KEXINO

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the President at Core ebusiness, a warehouse management company that provides 3PL cloud based software for supply chain and inventory management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire KEXINO?

Core ebusiness Solutions contracted with KEXINO to re-design our website. The main concern with this project was the SEO positioning after the launch of the new website. Core has had other failed attempts in trying to accomplish this. Under the leadership of Gee Ranasinha, KEXINO was able to accomplish what no other company could do in the last decade.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Someone we know and trust recommended these services to us.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

We gave an overview of what we were looking for to the team and after communication back and forth, we were given 3 options of frameworks for the website to choose from. From there we chose the best framework for us and continued to work with the team to perfect the site.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with four people including a project manager, whom we were most in contact with to make sure the project was going smoothly and according to how we wanted the end result to be.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Not only was the design and structure of the project of high quality, the parameters of the budget were met. The result of the project has been a flow of prospects because of the SEO positioning of Core's key search words.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow between our two teams was very efficient and effective, with the project getting done phenomenally in less than 60 days.

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

Gee and his team were able to do what no other company had been able to achieve for us. They equipped our website with effective SEO positioning that showed concrete results in traffic driven to our site.

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

We were very pleased with our experience, and any suggestions or changes we had were handled directly during our experience working with the KEXINO team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

For almost three decades, I’ve been helping to immerse print clients into a world in which their business and brand vibrates. Having owned a print communications company - built from the ground up- I have experienced the soaring highs and also the deep lows of owning a printing company.

At its peak, my business was highly profitable - employing 120 people and generating $18 million in sales. I've travelled the world - and cast for fish - and print sales - in murky waters. During those years, I have forged relationships with some of the largest manufacturers and some of the smallest print providers.

I am a regular contributor to WhatTheyThink’s “Printer to Printer” video series, a 2021 HP/Dscoop Mentor, and a board member of the Association for Print Technologies. Today, I'm ready to share all I've learned on my journey so far - the good, the bad, and the shivering ugly - so that other printers can learn from my successes and my missteps. Enter, The Print Whisperer. Hook, Line & Thinker.

The Print Whisperer was created to help small to mid-sized print business owners and managers across the global print industry –because, honestly, I've been there, and I know what you go through every single day. Innovation-fueled and challenge driven – I offer my unfiltered, positive & infamously exuberant approach to look inside your existing operations and sales processes, production workflows, and marketing tactics.

Owner to owner—it’s a different kind of conversation. I can help your print business

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire KEXINO?

Website creation as well as all aspects of marking the company

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

After meeting a couple of other companies and being pitch, I just had a really nice feeling about Gee. I didn't feel like he was pitching, but that he had a genuine interest in me and my company.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Being that I am not a detail person and had explained that to Gee. He simply laid out every step for an easy understand and conversation with him. I was there to approve what he did.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Other an Gee, I spoke with 1 other person who was very kind and listened to what I had to say. I thought it was a mini Gee :)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

What I can share, is that almost everyone I had marketed my site and materials to complimented me on the ease of use and the branding.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Pretty good

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

Simply put, they know how to listen and I enjoy being around them.

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

I was pretty happy

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder, board member, and American principal of Shanghai Quiboa Dwight High School, the only Sino-US, independent, cooperatively run high school in China approved by the Chinese Ministry of Education. We are a part of a larger group, the Dwight Group, and our school is well known in China. 

My school provides international learning opportunities for Chinese students. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KEXINO?

There were a few challenges we needed to address. First, we wanted to revise and redefine our brand — we needed to position our value messaging and customer-facing messaging about our school internationally. 

Secondly, we wanted to communicate about our school outside of China. Our goal was to increase awareness and visibility internationally of our school’s brand and values. 

SOLUTION

What challenge were you trying to address with KEXINO?

There were a few challenges we needed to address. First, we wanted to revise and redefine our brand — we needed to position our value messaging and customer-facing messaging about our school internationally. 

Secondly, we wanted to communicate about our school outside of China. Our goal was to increase awareness and visibility internationally of our school’s brand and values. 

SOLUTION 

What was the scope of their involvement?

KEXINO took a three-pronged approach to our branding and messaging project. They initially started by conducting a discovery process — they held a research and information gathering exercise to better understand our value proposition, market position, awareness and visibility, and industry standing. 

After that, KEXINO evaluated and audited our external-facing messaging and communication to strengthen our visibility and profile within our international target audience. 

For the third phase of the project, KEXINO did brand strategy and development consulting. The KEXINO team assisted us in updating our brand messaging framework to ensure we’d have greater appeal and resonate more with our target audience. They also helped us improve our brand identification. 

A large part of their strategy process was conducting interviews with key stakeholders in different areas. The KEXINO team identified key influencers, publications, podcasts, and blogs to improve our public relations. They also focused on our media placement, positioning our personnel as experts in Sino-Western education while monitoring and recommending upcoming speaking engagement opportunities. 

What is the team composition?

My primary contact was Gee (CEO), who managed our project. They also had a small team working on our project, but I didn’t communicate with them. 

How did you come to work with KEXINO?

Another consultant we work closely with recommended KEXINO to us, and she ended up working alongside both of our companies throughout the project. We were looking for a company that would understand our unique situation as an educational institution. 

It was important to us to have personalized service, support, and a genuine interest in our industry from whatever company we worked with. I thought Gee had a lot of interest and curiosity about the project, so we decided to hire them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent €29,000 (approximately $33,000 USD) with KEXINO.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project with KEXINO lasted from April 2020–November 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This project was the beginning of a long-term branding process; our work with KEXINO focused on building the right foundation for our marketing efforts in the future. 

One of the really valuable aspects of KEXINO’s work was done during the discovery phase. The KEXINO team interviewed many of our key stakeholders and different areas, and those interview transcripts are very valuable to our organization. 

They also provided quality context for how our organization’s information would be perceived outside of China. It can be hard translating our China-specific pitch to an external audience — KEXINO helped us clarify our external messaging. 

Overall, the information they provided to us, which we wouldn’t have been able to compile in such a short amount of time, gave us a vast amount of details and contacts to digest. They provided us with robust, personalized PR resources and marketing-specific trade journals. 

Everything they provided us allows us to move forward independently and continue to develop our branding and marketing. 

How did KEXINO perform from a project management standpoint?

We had no issues with KEXINO regarding project management, they were flexible and patient with our team. We planned the project to last 12–16 weeks, but we were slow on our end because of the summer holiday and COVID-19 pandemic, so we went a little over our projected project length.  

KEXINO communicated well and was responsive to our messages. We usually communicated via email but then utilized Zoom when we needed to check in with Gee. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

KEXINO’s personalized approach sets them apart — I felt that Gee was personally invested, and that mattered a lot to us as a school. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything I would suggest they improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Gee has a huge wealth of knowledge in various areas, and customers need to try and learn as much as possible from him. He is an essential resource to utilize. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Impact Employee Solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KEXINO?

We were trying to address the best way to gain more traction through an online presence for lead generation. Our team also wanted to improve upon our messaging based on the changes we had made internally. What’s more, we needed to deliver that to the market in a consistent, congruent manner and weren’t doing a very good job of that in-house.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KEXINO walked us through a four-step marketing strategy process. The first phase was diagnosing what our challenges and objectives were. The process encompassed a series of internal diagnostics of where we were and where we were going.

We focused on the changes we had made internally so we could better identify our mission and values. This would determine how we communicated our message to the world. The diagnostics phase was essentially uncovering all the things we need to do to appropriately deliver our message.

In the second phase, KEXINO conducted a discovery process. They spoke to and interviewed our current, prospective, and past clients. KEXINO compiled information about our clients’ interpretations and perceptions of our business. This would allow us to quantify and qualify those ideas into our new messaging.

We wanted to have a greater understanding of what the client needs virus what we think they need. This phase took about 2–3 months. KEXINO assembled all of that feedback so we could set up and move on to the next phase.

For the third phase, we melded all of the feedback with our current company mission and values as a leadership team. Then, we utilized that information and started composing our messaging and creating copy that was necessary to redo our website.

Once we had that done, the final stage was a full fleshing out and redo of our website. The goal was to align its approach so it coordinated and complimented our new messaging. KEXINO also cleaned up our website’s backend. They implemented SEO and word patterns so we could get a better grassroots effort in terms of Google Analytics.

From there we set up an ongoing monthly relationship with KEXINO. They help us with our blogs and when we message our clients about new bulletins. This has created a nice, consistent marketing arm for our company. It also provides a third-party eye perspective from the outside looking in to maintain some criticality of what and when we’re posting. We monitor SEO outreach to see how successful the program is working overtime.

What is the team composition?

Gee (Founder & CEO) is my frontman and only point of contact. I know he has developers working on the backend, but I never interact with them. In fact, apart from that, I don’t know who is behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with KEXINO?

I was researching marketing firms, which was a learning process for me. When looking for marketing firms, I found I was getting a variety of returns in terms of what they do tactically. For me, I was interested in more widespread firms versus the ones that say they do websites or other services. Initially, I asked business peers in my area for references that they’d used, but I found I was getting frustrated.

One night, I stumbled upon KEXINO’s website. Noticing they were headquartered in France took me back a little but I decided to bookmark them anyway. I kept searching and was struggling to find any firms that compared to KEXINO’s messaging. For whatever reason, their messaging really aligned with me and my values.

I kept coming back to their site while I continued to search and finally decided to reach out and start a conversation. Essentially, KEXINO fell at the top of a whole slew of marketing firms. The other firms weren’t resonating with what I was looking for in the way that KEXINO did.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $23,000–$28,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their 4-step methodology worked well for us because it aligned with the way we handle our clients too. As for results, we went from zero views to several thousand a month. People are finding us and looking at our website. From a success perspective, while we’re not where we want to be and want to continue to grow, we’ve seen a huge improvement. Our company is receiving calls whereas we previously weren’t.

I rebranded before this engagement. When I had my former company name and logo, we constantly received calls. All of that came to a halt when I rebranded. When KEXINO finished our website, we started receiving grassroots traction around June or July of last year.

In the discovery and interview phase, Gee was incredibly professional. I received very positive feedback from my clients. They appreciated the questions they were asked and described them as thoughtful. That made me feel really good because I’m putting a lot of dollars into this. It was hard enough to ask my clients to take these calls so hearing that they were pleased with the conversations was great.

How did KEXINO perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve been pleased with their performance. KEXINO has been timely, which is hard with me because I’m the one who drags them down or holds them back. Communication with Gee has been good.

The frequency of communication depended on the stage of the project. Sometimes, it’d be a couple of months before I heard from him. This was during times such as the discovery phase, where it didn’t make sense for him to call until he had enough viable data. Other times, like when we were creating the messaging and preparing copy, we’d speak once a week or every other week. Now, we’re in contact a couple of times a month.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve really appreciated the feedback they’ve provided us. It’s not always easy to listen to critical feedback when it’s your idea but it’s bad. However, Gee has always had an eloquent way of telling me something is a bad idea. I like the way he’s communicated things that require me to be more open-minded and make a change. The value of our relationship and communication style far exceeds the services.

KEXINO has been fantastic creatively and they’re doing the right things from an SEO standpoint. We trust them fully because we’re seeing movement and success. It’s slower but that’s expected because our industry is packed with competitors. It’ll take time. The relationship and his vision have ultimately been right. Overall, it’s been a really good engagement. I haven’t had any negative experiences so far.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything right now based on what we’ve experienced so far. If we had more projects with them, which will happen down the road, perhaps I’d run into something that might strike me. But I can’t currently think of anything that needs improving.

Although we’re in the US and they’re in France, their ability to coordinate schedules has been great. My urgency doesn’t translate to their ability to be urgent because we have a large time zone difference.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You need to be really clear and ready in terms of what you specifically want to get out of working with a marketing firm. Sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know, so you’re seeking things in segments. It’s easy to get frustrated with a tiny piece but ultimately, that means you don’t have a good strategic plan all-round.

KEXINO won’t be a good fit for everyone that’s myopic. They approach engagements from a holistic and broader strategic standpoint. It’s important that this approach fits in with your business. What’s more, a smaller company will need some money because doing this process isn’t free and takes time.

KEXINO’s not the most expensive, but they’re not the cheapest either; they’re in the middle. However, they customize and take the time to work with you. If you’re in a hurry to get something done, they might not be a good fit. It takes a bit of time to get to the root of the issue and look at the overall strategy instead of little details. Expect a long-term relationship and vision.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Kick Learning. We create online and classroom-based training for Fortune 500 and nonprofit firms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KEXINO?

We engaged KEXINO to help with our marketing efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KEXINO works with us on a variety of marketing tasks and branding strategy initiatives. The aspect I appreciated most was a discovery report where Gee (Owner, KEXINO) interviewed clients and employees and found weaknesses and strengths. I still use the report as a benchmark to compare our growth. They also redesigned our WordPress website twice. Their team changed the look and feel to keep it modern, while also editing the metadata and search tags to increase our web presence.

On an ongoing basis, KEXINO maintains the site, produces content, and updates the copyright. We have them writing press releases and creating corporate presentations. They created a one-page pitch to give to big clients and purchasing departments. They also guide me with presentations. For example, when I spoke at a conference in 2016, he helped me prepare the presentation.

What is the team composition?

Gee is my main point of contact. There’s maybe 5–6 team members we work with in total.

How did you come to work with KEXINO?

In 2015, I was looking for a way to revitalize the business. My colleague advised me to hire a marketing company that specializes in small businesses. I went to Google and searched for those keywords, and KEXINO was the first one that came up. Since he was the first result, clearly he knew what he was doing with SEO. I called the number and Gee answered, which I appreciated as a fellow business owner. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested over $50,000 with KEXINO.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in August 2015 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I think taking the time to start with a discovery report was very important because we need to target a very specific audience as a B2B company. For example, they showed our old website to a customer, and they said the design looked like we sold ice cream. This was obviously not good. 

The consultation and advice helped us find the right audience and reshape our brand according to that. After this, we don’t waste marketing dollars on things that don’t make sense like mailers and brochures. Instead, we’ve adopted more targeted messaging such as press releases when we won an award.

KEXINO’s work allows us to foster better relationships with our customers. We have a diverse pool of excellent clients, and we want to get more business from them. They've helped us with that. For example, the one-page company writeup and the presentations KEXINO constructed offer customers something to look at quickly. That helps us to know what bids to submit.

How did KEXINO perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very good. Gee password protects an area on the website until I give it approval. They use Trello to track work. Our main methods of communication are phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Other marketing providers didn’t understand my business and my goal of maximizing work from current clients rather than new outreach. KEXINO understood that I have a 10-year relationship with clients. They set themselves apart from the beginning.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would prioritize the discovery report. That was a key differentiator between KEXINO and anyone else I talked to. If you do that report, you can tailor your needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of sales for the North American office of Sefas, a global software company based in Paris with US offices in Burlington, Massachusetts. At the time we worked with Kexino I was also responsible for marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KEXINO?

We needed a complete rebuild of the website for our US business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KEXINO rebuilt our website and continues to advise us since its launch. They set up our web hosting and configuration for the site. They designed the site’s structure and all graphic elements as well as set up our SEO. They have set up content management such that we can make edits using a WordPress plug-in. They’ve provided pre-launch, launch, and post-launch support. They provided a single point of contact and managed all of the work so that I only had to provide subject matter expertise and content from time to time.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with the CEO/president.

How did you come to work with KEXINO?

I knew their CEO from when we worked in another industry together and we’d stayed in touch via LinkedIn. I remembered him as being smart, personable, and visionary. I was looking for someone to handle this project around the same time that he started his business. I reached out to him because I trusted him and felt it would be beneficial to have someone with his level of insight. His location in Strasbourg, France, was likewise advantageous as he spoke French and could visit our Paris headquarters if needed.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested more than $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2014 and the project is completed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

KEXINO helped us put a completely different veneer on the company with a new web presence. We're a very specialized company. We offer a complex software suite, and our previous website made it difficult to comprehend our solution set and was almost impossible to update. They’ve been able to translate highly technical concepts into business language that builds our company image. I was also able to leverage the overall look and feel for presentation materials and event marketing.

Our site visits went way up, and since the site launched, our revenues have grown year on year. It’s not solely due to KEXINO but having a more professional, clearly-understood web presence has certainly helped us and that’s due to KEXINO.

How did KEXINO perform from a project management standpoint?

We check in weekly and they use an online software tool for managing projects. They have strong internal coordination. Everything was delivered on time. It's as good as I can expect.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They act as much as a consultancy as they do a service provider and I highly value their consultative approach. Additionally, the level of their quality assurance means I have minimal risks when working with KEXINO. They have a fine-tuned change control process that allows them to roll forward and roll back functionality as needed. I’ve never had a negative experience if they’ve posted code that later needs to be modified. I know the systems that they recommend stand up. They’re cautious and diligent to ensure that there aren’t any negative impacts from their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I've been completely happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that your company is aligned and prepared. KEXINO is able to execute to the degree that the company had done their homework, and knows what they want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CIO and CTO of a $50 million-dollar web printing company. We've been in business for almost 50 years now. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KEXINO?

As the CIO, I often have to outsource work website design and marketing services, which can get frustrating. We'd built multiple versions of our site with employees who thought they knew better than their predecessor but really didn't. Having to type out explanations to the most minute detail is so time-consuming it often seems easier to do the whole project in-house.

Based on the life cycle of our business needs, it was easier to hire a professional agency. KEXINO was already familiar with our company, including executive leadership, and had influenced our original choice of a software solution. They offered a much better prospect than rebuilding the whole base layer of our site from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KEXINO designed a website that both catches the eye and provides the information our users need. It was a comfort knowing they’d deliver based on the specs I provided. The team has a good sense of how far to push things in any one direction, which minimized the time we spent explaining our concept. They knew exactly how to tailor the web designs to create the right feel for our company’s product owners. In the past, they’ve done video and editing work for us, as well.

Within just one week, they produced the exact look and the feel I wanted our site to have. The website redesign was just the start, and our project continues to move on. We've started marketing blasts and specific branding around our corporate identity. Currently, we’re discussing how to form a more cohesive look from the disjointed pieces we have floating around. 

What is the team composition? 

I interface directly with the owner. He's a skilled liaison between customers and the technical team. He has a friendly demeanor and the right personality to reassure clients when issues arise. 
Based on our past professional experiences, we work well together one-on-one. I've also touched base via e-mail with other members of his team. 

How did you come to work with KEXINO?

I chose KEXINO because I'd worked with their owner 10-15 years ago when he was a marketing director at another company. We worked on that first project together for about 3-4 years, and they’ve always been the right team. I get calls every day from vendors of their type. Our hiring decision came down to their keen knowledge of every aspect of our business and our competitors. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent over $20,000 so far, and the budget will keep growing. When this project is done, it will probably be closer to the $30,000-$40,000 range. 

What is the status of this engagement?

This particular project is relatively recent; it started in March of this year, and the work is ongoing. We worked together for seven years before that.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

KEXINO produced spot-on designs on their very first try, which was refreshing. I only had to make one aesthetic change in total. I'm overwhelmed at what I've seen so far, and I know the finishing touches are going to make me an extremely happy client. Every time I've gotten to work with them, KEXINO had been an excellent resource for useful information. 

The sites they’ve sent me over the years are always beautifully designed. They create assets that stand out from the competition by including high quality and strategically placed colorful items in lovely settings. The last site they sent me was for a healthcare provider. Rather than having a dull feel to it, it caught my interest immediately. That client told me that KEXINO's new site design yielded an increase in revenue. 

How did KEXINO perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been ahead of schedule on every task I’ve given them. They send friendly reminders to pay the invoices and never have an offensive or pushy mentality. Whenever we start a new phase, they politely help me to schedule and prioritize. This level of organization preempts having several haphazard facets that don't blend well together. 

Communication now takes place about once a week and usually includes a polite reminder to send over the materials they need. The only thing holding this project up is me. KEXINO is instructive, informed, and never keeps me waiting. I've been nothing but happy with whole workflow so far. They have a simple payment process and even asked for my billing preference. That entire discussion took just five minutes. They send friendly e-mail reminders when the time comes to pay the invoice. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the more positive aspects of KEXINO is the owner's incredible eye for beauty. He’s an exciting and worldly individual with a great aesthetic sense. I enjoy our discussions because he understands photography, including the marketing and design aspects. His experience as a photographer adds value to the designs. Picking the right image to put inside of anything from a picture frame in your house to a website or social media is critical. The right piece of photography can sell everything. Since the day we met, the owner has been one of the few people whose advice I actually take. He has integrity and has never been wrong so far. I don't say that too often. 

KEXINO is a team with professional integrity. They’ve earned my trust, which is a core value. What they quote me upfront is always what I pay at the end, even if challenges occur along the way. The price is worth it as long as I know they’re ethical. Other teams I've worked with changed the invoice whenever I turned my back. I never had to worry about that with KEXINO. I had total confidence in passing them the reigns and knowing they'd deliver what I needed. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not that I know of, honestly. I can't say enough good things about them. In my busy life, I relish the fact that they’ll take care of any work I drop off for them to do. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give KEXINO the first shot when you're looking for a vendor of their type. From a marketing and design standpoint, once you call, it will be easy for them to understand what you need.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner and founder of a company that sells and delivers sustainably produced and eco-friendly toilet paper.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KEXINO?

We needed help branding the company during our early development stages, and we knew we'd need a functional website to serve customers. I had ideas but needed help transforming them into design and messaging.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For branding, they developed a logo and determined a color palette, and we worked together to create messaging. They also created packaging and a short film for customers where we share our values and intentions as a company. Next, they began website development. They didn't do photography for me (I worked with a local photographer), but they did direct the layout and photo placement on the site.

What is the team composition?

My primary point of contact was KEXINO's founder and CEO. He had a team working with him, but I didn’t engage with them.

How did you come to work with KEXINO?

I found KEXINO through a web search and was impressed by the work I saw on their site. I contacted the company and shared my idea and, after checking in with the entire team, they agreed to work with me.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in October 2016 and we finished the larger initial projects by May of 2017. I've worked with them since then on smaller marketing pieces.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They managed to capture the essence of our company's values in the logo, which helps draw people to the company. Whenever I've done events or presentations, I've always gotten lots of positive feedback about the branding. The messaging has also been beneficial—we're better able to engage potential customers, who get a clear idea of what we do after looking at the website.

How did KEXINO perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated almost exclusively by email or phone call. There were other options available, but that’s what worked best for me and the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're true experts in the field—they worked hard to artistically craft the marketing that was right for me. I'm more familiar with older marketing techniques, but the KEXINO team is comfortable with the newest and more innovative approaches. I had one point of contact, who subsequently acted as the face of the company, but he was always thoroughly engaged in our work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Being in communication with one person certainly streamlined the process, but I would have benefited from the chance to brainstorm with the entire team. It's a small critique and it might not be logistically possible, but it could be helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust the advice you get from the team; their suggestions are likely to lead to success.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is a software company that, for the past 20 years, has been providing dispatch and delivery GPS tracking systems to customers throughout the United States and Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KEXINO?

I was brought onto my team ten years ago as a marketing manager; however, my role has shifted. We’re a small business and I didn’t have the time to do the marketing work myself, so I wanted to look for someone to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Originally, I reached out to them to help us with some brochure design and content needs. Our brochures are technical, so we had them go through a demo to learn our product and then, after their initial design concepts, went back and forth to tighten things up. They even wrote the content, which we edited. From there, our relationship grew and they have been providing a variety of different marketing services for us over the past three years, including a website redesign and logo design.

What is the team composition?

Since the beginning, I have talked directly with Gee (CEO, KEXINO). He’s been extremely responsive to my emails and has even delivered quick turnarounds for certain projects. He is always available via email and we sometimes communicate on Skype too.

How did you come to work with KEXINO?

I performed a web search and came across five different companies, all of whom I talked with about the scope of my work and my budget. KEXINO was the easiest to work with for my budget. We ran through a “trial” period with the brochure. It went really well so we continued working with them; everytime I have had a need and ask if they can do it, 95% of the time it's a "yes."

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started sometime before October 2014 and have completed many projects since then. Right now they do a terrific job of managing my website. Anytime I need some similar work done, such as a brochure of design work, I feel confident that I can send Gee and email an they’ll take care of it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our company is a little unique in how we measure things since we don’t have a lot of web traffic and our sales are done using different means. KEXINO has given our company a more professional look and feel so that when we do attend events, or meet new people, we truly do look like a real company. They keep our content, which is naturally a bit boring and technical, fresh, accurate, and readable.

How did KEXINO perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re awesome; Gee is always reachable via phone and email and able to meet deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The level of communication we share has been notably impressive. They took the time to understand what we do and—through their marketing materials—have made that visible to the public.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend to open up to others ideas and provide lots of feedback. When I do this, they often take the feedback I give and run with it. If you have a particular vision, give plenty of feedback on the work so that they can best produce, communicate, and make that vision happen.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president of Blue Ocean Benefits and Consulting, an employee benefits firm. We help with B2B benefit plans.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with KEXINO?

We needed to develop our branding, needed a new website, and wanted to produce content.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

KEXINO first interviewed our clients and our employees to get a feel for our company. Their team produced two different branding documents showcasing who we are as a company, how to present ourselves, and some phrases and keywords. Then, they developed our website.

Currently, they are editing our blogs, creating bumpers on our videos, developing additional pages, and rolling out our benefits portal page. We’re continuing to build out the website and online presence with them through Google AdWords, Facebook ads, and Linkedin. Their team is also helping us with PowerPoint presentations, coversheets, proposals, and other creative projects.

What is the team composition?

I work primarily with their CEO, and he corresponds our requests to the rest of the team.

How did you come to work with KEXINO?

I was looking for a marketing communications firm and found KEXINO on Google. I did a lot of research on them through Twitter, Linkedin, and their website. We really liked the content on their website and decided to call them up.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $25,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the engagement in May 2017 and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We hear positive feedback on our website and receive more spontaneous inbound leads than we ever had before. We get a lot more traffic and interest in our business.  Other leading vendors in our industry consistently comment that our site looks like a professional and national brand. The 3—4 worthwhile prospects that we are in contact with could easily pay for 70% or more of KEXINO's costs.

How did KEXINO perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is excellent, and I have nothing to complain about thus far. They are responsive and our account manager (their CEO) always makes sure things are exactly how we want it. For example, he made sure the shots the photographer provided us were to our liking by ordering for extra shots.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The visual imagery KEXINO creates is stunning and their marketing approach is impressive. They don’t try to clickbait or be gimmicky. They really want to tell your story in a meaningful and attractive way.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No - we are very happy with their services.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Follow their process and give them everything they ask for. It might take a long time for them to talk to all your employees and clients, but it will be worth it.