Overmatter

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Reliable Waste Service. We do weekly residential curbside trash pickup, hauling, and property cleanup. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pen and Lens Design?

This business started from nothing, so we’re fighting for market share against some well-established companies. We needed my brand identity to be broad so that it wouldn’t alienate anybody, but distinct enough to stand out. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the marketing aspect of the project, Pen and Lens has been providing me with their branding services, including business cards we can send out to folks in the communities we’re serving. They’ve also done some logo design, making the font type and colors stand out from the local competition. 

Apart from that, they also gave me a video breakdown of the how and why of their branding work.

What is the team composition?

As far as I know, I’ve only been working with Kaleb (Designer).

How did you come to work with Pen and Lens Design?

I believe Kaleb and I went to the same college, so I knew I could trust him. I’ve already used their services a couple of years back when we started a health food company — they crushed it back then and they were very easy to work with. I didn’t want to waste time looking for somebody else, so I went with Pen and Lens because I already know they could absolutely knock the project out of the park.

How much have you invested with them?

I believe we’ve spent about $1,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The ongoing partnership started in September 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our company started from nothing and had zero customers. Now, I serve over 100 homes and small businesses, and every single one of my customers has seen the brand identity that Pen and Lens provide for me. I’ve had multiple customers and prospects come up to me to say that they really like the look of our marketing materials.

How did Pen and Lens Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very receptive to concerns and issues. There were a couple of things that we needed them to tweak for the final package, which they successfully implemented. There’s never a point where I have to reach out to them because their communication is always open and consistent.  

I would also like to say that 90% of our interaction is done via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We really like that it feels as though they’re a part of my team. They’re always excited to do some work for Reliable Waste to accomplish the bigger picture. They really integrate themselves into what I’m trying to do, and go the extra mile to make sure that everything we need is being taken care of.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really can’t think of anything they could improve on, because Pen and Lens really set the standard for branding and design.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

What I would say is the more ideas you provide for them, the easier it’ll be for Pen and Lens to do their job. Make sure to communicate with them and trust them with the decisions for your brand identity — they’re professionals, so try not to interject with your ideas every step along the way.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the administrator of Visions Eye Health Center, an optometrist clinic. I run the backend of our marketing efforts. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pens and Lens Design?

A few years ago, we had a website that we used through a buying group, who allowed us to use their platform. However, when we no longer used that buying group, we needed to develop a new website and marketing strategy. We also needed a fresh look for our branding. As a result, we hired Pens and Lens to work for us. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pens and Lens has presented us with several options for updating our logo. Then, they’ve sent examples of how the logos would look like on different materials. That way, we could visualize what our new branding, logo, and color schemes would look like before we decided which one to use. 

What is the team composition?

I mainly work with Kaleb (Co-Founder). 

How did you come to work with Pens and Lens Design?

We were familiar with Pens and Lens, and we liked the way they communicated and sent us samples. Visualization was an important thing for us; we needed to see how things would look, and they were great at sending that information to us. Overall, we chose them because of the way they worked with us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $6,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Pens and Lens around August 2018, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Pens and Lens has put us on a more professional level. As an optometric business, we don’t do a lot of advertising, and 85% of our business comes from referrals. As a result, our success metric is to look a bit more elegant and be elevated from a professional cutesy branding to a more sophisticated one — Pens and Lens has done a great job at that. They’ve changed the way our business comes across professionally. We’ve also received plenty of comments on how good our logo is. 

How did Pens and Lens Design perform from a project management standpoint?

We typically communicate through emails and texts. I can pick up the phone and ask them what something will look like. Then, they’ll create mock-ups quickly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The way Pens and Lens develops a product differentiates them from other providers. Others simply give us logos, but Pens and Lens puts a lot of thought into their work. Kaleb looks into the business and figures out how to define it. Even if I don’t like it at first, the way he explains the design gives it more background. Overall, he thinks more about the company and our market instead of just throwing the logo at us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be nice to meet them in person a little bit more. We did meet in person before but it was hard to do it since they were far away.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be highly specific in what you’re asking and give Pens and Lens a bit of background in your business. On top of that, let Kaleb do his thing; he’s way more educated than most executives that try to do designs by themselves.