Less And More

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a large scientific instrumentation and software company. Our company has a strong footprint in pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, clinical and genomics laboratories, and clinical and direct discovery companies. On the industrial side, we are involved with major brand names in food and beverage, oil and gas, and consumer products.

I’m part of the laboratory software division, and we create software that runs laboratories and connects to enterprise systems. We handle all the efficiencies and data integrity that is required of laboratories.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LESS+MORE?

We were developing a new campaign with the goal of branding a new series of products from the software business. We needed to package the products we had and deliver new positioning to the market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LESS+MORE provided us with everything involved in an image and awareness campaign, including graphics, copywriting, brochures, video scripting, and digital graphics generation. We knew what we wanted to communicate, and we delivered those messages to LESS+MORE. Based on the personality we wanted our products to convey, they came back to us with several designs. We chose one of them as the winning design.

We worked primarily with two or three team members at LESS+MORE, but there may have been others working behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with LESS+MORE?

Our divisional marketing and communications manager based on the West Coast had prior dealings with LESS+MORE, and he recommended them to us. We didn’t consider other companies at the time.

How much have you invested with LESS+MORE?

This information is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in the spring of 2016, and we’re currently fully engaged with finalizing the campaign. The graphics are being refined, videos are being created, and collateral is being finalized.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

LESS+MORE delivers fabulous quality in their work, and their timing is great. Our interactions with them have been very professional. We don’t have results yet, but it’s been a great working relationship.

The work they’ve completed has been extremely well received on our side. All the messaging for our new product is represented in their work.

How did LESS+MORE perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed fabulously. Everything was on time. We communicated several times a week, if not daily, using WebEx. We also had regular meetings, and they were always prepared–sometimes even overprepared. Their approach was extremely collaborative. I have nothing negative to say. It was just perfect.

What did you find most impressive about LESS+MORE?

They’re a great agency and they have a very beautiful design style. They listened to what we wanted and conveyed that graphically in a very beautiful way.

Are there any areas LESS+MORE could improve?

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a research consulting firm, and we work with clients to help them see tomorrow. We’re the leading youth insights and trends company, dedicated to working with Fortune 500 companies through trend forecasting research, strategy, and consulting services. We help our clients innovate and unlock business opportunities with millennials and Gen Zs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LESS+MORE?

We have been in the market for 20 years and have gone through different company structures and ownerships. There was a need for us to clearly communicate to our clients and the industry what we do, so we approached LESS+MORE for branding work. Beyond just logo design, we needed a story and positioning statement to clarify what we do for companies and brands.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LESS+MORE provided different positioning concepts. They also did comprehensive branding work, including logo design, business cards, and the image we present at events. LESS+MORE presented two concepts for positioning and branding.

Less+More provided branding guidelines, business cards, brochures, and presentations that related back to the brand message.

How did you come to work with LESS+MORE?

Our brand strategy director had a recommendation from one of her contacts. I believe other companies were considered, but I wasn’t involved in that process.

How much have you invested with LESS+MORE?

I can’t disclose the amount, but LESS+MORE's work was definitely worth every penny and more. I would rate LESS+MORE mid-range in regards to what other branding agencies charge. It’s a fantastic value for the work developed.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with LESS+MORE in April 2016, and the project was completed in October.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had many companies ask who did our work because it was done so well. LESS+MORE has a nimble team, and their work is solid.

Our biggest win is the positioning statement. One of the concepts LESS+MORE presented was very future-forward, not only covering what the company is but also the key differentiator between our competitors and us. That was brilliant. LESS+MORE's biggest contribution was the conceptual work, which is very hard to get.

How did LESS+MORE perform from a project management standpoint?

LESS+MORE was very hands-on, and the project manager was always available. LESS+MORE always delivered on time. LESS+MORE worked beyond the first statement of work we signed with them, and we signed another one when we realized we needed to expand the project. The work LESS+MORE did exceeded the hours they committed to the project.

We communicated at least twice a week, and my team used Google Docs in the process. Once we were aligned in the direction we were taking, everyone was onboard with what needed to be done from a design standpoint, to match the concept they had presented. When we felt that we didn’t have all the design components we wanted, LESS+MORE was willing to work with someone else to make that happen.

What did you find most impressive about LESS+MORE?

LESS+MORE has a commitment to quality work, which was our number one priority. They’re also very kind people. LESS+MORE sent me a personal note afterward, thanking me for pushing them to achieve better results. Everyone is proud of the work.

Are there any areas Less+More could improve?

We might have been able to decide on a direction earlier in the project if more options had been initially presented.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of food and beverage for Pacific Hospitality Group out of Irvine, California. I oversee all aspects of food and beverage and all retail for our company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LESS+MORE?

I believe there’s always a need for an incredibly creative voice in whatever brand you’re bringing to market. Unless that creative voice also has a purpose to it, your business will not resonate with others. For us, there was a need to add creative, strategic, and brand-oriented messages to the operational things we already knew we wanted to do. We needed an agency that had relevance and experience in brand culture. LESS+MORE was the branding agency that did it for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

There were three challenges that they tackled for us. One was the branding for a signature restaurant at Bacara Resort in Santa Barbara; the second was the branding of a signature restaurant at a brand-new hotel and resort called Paséa in Huntington Beach; the third was an update or refresh to the hotel branding for Paséa Hotel and Spa.

The first project was what became Angel Oak at Bacara. As soon as I started working with them on the Angel Oak project, I knew that they were the right agency to use for the restaurant at Paséa. As soon as I got them engaged with Paséa, the hotel team said “We need some help with articulating our message of what the hotel is. Could LESS+MORE help?” It was immediately evident that LESS+MORE carried the strength and the bandwidth to handle all of our needs from a creative side.

I’m not sure there’s anything they haven’t done. They’ve worked on name ideation, name creation, logo development, full style guides, website development, website design, collateral design, collateral development, uniform and imaging standards, retail opportunities, media opportunities, and coordinating photography of the spaces that are aligned to the brand.

They create brand opportunities via multiple outlets for us. They manage our website for us, which has allowed us to market. For the website, in particular, they did the design, development, copy, and facilitated the photography.

How did you come to work with LESS+MORE?

We had a connection with other local restaurants with great branding. I asked the CEO of that company, and he told me that his agency was LESS+MORE. I went to their profile and saw that they were a small, unique, personalized agency. I had a meeting with them, and we just hit it off. I saw and recognized their work, recognized some of the street presence that they had done, and then brought them in.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June 2015, and the work is ongoing. We’re wrapping up with photography on one project right now, but there’s nothing currently in the pipeline for them because I don’t have a need. We’ll bring a project to the forefront in another three to four months, and they are the only agency I’ll use when it comes up.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were able to tackle all three projects in a thoughtful, creative, and collaborative way.

We knew that the brand for our restaurant was going to be for a signature steak and seafood concept. I had gone through the naming exercise previously and had a name that was picked out, but they were able to vet out that name and then present three other names to a panel of experts we had on this. From our initial discussion about that restaurant, we began the design aesthetic of the space. We knew the name of the restaurant, the branding materials, and many of the identifiers of the space. We designed with that intent in mind. When we launched Angel Oak, everything was seamless—from the logo and the menu to the uniform and the plateware. Although LESS+MORE did not have a say on the plateware, we knew what the overall brand impression needed to be. When we came to selecting plates, we had very specific guiding principles and words that allowed us to do so.

The concept launched very successfully, and the restaurant design and development just gave us one of the top awards for the year—best restaurant design for form, function, and innovation. Being recognized in that way was really great. We would not have been able to accomplish that without having such a harmonious relationship between the brand, the design, and the operations.

People love LESS+MORE’s work. They think it’s brilliant. Even the stickers that we have at one restaurant don’t last because people take them like crazy. We can’t keep our hats on the shelves because people love the logo so much. We’ve gotten nothing but the most positive feedback, not just about hats and stickers, but about the logos.

We’ve gotten great external feedback, but we’ve also gotten great internal feedback. None of this happens in a vacuum. There might be a great brand, but there’s still a board of directors that has to approve it. The way that LESS+MORE presents is very simple and articulate. They give options, and they’re very thoughtful about it.

How did LESS+MORE perform from a project management standpoint?

I have no complaints whatsoever. We would communicate with them sometimes daily, weekly, or every other week, depending on where we’re at in the project.

One of the many things that I like about them is that they don’t have this formula that you have to fit into. There are times when we do a full day immersion and get things done, and then have a call Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to make sure we’re on track. Then we break for two weeks, and then we’ll come back and present.

There was always very open communication. They not only hit every deadline but usually hit the deadline with multiple options. We met in person and looked at the printed work so that way we had the coloring right and had everything perfect, and could sign off on it then and there.

What did you most impressive about LESS+MORE?

They’re our agency of choice for creative work for food and beverage because they understand the industry and clients. They are able to help me articulate my vision of what I want to accomplish in such a way that I know I can’t do on my own. They are able to take what my vision is and interpret into a very cohesive brand.

Are there any areas LESS+MORE could improve?

No. I’ve never been this happy with a branding agency or a creative agency. LESS+MORE are creatives at heart, and that’s what I respect about them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the CMO of DocuWare, a document management and workflow software provider based in the U.S. and Germany.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire LESS+MORE?

We hired them to create our new logo and visual identity.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to modernize our branding to reflect our cloud software products better.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We sifted through many online profiles, reached out to former contacts for references, read reviews, and reviewed portfolios. I made the hiring decision based on numerous phone interviews and their first cost proposal.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They started with an exploratory strategy session to understand the company, followed by multiple rounds of logo design and corresponding visual identity. LESS+MORE did a good job of painting possible scenarios.

What was the team composition?

We worked with three key players from LESS+MORE. Our company president and I were the final decision-makers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Internally, our new visual brand and identity have been extremely well-received. We’ve also received positive feedback from customers, partners, investors, analysts, and the media.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We did not experience any delays since they delivered work when promised. They were all excellent communicators and quite responsive. They challenged our ideas when appropriate and took candid feedback in stride.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their design sense and collaboration skills were impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.