Peopledesign

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the director of marketing for Wilsonart, a world-leading design manufacturer for engineered surfaces. We work on countertops, wall coverings, and any type of coverings used in baths or kitchens. 

The company is a 65-year-old Texas-based organization with quite a large footprint in the residential and commercial construction industry. We manufacture in 10 countries and distribute to about 123 stores. 

My responsibilities included the strategic marketing planning and execution of all our marketing communications materials. This included our website, digital assets, sales tools for the sales force, crisis communications, product launches, and more. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Peopledesign?

At the time, the company was adding different brands to their portfolio and launching new products. From a communications standpoint, the process was accretive — there were many parts, but they didn’t hang together really well. 

We hired Peopledesign to do positioning — we needed help putting our communications together and telling this big story in a simple way. We wanted to give the right message to the right people at the right time, and we aimed to use the correct content to be relevant and create an offering. We needed to have our story straight to make sure that we clearly articulate what the organization brings to the residential and commercial market. 

This required Peopledesign to understand our offering and identify the communication pieces and assets necessary to complete and simplify the story. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our work with Peopledesign fell into two buckets. The first was Wilsonart’s positioning for engineered surfaces promotions. They helped us present our goals, mission, and overall value proposition. 

The process involved improving our customer experience planning. They built our lead, seed, and customer journey processes. They assisted us with brochures, print ads, and different placements within the industry. In addition, they also provided surface photography, which involved creating images of countertop materials in their raw and fabricated forms. Lastly, they created our initial landing page for the website. 

The second bucket was more drilled down on vertical segment marketing, strategy, and support. Because our company served five different types of businesses — healthcare, education, hospitality, retail, and residential — we were probably one of the most significant brands within our industry. Peopledesign helped us understand our buyer’s customer experience across different markets.

What is the team composition?

Their team consisted of 10–12 people, but I only regularly worked with 3–4 teammates. Jake (Principal & Strategy Director) was my primary contact, and I also worked with Kevin (President) and Yang (Principal & Design Director).

How did you come to work with Peopledesign?

When I arrived at Wilsonart, Peopledesign had just been engaged on a brochure project. 

How much have you invested with them?

We had spent around $875,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from February 2017–December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We achieved incredible outcomes in terms of reshaping the brand and defining the brand story. For one, their work increased sales over the whole company by more than 5% over two years. 

Peopledesign’s work was incredibly foundational to the company. If you went to their website or picked up their brochure, it was all shaped by my team and vendors such as Peopledesign. They gave us objectivity, strategic planning experience, and a keen sense of what’s required for our key buyers.  

Peopledesign’s team was excellent at providing an external push to our organization; they were great partners. They made our company’s communications buttoned-up, professional, simple, understandable, and flexible. 

Having spent my career in the advertising industry, I learned what it takes to be successful over the years. Peopledesign was for real — they did what they promised. They had integrity and talent, and it was a pleasure working with them. 

How did Peopledesign perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via phone calls and video chats. Peopledesign also made the trip to our office in Temple, Texas, and met physically with our team every couple of weeks. 

We were highly connected, and there was never a time when we weren’t on the same page. That speaks a lot to Peopledesign’s communication efforts and their detail-oriented approach. The follow-up on any type of change or communication was always very straightforward and transparent. We didn’t encounter any bumps in the road at all. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Peopledesign’s team was very smart. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any. They were great communicators and good partners. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let Peopledesign do their homework and start at the beginning. Make sure there’s a clean line of sight on what’s been done to date. In addition, it’s okay to let a partner guide you — allow them to help you be certain about the objectives of what you’re trying to do. Let them do their tasks. You’re hiring them because they’re experts — you’re asking for guidance, so let them guide you. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the associate VP for institutional marketing at Grand Valley State University.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Peopledesign?

Our president’s initiative, called REP4, involves a national network of colleges and universities that empowers learners to design solutions that change systems currently presenting barriers to equity. These solutions are then made available for use to schools everywhere.

Peopledesign explored names for the initiative and provided the branding identity, initial expression, and a brand guide for REP4.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Peopledesign developed the branding for the initiative. In the end, they provided us a brand guide with a logo package and architecture, color palette, fonts, copy, and examples of how to use them.

What is the team composition?

I saw Kevin (President) and Yang (Principal & Design Director) regularly on the calls. Ted (Project Manager) shepherded the project, and we had Jake (Principal & Strategy Director) as a writer. They also had people involved in the shop.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in December 2020, and the project ended in April 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We held an event for this initiative recently. We had 4,200 registrants from around the world — 38 different countries were represented. Peopledesign helped us with copy and the overall look and feel of the brand, and we certainly felt that branding had a lot to do with the successful registration.

How did Peopledesign perform from a project management standpoint?

It went very well. We mainly worked online and met weekly to provide updates and exchange information so they could move ahead on the project. The team turned everything around in a very tight timeline. Also, they were very collaborative and worked through problems with us. We usually communicated through video calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were incredibly thoughtful about their process. Peopledesign had a great jumpstart because they were involved early. However, they also paid a lot of attention to our backstory before jumping into branding. Their work had so much depth, and it was thought through so well. They made it easy for us to use it in many different ways, which will pay off in the long run.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they could’ve done better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Their process starts with a lengthy interview to get all the parts and pieces before starting the project. Be really open and provide as much information as possible. That’ll reap the best results in the end.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the Chief Brand Officer for a international B2B commercial furniture manufacturer

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Peopledesign?

We hired People Design to be our main Brand and Website consultants. They helped us do everything from Brand Positioning to a full website and CMS redesign.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I hired People Design for their demonstrated experience in our industry and their ability to keep us on the cutting edge of change.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

It was everything from Research, Competitive analysis in the early stages, to being our creative consultants on the most important product launch and website redesign in the company's history.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with about 4 different people primarily. From Brand leaders such as Kevin and Yang to a Project Leader such as Jake.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There is no doubt that the product launch they People Design created and executed was one of the most impressive launches I have ever had the pleasure of being a part of. From the photography, to the landing page to the messaging, it was all world class.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Things were pretty good. As with any major project, there can be challenges, but I think we worked through them and executed on time.

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

Kevin and Yang have principles. They provided us the best solutions. They were realistic yet ambitious.

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

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the 3rd generation owner and president. We are a manufacturer of anodized aluminum for a variety of industries including but not limited to building and construction, transportation, appliance, healthcare, food service, etc. We have been in business over 77 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Peopledesign?

We hired Peopledesign to help us with our marketing strategy and branding.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found People design to understand us and our business better than anyone else. We were also impressed with the work that they had done with other companies and the processes they use to help companies with their marketing.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Following the discovery process with Peopledesign allowing them to better understand our business, our culture, customers and the markets we serve, we began the ideation process. Both teams worked hard to define the best marketing opportunities for us. Once we had identified the best opportunities, People design put together a plan of action that they helped us execute.

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with the entire Peopledesign team. All members of their team had different attributes, skills and capabilities to bring to the process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have seen a continuous increase in web traffic and inquiries resulting in more projects and interest in working with Lorin.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team at Peopledesign made it easy for all of us. They were very supportive and accomodating.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They worked very hard to understand our company both internally and externally.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

There are always opportunities for improvement. I cannot think of anything pertaining to Peopledesign and our work with them, but I am certain that they would continue to look for ways that they could improve.