Hansen Belyea

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of marketing of an electrical contracting company that primarily works on new, large construction projects such as high-rises, Class A office spaces, hospitals, and data centers. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hansen Belyea?

Our branding didn't match the type of work we've grown to do since the company came to fruition over 30 years ago, so we reached out to Hansen Belyea to help us update our image.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Hansen Belyea conducted some initial research, reaching out to our clients to figure out what they knew about our company and what they would like to see from us. Using that data, they developed a new logo and brand messaging, which we then used to redesign marketing collateral and a website. Although we didn't build a website from scratch due to budget limitations, they helped us customize a Wordpress template to keep costs down.

They're currently overseeing email marketing campaigns and producing video content for our social media channels and website.

What is the team composition? 

I mostly work with Brianna (Strategic Director/Principal, Hansen Belyea), as well as a few others. She's been extremely accessible and responsive throughout the engagement. 

How did you come to work with Hansen Belyea?

Our firm researched a few agencies in the Seattle area. We went sent out RFP’s to five agencies and ended up bringing in 3 for interviews. After meeting with Hansen Belyea it was clear they were our top contender. They understood our industry fluently and seemed to have the best understanding of our pain points and how we could effectively rebrand. They made us feel very comfortable that our team would drive the process, but they would help steer us in the right direction to create the quality brand we desired.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent roughly $120,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since around March 2018 and the relationship is ongoing. We launched the new brand in February 2019, but we've continued to add to the original scope of work since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Hansen Belyea’s logo design and overall rebrand design has been very well received both internally and within the marketplace. Our online performance has significantly increased. From a company who had never previously measured our performance through marketing initiatives, Hansen Belyea did a fantastic job giving us input on how to measure our success, what metrics to look at and how to evaluate those.

How did Hansen Belyea perform from a project management standpoint?

They've been great to work with overall. They always keep us in the loop regarding the status of projects and timelines, being transparent about any changes and communicating all details to us before moving forward. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They genuinely want to provide the best service they can. From day one, they dug deep into our company culture and our specific niche in the market, so they could understand it and make strategic decisions based on our marketplace. Our team felt extremely comfortable giving them the reins to build a new brand for our company and one that we would be proud of. In addition, they are extremely transparent and easy to work with. I always knew the status of a project and had no hesitations to call and talk to them if I had questions or concerns.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Overall, we have had a great experience working with them. They’re real, genuine people who have fair work ethic which is extremely valued. The only thing we could be nit-picky on is the fact their web developer is a third party developer, so I didn’t feel the transparency as much working on our website project. Hansen Belyea was more of the middle man delivering information back and forth between our company and the developer. It really wasn’t a big deal at all, our project was still a huge success!

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go in with an open mind. You may think you know exactly what you want, but Hansen Belyea may offer alternative solutions that you hadn’t thought about. Solutions that might be out of the box, but end up working extremely well. They’re experts in their field and know how to drive your marketing initiatives successfully.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Schultz Miller is a high-end, custom homebuilder in Seattle. We have over 90 employees, work on dozens of projects at a time, and have been recognized for the quality of our craftsmanship and our high level of client service for more than 35 years. Our projects include new construction, remodels, and home service. I am the director of communications and marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hansen Belyea?

With a recent shift to a new generation of owners, a move to a new office, and the dawn of a new era for the company, we decided that we wanted to evolve our brand and create a new website that better reflected who we are.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We came to Hansen Belyea for two big things: a brand evolution and a new website. We weren't sure what form the brand evolution would take - whether it meant an entirely new logo and look or just refreshing what we already had. We began with a discovery phase in which Hansen Belyea conducted surveys with some of our employees and with subcontractors, architects, designers, and clients with whom we work. A core group from Schultz Miller met with Brianna Home [Strategic Director, Hansen Belyea] and Ron Hansen [Design Director, Hansen Belyea] a number of times to explore what we were learning from the surveys. Hansen Belyea also looked at our direct competitors in high-end home construction in Seattle.

Next, we worked together on developing brand messaging and conceiving of a website that took into account what we'd discovered about our company and our competition. Hansen Belyea directed photography of our teams in the field and filmed video footage. They then put together a five-minute video about our company for use on the website and in other marketing avenues.

Ultimately, the Schultz Miller team decided that we did, in fact, want Hansen Belyea to design a new logo and brand identity. We weren't changing our company or what has made us successful, but we wanted to present ourselves in a fresh way. Ron led the creation of a new logo and look, which was then applied to a custom-designed website on a WordPress platform. Schultz Miller brought most of the content to the website, but it was Hansen Belyea's crisp, clean design that made it shine. Along with the website, Hansen Belyea developed an announcement mailer, jobsite signs, graphics for our vehicles, business cards, and letterhead with our new logo and brand identity.

How did you come to work with Hansen Belyea?

Hansen Belyea is a name that I knew from having worked for a local communications agency, but I didn't look only at firms I knew. I conducted a comprehensive search for a Seattle-based communications firm to work with. I immediately liked what I saw on Hansen Belyea's website; I could tell that they had strong design and video capabilities. I considered several dozen firms, interviewed six firms, and then selected three from whom to solicit estimates.

Hansen Belyea made it onto my short list by virtue of how they presented themselves on their website and in person during a visit I made to their office. They had the most expensive estimate of the three firms, but we liked their comprehensiveness and personality. The three firms each had excellent strategic communications capabilities, but we felt strongly that Hansen Belyea had the best design skills. In the end, Hansen Belyea's design magic and overall creativity won us over.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Hansen Belyea in March 2016. The launch of the website and the brand identity were in place mid-February 2017. Going forward, we will continue to engage Hansen Belyea for strategic advice and as new communications projects arise.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

In terms of anecdotal feedback, it’s been extremely positive. Internally, people are really pleased with the new logo and look of the website. What we’ve heard from clients, subcontractors, architects, and designers has all been positive. It was a big leap to go from a logo we had for decades to a new one, but it has worked out wonderfully. Our website spiked in users recently because we sent out a mailer announcing the brand change. I don’t think that traffic is going to stay at that level, but I'm betting it will go up over time.

How did Hansen Belyea perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is solid, but not quite as strong as their design, which is off the charts. There was less tracking of the budget than I would have preferred, but this may not be an issue for others. It was a pretty large project over a long stretch of time. One of the challenges for Hansen Belyea, which is true for almost ever communications firms these days, was working with an outside web developer. This introduces project management and communication challenges by default because you have an important player who is a third party. It all worked out, though, and the web developer delivered a highly functional site and clean code.

What did you find most impressive about Hansen Belyea?

There were two things. First, they bring an intangible quality to design and creative endeavors that you can't entirely explain, but it's everything. They've just got it, and that's huge. They're in a kind of sweet spot in that regard.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Perteet is a 75-person civil engineering consulting firm. We work mainly in the Puget Sound region in central and eastern Washington. We’ve been around since 1988. I’m the marketing manager responsible for all the marketing and business development activities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hansen Belyea?

We had never updated or changed our logo. I’ve been here for 10 years now and I felt that it was the right time to do a rebrand. I felt like we really knew who we were and where we needed to be in the marketplace. We wanted a holistic change to our brand that addresses who we are, who we speak to, and which resonates with our employees and clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Hansen Belyea came in and started what they call their discovery sessions. We had every employee in our firm be part of that process. The sessions were meant for Hansen Belyea to find out why people work here, why they love Perteet, and what they really attributed personality-wise to help us create a brand platform that conveyed who we were.

Apart from that, they did a client survey. A lot of this was about asking the right questions. We have a budget like everybody, and I felt like they used our budget very wisely in the questions they asked. We had four discovery sessions and one client survey that we chose to send out. From what came back from that, I asked them for a creative brief on where we were before seeing any logo options.  

We had a photo shoot for our website and they made a video that we used to launch the logo. A lot of our clients are public government agencies, so our proposal process is very important. Hansen Belyea helped us come up with all the tools and templates for our proposal. They also helped us with our website, branding, messaging, and boilerplate.

How did you come to work with Hansen Belyea?

I talked to 50-100 design firms, trying to find out what services they offer. What I found in my experience is that a lot of people say they do branding and logo, but very few really understand the talent and the expertise involved in doing a logo for a firm.

We shortlisted it to three firms where we did meetings and got proposals. I felt that Hansen Belyea really did beautiful work in their logos, and I loved their messaging. I called references myself and talked to people who were thrilled with what they did. But more than that, they seemed to be a good culture fit.

How much have you invested with Hansen Belyea?

We have invested under $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the process in March 2016. We got the logo in June or July 2016. October 2016 was our big launch.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

When we had a big employee-owned event, I invited Hansen Belyea to come in and present the logo to our whole firm. People were clapping and smiling. The response to this logo has been really unbelievable, and that was only a tiny bit of what they did for us. The number of comments we got from clients who’ve worked with us for years and know the founder of the firm thought it was fantastic. They loved it.

We also gave gift cards out to our employees to have them purchase whatever they wanted, and we would get those items embroidered with our new logo on them. I didn’t think we would get too much of a response. I thought people might buy one thing and bring it in, but I had an employee that brought in 9 items to be embroidered. They loved the logo so much they wanted it to be on everything, which was cool and fun to see.

How did Hansen Belyea perform from a project management standpoint?

They were exceptional. I really am a stickler for communication, and I felt like there no moment where I didn’t know exactly what was happening or what step we were on in our contracts. When I would see results, they did a really good job of keeping me updated, delivering what they said they were going to deliver, and getting invoices to me on time. The management of that was really spectacular.

What did you most impressive about Hansen Belyea?

They have done an incredible job in the last 6 to 7 months, giving us all the tools we need to speak to our clients in a way that really represents us. Anticipating these logo options was such a nerve-racking process, but I can’t tell you how happy I was that they nailed the logo.

Are there any areas Hansen Belyea could improve?

To be honest, I can’t think of any. This whole process has been wonderful. I would have guessed along the way that something would go wrong or something would be a problem. From the website to the messaging, everything went so smoothly it was almost scary. They’ve been fantastic to work with.