Heard Agency

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Business for Development. Our organization seeks to activate markets to solve poverty, operating on a principle basis aligned with international development guidelines. We do this through three core tenets: agriculture, market activation, and project management and program execution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Heard Agency?

One of our biggest challenges was around solidifying our branding and communications so people could understand what we do.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Brand messaging was our number one priority, so Heard Agency started by putting together a campaign that we’re almost ready to launch. We worked heavily on our purpose, vision, principle, and value proposition. All of those points are represented in the collateral Heard has put together, including brochures, credentials, and internal communications. 

Next, we’re going to start working on our digital strategy as, from a social media point of view, our organization is quite weak. 

What is the team composition?

We’re in contact with four people from Heard Agency, including an account manager.

How did you come to work with Heard Agency?

I knew of their work through another organization, a women’s network. I was impressed with their work and decided to bring them on for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $55,000 AUD (about $33,500 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in August 2019, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Though we haven’t launched yet, we presented our brand messaging campaign to the board, and they love it. The soft-launch through our internal communication channels has gone extremely well, and we’re using all of the new branding and design as we put together proposals and so on.

We’ve also been communicating at conferences and with our clients, and it’s been working beautifully.

How did Heard Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Heard Agency has performed excellently. We communicate through Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team spent a lot of time learning our business. Their dedication to understanding our organization is what led to the successful results we’ve achieved. Before Heard Agency even started working on our project, they really invested in it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’ve had an exceptionally positive experience.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Never underestimate the value of your account manager. Invest in building a relationship with your account manager.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Black Dog Institute is a translational research institute that aims to reduce the incidence of mental illness and the stigma around it, to actively reduce suicide rates and empower everyone to live the most mentally healthy lives possible.

My role, Manager – eHealth Implementation, is responsible for managing the ongoing quality assurance and marketing and promotion of Black Dog’s publicly available eMental Health tools.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Heard Agency?

Black Dog Institute’s myCompass was developed in 2008, and launched publicly in 2012. The program had essentially remained unchanged across that time and we engaged Heard to assist with a review of the sites user experience and also to support a full UX/UI overhaul of the site.

What were your goals for this project?

1. Refresh myCompass look and feel and create a clear relationship with Black Dog Institute branding
2. Improve site navigation with a focus on intuitive web design
3. Develop an application that is flexible and maintainable for the long term and allows the easy development and customisation of new learning modules
4. Increase user engagement (new registrations and user retention) with myCompass.
5. Improve site ranking (SEO)

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Black Dog Institute selected five digital agencies requesting request for proposal. An project brief document was submitted to all agencies and a competitive process was applied.

We were looking for the following from proposals:

• Some background about their agency
• Details of the process their agency would work through on this project
• Details of who from their team would be involved in this project
• Proposal is in line with budget parameters and timeframes
• Examples of other quality digital projects their agency had worked on

We were looking for the following from the face to face pitch meetings:

• Their interest and understanding of Black Dog Institute and appreciation for our vision
• Their interest and initial understanding of myCompass
• Their initial ideas around how the site could be improved

A scoring system was applied that involved these and other criteria. A panel consisting of myself, reps from the BDI IT team, a clinical lead and the BDI Knowledge Translation Executive.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we selected Heard, a contract pf work was developed and an initial 2 hour exploration workshop was scheduled with their and our project team. Their team has applied heat mapping to the myCompass site to identify some of the existing pain points for users.

In the workshop, their team worked through a series of questions designed to unpack and understand what we wanted in the new design. Three design concepts were presented to us in the coming weeks. We selected one and worked with Heard in iterative process of refinement.

My role in the project was to provide feedback and direction from BDI's side. My role was to also convene internal workshops with key myCompass stakeholders to clarify our needs and expectations.

What was the team composition?

Our primary contact was a designated project manager. In addition, there was a UX/UI lead. Participating in some of the initial exploration meetings/workshops was their Creative Director and SEO expert.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Following the release of myCompass Version 2.0, we received a significant increase in terms of new registrations with a 55% year on year growth (nearly 24K new registrations across 12 months).

Ad hoc feedback from users and via user feedback surveys has also been overwhelmingly positive. We have also seen solid improvements in terms of content performance.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Both effective and warm. I’ve consistently found the people I have worked with from Heard to be accommodating, creative and professional.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I really appreciated their flexible and agile approach to the project exploration phase. I also appreciated their acomodating response to our feedback and sometimes shifting goalposts. Completely client focused.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a new development company currently developing a block of 24 Apartments at Narrabeen on the Northern Penninsula.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Heard Agency?

We engaged Heard Agency to develop a brand and marketing strategy that best represented our vision and target the right demographic for high end, prestigous apartments.

What were your goals for this project?

To highlight the uniqueness and prestige of this project. We wanted the public to know that no expense had been spared and they would be purchasing a high end, luxurious apartment in one of the most sought after locations on the Northern Penninsula.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were highly recommended by a large and very successful Development Company.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The project began with a discovery workshop which allowed us to reach a mutual understanding of the business goals. As we were new to the game of developing, Heard took the reins and guided us through the process of branding and marketing. They designed our project logo, created incredible CGI's, sales brochure, banners and website.

What was the team composition?

It was a definitely a team effort and always had atleast three team members we could call at any one time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The feedback we have received from Real Estate Agents, Architects and the public has been overwhelmingly positive. Our Sales Agent stated the CGI's produced by Heard Agency was up there with the best.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The management team was very impressive. Their team regularly complied with deadlines and communication could not be faulted.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their knowledge, skill set, aptitude, and professionalism impressed us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of. I would highly recommend this company if you are looking for a professional team that not only understands your vision but has the ability to deliver.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

IT Project Manager working within a division of NSW Health

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Heard Agency?

Branding, logo creation and the UX / UI for a new portal

What were your goals for this project?

deliver by end of June skinned wireframes

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended to me originally through my brother in law. Heard have delivered a project in the past of similar nature. They have a good understanding of the business workflow due to their past experience.

Describe the project in detail.

The business requirements were provided to Heard. This was the input into understanding the scope of work. Heard had to develop a brand name, logo for the portal, and design the front end screens for handover to a developer.

What was the team composition?

Client project manager Heard project manager Heard graphic designer Client's developer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Delivered as per schedule agreed upon at the start of the project.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very good. The online tool Invision, allowed us to convey our feedback in a timely manner.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their creativity and project management skills stood out.

Are there any areas for improvement?

none that i can see