McLean

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and president of a ready-to-drink bottled iced tea company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with McLean?

We hired them to do a rebrand that could compete outside our home market. Our goal was to create a distinctive and iconic brand, something that would resonate with consumers even if they weren’t from Hawaii. Up until now, we’ve only been available to local retailers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

McLean designed all of the bottles and refined our logo. We launched four new bottles on our website in March, in time for the Natural Products Expo West 2018.

What is the team composition?

Our day-to-day communication was with their managing director and senior project manager. Their founder was also available for larger calls and ideations.

How did you come to work with McLean?

Someone from the food and beverage industry recommended them. I also met McLean’s managing director when I was a finalist at an industry competition.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $30,000–$40,000 on these projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August 2017 until March 2018. We’re now working with them on another project because we had such a great experience the first time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new brand is resonating with a nationwide market. People love the new brand and say that it’s easier to find. Our first label had a black background, which made it hard to see on a shelf. Now, it has a lighter, bamboo look that pops out more. As a result, our May 2018 sales are double that of last year’s.

How did McLean perform from a project management standpoint?

They were awesome and did more than what was required to hit deadlines. They were accommodating about our ever-changing schedule and responsive to our needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are expert designers — they know how to transform a founder’s vision into something that would get grabbed off the shelf. I think that choosing food and beverage products is an emotional and experiential process, so I appreciated the fact that McLean took the time to listen. I enjoyed working with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of marketing for Tree Top, a grower-owned cooperative that produces apple juice and applesauce.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with McLean?

We needed ongoing improvement of our overall expression and packaging for the food cooperative.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

It's very hard to get good quality print on aluminum cans, so we were looking for someone with experience that could do a good job for us. We were also launching applesauce in a pouch which was a new print medium. They printed on film—we had several flavors and different architecture that needed to be taken into account to make it work.

They have a strategic vision for the branding and the architecture of the packaging design to make sure we were communicating to the consumer what we needed to communicate, as well as differentiating across the broader portfolio.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four to six people from their team. We had a day-to-day contact with a couple of designers.

How did you come to work with McLean?

They were on a shortlist of people we put out an RFP to. Their price was a consideration. They're not a huge agency, but big enough to create a good quality product without the overheads pushing up the cost. We felt like they were a good fit for us and our budget. It's always important to have a good fit in terms of the personality and the people you are working with, and they felt like a good cultural fit for us.

How much have you invested in them?

We've spent between $75,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in February 2014 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They're so good to work that we send more business their way. We originally would only go to them for the larger projects, but since we found that they're so good to work with and have a quick turnaround, we started using them for smaller projects too. The quality of the work is high and their turnaround is good. We've been really happy with them.

How did McLean perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is one of the biggest reasons we've used them and continue to go back to them. They're good at laying out the timelines for the project, they always hit their deadlines, and they help keep us on track. They've been excellent in that regard.

We mostly communicated through email. The person from our team who works with them is in contact at least weekly, if not more, depending on the needs of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're good listeners. They listen to what our needs are and do their best to try to meet or exceed what we've asked them to do. Rather than just being wildly creative and making things look pretty, they actually listen to what the client needs, which is something I really appreciate about them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They're good at communicating, but you need to make sure you can communicate with them as well as they do with you. Tell them what you need, when you need it, and be clear on what your expectations are­—they will rise to the occasion.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president and a partner at Plata Wine Partners. We produce wines for major retailers and are based in Napa, Calif.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with McLean?

When I joined the company, we wanted to freshen up some of the branding for the wines we provide to our retailers. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Typically, we'll meet with McLean's team for a brand briefing to go over our target audience and other details. They'll collaborate with us to engage our customer in joint meetings and brainstorming sessions to present concepts before any final decisions are made.

Their team then designs our labels and shipping carton packaging and provides some of the copy on the back of each label. They also help prepare the required materials and information we need to submit for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for approval.

What is the team composition?

I typically work with four or five people on their team, including a business manager, a couple designers, and Ian (Founder and Creative Director, McLean).

How did you come to work with McLean?

I had worked with McLean at another company and I really liked their work, so I brought them on. I felt that other design firms weren't as exciting or modern.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2011 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although we work with another firm as well, we give the majority of our design work to McLean. Our company and clients have been very happy with their work across the board. They've been great about engaging some of our key customers, which has empowered them to take more ownership of brands.

Virtually every new brand that we've developed with McLean has been successful. One of the brands they designed, for example, sold 50,000 cases in Hawaii within just six months. I've even received positive feedback from our competitors, who have commented on McLean's quality design work.

How did McLean perform from a project management standpoint?

I have no trouble getting in touch with them and their follow up is excellent. They manage their time well and always hit deadlines. I also get the feeling they enjoy working with us, so it's been a great experience overall.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think the world of their team. We were just awarded a bunch of new projects that I wouldn't consider working with another vendor on. They execute well and their follow up is immediate.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of a single criticism.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Providing as much information about your brand as possible is very helpful, including your target audience, goals, etc. Communication is also key. Their team does a great job of working closely with you to brainstorm and come up with design solutions, so I definitely recommend sitting down with them take advantage of that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of The Toasted Oat Bakehouse, a manufacturer of a gluten-free natural granola product.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with McLean?

We were beginning a full brand and packaging redesign. This involved changing our actual containers, as well as having our logo updated.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had been using a closed container before, with no visibility of the product. It was important to have some type of packaging that allowed consumers to see what’s inside. Also, our branding didn’t accurately represent our company ethos. We wanted to relay to the consumer that we had a clean label and a natural artisan product, speaking to the pure, pantry-style ingredients we use to create our product.

The first iteration of our packaging redesign was done internally. After that, we shared a brand positioning document with McLean, giving them the creative freedom to come back with whatever their imaginative brains produced. They brought to the table about a dozen concepts to choose from, all following our requirements but different from one another. It was actually hard to choose.

What is the team composition?

Rifle (Managing Director, McLean) was our primary contact on their side in charge of handling any project management issues. I had a marketing advisor on my team and the three of us would connect whenever necessary to touch base on progress. Rifle had three to four people on his team working on the project.

How did you come to work with McLean?

I looked at three vendors in total. Someone referred McLean to me and it seemed like they really understood our brand positioning. The other brands in their portfolio spoke highly of their execution capabilities. There was also an overall chemistry that helped.

How much have you invested with them?

The overall cost of the work—including a separate logo design on top of the packaging design—was $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with McLean during July–October 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work has had a very strong impact on our brand. We launched the new packaging in April–May 2017 and our store acceptance increased by 600%, which is consistent until today. The overall feedback from buyers has been very positive on the actual design itself.

Our brand now stands out in the granola category. It’s a soft-baked product that has a similar texture and taste of an oatmeal cookie. It was important for us to relay that at the shelf level since consumers are used to dry, crunchy granola.

I made it clear to McLean that, even though the product tasted like a cookie, I didn’t want the outside of the package to mention that. They came up with a window that looks like a circle with a bite taken out of it. It looks like a cookie to someone standing in front of a shelf, but it’s just the shape of a window. It’s a playful part of the design and buyers really love it. McLean stepped out of the box to come up with that concept.

How did McLean perform from a project management standpoint?

As a brand owner, it’s normal to always want the work done faster, however, McLean met their deadlines just fine.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re great to work with, responsive, personable, and very creative. If someone has a unique product and is looking for a way to deliver their message through the packaging, McLean will figure out a way to do it. They have innovative designs in the marketplace, which is easy to see by looking at their portfolio.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I would ensure that the team has all the information necessary to start and finish a project, including objectives and timelines. Not being organized upfront and giving them what they need can lead to a lot of back and forth.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the marketing manager for a refreshment business with high profile brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with McLean?

We have a top cider brand across Canada and were in a very comfortable place. Competitors soon came in and our market share was eroding. We saw that we needed to do something different, especially to market towards millennials that were making up a large amount of growth and 30% of consumers.

We wanted to relook at our brand positioning, packaging, and renovation the brand. We wanted to ensure that it's appealing to the younger consumer without eliminating our current customer, which is an older consumer. We knew it was going to be a tough challenge and keeping our current consumer was very important.

We found in our preliminary consumer research that millennial consumers prefer the canned format instead of bottles. We needed that change within our portfolio, but we found a lot of difficulties getting our artwork onto the aluminum substrate. We needed an expert on that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They started with involving themselves in our focus groups in Vancouver and Toronto. Then, their president gave advice on our positioning statements and future strategic direction.

They proposed design elements, mapped out competitive stats, and researched on which part of the market we could thrive in. Their team produced the master format and mechanical key elements for our canned designs. Due to their expertise, we decided they would be responsible for the development of all our canned product designs. They personally flew up to our pilot and press runs for our canned products to oversee the development.

What is the team composition?

They provided one product manager, a managing director, one designer, and the president for mainly the strategic portion. They provided expertise depending on what we were executing.

How did you come to work with McLean?

We sent out an RFP and three agencies pitched to us. McLean impressed us with their knowledge and portfolio—experience with a high-profile beverage company. They were very strategic in their proposal.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the engagement in July 2016 and ended it in March 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I think it’s still a bit early, but our internal team was shocked and amazed at how good our new designs were. We were presenting our sales meetings and national retail meetings with the new designs across the country and everyone was astounded with our drastic change—in a very positive way.

From a consumer standpoint, we really valued that our new packaging design was able to hold purchase intent with our current consumers, but also able to increase purchase intent from consumers that don’t buy our product.

We are seeing an overall positive impact, and our forecasting department is predicting an increase in our over-the-counter sales.

How did McLean perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very easy to work with and we had a very positive relationship. Their product manager worked very closely with us and they delivered everything on time according to our timeline. My only challenge was the differing time zones, but that wasn’t their fault.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Not only did McLean execute great designs, their strategic thinking was very valuable. We felt that they were really a partner versus just an agency.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to involve them early. Have them entrenched in understanding the market in your different regions. Have them actually come out to see your market locations and understand your brand’s positioning. That’s how you’ll help them deliver winning packaging design.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the vice president of an established old grower's co-op with retail branded items across the globe. We specialize in dried fruits and juices.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with McLean Design?

The initial challenge was finding a design team that could help our merchandising stand out on shelves and create more cohesiveness across the brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

McLean developed a brand strategy for our products, including brand guidelines. They oversee the design, brand positioning, tag lines, and ad layout and formats. They've collaborated with our other vendors, including an advertising agency, providing them with assets as needed such as photography, ads, or logos.

What is the team composition?

I work with the CEO on big picture projects, such as brand strategy and guidelines, as well as an account representative and up to four designers at a time depending on the project.

How did you come to work with McLean Design?

Our CEO had worked with them in the past and was happy with their work, so we engaged them again. They've been working with us since before I came onboard.

How much have you invested with them?

We establish costs on a project by project basis.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since 1991.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They do a great job of knowing and defining what works for our brand. They've successfully extended our product lines out with design consistency from a merchandising standpoint. We've received lots of positive feedback from retail partners that the products stand out on shelves. Their updated designs for various products have helped lift sales by as much as 5%.

How did McLean Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very receptive, timely, and organized when it comes to project management. They're thoughtful in their approach and manage our expectations well. We speak to them weekly, if not daily, depending on the workload.

They're easy to work with and collaborate well with our other partners. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very strategic and able to think about the big picture in everything they do. I appreciate their feedback and careful attention to detail with any redesign request we submit.

They've done various projects outside of product packaging, including designs for trade show booths and signage. They're able to provide great insight and a good foundation to help us move along into new approaches to design for new products.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They're very receptive and open to feedback.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of IMMORDL

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

IMMORDL Nitro Super Coffee is a superfood and adaptogenic, powdered blend, and ready-to-mix coffee.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire McLean to accomplish?

• Exceptional packaging that stands out on the shelf and online

SOLUTION

How did you find McLean?

Referral

Why did you select McLean over others?

• High ratings
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from McLean were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

McLean Design took our initial logo and identity and created a fully updated, executional, brand identity and packaging design ready for retail.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Beautiful packaging and display

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Delivered items on time and very responsive.

What was your primary form of communication with McLean?

Email or Messaging App

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

What I found most impressive was their depth of experience and ease at which they came back with design executions that would stand out from the competitors.

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

Nope.