Luminate Communications

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Communications Specialist at The Law Foundation of Ontario

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Luminate Communications?

We hired Luminate Communications to write grantee success stories for three consecutive annual reports.

SOLUTION

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

Deborah and I worked together years before at the same provincial health charity. She had a province-wide communications role and I had a regional communications role. From working together, I knew she was an excellent writer who understood the nonprofit sector and could translate complicated topics and programs into emotional, engaging, and easy-to-understand stories.

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

In year one, I briefed Deborah on my organization and our overall story objectives and brand positioning and voice. Each year, I briefed Deborah on the grantee programs we wanted profiled and provided her with the grantees' contact information. After having given our grantees the heads up, Deborah took it from there. The main reason I outsourced this task was to help with the workload, and often significant leg work, of scheduling and conducting interviews. Once I handed off the project to Deborah, I could turn to other priorities, knowing full well she had the project well in hand. (Which she always did.)

After the stories were written, I would review and provide any needed feedback. In general, the stories rarely if ever needed more than one or two rounds of revisions, and often this had to do with the nuances or complexities of a legal topic. Deborah would make edits and provide the final stories.

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

I worked directly with Deborah.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We do not do measurement on the individual stories but overall and anecdotally, our Board members, grantees, staff, and other stakeholders enjoyed, complimented, and shared the stories. Another factor we mark as a success is the way Deborah managed the relationships with all of the "story people" she dealt with. She acted as a representative of our brand, which is a critically important and valued aspect of Luminate's work to us.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Their communication and deliverables were always clear and punctual. I came to know that no news is good news and also to trust that if concerns arose, she was in immediate contact with me about them. This peace of mind is gold when working with a vendor.

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

In addition to the quality of the writing, I am especially impressed and grateful with Luminate's professionalism and initiative. They know what they're doing, they ask for what they need, and then they get to it.

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

/

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of a nonprofit organization. We raise funds to advance research in rare diseases.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Luminate Communications?

We needed a company that could help us prepare our first formal annual report.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Luminate Communications to help us prepare a professional annual report in both digital and print formats. We started the engagement by going through different samples of the work they had done for other nonprofit organizations, as well as the materials we had used in the past. From there, we worked together to create a format for the report. Together, we figured out the length of the report, the overall feel of it, and how many interviews we needed to do. They were very hands-on in providing us guidance throughout that process.

After we decided on doing a 12-page folded brochure-type report, they then started conducting interviews with some of our board members and team, as well as some of the scientists we’ve worked with. Luminate Communications then worked on the entire layout, design, and content of the report.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Deborah (Founder & Content Strategist). She was in charge of liaising with her team members in charge of the layout and copywriting.

How did you come to work with Luminate Communications?

Luminate Communications reached out to us through a cold call. I went with them because of their personable approach. I felt very comfortable conversing with Deborah — I felt that her personality and working style really resonated with mine. I also appreciated how she provided references of their past work after initially talking to her.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $5,300 CAD (Approximately $4,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February 2022–July 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Luminate Communications delivered a consistent, high-quality report for us. We had done our own brochures in the past, but having someone else provide a different perspective on how to share our messaging really helped elevate the final product. Luminate Communications also did well in terms of writing and editing the report. They really hit the nail on the head on the first draft, and there was very little editing that had to be done on my part.

How did Luminate Communications perform from a project management standpoint?

Luminate Communications performed well in terms of project management. I never had to wait on them — they always delivered on time or ahead of schedule. They were always the ones tracking me down for approvals.

We typically communicated through phone, Zoom, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed with Luminate Communications’ strong understanding of our goals. They were very good at asking probing questions to help us figure out what our end goal was. We also appreciated how they took the time to understand who our target audience was and what kind of message we wanted to communicate with them.

Overall, it was a very smooth, easy, and enjoyable process working with them. Deborah was a great person to work with, and how she managed the project was proof of her expertise in her field.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing they could have done better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to clearly communicate what your goals are.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-owner of UpHouse, an advertising and marketing agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Luminate Communications?

We needed more resources for blog writing tasks.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Luminate Communications provides Adhoc white-labeled blog writing to help our agency execute client content calendars. We start by having a quick call or in-person meeting to tell them what we need for the blog, and they take it from there. Sometimes, I pass along notes from the interview with the SME. Luminate helped us develop blog briefs, which is a creative document that outlines all the requirements for the blog and its key points to streamline the writing process.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with five members of their team, including Deborah (Founder).

How did you come to work with Luminate Communications?

My partner ran into Deborah at a conference, and after talking to them, we liked them and their personality. They seemed down to earth and with a lot of experience in the industry. We decided to trial them on a project based on their trustworthy and communicative approach, which set clear expectations for working together. The relationship grew from there.

How much money have you invested in this partnership?

We’ve spent $50,000 CAD (approximately $39,000 USD) with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working with their team has helped us hit our deliverables for our customers. Also, it’s very helpful to outsource this kind of work to them because it means we don’t have to hire an employee to take on a new client content project — we can reach out to Luminate on a project-by-project basis, which makes sense for a small company likes ours.

Their team has experience in a range of different industries. That means they understand our subject matter, can write a knowledgeable piece for our customers and bring new ideas to the table.

How did Luminate Communications perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is excellent, and communication is perfect. Regarding tools, we use email and Google Drive for sharing content calendars, blog briefs and documents. They’ve met our deadlines and delivered the number of blogs we’ve agreed upon. Their team is proactive and can often accommodate rush requests, which helps our clients achieve their content marketing KPIs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their organization is outstanding; they have a good process to capture and draft blogs well ahead of publishing dates, which helps us avoid an 11th hour crush to apply revisions and deliver the blogs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their team grew as well as their rates, which is not as cost-effective as it was for us before. Nonetheless, we see this as their natural growth, and they deserve the success they’re getting.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s always important to pin down a subject matter expert for an interview so you can get the best blog with the best quality and information.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Manager of Community Initiatives where our mission is to protect and improve animals' lives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Luminate Communications?

We hired Luminate Communications to develop all social and email content for a digital fundraising campaign. They also produced some of the digital assets for social posts and emails.

SOLUTION

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

Someone in our organization had worked with Deborah and her team previously and they were pleased with the results.

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

Luminate Communications drafted all of our social posts and email copy for our fundraising campaign. We onboarded their team late in the planning process, but the team quickly understood our needs and goals and worked swiftly to deliver all of the content on time. The content they delivered was fun and engaging. It was clear a lot of thought went into how to connect the messages to our mission uniquely.

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

We worked directly with Deborah, the owner of the company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We experienced an increase in engagement on our social channels and received positive feedback on the tone and message of the content.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It worked well. We met weekly to discuss messages and deliverables and used a shared spreadsheet to manage the content calendar.

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

A lot of thought went into the content development and they also had a number of suggestions related to the content calendar that were very useful.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm Senior Coordinator, Marketing and Communications at CultureLink Settlement and Community Services. CultureLink is an organization dedicated to provide assistance and support to newcomers, refugees and the community at large. Our services are based on connections, as we work towards building welcoming communities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Luminate Communications?

We started working with Luminate Communications in 2019. We wanted to find a different approach to the very intensive months of internal work and coordination that was our 40-page Annual Report.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected Luminate Communications because of their experience with nonprofits, their flexibility and willingness to meet our needs and budget, and the good disposition to work together and make our lives easier.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We brainstormed ideas for the Theme and landed on the concept of how CultureLink is making connections for newcomers to Canada. With a theme in place, we selected the stories for them to write, 6 stories that represented a key message in our strategic plan and showcased just a handful of the connections CultureLink’s many programs and services helped newcomers make over the past fiscal year.

Once the stories were complete, they brought in a designer to powerfully communicate the theme through visuals, incorporating circles to emphasize connections. The circles (or dots) appeared randomly throughout the report and all photos and graphic elements fell into this circular format.

Luminate Communications' team managed the entire production, review, and proofreading process on CultureLink’s behalf. They arranged for the printer and ensured our annual report was delivered to our office well before our annual general meeting.

What was the team composition?

I compiled all the information on our side and coordinated directly with the team at Luminate Communications, mainly Deborah (Content Strategist) and Lynn (Executive Assistant).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

First, the slimmed down annual report was overwhelmingly well received, as there was more emphasis in the real-life stories, showing the impact our organization has made in people’s lives. The simple but meaningful design has helped highlight the content by making it visually appealing and easy to read. We've had great feedback from those who received a copy.

The greatest success for us is having a third party collaborate with this process, lifting a huge weight off our shoulders.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We met often at the beginning to define the Theme, the sections of the report and the timeline. After that, all communications were through email to ask questions and provide updates. For each step, they requested our feedback and implemented it right away.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their people. They were very committed to understanding our needs and help us meet our goals.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

I wouldn't change anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our marketing communications agency is multidisciplinary; we do creative design, communications, video production, and experiential marketing, with a focus on social impact, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility. I’m the VP of client services and I oversee client projects and the teams that are deployed to work on those. I basically work between the client and our internal team.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Luminate Communications?

We needed to provide content development services for one of our clients, and we sought Luminate to help us with this project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We first got to know each other’s teams to get a high-level sense of our respective organizations. When this project came up, we prepared a brief and a timeline, which we then handed over to Luminate. They asked some additional questions and then set off to create the deliverables or the marketing copy that we required. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with their president and an executive assistant.

How did you come to work with Luminate Communications?

We were introduced by a mutual contact. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested less than $10,000 CAD (approximately $8,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The entire engagement began and ended in February 2022. We intend to work with Luminate again in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Luminate’s output was excellent. The clients and the readers of the piece responded very positively to it.  

How did Luminate Communications perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management was excellent. Their team completed all of the deliverables on time and within budget, and they communicated very well throughout the engagement. We reached each other via phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We liked the personal touch that they provided with their services. Luminate had a friendly, can-do attitude which made them very pleasant to work with. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It always helps when your brief has a clear timeline, budget, and set of requirements. It gives their team clarity and is helpful for any kind of team outside of Luminate. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder/owner of Lemonade Life. Our mission is to crush the negative stigma of divorce by supporting women so that they can thrive through divorce and achieve personal transformation for themselves and their families.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Luminate Communications?

We wanted to create content for our inbound marketing efforts. We do not have any marketers in-house, so we hired Luminate Communications to create a content marketing strategy and start a blog for us. Our goal was to position ourselves as thought leaders in our field and attract new clients through our marketing funnel.

SOLUTION

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

We searched online and reached out to our network for content marketers in our area and shortlisted 5. After interviewing them, we chose Luminate Communications based on their professionalism, expertise, timeliness, quality, writing samples and cost estimate.

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

After a kick-off meeting, they helped us come up with a list of topics and keywords we wanted to target for our focus audience. Then they conducted interviews for content and context download. They set up blogs to help capture organic traffic.

Then, they wrote some articles for us based on our provided prompts. They currently schedule our blog posts and reach out to other publications to earn backlinks. They have also supported with writing media articles for publications in order to increase our reach and promotions.

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

We have an account manager and writer working for us. Very accessible, capable and friendly extension of our team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our clients find our blog posts to be an incredible resource as they navigate a challenging time. Our blog open rates are all above 50% from newsletter, tap link and website promotions.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Incredible. We meet annually to create the strategic plan, goals and list of priorities. Luminate Communication schedules monthly interviews, writes and delivers the content by agreed upon deadlines with very little to no editing or back and forth required.

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

They are talented at what they do and deliver as promised on every commitment. This elevates my brand, supports my mission and clients while saving me time and increases my overall capacity to work on my business not in my business.

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

We are very happy and want to be able to do more!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Damian M. Reid International. We mentor, coach, and provide online courses and retreats for primarily female entrepreneurs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Luminate Communications?

We needed a company that could help us improve our site’s flow and messaging.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Luminate Communications to improve our website copy. We started the project by having a discussion to clarify some of the things we wanted the copy to communicate. I sent a website brief to them, which outlined two key messages and bullet points. 

After that, she came back with the first round of copy, which we handed over to our development team to integrate into the site’s design.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Deborah (Owner & Strategist).

How did you come to work with Luminate Communications?

I first met Deborah in a meeting at a BNI Chapter. In the initial meeting that I had with her, we just talked about the kind of services that she provided and whether or not they were a fit for what we were looking for. I felt that she understood our brand and that she would really do a great job at capturing our voice and getting our message across, so we decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $1,500 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2019–March 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Unfortunately, we don’t have any quantitative data from this engagement yet.

How did Luminate Communications perform from a project management standpoint?

Luminate Communications performed excellently in terms of project management.

We communicated through email and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was really impressed with the experience level of Luminate Communications’ writers. Aside from that, their process of understanding us as a client so they could translate our brand voice and brand character into words was excellent. I would also like to highlight their overall communication and project management level.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing that I would change is their pricing. But, although it would be great if we could get their services at a lower price point, they really do provide high-quality services that I think are worth the price.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to give them as thorough a creative brief as possible when engaging them. The more information you can provide them, the more they have to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Realtor who is an independent contractor working for myself.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Luminate Communications, and what were your goals?

I hired Luminate Communications for branding copywrite for my website and developing USP. My goals were what we discussed to create the brand.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I interviewed three companies/individuals regarding the project. Once I reviewed the proposals, I decided to work with Deborah from Luminate Communications. I wanted to meet up for lunch and discuss things first.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

We met up for lunch along with a mutual consultant. We got to know each other better by asking questions and providing feedback which provided a base for Deborah to start with. Deborah, had to create content for six pages maximum. She reviewed all existing pages, write draft content for all pages requested, max 500 words per page, two revisions and liaising with the web developer throughout the process to ensure content map, flow and strategy is seamlessly integrated into the design.

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

I worked directly with Deborah throughout the project and process. Deborah's title is Content Strategist

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because of the work that was completed by Deborah/Luminate Communications we were able to complete the new website with new content. I was also able to create new Buyer and Seller guides. Everything went smoothly and on time. I couldn't say the same for some other companies that I worked with during the process.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Deborah touched based various times within three months for feedback and implemented changes where necessary

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

What I liked was sitting down at lunch and discussing what I was looking for and understanding each other. Deborah, understood that I didn't consider myself like everyone else and brought that out in her contact. I have high respect and trust for Luminate Communications' work. I even reached out to her for something personal.

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

I had nothing that I could ask to be improved on.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Team Leader for a residential real estate sales team, TheFoxTeam.ca

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Luminate Communications?

We hired Luminate to Copywrite the website and interview past clients for testimonials

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had worked previously with Luminate for a non-for-profit copywriting job and was impressed by their ethic and approach, and of course the final product.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Through discovery sessions with myself and interviews with a number of past clients, Luminate dug deep with a series of brand questions and clarity creators to develop the story of my company. From there, they wrote TheFoxTeam.ca Brand Story—an internal document that definitively separates the Fox Team from the competition. The brand story consisted of five parts:

• The overarching brand story to tell—and understand—the Fox Team’s story
• Key messages/values on how the Fox Team connects with its customers
• How people connect with the Fox Team’s key messages
• Brand positioning statement
• Target audience

This document contained advice to help guide the future development of all marketing materials—be it website copy and design, newsletters, blogs, videos or other promotional materials —so that TheFoxTeam.ca story is always told consistently. With the guideposts set, they did the copywriting for my entire website.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with Deborah as a point of contact for the project, but she also collaborated with her team who were excellent.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I feel confident in our brand identity and felt like the company launched as a fully developed idea, rather than a half-baked idea. Everything was cohesive and supportive of the company ethos.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. They were patient with me and helped pull the story out. They were great at communicating with past clients as well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Working with Deborah was a relief. I know that may seem a strange sentiment to begin with, but once I handed over the reins I felt a true sense of relief that my brand story was in the right hands. It was a big exhale in a time when I was holding my breath trying to put the puzzle pieces of my brand together. Deborah helped me explore my core values and extract the experiences my clients had had to build an identity and a vision. It fit like a glove!

They put words together like magic and helped me feel anchored and grounded in our sentiment and strategy. They got great testimony from our clients and were able to take my garbled ideas and turn them into powerful statements. Thank you, Deborah, you brought TheFoxTeam.ca to life on the page!

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

I had an extremely positive experience and would absolutely recommend them.