Pumped, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO and founder of a company selling skincare solutions geared towards darker-skinned consumers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Pumped, Inc.?

We hired Pumped to build a brand manual for us.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted our brand to clearly articulate our vision, mission and overall company ethos. To do that, we needed to create brand elements that would ensure we kept our roots intact.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Pumped's services were used and recommended by a friend who had used them previously and had been happy with their work and the timely fashion in which it was rendered.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The work involved building brand elements, including a style guide, fonts, color codes and brand assets.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with Carlos Pena [CEO, Pumped, Inc.]. Carlos' background in advertising was really helpful; he has great insight into the customers' minds and behavior.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received our brand manual along with a presentation deck to show potential investors and partners. We use it when we need any type of design work done, whether on our website or social media.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was seamless. We worked in perfect synergy together. We kept track of progress using Pumped's management tool.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The speed with which they delivered the project was impressive. We put them on a very strict timeline and they delivered.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They could expand to include an in-house market research team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work in the international division of an American homebuilding company. Specifically, I focus on boosting sales and marketing that targets international buyers purchasing homes in the U.S.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pumped Inc?

We wanted a website to showcase our clients’ communities as part of a larger family and friends referral campaign targeting Indian homebuyers. The website needed to be more than a basic landing page in order to boost interest.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built the website, which comprises 6 navigable pages displaying exteriors and in-home amenities. Navigation was key to initiating and sustaining user interest.

The final version resulted from initial concept reviews with Carlos Peña [Owner, Pumped, Inc.]. He mapped out the intended user experience – from browsing homes to submitting contact information – and built the beta site according to that structure. Carlos added several community and property images that contributed to site’s modern aesthetic.

He made minor adjustments based on our feedback before delivering the final product. We launched only a few weeks ago.

What is the team dynamic?

I only interacted with Carlos. He brainstormed design and structure. A developer that I never met coded the site.

How did you come to work with Pumped, Inc.?

We were considering other companies when a colleague’s friend recommended Pumped. I hired Carlos because he was knowledgeable and engaging in our initial phone call, where he offered ideas and advice freely. Impressively, he did not withhold his expertise before we signed a contract.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started work June 2017 and the website launched in October.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There’s no meaningful data so close to the launch. However, user feedback on functionality and navigability is positive.

How did Pumped, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Carlos and I spoke daily. He’s a great person with expertise in intertwining functionality with set business objectives. He was very invested in the project.

His team used Mavenlink to communicate. They ran a straightforward operation and happily accommodated the sudden changes that are typical of our industry.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility was vital. They were open to change and took taking on additional challenges as the scope changed.

Are there any areas that they can improve?

No, not really.

Advice for potential customers?

I would certainly recommend them. Carlos is a great person to work with. He is very knowledgeable and good at intertwining the business functionality with the tech functionality. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a marketing manager at a luxury watch distributor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pumped, Inc.?

Although one of our brands had existed since 2012, we had yet to create and define its identity. We needed to compile marketing guidelines and everything related to this particular brand into one book to provide concise internal branding material. Pumped, Inc. gathered all the information on the brand since its inception and conveyed it in a tone and manner accurate to its identity, utilizing its merchandising, marketing, and training materials, among other things.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were involved from the start of the project, beginning with a meeting in which we could elaborate on our needs and provide our CEO with the opportunity for direct input. After two or three meetings, together we created a product timeline and a cost proposal. Once that was settled, I gave them all the assets we had for the brand to that date. Pumped, Inc. did research on our social media accounts and our website, studied the brand’s existing marketing efforts, and quickly began to assemble a first draft. We reviewed and edited their initial offering to better reflect the desired tone for the brand. After three or four different revisions, they produced the final document. This compilation and streamlining allowed us to have one set of guidelines for our international retailers, resellers, and distributors. The end product details everything from the specific fonts, best practices for advertisements, how to feature specific watches, and so on. The process was straightforward, and the book itself it has become a vital tool for our company.

What is the team dynamic?

We primarily interacted with Carlos Peña [Chief Branding Officer, Pumped, Inc.], who worked with his partner and a designer on the project.

How did you come to work with Pumped, Inc.?

One of our vendors referred Pumped, Inc. to us, and I examined their work before meeting with Carlos. The pricing was right, he understood what we needed, and we made it happen. Our CEO is a somewhat exacting person, but Carlos seemed to understand him intuitively. The personalities were a perfect fit.

How much have you invested with them?

About $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We engaged them in February or March of 2017, and they completed the final product by May.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The product that Pumped,Inc. created for us essentially functions as the brand’s Bible, and it has allowed us to continue to flourish internationally, including launching a new website. Our CEO in particular was satisfied with their work and appreciated the creative balance with their team.

How did Pumped, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

We used a combination of Asana and email to communicate, usually at least once a day. The company’s founder and president was our point person.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understood the concept, delivered what we needed, and exceeded our expectations. Everything was completed on time, even if they had to work past their regular operating hours to achieve it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be beneficial for them to have an account executive in charge of individual projects. Although we had overall great experiences with Carlos, he was occasionally unavailable in meetings or managing other clients. Providing someone else to assist would help streamline the process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Do your research and make sure they understand what you’re looking for both creatively and conceptually before you sign the contract.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Christophe & Company produces a high-end wearable tech device, which is a jewelry bracelet with integrated technology. I’m the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pumped, Inc?

We had a high-end experience that we wanted to convey to the client because it’s a high-end luxury piece. We had very specific requirements for that in order to engage the client and have them request the password to enter the website, because it’s a site that you can’t enter without a password. Even the landing page was important because it was something that we wanted to have the client want to come in and request the password. Once they request the password, the user can request an order of the item. This was the first time we’d worked with an agency on these aspects of our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with them on branding, website development, design, and art direction. We had an initial meeting where we sat down, and the team took time to get an in-depth understanding of our business, our product, and what it was that we were trying to achieve with the product and with the website. This included creating mood boards and a set of objectives. They have a structured approach to this which is unique and methodical. It was a step-by-step approach, where they kept us updated with everything from choosing the way the font was going to look, the color scheme, or the overall feel.

One of the main features on the landing page is a portal that can only be entered with a password, specifically using Roman numerals. It was something that hadn’t been done before, so they had to create the backend in order to accommodate this type of passkey. They developed that from scratch, along with the overall layout of the website. We also worked with them on creating the copy. We submitted the copy that we wanted to have on the website, but they helped streamline and edit it.

There are 2 different sites. One is the SQL database, which is what’s used to aggregate all of the data from people that are requesting codes — when you request a code you have to register and all of that information is put into a specific server that we use for just a database. Then, we have a separate website, which is the aesthetic elements.

What is the team dynamic? 

I worked directly with Carlos Pena [Founder, Pumped, Inc.]. There were some other people on his development side that we had some correspondence with. Most of the time Carlos was the point person, but if there was something where they needed to be included on the conversation, they were brought into it and there were at least 2 other people involved in that. The size of the team didn’t change but the scope of who was involved changed. They involved whoever needed to be involved in whatever step we were at. We were in contact 2 or 3 times per week.

How did you come to work with Pumped, Inc?

I was looking specifically for a company in Miami that had some experience with luxury brands. I got 3 quotes in total, and I was most happy with Pumped’s product. They had worked on a website for a client who was also doing work for us as a designer, so he had recommended their work as well. I also happened to come upon them through web searches.

We didn’t make our decision solely based on price. They were competitive, but we based our decision off of the interaction that we had with the different players. We felt that we had the most creative compatibility with Pumped.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $25,000 and $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them 3 years ago. The deliverable took 8 to 12 weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The evidence comes down to the people who come to the people getting into the website and requesting access codes. In the way that they designed the website, they did some search engine optimization [SEO] and that has brought some traffic in as well. Looking at the analytics of the origin of visitors, we can see that that has had a positive effect. It was certainly more than we expected to have in terms of people requesting codes. We’ve had some people get further into the process in terms of ordering pieces and things like that as well.

How did Pumped, Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

It was a very active experience. It wasn’t something where we just said this is what we want and then they came back. We worked together on the development. It was their direction that helped us make a lot of the decisions about how we wanted to be executed.

They did an excellent job. The most important thing was they have a single point person who is well-versed in all the aspects of the project. It was important to me that we were kept in the loop at every step of the way and they were good at that. Many companies don’t necessarily do that. They were willing to fine tune above and beyond what they were originally contracted to do. They went the extra mile to make it something as close to perfect as it could be.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They created a website that perfectly represented the essence of our product. It’s a very specific product and something that not everybody would be able to do. It’s a web-based representation of everything that the brand stands for. They went further in depth than I expected. Most companies wouldn’t be able to achieve anything like that at such a level of detail and perfection.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of any. They were always open in their communication and their after-sale service was impressive as well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re specific about who they do work with because they hold themselves to a high standard, so they don’t just do business with anybody. If you have capital available in order to achieve what you want to achieve with them, you’re ready to work with somebody who’s serious and takes their deadlines seriously, and you’re willing to provide everything that they need to do their work, then they are for you. 

They’re not necessarily going to be the cheapest, but they’re not the most expensive and, most importantly, their product is far and above most products out there.