Neff

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the executive director of Make the World Better Foundation. We're a nonprofit that works with communities to redesign and rebuild public parks.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neff Associates?

We initially needed a partner to help rebrand our organization, which included building a new website. That has since expanded into other marketing-related projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Neff Associates’s first task was to reinvent our company logo and other branding components, like our company colors. That naturally led to the custom-built website, which they built entirely from scratch. We wanted a site that would speak to various visitors (e.g. funders, community members, and partners) and convey our work and culture in a clear and visual way. They conducted research to see what similar organizations were doing and then suggested what we might replicate or do differently. They developed a guidebook that outlines how to edit the website, which we use to train new team members.

Once the website project was complete, we then engaged Neff Associates to develop supporting brand documents, such as letterhead and other communication materials. They’re currently working on video and still photo collateral along with social media engagement guidelines. They provide ongoing management of our account and have also done some PR work, such as public outreach for our annual benefit concert.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 5–8 people across creative design, account management, and web development. Their creative director is our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Neff Associates?

We’d known the Creative Director for a long time, and he’d helped with some previous tasks. That relationship eventually became more formal, and we now work with a larger team at Neff Associates. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in January 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They created a beautiful website that feels unique to us and is easy to navigate. It’s been nearly two years, and we’re still using the website without any desire to change much about it. They helped us figure out how to properly communicate with our external partners, and the strength of our brand shows through in a number of the visual components they designed.

How did Neff Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re organized and responsive, consistently bringing on the right team members for specific portions of a larger job.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re highly creative and went well above what we were expecting in terms of creative materials and client communications. They ensured we were happy with their work and built a positive working relationship between our teams. We’re comfortable with their entire staff, which is committed to producing high-quality work and providing superb customer service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

They’re good at helping you determine project goals, but do your best to come prepared with what you want to accomplish. It’ll help the process be more efficient and effective.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a heating and cooling company. I'm the marketing executive assistant.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neff Associates?

We previously had all of our marketing in different locations. Our website provider and design team were spread out. We wanted to work with a marketing agency who could do our vendor buys, design work, and social media.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We do direct mailing campaigns, and they also handle our accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. As of now, they're not doing our website, but they do everything else, including our marketing on billboards, television, and radio.

We work with them on creative strategy and are discussing some of the best ways to tackle campaigns for all of our services. We know how we want to be presented, so we go back and forth to set the look and make sure everything is in line with our brand guidelines.

They help us with our brand development as well. Our old branding was outdated, and we're currently converting our marketing over to one specific look. Now that everything is under one roof, our image looks the same across all our materials.

They oversee user comments on social media, but we are involved in the responses to those comments. Sometimes, our owner reaches out to commenters directly.

What is the team composition?

We have one main point of contact, and their team works well together. In all, the team includes about nine individuals.

How did you come to work with Neff Associates?

One of our competitors mentioned them. Based upon their recommendation, we met with them to discuss our campaigns. They made suggestions and made us feel more comfortable than the other company we considered for this project. They were a one-stop shop, and we felt they could handle our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent close to $150,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2018, and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our social media has grown, and impressions, comments, and page visitors have all improved significantly. Our newsletter gets us more phone calls, thanks to the look and clarity of their design. We've seen growth across all the campaigns they're involved in.

How did Neff Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

We meet once a month and have a regular phone call between meetings. They're easy to work with. They're always supportive, and they tell us whenever something is working or not working. They turn projects around within a couple of days, which is crucial to our work. We're heavily reliant on the weather, so that speed is necessary to our operations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The whole team is creative and outspoken about their opinions. They give good alternatives when things aren't working, and almost all of our projects turn out well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't have anything negative to say about them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be straightforward and give them your honest opinions. They have a lot of experience in the industry, and they are willing to tell you what isn't working and where they can help. They want their clients to succeed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the founder and managing partner of Alterra Property Group, LLC, a real estate development, investment, and management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Neff Associates?

My company needed to name and brand an entire city block. We hired Neff Associates to do digital media marketing and website development.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a property name and brand identity that would drive traffic—both physical and digital—to our new property, where we were developing residential and commercial spaces.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

My team selected Neff Associates after a thorough interview process with advertising, marketing, and PR firms spanning Washington, D.C., to New York City.

Describe the project in detail.

Neff Associates developed our brand identity, incorporating certain historical aspects of the location. They did social media marketing and PR, created digital and physical marketing materials, and developed our website.

What was the team composition?

My team worked with the owner of Neff Associates and an account executive, creative director, social media director, and PR director.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are ahead of pace in a very competitive apartment leasing market, with rents 10% higher than our pro forma.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our teams collaborated effectively and efficiently.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Neff Associates understood how to weave the historical nature of the site and other important contextual information, such as an existing train shed, into the naming and brand identity process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are an engineering company with locations throughout the United States. We work in many different markets, building structures that range from gas stations to high-end restaurants.

What is your position?

I am the chief operating officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Neff Associates?

We needed a website upgrade. We hadn't worked on our site in years while, at the same time, our business had grown. We wanted to do something more than just a touch-up. Our aim was to have a new design and marketing angle for our company's image and direction. Our company offers a broad range of disciplines in-house. We needed a way to present that and to market to the different areas in which we work better. We didn't want to discourage a high-end restaurant from hiring us because of our gas station work and vice versa.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of your work with Neff Associates.

They developed our website and worked on our SEO [search engine optimization]. We don't generate many leads from our website, so there was no real need for online marketing. Our page is important for people who already know about us.

How did you come to work with Neff Associates?

I knew the owner [Daniel Neff] personally. The way in which we wanted to present very different architectural examples within the same space was an important issue for us, so we did consider two other companies and talked with them about our project. Ultimately, Neff Associates had the edge.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total cost of the project has been around $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together at the beginning of 2015. The website has been launched, and we're now working on a second one for a sister company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics, metrics, or other feedback from this engagement?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It's a difficult thing to achieve, and we have an internal list of stakeholders, each with their own opinions. Neff Associates excelled in navigating differing views and coming up with a design that solved many problems. We've taken the design of the website and adapted it to our internal marketing, signatures, and everything else. The project has been a tremendous success, and we're very happy with the new website.

What distinguishes Neff Associates from other providers?

Their team was very professional and easy to work with and talented. Whenever we met with them, either in person or on the phone, every member was present, including the actual coders. I thought this was very helpful because there wasn't much information lost in translation. Everyone heard feedback directly from us, the client.

I don't know if we were the easiest client to work with, so perhaps Neff Associates wouldn't give us the same type of positive review. We were very needy and demanding regarding what we considered a unique issue. They handled the job very well.

Is there anything Neff Associates could have improved or done differently?

Cost is always an issue. Short of this, there isn't anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a non-profit organization serving the greater Philadelphia region. We operate as a small business development agency, specifically aimed at micro-enterprises with fewer than five employees. We offer small business training through classes, workshops, and one-on-one guidance. We are also certified as a community development financial institution. We offer loans ranging from $500 to $50,000, mostly for underserved entrepreneurs who have been turned down by banks, either because of credit issues or the loan size.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Neff Associates?

We were looking to undergo a website redesign and rebranding of our company.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

We hired Neff Associates both for the rebranding project and also for developing our website. Their work also included a photo shoot for the website, which was a new experience for us.

How did you come to work with Neff Associates?

One of our clients connected us to them. Their work was great and they were willing to work within our budget, which was a concern for us as a small non-profit. Neff Associates liked our project and also wanted the experience of working with an organization like ours.

We did put out a request for proposal, getting five or six bids for it. Most of them came way outside of our budget.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The total cost of the project was between $15,000-20,000. This included their rebranding work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in the fall of 2014. The website should be live within a month.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The collaboration with Neff Associates has been excellent. The rebranding is a harder and much longer process on which we'll continue to work.

The website is a beautiful brochure for our company. We've received a great value, both in terms of price and quality of work.

How did Neff Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

Their creative director and lead designer have been excellent in working with us for every step of the way. They've been very responsive and open to discussing how long certain things would take, explaining to us what they would entail.

We have a content-heavy website, which involved more attention than usual on their part.

What distinguishes Neff Associates from other providers?

They were willing to work with us for much less than what their normal pricing would be. The process overall has been excellent. They've been invested in the project, especially considering what they are being paid for it. The quality of work has been on par with their standards.

Is there anything Neff Associates could have improved or done differently?

Our website acts as a resource for our clients and is very content-heavy as a result. Initially, we didn't have a clear idea of how long the website development would take, which lead to pushing back our schedule to an extent. This is more a fault of ours.

When starting out the rebranding process, we worked with people that have since left the agency. This led to a lack of responsiveness at the time. We discussed this with their leadership, and they assured us that it would not affect the website project, which has proven true.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're part of the Zavino Hospitality Group. We have two locations in Philadelphia. We are a group of restaurants.

What is your position?

I'm the director of operations and a partner in the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Neff Associates?

The original company website was built by me using a template. As we started to expand, it became more important to have a professional look.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Neff Associates took our vision for a website and built it.

How did you come to work with Neff Associates?

We found them through the owner of our company. He had worked with Neff Associates in the past. We liked their work and decided to hire them.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I do not have specific information. We contract their services on a retainer.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them a year ago. The website has been launched, and Neff Associates is currently working on the page for our newest brand.

We're discussing social media and branding services for the company. These are important elements, especially in the hospitality industry.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Neff Associates developed a simple, clean-looking website for us that I couldn't be happier about.

How did Neff Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

Their core values coincide with ours and I love working with them because of this.

We have personal meetings every two weeks with their team. I couldn’t speak any higher of them, from their support, to every other aspect of their work. They've been amazing in terms of turnaround times as well.

What distinguishes Neff Associates from other providers?

They're creative and generally nice people. I enjoy engaging with them and getting their feedback. They're not scared to confront our ideas, giving us alternatives to what we request. Options are always good.

Is there anything Neff Associates could have improved or done differently?

I have nothing bad to say about them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Operations of Dooney's Pub

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Restaurant

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Improve our Social Media presence
• Generate traffic

SOLUTION

How did you find Neff?

Online Search

Why did you select Neff over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from Neff were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Brainstorming and collaborating on ideas for content creation that reseonates with our audience and is effective in reaching new following.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Higher engagement and increased following

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

The project manager is always very prompt and pleasant. They took their time to understand  our asks and deliver exactly what we expect.

What was your primary form of communication with Neff?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Neff is impressive in the way they treat their clients like friends. They are willing to collaborate on projects, making each idea unique to each client.

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

Not at this moment.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Development Associate of a real estate company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Full-service commercial real estate development company with more than 90 years of experience – dedicated to delivering unparalleled service to our customers and their employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Rebranding of existing office campus
• New marketing collateral

SOLUTION

How did you find Neff?

Online Search

Why did you select Neff over others?

• Company values aligned
• Relevant Experience

How many teammates from Neff were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We engaged Neff to help us rebrand 2 of our existing office campuses. While we kept the same name, Neff was able to elevate everything. We have brand messaging content, new logo's, taglines/mission statements, etc. This led us to engage Neff in creating new physical and digital marketing materials for these campuses. They design a new folder and inserts highlighting both our company and the individual campuses.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

New logo, new brand messaging, new brochures

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

having a dedicated project manager involved in the project was a huge help. Meeting were set, but more importantly there was an objective/decision to be made each meeting to continue the progress of the project.

What was your primary form of communication with Neff?

• In-Person Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Creativity

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

keep up the great work!