Anchour

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work at a small liberal arts college in New England. I’m the senior associate dean for one of the school’s programs that helps prepare students for post-graduate work and experiences. We aim to inform students about our philosophy and allow them to tailor their educational path for future success.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

Because our college is very classic and traditional, we wanted the new program to step outside of the norm and be modern. We hired Anchour to help us create a brand that aligned with our established school while distinguishing ourselves as a thought leader.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Anchour performed research with key stakeholders, trustees, and alumni and held focus groups consisting of students, faculty, and staff. After gathering this information, they presented a document that showed their understanding of our brand and our place in the public view. We provided feedback and made some modifications. From there, Anchour delivered six different campaigns and we selected one to move forward with.

Once we had our direction planned, their team helped design our logo and overall brand identity. They helped develop our brand messaging and strategy, including choosing color palettes, print and web materials, etc.

What is the team composition?

We began the project with both the president and co-owner of Anchour. They provided a dedicated project manager for the work and I had access to their senior management team at all times. There was a design team assigned to us, as well, and our main point of contact changed depending on the needs of the task.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

We wanted to work with a local company, so we looked at New England-based teams. We were impressed with the local iconic brands Anchour had represented and wanted them to do something similar for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent just over $25,000 on the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from April–July 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback from users has been overwhelmingly positive. We’ve implemented all of Anchour’s suggestions and the response from the public is fantastic. We have a coherent message and they helped us transform into a recognizable brand.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re a high-touch client, and they’re incredibly responsive. Our chief executive was involved throughout the project, so Anchor knew speed and communication were crucial for us. I felt perfectly comfortable reaching out to any member of the team whenever needed. Our main communication took place over phone, email, and I could go to their office.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were more nimble and eager to solve our problems than other teams I’ve worked with. I’m currently working on a different project, and I’m reminded of how skilled and willing the Anchor team was during our engagement.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I can think of that they could’ve improved. We were 100% satisfied with our relationship and the final product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Maine College of Health Professions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

The college had minimal brand awareness and an outdated image. Despite an existing partnership, our digital presence and marketing collateral didn’t reflect who we were as an organization. We needed a new vendor to refresh our image to the public.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, management from both teams participated in exploratory interviews. Anchour presented a roadmap that delineated the process for data gathering relative to the true perception, disposition, and attitudes about the college from students, faculty, and management. These meetings led to the first set of deliverables.

The subsequent reports established our differentiators and brand profile. From there, Anchour created a new logo and did web development. We recently received new business cards based on those designs. Also, the team released new web pages a few days ago.

What is the team composition?

Initially, we worked with Josh (Partner/President, Anchour), who then handed the engagement to a project manager. Currently, we interact with Josh, Stephen (CEO, Anchour), and Alex (Digital Marketer, Anchour).

How did you come to work with Anchour?

Shortly after I joined the college, we made rebranding a priority. Our team set a budget and sought referrals from our hospital network. We received a recommendation for Anchour because the team was new and three blocks away from our office. We then held introductory meetings and mutual interviews; Anchour does not accept every client.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent at least $50,000 on the project. Including collateral production, the total cost is near $80,000.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2018 and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Anchour absolutely nailed the rebrand. They’ve kept us close to the process and while forming a congruent strategy from the volume of collateral they created. The team is incredibly responsive and adept—qualities that distinguish them from our previous partners. They get the job done.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is available and open to feedback; they want to know if they’re moving in the wrong direction. We feel comfortable providing feedback, but there’s never been a reason to say something negative. Our recent conversations about driving traffic are proof the engagement’s success. The frequency of communication fluctuates with the project cycle, but they’ll proactively reach out to ensure everything is okay.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Anchour is mission-driven and wants us to succeed. The team is not only professional, but also enthusiastic, optimistic, and energetic. The team has a fun sophistication that makes for a great vibe. We couldn’t be happier about working with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a sales coordinator at Caleb Johnson Studio and, our affiliated construction company, Woodhull of Maine. We are an award-winning Maine architecture and construction firm, offering custom design/build services for new homes, renovations, additions, and commercial projects, with noted expertise in completing residential projects at challenging waterfront properties.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

We were looking for a creative team to help us develop our two websites. We also needed help with our brand message, getting that message to reach our target audience, organic search results, and social media efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Anchour helped rethink and relaunch our digital presence as a firm, including new brands, websites, and social media. Their services have included brand strategy, copywriting, website design, development, and ongoing digital marketing.

What is the team composition?

We have worked with the partner/CEO, creative director, senior designer, digital marketer, strategist, account manager, director of client services, development manager and content producer.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

I was referred to them by a friend who works on their team.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2017 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Before we engaged Anchour, we were focused almost exclusively on print ads. Anchour has helped us successfully change our direction and focus on web development, digital strategy/marketing. We've noticed a significant increase in the number of qualified inquiries that come in through the website. We have not advertised in print for the past five months, and the number of inquiries we receive continues—we feel this is largely in part due to our collaboration with Anchour's team.

How Anchour they perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very professional and have all the necessary resources to handle our requests quickly and efficiently.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They care about doing high-quality work. They understand our vision and treat our business as if it was their own. It’s been an enjoyable collaboration.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We've been very happy with them and we've recommended them to many other firms.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a project manager at Herbert Construction, a commercial construction management firm located in Maine, specializing in multi-residential units, schools, and other types of properties.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

We engaged Anchour to update our branding, RFP material, marketing materials, and website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, Anchour redesigned our website, updating the branding, messaging, and schematic. They provided multiple rounds of designs for us to approve and modify. Then, they helped us onboard our RFP materials, integrated Adobe InDesign software, and designed other branding materials as needed.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with Tom (Account Manager, Anchour) and Marc (Director of Client Services, Anchour), but I also worked with the President and CEO in the earlier stages of the project.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

Their offices are just down the street from us and we liked the work they'd done for other businesses in the area, so we felt they would be a good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested about $65,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since July 2018 and they continue to provide ongoing marketing services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just launched the website, so we don't have any metrics to share just yet, but we've been very happy with their work overall. We've already seen an uptick in comments, recognition, and positive feedback thanks to some of their efforts. Morale has also improved; everyone's very happy to see the progress that's been made.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very straightforward and good about mapping out their process, timelines, and objectives. We mostly communicate with them through in-person meetings or email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of care and involvement sets them apart. They take pride in the messaging they produce for clients. They also took the time to thoroughly understand our industry and lingo.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had some communication issues in the beginning, but they were able to quickly make adjustments and everything's been moving along smoothly since.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing partner for a CPA firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

We needed to address marketing and branding.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They laid out a scope of work for the frontend, aiming to have a foundation website that would be deployable for future digital marketing. Anchour provided varying options to get the brand identity and place; they utilized several in-house individuals to identify proper verbiage and establish the firm’s identity. The team rebranded the old logo and other marketing materials–keeping our traditional color scheme – and redeploying them as more modern iterations.

What is the team composition?

The team had four people and included the SEO, president, and senior strategist.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

They had a footprint in the local market. Anchour’s attention to detail also stood out from other firms we looked at. The team delivered a good presentation that thoroughly explained the scope.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $20,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2017 and ended in March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our SEO performance has improved and is now closer to optimal levels. We’re also starting to cultivate the database and analytics, which will inform future evaluations as we gear up from the launch over the next 12 months.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very conscientious of timelines and the need to stay on schedule. Whenever our team encountered a delay, Anchour reached out to ensure everything was on track.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their research provided showed how potential feeds or advertising are received. While I don’t have a benchmark to compare them to, our progress with SEO suggests future success with digital marketing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their team has historically captured product centered companies. We felt that the service sector would be challenge to them, but after they got a hold on our organization, they were able to really enhance our image in this digital world.

Any advice for potential customers?

Set clear expectations at the start of the engagement. That level of clarity will maximize results and get realistic timelines and benchmarks.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing and business development for Dirigo, a credit union.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

We wanted a new logo and a new brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They first met with our management team to identify our needs and goals. Anchour then conducted secondary meetings with staff to figure out the company and our overall vision for the project. The team also surveyed our local membership base to see how people perceived our organization. Afterwards, Anchour presented different ideas based on this information.

In addition to the new logo, they produced a brand guide with colors, font, and tone for our culture. That project led to new projects with Anchour serving as an external marketing firm. The team created product collateral for our various branches and consulted with outside architect and branding firms that supported our new location opening.

What is the team composition?

We worked with the CEO and COO before transitioning to a project manager, who liaised between us and the design team.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

We wanted a local vendor that knew our customer demographic and Anchour’s web content distinguished them from the larger firms we considered. When I sent an inquiry, the COO responded within 10 minutes.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent approximately $50,000 on the original project and invested more on a separate web redesign project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from February–October 2017. However, there was a three-month gap in the timeline because of my maternity leave.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve only gotten positive feedback on the digital campaigns. I have nothing negative to say about them.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

Their company grew considerably since the start of the engagement. The CEO and COO were initially spread thin but did eventually onboard project managers. With the new resources, the team met deadlines and completed turnarounds in under a week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have comprehensive skill sets for digital media, advertising, marketing, and web development. Their breadth of knowledge validated my decision them. We also learned a lot.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a strategy consultant. I started my firm over the course of the past year, and I specialize in strategy consulting for the automotive industry. I work with investors, hedge funds, private equity firms, investment banks, and automotive companies. I provide support in developing strategies that are generally focused on high technologies or new technologies associated with the automotive industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

They’ve helped me with three things thus far. They helped me build my brand strategy and put together a brand strategy document to help me clarify what sets me apart from other automotive experts and consultants. Second, they helped me develop all of my marketing assets. They worked on logos and identity, and all the things that are necessary for running a website, social media presence, and correspondence with my customers. The third thing they helped me with was my website design. They developed content, and they also developed the look and feel and the personality associated with my site. Through all of that, they created a unique user experience for people who come to my site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They first had a lengthy interview with me to find out what’s important to me, what I’m passionate about, and how I see myself. The second part of that was how others see me, so they talked to other people. The third thing they did was some competitor analysis. They also looked at the messages that are important with these types of companies. That’s the process they used to develop the brand strategy. They then took that information and started applying it to the logo, and started to develop the marketing assets associated with my brand.

I had already hired a developer, but Anchour did the design work for my website. They did the branding, brand strategy, the marketing assets, and then the design. I’m now engaged with them for help with my digital marketing strategy. They’ve done very nice work.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

I did an internet search for the best web designs and other similar searches. Anchour kept coming up on any search I did. I liked the feel of their website so much that I decided to hire them. We had a couple of Skype meetings but never any in-person meetings.

How much have you invested with Anchour?

I’ve invested almost $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October of 2016, and the work is ongoing. The original project ended in February of this year and now we’re working on the digital marketing campaign.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The site just got up and running in the past week, so I won’t have any metrics for about three months.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been very realistic about timing. As we wrap up a meeting, they’ll tell me how much time they need for the next phase, and we set up the next meeting. They send me the updated materials the morning of the meeting, so I have time to review them. They’re always on time, and they always have the work done in the most professional manner. I was pleasantly surprised with the way they honor their commitments and follow up with great work.

What did you find most impressive about Anchour?

They’re very knowledgeable and professional. They’re at the top of their game. They offer the complete value chain of services, which is important to me as I’m not experienced in their industry. If I had to do it all over again, I would have Anchour do everything rather than hiring a separate developer. They get to know you and your strategy. They’re a great partner in the whole process.

Are there any areas Anchour could improve?

It’s hard to critique them, as I’m not an expert in this area. My experience with Anchour has been great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the manager of Brettuns Village, an online retailer specializing in two distinct areas: leathercraft supplies and the restoration of antique steamer trunks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Anchour?

We contacted Anchour to modernize our website. We sell almost exclusively online, and we are currently maintaining our website with a system that was outdated probably 10 years ago. We’ve managed to keep it limping along, but we’ve known for a while that we had to upgrade it. Frankly, we were afraid of fiddling with it until now.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Anchour has done both backend and design work for our website. Right now, they’re working to get our website into a more modern and editable format. We’ve been using Netscape Composer, and Anchour has helped us transition to Adobe Dreamweaver. Anchour also has helped us with our image and marketing. For the first time in our company’s 21-year history, we have a logo that doesn't look like a disaster. Over the years, we’ve tried to come up with logos on our own but we clearly are not creative people here. They’re creative at Anchour, though. They had a vision of how our logo should represent our company and our rather weird line of products, and they did a great job with it.

How did you come to work with Anchour?

Our company is a member of the local chamber of commerce, and at one of our meetings, I heard business associates mention that they were working with Anchour. Then, during the preparation of our annual tax return last year, our accountant asked about the business and we discussed some of the challenges we were having; she advised us to contact Anchour. She thought it would be a good match. I promptly contacted them about three months later. They seemed interested in working with us right from the get-go, and it seemed like a good fit.

How much have you invested with Anchour?

We’ve invested a little over $10,000 with Anchour so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

I think we started working with Anchour in October 2016. The original tasks were completed fairly quickly and exactly on the schedule they had predicted.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I think it’s too early to have any hard evidence. We have a brand new website that is cool but we’re still putting the finishing touches on it, so it hasn’t been launched yet. We hope to have it online within the next week or two. I’m sure we’ll have some things to fix here and there after it goes live, but I suspect we’ll have some good looking numbers to share in about two to three months.

How did Anchour perform from a project management standpoint?

I couldn't be happier with how Anchour has managed its work with Brettuns Village. They come across as technical experts who know what they’re doing, and the proof has been in the work they’ve done in translating our website, which is enormous. We have hundreds of pages on our website and around 10,000 photographs. It’s a monster, and they tackled it like it was nothing. It’s reassuring to have someone tell you, “Oh yeah, piece of cake,” and when they say it at Anchour, they mean it. The project has gone so smoothly. I can't tell you what a relief it is to have this transition feel like a walk in the park after putting it off for so many years. As the project has gone along, we’ve also modified the scope of the project and added some features, and I suspect that’ll continue as we become technically better at some of the issues they’ve helped us with. I think we’ll become more aware of other issues that we can use their help with. They’re helping to educate us along the way.

What did you find most impressive about Anchour?

What impressed us right from the beginning of this effort with Anchour was that our first three meetings with them all took place at our office, not theirs. I can't tell you what an impression that made on me. It was huge. I felt like they wanted to be here to get to know our business better. I think that a lot of consultants want to bring you to their office, put you at their big oak conference table, and serve you their K-Cup coffee, which is always terrible.

The guys at Anchour came to us because they wanted to see and learn about what we do. Every question they asked was about our customers, our products, and about how we maintain quality. Quality for us, because we’re kind of a mail-order business, means that we get the orders correct. It was refreshing to have someone ask those types of questions about our business. They got out of their chairs, they walked around, they looked at and touched the things that we sell, and they scratched our company dog behind the ears right where she likes it. They just seemed interested in getting to know us before they began to restructure our website, and it was awesome. Every meeting has been informative, fulfilling, and exciting. We’ve been dreading the work on our website for years, and now these guys have us excited about it. There’s been a dramatic mood change around this place.

Are there any areas Anchour could improve?

I’m so pro-Anchour right now that it’s hard for me to think of an area where Anchour could use improvement. I honestly don't have a suggestion for how they could change, because the project has gone so well.

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.