DeSantis Breindel

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a consulting firm in the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. We represent our clients and help them execute built environment works across many sectors and service lines.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

We were planning an acquisition in the UK, so we were looking to engage a branding firm that could help us assess the brand equity of our firm and the firm we were looking to acquire. Then, we needed them for the key branding platform and messaging we would use moving forward once we completed the acquisition and became one firm.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DeSantis Breindel started with a research and immersion phase, including quantitative and qualitative research. We gave them background documents such as collateral and proposal, marketing, and communication materials from both territories we operate in for them to compare and contrast how we perform in each marketplace. We also gave them a list of our competitors in both regions. 

Using that material, they learned about who we were as a firm and our acquisition company and did competitor research. They also did a quantitative survey and analysis to help us understand how our clients make decisions and procure our work. Their research aimed to get the foundation of what our brand and the acquisition company’s brand meant and how they could come together. 

We used many of the materials they prepared in that initial phase to create a deal announcement, and then we acquired the firm. From there, DeSantis Breindel worked on brand strategy and architecture. They led a brand development workshop and developed our brand platform and architecture, focusing on who we should be. The team helped us examine how we talk about ourselves and our personality. 

That work became the foundation for the next phase, which involved our brand’s verbal identity. The team defined how branding concepts translate into words we could use in all of our marketing and communication materials. They developed this so that the way we talk about ourselves would be personalized depending on the market. Part of that was looking at whether we would change our name. 

Alongside the verbal identity, they also worked on our visual identity. They designed a new logo based on the name we moved forward with. The team also created all the assets that go along with a logo from a font and color perspective. They also delivered the types of applications for the logo from a design perspective. DeSantis Breindel created a complete brand guideline for us to use moving forward. 

After the brand guideline, we continued to work with the team on some of the implementations for our brand. Currently, we’re building a new website which we will launch in January 2023, and DeSantis Breindel acted as our design lead before the start of development. They helped us with UX design, site structure, and strategy. The team also helped us from a content perspective for some key pages; they helped us write copy and develop ideas. 

What is the team composition?

We had two project directors because our first one left the firm while wrapping up the branding portion. We also worked with Daniel (Managing Director), Dru (Co-CEO), designers, and a researcher. 

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

I did a lot of research about branding firms and agencies and collected 10 proposals. From there, I narrowed down the options, and we interviewed and vetted four different firms. For us, it was really important to find a partner with mergers and acquisitions experience from a branding perspective. We selected DeSantis Breindel because the team was extremely smart and strategic, and they understood branding beyond the other firms we interviewed. 

Moreover, they had just completed some branding work for one of our consultants. We looked at some of their materials from that project and thought they were well-rounded. We also had synergy in connecting from an intellectual perspective, so we knew they would do a stellar job for us. Their research resource was impressive, and their design team was stellar in terms of their aesthetic and how they approached the work, which was another determining factor. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from July 2021–September 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The branding DeSantis Breindel helped us establish reflects who and what we are much better than our current branding. Although we haven't launched the brand yet, we're seeing a positive impact in how we prepare to integrate and incorporate their work into the content we put together. We've changed how we bid on projects and talk about ourselves, down to small things like slides or the types of items we select. Overall, everything feels more sophisticated and more in line with our brand. 

Moreover, I thoroughly enjoyed working with the team. Our first project director was fantastic; we could have direct conversations with him. He was amazing to work with from a strategic perspective. Their quantitative survey person was also a hoot because he was very analytical and knew his stuff, which was really inspiring for our technical folks. 

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall, it was a great process. Since our assignment was during the COVID-19 pandemic, most of our communication was virtual. However, we still formed a great connection with the team. Halfway through the process, we visited their office and met them in person.

With the COVID-19 pandemic, processes sometimes take a little longer. For the most part, they delivered everything on time for our first deadline in October 2021. We had a good baseline of how we would move forward, and then we had the luxury of extending the additional work. For the website, we had a tight design timeline so that we could get into development on track to launch in January 2023, and they met every single deadline. Not only that, but they also ensured that we met our internal deadlines and provided input when needed. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality and intelligence of DeSantis Breindel's people throughout the process were really enjoyable. Usually, we can get caught up in our work, so it was rewarding to take the time to think through strategy and how that will affect us moving forward. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wish the first project director hadn't left at the end of the branding process. We would have benefited from the continuity of that relationship we'd built over 6–8 months through the website design. That's not to say that our new project director wasn't effective, but the rapport was different because they weren't part of the negotiation for the scope of work. As a result, our collaboration wasn't as fluid as before. 

Additionally, I would have enjoyed the strategy team weighing in on the website more often. Because our project director was different, some information got lost in transitioning from one team to the next. We had to remind them of things we had discussed during the research and strategy phases, which ultimately affected the site's structure. I even had meetings with team members to ensure they were up to speed and reminded them to talk to their colleagues. This was all a disadvantage of not having someone who was part of the research and branding processes when implementing a specific component like the website. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to seek out partner-level engagement, which I really enjoyed. The strategy came from the higher-level people, so having Daniel on our calls drove the strategy work forward. From a design perspective, we were lucky to have Dru come on board some calls as well, and it was clear she was driving some of the processes. They gave some great opportunities to their more junior teammates to contribute and lead some meetings, which was fantastic, but having them there and engaged made all the difference.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder and the CMO of a professional reinsurance firm. We provide capital and risk management services to the life insurance industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Briendel?

We’ve worked with them on a number of initiatives over the years, beginning with our initial capital raise and making a large impact on the market. When we went through a name change and rebrand, they developed a new logo for us and worked to raise brand awareness. Our most recent project began last year: a second capital raise.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DeSantis is updating our website for this second funding effort, and the work is broken up into two phases. First, they brought new imagery and an updated homepage to the site. Our goal was to create a more modern look that would appeal to potential investors. Secondly, they were tasked with building out a more robust content hub on our site. This is an ongoing effort.

Finally, we’re having them develop a full set of brand guidelines that will inform all of our communications and be consistent with the look and feel of our website. In terms of tangible deliverables, this phase includes new PowerPoint templates, Word document templates, and more.

For various regulatory reasons, we’re precluded from using social media, so they didn’t post any content on social for us. What we do is provide them with specific content that we want to use to describe our products and services, and DeSantis fine tunes those from a messaging and communications standpoint.

To do this, they spent a lot of time learning about who we were, our customers, and our products. They also dove into our web presence and those of our competitors.

We did have an existing web page, but it was a one-page solution that we completely trashed to rebuild from scratch. The changes to the web site included drilling down on pages that we could add more content to, rather than only providing users with a high-level overview of our company. There are now specific pages for different products and lines of services.

What is the team composition?

We worked with quite a few groups from their company, including their two co-CEOs, their branding team, and their web development team. In total, we’ve interacted with around 8–10 people.

How did you come to work with DeSantis Briendel?

We found them through basic web searches for firms that strictly operate in the B2B market. We work exclusively with large multi-national companies, so I wasn’t looking for someone with mostly consumer products experience. I saw that DeSantis had already worked with a number of large, credible firms that we do business with.

One factor that made them stand out was their partnership approach. They sought to understand us as a business and learn about what we were trying to accomplish to ensure that they had the right kind of expertise.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost is around $200,000–$1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since September 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s difficult to report metrics in our business, but one of the important independent validity measures we have is our perception in the industry, as derived from an insurance industry survey. Senior executives at life insurance companies are asked detailed questions about their perceptions of the reinsurers they work with, and while we are a small, relatively new firm, we had the highest recognition and business capability scores out of the entire industry. The messaging and consistency that DeSantis has brought is certainly part of this success.

How did DeSantis Briendel perform from a project management standpoint?

I would describe their project management as very thorough and focused. We develop timelines at the beginning of each project, and if there’s any variation, we reassess and establish a new timeline going forward. We’ve made the most efficient use of our time, which is highly important, as this is not our primary business. They’re very sensitive to our bandwidth.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their approach to the project as being true partners with our business stood out amongst our perception of other firms. DeSantis didn’t come with a prepackaged approach; they customized their services to fit what we were trying to convey.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t really have any critiques, but they weren’t the most cost-effective option. We did get the value we paid for, however.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as transparent as possible in helping them understand your business so that they can do the best work possible for you. If you hold information too close to the vest, then they won’t have what they need. DeSantis can’t read your mind and know what’s most important to your customers. They’re very open to customizing their approach to your needs, to take advantage of that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of marketing at a group of companies that supports alternative investment markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

We were trying to address the fact that we didn’t have a clear and concise way of describing our business, as it’s very complex. DeSantis came in to do top-line corporate messaging, and then we rehired them for two follow-up projects: to re-message a fintech division in our company and to develop a new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, they executed a series of interviews with our executive team, external stakeholders and consultants, and a few journalists. This research then informed our description.

They’re a very creative team, but the most important ability they displayed was their skill with analyzing, understanding, and retaining information.

What is the team composition?

Across the three projects, we’ve worked with several directors, account managers, and junior team members. There’s also been a design team accessible when necessary.

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

Even though we did a fairly vigorous branding agency study, we found DeSantis through personal contacts. They had broad expertise in our sector and had a history of distilling each of their clients' messaging into accessible, engaging content.

What is the status of this engagement?

The branding project ran from April 2020–January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They described a very complex business with a number of opaque systems in a very clear, concise way. The resulting messaging was snappy, but still attuned to the polished expectations people have of the institutional investment industry.

DeSantis did a great job through all stages of the project, from initial research and message creation through to building a consensus from our internal senior team. Only minor tweaks were required.

We haven’t launched the first messaging project yet because they’re still working on our new website, but I can say that the middle project — the fintech design project — went really well. The brand’s prospect and readers viewing the content have multiplied by around 7,000%.

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

They were also strong in project management. Even though they had a large team, we were never inundated by emails; everything ran through their project manager.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Even though we had turnover of team members from project to project, DeSantis retained a lot of information. They know as much about us as a company as we do. They also have an atmosphere of intellectual rigor.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They got us everything that we needed on time; the main issue was that we didn’t get them what they needed on time during the messaging project. Despite that, they still did their best to keep us on schedule.

The only area for improvement would be in the still ongoing website design project. They could have offered us a stronger opinion on what they believed would be the best look, rather than only providing options and letting us decide. We’re not experts, and I would have liked them to use a stronger hand in making recommendations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be ready with existing research and what you want to get out of DeSantis. They have a voracious research team and will require a lot of information. The sooner you have that on hand, the quicker your project will proceed.

We’ll definitely work with them again because of their ability to listen and tune into our needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief marketing and communications officer at Thornton Tomasetti, a 1,500-person engineering firm operating in about 50 countries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

We needed help with our brand extension. Due to the nature of our business, we first grew our company in the structural engineering and forensics spaces, but we’ve branched out in multiple directions since then.

Through this growth, we realized that our website wasn’t in line with our brand’s vision anymore because it had been built over six years ago, so we needed help with refreshing it. The real challenge was that we had a legacy we wanted both to preserve and expand simultaneously.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DeSantis Breindel helped us redesign our website to improve how we represented ourselves in the world and close the gap between perception and reality. For this project, they first wanted to better understand our objectives, so they conducted internal and external surveys with employees and clients. Their goal was to get a baseline perception of our brand positioning and value proposition so that we knew which direction to take.

After that stage, DeSantis Breindel helped us build on that foundation to establish a brand refresh through a website redesign. Their work included establishing our brand identity, identifying the gap in perception, and designing a website that addressed that gap, for which they also handled the UI/UX design and architecture development.

In addition to that, DeSantis Breindel also provided us with brand guidelines and materials we could use internally to educate people about our brand refresh — what it meant and how to use it. It was essentially a brand handbook, but it didn’t touch on very specific details, and they didn’t change our logo either. However, they helped us define preferred font choices, use of whitespace, a color palette, voice, and more.

As for the technology stack, we first discussed which platform would be better to use, and we had considered using WordPress or Ruby on Rails. However, late into the process, we realized that we would need a more robust and sophisticated backend with higher flexibility, so we decided to custom-build the website.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a project manager and 5–6 people from DeSantis Breindel, who were involved at different project stages. Additionally, Howard (Co-CEO) was present in our meetings whenever we hit milestones, and other people worked in the background to support the project.

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

We researched companies that were within our price range and that we thought would be a good match for our culture and challenges. After our research, we shortlisted 12–15 firms, narrowed them down to three, and interviewed them. DeSantis Breindel was on that top three.

What made us choose DeSantis Breindel over their competitors was that Howard came to the interview and said almost nothing; he let his team speak. In the other two interviews, the principals brought their team but spent a lot of time talking themselves, which we didn’t like because we wanted to listen to the people that would be directly involved in the project. Of course, all of the interviewees could have done a great job, but DeSantis Breindel seemed to be better managed; it wasn’t as much a matter of capability but of chemistry.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $150,000 on the branding and $100,000 on the website.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in 2018, and it was a nine-month project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After we launched our web redesign, we noticed that some of our services that were previously unknown or lightly visited on the site were getting a lot more visibility and traffic. This was a successful result because it helped our target audience understand that we offered a greater diversity of services. In addition to that, the feedback that we got from external users was positive, and they were no longer confused by our site.

Another stunning result of this project was our brand positioning acceptance across the company. Our brand positioning was developed collaboratively with our 20–30 leaders across the firm, but I was afraid that they wouldn’t buy in when we delivered it. However, we had 100% acceptance from all leaders and partners; they were excited about it.

What DeSantis Breindel did very well was not to invent a brand identity for us but discover the one we already had but hadn’t been articulated properly. Once they articulated our brand identity, people started recognizing it and understanding what set our company apart; that was the best possible outcome.

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

DeSantis Breindel’s project manager was very good at managing the project, and she kept everyone on track. We used a software system for file-sharing and development management. Additionally, we occasionally had in-person meetings, but the people involved were scattered over 3–4 other offices, so we also had regular phone calls and Zoom meetings. Our online collaboration worked out really well, and we were all comfortable with taking that approach.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Compared to other providers, DeSantis Breindel has a largely female team, so working with them was very important for us and our diversity, inclusion, and equity work. Additionally, they understood project management and brand development better than the other companies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When finding a great team to work with, our hope is that the team stays the same over time. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case with DeSantis Breindel. Since that project, their designer and other team members have left the agency or changed positions. Although DeSantis Breindel still provides high-quality work, we dream of working with that all-star team we worked with and that no longer exists. However, that’s the nature of their business.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When looking for a firm to work with, ensure that you partner with someone you feel confident in bringing in front of your stakeholders. Additionally, ask them to demonstrate how quickly they understand the nuances of your business.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of corporate marketing and communications at a full-service financial services firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

We originally partnered with DeSantis Breindel to help us with our brand experience and employee brand engagement. Our objective was to get our name out there and promote our offering to potential clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve done a number of different projects with DeSantis Breindel since 2009. Their efforts have included brand strategy, branding, print, digital, and social media design, campaigns and initiatives management, event support, video production, research, and more.

DeSantis Breindel’s biggest and most recent project has been an entire website overhaul, which ended in May 2022. This was the second time they redesigned our site, the first one taking place in 2014. This time, we decided to launch our first official brand guidelines alongside the new website.

As for their involvement in our branding, DeSantis Breindel has helped us with two brand refreshes, and they’ve also done branding for our institutional equities investor conferences. In 2019, we moved from New York to Nashville, for which DeSantis Breindel completely overhauled our branding for that particular conference. Additionally, they came up with our slogan, “Capitalize on Independence.”

With their help, we’ve also launched a few different strategy campaigns and initiatives. Their involvement has included video production work to support those campaigns. Recently, they also did some research and analytics for our women’s initiative, and we will launch that piece of research in about a month.

Furthermore, DeSantis Breindel has helped us with our events. For example, we’ve run an event called The CEO Summit for the last seven years, for which they’ve helped us with the planning, design, and implementation.

For some projects, we provide them with our goals and a clear roadmap of where we want to go with the project. For others, we sit down and have a brainstorming session to define the project objectives; it depends on the project. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Dru (Founder & Partner), Howard (Co-CEO), Sanjay (Senior Director of Project Management), Allison (Account Director), Jorge (Associate Design Director), and Chris (Digital), among others.

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

They engaged with my company before I joined, so I’m not sure how they found them. Still, I know that we’ve kept working with them for this long because they deliver beautiful brand work, and they know our company through and through; it has evolved into a great partnership.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested a fair amount of money across our different projects. We pay an affordable monthly retainer, and the special projects vary in cost depending on their complexity.

What is the status of this engagement?

My company started working with DeSantis Breindel around the fall of 2019, but I joined the company in 2011. Our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

DeSantis Breindel has a very talented team that does beautiful and fantastic work. Our biggest project has been the recent launch of our new website, and we’ve had a lot of excellent internal and external feedback about the work they did on that project. We now have a vastly improved website that will keep us up to date for years going forward.

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re very happy with the partnership we’ve created with DeSantis Breindel over the years. They’re very responsive and get work done very quickly and efficiently. They’re also very collaborative and open to feedback, corrections, and additional needs. We have bi-weekly calls to ensure everything stays in line with our brand. Our collaboration is mostly virtual, but we occasionally hold in-person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

DeSantis Breindel’s partnership spirit is impressive. We’re a relationship-oriented company, and they take our relationship very seriously. Additionally, their broad set of skills is very appreciated. We’ve worked on a wide variety of projects.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They’ve been a great partner over the years.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have an open line of communication. DeSantis Breindel is a great partner and brings excellent ideas to the table.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Precinmac. We have eight different businesses; we do precision machining and fabrication for several industries, including semiconductor, commercial, aerospace, defense, PowerGen, and energy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

We acquired many other businesses, so we wanted to hire someone to help us with our brand identity. We were trying to understand the strengths of our current brand and the underlying bands we bought. Once we understood our identity, we’d essentially create a unity.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had two engagements with DeSantis Breindel. The first engagement was around brand assessment. They reviewed all our materials and interviewed external and internal people, including our board. Also, they did some quantitative research to set up a questionnaire. Then, they gave us a summary of their key findings.

The second engagement was around brand development. They essentially created an architecture of how the brand should look in terms of the name, narrative, messaging, voice, visual systems, logos, typography, color palettes, imagery, and so on.

What is the team composition?

Between 6–8 people were assigned to our account at different times. We mainly worked with Dan (Chief Strategy Officer & Managing Director), Michael (Managing Director & Account Management), and another account manager and director.

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

One of our owners recommended them. They’d dealt with DeSantis Breindel at one of their portfolio companies and were happy with their results and work.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $275,000–$300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began the first phase in February 2021 and the second one in August 2021. They delivered the brand in February 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We wanted to understand the strength of the market of the subsidiary brands. Through the questionnaire, they were able to demonstrate the results. From there, the end results were the developed logo and graphical theme we could apply to anything. We had to hire a marketing firm to help with the execution, but they changed our logo and helped us be more uniform as a platform.

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

We worked around the COVID-19 pandemic, so we weren’t allowed to see anybody. Everything was virtual; we never met them in person. We set a timeframe in the beginning. It took a bit longer than expected, but it was fine in the end. When we pushed, we got more results.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They had a lot of smart people who knew what they were doing. They had great ideas.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We would’ve liked to know that the actual implementation wasn’t under their scope. We had to find somebody afterward. If we’d known that, we would’ve prepared better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make it collaborative and listen to them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the SVP and chief branding officer for E2open, a global provider of supply chain technology. We're positing ourselves against our competitors by having a 100% focus on the supply chain. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

Our entire exercise with DeSantis Breindel was a repositioning of the company coupled with a rebranding. Our organization competed as a challenger brand in the supply chain, and we wanted to elevate our position and proposition by using branding to improve awareness and brand premiums. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The entire project started with the branding strategy I put together and then provided DeSantis Breindel. I provided very clear documentation that highlighted our respect for their team to facilitate a project we could all be proud of. The documentation I provided included research I'd already completed and a competitive audit.

From there, we engaged DeSantis Breindel in qualitative and quantitative research. They led a focus group with 300 global respondents to establish our branding awareness, preference, recognition, familiarity, and usage. Their recruiting tactics were smart, focused, and efficient — the respondents were made up of high-level supply chain executives. 

They also interviewed stakeholders such as our executives and vendor partners to gather feedback regarding our market positioning. They combined stakeholder feedback with their own ideas to help champion discussions around our new brand voice, positioning and messaging. DeSantis Breindel also ran creative testing to ensure we reached our audiences and represented ourselves the way we wanted. We wanted to be a global premium brand that was mature but not aloof. 

DeSantis Breindel then extended that into a branding platform that cascades across all mediums. In the branding, we stressed the subtleties regarding design and messaging based on feedback from our focus group. We then worked together and created a nice visual interpretation of our services. They created internal content assets that align with our new branding, including data sets, white papers, and hundreds of other documents.

In conjunction with the rebrand, we introduced a new brand folder system, and DeSantis Breindel has helped with brand folder integrations as well. 

Lastly, DeSantis Breindel has been very involved in training our contractors and designers on the new branding and design language. 

The foundational branding components have been delivered, but we're now working with DeSantis Breindel on branding collateral. We've worked on communication templates and branding videos to ensure our branding was coming through. I intend to use them for larger branding assignments, but our internal team supports day-to-day branding concerns. 

What is the team composition?

I have a close relationship with Dru (Co-CEO), but Howard (Co-CEO) has also been heavily involved in the project. I've also worked with their head of design — they provided me with a team of well-seasoned professionals. 

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

I was looking for a company at the height of COVID-19 during the holiday season; I sent out an RFP and selected 18 companies to interview. We invited several agencies we found on Clutch. However, some of those companies declined our offer, which was understandable.

We eventually narrowed our list to four companies, including a brand activation agency. Then, we narrowed it down to DeSantis Breindel. I chose them because they saw beauty in the subtleties. I was looking for a team that could roll up its sleeves and focus on the work. I didn't want a team focused on big reveals and drama. What I witnessed in the work DeSantis Breindel provided was the elegance in their designs and the intelligence that went into each choice — we shared the same design values. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested around $980,000 with DeSantis Breindel, and by the time the project is done, we'll have invested $1.1 million. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership with DeSantis Breindel began in December 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quantitative results of the partnership haven't revealed themselves yet, but immediate feedback from the internal team has been great. Our first KPI is internal sentiment, and the brand strategy and visualization are well integrated — I have about 5,000 teammates using our branding tagline in their day-to-day business: moving as one. Our team has fully embraced our branding. 

I was on a call with a partner the other day, and they parroted back our tagline to me, which shows me we're on the right track regarding brand positioning. Clearly, our market sentiment is very good. My company is currently standing in third place relative to awareness and recognition in the market. We're only behind them because of their tenure and the breadth of their offerings compared to ours. Our other measurable downstream KPIs aren't DeSantis Breindel's responsibility, but their team has given us a great foundation to get us where we need to go.

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team has worked remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Typically, we communicate through Zoom, and everyone involved in our meetings is actively working on our project. DeSantis Breindel is open and transparent about their work, which is a boon to our collaboration. The individual managing our project right now is my ideal project manager. 

We were on a very tight timeline for the rebrand; we only had about six months to relaunch the brand, which some might call crazy. DeSantis Breindel did what they could to accommodate our tight timeline; there were times when we had to push them and vice versa. They use Asana to manage the project, which we’ve loved so much to the point that we’d like to bring the tool in-house for all our staff. We also use Basecamp. 

At the start of the project, we did have some hiccups regarding expectations and day-to-day engagement, but they corrected course quickly after a conversation. They didn't waste any time during our main branding project — every round of review we went through was actionable. During that time, we also had daily and weekly meetings to discuss our timetable for the launch. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

DeSantis Breindel is actually interested in working with us and respects our product — they're not just posturing. There is some territoriality in branding agencies, but that doesn't exist in DeSantis Breindel. Their team is respectful and collaborative. Also, they have a deep respect for their craft, which some may see as navel-gazing, but I appreciate their investigative mentality. 

The entire project has been a collaboration — we've engaged strategically to improve our branding. We treat them with a certain level of respect to ensure everyone delivers the best outputs they can. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

On every project, some things go according to plan, and some don't. In the grand scheme of things, nothing ever fell apart — we had no catastrophic moments. When we had a minor hiccup, they took care of it right away. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Customers need to treat DeSantis Breindel with respect and allow them to put their best foot forward — don't treat them as subservient. It's also important to communicate clearly and facilitate a dynamic that fits the partnership. DeSantis Breindel is focused on their craft, and customers need to allow them to do that. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief culture and communications officer at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, a law and lobbying firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

We had recently celebrated our 50th anniversary, and we were really proud of this milestone, but we still wanted to articulate our brand going into our next 50 years. In doing so, we wanted to find a way to improve our website and our marketing materials to help us convey this brand. Beyond our marketing materials, we also wanted to activate our employees into brand ambassadors to make them aware of our brand and differentiators, teaching them how to talk about it in the market and why it was important to do so.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DeSantis Breindel was integral in our entire rebranding process. During this process, they were involved in multiple areas, including research, marketing strategy, brand strategy, design, implementation, website design, and graphic direction.

They kickstarted the project with a very thorough information-gathering process, which included market research and interviews. Then, they helped us define our branding strategy. Although they didn’t handle our social media accounts directly, they also designed the strategy behind those accounts from a brand perspective.

Regarding the website development portion, we had a different partner who was in charge of the development task. Still, DeSantis Breindel worked hand-in-hand with them, providing the strategic direction to modernize its design and maximize its utilization.

What is the team composition?

We worked with a very broad team that DeSantis Breindel brought in in different areas, including their leadership, strategists, graphic designers, web strategists, and more. Debbie (Chief of Staff to Co-CEOs & Head Of Operations) was our project manager and the main point of contact.

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

I met DeSantis Breindel through a couple of CMOs who had recommended them. As I always appreciate good recommendations, I included them in our RFP process, and they came back with a very strong presentation.

When I was doing my due diligence on DeSantis Breindel, I found not only that they had worked with industry leaders but also that those industry leaders kept talking about DeSantis Breindel’s process. During the RFP process, we created a rebrand task force, and everyone involved chose DeSantis Breindel as our partner for this project unanimously.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $250,000–$500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together at the end of 2019, and we launched our new brand in the fall of 2021. However, we’re still working with them on other projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our attorneys and policy professionals who have been at events representing our firm have received very positive compliments from clients and prospective customers, demonstrating that this process was really worth the investment. Our leadership is happy with the outcome.

As for measurable results, we’ve seen that our website traffic has increased. People who have visited it have also told us excellent things about its ease of navigation, its relevant content, and its modern look and feel. All those aspects were implemented following DeSantis Breindel’s recommendations — they truly guided us in the right direction.

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

We worked together through the pandemic, which made the project very challenging from a scheduling standpoint, especially because we worked remotely and in different time zones. Still, DeSantis Breindel’s project management was excellent — I can’t say enough good things about it. Debbie became a phenomenal partner throughout this process, and she was very friendly no matter how tough of a client we were.

Before the pandemic started, we had in-person meetings. Once the pandemic started, we communicated via phone calls and weekly Zoom meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Firstly, DeSantis Breindel’s partnership was impressive. It never felt like just a project; it really felt like they were invested in our long-term success, which is why we’ve kept working with them on other projects.

Secondly, we really appreciated the types of clients that they had worked with and the expertise that they brought to the table. They demonstrated to be experts in branding, and they also provided a fantastic insight into how we were making business decisions.

Their excellent input ultimately translated into excellent discussions and informed conversations about the usage of our website and its important role in recruitment and lead generation. These discussions helped us improve our website significantly as a result.

Another of the reasons why we hired DeSantis Breidel was due to their impressive information-gathering and fact-finding process; I can’t say enough good things about this aspect of theirs. Law is usually a very time-constrained industry, but their process maximized the time we had available with our key stakeholders. Additionally, DeSantis Breindel had a fantastic team that covered a broad range of areas of expertise — we really felt that we had the full team support.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. The challenges we had were caused by the pandemic, so I wouldn’t attribute any of them to DeSantis Breindel.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to feedback, be open to look at things differently, and trust the process. If you can trust that process, the results will speak for themselves.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the SVP of marketing at HALO Branded Solutions, one of the US’s largest providers of promotional products, uniforms, and employee recognition incentives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

We were looking to integrate our business because we had acquired multiple companies. Our goal was to bring together those acquired companies under one brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DeSantis Breindel helped us with corporate and digital rebranding. We gave them a full data dump of our company’s background, including insight and marketing. Additionally, we made our teams available for interviews. 

For our corporate rebrand, they did three-part market research, brand strategy, design, and execution. They developed our logo, visual treatment, and brand book. The team helped redefine our value proposition and our go-to-market messaging. They also provided a full range of examples of marketing executions for corporate merchandise, advertising material, posters, social media posts, and website designs. 

In the digital work, we relaunched our website. DeSantis Breindel was responsible for site architecture, design, direction, execution, and CMS implementation.

What is the team composition?

On the brand relaunch, we worked with the founder, three strategists, a project manager, a market researcher, and the head of the agency. In addition, a creative director was included in many of the meetings. Once we got into the design, we worked with a team of 3–4 designers that worked on the execution.

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

I researched B2B service agencies and interviewed eight different vendors. Then, we narrowed them down to four and ran an RFP process, and DeSantis Breindel was the best. They had a really good name in the B2B services market, which we liked a lot. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August 2019–May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

DeSantis Breindel was very good. Their work helped us integrate our company successfully underneath one brand, from a sales perspective and a talent and engagement standpoint.

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

They had very high-level project management. We had weekly meetings with them, and they were excellent at taking us through every detail of what was coming up and what they would deliver. They met with our entire team and kept us continuously updated. The team also provided a list of items for us to go through, and they were really flexible. Overall, they did a good job managing us throughout the process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

DeSantis Breindel spent the time to really understand our company, and they had an excellent understanding of the B2B services space.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have a lot of constructive feedback for them; they did a fantastic job. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

What worked well for us was having an inclusive approach with every person in our organization, even our executive team. We were all part of the process, and DeSantis Breindel did a great job building relationships and understanding all levels within our organization. When they delivered something, it wasn’t just for the marketing department; they presented it to the whole company. 

You should think about how DeSantis Breindel can help transform the whole company. The team thrives in helping entire organizations, not just a marketing group. For us, they helped redefine how we look and show up as a full organization.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO of a leading manufacturer and provider of products and services for the renewable energy, residential, agtech and infrastructure markets. Our 2021 revenue was over $1.3B. We are celebrating our 50th anniversary this year.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

I’m the first CMO. Our company grew from a series of acquisitions, its businesses operated more autonomously, and we saw the opportunity to unite and strengthen as a multi-industrial company.

The first thing I looked at was the structure of the business entities and the strategies of each one of our businesses and brands. I quickly realized that we wouldn’t be able to start improving the execution of our marketing without first taking a deep look at our brand strategy, architecture, and hierarchy, as our brand structure was complex and confusing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DeSantis Breindel helped us establish and execute our overall brand strategy. Based on research, we decided to maintain a house-of-brands strategy instead of combining our brands into a single brand name. Still, we found it important to develop one culture and one corporate identity, resulting in a new purpose, a new set of values, and enhanced operating principles that will help us further develop the overall culture of our company.

Within each of our brands, we’ve built foundational mission statements and value propositions.  

DeSantis Breindel immersed themselves in our businesses—reviewing current business materials and campaign assets. Then, they laid out a process to decide how to move forward, starting with market research.

As part of the deliverables, DeSantis Breindel developed our brand strategy, brand architecture, visual identity, and brand tone and style. They’ve also given us outlines and fundaments to bring our value proposition to life.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with a managing director on a regular basis, and have also worked with strategy directors, communication strategists, creative leads, account directors, and project managers.

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

Before I joined the company, one of our business units started to consider their brand strategy.  They did some research and talked with DeSantis Breindel, as well as with other brand agencies. As I started with the firm, I also talked to DeSantis Breindel.

I discovered that some of their team members had worked with another agency I worked with previously, so I was familiar with their processes and the quality of their work. Based on my previous experience, I knew that they had the ability to translate strategic thinking into actionable insights and high-quality visual and creative assets.

What is the status of this engagement?

I first engaged with DeSantis Breindel in June 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are receiving positive feedback from employees and clients on our brand work, but we don’t have any measurable results yet. We launched our first brand about a year ago, but we’re just starting to execute marketing campaigns and sunset some of our legacy brands.

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

DeSantis Breindel’s project management is excellent; they’ve kept the various work streams on track. We communicate via email and have weekly status update meetings. They deliver on time and on budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

DeSantis Breindel is incredibly vested in our business and success — they operate as a true partner. Secondly, their team is highly strategic—drawing out meaningful insights and assets from their research.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When we initiated this project, we had some difficulty getting accurate and regular status updates. I needed more from them in project management as we have a lean team, and I was relying on them to be an extension of our internal team. However, they rectified that quickly.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them do what they do best — don’t overmanage them and be open-minded. Don’t have preconceived expectations of the solution for your brand—they have deep experience—leverage it!