Neuralab

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

HalPet specializes in education management. I am the co-founder and managing director responsible for program design, development, and delivery, as well as trainer development.

We provide business languages training for resident and nonresident professionals. The choice of languages is wide, depending on what our clients need to work on.

The company was founded in 1997. In 2013, we created our own teaching method called LPC, which is the foundation of all of our teaching and training programs. LPC stands for Learn-Practice-Communicate. Our programs are done in classrooms, and we also offer online or blended programs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuralab?

We needed to design a custom-made LMS [Learning Management System] based on our LPC method. After several unsuccessful engagements with other IT companies, we were looking for a vendor who understood our needs and could follow through. We wanted to work closely together in order to get the product we wanted.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In 2013, Neuralab built the first version of our LMS from scratch using LearnDash and WordPress. This version is still in operation and has proven to be a very reliable platform. Neuralab then built the second version of the LMS in 2016 and launched it in 2017. I would like to stress that the second version of the LMS was created only because the first version was not adaptable to all devices. They also did the branding for the first and second versions of LPC.

We also asked Neuralab to build our company website in 2014. They then rebuilt it from October 2016–March 2017. They also developed the first Croatian education webshop in 2016.

Currently, Neuralab’s customer support is practically working with us daily. They continue to upgrade the system and ensure that is it operating smoothly.

How did you come to work with Neuralab?

Neuralab was recommended by one of our clients. We met with different providers, and our meeting with Neuralab was the most promising. We clearly saw their interest in HalPet and their willingness to understand what we needed. We liked their suggestions and their flexibility. The initial offer they gave us was also acceptable.

How much have you invested with Neuralab?

We’ve paid around $50,000 for their services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to the product we created in cooperation with Neuralab, we were able to transfer 20% of our language programs online in 2014. This reduced our operating costs in the first year by 15%. This percentage increases every year, by an additional 4% in 2015 and another 5 % in 2016. Our profits go up every year due to the applications and platforms.

In 2015, we received an award for the best e-learning program delivered to a Croatian national company. This award also had a great impact on our sales. The products we created in partnership with Neuralab make us unique in the regional market, allowing us to offer high-quality education services and support through technologically advanced platforms. The platform also enables us to offer B2B and B2C products internationally, which opens a new set of opportunities.

How did Neuralab perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication skills are excellent. We use Zendesk, email, Google Docs, and meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Neuralab’s team is creative and ready for challenges—they are constantly learning, developing, and growing. We appreciate their ability to understand clients who do not come from an IT background and their willingness to provide the best service. They are there when we need them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Since they are always open and ready for feedback, there is nothing I would stress. They are growing fast, so there is always the issue of quality and deadlines. That is something Neuralab is aware of and trying to keep under control.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a co-founder and the marketing and PR officer of a web portal dedicated to culture — anything from movies to books — in Croatia and worldwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuralab?

We needed help with the technical development of our web portal and ongoing support for it. It was important for us to have content optimization. This was the first portal of its kind on the Croatian market, so Neuralab did something extraordinary in this sense.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Neuralab provided design, programming, and support for our website. I’m not an expert in technology, so I can’t provide details in this area.

The site is interactive and aims to encourage readers to give their opinions on certain works such as albums, concerts, and so on. We’re working on additional features like a newsletter, and Neuralab is providing technical support. We have more than 40 active writers on the website and a huge number of users, which isn’t easy to maintain.

What is the team dynamic?

We worked with Krešimir Končić, their CEO, their designers, and their coders. They’ve been supportive anytime we have a technical issue or another challenge. Krešimir is there to help us, no matter what the time of day is.

How did you come to work with Neuralab?

We were looking to build a modern website, one which was unusual for the Croatian market, and I was looking for a company which could this. I came across Neuralab, contacted them, and, as soon as I spoke to Krešimir, I knew that he was the person I wanted to work with.

He was dedicated to creating something different and treated us like their most important client, even though we weren’t and still aren’t. We receive the same treatment as if we were a big company, or even better.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Neuralab a few years ago, since 2012 or 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have content regarding the core business, but without the support and the solutions developed by Neuralab, we wouldn’t have had anything. It’s important for us to have a partner like them.

Since introducing the new website developed by Neuralab, our business has grown by about 50%. We have more visitors staying longer on the site and there is more content on it as well.

How did Neuralab perform from a project management standpoint?

They typically respond within 30 minutes of us contacting them. The team is eager to help us whenever we need assistance, whether it’s during the morning or at night.

We have used multiple channels of communication, but have mainly used email and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s hard to find a company so dedicated to the work. I work in corporate communications for a big company in Croatia and hadn’t had the opportunity to meet such a responsive team as Neuralab’s.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There is always something to improve, however, Neuralab has always been dedicated to making things better for customers and end-users.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Prince Aviation is an aerospace company with primary business in the areas of VIP passenger transport, aircraft maintenance, and pilot training. I am the Executive Director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Neuralab?

The design of a new web page that was supposed to present a young, dynamic, and growing company doing business in the most technologically advanced industry. We needed to do this in the best possible way, during a fast changing digital environment.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Neuralab provided the design for its internet presentation and the development of the web-based solution.

How did you originally come to work with Neuralab?

I had a chance to meet Mr. Koncic, one of Neuralab’s founders, during my aerospace engineering studies. Keeping in contact with him in the years to come, I was able to eyewitness the work and skills that the young company was developing.

What is the status of the engagement?

Our first project with Neuralab was back in 2009. And then we started another one in 2012. Both projects were completed in projected 3-6 month timespans without any delays.

How much have you invested with Neuralab?

The budget for the project in 2012 was $10,000. The budget for the project in 2009 was less than $5,000 if my memory serves me well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In our industry, it is hard to statistically measure the success of their work in any firm way. But the best description that I can provide is that we were extremely satisfied and the response from our clients and partners, some of them being professionals in the IT industry, were very positive. Years after, we still have a solution that cannot be considered obsolete, despite all the trend changes and advancements.

How did Neuralab perform from a project management standpoint?

Our experience was excellent! All deadlines were fulfilled and the management of the whole project was exemplary.

What do you find most impressive about Neuralab?

I would say proactive approach, professionalism, and client-oriented mindset. We approached them knowing exactly what we wanted, at least, we thought that we had brainstormed all the details. After analyzing our requirements and desires, the Neuralab team approached us with ideas and solutions that only represented a further improvement. And their approach was remarkable, as they managed to implement their ideas into the heart of our requirements spot on.

Are there any areas Neuralab could improve?

We received only positive feedback. Even after five years later, there is nothing that I could say that I would do it differently.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the client-service director of a communication and marketing agency, one of the five biggest in Croatia. We’ve provided full-service agency support to many respectable clients in the country and outside it, in areas such as telecommunications, banking, automotive, insurance. From 2010 until 2016, we serviced the second-largest largest telco operator in the country. As part of a larger marketing group, we are considered one of the foremost communication companies, both in Croatia and worldwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuralab?

We collaborated with them on different projects, mainly related to the web presence of our major partners. The initial challenge was to upgrade a client’s web shop and create a new iconography set on it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Neuralab provided web design and development services. I was involved as a project coordinator, but not in daily operational matters. I cannot provide technical details.

How did you come to work with Neuralab?

We had heard about their experience with big clients. Neuralab was in the process of growing its own business at the time, and it was a rather small company, but we had the courage to pick them because, after several meetings, they reassured us that they would be capable of executing any kind of project we’d bring from our client. It was risky, but, after the initial meeting, all doubt disappeared from our side. Neuralab was willing to invest its resources in order to accomplish the most complex projects. After a small initial task, we were satisfied with the outcome and opened the door to additional collaborations. Neuralab has grown as a company since that time.

How much have you invested with Neuralab?

The cost of their work was between €50,000 and €100,000. [$60,000 to $115,000]

What is the status of this engagement?

My former company started working with Neuralab in 2012 or 2013. The initial project lasted for 3 months or more, and had 2 different phases, over the course of 2 years. Our most recent project was in 2014 or 2015.

I believe that the engagement ended. Neuralab was no longer on the list of vendors at the time I left the company. We had started to focus our resources on the regional and European network, so Neuralab was no longer a preferred partner. This was not because of their quality, but because of the new policy.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My colleagues were extremely satisfied, not only with Neuralab’s work but also with their attitudes towards each project. This was always an important ingredient in our collaboration and something which made it easier for us to provide the best-quality solutions to our clients.

As an agency, we didn’t have the types of resources in-house, that Neuralab brought. They helped us fulfill this gap in a way which provided maximum quality, and solved our communication and business issues with the client. We were able to position ourselves as a relevant partner to our major clients. It was something we needed to achieve at that time.

How did Neuralab perform from a project management standpoint?

It was very easy to work with their team. They were able to provide exact approximations for projects, and always allocated enough resources for them, with the right types of knowledge. Neuralab has many experienced team members, who are experts in the jobs they provide, not just in terms of know-how, but around timeline approximations and sticking to deadlines.

Working with telco companies always leads to timeline pressure, but Neuralab made this hassle easier.

What did you find most impressive about Neuralab?

I worked for the company for 6 years, until the end of last month. During the course of these years, I’ve had multiple opportunities to collaborate with Neuralab’s team. We came to be friends, and I considered their principal more than a business partner.

Neuralab was always capable of transforming a simple business collaboration into a relationship. This is something which is worth giving a shot, and it’s what I respect most about them.

Are there any areas Neuralab could improve?

We had some discussions around cost, not because we considered Neuralab’s prices to be high, but because the client’s expectations didn’t match.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

​The Center for Energy and Investments is a governmental institution with the role of a national energy efficiency authority. We are a small team of professionals in charge of the implementation of our national efficiency policy. We are coordinating this effort with dozens of different stakeholders. I am the head of the energy sector for the organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuralab?

We were building a national portal for energy efficiency, which was meant to be a central place for information, promotion and education for citizens, the public sector and the commercial sector about energy efficiency in Croatia.

It was a quite demanding goal as energy efficiency is an interdisciplinary field. We were dealing with all energy-consumption sectors, like transport, industry, commercial buildings, households, and so on. Our challenge was to build a tool that, in a very short time, could retrieve target information. A citizen wanting to know how they could refurbish their house, or an official in a public sector for the city looking for EU transport funds in order to make the area more energy-efficient, or a private company looking for education on how to make their industry more efficient, are all separate target groups, so it was a challenge to bring them what they wanted in a single place with just a few clicks.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

My colleagues and I were involved in the project. I was open-minded about the approach, but my team had some ideas based on which Neuralab gave us a few different graphical designs. We chose one after which we were given the solution we were asking for in terms of form and graphical design.

The younger colleagues in my team know more about the technology used on the site. I haven’t focused too much on this aspect.

Our objective was to have the web page be as flexible as possible, and gain the ability to change as many things as we could ourselves like different text summaries, news, and so on. In this sense, we wanted a technology that would be future-proof for our team. Neuralab was able to provide this.

We did discuss having Neuralab provide marketing for the site, and it’s possible they did offer something of the sort, but the development itself was the main part of their work.

The site is in Croatian at this time. We haven’t translated it into English, but it suits our target audience well.

How did you come to work with Neuralab?

We started a public procurement process in the autumn of 2015 and Neuralab participated in our bid.

How much have you invested with Neuralab?

The initial project cost was €15,000 [$17,000] and we’ve spent an additional €5,000–€10,000 [$6,000–$11,000]. We had a limited budget for our project, which was a consideration during the public procurement.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Neuralab in September 2015 and the site was launched in April or May 2016. The process took 6–9 months to complete from beginning to end. They continue to provide maintenance for the portal through an annual contract.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have built our portal and it works as a central place for our information. Through the website, we have fulfilled some of our national obligations as an EU member state in the field of informing different target groups.

We have a few thousand visits every month and the site has become a well-recognized page in Croatia since its launch one year ago.

How did Neuralab perform from a project management standpoint?

The delays were more or less on our side. We were a bit late with providing content to Neuralab’s team.

We are a public-sector organization which sometimes makes these types of projects more difficult given the procedures around payments, for example. Neuralab has never made an issue around this and everything went well.

The communication was overall good. We had daily phone calls and weekly meetings.

What did you find most impressive about Neuralab?

They’re a young team of 7–10 people, most of them in their 20s and 30s, and they’re quite professional making it seem like they’re much older both as individuals and the company as a whole. Neuralab has worked for a number of respectable companies and this is reflected in their output.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are an insurance company owned by an Austrian group, offering all types of insurance. I am working in the marketing department. There are only 3 of us here, so we have a lot to do for the whole company, including coordinating partners. We are rather autonomous within our country, so we don’t have to consult Vienna for everything.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuralab?

We underwent a company rebranding and redesign of our website after the merger between us and the parent group. I was on maternity leave and skipped the rebranding part, but there was a huge amount of work to do, like replacing our logo everywhere it had been posted. It was a challenge to deliver all the work by ourselves, including the content for the website, considering the small size of our team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Neuralab helped with the design and development of our new website. The rebranding had been predefined, in terms of a new logotype, name, and so on. Neuralab used the WordPress CMS, and provided education on how we could work with it. They were there for us if we didn’t know how to change something, and helped in these situations.

The site is relatively simple. We list the types of insurance we provide (MTPL or travel insurance), but users can’t do transactions directly and are instead redirected to a partner site which provides software for policy creation. It’s basically an informational page for our products and company.

I wasn’t present when the project began, so I’m not sure if they built it from scratch. I believe that Neuralab did suggest designs and layouts for our page, and we provided the content for it. They also provided the English translations, which were grammar-proofed by certified translators before being made live.

Neuralab suggested some improvements for our website, YouTube advertising and so on, but we never had the time to consider this, as there was always a fire-extinguishing task to do as part of our everyday job. They were always proactive and gave us ideas on what we should do next.

How did you come to work with Neuralab?

I wasn’t present for the initial collaboration, but I believe that Neuralab was found through a recommendation from the head of our marketing department.

How much have you invested with Neuralab?

The average annual cost for Neuralab’s web maintenance was about $5,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Neuralab in mid-2013, around June. The collaboration ended in October 2016, to my dissatisfaction. I was very happy with Neuralab, but it was decided on a higher level that our IT systems be provided and maintained by another company. It was a decision to simplify the process since that company had already been involved with some other projects, unconnected to marketing.

Even though we had to end the collaboration, we have maintained contact, and I continue to ask for advice from Neuralab, more recently for some junior websites. They were always friendly and collaborative.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Neuralab delivered the web redesign on time, and they educated us on how we could do certain things by ourselves so that we wouldn’t have to wait for someone to reply to an email. Some changes need to be made fast, like updates on our working hours. Before this, we typically had to write other companies an email, and wait for the information to be corrected. Being able to make changes by ourselves was relieving and more efficient.

How did Neuralab perform from a project management standpoint?

For the more complicated changes design-wise or for putting texts into certain tables, Neuralab offered help fast. They also have a help center/support system where we can register and talk live with our account manager. They answered right back to our problems, and we could check the progress of our inquiries.

The communication was usually done through this platform, and we didn’t have any issues. If something was urgent or needed more explanation, we could call them. Neuralab was available, and the communication was always smooth.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am in the public relations department at a government institution in Croatia. We provide information to the public, as well as stakeholders and partners, on the legislative activities of our institution. We also work with politicians that are members of the institution from Croatia and from other member states. We organize their delegation to other countries or member states.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuralab?

We are directed towards the younger population in the Croatian market, so what we were trying to do is use gamification on our Facebook website and on our regular website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had some elements that we wanted to be included in 2 applications. We needed to “sell” the higher organization we are affiliated with as a product, which is not easy because it’s about executions and boring stuff. We need to sell that on social media to the youth. The idea of the first application was some sort of a quiz on the organization and the most successful players got a trip to Brussels from us. Neuralab’s developers did all of the things that were behind the visible application platform. They were the ones sorting out data and prompting us on the most active players. The other app was a quiz without a prize at the end, but it was structured in a similar way. It was their developers and their analysts that were helping us handle the big data that we needed about our audience. The applications were offered through the website and Facebook.

They also provided video and live streaming solutions on our website. We were all quite happy with what they did in regards to video production. I was the one doing the integration, but they were shooting and editing them later. I placed the code in order to display them on our website because Neuralab doesn’t have access. That’s how it is in our other offices in other countries; that’s up to the PR people, like me. They generated the code for the application for me to embed on the website.

The ones that were live streamed, they did the recording and then posted it online. They also handled the editing of other videos, those intended to be used afterward as potentially viral content. We were quite happy with that. That definitely increased our traffic on Facebook especially.

How much have you invested with Neuralab?

We spent 20,000 Euros. [$23,500]

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2013, and the last project was completed at the end of 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We weren’t paying as much attention to the website as we were to Facebook, but I believe there was more traffic than what was generically generated by our website. If we had not had the content, it would have definitely been less traffic. We had some good feedback from politicians about the video. They were interested in who did the videos because it was quite a high-quality production.

We wanted to reach citizens in various ways, and they helped us do this. But I cannot quantify metrics because we weren’t measuring. Back in the day, in 2013, we weren’t even advertising our Facebook profile or site because it was not as necessary. We were just happy to generate content and have some different forms of communication or output to the virtual market. Neuralab was the first company that we worked with regarding digital things. I can tell you about the quality, but I cannot measure the impact as much as I could if we had worked on this today. I would say it was useful and that it brought the digital world closer. It helped us understand what we need to do in the future. Gamification was simply completely new. Our funds are restricted, but this is certainly something we might consider doing with them again in the future.

We were happy with the visual identity. They were the ones monitoring all the things behind the visuals, including the Excel tables and all the data that was generated about the audience we based the application on. I would say it was satisfactory from our side. We were happy. It’s a little bit difficult to assess because we are not experts. If I was a data analyst I’m sure my answer would be more precise, but generally speaking, they served the purpose quite well.

How did Neuralab perform from a project management standpoint?

It was fine. They were accessible. When I needed to speed things up, I could reach them any time of the day and they would respond.

What did you find most impressive about Neuralab?

Just looking at their company size, I think that maybe their focus on the international market is different. Croatia is a small country and most of the providers or agencies are focused on the domestic market. They have the bigger picture and have a grasp of global trends.

Are there any areas Neuralab could improve?

I don’t think so. What we needed from them at that point for Facebook was what we got. I don’t think there was anything they could have done better or differently.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The company is a startup specializing in digital media. One of our projects is a local beauty online retailer in Croatia. I’m the founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuralab?

We were trying to decide what platform we would use for that size of an online shop that would be functional and have all the possibilities that we were trying to find. We chose the open source platform because we didn’t want to go through the additional programming of doing a customized platform. We were trying to decide between Magento and WordPress. Neuralab was one of the authors of the WordPress platform with WooCommerce, and they did a great presentation of explaining to us why we should choose WordPress and WooCommerce.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided the complete design and the branding of the online shop as well as the implementation of complete WordPress website together with WooCommerce. We had a few meetings trying to get the design to be user-friendly but also to have a beautiful design. It’s an e-commerce website. They continue to add onto the website from month to month. We have projects that are on standby or are in production. We’re always trying to do better in terms of usability, analytics, and what customers are looking for. It’s always a work in progress, and Neuralab is a really great technical support.

How did you come to work with Neuralab?

I got a recommendation from one of the conferences in Croatia. They were doing a great job with WordPress websites, and we decided to get an offer from them. We were looking at other offers as well including a Magento based website and a developer for a custom-made site. We chose Neuralab because they offered the biggest amount of features on the website. They were great in price as well. Their offer was well put together and offered us the implementation of all the tools that we would like to use from MailChimp to AdWords tag manager and others. That was a problem for some of the other companies we were looking at. Because we don’t have a developer in-house, their services also included technical support from month to month. We are always able to add things onto the site with their help.

How many resources were assigned to your project?

The designer’s name is Marina and she did a great job in terms of designing the branding and standards. We also work closely with the owner of Neuralab, Kresimir. He’s always great in getting us the technical support and anything else we need. We also work with Slobodan who is one of the developers and technical support people.

How much have you invested with Neuralab?

We have spent €20,000 ($23,500) with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in the summer of 2015, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Most of the labor we do ourselves. Neuralab did a great design but there are still a lot of things we have to work on. All of our clients say that the site is very user-friendly. We have a great conversion rate for this type of e-commerce store in our region.

How did Neuralab perform from a project management standpoint?

We use mainly Google Docs to communicate. They are very responsive and up-to-date. They are quick to respond to everything we ask for.

Are there any areas Neuralab could improve?

In the beginning, we were trying to get them to do the AdWords as well, but it’s good for them not to be focused on additional tools like AdWords. They are really good at WordPress and I decided not to have them do the AdWords after all.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I worked for a telecom company that is the second-largest mobile operator in Croatia. I was the project manager for the website, mobile site, and apps. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuralab?

We engaged them to build our website. They also worked on some mobile applications. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to build an entertainment site with content for movies, music, and games. Neuralab did the design and development of the website. Among our 3 categories, music was the largest part of the site. We also had connections for purchases with mobile phones. Wallpapers and ringtones were popular at that time, so Neuralab integrated a custom platform for downloading that mobile content on users’ phones. This was before smartphones. In 2011, the Google market was just beginning or wasn’t available for purchases in Croatia. Neuralab also suggested that we connect with a social network site. Facebook had just created their first API. Neuralab was an expert in creating HTML code and designing it for stronger positioning in Google search results.

They made a mobile application after I left the company, and they also built some parts of the company portal.

How did you come to work with Neuralab?

We sent offers to development companies, and Neuralab was among our competing choices. We knew that they’d done a good job on other projects, so we decided to engage with them at that time. They took our guidelines and made a good design, and they also suggested a lot of new things that we can add to the website.

How much have you invested with Neuralab?

I don’t remember. Neuralab made a lot of changes that they didn’t charge us for—probably 30% of the work. They wanted to promote their services through a big project, so they did some work for free.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2011. I left the company after 6 months of working with them. I know the company is no longer working with Neuralab because they wanted to decrease their number of resources and decided to cut that part of the business. They are a telecom company, so it wasn’t a core part of their services. They use this domain to promote their core business by targeting mobile services. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were satisfied with their work. I only have good things to say about their work. Before we started working with them, we were the 821st site in the Croatian market. Within 6 months, we managed to reach the top 25 sites with Neuralab’s help. They were great at creating the website, video content, and mobile applications. I think they are experts in those areas.

How did Neuralab perform from a project management standpoint?

I don’t remember any milestone being late. They gave us a realistic launch date for each milestone and stuck to it. Sometimes, they delivered ahead of schedule. I didn't use any special management tools. We tracked all milestones in Microsoft Excel, which was sufficient to track all relevant items on the project.

What did you find most impressive about Neuralab?

They’re not just skilled in the development and design of web pages, but they are also willing to offer new ideas, tips, and recommendations to make the site more attractive to users. They work well and offer free tips to improve our initial ideas and bring better results. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of Netokracija, which is a business tech magazine and media company in Croatia and Southeastern Europe. We cover startups, traditional industry, and enterprise technology. TechCrunch has called us “The TechCrunch of the Balkans.”

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Neuralab?

We started out as a normal blog, and our content was based on facts, articles, interviews, etc. With the rise of video, be it YouTube or proprietary video on our own website, we saw that we needed outside help for a lot of formats we were planning. Our core expertise was text-based, and our graphics department was more specialized in images and photos. Our editors were more of the classic newspapers and so on. We didn’t have the video expertise to create more advanced projects. We saw an opportunity to do video, and we just knew that we had to find someone who could work with us on these projects. We knew it would take too much time and effort for us to grow that capacity ourselves.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our whole thing is that we wanted our team to focus on the story. Unlike a larger media company or a classic TV station, our journalists and editors are experts in their specific topics. One might be an expert in digital marketing, the other might really cover startups well. They have specific sectors that they cover very well. For our projects, we brought in Neuralab to do all the video production. We had a project lead from Neuralab, helping us to strategically plan out how we would do the video, what we need or don’t need, etc. We had a video lead and producer. He was very helpful to us, as we didn’t have a lot of experience with video.

Some of the things we were planning weren’t realistic to do in the way we wanted. We were going overboard on some ideas, and then we were missing opportunities in other areas. When we were doing interviews, Neuralab helped us see that we could do a far better interview or story with a person when Neuralab set up the lighting or cameras in a certain way that we didn’t know about. They had different members of their team who helped with added camera operations. For example, we did a lot of events, because we do conferences, especially in specialized areas like women in tech, e-commerce, and so on. They did the whole setup.

One very important thing for us was that we knew we wouldn’t have to double-check anything. If we agreed upon something that needs to be done, they did everything on the video part as well as checking with us on the details, such as a certain connection to do live video, or the kind of lighting, etc. This helped very much. For example, when we’re talking venue organizers, we just put them in touch with Neuralab, and they took care of the lighting and so on. We didn’t have to worry about those parts.

They also assisted in posting the videos on our website. Besides filming everything, they also did the post production of the videos and prepared everything so we could upload it to YouTube and host it on our website. Since we use WordPress, integrating YouTube was very easy. Neuralab helped when we were talking about the video length. They had worked on their own media projects, so they had experience not just in classic promotional videos, but also interviews and so on. They knew what length of video would work for us, where we should put it in our articles, and so on. We’re currently redesigning our website to make watching our videos even easier because it had so much success with us.

How did you come to work with Neuralab?

We had met Neuralab before because they are a company in the tech ecosystem in Croatia. It’s been a few years, but I believe we met at a meetup or a conference. We saw them working, and we got a suggestion from a colleague to reach out to them. When the first opportunity arose, we saw that they were the guys we should talk to, since we got good recommendations across the community. Our team in Serbia was working with another company there, because it had to be a local company, and due to their experience, we knew that we needed someone who really knows this stuff. After talking to Neuralab, we tried them out once, and that’s when we started working together.

We had worked with other partners who offered to do video for us as an add-on to their service. In the end, it was never really satisfactory. As a CEO, I don’t want to think about whether my people are going to worry if the videos are being done well. We can trust Neuralab. It helps us that they are part of the tech community. They do care, and they do know the subject matter. They know how to change the coverage based on the venue, and those little things help the most. That’s why, after doing our initial event, we also did videos for our partners. We do a lot of advertising with our partners, as well as videos for promoting products. It was very logical to bring in Neuralab.

How much have you invested with Neuralab?

I think it’s more than $7,000 but a little under $10,000. It’s hard to get a total number, as we’ve been working together for years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2014, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Especially with the rise of online video, they have been very important in bringing our events truly online. One of our more popular events is the largest women in tech conference in the region. It’s an exclusive event. We don’t want to grow the live event over 150–200 people, just to provide a good networking experience. However, there’s always a lot of people who want to attend. At our last event, we had 200 people at the event, and 300 people watching online. This just wouldn’t be the case if our online video wasn’t as good.

For example, when we bring in our MC or we bring in part of the program, Neuralab advises us on how to include our partners, what the MC should do, etc., and we don’t have to worry. I think the biggest sign of their impact has been that the new version of Netokracija we’re working on now is going to be very video-heavy. They are our partner for these very premium videos, but they’ve also shown us that we need to focus on video even more.

Before Neuralab, we were thinking that we would do videos as an add-on. They showed us that, when you do videos right, you can have a huge benefit for both readers and partners. As people who aren’t necessarily thinking video-first, it shows us that we need to focus on the format more.

Now, we’re focusing our business and our publishing efforts on creating more video, both professional videos with Neuralab, but also ones we can do individually on blogs and so on. Those are formats that need to be more personal, but we’re still relying on Neuralab for the more professional and advanced formats.

How did Neuralab perform from a project management standpoint?

As a media organization, we’re not very big. Internally and externally, we rely on each other and our external partners, such as Neuralab, to be really self-manageable. We don’t have the time to micro-manage or talk about deadlines 5 times a week. We’ve never had an issue with Neuralab when it comes to timing. When we agree on a set deadline, it was done within that time. The only times that we’ve moved due dates or deadlines was when our clients or partners were delayed in providing content like logos. Neuralab has never been late.

What’s most important to us is that they deliver when they say they will. They were always very realistic with their deadlines, which helped a lot. In media and journalism, deadlines beat anything else. If a story or a video needs to be out by a certain date, it need to go out there. Neuralab has done their own media projects, so they understand that. In our experience, a lot of agencies come from a more traditional marketing background where you can move the deadline, but in media, you cannot. That is a hard deadline. Because of Neuralab’s understanding and adherence to this, our collaboration was always successful.

What did you find most impressive about Neuralab?

One thing is the consistency of their team. We’ve never gotten something from them that was just average. It was always very good or excellent. We’ve never had to send something back because it wasn’t good enough. So, consistency is a very big benefit. In my past experiences with agencies, they send their top people first to break in a new client, and then they send junior people, the quality falls down, and no one is happy. We’ve never had that experience with Neuralab.

The second point is that they’ve never tried to over-sell services that don’t make sense for us. We’re a media company, and we’re not a very well-funded startup that has millions of dollars. With some agencies, they try to sell things that you really don’t need. Honestly, everything we’ve done with Neuralab has always proved essential and always ends up making us money.

I think it’s fun to work with them. I don’t think we would be working with them if they weren’t our geeky-techie kind of people. When you spend time at conferences or other venues, the people need to be not just professional, but also fun and friendly to a point. I think that’s one reason we like working with them. If we weren’t working with them, we’d probably be sitting for a beer with them somewhere.

Are there any areas Neuralab could improve?

I think there’s an opportunity for them to really help companies like ours to think creatively about video. There are a lot of things they can help with, in terms of how to use videos creatively, that can be achieved. Because we, as clients, don’t ask for that, they don’t have the opportunity to even offer it to us. I think they should help their clients, including us, more with creative concepts and really push us to do the next big thing.

Especially here in the Balkans, video and YouTube is something that is still in its infancy, and there’s a lot of opportunity. I don’t think that even we, as a tech magazine covering the sector, realize what we can do. It’s hard for an agency, but I think there’s opportunity both for them and their clients to create something new. Basically, educating us even more would really help both parties.