Matchstic

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m an executive at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Matchstic?
We needed a company that could support our rebranding efforts. Our goal was to transform the AJC from a newspaper with a website to a fully digital media company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
Matchstic leads a full company rebrand for us. We started the engagement with a discovery process to learn about what our competitors were doing and what was happening in the news industry. They interviewed me, our CMO, our brand director, several different designers, and other people within our company.

As we went through the process, we circled back from a very different logo that we had back to our original blackletter logo. We decided that refining our original logo was a better way to stay relevant in Atlanta and the country and align with some of the best news organizations in the country. This path also opened up a whole new slew of rebranding elements that we could include both on our website and in our marketing materials.

They essentially rebranded every part of our organization — they refined our original blackletter logo, introduced new colors, created motion and photography templates, and introduced the hyphen element that connected two names: The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution, which were two newspapers that were merged together to become us.
After that, they introduced the brand with three different workshops for three different interior groups within the company. It’s still a work in progress — it will be a years-long process to get everything cohesive and everybody on the same page.

What is the team composition?
I’ve worked with Blake (Co-Founder & Creative Director), Craig (President & Co-Founder), Gray (Senior Designer), Cameron (Senior Writer), a project manager, and an account director.

How did you come to work with Matchstic?
I reached out to them through a cold call. I was looking for a branding and design company from Atlanta and found Matchstic through an online search. I came across their site and recognized some of the work they did around town that I admired, even though I didn't know it was them.

What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in April 2023, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The rebrand has been really well-received internally and in the city. We're still trying to make our way to impact the city and change people’s perception of us. Many people already know who we are, but changing their perception of us will be difficult. However, I believe this rebrand has gone a long way in helping us transition from being perceived as a newspaper to a digital media company. The hyphen element they've introduced has also become a visual symbol unique to us that we could use in marketing.

We still have a long way to go, and it will take years to change that perception. In a year or two, we definitely would have some statistics or metrics on the impact of this rebrand, but not so much right now.

How did Matchstic perform from a project management standpoint?
Project management-wise, Matchstic couldn’t have been better. The whole team has been amazing to work with. They’ve consistently delivered on time, sometimes even ahead of schedule, and always within our budget. I appreciate how they’ve always kept me on track—they’ve always let me know what happens if I miss a certain deadline and have done a great job setting and managing our expectations.

We primarily communicate through email, Google Meet, and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?
It has been an awesome experience so far. All the people I’ve worked with are experts at what they do. Everything they’ve brought to the table has been better than what I could come up with. They’re definitely better than me at this whole thing, which is what I needed for this project.

Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I don't think they could improve upon anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I wholeheartedly believe that you should hire Matchstic if you need branding or design work done. You’re not going to get better results with anyone else.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm an executive director at a deepwater seaport.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Matchstic?
We wanted to go through a visual and verbal rebranding of our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
Matchstic was responsible for our complete rebranding. The engagement included interviewing community stakeholders, some board members, the mayor, customers, and tenants. The team also interviewed some of the stevedores. Based on how the community perceived the port, Matchstic defined our strengths and weaknesses. From that, the team began developing a new verbal identity, including conversation starters and longer messages. 

Matchstic spent more time on the verbal identity than anything else to develop our message and market our services to potential new employees, international shippers, and the community. We wanted our messaging to be different depending on who we spoke with. In addition, Matchstic redesigned our visual identity, which later informed our website. 

Matchstic worked with our port board member, port attorney, director of cargo and trade development, director of operations, director of administration, director of navigation, and our employees. 

What is the team composition?
Patrice (Senior Project Manager) was our primary point of contact with Matchstic. We also worked with Christian (Designer), Clayton (Copywriter & Verbal Designer), Tracy (Brand Strategy Director), and Deanna (Brand Strategist). 

How did you come to work with Matchstic?
I searched online for branding service providers across the US and interviewed companies from Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta. I reviewed the projects the companies had done before and had discussions with a couple of branding firms. We narrowed our selection to 2–3 companies and had Zoom calls with our core team. We chose Matchstic because we thought they were a good fit for our project.

How much have you invested with them?
We spent $125,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Matchstic from November 2023–May 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We rolled out our new branding during a business after hours gathering where we invited community stakeholders, tenants, customers, legislators, and community leaders. We went through our new logo and verbal identity, which were extremely well-received. We had a full house, and people were packed into our board room, which has a capacity of 130–140 people. All our audience complimented Matchstic's work and our new branding development. 

Our web traffic increased, and our social media and online presence skyrocketed. The entire team was outstanding and impressed me; I can't pinpoint one teammate versus the other. 

How did Matchstic perform from a project management standpoint?
Matchstic was outstanding regarding project management. The team was on task and was great at scheduling calendar invitations. We had weekly Zoom catch-ups, and after our meetings, Patrice offered a follow-up. During meetings, the team went through what they were working on and followed up on tasks' using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The team regularly sent slide decks to show their progress. Matchstic's project management went extremely well, and I can't say enough great things about them.

What did you find most impressive about them?
Although I hadn't worked with other branding agencies before, I felt comfortable working with Matchstic and liked their previous work. I had no regrets about working with them. I was very pleased with our project's results, including our logo and verbal identity. We were also pleased with our visual identity, which was reflected on our website, t-shirts, and online presence, including our LinkedIn and Facebook profiles. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I suggest staying engaged with Matchstic throughout the entire process. It was interesting to see how the team went from interviewing stakeholders to developing our messaging, whether it was a conversation starter or a longer message. I was impressed to see how Matchstic developed our color palette and fonts based on their interviews.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

 I’m the chief marketing and growth officer for a technology services company company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Matchstic?

We needed help with launching a new company. The company itself was being formed via the merger and integration of multiple brands by the same private equity, so we needed a new name, identity, and everything else that came along with the merger.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Matchstic worked with us to integrate, brand, and launch a single company from multiple companies that were merging. Their team helped us with our naming, brand identity, and verbal and visual systems.

My company had done some extensive external and internal research, which we provided to Matchstic to help shortcut the process. That research included rich analyses and findings related to our purpose identity as informed by customers, partners, investors, analysts, and employees. Still, Matchstic complemented our research with additional interviews with external and internal stakeholders.

What is the team composition?

We worked with an extensive crew from Matchstic, including Melissa (Director of Project Management) who was our day-to-day manager; Blake (Co-Founder & Creative Director), who was directly involved in the initial strategy and identity work; Gray (Senior Designer), who handled the visual identity; Mitchell (Senior Brand Strategist), who drove the research and initial strategy; and Cameron (Senior Writer), who handled the copywriting. Still, there were others behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Matchstic?

Matchstic was hired before I joined the company, so I'm not sure how we found them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $450,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together for 10 months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In terms of average website engagement time, we were exceeding industry benchmarks by 2x. Additionally, over 300 applications came through our careers page on the first day we launched the company through a social campaign we were conducting. As for the quality of their work, Matchstic exceeded our expectations regarding the strategy, the naming, and the verbal and visual identity; everything was stellar.

How did Matchstic perform from a project management standpoint?

Matchstic delivered on time and on budget. Moreover, they communicated well with us, using phone calls, emails, and Google Docs to collaborate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I would like to congratulate the whole Matchstic's team; they were fantastic. Their collaboration skills were key to the project; we genuinely felt energized after every call. Despite the project's high stakes, complexity, and the number of opinionated C-suite executives involved, Matchstic grasped our business and the unique market opportunity we had.

Moreover, they were very clear about the process, and the work product was always exceptional. Of course, we iterated on the product and worked together, but whenever we saw something, it was always very strong. Additionally, whenever we provided feedback, Matchstic always came back with something better. They didn't simply run with our edits; instead, they understood the spirit behind our requests and always improved upon them, which was great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was nothing Matchstic could have improved on directly. If anything, we didn't have the same smooth experience working with the web agency they referred us to, so the referral could have been stronger.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Have a clear sense of who you are and what you're trying to achieve. If that's not clear, the process will be painful. Moreover, ask questions and trust their expertise. On our project, everyone had different opinions, some of which were strong. Still, we trusted Matchstic's leadership and guidance in steering us the right way, which made the process swift and not as emotionally fraught as it could have been.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CRO for Tensure, an IT consulting company that services large enterprises. We’re a remote company with about 100 employees across the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Matchstic?

We wanted to rebrand our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Matchstic did some market research and completed our rebranding. We initially sat down with them, and they walked us through their company and the contract. Afterward, we signed with them.

The project was a six-month process with two main phases. First, Matchstic researched who we were. They talked to people inside and outside our company, competitors, and potential and past customers to understand our key differentiator.

After that market research process, they started presenting options of what the brand could look like. As we made decisions, Matchstic refined the messaging and logo until we reached the finish line.

Additionally, they did some illustrations, a brand video, fonts, and colors. The project's culmination was a branding guidelines document that articulated everything they thoughtfully planned.

What is the team composition?

The project included 4–5 team members, including a project manager, a market researcher, a designer, and a copywriter.

How did you come to work with Matchstic?

We initially found them on Google. Then, we found out that some acquaintances in the industry were familiar with their work; they highly recommended Matchstic.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $200,000–$300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from April–October 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We will launch externally in March 2024, so we have nothing to share. However, Matchstic’s work was high quality, and their process was strong.

How did Matchstic perform from a project management standpoint?

They provided advice throughout the process. We mostly communicated through Zoom calls.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

The market research person did the project's first phase and worked to pull out the key differentiation aspects of who we were to help us stand out in the crowd, which was crucial.

Lauren (Sr Project Manager) was with us for every phase, helping with communication and planning. She was on top of everything; I felt she knew exactly what we needed before we even knew it.

Finally, we had Cody (Senior Designer) and Cameron (Copywriter), who were a joy to work with. They had a great vision and communicated their ideas very well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were enamored by the process. Matchstic distilled every step down to a clean and lively process. We were never surprised by where we got to because they communicated well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we didn’t have any negative feedback. Everything was great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re only able to work with what you give them. We had to expose Matchstic to our company and partner with them to ensure they knew who to talk to. They didn’t understand our industry, so we were responsible for informing them and providing the resources they needed to come back with something valid.

If you go through the process, make sure you’re ready to commit the time and people to ensure the highest degree of success.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of sales of a financial data and technology company focused on the local and global economy to map revenues and business models for other companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Matchstic?

We needed help fine-tuning our messaging and giving our brand a look and feel that could better represent us as a fintech organization and stand out among our competitors in the marketplace.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Matchstic helped us with rebranding services for our company, focusing on a new brand color palette, new fonts, and a more concise messaging of our organization and our product suite.

Regarding the process, we started by having initial calls between them and our senior leadership team to outline what we were looking for and our vision as a company.

What was the team composition? 

We worked with around three members of Matchstic’s team, including Patrice (Senior Project Manager) and John (Senior Designer).

How did you come to work with Matchstic?

We found them through a Google search.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $120,000–$200,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–August 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We got great feedback from our stakeholders, competitors, and friends on Matchstic's design work — they loved the rebranding and complimented us. The team's top-quality work certainly helped us get more brand awareness and market share.

How did Matchstic perform from a project management standpoint?

Matchstic delivered on time and within budget, communicated well with us via Zoom and email, and was responsive to feedback. We had no experience running a rebranding project, and they were very easy to work with, answered all of our questions, and were very patient in navigating us through the whole process.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review? 

Patrice listened to our concerns, kept the project moving, and helped us get to the finish line while also communicating with the other team members to make sure everything was correct.

Moreover, John did a fantastic job tweaking our brand mark and suggesting imagery and alternative use cases for our logo application. He was instrumental in helping us set up a robust brand guide for us while listening to our concerts across the board to help us get to a place where we loved the deliverables.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Matchstic's team's biggest strength was their ability to help us get the best outcome out of our complex feedback and strong opinions, making everyone happy with the results.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had to work on their messaging, but after back-and-forth communication, we were able to fine-tune that aspect of the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open-minded to Matchstic's multiple approaches, let them creatively work through a couple of visions, and use their innovative mind to the full extent so they can deliver something unique. In addition, try to keep a communicative process to keep everything organized and get the results you want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work directly for D&S, but we recently went through an acquisition and merged as a new brand called Cadex.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Matchstic?

In February 2022, we were acquired by Trivest, a private equity company. Given that we were acquired under a corporate umbrella, we were merging as a new brand, so we needed help with creating a new entity comprised of smaller companies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Matchstic helped us create a new brand with a new name and new content for our merger. We had already done our messaging work with another service provider, so we initially provided Matchstic with that content to help us develop the visual identity based on that messaging.

We went through a big ramp-up process, going over the messaging and the concept we already had, which were quite extensive. Given that another service provider had done the messaging, we were learning who we were, while Matchstic was also learning the same thing.

I thought that this process would be very beneficial in the long run because I had no biases going in. This helped us establish a very collaborative endeavor from the start.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 11 teammates from Matchstic, including Patrice (Senior Project Manager)

How did you come to work with Matchstic?

Matchstic is Trivest’s preferred service provider. Although I don’t know how that relationship started, they were recommended to me. Still, since I’ve managed marketing projects for 16 years, I asked my direct boss if I could vet a few other companies to ensure we were aligned with the budget, scope, expectations, and how the team worked.

In total, I interviewed 10 different companies, including Matchstic, because I wanted to use best practices and make sure we were a really good match. Ultimately, I still decided to work with Matchstic due to several reasons.

Firstly, their team was very clear from the beginning. They explained how the process worked, who they were, and what their team dynamic was — I really liked them. Secondly, their budget, scope, and experience in their portfolio were really impressive, so I thought they would be a very good fit.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $98,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started communicating with Matchstic in October 2022, but the actual project started in February 2023. The first phase of the project ended in May 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of Matchstic’s work was flawless. They chose fonts that were easy to download for us, created great imagery, and established a very interesting color palette.

In addition to that, Matchstic was very collaborative with my direct boss and the board of directors. Thanks to that collaboration, we came down to very interesting selections that I hadn’t visualized initially. They delivered great work due to their expertise.

Another company in Switzerland had an issue with the name we chose, so we had to pause the launch of our new website, which contains our new visual identity. We’ll launch the site on November 14, 2023, so we won’t be able to gather analytics on the effectiveness of our new branding until then.

How did Matchstic perform from a project management standpoint?

Matchstic never missed a deadline. If anything, there were deadline adjustments on our side. As for budget management, the final proposal was $98,000, and we stayed within budget.

We mostly communicated via email, but we also had standing calls each week. Additionally, if we faced complex issues that wouldn’t be answered via email, we directly jumped on a call.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Patrice was fantastic. She was my right hand throughout the project, so I can’t say enough good things about her. I would also like to give a shout-out to Reid (Senior Designer).

What did you find most impressive about them?

Something that truly set Matchstic apart from other service providers was their communication. Even for little things, we were always aware of what was happening, what was coming up next, and whenever we had little hiccups. They were available when I was available. Overall, the biggest element of our project was the level of collaboration and communication.

In addition to that, it seemed like Matchstic was operating underneath a very organized approach to branding and visual identity. I had never experienced that approach with anyone else. Due to this level of organization, I was able to save email, PDFs, and other assets. From a branding perspective, that was the most valuable piece of their work after the project ended.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was nothing Matchstic could have improved on. I can’t say enough good things about them — I would recommend them to anybody. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Match their level of communication; it’s a two-way street.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Atlanta Emerging Markets Inc. We provide financing for nonprofits, social entrepreneurs, and high-impact projects in the city of Atlanta. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Matchstic?

We hired Matchstic for branding services. We’ve been a fairly successful company, but we knew that we couldn’t plateau and had to change the perception of our organization to get to the next level in terms of fundraising. We wanted to rebrand our organization to better tell our story, position ourselves in the market, and differentiate ourselves from our parent company. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Matchstic was responsible for naming, visual scheme messaging, and website design. They also provided creative support around the new brand identity guidelines. We started with a discovery phase, so Matchstic could get to know our company and the tools we offer. We brought together a group of 10–15 stakeholders to conduct focus groups and interviews. We went into a strategy phase after that, where we evaluated our competitors and got to know the entire landscape. 

Once we completed these phases, we started with the new name and trademarking. After several rounds of going back and forth, we found a name we loved and moved on to the visual and messaging stages. Matchstic helped choose a new color scheme and developed a logo and guidelines around photography. 

They designed our website from scratch and worked closely with our developer. We used Figma for the design and received all our deliverables through Adobe. 

What is the team composition?

We initially worked with Craig (Co-Founder & President), and then we transitioned to a dedicated project manager. We also worked with a senior designer and an individual that specialized in writing and messaging.

How did you come to work with Matchstic?

I believe we found them through a Google search. We wanted to find local experts, and Matchstic was highly recommended in our area, so we decided to move forward with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $150,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between April 2021–August 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any metrics at this point, but I’m confident that some solutions Matchstic designed will save us time. They listened to our needs and developed solutions that would address them. They consistently kept our constraints as a company in mind and ensured that everything they created worked for us. 

How did Matchstic perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management was fantastic from start to finish. They were organized in their approach and highly responsive. The expectations were always very clear, and they ensured we understood the next steps. We communicated via phone calls and Google Meet. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were blown away by the level of detail of each team member and the intentionality behind every choice. Matchstic always came with a concept and finished comprehensive products. They had a detail-oriented approach that stood out. This attention to detail made us trust them and feel we were in excellent hands. We enjoyed working with their team; they were professional, kind, and provided top-quality work. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing we can come up with at this point. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared and open to talking about your business and your concept. We came in with a bit of a narrow-minded approach and recommend being open-minded. Matchstic is great at what they do, so trust the process. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO for Board of Child Care, a nonprofit organization. Our national organization runs everything from foster care homes to outpatient clinics. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Matchstic?

We engaged Matchstic to run a renaming project for us. There was a bit of brand confusion surrounding our previous name, and it didn’t feel like it described our company, so we decided to bring in Matchstic. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Matchstic conducted interviews with our executive team and visited our campus to tour our classrooms and meet volunteers and board members for a focus group gathering. Their process included an in-house counsel that reviewed our name as well. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with Blake (Co-Founder & Creative Director), Dee (Brand Strategist), and Melissa (Director Project Management). 

How did you come to work with Matchstic?

Matchstic was a referral. We conducted a competitive interview process to select a firm, and they were our best option. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $30,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between February–June 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We successfully chose a name, and our key metric was getting our board of directors to support a single new name. We were pleased with their team. 

How did Matchstic perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver on budget and have followed through on all of their promises. We had a set schedule for our meetings, which were organized at the beginning of the engagement. We primarily communicated during these meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team was thoughtful and clear in their approach to naming. Matchstic listened to our goals and was a joy to work with. We were impressed with their process in general. Naming is difficult, and Matchstic had a successful process and was positive throughout the engagement. They also collaborated effectively with our agency on record, which we appreciated. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing we can come up with. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Set up your meeting dates as far in advance as possible. This helps everyone stay on pace for what you need. Ensure you also have enough time in the project plan to reflect on everything they’ve given you. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Meptik. We’re a film studio that focuses on technology in film production and broadcast, referred to as virtual production and extended reality. My role at the company is commercial development and strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Matchstic?

We were looking for someone to help us refresh our brand marketing strategy because our market changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Essentially, we wanted to put a new face to our company and put a new brand message together effectively.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Matchstic created our brand identity and brand voice. Initially, we gave Matchstic our company’s information, including information about our competitors and marketplace. Matchstic then realized a brand analysis and conducted a discovery phase, where we had a few calls with Matchstic’s founders to discuss the project’s scope. Matchstic asked us what we were looking for before working on the brand identity. 

What is the team composition?

I mainly worked with Craig (President & Co-Founder) and Blake (Co-Founder & Creative Director). We also worked with Patrice (Senior Project Manager) and John (Designer). 

How did you come to work with Matchstic?

I've known Matchstic for many years because their office is close to where my kids go to daycare. I was looking for a company that could design our visual identity and also create our brand voice since I knew I needed both aspects to launch a new brand. We interviewed other companies and chose Matchstic because they could do both things. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $125,000 with Matchstic. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Matchstic from November 2021–October 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our industry is deeply relational, and we were interested in improving our brand awareness and messaging. Matchstic’s team was great to work with and had a solidified working process, which impressed me. 

Overall, Matchstic’s work was impressive and delivered what we asked for — we didn’t need to ask for any changes. 

How did Matchstic perform from a project management standpoint?

Matchstic was punctual and honest — they were on track with the project. Matchstic’s communication through Google Meet was excellent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with Matchstic’s ability to do brand design and voice messaging. Both were incredibly important pieces for this project since I knew we couldn’t have one without the other.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for Matchstic to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend you make the time and headspace for your project before approaching Matchstic. You need to go into the process knowing exactly what you need from them because Matchstic can help you focus your project, but they can’t answer the question if you don’t know your project’s goal. Only you, as a client, know the importance of your service. You need to know your value proposition, and Matchstic will help you achieve what you want.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of brand and marketing at Brightwild, formerly known as One of One. We’re a travel company that designs and develops hotels. We also manage vacation rental properties across Florida and will develop an online travel product.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Matchstic?

We needed a complete rebranding of our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Matchstic created our company’s rebranding, including naming, brand strategy, and positioning, visual and verbal identity. They started with brand strategy and positioning and delivered a strategy deck that included our target audience, the company’s keywords, positioning statement, and an analysis of our competitors. 

We then moved into naming and visual and verbal identity. Matchstic designed our logo, color schemes, and overall visual identity. They also designed marketing materials, including advertisements, merchandise, and signage. Matchstic also created our taglines and key messaging copy. They provided art direction consultancy for our website. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with seven teammates from Matchstic, including Melissa (Director of Project Management), the creative director, the design director, the director of brand strategy, a senior designer, a copywriter, and a senior brand strategist.

How did you come to work with Matchstic?

I had known about Matchstic for 7–8 years and always wanted to work with them. I contacted them for this rebranding project. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $225,000 with Matchstic.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Matchstic in June 2022 and completed the project in March 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t launched our new branding to the public. However, our board members and staff were really happy with Matchstic’s work. I’m very satisfied with the project’s results, and this was the best branding project I’ve worked on in my entire career.

How did Matchstic perform from a project management standpoint?

Matchstic’s team was amazing and easy to work with. They were collaborative, met deadlines, and kept within budget. Matchstic was responsible and kept everything on track. 

We had a weekly team call with Melissa through Microsoft Teams, where she outlined the project’s process status. We also communicated through email, phone calls, and Zoom and used spreadsheets to keep track of tasks. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed with Matchstic’s work quality. They dedicated a lot of time to research before they designed our assets. We had a great process. Matchstic is an expert at what they do, and our company is happy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for Matchstic to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to their advice and directions about the project. They’re experts in their field, and we felt confident working with them throughout our engagement.