Corporation Pop Ltd

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The company is MRB Sports Hub. I’m the CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Corporation Pop?

We’re developing a series of sports network apps.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Corporation Pop took the project from ideation and will take care of the development as well. They’ve handled the branding which turned out fantastic and they’ve designed the way it looks and feels. They finished the prototype for me and will be working on the iOS and Android app soon. They used Apache Cordova to build the app in order to keep the price down. They were very flexible and we have no complaints about the result.

How did you come to work with Corporation Pop?

I contacted a few developers to get an idea of the price. I contacted one company that was too expensive, but they gave me some names of some companies they’d worked with who were really good. I called Corporation Pop and told them my idea which they seemed really keen on. I went in for a meeting and saw that their offices are really nice. They showed me other projects they had worked on, which were all fantastic. They seemed open to suggestions and wanted to work with me. They were reasonable on price as well. They started working on the project the next week.

How much have you invested with Corporation Pop?

We spent £40,000 [US $ 51,504].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2016, and the prototype was finished in April 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve gotten good feedback so far from people in the market who are interested in the product. They say it looks great. It hasn’t been released to the public yet, though.

How did Corporation Pop form from a project management standpoint?

They’re fantastic. They kept me updated every week. If there was something I needed that was going to delay the project and go over the budget, they weren’t bothered. They’re more passionate about the project than about saving time. It ended up helping the final design.

What did you find most impressive about Corporation Pop?

From the moment they started, the project was based on user experience. They create the app based on what the user would want. Everything they did was focused on the user, which I think is fantastic.

Are there any areas Corporation Pop could improve?

No. Everything has been fine. I have no complaints.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Cream is based in Liverpool and operates in the live and electronic music sector. We deliver festivals, concerts, and events throughout the UK, Europe, and further afield. Creamfields is our major UK festival, with 70,000 people attending each year. My role is Head of Digital and Creative. I’m responsible for everything from our web development and design through to the look and feel of the festivals and shows we put on.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Corporation Pop?

I have been working with Corporation Pop for some years now. The most recent challenge has been a complete redesign of our main festival website creamfields.com, which we had outgrown. It needed a refresh. Aside from being three years out of date, the site was confusing for users to navigate. Information was lost on third and fourth level pages. We also wanted the update for commercial reasons: to sell more tickets. That was the challenge and the brief I sent them for our latest project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The new website is based on WordPress since our previous sites were on WordPress and it works well for us. Because of the amount of content added, we were keen on keeping the same content management system. Rather than look for a new CMS, we wanted to retain the backend our editors are familiar with. It used to be based on an Apache web server, but crashed every time we launched the festival lineup. That was one of the other challenges—making sure that the website stayed up. Corporation Pop shifted the host and platform across to NGINX, which was much more stable. They also looked at tech setups, going from a single dedicated server to a couple of distributed servers with a low balance between them.

Corporation Pop has become an extension of the team. They still do work on our web graphics, poster design, print design, web banners, and main campaign artwork and creative. We have some in-house staff that does artwork rollout, but the creative comes from Corporation Pop.

How did you come to work with Corporation Pop?

It was through a recommendation. We were looking for companies to pitch, and the reference came up with a name we should be talking to. We are based in Liverpool and they are in Manchester, so they are handy geographically. We put out the artwork to pitch to four agencies at the time. Corporation Pop won the pitch and then pitched again three years in a row. After those three years, we ended up not bothering with the pitch process because they understood our needs. We decided to build a relationship with them. It’s like having an extended business partner rather than having to go out and re-pitch and recommission somebody every year. We found an agency that just got what we were doing, saving us a lot of time.

How much have you invested with Corporation Pop?

It’s been over £250,000 pounds [over $312,275].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Corporation Pop from a graphic design perspective nine years ago. That relationship has continued.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I think the starkest, factual recent example is the uplift in ticket sales of creamfields.com. Web traffic has been up 30% year-on-year. Our sales have a similar uplift. Obviously, there’s marketing activity, but a large part of that is due to the development of the new site and the services they delivered. Corporation Pop have been helpful with the technical side of things, helping us to deal with challenges. We tend to get hit with lots of traffic all at once in a couple of periods throughout the year. Just recently, they helped us manage a peak season without any issues, which is great. When we set a brief or ask for a project, if I’m not happy with it I get back to them. They would work on it until we are happy with it.

How did Corporation Pop perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s been interesting because the design relationship is quite different from the web relationship. It’s quite informal. I work closely with Dan, their Creative Director, on the design side of things. We rarely send a written brief these days; it tends to be a quick phone call.

We tend to have things jump on us quite unpredictably. While other agencies weren't able to manage quick deadlines, Corporation Pop pulls out all the stops and makes sure it happens.

During the web project, which was our first time working on a web design project with them, it was a case of learning their tools and raising tickets and working to an Agile design methodology. There was more of a process to it, and that suited the project well.  However, they adapt the way they work, depending on the project. From a design point of view, it’s very informal because of their nine years of experience with us. On the web side of things, they were agile. I’d raise a ticket with a request, and it would be answered within a few days. I was happy with the way it was managed.

What did you find most impressive about Corporation Pop?

They are so personable and friendly. They really do not feel like just an agency. They pull in favors occasionally, such as working late when we’ve got a deadline. They’re always ready to make sure what we’re delivering is what they’re delivering. Dan comes to our festival every year, so he has an intimate knowledge of what the festival is about. For me, that’s going over and above. I don’t know whether there are many design creative directors who’d come to a festival to see that they’re still delivering in terms of the artwork and so on. That’s the difference. Dan and I became friends over the years outside of work, so there’s a good relationship there.

Are there any areas Corporation Pop could improve?

To be honest with you, no, or I would be looking for another agency. I’m genuinely happy with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Future plc is a global media company. We publish a suite of specialized websites, magazines, and event experiences. These are in sectors like technology, gaming, creative and design, music, photography, and film. My role is head of brand and trade marketing. I work with various teams to support brand marketing efforts and corporate communication.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Corporation Pop?

We wanted to create awareness of our proposition and positioning in the market in a way that was innovative.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project we worked on with Corporation Pop was a virtual reality experience. It takes the user on a journey into our business environment. With it, users can examine the future of technology, gaming, music, and the other sectors we cover. Corporation Pop designed and built the experience, and they lead the project from a creative perspective. It was their main project with us. It was created for a series of events and as a general marketing tool.

How did you come to work with Corporation Pop?

Someone within the business knew Corporation Pop. We got in touch with them via that referral.

How much have you invested with Corporation Pop?

We’ve invested roughly £50,000 [$61,000] in Corporation Pop’s services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started developing the idea with Corporation Pop in May 2016. The project was completed in September 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re measuring the main result of the project in terms of feedback, which has been positive within the business. Our clients see it as an innovative effort that is engaging and different. We’ve also taken it to a couple of events we’ve attended. Corporation Pop’s work with us definitely has helped to create an innovative perception of our business. However, there isn’t a hard, specific metric attributable to the project.

How did Corporation Pop perform from a project management standpoint?

Corporation Pop performs well from a project management standpoint. They had a dedicated project manager for us, and we met weekly over the phone.

What did you find most impressive about Corporation Pop?

The thing that’s most impressive about Corporation Pop is their attitude and professionalism. They’re also quite on top of what’s happening in the industry. Dom, who runs the company, is creative and nice to work with. All of their employees were incredibly pleasant throughout the process. We visited their offices, and the work they’re doing beyond our project is really inspiring and interesting.

Are there any areas Corporation Pop could improve?

I can't think of any way Corporation Pop could have improved on our specific project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of UNILAD, a social media publishing platform that specializes in breaking news and trending content around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Corporation Pop?

Corporation Pop helped develop an app as another way for our fan base to be able to access our content in a more user-friendly format. They wouldn’t have to go to Facebook and then through the UNILAD page to find content or have to go through a web browser and then to our website to look something up. The app was a quick way for them to get content from us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Corporation Pop did everything. They have in-house designers, so they did the graphic design, backend, and frontend. I only helped inform the design. If you don’t have any design experience, they can take it off your hands, take your ideas, and make it from scratch. Luckily, I did have a vision for the app so that helped take away a little bit of weight off their shoulders when it came to the design. From our Google Analytics traffic, we had a split between iOS and Android users, so we decided it was worth doing the app for both Android and iOS.

How did you come to work with Corporation Pop?

They were actually in the office above our old office. We passed them on the stairs every day. When we eventually started to look for app development, a couple of companies gave us quotes, which were all around the same figure. However, I thought of the efficiency with Corporation Pop being upstairs, and the easiness for having meetings. They seemed like trustworthy people and their service was of good quality, so I gave them a shot.

How much have you invested with Corporation Pop?

It came out to be €35,000 [USD $37,125].

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2015 and completed the work in January 2016. There were delays—some that we could have quickened up, but others we couldn’t due to the holiday season.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

On the week we launched, we made it to the top 10 news apps on the App Store, which was cool. We also got a lot of app downloads—over 100,000.

How did Corporation Pop perform from a project management standpoint?

It was absolutely fine. They were efficient and friendly people. Sally was the project manager, and she was really pleasant. Resource-wise, I was just overseeing the project. I probably should have had a project manager on my end to keep things flowing. I was overwhelmed with my work as it is, so adding the project slowed down the process and led to delays. But having said this, they did a good job. I haven’t had much experience with project managers before, so I didn’t have much to compare it to. They’re the first app company that I’ve worked with, and it went well.

What did you most impressive about Corporation Pop?

They’re experts in user experience. If there’s something you design in Photoshop, they analyze it and say, “That’s not going to work because you’re going to try to slide that, and that’s not going to make this thing work.” Their design is premium and on point, but I think the user experience side of things is where they stand out. They’re not scared to talk to people with big budgets. They can have big clients come to them with all these proposals, and they’ll say when something is not going to work.

Are there any areas Corporation Pop could improve?

I can’t think of anything. Everything was all right.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director of The Cogency, which is an arts marketing company based in the UK. We do marketing for arts events, venues, and festivals across the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Corporation Pop?

We were looking to develop a creative digital idea for our project called 14-18 NOW, which is the UK’s arts program for the World War I Centenary. It’s a five-year program which began in 2014 and runs until November of 2018. Within that program, there’s a specific project called Dazzle Ships. It is a modern-day recreation of the dazzle ships from WWI, with international artists turning ships into floating works of art. We commissioned Corporation Pop to create a digital manifestation of that project, which is the app.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Corporation Pop was instrumental in helping us shape the idea of what the app was going to be. Corporation Pop used augmented reality to make the final product even more exciting that we initially envisioned. We worked with Corporation Pop to develop the app, through the wireframe stage, user experience, and design. Corporation Pop built and fully tested the app for us, and launched it on both Android and iOS. Corporation Pop also supported us regarding marketing and copywriting. We worked with one main developer and designer; however, Corporation Pop provided a wider team that included a project manager as well.

Our main goal was to create an app that’s engaging in its own right, but also allows the user to learn about the history behind the Dazzle Ships project. Corporation Pop created 3D models of each ship and other visual objects the user could “dazzle.” Users can create their patterns within the app; then the augmented reality allows them to wrap the pattern around the 3D model and take a photo of it. It is shareable and encourages users to create a gallery of new dazzles.

Corporation Pop also created a website that profiled both the app and the featured ships. The website included information about the contemporary project and the history behind the project. Corporation Pop has also built two or three websites for other, stand-alone arts events as well. Corporation Pop did both the design and development of those sites.

How did you come to work with Corporation Pop?

Corporation Pop's director gave us a presentation over ten years ago, and we really liked their approach. It took some time to find the right project for Corporation Pop, but they’ve done several projects for us since then.

How much have you invested with Corporation Pop?

We’ve invested between $50,000 and $200,000 to date.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together several years ago. The current phase of the Dazzle project was completed in April 2016, but it’s likely that we’ll engage Corporation Pop again for another phase.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app helped to extend the life of the art project a lot. It broadened the art’s audience beyond those who actually visited one of the ships, and it helped to interest younger people who may not have previously been interested in the history of WWI. It’s given us an aspect of the project that can live online throughout the entire 14-18 NOW timeline. It has really helped to extend our audience for that project.

The app has all the functionality we were looking for. Sometimes there were some tricky elements with the augmented reality, but that seems to be the nature of working with those technologies. Creatively, the app built by Corporation Pop has pushed beyond what we imagined at first.

We revised the user journey several times. Together we spent a lot of time thinking about how the user moved through the different elements of the app. Share-ability was the focus. The initial user testing is the only tracked feedback we have.

How did Corporation Pop perform from a project management standpoint?

Corporation Pop is incredibly strong in project management. There were a lot of stakeholders involved on our side, but Corporation Pop remained very flexible, accommodating, and willing to respond to changes. Corporation Pop went the extra mile in getting the project delivered.

We used Basecamp for communication, and we kept in touch daily. At the height of the project, communication often occurred several times a day. We didn’t have issues with missed deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about Corporation Pop?

Corporation Pop has a very creative approach and genuine enthusiasm for doing something different.

Are there any areas Corporation Pop could improve?

There’s nothing that immediately springs to mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The BBC is a public broadcaster and media company in the UK, covering everything from TV and radio to online media.

I am a technical project manager working for the Knowledge and Learning department of the online team. I project manage a team which looks after the Bitesize and Guides parts of our online website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Corporation Pop?

We needed to develop a functionality which would allow our editorial teams to create individual educational challenges and games for kids, focusing on math.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Corporation Pop developed 4 tools for teaching the Singapore method of math, which is a relatively unknown approach to children and adults. The tools consist of a bar chart, an array tool, a comparison tool, and a ratio one.

We employed Corporation Pop as an independent supplier, responsible for the end-to-end development of the tools based on our set of requirements. We supplied technical and UX specs, as well as accessibility guidelines.

How did you come to work with Corporation Pop?

We made a request for proposal and sent it to our supplier list, which Corporation Pop is a member of. They responded with a costing and development proposal, which was the best out of all the other ones we received.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Corporation Pop in March 2016. The project was completed in September. We've had a call with Corporation Pop recently in order to make some improvements and add functionalities to the tools.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The tools produced by Corporation Pop have had a very good response during user testing for a wide spectrum of age groups, from 5-year-olds to adults. We hope to use Corporation Pop's services a lot more frequently over the next 12 months as we bring new content to the site.

How did Corporation Pop perform from a project management standpoint?

Corporation Pop kept on top of all elements of delivery for the project, managed the scope well, and had flawless communication. The team was easy to work with and questioned things, even as the project became more difficult. We've always managed to find a solution or path.

What did you find most impressive about Corporation Pop?

Corporation Pop is a friendly and personable company to work with overall. They've gone the extra mile in obtaining resolutions to our problems, and have been very honest. Corporation Pop's team didn't mind having difficult conversations with us when issues popped up.

Are there any areas Corporation Pop could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a very small startup and the trading arm of a non-profit organization. That organization was set up in order to identify and develop professional cybersecurity talent by means of gaming. In doing so, they had accumulated a number of assets, among which is a massive multiplayer online gaming (MMOG) platform. The trading arm was created in order to monetize these assets. The Not For Profit organization has been active for 6 years, the trading arm just over a year.

I am the CEO of the trading arm company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Corporation Pop?

We had to do some considerable redevelopment for the gaming platform.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The MMOG is a unique platform. We were quite guarded in terms of protecting our intellectual property. The original version of our game had been developed by another company. We had some issues with personnel turnover on their side, as well as with their documentation process. As such, I was very keen to see what Corporation Pop's procedures were when we first went to them. One of the things I'm very interested in seeing with all software development is the creation of a colophon. This is particularly important for things such as information platforms, which is really what our product is, so that if something happens to the developer we know what we have and the next developer can easily pick up where the development has stopped.

We presented Corporation Pop with a Unity software application which was unknown to them. Corporation Pop gave us a significant review of it, at some cost to themselves, which was the basis on which we moved forward with the project.

The first upgrade we worked on was against the clock, but I was particularly looking to maintain good quality assurance standards. Corporation Pop did this extremely well.

How did you come to work with Corporation Pop?

Corporation Pop was recommended to us by another partner. They're a software design shop with a particular focus on Unity Engine games, which is what our own product is based on.

Corporation Pop is based in Manchester, while the trading arm company is in London. Corporation Pop is a small company, but the people from their team are both enthusiastic and skilled. When we first went there to outline our requirements, the team was extremely helpful.

I was also interested to see how Corporation Pop would handle Agile development since most companies have their own approach. Corporation Pop was flexible in how they would be working with me and were willing to stand back and look at their own procedures.

How much have you invested with Corporation Pop?

The cost of Corporation Pop's work has been around $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Corporation Pop in December 2015. Projects like ours are never completed, but we made the first upgrade in less than 12 weeks. We had another 12–week period during which we decided what to do next and looked for funding. The second upgrade was significantly more complex, also involving a client website. It was completed between September and December 2016. We've recently signed a new contract with Corporation Pop for completing the third upgrade. It will be a massive project for them, as a small company, but Corporation Pop has approached it in a highly professional way.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are now able to see quite a few stats which we couldn't see before. For example, registrations for people looking for a career in cybersecurity have gone from zero to 4,000 registrants in less than seven weeks. This was due solely to the increased ease of use achieved in our platform, especially since we haven't promoted or marketed the platform yet.

We've gone through an exercise over the last two weeks of launching and advertising a new game, leading to a huge lift. Before, the impact of new games was not noticeable. Corporation Pop's work has led to many more registrants playing our games. We plan to multiply this by at least a factor of ten and see if our infrastructure is robust enough to take that on.

How did Corporation Pop perform from a project management standpoint?

Corporation Pop has found our project quite demanding. Like many small companies, although they can undertake Agile development, Corporation Pop is still using spreadsheets for the task. I'm used to people using more professional software packages such as Microsoft Project or Artemis. Most of the jobs Corporation Pop has been involved with in the past have been less complex, so there hasn't been a need for a more robust approach, but they're learning all the time.

The project management for three activities running concurrently was something that Corporation Pop's team hadn't necessarily come across before, for example. When we're up against the clock, and need to have everything come together at the same time, it can become complex. Corporation Pop still has some room to improve in this area. They have now adopted JIRA, so we'll see how it goes.

Corporation Pop has extremely good retention. They haven't lost a single person since we began working with them, and in fact, Corporation Pop has taken on more people. They're linked-up with universities and other teaching establishments in Manchester.

What did you find most impressive about Corporation Pop?

When I come to Corporation Pop with a suggested approach, they will push back and discuss it with me. If it's the right thing to do, Corporation Pop will adopt it.

Are there any areas Corporation Pop could improve?

We have weekly conference calls, which isn't too bad, but getting some proper conference devices - possibly online services - would be an improvement to using a single phone.

Presentation to customers is also important. At the moment, Corporation Pop uses whiteboards and PowerPoint, which is adequate but isn't ideal for presenting big ideas. I've recommended that they get a smart display board, which is something that many companies are using for workshopping and brainstorming and then capturing ideas swiftly and completely.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Doctor of a healthcare company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Healthcare provider

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Corporation Pop to accomplish?

• Creation of a mobile application for children with fatigue disorders inc. UX / UI & branding

SOLUTION

How did you find Corporation Pop?

Referral

Why did you select Corporation Pop over others?

• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Corporation Pop were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Production of an App for patients to record their sleep rest and activity that is communicated back to clinicians via a Portal. This information is used to prescribe the correct levels of sleep rest and activity which is then pushed to the patient phone. Patient can keep track of their levels against the prescription and clinicians can monitor this remotely.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

 a simple app that patients find easy to use - increasing compliance and engagment in the treatment

a simple portal that clinicians find easy to use

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

they were timely in organising meetiings about updates and providing estimates. very understanding about delays in payment due to the sizie of our organisation (NHS trust with 30,000 employees)

What was your primary form of communication with Corporation Pop?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We're impressed with their implementation of technology and innovative solutions.

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

ensuring full understanding of health concepts/practice fully before implementing changes

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a digital therapeutics company with a focus on severe mental illness. I am CEO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Corporation Pop, and what were your goals?

We needed to turn a research product into a market ready digital product, with and engaging UI

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Recommendation then pitch in which they demonstrated suitable skills and experience and a desire to work with us

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Redesign the UI including analysing the user flow, taking on branding guidelines and working with another agency to integrate a new animation

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

Two - Project manager and UI designer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Super. We have a lovely new UI with a clear user flow. It's on brand and will support our next research project and commercial out reach.

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

Clam, methodical and relevant

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

The team were closely aligned to what we wanted to do and delviered.

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

None