Cultivate Brands

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director for an art and design school. We have about 3,600 students on our campus, which includes undergrad and graduate programs relating to fine arts, design, architecture, fashion, film, and sound.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cultivate?

I needed help with a fundraising campaign. The specific challenge was our 150th-anniversary gala. We had about two minutes to announce a campaign and to emotionally connect all of these people who are in this first-ever gala for the school. We needed help to create a video to help attendees understand that we had a campaign and a need and that they were connected to that need and could help solve it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created a brief, and we discussed different styles and format. They presented us with concepts, and we reviewed them and moved forward with the project. They helped us with three separate videos throughout the campaign. Two of them were shown at galas.

How did you come to work with Cultivate?

At my first employer, one of my colleagues found Cultivate. They helped us with some fundraising-related videos, and we traveled with them to international locations to capture these incredible stories related to the work we were doing. They approached subjects who were critical to us with great respect. We had strong and important relationships, and they were sensitive to them and helped to amplify and build the relationships through the video development. I knew that they would be good working in any environment.

I moved on to another organization, and I worked with them there as well on some advertising and videos. Then, I brought them here to the school. I’ve adored working with them over the years.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We exceeded our goal. We had an extremely successful campaign. We raised more than $1 million from the first gala. Their video was a part of that. We raised over $600,000 from our closing party, and they were part of that.

People who saw the first video that featured one of our students still talk about her and the story that they told. Cultivate encouraged us to focus on one individual and they helped us land on a great story. It was extremely effective.

How did Cultivate perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re transparent about the process. They articulate immediately at the onset of a project what the timeline looks like, what the budget constraints are going to be, and how they’ll work within them. They’ve always met their deliverables.

On a couple of projects, we had some artistic differences on editing style at the very end. Nonprofit organizations tend to have a layer of collaborative review, which means many people give their feedback, resulting in more rounds of edits. It can be challenging for third-party vendors to go through that process. Cultivate has always taken it in great stride and communicated clearly what the impacts will be on deadlines. They’ve worked hard to make sure that we’re able to deliver what we need to deliver. I appreciate that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I enjoy their openness to take direction and to modify designs or ideas. For the most part, they present fantastic thinking. I’m always impressed by what they present as initial concepts. When we make changes, they’re normally just tonality issues to make sure that we get our audience exactly where they need to be and meet them where they’re at.

They bring a unique perspective. They understand the mission, identity, core tonality, and sensibility of an institution quickly. That’s something you can’t get easily from a lot of vendors. In nonprofit worlds, it’s especially important when you’re working on fundraising.

When they interact with important people and deal with the sensitive matter of those personal stories, they work with our people in a way that helps me build the relationships with those individuals long after the video is completed or our work is done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve been expanding their focus to not just do video production. The direct impact is they’re professionalizing their work which involves having more people on site and on shoots, which expands their costs. Working with them to work with our budgets so that we don’t need so many people on every shoot would be helpful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a Christian non-profit organization that works with K-12 students in Chicago.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cultivate?

Our organization has been around for 45 years, so we were looking to rebrand ourselves. We needed a company to help us with our branding efforts as well as logo design and marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We met and discussed our ideas and our organization with them, focusing on our logo, tagline, and messaging. Then, they designed our website and helped us develop a concise message that everybody from our board members to our staff and volunteers could remember and communicate. We also wanted the message to appeal to younger donors, who are part of our organization and our network. 

In addition, Cultivate developed the messaging for our website, newsletters, and appeals and helped us with social media and a fundraising event.

What is the team composition?

We had two primary points of contact, but there were about 15–20 people who worked on different aspects of our project.

How did you come to work with them?

We were referred to them. We looked at several different companies and decided that Cultivate was the best fit for us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between February - October 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I was very pleased. They were responsive to our feedback and easy to work with. If we disagreed with their initial approach, they came up with new ideas. We've heard positive feedback from people who saw our website and our newsletters. Cultivate made a big difference for our organization, helping us transition to modern times.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They handled everything very well. We had to readjust the initial deadline because of the changes within our organization, but it wasn't their fault.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're aware of what we're doing as an organization and kept in touch with us even after the project was completed. We can still ask them questions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We would have liked it if they gave us more fundraising guidance, but we knew that was not their primary focus, so that wasn't an issue.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep open lines of communication and bring everyone together to discuss the important parts of the project. This will ensure everyone is on the same page and you’ll reach a final decision sooner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the communications director at Faith Church.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cultivate?

Our logo was very outdated, so we were looking for a company to design a new logo for us and help us develop a brand identity.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We met with Cultivate and discussed our mission and values. Then, they came back on our campus and met with about 30 leaders from different groups, who provided their feedback and presented short tag-lines that defined our vision statement. After that, Cultivate designed our logo and helped us develop our brand look and print materials.

What is the team composition?

We worked with our project manager, who was our brand strategist, and two other members of their team.

How did you come to work with them?

We found them through a personal connection. They listened to us instead of trying to tell us who were were, so we decided they'd be a good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2015 and the project was completed in January 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were extremely satisfied. Our logo is recognizable and reflects our mission. We use it across six different campuses (we also changed the outdoor and indoor signage). We, as an organization, have a more uniform look and our graphic design team can work more efficiently now because they know what the design limits are.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very responsive and met their deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're a fun team to work with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open about who you are. If they have a true picture, they'll do a great job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the vice president of First Choice Logistics, a trucking company based in Chicago, Illinois. We started in 1987 and we operate in Chicago, Houston, and a satellite terminal in Maryland. We transport liquid chemicals, hazardous waste, and ISO containers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cultivate?

We needed to create a digital social media presence and wanted an all-in-one digital marketing partner that we could build a long-term relationship with.

The trucking industry is unique and, unlike retail stores, requires a specialized marketing plan. Our company was struggling with brand identity and didn’t have a dedicated team for our online exposure.

The company was growing, however, and we wanted to recruit new, young talent with a fresh look at the market. We needed a company with video and creative capabilities that could put our best foot forward into the online market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cultivate provides a full-bodied digital marketing service. Their team first interviewed our employees to understand our needs and figure our target audience.

They now develop creative promotions through videos, pictures, and posters; update our Facebook page; and research various social media channels.Their team consistently creates creative, cutting-edge advertisements and advises us on the areas of marketing we are lacking.

What is the team composition?

We work primarily with a project manager for meetings and scheduling. We also work with a creative director who helps with media direction and 4–5 other team members.

How did you come to work with Cultivate?

We looked online for a marketing company in Chicago. I admired what Cultivate did for other organizations on social media, so I contacted them. In our initial meeting, I really liked their message, philosophy, and approach.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in January 2018 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our largest customer contacted us referring the first-ever advertising video Cultivate created for us. Large and small clients also call us frequently referring our ads and provide positive feedback. Our likes on Facebook and views on our videos continue to increase with every new content release.

Due to Cultivate's efforts, we are now a leader in advertising in the trucking industry. We are very happy with how our company is being perceived and are receiving results much earlier than we expected.

How did Cultivate perform from a project management standpoint?

They don't miss any deadlines and they are always timely and accurate. They make sure to stick to the timeline on video and photo shoots. Their team always keeps on track and their billing has been accurate and timely—an issue we had with another past provider.

Cultivate also conduct regular meetings to keep us updated on upcoming creative projects. They are really delivering and executing well so far.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are a dynamic team and their creative minds are experienced in the transportation field. Cultivate blows me away with the ideas they come up with and keep our marketing relatable to our industry.

They're good listeners and talk with our team learn more about who we are, what we do, and what our motivations are. They impress us with how they were able to step in and understand how to appeal to our target audience. They are a company we definitely want to partner with for a long time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former co-founder of IGC Brands, a diamond jewelry manufacturer and sales office. I was responsible for sales, marketing, and running the office. We were transitioning from being a company that sells loose diamonds into a company that sells diamond jewelry. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cultivate?

It was around the time of the financial crisis, and retailers were really challenged to take on any new product lines. We required brand strategy and app development.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed an app where a customer could buy the diamonds. We needed a branding strategy to help us come up with a campaign that would be attractive to the millennial buyer, which is a really tough buyer to get into a jewelry store.

We then took the basic app and packaged it along with a kiosk where the customer could try on the product, do their own pricing research, and then see what diamonds would go in the product. It was like a little e-commerce site in each jewelry store. It really helped us because, in order for the jewelers to take our line, they had to lease a kiosk, as opposed to buying a huge amount of product.

They put campaigns together in local magazines and social media to drive traffic to the app and our stores.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 5–10 professionals. We had a project leader who coordinated everything. We had two dedicated developers and another developer who helped us with our brand messaging. We also worked with videographers who filmed our commercials and someone who took care of the layouts for our ad campaigns.

How did you come to work with Cultivate?

We were referred to them. Our engagement initially started as a packaging project. A lot of packaging companies are very big and automated, and it was hard to get someone to sit down with us. Our project was specialized, and we wanted to talk to someone who would invest the time in the relationship, learn about the project, and come up with a customized solution for us.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent between $50,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from 2015–2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app was really the clincher for us. We were a preferred app for anything that was related to bridal. Being featured in the AppStore gave us a tremendous amount of credibility when we were talking to jewelers. It was really professionally done, and they did a remarkable job on it.

Our sales pitch was built on this campaign and it was the core of our selling strategy. It had a dramatic impact and it turned us around. Once we brought the program to mobile, we were growing at 30% a year.

Cultivate helped us open a lot of doors by putting together a campaign which was anchored by the app, making it really easy for consumers to get pricing. It was at a time where a lot of jewelers weren’t publishing prices, and they made it easy to see what diamonds were selling for. It really helped us a tremendous amount.

How did Cultivate perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed really well. We came to an understanding with them that once we agreed on the outlines of the project, we would have the discipline of stepping back and limiting the number of changes and not asking a ton of questions. We relied on them to execute the plan. We were an important client to them, and they were an important client to us, and it worked well. They hit deadlines. There were times when we went back and tweaked things, but overall, it was a really well-run team and they did a great job for us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We felt really comfortable with them. Their work made a substantial difference, and they really did an amazing job for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They were a very young team, and a lot of the meetings were very casual. I realized that is how things are today. Sometimes it was an adjustment for me, but that was the market I was after. I don’t fault them, and there isn’t anything that jumps out that they can improve on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of Rock Solid Stabilization & Reclamation, Inc. We’re a full-service soil stabilization, modification, and pulverization contractor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Cultivate?

We initially reached out to Cultivate to produce a brand video. The engagement quickly evolved to include several other projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Cultivate completely rebuilt our website and worked with us to assess what further improvements could be made to the company. Most of our processes were built on excel spreadsheets and we wanted to recreate those functions in a different space. Cultivate used the spreadsheets as a resource and creatively led the project. They shared experiences and brainstormed ideas to build software and apps that could scale with future company growth.

First, they built a scheduling software for our truck dispatcher and the crew superintendent. Then, we worked together to develop an app that allows our trucks drivers to immediately report their time and deliveries. The app also interacts with our website to create payrolls and track the load information we need to accurately compensate our vendors.

They’re currently working on an app for iOS and Android to assist our on-site crews. The app will interact with our truck app to preload relevant information for our on-site heavy equipment operators to verify. This and other job data will be fed into our web-based software for daily production management and verification of deliveries. They also do some graphic design work for us by creating new logos to help push our core values and culture.

What is the team composition?

They’re a large team, but 3-4 of their people have integrated into what we do every day. One of their founders acts as the project lead, but there’s also a project manager, a lead developer, and a graphic designer.

How did you come to work with Cultivate?

We worked with another reputable web designer to build our original site. Our experience with them wasn’t positive in regards to customer service and their ability listen to our ideas. One of our vendors had a brand video linked to their email signature that we found impressive. They said Cultivate produced the video, so we promptly reached out to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $600,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2016 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Cultivate helped accomplish our goals of improving internal processes and cutting down redundant communication to be more productive. The tools they’ve provided have increased project management efficiency by enabling the transfer of accurate and trackable information in real-time. We plan to integrate this process into every viable aspect of our company.

How did Cultivate perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly status calls with Cultivate to address the myriad of projects we have going on at once. Things are constantly changing since we're developing the software and using it simultaneously. In addition to conference calls, we also communicate through email and face-to-face meetings. If they hit a glitch, they’re upfront about it affecting the project deadline. However, those instances are rare. We agree on the budget and timelines before the project begins and they almost always exceed expectations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Cultivate did an excellent job of getting to know us and understanding our ultimate goals. This extensive process resulted in the engagement taking a different route than initially expected. We might want a brand video at some point in the future, but the real need at the time was to get a new website up and running with the correct messaging. They act as a partner and are excellent at balancing the capabilities of technology with our wish list of features.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re really happy with their customer service and the quality of the products. We're spending a lot of money with them every month, so we wouldn't continue to use them if we weren't completely satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep an open mind when you meet with them and hear what they have to say. Openly share your business and see where it takes you.