DeSantis Breindel

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the Art Director at Education Week which is a nonprofit media company based in Bethesda, Maryland. We have a 35-year history of serving the nation’s pre-K-12 policymakers, educators, researchers, and other influencers with independent and highly respected journalism, research, and data. Our work engages readers with important news, meaningful analysis, and distinctive explanatory and investigative journalism across digital, print, and broadcast platforms and through live and virtual events. Our mission is to serve as an indispensable source for news, information, analysis, and services essential to drive critical changes in pre-K-12 policy and practice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire DeSantis Breindel?

We needed significant help in unifying our current brand messaging and brand awareness as it is deployed in the redesign of our website--edweek.org and across all of our brand materials (e.g. marketing, communications, and social media) bringing a visual and verbal cohesion to our work.

What were your goals for this project?

To clarify and clearly communicate the Education Week master brand and to increase loyalty and trust among our audience. We also wanted to increase brand awareness among the range of other products and services that carry the Education Week brand such as EdWeek Market Brief, EdWeek Top School Jobs, EdWeek Marketing Solutions, and the EdWeek Research Center.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We started with a simple Google search, but then our Editor in Chief touched base with a friend in the media business. That friend gave us a short list of highly recommended agencies in the field. We did our due diligence in vetting that short list and decided to move forward with DeSantis Breindel.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We started with an initial kick-off meeting with necessary stakeholders.They helped us finalize questions for a brand survey that we were about to field out to a non Education Week audience to gauge brand awareness. We then bombarded them with a huge amount of materials to review, some of which included existing customer research. The conducted a competitive audit of 6 of our top competitors.

They synthesized and analyzed massive amounts of research before coming back to present their findings and hold an office "brand positioning" workshop with representatives from almost every department of Education Week. They synthesized those findings further and later returned with a thoughtful brand strategy recommendation which included positioning, pillars, and personality. The also worked with us to develop a core messaging platform along with messaging for most of our sub brands.

The second phase of their work included a fresh new logo design, along with recommended treatments for our sub brand logos. They recommended a complete design language for Education Week (e.g. color palette, typography, photography, iconography, and sample mocks of how the brand would come to life in other collateral). They worked closely with internal stakeholders to develop a company brand book and style guide that met our needs.

What was the team composition?

I worked most closely with their project manager, Laura Mulcahey, who was the most organized, pleasant, and responsive person I have ever met in my life. She was truly amazing. I also worked closely with three of their brand strategists (Leyah Farber, Emmy Jedras, and Shelley Whiddon) who were all incredibly talented and highly skilled individuals. We truly were in awe of just how smart and thorough this group was. We hit the jackpot in the strategy department. We worked closely with their graphic designer, Clinton Clarke, who also was extremely responsive and talented.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone within the company loves the new branding and is truly excited to see it become external facing. Though we are still knee-deep in the trenches of a total digital overhaul which will include a complete redesign of edweek.org, we have slowly been trickling out the new brand via social media, e-newsletters, and other collateral and our audience seems to love it.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had weekly phone calls which were conducted by their project manager. We were using an outside project management firm to keep not just this, but our entire digital transformation project on track and DeSantis was more than willing to work with that company. DeSantis would update the Gantt charts on a weekly basis. Again, their project manager was super responsive and very accommodating, which made what could have been a very stressful project, go quite smoothly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

So many things! It's hard to just pick one. I was very impressed with their commitment and desire to do the job well. Numerous times they went outside of the defined scope of the project and I would get nervous and ask them if there would be any additional cost because of it.

They believed in transparency and repeatedly assured me they would never charge extra without first letting us know that something was out of scope. They were always willing to go the extra mile, which sometimes meant going out of the defined scope of the project because they felt strongly that they couldn't skip steps and felt a strong desire to do things well.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The initial RFP was done quickly and had a few typos. Within the RFP, we had asked a few questions of them and didn't get them answered on the first round, but with a little prodding they were eventually answered. Fortunately, we didn't rule them out based on that early experience. They are a phenomenal agency to work with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re specialized in specialty produce-grade chemicals for the manufacturing industry. It’s a company of about 800 million in sales, serving companies in automotive, steel, aluminum, machinery, and other industries dealing with metal.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

Part of the plan was to help us with rebranding. We were in the process of merging with another company that was based in the US and in the same field of activity as Quaker. We closed the deal just a month ago, and are a leader in the field of process-grade solutions for the manufacturing industry. We needed to be able to successfully integrate the two companies under one comprehensive ethos and brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The whole focus was the rebranding of the company. The first step was to assess, both internally and externally, what the rationale for the new brand would be. We went through a number of different processes, including interviews with key senior executives in both companies, meetings in different regions and segments of the companies, surveys, and interviews with a small number of high-level customers to assess their views on the corporate brand.

We also formulated the ethos of these brands, and what we should put forward for each one. The key elements for each were the corporate brand, the verbal expression (including the tagline), and all the visual expressions of the brand, including every template and material we could think of. All of that was eventually analyzed and approved by the executive team of the company in the form of a comprehensive brand book.

What is the team composition?

It was a small team of 4–5 people, and we had a single point of contact. The project manager tracked the process and made sure we were progressing according to plan. They put a lot of time and thought into understanding the business and culture of both legacy companies, and they drove the graphic design work. We also had a commercial contact at DeSantis Breindel, but they had a lighter touch, obviously.

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

We looked at around five companies with different proposals, and we selected two frontrunners. We had meetings with them and they delivered their speeches. We benchmarked cost versus potential performance, and we felt comfortable with DeSantis Breindel because of the specialization of the company in corporate rebranding, and also because of the size of their company. They weren’t too small—like a two-man show—but they also weren't too big. We felt they would prioritize us.

Finally, we felt extremely confident in the working team. They listened to our needs and understood our culture, and, at the same time, they were pushing their suggestions, even at the pitch level, clearly but not boldly. They wanted to make it clear from the start that they would listen to us, but they would also help us make decisions rather than just doing whatever we wanted because we were the customer.

What is the status of this engagement?

The proposal was in July 2017, and the final recommendation was in September 2018, although we did a bit of additional work after that.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t done an internal first-launch survey, as we’ve just launched and are in the middle of all kinds of opportunities, from commercial to procurement, production, etc. The feedback’s been extremely positive so far, however. It worked really well in the spirit of the combination, and we’ve received a lot of good feedback on that, especially the tagline, “Forward together." It’s short and sweet, and globally understandable. It works in English and can be gotten in French as well. It works pretty well with our customers. I haven’t heard specifics from them, but I also didn’t hear anything negative, as we were fearing had we gone too bold or too different.

This was really helpful during the technical elements of the transition. The new logo has elements of both old ones, so it wasn’t completely unrecognizable to customers seeing it printed on our products. We’ve had small technical issues, but it’s been good overall.

We launched some of the branding from day one internally, so the brand was highly visible. The feedback we received internally was extremely positive. We’ve gotten good feedback from distributors as well. We’ve had no issues from their side, so far.

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

The project spanned more than a year and a half, for internal reasons. We had to get approval from all kinds of external bodies. I was disappointed by the fact that we had three different project managers during this time, but I have to say that all three of them were excellent. The kind of project we were running could’ve gone wrong very quickly, but they were very diligent. I think we were a bit unfortunate to have those project management changes, but, in the end, they didn’t have an impact on the project. We received very high quality from the team working at DeSantis Breindel. I would score them higher had we not had those changes, but it was really just an annoyance, rather than an issue.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What's most impressive is the quality of their people and the genuine effort they put into understanding our company and business, which are pretty complex. We employed another agency 5–6 years ago, just for a refresh of our brand at the time, and not a merger. Compared to them, DeSantis Breindel really understood the heart and soul of this company and tried to differentiate on the people, the services, and the products.

DeSantis Breindel got the idea of our positioning, which is more on solutions, services, expertise, and customer-centricity, rather than products. They’re dedicated to articulating this positioning, and this has come through in both the verbal and visual elements of their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We exchanged feedback pretty well, so there’s nothing serious. I wasn’t very convinced by the first visual elements we received. Some of the graphic design and videos provided weren’t good, but we discussed it and they adapted quickly. They delivered a second round that was better than what we could’ve imagined.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

All these projects require some time to set up a broad range of deliverables. That enables DeSantis Breindel to navigate through the organization and through the customer base pretty wisely, with tact and confidence. This worked very well in getting us customer participation for interviews. Clients shouldn’t hesitate to bring DeSantis Breindel in and present a set of thick orders. They will deliver above expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing at Myriad360, an IT infrastructure consultancy and integrator. We work with enterprises and service providers to meet their infrastructure needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

We needed help with a rebrand, and we hired DeSantis Breindel to help us understand and build our identity. Our original company name, Myriad Supply, did not accurately reflect all of the services that we provided to our clients. This name spoke to our legacy business, which was reselling products from major manufacturers and providers in the IT space. However, over time, we also began providing consultancy and engineering services, such as infrastructure planning and firewall health checks. We needed a name that informed the industry that, in addition to being a hardware and software reseller, we also offered a number of services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DeSantis Breindel oversaw the entire rebrand. They began with a discovery phase, during which they met with our team, executive leaders, extended leadership team, and several employees to understand our company, products and services, client base, and positioning. They also conducted customer interviews. The team presented their findings of both their employee and customer research. They explained our strengths and areas for improvement.

Then, DeSantis Breindel developed our messaging strategy, taking into consideration how we should talk about ourselves and build out the look and feel of the company. The team created mood boards, color palettes, imagery selections, and tonality pieces. They did a persona presentation to show my team what our brand could look like and the directions we could take. From there, they built a wireframe, brand guide, and WordPress website. They also helped us with our logo and name.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 5–6 team members, and they had an extended team working on various facets. Our primary points of contact were a designer, a content strategist, and a project manager. Two individuals helped with the development of all assets and research findings. They outsourced development work.

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

One of my company’s employees referred them. We did online research and vetted several other agencies, and we ultimately chose DeSantis Breindel because their scope of work was the best fit for what we wanted to achieve. They stood out amongst all of the competitors because they had been through the rebrand process several times and knew what it took to build world-class marketing. They were an experienced team with a lot of skill and talent.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent between $150,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The rebrand lasted from May 2018–February 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received great feedback from employees and clients regarding the brand’s fresh, clean, and professional look. Branding is fairly stagnant in our market, so our updated color palette and unique digital presence make us stand out amongst our competition.

From a performance perspective, we’ve seen a great uptick in our form fills. Also, we have witnessed the same traffic between our old site and our new one. When a website launches, traffic usually declines. However, we never saw this decline, which spoke to DeSantis Breindel’s ability to distinguish our brand and optimize the site. We hadn’t anticipated that they’d be able to maintain our traffic, as this is almost unheard of.

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

They were phenomenal. We had regular check-ins, and they adhered to our meeting schedule. Most importantly, they held us accountable. Because so many people were involved in the rebrand, it was challenging to make decisions and get deliverables done on time. DeSantis Breindel was a key partner and ally in pushing my team to stay on track. We communicated via email and phone, and we also had virtual and in-person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed by their ability to analyze our company and determine the direction in which we needed to go. Using in-depth research and client and employee feedback, they deduced how we should build our messaging. The most critical aspect of a rebrand is getting the messaging right. Many companies can do beautiful design work, but few can provide a strong messaging foundation.

We also liked the collaborative nature of the partnership. My team presented them with ideas, thoughts, and feedback, and they provided us with the same.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were truly phenomenal. We’ve continued to work with them on other projects because we were so pleased with how the rebrand went.

Any advice for potential customers?

Listen to their feedback and recommendations. Also, utilize their expertise and be open to collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of marketing and business development for a law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

We needed a brand refresh.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with the research phase and then ideated the brand platform, specifically the brand pillars. DeSantis Breindel proceeded into design and content creation after our leadership signed off on the plans.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with five different resources.

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

We received a recommendation from another law firm. Our firm then put out an RFP to four agencies including DeSantis Breindel. The team understood our challenge and delivered a customized pitch that gave us insight into a future collaboration with them. They also came prepared with an assigned project manager, which ensured a dynamic partnership.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with the team in 2018. The project included several starts and stops.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had an excellent experience. Our internal clients responded positively to the results.

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

DeSantis Breindel provided weekly summaries on every aspect of the engagement. They kept us on track; delays were our side’s fault, not theirs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

DeSantis Breindel connected strategy and design together in a way that no other prospective vendor could replicate. Likewise, the team brought a fresh perspective to professional services branding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, DeSantis Breindel was an asset to our organization. Implementing their suggestions resolved issues on our end, ultimately creating a smooth experience. We would definitely be willing to use them again.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve health and healthcare for Americans. Most of our work is based in the U.S., but we do some international work as well. I’m an IT director. I manage the systems and applications that support our grant-making process.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

We do a lot of custom in-house development for our applications and systems, but we wanted an external team to help us with the look and feel, design, and usability of our products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We work together on a number of systems. We discuss the philosophy of each system, its internal and external audiences, use cases, personas, and other considerations. We then explain the functionality and features, and they develop wireframes. We have an iterative refinement process before they build the style guides and implement their designs.

What is the team composition?

We have one primary point of contact.

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

Our communications department used them for work on our public website, so they had an existing relationship with us. Based on that positive recommendation and their understanding of our company, we decided to work with them. We also felt they could maintain and extend the continuity of the work they’d already done.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $100,000 with them at this point.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August or September 2015. We’ve worked with them on a number of projects, and they continue to act as an extension of our team as our acting design house. We’re just about to launch a new system, and they continue to support existing systems they’ve worked on.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t keep metrics related to their work, but we do receive good feedback from our users, both internal and external. We get regular compliments on the design, which is well laid out, thoughtful, and easy to use.

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very organized, and they deliver on a timely basis. They’re also very realistic about what they can and can’t do. We have a good working relationship, and we understand each other well. It’s a good collaboration.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very thoughtful, they listen to what we have to say, and they respect what we’re trying to do. They try to incorporate everything we want into their work while guiding us toward best practices and away from user interfaces or designs that may cause issues in the future.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are times when they are almost too accommodating. I would love to get more of their opinion on things at times.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a privately held financial services firm. I’m the executive vice president and head of marketing and communications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

They’ve partnered with us for the past ten years to develop our brand and drive brand awareness.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first project we worked on with them established our brand identity, website, and related collateral material. Based on their research, they developed appropriate strategy and implemented project timelines. They’ve also worked with us to ideate innovative events to deepen our relationships with clients and prospective clients.

They continue to keep us relevant and contemporary in our market. Current projects include more video content and a specific thought leadership platform. We work very closely together on new ways to market the brand and tell our story.

What is the team composition?

We work with one of the owners, three other direct points of contact, and a couple members of their creative team.

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

I knew DeSantis when they first started working with us, and they were referred in by a prior firm. My business partner had a prior relationship with the owners and thought they would be a good fit for our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

Over the course of our partnership, we’ve spent in excess of $600,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked together over the past decade. We work with them every day, and they are still very involved in our brand identity and reputation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve won several awards from the campaign work they’ve done with us. Some important transactions came out of events they ideated, and general reactions to their collateral design work are positive.

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very strong project managers. We mainly correspond via email and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very detail-oriented. They’re strategic and hands-on, and they understand our business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any recommendations for them; they do their work well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of a property technology startup. We’re focused on the residential rental market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

We were in the process of creating our brand. We needed their help in bringing our concept and visual identity to life. Additionally, although we’re a B2C focused company, we also needed our brand to appeal to others in the real estate owner market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began the project with a discovery phase. To help with the positioning efforts, we provided them with our market research and information on our core values and purpose as a company. They refined these concepts and developed several mood boards.

Once we decided on the visuals, their team moved onto brand exploration. They created a logo and other corresponding materials. In total, they created a brand guideline, purpose statement, and examples for using the visuals on video, digital, and social media platforms.

What is the team composition?

They provided a large team, but Clinton (Creative Director, DeSantis Breindel) was the main creative force working on the project. There were a few others dedicated to the project who I interacted with directly, as well.

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

I’d admired their work for a long time, even before they founded DeSantis Breindel. I had referred several of my own clients to work with them and was impressed with the rigor and skill they brought to each project. We wanted a branding firm that could understand the challenges a young startup faces, while also being capable of developing visually stunning work.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $300,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from July–October 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our performance on Instagram is substantially improved when we use the visuals that DeSantis Breindel created. Compared to other real estate ads, ours have higher engagement due to the branding imagery. The simple, effective template their team produced has allowed us to earn conversions more effectively.

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very easy to work with. Even when we had an established timeline, they were willing to pivot if we needed to change something. They kept us focused, on track, and manage the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were active listeners and able to incorporate new ideas into their work. They didn't attach themselves to one option and stick to it, they were willing to try multiple options. Also, their strategic approach was impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’d be helpful if they could perform more user research. However, our team came into the project with a substantial amount of information already gathered, so there was plenty to work with. I think most branding agencies could do more audience research, overall.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president of government relations and communications for a publicly traded company in the New York Stock Exchange. We operate an aerospace business, a legacy helicopter business, and an industrial distribution business. We work with military platforms and 240 different branches around the country.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

For over ten years, DeSantis Breindel has helped us produce our annual report. This is mostly design work for the document, but it also includes marketing and strategy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DeSantis Breindel has designed and produced our annual report for many years. They produce the design concept for the entire report, draft the annual shareholder letter, and prepare the report for print and online publication. They have to be involved in every aspect of production, even having someone present during photo-shoots and while the document is printing to make sure it is up to standards.

The report is our primary communication with existing and potential shareholders. It’s also shared internally as a marketing or business development tool.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with one of the co-founders, a strategy analyst, and a program manager.

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

They began doing our annual report before I was responsible for any part of the process, so I’m not sure about the history of the relationship and how it began. I can say that they do an outstanding job every year. They deliver a high-quality product that exceeds our expectations, and that’s why we continue to use them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with them for over a decade, since before 2008, and are currently working on the 2018 annual report to be issued in February 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The annual report and shareholder letter are ultimately signed and sent out by our CEO. He has always been complimentary of DeSantis Breindel's work and praised them in multiple meetings. If he didn’t think the document met our standards or presented a positive reflection of the company, he wouldn’t sign it, and we wouldn’t continue to use them. Additionally, we have had positive feedback from our shareholders who look at the document.

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

The annual report is produced during a very busy time for our company, so we usually have many project ongoing at the same time as their development. DeSantis Breindel excels at making sure everyone adheres to the schedule, and that all milestones are met. That’s especially important for this report because, under FCC stock exchange regulations, we have a non-negotiable submission date. They’ve made sure that we are never late in sending out the report.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We produce a new report every year, and we’re not always sure what direction we want to pursue when we begin (e.g. what theme or message). DeSantis Breindel always finds a way to communicate what we’re thinking, even if we aren’t able to perfectly verbalize it. They have always produced an exemplary product that represents us, and our message, perfectly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. Evidenced by the longevity of our relationship, we’ve had a terrific partnership with them, and are extremely pleased with their work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing for a global consulting firm with 43 offices globally. We segment our services in three areas: disputes and investigations, corporate finance, and strategy and operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

As a rapidly growing firm, we needed help with our branding. By distilling our value proposition, we hoped to showcase what made us unique. We were growing so quickly that we wanted our organization to be backed by compelling messaging. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The process began with a discovery period that included interviews with stakeholders across the organization. Subsequently, we held several focus groups and met with our key stakeholders. 

We used a very iterative process to create the visual identity, brand essence, messaging, and launch plan deliverables. Since our rollout, we’ve continued to work on creative concepts with DeSantis Breindel to sustain momentum.

What is the team composition? 

I worked with Julia (Senior Brand Strategist, DeSantis Breindel), Shelley (Managing Director, DeSantis Breindel), Sanjay (Program Management, DeSantis Breindel), and Howard (Co-CEO, DeSantis Breindel).  We have a dedicated project manager.

How did you come to work with DeSantis Breindel?

We found DeSantis Breindel while researching recommended branding firms with a notable presence in various capacities. We chose them because they specialize in professional services. 

The team’s level of familiarity with the industry showed they were equipped to solve specific challenges to different degrees. Our interactions with the CEO made a positive impression on us. He’s extremely knowledgeable.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together since September 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re just beginning the rollout and have already experienced substantial engagement internally, which has been great. People are very excited about the work we’ve done with DeSantis Breindel. Our in-house personnel has been very eager to go to market with the new deliverable we produced together.

How did DeSantis Breindel perform from a project management standpoint?

DeSantis Breindel handles project management very well. We maintain regular communication including weekly calls along with email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

DeSantis Breindel has really stood out from the competition. They’ve been a true partner in our journey, and we trust their counsel. The team works very effectively with our senior executives. They inspire confidence. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. DeSantis Breindel has done an outstanding job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CMO at a law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DeSantis Breindel?

We were looking for a company to help us create client experience initiatives.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us develop client service principles and deploy them both internally and externally. When we started working with DeSantis, most of the client service principles have been defined by our group of lawyers, but once DeSantis joined our team, the project became much clearer. They helped us create client personas and journey maps for different transactions. They also produced a set of internal and external collateral materials on what our program would look like and what it would entail. In addition, they provided comprehensive training for our attorneys and staff. We want to bring them in to help us with some website language and design.

What is the team composition?

We mostly worked with a project manager and one other team member.

How did you come to work with them?

We found them through an RFP process at my prior firm (we were looking for someone to help us with brand strategy as we were going through complete rebranding). They didn't have much experience working with law firms, so they could bring a fresh perspective. For this project, we liked the fact that they had worked on journey mapping and client experience programs before, so they could help us make our program more comprehensive.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between June 2017–June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our internal team was enthusiastic about the training and satisfied with their work. We're getting ready to roll out a baseline NPS survey to our clients, so we don't anticipate any benchmark at least a year after we do the first NPS.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

I'd rank them pretty high compared to the other firms I had worked with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I knew that there would be turnover because that's the nature of their industry. But whenever someone new started working on our account, they never missed a beat. I usually assumed that a new team member would start all over again, but DeSantis did their best to avoid a learning curve.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They did a great job. Knowing their strengths and making use of them is the best thing they can do for their clients.