Mekanic

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of communications at the American Peanut Council.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mekanic?

We needed support with video production, event marketing, graphic design, website redesign, website redevelopment, social media marketing, and rebranding.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mekanic has rebuilt our website and social media and rebranded the company, including a new logo and look. The team has worked with everyone in the organization, including the president and CEO. They have written his LinkedIn profile and posts and worked with our legislative person to create messaging and graphics for her legislative priorities. They’ve also prepared her for events with design work and brochures.

The team has also worked with our economics research person to design one-pagers for each state and make his research and data visually compelling so that he could work with congressional members to advocate for the industry.

The team has put together annual reports and international brochures for me. They have also redesigned two massive conferences from the ground up, including new logos, branding, PowerPoint templates, videos, signage, and conference programs.

Initially, we went through an extensive strategy session with them to ensure everybody understood the possibilities and how we would work together.

What is the team composition?

We work with Tiffany, the account manager, a digital designer, a head of design, a regular designer, an assistant designer, a coordinator, and the CEO.

How did you come to work with Mekanic?

They had done some work for my previous company, very minimal work, and then when I came on board, we reexamined that partnership to see if we could bring them on full-time, and we did because their work was so great.
Their work was much more stellar than that of the company we were using. To be honest with you, it came in at the extent of the cost, to be honest with you, of what the other company was charging us. We were getting so much more out of them, and they weren't even our agency of record at the time compared to this other company. 
It was a no-brainer that they were near us so we could meet with the team frequently, and they really became an extension of our team.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $120,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2023, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team has created a video on sustainability and traveled around the country to shoot footage. The video has been posted on YouTube and has had 1,000 views in two months, which is great for us.

How did Mekanic perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver work on time and within budget and communicate well. We have biweekly Zoom calls with the account team manager, but we can reach out anytime. We work through Basecamp, email, and hear back from them immediately. The team is very attentive and responsive. They turn it around and get it for us if we need something quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Mekanic’s creativity is impressive. The team thinks outside the box, and their attentiveness is also great. They feel like part of the team, and I consider them my coworkers. They’re an extension of us and there to support us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they come through whenever we need them and beat my expectations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust Mekanic and their support. The team will do what’s best for their client and make the best recommendations. Treat them as part of the team because that’s how they excel. Work together closely and form a partnership.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at Alexandria Beyond the Classroom (ALX Beyond)

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are the hub for K-12 expanded learning and out-of-school time programming for youth, families, and providers in the City of Alexandria.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Brand Identity, Messaging & Design
• Website Design & Development

SOLUTION

How did you find Mekanic?

Referral

Why did you select Mekanic over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Mekanic were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

We are a new organization, and Mekanic worked with our team to develop our brand identity and messaging. From there, they created our website, including an interface to connect youth and families with programs that were of interest.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Mekanic created thoughtful, ideal branding and messaging for our organization that captured our vision perfectly and continues to receive praise from the community. They also developed a fantastic website and program locator to support youth and families in our community to connect with programs that were of interest.

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

Mekanic's team was always responsive to our needs and completed all deliverables - and more than that, the deliverables exceeded our expectations!

What was your primary form of communication with Mekanic?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

As a company, it was clear that they collaborate well with each other. I was also truly impressed with how well they listened to our team's vision of our organization and how they were able to capture it perfectly. Their process was impressive, cohesive, and collaborative.

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

None to share based upon our experience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of The Placement Exchange, a career services provider for student affairs and higher education professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mekanic?

We needed a full rebrand of our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mekanic overhauled our company's branding, including our brand messaging, logo, and color scheme. From start to finish, Mekanic did a deep dive into the past 10 years of our brand, pulling together multiple focus groups of key stakeholders. The team worked with a strategic committee I led for that process and did a full audit and onboarding.

Mekanic conducted a website audit, communication audit, Google and performance analysis, and a competitive analysis and landscape audit for other higher-education career service providers. The team delivered a complete brand storytelling message, including naming, market values, tagline, and situating our position and purpose in the market. Mekanic identified our specific audiences and tailored the message for those audiences.

The specific deliverables included a new logo design, typographic system, color scheme, photographic imagery, and a new graphic campaign. Mekanic also redid our email communication template, Microsoft PowerPoint slide template, email signature, and social media templates. Additionally, Mekanic designed and developed our whole new website.

What is the team composition?

We worked with six teammates from Mekanic.

How did you come to work with Mekanic?

The Placement Exchange is co-managed by two professional associations, ACUHO-I and NASPA. At the time, Mekanic was working with ACUHO-I on a brand refresh. Because of their partnership and the strength of their work with ACUHO-I, we decided to use them for our project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $45,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Mekanic from January 2023–January 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our social media footprint and traffic, including Instagram and LinkedIn, increased by 200%, and our web traffic at least doubled. We had never been able to solidify our brand in a story and explain to people what we do in a compelling way. Mekanic was able to listen to everything and take it in.

How did Mekanic perform from a project management standpoint?

Mekanic's project management was superior in every area. We never had a budgetary issue, and they were always timely with meeting deliverables. Mekanic was available and used Basecamp for project management, keeping a tab on deadlines. The team communicated deliverables or needs from us so they could complete what they needed to do. Overall, Mekanic provided excellent customer service.

Mekanic was a great team, and I could tell they liked what they did, which made it nice to have conversations with them. Every teammate did their part really well and seemed to trust each other.

We communicated via email, phone calls, and virtual meetings using Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed by Mekanic's creativity and ability to think outside the box. It was easy to see something highly creative and think it was too much or wouldn’t be well received. However, Mekanic worked hard to bring my team and leadership along to support the shift, and it was the right decision.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m satisfied with all of my deliverables. The different parties in my organization are about to outgrow the content of our website, so we probably could've done longer-term planning in terms of content for the website. However, there are some things you can’t foresee.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be sure about what your organization is willing to do to stretch because Mekanic will push you to think outside the box. Trust the team to be good at what they do, and expect a great customer service experience, creativity, and professionalism from the products they produce.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Marketing and Engagement of Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

ONCC provides the premier nationally accredited certifications for nurses in oncology and related specialties.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Define the value of certification among key stakeholders.
• Identify key messages to support value of certification.
• Obtain recommendations for brand strategy and implementation.

SOLUTION

How did you find Mekanic?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Mekanic over others?

Best proposal in response to a Request for Proposals

How many teammates from Mekanic were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

This project included defining the value of certification among key stakeholders, identifying ONCC's current identity in the marketplace, developing key message points to support the value of certification, and creating recommendations for brand strategy and implementation. 

Key deliverables included in-depth ideation workshops, stakeholder research (quantitative and qualitative), brand identity concepts, brand architecture, brand strategy, topline messaging for audience segments, brand assets (e.g., logo lockups and visual assets) comprehensive style guidelines, and design templates for collateral materials.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had specific deadlines for deliverables such as research results, brand concepts/ideation, top line messaging, and visual assets. Every deadline for deliverables was met, reflecting sustained progress throughout the project. Since the project closed, the new brand has been extremely well received by our target audience. In addition, the number of certification test candidates and renewal candidates has increased over the year prior to the rebranding.

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

Mekanic is extremely organized and well-run. They provided a very specific schedule for each deliverable, and met every deadline. They provided a primary point of contact for questions and routine requests, and all project personnel were available by phone or email for specific issues. All project team members were responsive. 

Meetings and ideation workshops were well-run, research (quantitative and qualitative) was well executed and findings were presented in a timely manner. They were professional, collaborative, flexible, and focused on providing us with the best results possible.

What was your primary form of communication with Mekanic?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I felt all along that providing us with great service was of utmost importance to Mekanic. They were extremely organized in their approach to project management. They clearly articulated the phases of the project, the timelines, and what we could expect as specific deliverables at each step in the process. 

They met every deadline and deliverable, even when timelines were tight. They displayed tremendous attention to detail. I felt like I was an important client during every phase of the project, from start to finish.

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

I don't believe there is anything of significance they could have improved. The process was outlined clearly at the outset, followed accordingly, and completed as promised. Working with Mekanic was an excellent experience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of communications and marketing for the American Public Transportation Association. We represent public transportation, agencies, and private business members who build buses, trains, and the technology that goes into transit vehicles in the country.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mekanic?

We needed someone to help update our 20-year-old logo.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We brought in Mekanic to modernize and refresh our logo. Some of their tasks included studying our old logo, conducting interviews with our CEO and senior leadership teams for direct input and feedback, and creating a short survey for some of our key constituents in the industry.

They showed us how the new logo would look on our marketing collateral, conference giveaways, and website, basically providing our company with a new visual identity.

Moreover, the final deliverables were an animated logo and a style guide.

What is the team composition?

We mainly worked with Erik (Co-Founder & CEO), Michele (Engagement Manager), and Darryl (Creative Director).

How did you come to work with Mekanic?

We conducted an official RFP process per our association rules and regulations and sent the proposal to about 8–10 firms. Mekanic had the best proposal among the rest, so we moved forward to officially work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $18,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–August 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re going to do a logo unveiling at our annual conference, so we don’t have any feedback from external partners but internally, we were very pleased with the interaction and devotion of resources and expertise to our logo redesign project.

How did Mekanic perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent from a project management perspective. They created a Basecamp account for us so that we could do all our communications on one platform.

They were also consistently responsive, accommodating, and flexible when it came to managing our requests and feedback.

Aside from Basecamp, we also interacted through Zoom, email, and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by the amount of thought they put into the ideas, messaging, and narrative of what our industry represents, and turning the information they gathered into a visual identity.

They did a very good job of producing a future-proof logo, which we don’t have to think about refreshing any time soon.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, because they were great partners that showed excellent patience with us as a client, so we’re very appreciative of them collaborating with us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you want someone that’ll dive into your creative project and actually devote time and energy to understand your organization, I’d advise you to hire Mekanic.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of insights and analysis for a national sporting goods association. We work on behalf of retailers and people that sell sporting goods.

My role is to take care of research functions that we perform on behalf of our industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mekanic?

As we only have 12 staff members, we wear a lot of different hats, and occasionally that means redesigning a website. We hired Mekanic as our web development partner, as our existing website wasn’t working for us. Our goal was to elevate the look and feel of our website and switch CMS systems to a solution that provides us with more flexibility to manage the website. Our previous solution didn’t allow us to customize certain pages.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We decided to build our new website on WordPress, as it would provide us with the flexibility we needed in creating custom wireframes and pages.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with Alex (COO), a website creation point person, and a development lead.

How did you come to work with Mekanic?

We found them through an association we’re part of that has a connected community forum. Mekanic kept coming up in our conversations with our association members about companies they’d worked with. Customers had great things to say about them.

How much have you invested with them?

The final cost will be around $50,000–$80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since November 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have specific metrics, as our goal at the beginning was to simply elevate the look and feel of our website, and we’ve certainly achieved that. Our members are very pleased with the results of the site.

Additionally, internally, our staff finds it easier to finish tasks regarding the site. We can do much more with the website now than we used to. Once we build up a little more history with the new site, I’ll have more quantitative metrics.

How did Mekanic perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent in this regard. Basecamp supports our collaboration; during development, both teams when on and posted things to help keep track of tasks and assignement. It also helped organize bugs, changes, and issues right after we launched the site.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Rather than host the website themselves, Mekanic advised us that we should find another vendor for this task, so our eggs wouldn’t all be in the same basket.  They made the transition to this other vendor very simple at the end of our development.

Their communication is excellent, as is their attention to detail. As a team, we felt that they took the time necessary to understand both our organization and what we were trying to achieve. Mekanic elevated our vision for the site, taking it to a place we hadn’t dreamed of. They knocked it out of the park.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there are not. We’d work with them again in the future, as we’re very happy with their work. Our staff is very inexperienced when it came to website redesign, and Mekanic understands that; they guide us along the way from milestone to milestone. This kind of attention is very helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communication is key. As long as you know what you want and have vision, Mekanic is great at bringing that vision to life. They ask the right questions and walk us through the process of coming up with a solution.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of development and communications at CivicWell, formerly known as the Local Government Commission. We’re a 40-year-old nonprofit organization that focuses on the smart growth industry. Our key areas are energy, water, community design, and climate change. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mekanic?

We were reimagining our organization’s next chapter. For 40 years, people thought we were a local government entity due to our former name. We wanted to rebrand our name and story, and we were also looking to refresh our website and build new marketing collateral. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, Mekanic spent a lot of time interviewing our staff and stakeholders and working with us to go through different name options. We narrowed them down to two choices, sought board approval, and moved forward from there. 

Mekanic then executed the rest of the project. They created a new logo for our nonprofit and built branding assets. They also developed our WordPress website from scratch, which they finished three weeks ago. Their team is currently working on our 40th-anniversary video, a 1–2 minute live-action film. They’ve handled the entire production process. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Erik (Co-Founder & CEO), Tiffany (Senior Engagement Manager), Michele (Engagement Manager), a designer, a web designer, and a web developer. 

How did you come to work with Mekanic?

We conducted a nationwide RFP and identified what we wanted to get done. We interviewed 10 firms across the country and decided Mekanic was the best fit for the project. 

Mekanic provided great examples of the clients they worked with, which resonated with us. We felt a lot of their work was very fresh, which fit us because we wanted a modern and innovative approach to our story. They were the right tone for our organization, and their designs fit our audience. All those things made us decide to work with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent roughly $55,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since February 2021, and our relationship is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve just relaunched our brand, and the feedback has been incredibly positive. We’ve been concerned since we’re doing a total shift in our name — however, thanks to Mekanic, our new name resonates with our audience. 

How did Mekanic perform from a project management standpoint?

Mekanic has been great at project management. I’ve been working with similar vendors for the past 20 years, and they’re one of the best I’ve ever worked with. We collaborate through Basecamp, Slack, phone calls, and Zoom meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Mekanic really tries to know the client — they ask questions from all angles and study the collateral we provide. They listen to our team, so they understand us and our audience.

Mekanic’s team is great and easy to work with. They are receptive, on top of things, and flexible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Understand what you’re trying to accomplish and articulate that. That will help them synthesize the most important thing for you. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the chief operating and strategic officer for The Housing Collective. We are a backbone organization for the work to end homelessness and increase affordable housing opportunities for those in western Connecticut. I oversee the internal operation of the organization and ensure they’re in line with our strategic framework, mission, and vision. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mekanic?

We brought in Mekanic to conduct a complete rebrand for our company. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mekanic refreshed our branding and marketing strategy. We started with exploratory conversations with key staff members and then moved into talks with broader stakeholder groups, including our Board of Partners, to understand our organization and mission. They then redid our marketing assets, including our website and digital and printed materials. They helped us purchase corporate assets as part of that process, including stationery and business cards. 

What is the team composition?

We interfaced with 7–8 teammates from Mekanic, including Sarah (Senior Strategist), Michele (Engagement Manager), their CEO, COO, artistic director, and art team members. 

How did you come to work with Mekanic?

We put out an RFP and reached out to several companies that submitted proposals. Mekanic’s proposal was competitively priced and provided a breadth of services — we also liked their visual identity and wanted to brand similar to it. So, we hired them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested just under $70,000 with Mekanic. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Mekanic began in October 2021, and it’s ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Mekanic delivered a brand that balanced the different aspects of our organization and represented all our priorities and stakeholders. Our communication strategy is accessible and approachable for a wide variety of audiences. We’ve received a lot of positive feedback from all of our partners and our internal team — they like the new branding. Our staff feels that Mekanic completely captures who we are and what we do. 

How did Mekanic perform from a project management standpoint?

Mekanic had great project management — they were nimble and flexible with the project while still sticking to our strict deadlines. They also ensured we stayed on task because we had an expedited timeline. We communicated via Bascampe, emails, phone calls, and Zoom calls; we shared documentation in Google Docs.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

Mekanic intuitively understood the nuances of our organization — we’re not just a service provider; we’re an entity that represents multiple coalitions and partners. Their team was creative and responsive to our needs. They delivered what we needed when we needed it — they completely nailed our project. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

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

Do you have any advice for potential customers

I’d advise customers to lean into Mekanic’s strength in project management — their team is excellent at getting projects to the finish line. If customers can deliver what Mekanic needs to finish a project, they’ll keep projects on track. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner, founder, and executive chef in a performance nutrition catering company. I also run a more traditional catering business alongside this.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Mekanic?

We needed to update our brand and have a more professionally made website. We hired Mekanic to perform a full website redesign as well as update all of our digital creative assets. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Mekanic redesigned icons to help change the way we engage with some of our clientele online. We went through a couple of iterations for the logo to refine the design and make it more sophisticated. Seeing as we were having trouble co-branding our two catering companies, the team created mockups where the two brands shared one logo space. 

Mekanic designed our digital and printed collateral as well. We turned to them for the conceptualization and development of our email campaigns, from writing the content down to targeting the market. Their team also created a schedule or framework for our social media posts to help create more cadence and cohesiveness between our two brands. 

Apart from those, Mekanic redeveloped and redesigned our website, creating a landing page with a video in it, building a menu feature, and tying the whole structure into our Shopify marketplace. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with seven people throughout the course of the partnership. 

How did you come to work with Mekanic?

We were both members of an entrepreneur group. Eric (Co-Founder & CEO) and I actually joined at the same time and were at the introductory dinner together.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking in June 2020 but our contract was formally started in September 2020. Mekanic completed the bulk of the work in May 2021, but we currently have them on retainer. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We all enjoyed working with Mekanic and we were happy with the way their output truly represented our brand. Even though the timelines weren’t always ideal — since we had to balance running the business and devolving our marketing program at the same time — they were willing to pick up tasks at the last minute to help us get to the finish line. Mekanic understood the real-world implications of what we did and was pretty resourceful when it came to helping us meet the deadline. 

How did Mekanic perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed as well as could be expected in this regard. We did a weekly virtual check-in over Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were very impressed with Mekanic’s ability to prioritize our needs. The whole team treated the project with a great level of care even though we were not their biggest client. They always made sure that we felt very important and that their full attention was on us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t name anything off the top of my head. At one point, we did feel like there were too many people on the project or on the calls with us, so we arranged to have their project manager distill the information to the other members instead. That issue was easily addressed. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that your requests and vision are ready prior to engaging the team. Having clear and concise directions also helps Mekanic greatly.