The Marcom Group

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the corporate secretary and one of the owners of Trilogy Personnel and Land Management. As a temp agency for the agricultural industry, we provide laborers who perform general maintenance around farms. We also provide employees to oversee harvest operations. There are seasonal periods where we’ll come in and harvest a crop such as nuts and deciduous fruit. Trilogy is our parent company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Marcom Group?

Our biggest challenge at that point was overall branding, which was something we wish we’d done a long time ago. We have several other companies that operate under Trilogy, but they all stood alone. There was no consistency amongst the companies. You couldn’t tell that any of them were related.

My only prior experience with this type of work was with one other vendor. The result wasn’t what we had hoped for. That process was so overwhelming that we settled on something just to be done with it. It also turned out to be very expensive.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with Marcom to understand what each company did, their differences, and their similarities were. Together, we figured out how we could brand them so that they seemed related. Once we were able to have consistency in the logos, colors, and our marketing material, we started to redo our website. Marcom Group built a new website from scratch on WordPress. We had a previous website, but it was not anywhere near what we wanted it to be. Marcom Group provided a clear summary of how the companies were related so that we could include that on our website. They helped us build a story to describe our family, what we did, and how we got to where we currently are.

Marcom Group also gave us access to WordPress and showed us how to revise the content as needed. For example, our site has a section where we provide access to our customers to all of our licenses, insurances, and permits. Those items constantly need to be updated for various expiration dates, and we can now do that ourselves. WordPress allowed us to change the images as needed. Since our company offers an annual scholarship, so we can update scholarship applications and update the notifications online. Marcom Group also helped us put together literature such as pamphlets and signs that we placed in the different ranches where we worked.  

I dealt with 3 different resources from Marcom. We had a project manager named Dustin. We also dealt with Shamil and the owner, who I believe was driving the creativity behind Marcom. He sat with us and just asked questions that stimulated more questions and stimulated ideas. After we brainstormed, they would then relay the information to the designers, and then we’d get back proofs.

How did you come to work with Marcom Group?

I don’t recall exactly. They may have been recommended to me.

How much have you invested with Marcom Group?

The website cost under $10,000 and the rebranding was $4,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in September 2012. The project was completed in December 2012.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re happy with the work they’ve done. Compared with what we paid the previous vendor, Marcom did the exact same work with a much better and more thorough process. We also experienced better results. Our industry is not into the tech side of things, even when it comes to advertising and websites. We were ahead of our time as far as websites go, and we still are in terms of what we dedicated to marketing material and websites. It’s certainly a badge that we wear pretty proudly when we go to our customers and provide them with the pamphlets that we’ve created. We would point them to our website, and they are taken aback by what it’s able to do for them and the information that it provides. I get a lot of positive feedback. Our website puts us on a whole different playing field when we’re being compared with other people in the industry.

How did Marcom Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered as they promised. Nothing was ever presented that hadn’t originally been presented. They were very timely and kept me on track professionally. As far as cost goes, it was exactly what they had estimated originally. I didn’t have to pay for anything more than what we had originally committed to, so it was good.

What did you find most impressive about Marcom Group?

What I’m about to say is probably specific to my personality. I don’t know if this is how they operate with everyone. I tend to be laid-back. I certainly know how to get things done, but I’m not hectic about it or overly-consistent. Fortunately, Marcom’s approach—the way they communicated ideas and managed the project—certainly worked well with the way I handled things. That’s part of the reason I enjoy working with them. It’s just like talking to someone who is thinking and responding the way I would. They were very like-minded and very casual. It was a very comfortable experience.

Are there any areas Marcom Group could improve?

No. I spout off random ideas and they seem to know how to put the right colors into it and put it to paper. I don’t depend on my creativity at all. If I need something done, I just hand it over to them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Kern Economic Development Corporation is a private non-profit in Kern County, California. We work on attracting and retaining businesses in the county. We also work on workforce development needs in the area. I’m the marketing director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Marcom Group?

We needed to figure out how to properly market economic development to the masses so people know what we provide. I am the only person on the marketing team so I worked closely with The Marcom Group on this project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The big piece that they help us with is our annual Kern County Market Overview and Member Directory. That’s an annual publication which is an 88-page full glass magazine that helps us attract businesses to our county. Brokers, site selectors, and elected officials use the publication to find out what is happening economically here in Kern County. I had a great experience working with them. They were very helpful with explaining things.

One thing I think helped a lot was our debrief meeting, where we talked about next year’s piece and how to streamline that and make it easier for both parties. I worked a lot with Chamil Payne, the project manager. She managed everything for me. I had direct contact with her and we discussed design and colors. Any time I had information to send to them, she took care of it. I did have a couple of meetings with her and the designer, Keith. He was also helpful in letting me know his opinions of what looked best.

How did you come to work with The Marcom Group?

They are a member of the Economic Development Corporation. They’re a prominent local advertising company and well-respected in the area. I started working at EDC two years ago, and The Marcom Group had already been hired.

How much have you invested with The Marcom Group?

We do an in-kind agreement with them. [Confidential]

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them at least five years, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We release the publication every year at our annual economic summit in March. This year, the response was amazing. We had some top leaders in the area who work for some large companies that attract businesses as well. They said this was one of the best pieces they’d ever seen, and that’s coming from people who work in Los Angeles, San Diego and Orange County. That was nice to hear. The piece is very useful, comprehensive, colorful, and the imagery is great. I’ve heard from member and non-members how much they think this is a valuable marketing piece.

How did The Marcom Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They are always ahead of the game. They schedule things with me so I know when we need to have things done. Chamil is great with following up with reminders. They’re really easy to work with.

What did you find most impressive about The Marcom Group?

Their creativity is impressive. They have a great design team. We’re a mid-sized city and their quality of work is something you’d see in larger cities. It’s nice to have that local talent here. They use cutting edge designs.

Are there any areas The Marcom Group could improve?

We’re a non-profit, so sometimes the only challenge is the price. I’d like to work with them on other projects but I don’t always have the budget to do that. They spend so much time on the project, and their cost reflects that.