, I determined that they were extremely creative and would be my best choice.

How much have you invested with Anchour?

The cost of Anchour's work was around $7,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Anchour in January 2016. The initial phase was finished in June.

The project extended beyond what we initially thought because we needed to modify the packaging equipment. We needed to wait for this to be resolved, but Anchour was great at waiting for us and restarting the work later on. Through some additional grant money, we were able to have Anchour work on our informational and sales sheets as well. The box design has been finished, and we plan on going to print.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Our product has not been launched into the market yet, but the stores which received my sales material were very impressed. People have especially loved the simplicity and uniqueness of my logo. It will stand out among other products, and we're excited to get it out there.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

Anchour was on top of things, had good response times, and assigned a dedicated person for my communication. Nothing got lost, and I always felt that Anchour was listening and responding accordingly.

What did you find most impressive about Anchour?

I think that Anchour is a creative group. The team works well together and they like the process. Other agencies I talked to didn't listen as well as Anchour. I met with 3 people who took notes during our initial meeting, addressing my design concerns.

Are there any areas Anchour could improve?

Anchour is a young design team, so they could have benefited from more experience around commercial packaging. We worked through it together, so Anchour has evolved in the meantime. Because of their creativity, I was willing to collaborate with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're a dog daycare based in Portland, Maine. I am the owner of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

We had just opened in February and needed help launching our brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Anchour has developed our WordPress website. It's mobile-responsive, simple and streamlined, which were important requirements for us. They're currently providing SEO [search engine optimization] and maintenance for it. Anchour has designed a logo for our company and helped us establish a brand identity. They've helped us define our voice. From there, everything else fell into place, regarding building the website and creating marketing collateral for us. I had spoken to other agencies, but the project was started with Anchour.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

Anchour provides Instagram automation, which I'd been using for posts related to my business. I researched the company and found that they were located close to me. I found their work to be great, so I chose Anchour.

How much have you invested with Anchour?

The cost of Anchour's work has been between $15,000 and $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with Anchour in August 2013. The collaboration is ongoing for SEO, Ad Words, and website maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We're in an aggressive growth mode, so I can't completely separate word-of-mouth from organic inquiries, and so on. 

I receive monthly marketing reports from Anchour detailing the performance of our website, our searchability and how our Ad Words campaigns are going. Overall, I've been happy with the results. We've received great feedback from clients for our logo and brand voice.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

The most well-defined project we've had with Anchour was for our logo development and website launch. Anchour did a great job of communicating our progress, and what the next steps were. They helped keep us on track and organized.

What did you find most impressive about Anchour?

The reason for choosing Anchour over other agencies is that they have a down-to-earth vibe. Anchour's team seemed interested in getting to know me and the story behind my company, compared to other agencies, which treated it as a job. Anchour's personal touch resonated with me, given that this is what I'm looking to offer my clients. I wanted my story and mission to be reflected in the brand.

Are there any areas Anchour could improve?

Anchour is also within an aggressive growth period so that they can be busy at times. Tasks have taken longer than I'd hoped, but Anchour is great at recommending alternative solutions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and founder of a 20-year-old restaurant in Lewiston, Maine.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

Initially, the challenge was to develop new menus. We had also been considering the need to rebrand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Anchour did a complete design asset portfolio. They redesigned our menus and helped us with our signage and other collateral pieces. That was the initial project, but we ended up rebranding the restaurant. Aside from refreshing and updating our website,  Anchour also does some social media tasks for us. They handle our search engine optimization so we still work with them.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

They introduced themselves, basically. We had some dialogue about the rebranding process and hired them to do the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Anchour around 2014 and we continue to work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We have received a lot of positive responses from the community on the branding project. Our new look has gotten a lot of compliments, particularly the menus and the branding in general. It was something that we needed to do pretty badly and Anchour did a nice job of helping us with that transition.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

We were happy with how they handled project management.

What did you find most impressive about Anchour from other providers?

We don’t have a lot of experience with rebranding or marketing. I think we might’ve been a challenge to work with, but they were responsive to our changing needs. We continue to use them so that probably speaks volumes about our experience.

Are there any areas Anchour could improve?

No, I think we’re happy with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and third-generation owner of Ted Berry Company. We are a utility company that does buried pipeline cleaning, inspection, and rehabilitation. We work on water, sewers, storm drain, gas, and other utilities throughout New England.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

We were developing a company video that would allow us to highlight what we do and how we do it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have asked Anchour to produce a number of short company videos, anywhere from one minute to ten minutes long. These are company services videos that are on our website. We also show these videos at trade shows. We’ve also had Anchour develop some custom animations for us to show how some of our technical services work. Those are really amazing.

Anchour designed and manages our website and SEO. One of the larger projects they also did was designing a customized training application. What used to be all of our paper, video, and different forms of employee training are now on an online platform. Our employees can now access all of our training programs, courses, and tests from anywhere on the planet. One of our technicians needed to get his forklift training updated. He was able to log in on an iPad over the weekend and completed a course on a Sunday afternoon at home. That was amazing. Right now, they’re doing two 30-second TV commercials for us.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

Jonathan Gilbert, who does video and production at Anchour, and I have grandfathers that were brothers. When he first got out of school, he was doing some video work. We had hired him to do some small video projects for us. Shortly after that, they built Anchour and when he did, we came along for the ride. I like to say we were an Anchour customer before Anchour was a company.

How much have you invested with Anchour?

We spend over $20,000 annually.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2008/2009. The engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I tend to view the results of my advertising much more indirectly than with measured results. We’ve been in business for 40 years and we always feel like we have a really good sense of our business and how it’s working. We had Anchour shoot a commercial for us last week. Within a day of it running on TV, I had family calling me and saying, “That commercial is great. That really shows who you are as a company, and it really connects with people.” For me, that is more important than having a spreadsheet or a chart somewhere that shows me how many people have watched it or how many people have clicked on my website. When I have people say, “That shows who you are, and people understand who you are when they see that,” that is how I measure the effectiveness of their work.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

What we quickly found is how their creativity brought out the best in our people’s creativity. We have a group of very creative people. Working with Anchour, they’ve just enhanced that. They’re really easy and fun to work with. Anything we’ve thrown at them for a technical challenge, they have absolutely accomplished.

What did you find most impressive about Anchour?

They don’t make something that should be simple difficult. I’m a contractor; we do water and sewer work. We don’t do website design, and we don’t plan and design and shoot commercials for a living. What we can do is come up with an idea, and Anchour makes it really easy to turn that idea into reality. I’ve worked with other branding firms through working associations and even here at Ted Berry Company. What I’ve often found when we would talk about a website is a lot of people in the line of work find a way to overcomplicate things.

I’ve always liked how Anchour can keep something that is simple, simple. I can go to a whiteboard, I can draw up an idea, and they can turn it into reality for me. That’s profound to me because that’s how I work, that’s how I think, and that’s how my creativity comes out. We can literally sit over a coffee or a burger and come up with an idea, and I turn around and it’s real. That’s what I like.

Are there any areas Anchour could improve?

The biggest area of improvement I had, they have already made. Their location in Windham was a challenge geographically. Windham’s not on the way to anything. About a year ago, they moved to Lewiston. Now, they’re in a spot that’s really easy for me to get to. It’s a really cool workplace. That was the biggest one for me, to be a little bit more accessible in person, and that’s worked well.

Another one that I was fearful of is they were going to grow so large that someday I’d show up and they’d have 50 people there doing website design and they would lose their touch. That hasn’t happened. I’m still working with Jonathan, who I was working with 7 years ago on videos. Nothing negative from me.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a small company with nine employees. We run a couple of different businesses with an online presence. One business produces replacement parts for business phone systems. Another one is for virtual reality headsets and accessories. 

I am the CEO of both.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

We started getting into consumer products with B2C [business-to-consumer] on the virtual reality headsets last year. We wanted to create a brand for our headsets and that's what we started to work on with Anchour.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started out with a canned website that we purchased and set up. However, it was not very focused and wasn’t targeting the correct demographics. We met with Anchour and they did some research on our behalf to find out our target demographic and how can we tailor our site, our packaging, and our brand to market to those segments. They helped us redesign our website. We also created a new brand look with the logo, the colors, and the brand. That was very helpful. They also worked with us on creating a video that talks about the company.

We're using them right now for SEO [search engine optimization] and to look at our Amazon listings and see how they can use some of their tools to improve them. We're also expanding and growing into other accessories in the virtual reality market. They have taken new product photos as well as lifestyle photos of our virtual reality products to improve the customer experience on our websites and to use on our social media platforms.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

I saw an article about them in our local newspaper. They were moving into the state and setting up a shop here. I thought to meet with them and see what they offer. They're young, they're energetic, and they have a lot of ideas. I decided to meet with them and then started working with them.

How much have you invested with Anchour?

We spend around $2,000 a month on average.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with Anchour from June/July 2016 to date and the improvements are going monthly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Our website traffic has increased by over 300% over the past 4 months. We've been listing our products on Amazon, and with their help optimizing our listing, our ranking has gone way up, by 900 points. I think what they're doing is working; it's causing more activity through our website and also through Amazon.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

Excellent! We have a meeting to discuss the scope of the work, then they perform the work. Prior to actually moving forward, they'll do a presentation, PowerPoint or concept, and make sure we're all clear on how it's going to look and what's going to happen, and then they follow through.

What did you find most impressive about Anchour?

I would say they're very intuitive. They're young and energetic. I think some other marketing companies may not have all that. They're very up to date with what's going on. Anything that's trending, they're talking about it and telling us of things we should be looking at.

Are there any areas Anchour could improve?

It would be helpful if we could review the changes and results monthly. We would like to understand how what they are doing is impacting traffic and conversions and discuss what other changes can be made from the data gathered.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a consulting company focused primarily on assisting family businesses. I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

I was looking for a web developer who could actually tell a story.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

My collaboration with Anchour started with a focus on the company brand, which needed to tie in with my story. It involved spending a lot of time with Anchour, giving them an opportunity to get to know me and what I'm trying to accomplish. My brand needed to reflect my story, and vice versa. Anchour has a very interesting, systematic process of taking a client through a type of journey. It was very easy to work with them.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

I did a Google search on web developers and storytelling. I can't recall exactly what article I came across, but Anchour was featured in it, along with four or five other firms. I contacted all of them, and Anchour seemed to be the most interested in my project.

How much have you invested with Anchour?

The total cost of my project with Anchour is estimated to be between $10,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I have been working with Anchour for three months. We're within the final stages of my project. I see the possibility of engaging with Anchour for additional work, including building my online identity beyond the website, for social platforms and so on.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The quality of Anchour's work is a reflection of how genuine they are, and their interest in me and what I'm trying to accomplish. Anchour took great pride in their results. They're very focused, dedicated, and responsive. It's been refreshing to work with a group which doesn't have the same cookie-cutter approach to building a website and getting it out of the door.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

Anchour couldn't have been better in this regard. They have a process for walking clients through the work, making it easier for everyone involved. Anchour is a well-organized and process-driven company. Their approach isn't dry, but it did help to get me focused.

What did you find most impressive about Anchour?

When I met with Anchour, it became clearly evident that they had the ability to approach a project in a unique and different way. Instead of cranking out a website which promoted my offerings, Anchour was interested in telling a story which could resonate with a potential client.

Are there any areas Anchour could improve?

Anchour is an early-stage business, so it may be difficult for them to gauge the amount of work which will be coming through the door at any given time. As a business person, what really excites me is their potential. I hope that Anchour can manage its growth going forward, taking advantage of it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The Foundation for Hope and Grace is a 501c3 non-profit organization with an overarching focus on at-risk children, nationally and internationally. We've started a second organization called the Not Here Justice in Action Network, with a focus on anti-human-trafficking.

I am the founder of both organizations and the president of the main one.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

As a leader, I've strived for a long-range vision for accomplishments and emerging threats. Communicating this to the general public was a struggle. I could meet someone and tell them what I was passionate about, but making this message reproducible to the masses was a challenge. Anchour came in, listened, did their own research, and verified what we wanted to do.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Through our relationship, we came to see Anchour as a part of our organization. They helped determine what we were trying to do, narrowing down what was or wasn't important.

Anchour met our team and spent time with us. They wanted us to share our hearts, detailing what was important and why we believed in our work. The expression of that led to branding designs which reflected what we wanted to do. This was translated into a website, as well as paper-based material.

We've expanded our relationship with Anchour, building a roadmap document for the state of Maine, guiding the local government in how to deal with human trafficking. Anchour not only applied our branding to that material, but took care of editing, format, structuring, and presentation. I can't imagine that we could do what we do without Anchour's help.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

I'd initially worked with one of Anchour's founders through another company. Although I had some frustrations with that firm, I always felt that he understood what I was saying and did what I wanted to do. Based on that, when I came to need branding services, I went back to him. It was worth taking a risk, because he understood our vision.

How much have you invested with Anchour?

I don’t want to disclose exactly what we spent, but Anchour has been very fair with us in terms of pricing and taking into account that were a non-profit with a mission they believe in.

What is the status of this engagement?

Anchour initially helped us create a logo and tagline for our main organization. We transitioned to a 6-month web development project. Our organization is relatively static, so we haven't revisited the work since then.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

As a fairly small non-profit, we haven't been able to invest in gathering metrics. We've evolved as an organization through the way in which Anchour branded us as a niche. We run an annual conference on anti-human-trafficking issues in the North East. Our first conference had 70 attendees. On the second one, we involved Anchour, who advised us on advertising improvements. We had nearly 200 participants then. By the time our third conference came, Anchour had already been fully engaged and had rebranded our website. Our legitimacy at a state level had greatly improved, which attracted 400 attendees to the third conference. The next event morphed into a partnership with the offices of the governor and the attorney general. We developed the identity of being an anti-human-trafficking organization, which is credited to the way in which Anchour allowed us to portray ourselves in terms of look and message.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

Each project has been quite efficient. I'm always surprised that Anchour has been able to gather the necessary information in time. Much of our effort revolved around my feedback, and the minor adjustments made by Anchour. They always understood what I wanted, so any changes were minor, not putting a strain on the project.

What did you find most impressive about Anchour?

There's a definite sense of relationship with Anchour that is sincere and authentic. Anchour was never afraid to ask why we were doing something in a particular way. Based on our discussions, Anchour did research and looked at how other organizations operate. They found what would or wouldn't work for our personality. I got the feeling of expanding my team, not just buying a service. I had a relationship with a group of people who cared about what I did, and invested in my organization.

Are there any areas Anchour could improve?

No. Anchour has been very responsive, and I've referred them to other people.