Gundir

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the marketing and communications director for Hanna Boys Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and residential treatment center for at-risk teenage boys.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gunderson Direct?

I have been at the Center for about a year now, but when I first came in, we had significant challenges regarding our marketing and branding. Our materials were pretty dated and inconsistent, and there was no continuous brand strategy or guidelines. We needed to establish a consistent voice for our materials, since the then-current ones did not present a professional image to our constituents. By engaging Gunderson Direct, I knew we would get a full-service agency that had the talent we needed to round out our approach quickly and effectively, and that they would provide us with the tools necessary to better reach out to stakeholders.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a strong need for complete brand guidelines, so that was their first task. Then they helped us with all of our print materials, including ads, folders, fliers, case studies, brochures, and our annual report, among other necessities. Gunderson did a lot of design work for us, as well as the execution of our marketing strategy. One of their most important responsibilities was to understand our vision, our model, and how our organization works, which they did very well. They have become very integrated with our operation, and we have a strong ongoing partnership.

What is the team composition?

All of our work is funneled through the account manager, with whom I work very closely. Larger projects go through a bigger team, and can include designers, copywriters, and art directors, among other roles. Occasionally, our most complex projects have even involved Mike Gunderson [President, Gunderson Direct] himself.

How did you come to work with Gunderson Direct?

I have worked with Gunderson Direct at other organizations for between fifteen to twenty years now. Although we did look at a few other companies during the initial hiring process, I felt very strongly that Gunderson was an extension of me as a marketing person. Through my past experiences with them, I knew that their turnaround time, quality of work, honesty, and professionalism made them the right partner for us. Despite having had occasional challenges with other ad agencies, I have never had a problem with Mike or any of his employees.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first collaboration began around September of 2016, and the engagement is ongoing, with Gunderson Direct now working for us on a monthly retainer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After beginning our work with the Gunderson team, our newsletter went from being a loss leader to actually producing revenue. We overhauled its design and execution with a direct mail outlook, and since then, it has gone from costing the Center US$10,000 after every production to actually making about US$25,000 per mailing, despite the volume of issues having stayed the same. Thanks to Gunderson’s work on the redesign, producing the newsletter costs the same amount, but its response rate has gone up and we are earning revenue in the long run, and this growth continues to increase with every issue.

How did Gunderson Direct perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is very fluid, with ongoing regular communication primarily done through email. I prefer to work using email, and they were happy to adapt to my preferred style of collaboration. Additionally, they have visited our facility in person as well as conducted regular phone calls when necessary. I channel all of our work through the account manager, from bouncing brand ideas off of them to simply checking on the status of an individual project. Together, we determine whether or not we need a bigger strategy session for something or if it should just go through the regular pipeline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Gunderson Direct has a very well organized team, and this teamwork allows them to produce great results. They are veterans of the direct mail industry, so they hit the ground running and produce quality output right away. We do not stop until we have the best end product, and they have excellent service. In fact, we submitted their work on our previous year’s annual report for an award, because we think that their efforts deserve broader recognition. We are grateful that Gunderson Direct has helped us tell our story.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We get their work at a very affordable rate, so although we do occasionally wish that we received projects from them somewhat faster, I’m not sure how reasonable it would be to expect that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager for ZipRecruiter, a job board and distribution platform that thousands of businesses post on daily.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Gunderson Direct?

We do a significant amount of marketing to attract employers to post jobs on our site. it's mainly B2B marketing, and we wanted a partner to help with our direct mail program.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Gunderson Direct provides strategic consulting as well as operational work for the direct mail campaigns. They set up the campaigns, work with numerous companies, and organize all of the moving parts. They provided winning creative until we were able to build our own internal team, now they work alongside our team, serving up cost-efficient formats and direct mail best practices.

Because Gunderson Direct doesn’t have their own mail shop or data brokerage, it's an advantage; they’re able to shop around for specific services in different segments, which can be quite cost effective. They don’t rely on an internal machine that only operates in one specific way, but they find the best deals and partners for production, data, and other services.

How did you come to work with Gunderson Direct?

We heard great things within the marketing community, and our CMO at the time brought them in.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent millions of dollars over the past four years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in 2014, and it’s still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They helped grow our marketing spend from about $50,000 a month to millions a month, which shows how they’ve been able to drive growth. The ROI matches our expectations compared to other channels we market with.

How did Gunderson Direct perform from a project management standpoint?

They're great at project management, which is their real strength. They expertly manage the different elements of a direct mail campaign and all the stakeholders involved. They always have a monthly plan, and they lay out all the timelines and deadlines for all the different vendors. Their years of experience add a layer of strategic direction to our campaigns.

What did you find most impressive about them?

All the people that work at Gunderson are great. We know Mike [President, Gunderson Direct] personally, and we enjoy every time we’re able to talk. The whole team is great to work with; they’re pleasant, and we enjoy the relationship we’ve built over the years.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They outsource a lot of elements, so bringing some of those disciplines in-house could make them more efficient. However, they do get us in contact with the right people, even if they haven’t developed a strong internal understanding of some of those specific areas.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director Integrated Marketing of Edelman Financial Engines

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Investment & Wealth Management

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Gundir to accomplish?

• Develop direct mail creative

SOLUTION

How did you find Gundir?

Referral

Why did you select Gundir over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Gundir were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Gundir performed a messaging pillars exercise, created four creative concepts, and took two selected concepts to completion. Deliverables included a pillars messaging deck and creative designs ready for production, with up to three rounds of revisions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Response rate, cost per response and enrollment

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Their project management was highly effective. They maintained clear communication throughout the process and set realistic timelines from the start. All deliverables were completed on schedule and they were responsive to our needs—whether it was answering questions, adjusting timelines or incorporating our feedback. They were collaborative and great partners. 

What was your primary form of communication with Gundir?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I was impressed by how quickly they learned about our business, our nuances and were able to speak in the voice and tone of our company.

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Sr. Direct Mail Manager of a healthcare company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A leading private online health insurance marketplace that makes it simple to compare and enroll in the nation’s top healthcare plans.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Gundir to accomplish?

• Adapt the newly developed brand for the direct mail marketing channel to ensure cohesion with other marketing efforts, featuring a mix of fully branded and lightly branded designs in the packages.
• Create five new direct mail packages, featuring a mix of fully branded and lightly branded designs, to roll out and test during Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period.

SOLUTION

How did you find Gundir?

Previous working relationship with the company

Why did you select Gundir over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Gundir were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

When we partnered with Gundir, we had a shortlist of ideas to translate into direct mail packages. They created five packages, featuring a mix of fully branded and lightly branded designs, to test during Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period. Each package explored a different positioning angle, with work spanning concept development, copywriting, design, and revisions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Not every test will meet expectations, but we had a pleasant surprise. One of the direct mail letter packages created by Gundir achieved the second-highest conversion rate in our robust test plan, narrowly trailing our control—a lightly branded piece. This success is particularly noteworthy because heavily branded direct mail has historically underperformed for us. These results indicate a promising direction for future branded campaigns and justify a validation test.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Project management was outstanding, thanks to Sarah Stone and Courtney Henson. Both were highly communicative, prompt in delivering items, and flexible when strategy directions changed, even with last-minute adjustments from us. All tasks assigned to Gundir were completed on time, despite a tight schedule, and this success was due to the solid support of our account managers.

What was your primary form of communication with Gundir?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Every marketing channel has its nuances, but direct mail is especially complex. While any agency can create an attractive design, that's not always what drives performance. Direct mail requires an agency with deep expertise—one that understands the nuances and knows how to translate them to engage consumers. Gundir is that agency.

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

Nope. We were pleased with their work, and I'd recommend Gundir to anyone looking for a first-class direct mail agency!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Direct Mail and Offline Marketing of Figure Technologies

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Figure provides consumers with a 100% online applicaiton for a HELOC with funding in as few as 5 days.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Gundir to accomplish?

Beat our direct mail control

SOLUTION

How did you find Gundir?

Referral

Why did you select Gundir over others?

• Good value for cost
• exceptional creative work

How many teammates from Gundir were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Create 3 Beat The Control concepts, basedon well-performing creative in the market andstrategic direction derived from GundersonDirect's Pillars exercise

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Gunderson's creative beat our direct mail control by 15-20% as promised

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They set timline expectations, delivered their 3 concepts on time and thouroughly communicated next steps 

What was your primary form of communication with Gundir?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Gundir's creative concepts continue outperforming any creative I've ever tested.

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

No