Red Van Creative

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of Outdoor Edge Ministries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Red Van Creative?

Through the years, several people worked on my website, and I always had problems with them. As a result, I reached out to Red Van. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In this project, I turned over the website's design and layout to Red Van, allowing them to fix it the way they felt it should be done. They handled everything. 

As part of the modifications we did, Red Van also designed a set of logos that went hand-in-hand with the logo that I already had. We were doing different projects through the ministry, and we started another one called God, Guns, and the Outdoors. They created a logo for that project, and it came under our main logo. 

Moreover, the Red Van team also created business cards with our main logo on one side and the God, Guns, and the Outdoors’ logo on the other side. On top of that, they’ve done advertising for us; they’ve helped me shoot a video through a mobile phone for our text-to-give fundraising program. 

At present, we’re still doing business together. 

What is the team composition?

I only work with Jared (Owner & Creative Director). 

How did you come to work with Red Van Creative?

Jared was recommended to me by another person. I talked to him, and we came up with a resolution to the problems we had at the ministry. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2018, and we still do business together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Red Van has taken care of every one of my problems. They’ve completely rebuilt my website with a nice form and fashion. It’s now easier to use and highly mobile-friendly, making it easier for people to know what we’re doing. End users can also easily contact us, and more people now visit the website. On top of that, I love the logo they’ve created. Users can see it on our website as soon as they open up the page. 

To sum it up, Red Van has done everything I asked for without any problems. I’ve been working with them for over two years, and we’ll continue doing so in the future. 

How did Red Van Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

Red Van understands what we need as a ministry and where we’re going. In terms of communication, we’ve done everything from face-to-face meetings to emails and phone calls. We’ve met in person several times before, sitting down with the computer in front of us and talking about different things about our projects. Whenever I email them to do something, the task is done within the next day.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They take a personal interest in us, and that’s something we can’t buy. To Red Van, the partnership is more than just business; it’s personal. Jared has been truly helpful; he’s worked above and beyond what he has to do, and he’s done a bunch of things for me that he probably doesn’t even offer to others.  

Overall, having a company that appreciates what we do makes a big difference; they truly want to help us become more successful in what we do. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate with them, whether it be through email or phone. They’re truly easy to talk to. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CMO of a fitness franchise based in IL, with locations across the country.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Red Van Creative?

We needed a vendor who could help us with our website graphics, build out new landing pages for new franchisees, and support with on-off requests (such as building out our Podcast portal with associated graphics).

SOLUTION

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

Jared has been working with the Franchisor for a few years, and I started working with him in March of 2020. It was clear his abilities were perfect for our needs.

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

There are two types of projects Jared supports us with: routine work and "new and different." The routine work consists of producing landing pages for new franchisees, updating the website with new podcast episode content, posting blogs, etc. The "new and different" work includes custom landing pages for new campaigns, building out the podcast portal, etc.

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

I've had the opportunity to work closely with Jared on the projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Jared is quick to say yes, and delivers on-time. His work meets my (albeit high) expectations, and he's friendly to work with.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow is seamless as we provide Jared projects and requests thru a project management "board." Jared keeps his projects and tasks updated so we can always see status.

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

They have a deep understanding of our company, which comes from learning and asking questions. He cares for our success, and his work reflects what our franchisees and clients need to see!

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

We're satisfied with the work Jared continues to deliver for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the community relations specialist at Comcast.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Red Van Creative?

We needed someone to help us with graphic design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Red Van Creative delivers a variety of digital assets for us. For example, they’ve produced letters, nomination forms, judging forms, digital invitations, and so on for our awards programs. Outside of our programs, they fulfill any other graphic design need we have, including logos, signage, banners, and wall graphics.

Additionally, Red Van Creative has helped us compile data for our research program. They handle the collection of the data, which they then input into a spreadsheet. Afterward, the team processes them into simplified summaries that we can easily read.

What is the team composition?

We typically work with Jared (Owner). 

How did you come to work with Red Van Creative?

Our in-house marketing department introduced Red Van Creative to me.

How much have you invested with them?

Our yearly spend is around $10,000–$20,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in November 2009, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Red Van Creative has done an outstanding job. Their work is absolutely stellar. Overall, they’ve made a massive impact on the success of our programs. We know we can count on them.

How did Red Van Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

I really like how independently the Red Van Creative works. I’ll usually give the timeline, and the team follows along and delivers on our desired dates. As a result, everything has been delivered on time with minimal back and forth. To communicate, we use email, texts, and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Red Van Creative is a reliable team that makes us look good. Furthermore, everything’s done with a quick turnaround time, which I appreciate. Additionally, they don’t need much guidance — after we give them the first set of instructions, they produce a deliverable immediately. I can trust them to get it right the first time, which I’ve never seen a vendor before. Overall, I’m pleased with Red Van Creative’s services.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind — we have a great relationship. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make your expectations very clear from the beginning.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing partner of a growth strategy consulting and digital marketing social media company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Red Van Creative? 

Red Van serves as the lead creative director for most of our design work. They help us upgrade our team’s design level for our end clients and provide direction to the company’s other design contractors. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We work together on several projects on an ongoing basis. I work directly with Red Van to provide direction, branding documents, and copy. They then design the materials. After that, we deliver the outputs to the end client for approval or to know whether changes are necessary. Around 90% of the creative work they do is done from scratch. Occasionally, they do revamping tasks with clients who have existing websites, brochures, landing pages, or anything else that needs to be updated. 

The Red Van team mostly works with our nonprofit clients. They do donor development, direct mail assets, email campaigns, funnels, and landing pages. Apart from that, their team handles our all-channel package offer for several end clients. Part of this package includes designing social media content, which is then pushed to our social media management team. 

Every end client has their own project manager, who then gathers the assets for the content. They push it over to us, and then Red Van does the majority of the design work. Their team also occasionally outsources tasks to our other production designers as needed. Meanwhile, the technologies we use depend on the end client; we essentially use the platforms that they need. For social media, we use Open Agora and an approval pipeline. Most of the time, our end clients have a platform integrated into their system, and we simply interface with that platform. 

What is the team composition?

Our main point person is Jared (Owner & Creative Director), and the team composition depends on the project. On a regular basis, we work with 3–4 people. If we’re working on a big project, 6–10 people may be involved.

How did you come to work with Red Van Creative?

Our previous creative director acquired a new opportunity with a much larger company, so he introduced me to Red Van. We worked on a couple of projects to see how things would go. Since then, we’ve worked with them as our go-to provider for design work. 

How much have you invested with them?

 We’ve spent around $300,000 in total, or somewhere in the ballpark of $80,000 a year. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around November 2017, and the partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Red Van has done a great job at capturing the look and feel of our end clients’ brands. That’s good because we have a wide variety of client organizations; some are old school and conservative, while others are young and trendy. 

We also do a lot of fundraising work for organizations, and Red Van has been an integral part of that. With their help, we’ve raised millions of dollars over the last 3–4 years. Given that, the email marketing and design work they’ve done have been a crucial part of our business with end clients. 

How did Red Van Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

Red Van’s project management is excellent, and I have no complaints about it. They’re highly cooperative and responsive to the needs of our end clients. If I don’t like anything, we communicate about it. Overall, we get along extremely well. 

In terms of communication, most of our meetings are done remotely. In fact, we all work remotely; our company has been 100% remote since our inception. We typically communicate with them through Zoom and phone calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Red Van doesn’t have their ego tied up to their job. They do take pride in their work, but they’re more focused on delivering what the end clients want. Their team can provide inputs and sometimes pushes the edge of the envelope. However, if the end client ultimately chooses to go a different direction, Red Van remains responsive — they don’t push their own agenda. 

In other words, they have the humility to understand that they’re with us to serve the best interest of our end clients. That’s not always the case when it comes to creative people. At times, such creatives think their way of working is the only way there is. By contrast, Red Van is open-minded and flexible, and I appreciate that. Overall, they do a spectacular job for us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. Every time we face an issue, we simply address it. We’re a pretty straightforward group of people: if there’s a problem, we talk about it, deal with it, and then move on. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that you’re compatible with Red Van from a personality standpoint. In my case, I always want our vendors to be responsive and open; I dislike not getting a response for 2–3 days. As a result, I’ve told Red Van straight up that we have strict deadlines and that they have to tell me early if they’re not available. 

It’s also good to know that Jared can take constructive input. He takes pride in his work but doesn't force his way in the team. As such, he will function as part of your team, which is awesome. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and owner of a software development company that works for supermarkets in the US and Canada. We develop software that drives loyalty and customer engagement with shoppers for supermarkets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Red Van Creative? 

I’d worked with Jared (Owner & Creative Director) for 24 years, and he was our go-to creative development specialist. We sought out their help for top-level concepts. They’d come back with a plethora of incredible ideas, and from there, we picked our poison. Jared then helped us execute the ideas.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For our latest project, Jared and his team helped us develop our website, which was on its 5th or 6th version. We’d recently launched its newest version, and Jared did 100% of the work for it. 

Initially, we hosted our website on HubSpot, but we decided to completely host it on our own. We started from scratch because we wanted a fresh, new, and clean look. We assigned a project manager to help us manage this project as we would for a customer project. To that end, she served as the intermediary for content between our teams. 

In terms of design, we wanted a lot more white space on the website. Jared came up with two design concepts; he could have done 7–8 concepts, but we were only interested in a simplistic design. The two concepts he brought were starkly different, and we picked one as a starting point. In other words, Jared provided us with the initial creative essence that we needed and then helped us implement that in the development process. 

What is the team composition?

We only directly worked with Jared on this project. 

How did you come to work with Red Van Creative?

Jared’s father-in-law reached out to me over 20 years ago and asked me to hire Jared, who was the chief designer of a church organization and publishing company at that time. I gave Jared a job in my company, and I was able to lure him to Texas. 

Then, Jared left my company and went to work in an ad agency in Houston. After quitting that agency, he started working freelance. That was when our company began working with him on different projects. We worked with other designers along the way, but we always reverted back to Jared’s and Red Van’s services. Five years ago, we told our team to stop testing the waters and just keep using their services. 

How much have you invested with them?

For this project, we spent between $10,000–$12,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from May–June 2021. This project ran between 5–6 weeks from the design phase to the launch.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to get off of Hubspot in time and met our July 2021 deadline — this was a huge piece of success for us. More importantly, Red Van created a design that represented our company’s current path; we needed to shift gears, and Jared conquered that. On top of that, their work quality was top-shelf and would stack up well with anybody in this industry. 

They were also fast. It didn’t take long for Jared to digest our issue and give back concepts and design elements. This, to me, was life and death: my company and I moved fast, and Jared moved equally fast — he didn’t make us wait on him and lose momentum. Moreover, if he didn’t have the staff to handle a piece of work, he had plenty of contacts in his network to help us finish the project on time. As a bonus, Red Van’s services were fairly priced. They didn’t rip us off over a big agency fee. 

Further, the design process was critical for us. I was originally a designer and illustrator, too, and I’ve worked with Jared for so many years. As a result, he knew that if he didn’t deliver a high-quality product, I’d look a little phony. Fortunately, we didn’t have this problem; Jared did a fine job. In fact, he had done projects with a friend of mine, and they were thrilled with his work. 

How did Red Van Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

Red Van had first-class project management techniques, and Jared also did a great job managing the project. We had a project manager working with him, which made the project even easier. It would have been more difficult for him to do it alone. However, if we didn’t assign a project manager, that shortcoming would be on our plate. 

Meanwhile, the hold-ups we experienced were on our team and not Jared’s.  We were so busy that he sometimes had to wait for 2–5 days to start working on things. It was part of the nature of this type of business. To communicate, we used Jira and Basecamp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Jared was an authentic person with great moral values across the board. He was a great family man, too, even as he worked many hours to finish the project. For instance, he once called to inform me that he was taking his family out and wanted to take a day off. As a result, we had to finish everything on time before he left. When he came back, we managed to wrap everything up by the end of that week. Given that, I appreciate that he still had time to spend with his family despite his commitment to the project. 

In terms of work, Jared did a great job understanding the essence of our business before diving into the creative process. That was a highly unusual trait for a creative person. Most of the time, creatives would be more caught up with their designs than they’d be in the company’s essence and goals. Jared was the exact opposite of that; he started with our essence, and then his designs served our goals. 

Overall, the site reflected the concept we chose. It recently went live, and our team looked it over and didn’t find a single typo. As a result, we were pleased with the project’s outcome.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t look at the engagement as a simple project. Instead, you must get to know Jared. He’s willing to go to your office, sit down with you, and sketch while you’re talking. This way, he can better understand the project. On top of that, he has the ability to move on the fly and be with you in person if necessary. He also works equally well in a remote setup. 

Overall, Jared is highly flexible and can handle a broad spectrum of projects from WordPress web development to design and illustrations. He’s done it for me and my customers for 25 years, so you should get to know him, too. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own a window replacement business for residential remodeling.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Red Van Creative?

We had a previous site built by an East Coast company. It had cost me quite some money, but I didn’t feel like it looked as good or produced as well as I wanted it to. Red Van built a new website for us and handled Google Ads and general marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Red Van built the website from scratch. First, we went through the old site and looked at what was working. I laid out a design of how I wanted it to look, and they came up with several different mockups. We discussed them and chose one. As they built things along the way, I would take a look. I got to put a lot of input into the website, guiding me on what could work.

What is the team composition?

I know Jared (Owner & Creative Director). He has another guy who helps him with graphics, and he may have somebody doing copy as well.

How did you come to work with Red Van Creative?

I knew Jared personally, and I also knew he had done work for another large company here in Houston. It wasn’t a competitor, but it was a related industry.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve probably spent $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our partnership in October 2019, and we’re still working together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve gotten lots of great feedback on the site from my customers and competitors. Organic search ratings are regularly improving. It takes time, but we see progress and good payback on our dollars just in general business from Google and Facebook Ads.

Additionally, we’d talked about the price for the website, and it went over. However, Red Van didn’t bill me over, which spoke volumes about their integrity and the kind of business they run — Jared is an honorable guy who runs an honorable company. In the end, I paid more than what they bill me because I knew they had put a lot more effort into it than what we initially talked about.

How did Red Van Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

We typically communicate through emails and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They excel at customer communication. One of the things that matters the most to me is being listened to. After all, I’m hiring them to bring their knowledge about websites, but they don’t know my industry. Red Van has been eager to make sure we’re happy with the product, and they work along to put it all together.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. Jared does an exceptional job communicating and getting our input and feedback on things, so I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them plenty of feedback and explain your industry to them. They’re quick to listen and incorporate your ideas into the project, but you have to be willing to share that information.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a principal and owner of RAM Windows, a window and door manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Red Van Creative?

When I purchased the company, it was very small. We were focused on accelerated growth and needed a marketing partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Red Van Creative provides various ongoing projects and support in terms of marketing strategies. Our efforts start with the team studying our current processes and doing homework on our competition, which we use as references for our marketing strategies. Afterward, the team would take it from concept and provide 5–6 different options. Finally, we would narrow it down alongside the team and take it from there.

The Red Van Creative team has created our logo and website, and they provide all of our copy and ad material. Their services have also evolved into social media management. The team set up our Facebook, Instagram, and Google Plus accounts. They manage our accounts’ posts and comments and respond to any leads, which they would pass onto an assigned contact within our company. Additionally, the Red Van Creative team manages our ads on Facebook and sometimes Instagram.

They’ve provided us with everything to do with marketing, from soup to nuts. We handle all the internal processes while they’re on the outward-facing side of our marketing.

What is the team composition?

We’ve only interacted with Jared (Owner & Creative Director).

How did you come to work with Red Van Creative?

I’ve known Jared for a long time and had seen some samples of his work. We started with a small project, which evolved into the whole program they now provide us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in January 2008, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The point of the marketing program is to increase our overall company sales, and we’ve achieved that. Since they started working with us, our sales have increased by more than 800%. Additionally, we went from no online presence to having over 2,000 followers on Instagram and Facebook. We’re still a relatively small player in the market, but we’re able to compare favorably with our competitors in terms of reach just through the help Red Van Creative has provided.

How did Red Van Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done very well in terms of the project timeline. The scope of work is well-defined, and deadlines are always met. Furthermore, they are very transparent with any issues regarding budgets. We usually interface through email and some Microsoft Teams.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They do an excellent job of understanding the project requirements and our vision, which they turn into graphical illustrations with programs to go along with it. Basically, Red Van Creative takes ideas and turns them into effective actions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re still a pretty small firm, so they would benefit from hiring more teammates.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have initial concept reviews and fully understand your vision so that you can explain it to the Red Van Creative team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am preaching elder for Cornerstone. We are a church seeking to lead people to Jesus and encourage them in all aspects of life.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Red Van Creative?

We hired Red Van Creative to design our logo and do the artwork for our name. He has also helped with web material, created flyers and cards and assisted with our fund raising prospectus.

SOLUTION

How did you select Red Van Creative?

I have known Jared for years. I saw his work and asked him to see what he could do for us. It looked great so we hired him.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We met a few times to talk about the logo and church name design. He went to work and came back with several options for us to review. In the design of cards and flyers, he listened, presented a layout and once we reviewed it with some minor corrections, he printed them and delivered them quickly. He also helped change up the way our website looked.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with Jared.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have many compliments on the ease and content availability of our website. We have just started handing out flyers and cards so won’t know the results for several months.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team was thorough and timely with follow up to each request. He responded well when their were change requests.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Very patient with us in the logo design process. We didn’t know what we wanted exactly so he helped us process through it. He was quick to respond with multiple options on each project.

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

We were very pleased with our experience.