BKDSN

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I'm responsible for sales and marketing at Metalware, an industrial shelving manufacturer. We produce shelving for organizations in the material handling sector. Companies who require shelving for storage at one of their facilities is our primary customer base. We have a number of different shelving lines that we market in both Canada and the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BKDSN?

Our company has undergone a transformation as the industry has adapted over the last five years. We used to sell to organizations and today we’re more project-based. A lot of the transformation has taken place from an operational but also from a communication perspective. As part of a larger marketing project, we needed an external resource to help us create a series of videos.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

We underwent an overall rebranding exercise as part of our organizational transformation. We worked with a separate agency to create a new identity do a deep dive at where we needed to develop materials. They determined we needed a number of sales tools to use in the marketplace and at trade shows. We engaged BKDSN to execute a series of product-centric videos in a computer generated format. 

We were very clear as to what we needed. The videos are intended to demonstrate how our products are put together and to show the expandability of our systems. Our main business is systems and structures with hundreds or thousands of bays of shelving in a warehouse. BKDSN developed two videos, one for each of our product lines. We provided the product renderings and they produced the computer-generated videos.

What is the team composition?

We worked exclusively with Bart (Creative Director, BKDSN). He did have someone else attend the introductory meeting, but other than that he was my main contact.

How did you come to work with BKDSN? 

The agency we worked with on the larger rebranding introduced me to Bart. They sent me their portfolio and one of the pieces completely intrigued me. I was curious to know more about them so we had an introductory meeting. I liked their work, and I got an incredibly positive feeling from Bart. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $15,000 CAD (approximately $11,100 USD).

What is the status of this engagement? 

Work kicked off in January 2019, and they delivered finished pieces to us by the end of February 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re ecstatic with the output. We’re already using the videos for all of our sales meetings. They’re on our website and YouTube channel. They will be shared on our social platforms as well. They’re effective tools in the marketplace for our sales representatives. We're sending them to our customer base on a regular basis and they’ve been incredibly well-received so far. We've had nothing but tremendous compliments. We haven't yet been able to measure the success of the videos via outbound communication so we'll be testing that over the coming months. 

How did BKDSN perform from a project management standpoint? 

I ran a marketing and communications agency for 27 years. I can comfortably say that I’ve never experienced an outside vendor as diligent as Bart. I imagine his entire team is as well. BKDSN provided spectacular project execution. I’ve never experienced such flawless project delivery. They met every deadline regardless of whether we were making revisions on the fly. Their accommodation of us was highlighted by the positive energy they emit. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

This was my first time working on a computer-generated video. We provided a lot of technical support to help facilitate the project. We gave them fairly extensive revisions because accuracy is so important to us. However, at no point in time did they ever complain or question our process. Working with BKDSN was an entirely positive experience. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not really. Both videos came out really well. I'm fairly critical but I'd have to stretch to find a criticism. BKDSN completely achieved our objective. I will go back to them as soon as we need more creative materials developed. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

The more thoroughly you can explain what you want and the intricacies of what's involved, the better BKDSN will perform.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of Brother, a consumer product printing business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BKDSN?

We needed a professional to create a promotional video for our company with computer graphics of printers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided ideas on the story we wanted to tell customers about our printers and some necessary information to create graphic designs. BKDSN designed a storyboard and computer graphics of the printers and surroundings. Once complete, they created a completed video for us to use for marketing purpose. 

Throughout our engagement, we worked on several video production projects together. BKDSN included interviews with several people to make certain videos more emotional or human-centric. They also created some websites for us.

What is the team composition? 

There were about 2-3 people from BKDSN dedicated to creating our video. We also had a main point of contact.

How did you come to work with BKDSN?

They’re a Canadian-oriented company. We have a sales company in Canada as well. One of our employees introduced us to BKDSN as an alternative creative agency for our promotional video.

How much have you invested with them?

 ¥10,000,000– ¥20,000,000 JPY (approximately $91,000–$183,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from 2007–2018.  The video creation process took about 2-4 months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video BKDSN produced offered us many opportunities, both internally and externally. We have used it on our website, at dealer events, and for sales, marketing, and education.

The page views of our website increased because of the videos they created us. Working together led to a positive outcome for our business.

How did BKDSN perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was great. BKDSN was very flexible and responded to us quickly. They kept an open line of communication over email back and forth. The only difficulty with communication was the difficulty from the time difference. I was based in Japan, while they were in Canada.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their computer graphics BKDSN created were most impressive. The assets they made helped us create product images and video well before the offshore production, which was greatly beneficial for internal and external purposes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had them BKDSN include people in the video, and their output at the beginning wasn’t perfectly aligned with what we had envisioned. However, their work gradually improved. They still have room to focus more on the human element.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Since the team includes maybe 4-5 employees, they don’t have a lot of resources. They might have difficulty managing projects with a very short timeframe or create things last-minute. I advise potential customers not to give them a tight schedule without prior notice. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work in marketing communications for a lighting manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BKDSN?

We needed someone to develop our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve actually worked with them on two website projects over the past decade, but I’ll focus on the most recent one. We provided them with a site map that detailed what we were looking for in terms of content and structure, but they defined the broader scope of the project. They helped us choose our CMS platform and planned out our UI/UX. We’d wanted a CMS that was user-friendly for in-house staff, so they also took that into account. Once we had those details ironed out, they handled all aspects of development and design on the site. They also continue to provide patches and technical support.

What is the team composition?

Their senior web developer was our main point of contact. There was at least one other staff member helping out, but there might have also been others.

How did you come to work with BKDSN?

My boss knew their owner through a previous job.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve probably spent around $100,000 to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since 2009, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work has helped bring in more traffic to our site. We’ve also received a lot of positive feedback from customers and internal staff about how much cleaner it looks. It’s much easier to leverage our site for marketing now because we can push the content out directly on our social media channels

How did BKDSN perform from a project management standpoint?

We touch base by phone and email, although we’ll have in-person sessions if we need to provide detailed information on what we’re looking for in terms of site development. They’ve been incredibly responsive throughout our experience working together. If they don’t know the answer to a question immediately, they’ll do a bit of research and respond promptly with an answer.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our main point of contact is very friendly and easy to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are times when they’ll estimate a project length, and it ends up taking twice as long, but that could also be partially our fault. I’m not sure that they factor our other obligations into the estimates for how long it takes to test and convey feedback on a project, so more realistic project timelines would be nice.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When they provide a project length, clarify what processes have been factored into it to make sure the estimate accounts for any work you need to do, in addition to whatever time the developers are spending on the project. Break down the timeline step by step to ensure understanding.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director of Automotive Data Solutions. We’re a manufacturer of aftermarket remote start and audio interface products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BKDSN?

We hired them to produce videos with 3D and CGI content.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve collaborated on a few product launches in the last nine years. Our team provides basic imaging and pictures, and their side renders the content into 3D. The videos allow users to zoom in and out on the product features from a range of angles.

BKDSN has also provided web development services. We collaborate on the specifications for each section. They consult on front- and backend management, while also making updates to the platform.

What is the team composition?

We work with Bart (Founder/President/Creative Director, BKDSN).

How did you come to work with BKDSN?

We work in the same building as BKDSN, which made the team feel like an extension of our marketing department.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2010 and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The videos for our 2012 product launches made a significant impact at a major trade show. During the event, the videos achieved impressive industry attention and helped us secure $10 million in new business. Our sales team continues to leverage those videos, which are currently earning tens of thousands of hits on YouTube.

How did BKDSN perform from a project management standpoint?

BKDSN has gone above and beyond, especially when they facilitated the hosting migration for our corporate website. The team’s proximity and highly responsive service contribute to our fantastic working relationship. Bart replies to emails within minutes, if not the same business day.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are a natural fit for our organization. BKDSN is always available to augment our internal resources when we’re overloaded with work. They understand our market and products. Even though our industry is not intuitive, the team successfully handled the learning curve. BKDSN now helps us refine our messaging to make it accessible. I’ve already introduced the team to other companies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The team has never under-delivered.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Since prices are hard to estimate up front, it’s better initially to discuss the bigger picture rather than just one project.