Open Skye

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a nonprofit organization that serves individuals living with mental health issues. We provide skill-building workshops and help with employment, schooling, and housing. Last year, we served 875 individuals in our community.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Open Skye?

I hired them for creative services such as web design and social media management. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I’ve worked with them at multiple companies. At Laurel House, they provide a number of services including building our website and helping set up our social media accounts. The website was built essentially from the ground up. They’ve provided multiple website updates since then. 

They also put together our annual reports by compiling the content and providing the design. Their team has worked on many projects from digital to print marketing, and advising on messaging for our organization. 

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with teams ranging from 2–5 people from Open Skye. 

How did you come to work with Open Skye?

I worked with them at my previous companies, before hiring them to work at Laurel House. I first found them when I worked with Intellution. I brought them with me as I moved through multiple other positions at different companies. 

How much have you invested in them? 

We’ve probably invested a bit over $50,000. We have them on retainer right now, and we’ve spent an average of $1,000 per month. However, some of the larger projects we did with them weren’t included in that retainer. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them at Laurel in January 2011, and our work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We looked at some of the basic media measurements like clickthrough rates. They did a good job, and if something wasn’t working, they were great about fixing it. Both our clients and our donors have given us great feedback. The families of the people that we serve really value the messaging on our site. 

In comparison to where our website was before we started working with, Open Skye, we appear more professional and on point.  

How did Open Skye perform from a project management standpoint?

We were always on time. I really applaud them with meeting deadlines and delivering quickly. They make me feel like a valued client. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their creativity makes them stand out. It starts with their principal, Kevin. He has a great sense of messaging and design. He’s been instrumental in my thinking and will challenge me and my team to ensure we put our best foot forward. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really can’t say anything negative about them. They’ve provided high-quality work, especially for our budget.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

It’s important to be prepared to build a relationship with them and appreciate their honesty.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Senior Director of Marketing for an Engineering Services company of approximately 1,200 employees. My focus was to oversee the company brand, positioning and marketing communications targeting several industries including medical devices, aerospace, and industrial equipment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Open Skye?

I hired Open Skye to provide design services ranging from web design and development, digital marketing, branding, logo design, sales collateral, and trade show support. This was all needed in the first year I started with the company. Originally, we worked on a project basis, however, it became clear that Open Skye not only understood our company and its mission, but also had the design chops to make it all happen. We quickly transitioned from project-based work to a retainer basis.

What were your goals for this project?

We started with a complete rebrand to update the look of a brand that hadn't been touched in 10+ years. Following the rebrand, Open Skye tackled a new website to reflect our new image and to give us a foundation for positioning the company for rapid growth.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I knew of Open Skye from a previous position I held with a software firm. I remembered how intuitive and skillful the design team was in translating a company's objectives into strong visual collateral.

Describe the project in detail.

Each project began with a kick-off meeting where I would bring together the key internal stakeholders to meet with the Open Skye team. Kevin and team were very effective and efficient at driving the discussion to ensure that we were able to identify objectives for the project, possible roadblocks, and a plan of attack. From that kick-off meeting, we quickly got to work with roles and responsibilities assigned. Open Skye honored all commitments, were transparent and communicated very well on progress.

What was the team composition?

I worked mainly with a project manager, but on occasion and depending on the project, I would be introduced to other team members. In some instanced, when the project went into production, I worked directly with the production manager. They were always well informed about my projects. There was no downtime or lag if I transitioned from my PM to anyone else on the Open Skye team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within four years of rebranding, the new website and everything else that Open Skye created for the brand, we were able to better position the company for acquisition.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. My experience working with Open Skye at two different companies was great. They are professional, creative, listeners and problem solvers. They suggest tools to improve communication and project sharing so that everyone's time is maximized and not wasted.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have an uncanny ability to quickly distill our thoughts and ideas into actual creative. They are quick studies when it comes to understanding your business and the markets it serves. This allows them to ask informed questions in order to provide the best outcomes.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I've worked with Open Skye for many years and I always found them to be open to feedback and making changes to improve the relationship. Nothing major stands out for me.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am an attorney at Abramson, Brown & Dugan, a law firm specializing in medical malpractice and catastrophic personal injury law.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Open Skye?

We needed help with re-branding and advertising, as well as help with our website and improving our online presence.

What were your goals for this project?

To create a memorable brand that would differentiate us from our competitors and to achieve top ranking in organic web searches for our field.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Personal recommendation.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Open Skye created our tagline "The Practice for Malpractice" and redesigned our website and print advertising to make it consistent across all mediums and with our new tagline. They also connected us with a company who has provided ongoing web optimization for the new website.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with Kevin McLeod, the owner.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone recognizes our tagline and our web presences and lead generation has increased substantially since the rebrand. The Open Skye team was phenomenal. Always responsive and always creative - thinking outside of the box in the "Skye."

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Open Skye was incredibly responsive and accessible.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was most impressed by the personal interest Open Skye took in our business and in building a relationship with us. We have been working with them consistently for at least 7 years and will continue to do so.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Currently, I am the ECD at a company. Prior to taking on this role, I spent the previous three years as a freelance contractor, providing Creative Strategy, C creative Direction and Copywriting for a variety of clients and partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Open Skye?

Open Skye has been my go-to agency on larger advertising/marketing initiatives when I needed to develop more fully-integrated campaign elements. From concept to execution, Open Skye has been an invaluable resource for me.

What were your goals for this project?

There were multiple initiatives I worked with Open Skye on. Some were new product launches, some brand awareness campaigns, some content development and others, targeted direct and digital campaigns.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Reputation for solid work and actually helping businesses grow.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Too many to list.

What was the team composition?

I've worked with the agency principals as they are hands-on and give a lot of attention to their clients. I've also worked with their web developers, various designers and project managers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

No data results that I am privy to share except to say that the clients Open Skye's helped me with have remained on my roster for many years and have asked me to bring them back on subsequent projects.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Seamless.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They're grown ups. They dig deep into the strategy, and they ask a lot of questions. They develop smart work that gets the attention of customers and prospects.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can speak of. They've over-delivered for me time and again.