Cohere

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

JKRP Architects is a 50-person architecture firm in Center City Philadelphia. We specialize in multi-family residential, health care, retail and entertainment architecture. Licensed in 42 states and work nationwide. I started as an architect here for the first eight years of my career, and the last I have been directing the marketing department for the last four years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cohere?

Our branding materials were stale. Our old marketing was so overly focused on people and relationships to the point that potential new clients didn’t even know what we did. It didn’t help that our name didn’t have “architects” in the title. People often mistook us for a law firm. Our marketing is still focused on people and relationships, but it’s now clear that we are also architects.

We were planning to change our name, and we were almost sure of the name that we were going to choose. As part of that effort, we needed a partner to support us with collateral, logos, website and materials that could change our efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we approached them, it was a carte blanche. We let them know our intentions and gave Cohere the freedom to do whatever it took to successfully update our brand.

In the end, their work involved broad branding elements such as positioning statements and brand guidelines, as well as more specific deliverables. Those included our logo, business cards, capability brochures, and a new website.

For a significant amount of these deliverables, Cohere provided the copy as well as the design elements.

In terms of the website, we didn’t have any initial designs or concepts. We only knew that we wanted it to be easy to navigate and modern. Cohere took that forward and built a WordPress website that showcases our firm. Another requirement is that the website had to be user friendly enough that we could update it easily in house. We now use Cohere for the ongoing maintenance of the site.

How did you come to work with Cohere?

We were referred by a mutual connection. They were hired by a client we were working with at the time. The project we were working on was a tough one and the client really lacked focus and a clear direction for his building. When Cohere came on board, they righted the ship and were able to provide a clear direction for their project. That impressed us and lead us to consider them when were planning our rebrand. We did consider other companies, but Cohere won us over based on their body of work and the positive referral.

How much have you invested with them?

In full, the project cost around $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November, 2015. The bulk of the work was completed in May, 2016, and we currently engage them on a monthly retainer for website maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have seen more success since the launch of our new brand. We’ve had types of projects coming in through our website that we were unable to win through that medium before the website redesign, and we have also been able to win higher profile clients.

We’re happy with their work, and we’ve received consistently positive feedback from clients.

How did Cohere perform from a project management standpoint?

Cohere was very responsive. They always answered the phone or replied to emails immediately if we had any questions or concerns or even suggestions. It was a tough task to manage 7 principals with a design background and they handled it really well. They had everyone on the same page from the first meeting.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They took the time to understand our business and make suggestions that were suited to our needs and our industry.

Cohere seems to have focused their efforts on projects they really want to work on, which is great. They don’t have to rebrand a heating company if they don’t want to. They commit themselves to projects that are meaningful to them, and it shows in their work.

I like that they are all young, go-getter types. It seems like a great place to work, too.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have pushed the envelope a little more. In the end, the deliverables met our needs and are performing well, but it would have been nice to see some options that were a little edgier. However, that was no fault of theirs. We probably told them we were a little more conservative than we really were.