reitdesign

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder & CEO of Collegiate Retail Consulting Group

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

At Collegiate Retail Consulting Group (CRCG), we provide retail consulting services to the higher education community. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire reitdesign to accomplish?

• Provide Branding and Marketing Materials for CRCG.
• Develop Voice and Values, mission, and vision.
• Create website and online engagement strategy that detailed services and company information.

SOLUTION

How did you find reitdesign?

Worked with REIT during previous employer engagement.

Why did you select reitdesign over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Knows the industry!

How many teammates from reitdesign were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Create Branding & Marketing Materials for Collegiate Retail Consulting Group (CRCG)

• Messaging:
  • Research included: Kickoff Meeting, working session with key stakeholders, 3 interviews (one with CRCG, and others with potential customers and/or potential employees or partnerships).
  • Brand Positioning included: Brand voice and values, mission and vision, key messaging and copy for sales deck.
• Branding:
  • Created and evaluated several versions of CRCG logos working with usage of icon and type treatment, creation of color palette and supporting fonts & assets. Final solution applied to “real life” scenarios (i.e. website, biz card, etc.).
  • Working with chosen logo, developed branding sheet and guidelines that included color palette, fonts, graphical elements, and logo placement.
• Flagship Materials:
  • Designed and developed full stationery suite, business cards, e-signature, and email templates.
  • Developing soon: working with the messaging, developing a capabilities document that will include solutions, revenue, personalized learning, engagement improvement, student culture and more.
• Website:
  • Created a dynamic templated site that outlined Collegiate Retail Consulting Group’s services & provided information on the company.
• Social Media Evaluation:
  • Identified key competitors to analyze their digital footprint & impact.
  • Collected fan/ followers and posting frequency for each brand and each channel they use.
  • Collected customer reviews on digital platforms to understand public perception and pain points in this industry.
  • Developed a strategic plan for CRCG that best addressed brand goals, inclusive of a posting plan.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• CRCG voice, branding, and messaging developed and continue to be used in all outreach opportunities.
• All marketing materials were developed, finalized, and put into production by established due date.
• Social media strategy was implemented by established due date. 
• Website design and launch by established due date.
• Note: All deliverables came in on-time and on budget. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Our experience with their project management was exceptional. They consistently demonstrated a high level of professionalism and efficiency in delivering items on time. Deadlines were meticulously met, ensuring that our project progressed smoothly and according to schedule.

Throughout the course of our collaboration, their team was highly responsive to our needs and requirements. They actively listened to our concerns and took prompt action to address any issues that arose. Their attentiveness and proactive approach were greatly appreciated, as they made us feel supported and confident in their abilities to meet our project goals.

What was your primary form of communication with reitdesign?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What sets REIT apart from its competitors is their impressive commitment to listening and providing feedback and guidance. I was struck by their unique approach to problem-solving and their ability to stay in tune with the retail higher education industry. Another noteworthy aspect of REIT is their strong focus on customer satisfaction. They went above and beyond to understand our pain points and tailor their solutions to meet our specific requirements. 

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

REIT is a major reason for the success of CRCG. I would not change a thing, as I continue to work and explore other partnership opportunities!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the associate director of communications at the New York City Audubon Society, an affiliate but separate nonprofit organization from the National Audubon Society. We promote environmental conservation and the love of birds throughout the five boroughs of New York. Our organization runs conservation, education, and outreach programs involving the conservation and enjoyment of wildlife in the City.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with reitdesign?

We originally contacted reitdesign to help us rethink our website. They created a new logo and consulted with us about our branding. After that, we wanted to redesign our website using the new branding that they’d given us. Our website was out of date; it didn’t have a mobile-friendly design and was overall cumbersome to use and update. As a result, we requested a mobile responsive design that matched our new branding. Our team also wanted to use a system that worked well with different platforms. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In the beginning, we showed reitdesign our previous website and gave them a few guidelines. Our team also gave them a sitemap of what the website was going to look like. We didn’t give them too much to go on, so they did much of the envisioning for the website. 

As we went ahead, the reitdesign team created new website templates while figuring out how our backend systems would work for our donations and membership programs. The team ensured the homepage showed what we did as an organization. As we were doing the content, other pages came up. As a result, they ended up doing more site templates than we originally required.  

For the backend, we’d planned on using WordPress since it was ubiquitous and easy to use. Then, we decided to use NeonCRM, which was designed for nonprofits our size. However, our teams ultimately realized that WordPress wasn’t the best CMS to use with NeonCRM. After researching platforms and frameworks, reitdesign chose Ruby on Rails, which connected better with NeonCRM. For CMS, we chose Spina CMS, which was a new and modern platform. 

At present, we’re still working with them. We’re currently thinking about any type of improvements or feature additions that we want for the website going forward. Once we have the right designs for those additions, they’re going to implement them. Moreover, if any issues come up, we talk to them via email. 

What is the team composition?

When we worked on the logo, we collaborated with Johanna (Former Senior Designer & Internship Coordinator), who was also involved in designing the initial templates of the website. 

At present, I mostly work with Annelle (Project Coordinator), and she’s our main point of contact when discussing anything for the website. She also coordinates with a third-party web development team based in Russia. They’re essentially her web development team for the project. We also have meetings with Liz (Principal & Creative Director). Any time we have a group meeting, she’s there.  

How did you come to work with reitdesign?

reitdesign was highly recommended to us by a partner, for whom we retrofitted windows. This partner worked with reitdesign on branding and marketing projects before, so they recommended the team to us. 

How much have you invested with them?

Our total investment has been about $50,000. The branding work has cost around $14,500, while the web development project is around $35,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

They designed our logo from July–October 2019.  We then started working on the website in January 2020, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

reitdesign has created a site template that suited us and fulfilled our needs. They’ve made the website look great and stand out. It’s now easy to update, and it works well with various platforms. Since we’ve redesigned the website, we’ve seen an increase in traffic, especially on mobile. 

On top of that, reitdesign members are highly committed to their work. They’ve been easy to work with and responsive to the questions we’ve had. They’ve put a lot of thought into our logo and branding, and their team has been receptive to our ideas and inputs. Overall, they’ve definitely gone above and beyond in designing our backend systems and website templates. 

How did reitdesign perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve had plenty of questions regarding the project, and Annie and Liz have always been great at getting back to me with answers and checking in with the developers. On top of that, they work quickly; any delays in the project have been on our end as we try to finish up the content. Given that, they’re accepting of the situation, producing great work even though the content hasn’t been quite ready for them.

To communicate, we primarily use emails, and they use Teamwork as the project management system. I also use Teamwork to upload files and create tasks, schedules, and milestones. Through it, the team gains a great idea of everything we’ve discussed. They’ve also posted recordings, how-to videos, and tutorials for us since Spina CMS is a new tool and there isn’t much support for it apart from its core developers.

On top of that, their resources have done plenty of tinkering with the base-level system of Spina CMS. They’ve included many custom modules and showed us how to use all of them. Overall, getting oriented with a brand new system has been helpful to us. Personally, the Spina CMS has made my life easier because I can update things quickly. It has also allowed us to more consistently update our website with different content as needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

reitdesign’s dedication to doing the best they can is the best part of working with them. The team members are highly thoughtful and put much effort into everything they do. More importantly, every time we go to them, we feel that they’re listening. The team members work as hard as they can to fulfill our vision, whether it’s for our branding or our website. They’ve been truly attentive to what we need. 

Overall, they’re devoted to making this project a success even though we’re a small organization on a huge website — they don’t let the scale of the project get in the way of success. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Early on, there was a bit of confusion as to what exactly was needed for every part of the website mostly because we didn’t have our content ready. A little more explanation about the timeline and what was needed at each point would have been helpful to minimize the confusion.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a firm vision of your needs in terms of branding because that’s their wheelhouse. They have fantastic designers that do a terrific job. Meanwhile, for website projects, you should also have a firm idea of your needs and content. Make sure that they have those before they begin significant work on the website.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association. We're a trade association that represents 425 car dealers in the metropolitan area of New York. We do educational lobbying and compliance and automotive education training.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with reitdesign?

We needed their team to help us get the word out about our auto shows and reach out to our exhibitors.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

reitdesign collates data on the demographics of our auto shows and helps us put together an annual report on each of them. They keep track of our media reach, including electronic, traditional, and social media engagement, and the number of attendees for each show. Once this pile of information is processed, we are handed a thorough yet digestible report, which we present to our global clients and exhibitors.

During the initial years of our engagement, reitdesign also refurbished our association’s logo to give it a more up-to-date look. Their team also designs the huge entrance banners that we use in each show, depending on our theme for that event.

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with an assigned project manager, while the rest of their resources are assigned to delve into the marketing aspect of our project.

How did you come to work with reitdesign?

reitdesign was strongly recommended to us by our friend who worked at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, the place where we held our auto shows.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement commenced in April 2013, and it’s ongoing. We haven’t really been able to hold more auto shows because of the pandemic, and we’re working on writing the last event report with their team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been told by the automotive industry that our reports are by far the most professional ones they’ve seen, and they’ve been using these to conduct their post-analysis of the New York auto shows — it’s an invaluable service that we’re honored to deliver in the field of business that we’re in. We’ve positioned our group as a credible source of professional show reports, and that’s all thanks to reitdesign’s team.

How did reitdesign perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly communicate via phone calls and email, while reitdesign also keeps track of all our data through a spreadsheet. They’ve been tremendous in terms of project management. We always look for a partner that can put together our reports nicely and meet our deadlines and communication needs at the same time — reitdesign is that kind of partner to us, and we’re always pleased to be working with their team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate the amount of involvement that they are willing to impart in any task that we have for them. reitdesign is definitely a professional team that knows and loves what they’re doing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t pinpoint an area that needs improvement. Customized design samples and products can be very expensive, but we appreciate how their team manages to compromise and still give us satisfying results.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

reitdesign has the talent to make your business and services appear special to your clientele — you just have to trust their team to create products that represent your company.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Maxons Restoration is an emergency restoration company specializing in remediation after a loss from fire, smoke, water, and mold damages.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire reitdesign, and what were your goals?

We hired Reit Design to build us a new customer website with an elevated look to match the clientele that we serve.

SOLUTION

How did you select reitdesign and what were the deciding factors?

We had worked with Reit Design on smaller projects in the past and loved their workflow and communication.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

This project tied in our value proposition to highlight our services. Reit Design provided a wireframe, prototyping, as well as revisions before the final deliverable of the website.

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

We worked with Lixz, Joanna, and Annie.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The biggest measurable outcome of this project is the increased traffic to the site. This site has allowed us to build a blog, which helps our SEO rankings.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

Reit Design's project management style was high communication and quick feedback and updates.

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

The thing I found most impressive about Reit Design is their consistency and follow-up. Being in the industry Maxons is in, it is very easy for marketing-type projects to get left behind when we get busy. The ladies of Reit Design held us accountable to ensure we weren't delayed.

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

n/a