CUT THRU Branding Agency

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and owner of Dance It Out, a dance fitness company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with CUT THRU?

I needed help with branding and marketing work for my business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CUT THRU provided branding and SMM (social media marketing for us); the branding portion included logo, messaging, and brand guidelines. For the SMM part, they taught us how to build our TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.

What was the team composition? 

We only worked with Jonathan (Owner).

How did you come to work with CUT THRU?

Another company that I worked with referred them to us.

How much have you invested in them?

We invested $35,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November–December 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to their work, we noticed more brand awareness. In addition, CUT THRU’s involvement has given us valuable, helpful ideas for our team.

How did CUT THRU perform from a project management standpoint?

They met deadlines and stayed within budget. In terms of tools and communication, we used email, Slack, Asana, and WhatsApp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

CUT THRU’s knowledge has been outstanding among all of the branding agencies I’ve worked with; they had everyone on our team working and being involved throughout the process.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would’ve liked it if they could’ve done the work faster, but it was worth it. I didn’t think there was anything they could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ensure to have a rested, open, willing, and engaged team to work with CUT THRU.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

[COO/CMO] of LifeHack.org, one of the world’s largest self-development and wellness sites attracting over 12 million people to our site per month.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CUT THRU, and what were your goals?

To refresh our company branding, messaging and strategic positioning to show our uniqueness in an increasingly crowded and noisy market.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We went through a long process meeting with other branding agencies and decided to choose CUT THRU because they really understood what we were looking for. They had a strategic, research based, data driven approach to branding and conversion centred design rather than just aethestics and fluff.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

The LifeHack brand has evolved over time since its inception nearly 15 years ago. People in and outside of the business needed more clarity and definition on what we do, what we don’t do and how to redefine the brand to have a better product market fit with our customers today.

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

Our point of contact wasn’t an account person or anything like that, it was their Brand Strategist primarily.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We have a much better grasp of our brand's key message and positioning. We have a clearer idea of who we should be talking to and how to talk to them. We feel our brand has more personality and looks more polished. We feel the new iteration of the brand and its strategy helps us organise our products in a way that we can sell more effectively across a two sided market place. We were also given a plan with tactics for growing and applying our new brand to every touchpoint.

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

We definitely had some passionate debates but always with a smile, knowing that that passion is evidence of care-factor. Even after the project finished, we know CUT THRU was always there for us if we have a question or want to discuss something.

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

They had a strong track record in the online self-help space but most importantly, they’re “hackers” in their mindset. We may be life hackers, they’re growth hackers - the mentality is the same and we really were culturally aligned.

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

We asked CUT THRU to give us a bit more of an education on how to apply our new visual identity to our brand (as we don’t have an in-house designer). They added to the documents they gave us on our request to better define how some of this applications come to life and I now believe that’s something they have incorporated permanently into their processes.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a SaaS business. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CUT THRU?

CUT THRU helped me create a brand strategy. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The CUT THRU team did market, customer, and competitor research for us. They also identified strategic content, mission, values, visual identity, and messaging. 

What is the team composition?

I directly worked with Jonathan (Brand Strategist), and he engaged a bigger team behind the scenes. 

How did you come to work with CUT THRU?

I found CUT THRU through Clutch, and I was fascinated by their positioning around conversion-centered designs. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from October 2021–April 2022. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I truly enjoyed CUT THRU’s process because it was incredibly collaborative and positively challenging. It was based on research and engagement with the industry, competitors, and potential customers. The team established detailed and solid frameworks. 

How did CUT THRU perform from a project management standpoint?

They were incredibly flexible and always on time; they communicated with us frequently. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were highly engaged in creating something that they could be equally proud of — they were invested in the success of the brand we were trying to create. On top of that, the level of expertise that we accessed in terms of the wider team structures was truly impressive. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Conduct a scoping session with CUT THRU. That way, both sides will fully understand what the project should look like and what you want to create. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Strategic Content Strategist and co-founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CUT THRU, and what were your goals?

A brand strategy workshop inclusive of messaging and visual identity.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We made a shortlist of the top 10 branding agencies in Australia. Had multiple meetings and chose CUT THRU because not only were they the only agency in Australia specialising in Conversion Centred Design but one of the only ones in the world that did it in a tasteful way.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

CUT THRU conducted extensive research on the trends in our industry, spoke with our customers, our team and effectively infiltrated our competitors organisations in a whole variety of ways I can't mention here! Those insights helped direct our brand strategy which was done through a full day 6hr workshop with our team. It was amazing, a little like corporate therapy. Following on from that they transformed the workshop's outputs into a formalised Brand Bible complete with Tactical recommendations of how to apply our strategy across all aspects of Culture Shock. After that, they did our messaging and our visual identity.

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

• Jonathan - the Strategy Director
• Nadia - the junior Brand Strategist
• Jonti - the Copywriter
• Kate - their head designer
• William - their account manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

It help established our entire brand identity and impacted all client-facing touchpoints from website to proposals to even our "on-hold" phone messages and wifi names! More than anything we've saved us huge amounts of time in recruiting and onboarding new team members effectively and sped up all of our internal decision making processes once we knew what was and what wasn't on-brand.

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

CUT THRU were always on time, and consistently over promised and over delivered, often giving us far more than we bargained for in our scope of work because "they thought we needed it".

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

They found simple and elegant solutions to complex branding and marketing problems.

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

No they were great, much better than the other agencies we've worked with in the past 10 years.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a founder of Paperform. Paperform is a SaaS business that creates software for small businesses to create their own solutions to their own problems. Our primary product is an online form creation tool.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CUT THRU, and what were your goals?

Our business has grown organically, and our brand has developed as a natural extension of our founders. As the team has grown, we found it harder to enforce consistency as others started representing our brand (not just the founders). Our primary goal in hiring CUT THRU was to consolidate and define in clear terms who Paperform is, what we do, how we speak to the market, and how we look and feel.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We researched several branding agencies from the individual freelancer level up to established big players. We also asked for recommendations from our network, which is where we heard of CUT THRU. After reaching out to several agencies, CUT THRU gave us the most compelling proposal, and showed that they really understood our industry, business, and the problems that needed to be solved.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

We went through a multi step process:

1. Research - CUT THRU conducted several internal and external interviews, as well as competitor analysis and wider market research. CUT THRU then surveyed over 800 of our customers to confirm their insights.
2. Strategy - from the insights gathered in the research a strategy was formulated and agreed on, including in person workshops with stakeholders.
3. Visual identity - From the strategy we then went through several iterations of a new visual identity.
4. Messaging - From the strategy CUT THRU put together Paperform's messaging guidelines, including values, mission and tone of voice guidelines.
5. Final deliverables were put together and iterated on (website design, social skins, ad designs, final visual assets etc).

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

We worked directly with the Brand Strategist for the majority of the project, with some support from their Graphic Designers, and Copywriters.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We launched the brand just under a week ago, so we're a long way off from being able to quantify the impact of this project. Qualitatively, we've been inundated with positive feedback from our customer base, which was quite surprising as the visual changes were significant, and historically customers have been resistant to change.

So far, our site metrics have also improved with greater retention on our blog, and increased number of conversions to our free trial. The website redesign has also garnered a lot of attention, we received a special kudos from CSS Design Awards for the new homepage: https://www.cssdesignawards.com/sites/paperform/40912

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

We communicated primarily over email, but had regular ad hoc calls through out the duration of the project. Timelines were very clearly presented at the beginning of the project, however they did slip, mostly due to our speed in response.

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

Their brand strategist is obsessive in the best way, he threw himself in the deep end to understand who Paperform is. We loved that the plan was strategic - there was a lot attention put into listening to our customers, understanding the wider market, and making sure there wasn't any disconnect between aspirations and reality. It gives us a lot of confidence in the long term success of the project.

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

Communications overall was really great - Slack Connect channels may be a way of having easier to follow comms though - as we end up with several email threads over time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I own Parachute Technology, Inc. [Parachute], a Managed IT Services and Managed Security Service Provider in the San Francisco Bay Area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CUT THRU, and what were your goals?

Being in business for over 16 years, it was time for a comprehensive brand, logo, and messaging refresh. We needed to become more sophisticated on all fronts, increase our competitive edge, and attract new clients that are the right type of clients. We needed comprehensive and professional brand and messaging guidelines, which we never invested in previously. All of these efforts would be in support of our new, upcoming website and other marketing materials.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We performed an extensive 3-month due diligence process as we needed to make sure we found a firm that would be truly willing to learn our business model, company culture and values, and growth goals. It was incredibly important to use a firm that would put in the time to research and gather facts about what our specific market was looking for in an MSP/MSSP and not just create a brand that looked good aesthetically.

It needed to go much beyond that. It was clear after speaking 2 - 3 times with 5 legit, highly capable firms over those months that CUT THRU was the clear and absolute best choice. We are thrilled with the results.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

CUT THRU performed an extensive research project with various members of our team and clients. The data was analyzed and presented beautifully through 4 comprehensive Zoom meetings. Feedback was collected and changes made. Final outcomes presented and approved. All deliverables arrived professionally, on budget, and on time. Additional options and future work and ideas were presented for consideration, which was helpful and appreciated.

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

I worked with a few people from the CUT THRU team who were always incredibly friendly, approachable, knowledgeable, and professional. I utilized the teams' expertise in research and analysis, messaging and copy development, copy editing, tag line creation, logo refresh, color/photo/font evaluation and guidance, brand/messaging guide creation, and general (very valuable) marketing advice and ideas. Their vast experience was obvious and they always met the deliverable expectation and the deadlines.

I felt like I was talking with a friend whenever we connect over the phone/Zoom. Everyone went above and beyond the expectations set and always offered to help further if needed. We continue to work and partner with them and seriously feel like we are their only client (but I do know they have some awesome clients in their line up).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We have comprehensive and professional brand and messaging guidelines, as well as clear direction for our web development team and all marketing-related materials moving forward. The brand is unique, the messaging is different than our competitors, and our entire team is happy with the result.

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

Communication was consistent, timely, and clear. They made sure I was comfortable with the cadence and format and was willing to make any adjustments necessary.

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

They've made me feel like I was their only client and not many firms can do that. Also, their vast experience was seriously impressive, and came through with the finished product as well as the advice and guidance they provided.

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

Not that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Fintech targeting 3% p.a. returns. Bringing fixed income investing opportunities to milennials for the first time. I'm the co-founder

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CUT THRU, and what were your goals?

Brand: research, strategy, messaging and design.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

CUT THRU have a strong track record in helping making what is typically dry, boring, finance brands interesting and engaging.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

We needed to build our brand from scratch. CUT THRU helped us find the ideal customers to target and custom built a brand just for them. This involved conducting a deep level of research into the market, trends we could ride, analysis of our competitors and customer needs, helped us establish a strong culture and messaging that helped our team get aligned on what we’re about and why people should care.

They then paired this with killer design that really helped us convert as much online traffic as possible.

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

We had contact with their researchers, strategists, designers and copywriters.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We launched with a bang and our brand went viral and took on its own momentum. This resulted in $7m in funds under management in just 7 weeks! A record for our category.

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

No issues at all, very easy.

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

They combined growth hacking with branding and were able to be flexible in their process to help a startup bootstrap their marketing via a range of automation and brand hacks that saved time and money. They were awesome, we got everything we needed.

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

They were awesome, we got everything we needed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder of JSwipe, the world’s largest and fastest growing dating app for Jewish singles.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CUT THRU, and what were your goals?

Brand Strategy, with the goal of a comprehensive brand refresh that positioned us strongly for the future while preserving the brand equity and trust we had built up over the years.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Jonathan and his team had over 14 years experience working with brands in the dating factor, no other brand agency had that level of experience or knowledge of our industry.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

We needed help with our strategy and messaging. In a market that was constantly in a state of disruption, CUT THRU helped create a brand that would stand the test of time and help us grow as quickly as possible.

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

1 Person: Brand Strategist

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Since implementing the new brand strategy our brand has gone from strength to strength, creating a tribe of loyal followers that will only use us and not even consider our competitors.

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

Invaluable, super well managed, and people who were easy to work with.

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

CUT THRU combined growth hacking principles to help us compete effectively against brands with bigger budgets.

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

Not at all, very quick and responsive and got on well with my team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Pastoral Smallgoods specialises in producing artisanal ham, beef and smallgoods products for supermarkets like Woolworth, Aldi, Costco, IGA, David Jones and premium delicatessens nationwide. I’ve worked with Pastoral since 2009 as their Operations Manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CUT THRU, and what were your goals?

Brand identity, messaging, brand architecture, packaging, product development

SOLUTION

How did you select CUT THRU?

In my opinion no brand agency knows the meat industry better than CUT THRU. They were an easy choice considering CUT THRU's founder had worked internally at Pastoral previously and had a intricate knowledge of our market, products and capabilities.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

CUT THRU helped us expand our presence by optimising our brand architecture to help get us noticed and stocked on busy shelves. They engaged with our clients and team members to put together a new brand architecture that helped us grow our business and expand into new areas.

How many people from the CUT THRU team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We had contact with the Brand Strategist and designers and packaging experts.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

CUT THRU helped us find gaps in a very well established market and create new products and presence. We created some unique products with their input that helped not only establish us an an innovator but also helped us retain the brand equity of what is a nearly 100 year old brand.

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

I found their project management style very comfortable to work with, responsibilities and deliverables and methodology were agreed early on. Their style was collaborative. Communication was comprehensive and the project was managed within agreed timeframes.

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

Very few people understand our industry like the CUT THRU team did. They gave us a roadmap for expanding our brands and marketing them as well as insulating them from risk. This helped us put more products on shelves, clearly explain our value proposition and charge a premium for quality products in a highly commoditised, price sensitive market. They also gave us unique ways to slowly re-launch our brand and phase out our older style packaging in cost effective ways. They introduced us to lateral thinking and considering concepts we had not thought of.

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

We were very happy with all the work done and look forward to working with them again in the future.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am managing director of OpenLegal, a commercial law firm that specializes in providing fast, transparent, and price-predictable professional services to Australia’s small businesses and startups.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire CUT THRU, and what were your goals?

Brand Strategy, naming, and visual identity.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

CUT THRU’s managing director Jonathan was a former lawyer. There was no other branding company I could find that had someone like him who knew my industry as well as I did because he used to work in it prior to branding. CUT THRU also has/had the strongest reputation in Sydney when it came to branding disruptive small to mid-sized businesses.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

They went deep on their research of both our company, our competitors and our clients.

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

4 Researcher Strategist Designer Copywriter

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Helped us launch with a bang and get traction quickly. Our conversion rates increased as did the number of new leads we’re bringing in.

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

Clear communication around deliverables and scope, took an agile approach to produce creative and iterating ideas. Deadlines were all met.

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

hey brought a level of knowledge to branding law firms that no other agency could offer. He also combined growth hacking with a traditional branding approach which, for a startup, was incredibly important in getting the most bang for our buck possible.

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

No, they were great.