Nocturnal Branding Studio

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Fearless Marketing. We’re an advertising firm that mainly specializes in the restaurant industry, but we do a lot of consumer marketing as well.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nocturnal Branding Studio?

Back in 2003, my business partner and I started a series of both original and franchise restaurants in Arizona. We have a background in the marketing industry, so we also started a firm to build out, promote, and run our locations. We engaged Nocturnal Branding Studio to help us create a brand identity for those restaurants.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve done many projects together since the start of our partnership; our first involved assembling a brand identity for a café in Scottsdale, Arizona. First, we held an exploratory meeting to conceptualize our vision and creative strategies. Using these ideas, Nocturnal Branding Studio delivered a portfolio of relevant imagery and signage that reflected our voice, our look, and our tonality. They were also responsible for other advertising materials, including our menus. The team’s work was recognized by a notable creative magazine.

What is the team composition?

We work mainly with Ken (Co-founding Partner & Creative Director, Nocturnal Branding Studio).

How did you come to work with Nocturnal Branding Studio?

We looked at a few firms. Because my business partner and I are both knowledgeable in the marketing and advertising space, we recognized the quality of Ken’s portfolio—it was tremendous. Nocturnal Branding was an easy choice.

How much have you invested with them?

I estimate this project cost between $8,000–$10,000, but we’ve invested more in other engagements.

What is the status of this engagement?

The bulk of the work started in 2003, and it’s an ongoing relationship. We’ve completed multiple projects for a variety of brands, and they continue to provide marketing and support services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the restaurant business, it’s hard to point out exactly where ROI is coming from, but we’re certain that Nocturnal Branding Studio has added tremendous value to our company. Their creative strategies helped us express our identity and our place within our community through professional and engaging materials.

How did Nocturnal Branding Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

I highly value personal dialogue in a business relationship, so communication was especially important. Our locations are close enough for face-to-face meetings, but we still mainly speak via phone call with the occasional email as necessary.

Their management style is fantastic. They are clear with their estimates, accurately determining projects’ schedules and budgets. The team quickly grasps our ideas and expertly translates them into high-quality deliverables that align with our requirements and expectations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are very intuitive and thoughtful in their work. Ken follows a very structured development process, addressing each problem with an appropriate solution. I’m confident starting projects with their team because they’ve proven that they can consistently deliver exceptional work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any areas for improvement.

Any advice for potential customers?

I recommend clients put together a creative strategy to give to Nocturnal Branding Studio. It’s important that they have a good understanding of goals and brands so that they’re able to execute to the best of their abilities.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of ProEdge Sports. We specialize in sport court installations around the Phoenix area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nocturnal Branding Studio?

We contracted with Nocturnal Branding Studio for a full-service branding project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Anything that contains our image or branding, it’s dictated by Nocturnal Branding. They conducted a discovery phase to learn more about my business. From their findings, they crafted a series of marketing materials to represent our values: family-oriented, fun, and hassle-free. Nocturnal Branding Studio decided on the language used in our presentations and sales calls, in our brochures and flyers, and on our website and social media platforms. Nocturnal Branding works with everything that customers can use to learn more about us.

What is the team composition?

The owner has been my primary point of contact, but we’ve worked with a copywriter there, as well.

How did you come to work with Nocturnal Branding Studio?

I have worked with the owner on a project in the past, and I felt comfortable hiring them again.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in August 2016 and remains ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I look at my competition in the Phoenix area, and nobody has the same kind of presence that I now have. I see their brochures and whatnot, and nobody comes close to what Nocturnal Branding Studio has provided. Their deliverables perfectly match my expectations for design and content.

How did Nocturnal Branding Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re creative people, not necessarily project managers, but they still make a production schedule. They adhere to that very well. I am always well-informed of their progress through a series of phone calls and emails. Overall, we’ve had zero challenges.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were able to translate my business goals into a tangible branding effort that represents my business well. Their message is consistent across all platforms. They have a way of asking questions to understand the vibe I’m trying to create and then crafting the materials to match that feel.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Because of the basis of our roles, we speak different languages—artistic versus analytical. Because they’re different from me in that way, that’s why I need them, but it’s tough sometimes for me to understand the creative process.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared to take the time to answer a lot of questions up front. Allowing them to go through their discovery process will save a lot of time and heartache down the road.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of marketing and brand management at Macayo's Mexican Table, a Mexican-food restaurant chain with eight locations across Phoenix, Ariz. We're a family-owned and operated business that's been around since 1946.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nocturnal Branding Studio?

As we were approaching our 70th anniversary, we engaged Nocturnal to help us conduct some market research in order to help us rebrand the company (including a new name).

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Nocturnal initially conducted market research over a 30–45 day period, providing a 100-page document that included a brand overview, competitor information, and insight into the market. In the process, they visited our various locations, as well as some of our competitor's. They also provided proposals for the company's name change, a tag line, and some logo concepts for our review.

We then collaborated with their team on rebranding efforts, which included finalization of designs for a logo, menus, and other marketing materials. They even got involved in decisions regarding changes to our table tents, silverware, employee uniforms and aprons, and t-shirt concepts.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with Ken (Co-founding Partner and Creative Director, Nocturnal Branding Studio) and his wife, who oversaw much of the research aspect of our project.

How did you come to work with Nocturnal Branding Studio?

We interviewed a lot of local companies, considering which ones would be able to both conduct market research and execute a branding campaign. We decided to work with Nocturnal, because they were able to meet both our needs and they had previous experience with other brands in Arizona that went through a similar process.

They were also great at communicating from the start, and wanted to highlight certain aspects of our business that resonated with us, including our history and focus on using fresh ingredients. They provided examples and ideas that we could get excited about.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested around $50,000, which includes the project cost and monthly retainer.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2016, and our relationship is ongoing. They wrapped up the initial market research around May 2016 and launched the rebrand in September.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Before the rebrand, our guest count had been declining (similarly to other brands in the industry). Nocturnal's research turned that around, giving us the ability to understand how our customers were learning about our restaurant. Thanks to their efforts, our guest counts and sales are up, and we're more effectively communicating our key messaging to customers. They've really helped us create consistent messaging and brand awareness across the board.

How did Nocturnal Branding Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They're organized and stay on top of to-do lists and timelines. They also have a good relationship with one of our print vendors and some of our media partners, which has proven helpful. We loved their reasoning behind coming up with our tag line and other branding elements; their team is very creative as a whole.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ken brings us a lot of great ideas and insights oftentimes outside of his scope of work. They're genuinely invested in our brand and take a lot of pride in the work they do. It feels like they're an extension of our own team, putting our goals at the forefront of their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. It always takes some time to get used to a new team, but we've been able to navigate through any initial challenges very well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Going into any large branding project like ours, it's important to have a solid understanding and be very clear about what your goals are. Let their team know why you're making decisions to change any elements of your company, and they'll help find the right people on their team to make it happen.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president of a financial software and analytics company. We look at various financial markets and instruments to ascertain what to expect from its price activity.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Nocturnal Branding Studio?

We needed to create a holistic brand identity that more effectively spoke to the nature of our business and our team. We had cultivated a dedicated audience over many years but needed a well-rounded brand image to resonate with new customers and move beyond our industry niche.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The initial scope of work focused on company branding. We wanted to refresh our logo and collateral to present a more unified message and vision.

We started the project with a deep dive into what our company does, our existing audience, our target audience, and the message we wanted to convey to users. From there, Nocturnal Branding Studio conducted empathy interviews with employees and customers to get a better sense of how we saw ourselves and how we were seen by others.

They immediately understood our concepts for logo design and quickly created one that directly met our goals. We then began to focus on digital and print collateral. The entire project was very collaborative, and they did a great job listening to those involved. We’ve continued working with them for our marketing, web design, and branding needs since that time.

What is the team composition?

I primarily worked with Ken (Principal, Nocturnal Branding Studio) and there was at least one other person who assisted with the copy and verbiage.

How did you come to work with Nocturnal Branding Studio?

I originally noticed their work in a design book that I purchased. They were one of the few companies whose designs stood out to me and the portfolio shared on their website was in line with what I was hoping to achieve for our branding, so I thought they would be a good fit. When I reached out to them, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were located nearby, which made things more convenient.

How much have you invested with them?

Over the entire life of our relationship, we’ve spent about $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our initial work together lasted from August–November 2010, but we continue to work with them on various projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a small, established company specializing in our space, our primary goal was to create a brand identity that helped convey our story. From a qualitative point of view, that was definitely achieved, with employees, partners, and customers responding favorably to the work.

Ken is immensely talented and we’ve been happy with the response people have had to the work—whether it’s the color, the design, or the marketing campaign.

How did Nocturnal Branding Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, I thought Nocturnal Branding Studio was excellent. Being locally based wasn’t a necessity for me but it definitely helped cultivate a more favorable working relationship.

I first spoke with the studio by phone, after which we met in person. Following that meeting, most communication and planning took place through phone or email, with in-person meetings reserved for larger presentations and unveilings. Ken was always willing to formally present his ideas, but I appreciated his willingness to accommodate a more casual approach. For example, following initial presentations, Ken would send over a file and we would review the slides either by phone or via a web conference.

In our meetings—especially the first in-person meeting—I developed a sense of how Nocturnal Branding Studio operated and specifically Ken’s approach. He’s a laid back, personable, collaborative design and brand manager.

Ken was great about establishing and sticking to timelines. He would communicate with us early if he needed extra time and was never at a loss for ideas. He always worked to deliver the best possible output while balancing our business needs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In engagements with other companies, I’ve often felt that the amount of money spent never quite matched the quality or breadth of work we were hoping to receive. With Nocturnal Branding Studio, I’ve been consistently impressed.

I appreciated Nocturnal Branding Studio’s desire to get the branding right, as opposed to dwelling on their hours, which is an important consideration for a small business. As a smaller studio, they were able to deliver a personalized experience and process that demonstrated they understood our goals.

Ken is completely hands-on with the project, and we were never passed along to someone with less experience. He always made sure that we were satisfied with the output, even if that meant exploring additional concepts. He’s receptive to new ideas and suggestions while remaining diplomatically honest in those cases where the ideas miss the mark.

Clients typically want to begin work right away, while larger agencies can overanalyze things to the point of excess—where they’re growing the budget without additional benefit. I was impressed that Nocturnal Branding Studio was practical in their needs and realistic in setting expectations and timelines. I appreciated their open communication throughout the process. I never felt blindsided in terms of budget or expectations, and they’ve consistently created work about which our company is excited and proud.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I feel that branding companies, in general, should be familiar enough with their customer’s business to proactively propose new ideas, as opposed to waiting for the customer to engage them. That would make them feel more like an extension of our team and ensure that concepts don’t become stale.