Devise Agency

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former VP of employer brand and candidate advocacy at Wells Fargo.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Blue Collar Agency?

 We reached out to Blue Collar Agency for help creating a new advertising campaign to boost our recruitment efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did interviews with our employees to learn more about the core values that we look for in candidates. They also did research on the types of things that candidates look for in potential employers. By combining that information, they were able to create a campaign concept. They made a brief and devised different deliverables for taking this campaign to market. 

What is the team composition?

Tom was my primary point of contact, but I also worked with their larger creative team. I initially spoke with Rob when we were figuring out what we wanted our campaign to look like. 

How did you come to work with Blue Collar Agency?

I wanted to work with a local agency so that we could meet with each other in person. They’re part of PDX Executive Group, which is an organization that I’m also a member of. I had seen some of their work previously, and they came highly recommended. 

How much have you invested in them? 

We spent about $145,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2019. My work with them ended in December of that year when I left Wells Fargo. However, I believe the company is still working with them. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We looked at social media engagement, response rates to outreach, and website traffic. 

How did Blue Collar Agency perform from a project management standpoint? 

They performed well. We had a change of project managers midway through, but they didn’t miss a beat. They’re very responsive and didn’t miss any deadlines. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with how creative they were. They took abstract concepts and turned them into messages that were intuitive and clear. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Large corporations can be difficult to work with. However, I think they were very patient in dealing with our bureaucracy. They were consistent and maintained a client-centric approach. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Stay in close contact with Tom and Rob, and make sure you’re being clear about what you want. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the e-commerce and marketing manager for a sporting goods company. We make knives and tools for the mass market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blue Collar Agency?

We engaged them for a rebrand originally in about 2013. The brand had not been refreshed for many years, so we engaged Blue Collar Agency for their experience in branding.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first step was research. That led to insights, which led to a brand strategy. They set the strategic direction for our organization.

After the brand strategy was set, that’s when the extensions came. How does that brand strategy manifest in our advertising? How does that brand strategy manifest in our video strategy? How does it manage itself? How does it manifest in social media? How does it manifest on our web site? They answered these questions and did a lot of our extension work. That's a major brand piece for us.

They also did our catalog, and are still doing our catalog for the last five years. They handled the SEO on our website too. They’ve worked with us on some demand generation. Finally, they also assisted us at a large trade show that’s crucial to our business.

What is the team composition?

They martialed their full resources for us. They did an excellent job. They had one account director who led the team, a creative director, an account director, and more. Probably between 5–7 worked on the project. We’ve been with Blue Collar Agency for so many years that we’ve had a lot of contacts with everyone in the organization.

How did you come to work with Blue Collar Agency?

We wanted to look locally in the Oregon area. They had a great reputation. We reached out and started a conversation. We chose Blue Collar Agency because of the creative direction and value.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began talking with them in 2011. We formally began the engagement in January 2012, and we’re still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had double-digit growth every year we worked with Blue Collar Agency, and we doubled the company’s top-line revenue in the past five years. I’ll confidently say that they’re a significant contributor to that number.

How did Blue Collar Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent — we never had an issue. Follow-up, project management, their ability to come in ahead of time and under budget — all are excellent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their strength is in creative direction. They have a really talented creative director. The team behind him is also excellent. They have all the fundamentals. They provide exceptional service. Our dream is to give them a million dollars a year to them to tell them to go make us awesome. Even though we don’t have that budget, they still make us extraordinary.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their communication is excellent. They run their projects on time. They’re good budgeters. They have excellent creative direction. I can’t find a weakness.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking for a really strong creative, Blue Collar Agency is your agency.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a contract consulting company that does product marketing and development for the outdoor, fishing, and camping industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blue Collar Agency?

Initially, we needed help with specific marketing outreach for brands I had been working with.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided everything from creating a digital interface and being able to react from a social media standpoint to helping rebrand. The team also helped build a succinct process and marketing outreach for one of the brands.

Currently, we team up together with potential clients to be able to orchestrate product management and move them into a product marketing outreach process. Additionally, we help each other fortify our businesses, and make sure we’re getting good clients.

What is the team composition?

I work with Rob (Managing Director & Partner), Tom (Creative Director & Partner), and Tyler (Director of Project Management).  

How did you come to work with Blue Collar Agency?

When I began at a former company, they were already the branding agency in place. They don’t come with the “agency fluff”, which worked for me since I know what I want. The team is very no-nonsense, which is why I still work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $75,000–$120,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2017, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re a great team, and they’ve become good friends. The team is quick with their response, and they’re quick to point out any mistakes. Overall, Blue Collar Agency is an extremely competent group, so it’s easy to work with them.

How did Blue Collar Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve actually learned a lot from them about project management. We use Basecamp for communication, and they respond most times within 30 minutes or less for critical matters. The team is great about continuously moving and improving.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They come with a variety of creativity, which is rare. The team understands digital and the social media marketplace, too.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The team could do better with hands-on research about clients, but they’ve done well overall, so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to get used to having projects moving quickly; they expect clients to be prepared, to help things move at a fast pace.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing at Sigma Corporation of America. We provide photography equipment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blue Collar Agency?

As a third party manufacturer of cameras and lenses, both for still and in the cinema industry, there’s quite a bit of competition. We turned to Blue Collar Agency to help set us apart.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Blue Collar Agency works to improve our digital communications, including banner ads, paid social, and direct mail. The team works collaboratively with us, under my direction. They also work on copy, email marketing, web design, and more.

Through testing and regular analytic reviews, they’ve consistently fine-tuned and optimized the creative, the format, and the tactics we’re using to improve the conversion on our digital communications.

What is the team composition?

We work with most of the team. Directly, it’s about six or seven people, including Rob (Managing Director). 

How did you come to work with Blue Collar Agency?

I inherited them when I came to Sigma. I’d worked with a number of agencies in the past, and I was very pleased with Blue Collar Agency.

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve been working with them since July 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen vastly improved traffic to our website. Also in the five year period we’ve worked with them, during which there’s been a decline in lens sales, we’ve actually increased year over year. Blue Collar Agency’s efforts on the digital communication side have played a significant role in that.

Our dealers are also very happy with the communication, which helps drive traffic to their stores and websites.

How did Blue Collar Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is always available. As far as reporting, they’re great communicators, and they’re quick to address any issues we might have. Also, we can always speak to top management if we need to. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re like an extension of our own marketing team. We share all of our information with them, and in turn, they provide a high attention to detail and an ability to bring new ideas to the table. Blue Collar Agency is really interested in understanding the nuances of our business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve addressed little things throughout the engagement, and they’re constantly looking to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You can treat Blue Collar Agency as if they’re your own in-house team. They’re always available to address issues, and they handle things in a very team-oriented manner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an AWS consultancy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with  Blue Collar Agency?

We don’t provide design and branding services, so we needed their help on a collaborative effort for a third-party client. Our client was looking to launch a new product. There was a huge amount of attention that needed to be devoted to the brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created the entire brand identity, which included typography, graphic design and collateral. The team also did stakeholder interviews to assess what would be best, as well as information architecture to create the navigation of the site.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 4–5 people, including Tom (Creative Director), Rob (Managing Director & Partner), and April (Marketing & Advertising Consultant).

How did you come to work with Blue Collar Agency?

We met at a networking function. We were geographically close, and their work was good, so they were a good fit for this particular project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project spanned September–December 2012.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work was very well received, critically. The font used was the name of our client’s brand, which was perfect. Our client and our internal team were all pleased. The developers on our team always push the envelope, but even they were skeptical of completing the work on time. That being said, everything made it across the “finish line”, and it was a healthy partnership despite any bumps we encountered.

How did Blue Collar Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is very honest. They’re excellent with customer service but are also willing to challenge people. The team doesn’t hold back on their opinions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their work ethic is fantastic. They’re not a company that does the "swoop and poop", and they’re very shoulder-to-shoulder in how they approach projects. The team wants to be collaborative and hear the challenges along the way. Overall, they’re a strong collaborative partner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to understand what you want as a customer. If you’re just looking to check a box, this is not the right group for that. Their end-game is to push the envelope and be engaging with whatever project they’re on.