REQ

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the manager of marketing and communications at Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of A­­­merica. We educate regulators on the impact of our members’ businesses on the American economy. I run the marketing and branding for our convention.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

Our last website had outlived its shelf-life and didn’t serve our marketing purposes. We decided to overhaul our approach to better tell our story to important stakeholders (e.g. members of Congress, regulators, consumers, other members of the industry). We wanted more than just a branding facelift; we wanted a partner in helping us rethink our communication strategy and give our tool a holistic revamp.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

REQ completely redesigned our website using Drupal. It was a large project because we offer several resources on our site. They evaluated which platform would best suit our flexible needs. They also created an entirely new landing page with an industry tab which defined who we are, who our members are, and how our industry runs. I found their custom illustrations for our website very useful since our story is difficult to tell using ordinary pictures.   

What is the team composition?

I communicated with Carly (Project Manager, REQ), Melissa (Account Manager, REQ), and Phenola (Senior Account Director, REQ).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although I haven’t checked the actual site analytics since our launch, I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback from our members.

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

They were a dream partner to work with. The way they translated the technical side of rebuilding a website to something I could consume and understand was very useful. They were transparent with timelines and were flexible with my schedule.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate that they brought a fresh sense of creativity to our project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, it was as smooth as I could’ve hoped for.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the senior director of government relations for a global online marketplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

We engaged REQ to develop and maintain two websites for our global grassroots action networks. The sites needed to display our stances on policies relating to e-commerce.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

REQ built and now provides support and updates to our websites, which have multilingual and country-specific iterations such as in Australia and France. The team also helps maintain the communities that have grown on each platform. They oversee our six social media platforms and assist us with grassroots campaigns, which sometimes have as little as 24–48 hours notice. Throughout each stage, REQ accommodates our extensive vetting process that requires coordinating with our technology, InfoSec, and communications departments.

What is the team composition?

We work primarily with Eric (Chief Client Officer, REQ) who leads a larger team behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with REQ?

I’ve worked with them on past projects. They performed quality work and demonstrated integrity, so we felt they were the best partner for this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2005, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

REQ regularly meets all requirements. The team offers low-cost innovative solutions within their budget or the scope of their retainer contract without prompting. Even when cutbacks occur, they never try to upsell me or surprise me with costs. They scale their resources and workload appropriately without sacrificing quality or timeliness.

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

The REQ team manages our relationship effectively and with flexibility. They devote extra resources to our project as needed and are willing to work weekends. They also train each incoming team member to keep them up-to-date on our project needs; that way, each person is ready to react at a moment’s notice.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their agility, patience, and penchant for creative solutions make for an effortless collaboration.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be honest and transparent about your expectations, your budget, and your flexibility. Communication is the key to a successful partnership with any vendor.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the global head of expansion at B.GOOD Restaurants.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

We had three business challenges. First, we wanted a digital transformation to enhance our outdated web presence, which wasn’t disruptive at all. Although our company had a solid presence in New England, we wanted locations outside the region to achieve more investment from external partners. Consequently, we hired REQ to manage our digital transformation via SEO and social media platforms. Second, we wanted REQ to upgrade our locations’ physical presence, marketing, branding, innovation, and menus. Thirdly, we didn’t manage in-store customers’ journeys well. Our team needed more information and content to communicate at the store level.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We did a few projects that focused on digital and social content creation. This content described our core values around food, people, and community. At a later point, we came up with a five-point plan for improved communication and storytelling. Given the collateral that accompanied our broad menu—menu boards, external branding, and advertising—we appeared as a quick serve restaurant, as opposed to fast casual. REQ introduced new bowls, seasonal menus, and limited edition items to improve our messaging. The team then did a full-immersion into the restaurant to ascertain the customer journey. As a result, storytelling emphasized our food ethos around our four main offerings: smoothies, burgers, bowls, and salads.

What is the team composition?

Dan (Vice President, Strategy & Analytics, REQ) was our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with REQ?

B.GOOD Restaurants hired REQ before I joined the company. We reached out because they had done great work for our competitors.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–November 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

REQ improved navigation dramatically. The backend gave us more insights into user behavior. When people came on to the site, they first looked at the menus before checking locations, our philosophy, and finally the nutritional values. Our app—which has a Google Maps integration—now has 270,000 users and has received positive feedback for its user-friendly functionalities.

Also, REQ expanded our automated messaging. Automation enabled us to respond to users within two hours, as opposed to 24. They improved our branding as well, particularly for awareness and nutritional value.

The team’s overall success was an improvement over their initial performance. At first, they were too close to our industry to bring a fresh perspective. However, their contributions were valuable and the team remained at the core of our effort.

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

We had 30-minute phone calls every weekday to review progress. The team could multitask, but not everyone could move as quickly as others. They were also upfront about delays and communicated directly via phone.

We weren’t the most functional client. We were dysfunctional because there were too many stakeholders and everybody had an opinion. We had to contain that internally; that process took nearly seven months. It wasn’t supposed to take that long, but we slowed down because what was supposed to be an interim site became its own a project. REQ was ready to accommodate us, but we made an educated decision to slow things down.

Phenola (Senior Account Director, REQ) led the five-point plan. She was very articulate and took feedback well. Moreover, the team’s subsequent adjustments reflected their open approach. Their immersion in our brand experience and food demonstrated the team’s commitment.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was used to working with large agencies on retainer. However, I appreciated REQ’s flexibility and agile approach as a smaller firm. They were articulate, knowledgeable, and creative. The team provided great content and cloud-based services. Overall, they gave us more than what we paid for.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We expected more creativity surrounding the site. Although REQ distinguished us from our competitors, the visuals could still have been more creative.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of Sparo. We're a platform that leverages corporate social responsibility.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

We wanted more people to know about our brand, so we were looking for a company to design our website and help us with branding.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to have a user-friendly and modern website that would appeal to a broad audience, but mostly millennials. We also wanted to convey the message about how companies could leverage corporate social responsibility into a double bottom line. In addition to designing our website, REQ managed SEO for it and helped us with branding. It was a very collaborative process and they accomplished all of our goals. They also write blog posts for us and create backlinks to our website.

What is the team composition?

We mostly work through a project manager.

How did you come to work with REQ?

I had a previous relationship with one of their partners.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2015 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website distinguishes us from our competitors and we’re happy with its look and feel. REQ was able to create exceptional user experience, which our investors like very much. We're a startup and have a limited budget, but we're hoping to raise money so that we can continue working with REQ.

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is very collaborative and responsive. It was a smooth process and they met our deadlines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very creative. Also, they're timely and I can reach them anytime I need them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the executive vice president of marketing for the National Association of Broadcasters.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

We hadn't seen significant engagement from our previous digital and grassroots strategy, so we reached out to REQ to help us form a coalition of like-minded individuals to promote a policy objective more effectively.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

REQ helped us expand and manage a coalition that included a diverse group of people, reaching more types of listeners and viewers to help them better understand a complex policy issue and motivate them to take action with their members of Congress. In the process, REQ designed a web platform and managed it, and worked with us on live events to improve our membership and grassroots efforts. They also manage some of our social media accounts and content.

What is the team composition?

We work with four people on their staff primarily.

How did you come to work with REQ?

It's a bit unusual that we considered REQ, because we receive so many pitches from various companies each month. However, their proposal stood out to our head of digital, so we decided to engage them. It was immediately clear after meeting with them that they had some great ideas for a better digital strategy, so we were eager to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested between $200,000–$250,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since September 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

REQ has helped us significantly expand our growth by upwards of 1,000%. They've implemented a lot of great ideas that have helped us reach more people and increase membership across digital platforms, including social media.

They've done a great job in providing an additional voice for the people in the policy debate. They've transformed our website, making it much more modern, user-friendly, and appealing overall. Encouraging us to think more creatively, they've also helped us reach new audiences.

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

They're great at taking the lead and driving projects forward. Not only do they provide extra hands to help implement strategies, but they also keep us on track and are in constant communication with us to ensure timelines are met. They're also good about staying within set budgets.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They bring a lot of creativity to the table, are energetic, and driven. They take ownership in their work and keep us updated on our metrics, so we know where we stand in achieving our goals. I look forward to our meetings with their team, because they make the whole process a lot of fun.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything at the moment; we've been very happy with their level of service and communications.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be upfront about business objectives, goals, and deadlines. Make the time to communicate and collaborate with REQ as needed, so they can better meet those needs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Lead of the company. 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Marketing

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• 1st page on google
• done
• done

SOLUTION

How did you find REQ?

Online Search

Why did you select REQ over others?

High ratings

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

Social Media Marketing

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

IDK

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

They have a great company and great support.

What was your primary form of communication with REQ?

In-Person Meeting

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

Profits are high

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

Yes

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a technology leader in the public sector organization of a software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired REQ to provide public relations services to boost the visibility of our company within the public sector industry.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were selected before I joined.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

They work with marketing and technical leads to establish an editorial calendar to match the company's messaging with events in the public sector and trade press. They'd submit authored article ideas to the media and, if accepted, ghostwrite articles on behalf of our subject matter experts. They also submitted executives and technology leaders for industry awards, which we won.

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

I worked with their:

• account director
• account team
• writer
• their senior leadership

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

REQ keeps us front-of-mind with our customers. We couldn't do it without them!

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

They get work done in a kind and polite fashion. They're a joy to work with and the results of their work are amazing.

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

They make it incredibly easy to work with and they're eager to adjust and advise to maximize the value they bring.

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

I can't think of anything.