REQ

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the vice president for digital media and PR for Carahsoft, an IT distributor that focuses on the public sector market. In 18 years, Carahsoft has become the fastest growing, most respected IT solutions provider in the nation. Our 2021 bookings crossed $10B and we now employ 2200 team members.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Carahsoft works in an incredibly complex market, that involves supporting a robust and growing ecosystem of thousands of reseller partners, system integrators, IT solutions providers and a deep portfolio of contract vehicles. We hired REQ to help position and promote Carahsoft's brand and to be able to provide their expertise and services to our vendors as well.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have a long-standing relationship with one of their executives and REQ has a great reputation in the business-to-government market.

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

We've worked with REQ for 14 years, expanding the scope of their efforts year after year. In the past year alone, we worked with REQ on 100+ projects, supporting 24 vendor programs plus multiple projects for Carahsoft. The REQ team also runs our awards program and last year, we applied for 73 awards and won 60%.

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

• Elizabeth, EVP
• Katie, EVP
• Pete, Editor
• Lily, Assistant Account Exec.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The number of projects grows every year, and each year we have more vendors that are interested in partnering with REQ on award programs, content creation, contributed articles, etc.

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

Pre-Covid, Katie and Lily actually had office hours biweekly at the Carahsoft Headquarters building. They provide detailed monthly tracking reports, and are available by phone as frequently as we need them.

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

The REQ team truly functions as an extension of Carahsoft's PR/communications team. I've been impressed with their commitment to high-quality work, their ability to understand and translate complex technology topics, their responsiveness, and especially their strong writing skills.

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

I keep trying to talk Katie into moving into our office, but I haven't quite gotten her there yet!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing operations manager for Inova Health System, a healthcare system with five major hospitals and many outpatient studies. We serve the DMV area and have over 20,000 employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

Our marketing team was about 30 people, so we really needed some help with our service line campaign to get our information out to the public.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, we partnered with REQ for one campaign, but we worked so well together that we started bringing them into others. For instance, we had a big cancer center opening and ongoing services — such as our new movers program so people new to the area can know about us — that we needed the public to know about.

To start each project, we provide a creative brief for the campaign. Also, they talk to the marketing managers leading the service line to understand more about the program so the creative is aligned with the needs. We have kickoff meetings, and then we have weekly check-ins.

In general, they focus on advertising and branding services. Most of the initiatives are for lead generation — we try to get patients into the door. Additionally, they do channel creation. If we run a radio ad, they develop the script; if we do digital advertising, they create the ad from the creative concept to the content and what it looks like. On the other hand, we have a media buyer, so they just develop what’s placed.

What is the team composition?

Katie (VP of Client Service) is our senior account manager; we mostly work with her. However, since we started to engage them in most of our campaigns, they brought in Megan (Account Executive) as a second account manager.

We’ve also worked with high-level leadership, such as Avelyn (EVP of Strategy & Development), and some designers and people on the creative team. In total, we’ve been in contact with 5–7 people.

How did you come to work with REQ?

A member of our team randomly began to search agencies in the area. We didn’t have contact with REQ before, but we looked at them online and saw that they met our needs and had good reviews, so we reached out to them. On the first project, we actually talked to three agencies, but we selected REQ.

We liked their personality, creative input, and content related to healthcare. It was important to be clear and concise so patients could understand it. We gave them creative briefs, and they listened to what we asked for. Also, they acted like we were part of the team, so it felt super comfortable to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve probably spent between $50,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2021, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have impression numbers for each campaign, but I don’t have them offhand. However, our executives and team members are super happy with the quality of the work, which is a big deal. Moreover, we haven’t stopped using them. We only anticipated working with REQ for one campaign, and now we have six campaigns running. 

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

We love their project management — it’s one of the main reasons we like them. Not only do they hit timelines, but they actually remind us if we’re running behind internally. They help us stay in line and speak up like they’re part of the team on the weekly calls. At first, they were very respectful, but as we got to know each other, they began to make suggestions if something didn’t fit the campaign.

They’ve been willing to jump into our project management tool, which has been really helpful. We’ve never met in person due to COVID-19, so we’ve done all our meetings via Zoom. They show their face and are super engaging with us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their engagement at any level is outstanding. For example, we’re currently doing a nursing recruitment campaign, and Avelyn has made herself available. If they know we need a bit more face time from their team, they dedicate that time. Also, sometimes we have last-minute requests and same-day meetings, and they always make sure that at least one person can join the calls. Overall, they feel like they’re part of our team rather than just an agency we’re working with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the beginning, they were a little less vocal. We had a project where they had alternate views; they could’ve spoken up, and we could’ve saved some time. However, we needed to grow our relationship first. Other than that, we don’t have any issues. Working with them is great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Making them part of the team is the best way to go. The more inclusive you can be with your agency, the better. That way, they can really get to know who you are internally so they can be a better partner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of communications for Mattermost.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

We needed help with our public sector and government relations.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They engaged us with a focused PR program to increase our visibility within both the federal government and public sector agencies. REQ has taken the lead on creating press releases, blog posts, and promotional videos. Their other specific products are customer case studies and award submissions.

What is the team composition?

Katie (Senior Vice President) is our main point of contact, and I also work with Samantha (Public Relations Assistant Account Executive).

How did you come to work with REQ?

They were referred to me before I started at Mattermost by a former co-worker.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $100,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since June 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their writing is very powerful and has received high marks from our CEO and executive team. Their efforts have increased the number of earned media placements within government technology publications, and they’ve also helped scale our marketing and customer engagement activities across our government customer accounts.

Their writing contributions have helped boost our overall thought leadership as well. There isn’t a direct correlation there, but we make the case that by driving more PR placements and article coverage, they’ve increased our overall web and social media traffic across the board, but, specifically, in government employees.

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent at project management, and especially setting strong agendas for meetings and scaling activities across multiple internal and external stakeholders. We communicated over Google Docs, Zoom, phone calls, and emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have deep expertise working with government, technology, media, and publications, so they have a strong awareness of the means required to increase visibility across the government technology landscape.

Secondly, REQ has incredibly strong writing skills. They also have a team of writers that support the core folks that I work with; their writing is very persuasive and powerful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They very much rise to the occasion in every session and do what we ask them to.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

View them as a strategic partner and bring them into the fold as much as possible regarding planning meetings, customer conversations, and other strategy-oriented conversations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the regional manager responsible for all sales and marketing at Copare. We’re in the health and wellness industry —  we focus on creating customized programs that help people lose weight and gain lasting health.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

We wanted to do a better job differentiating ourselves from our competition and "telling our story" more effectively. We also wanted to elevate our brand, generate more brand awareness and ultimately grow our revenue.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

REQ started the engagement by doing a lot of competitive research. Their discovery process also included interviewing key stakeholders as well as conducting their own surveys. Based on the feedback they received, they were able to gain a better understanding of our business including our key differentiators. From there, they formulated and recommended a brand framework/strategy that included a name change.

Once the new framework was approved, REQ developed a brand-new website utilizing Word Press.  The new website was more streamlined and had a modern look and feel that better reflected the new brand. REQ also assisted with marketing campaigns including e-mail and social media campaigns.  They helped develop content in keeping with the new brand and brand guidelines and assisted with the new brand rollout.

What is the team composition?

We worked primarily with their senior brand strategist as well as their creative team and one of their VPs.  Their VP served as the primary liaison and project manager, keeping the overall engagement on track and coordinating all parties. We also worked with their web development team.

How did you come to work with REQ?

We researched and interviewed several agencies prior to deciding on REQ.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $175,000–$180,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with REQ in January 2021. The bulk of the project was finished in December 2021, but we were still utilizing their services until the end of March 2022. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Whenever you roll out a new brand, it takes time to get traction. The overall feedback on the brand has been extremely positive. REQ was a pleasure to work with. They were professional, responsive, creative and did a good job adhering to the project timelines. Their design team and brand strategy team exceeded my expectations.

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall REQ did an excellent job managing this project.  With weekly status calls, emails and in-person meetings we were able to adhere to the project timelines.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their creative/design team and their brand strategy work were top-notch.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had a couple of communication issues. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask a lot of questions, and make sure that you communicate with REQ. This ensures that everybody is on the same page. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was Vice President of Marketing and Communications. Under my remit, I was responsible for all performance marketing campaigns driving measurable growth across our portfolio of financial products and services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed a complete digital transformation of their marketing program; the site was antiquated and wasn't serving the needs of the members and the digital campaigns were languishing under poor management by a former agency.

My initial engagement with REQ was for a website redesign and build. One of my key goals was to ensure that we captured internal stakeholder requirements to ensure that business goals were achieved. REQ's approach to discovery, design and building the site was methodical and well thought out and the site was well received by our membership, internal stakeholders and the executive team.

Based on their site work, I eventually chose REQ as our agency to manage our digital performance campaigns. REQ's engagement, expertise and active management of our campaigns was also excellent. They regularly came to the table with recommendations to drive increased performance and were responsive whenever needed. I've always insisted on access to the campaigns, but with REQ's management, I didn't have to spot check to ensure that they were being managed effectively.

SOLUTION

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

When I RFP'd for the site work, I developed a standardized ranking sheet and included representatives from all the major internal stakeholder groups to participate in the selection process. REQ's response and presentation raised them above the three other agencies I brought in.

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

As our digital marketing agency, REQ's scope included search, display, social, SEO, as well as some limited IT resourcing. REQ is an integral part of our efforts, providing a deep bench of expertise and working as an extension of my team.

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

Between the site work and campaign management, I had numerous teams from REQ engaged; creative, IT, SEM, SEO, social, account management. All were high caliber and provided solutions to move projects along.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we launched with REQ's campaign management, I saw an immediate increase in reporting visibility. Of all the improvements, that was the foundational element that allowed us to make smarter budget allocation decisions, and in turn, improve performance in all facets of our program.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was always excellent.

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

REQ has grown significantly, expanding its footprint and capabilities, but despite that growth, they still have somewhat of a boutique agency feel and attention to detail.

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

Not necessarily an area of improvement for REQ, but my recommendation to anyone would be to be an active client and engage with REQ on the campaigns or project. You'll get out exactly what you put into the relationship.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Evolution Healthcare is an integrated healthcare solution that moves employers from a fully insured acquisition strategy to a partially self-funded one. I’m the company's EVP.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

Our prior digital marketing firm had great brand awareness and recognition strategies. However, we were trying to take it to the next level with targeted employer and insurance broker campaigns. As a result, we were looking for somebody that could help us grow our lead generation. In the end, we reached out to REQ.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

REQ created the scope of work and jumped right in. They started by managing our website development overhaul project, and they spearheaded the automation of our sales funnel with our current CRM. They now assist us in writing blog pieces, and they provide social media strategies and lead generation ideas. In addition, the team is responsible for implementing search optimization strategies, creating a brand calendar, and more.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with 10–12 people from REQ.

How did you come to work with REQ?

They had experience in our industry and that was helpful because they already understood what we were doing. We found them through a competitor in our industry that used them. After that, we reached out to REQ, and we picked them because they already had existing materials that we needed.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $600,000. We invest around $275,000 annually.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing collaboration started in April 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our lead generation click-through rate (CTR) has increased by 30%. We’ve also been pleased that they’ve created a multi-strategy, so we expect our CTR to increase by another 10%.

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

REQ is always on time, and they’re always prepared. Our weekly calls are concise, and their schedule is always flexible. There are times I get pulled into other meetings, and they’re able to accommodate and move things around my schedule. We communicate through video calls, and we schedule several conversations on different topics rather than trying to juggle everything all into one meeting.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They listen, and they have an understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish. On top of that, they’re willing to research in order to help us execute our vision because we’re doing some things in marketing that are outside of the norm.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think I have any negative feedback about REQ.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what you’re looking for before hiring a company. If you don’t have a clear direction of what you’re trying to accomplish, it can be very hard to communicate with a potential vendor.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for a technology solutions provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

We enlisted REQ to help us with our media and content strategies, as well as our awards and speaking programs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

REQ serves as an extension of our marketing team, by providing us with branding and digital marketing strategies to increase our brand awareness.

What is the team composition?

My main contacts are Katie (EVP), Kaylee (Account Coordinator), and Pete (SVP).

How did you come to work with REQ?

We went through a competitive RFP process and chose REQ for their deep experience with the public sector.

How much have you invested with them?

We have an ongoing monthly retainer as well as contracted them for several smaller projects outside of our scope.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with REQ since the beginning of 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

REQ has been instrumental in our content development, awards program, and thought leadership campaigns.

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re amazing from a project management standpoint. We’ve never had an issue with communication because Katie is always available — there have been no hesitations and I never felt that I couldn’t reach them. They’re an extension of my team and I talk to them as often as I would with my own team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed with their expertise and ability to understand highly technical content.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, at least nothing that I’ve noticed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re not communicating your priorities or needs, then they will not be able to support your objectives. I suggest keeping constant communications with them, to make sure that your goals are aligned.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing at ActiveNav. We’re an on-prem software company and we serve the B2B and B2G markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

REQ helped us with renaming and rebranding. When we started the project, we knew that we were struggling a bit with our name. Before this project, we were called ActiveNavigation, and “navigation” was causing some confusion in the market. We wanted to refresh our brand to look a bit more modern.

However, our driving issue was that our website was underperforming. Our older site wasn’t set up for marketing automation and didn’t have a good way to convert users on the site. Unfortunately, it was also very slow. This, in turn, meant we had problems ranking on Google and Bing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They really did everything. They gave us three different options for our name, style, theme, look, brand, and everything that goes along with that. That includes typography, colors, logo creation, and things like that. We then worked with them to settle on one set of brand guidelines that we could share with customers and partners. Since then, they’ve designed business cards, podcast cover art, icons, and other things that build out our visual identity.

For the website, they did both the design and development. They also host our website.

What is the team composition?

We had two main points of contact Katie (Senior Vice President) and Carly (Account Executive).

How did you come to work with REQ?

I saw their SVP speak at an event and was impressed with what they were talking about. We saw that they had experience with both enterprise and B2G markets, so that was a big differentiator for us. They also local to us so we were able to go see them in person.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started at the end of March 2020, and we’re still on a retainer with them, and will be moving forward.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen conversion rates and inbound leads shoot up pretty dramatically. We also tracked Google PageSpeed Insights. We were less than 20 out of 100 when we started this project, but now we’re regularly 85 out of 100. That has been a huge improvement.

We’ve also seen a significant increase in traffic to the site, especially now that we’re able to do promotions. Users can find our site on search engines a lot better. In the first month since the new site launched, we’ve seen a 300% increase in website traffic.

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been excellent at that. Carly and Katie always reply to my email within the day. They consistently gave me updates regarding timing. We also met every two weeks, but they were also available for additional meetings. They were extremely flexible and were always available to answer our calls.

The team was very good at explaining who was on our team and who to contact. They had charts on which they laid everything out, so there weren’t very many surprises or roadblocks for us. They set very clear expectations, and that made the entire engagement really easy.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with how flexible they were. When we originally started the project, we had a much larger scope,  but our budget was slashed because of COVID-19. They worked very hard to stay within our budget, and that was really impressive. That’s why we hope to continue working with them. They were just really accommodating to our changing needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we really enjoyed working with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of Macro Solutions. We’re a woman-owned business that focuses on government IT and management support.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

We needed to cast a bigger shadow with marketing and initially engaged REQ to develop a better web presence. We needed to develop capability briefs, white papers, and other printed material to share with existing and prospective clients and partners.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

REQ runs a full-service marketing operation for us. Their team initially worked on a strategic overhaul of our website. Since then, they reskinned the site. Their team helped with our branding and messaging. For example, their team provided recommendations for the phrases that we should use in our print and digital materials.

They drive awareness as well as help us with our content and website mechanics. Their team edits our blog posts and develops all of the graphics for our website and printed materials. They also connect us with potential awards and communities that hold events in our space.

What is the team composition?

We have a couple of contacts at REQ but Melissa’s (Public Relations) our main point of contact. There are a handful of other folks who work on various projects.

How did you come to work with REQ?

Elizabeth (EVP) and I worked together many years ago. I trusted her judgment and approach as well as appreciated her connections. We began working with Elizabeth, and then REQ acquired her company.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend anywhere from $50,000–$75,000 a year on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our relationship began in 2015, and it's ongoing. We started this engagement with a project-oriented approach, and we now have them on a monthly retainer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

REQ hit specific timelines that we needed to hit, which was important. Their team teed us up for awards too.

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

We have biweekly meetings during which we share updates. That cadence’s terrific. REQ set up a distribution list on their email system that enables us to send one email that everyone on our account receives at the same time. Their team drives us and helps us to stay on top of projects because we’re a little thin in terms of internal staff.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re aligned with our branding and messaging. Their team’s responsive and can almost predict our needs, which is exactly what we require in a partner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I miss working with one of their previous team members. He had a keen design sense. He could bring many different elements into an image that worked. We’ve still been able to achieve similar outcomes but miss his perspective.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to have regular communication because conditions change all of the time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Carahsoft. We are a distributor of software and IT to federal, state, and local education governments and the prime contractors that they support.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

Our marketplace is very complex, so we hired them for PR.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

REQ has helps us with PR. They mostly look at the awards list that we get added to, how we write our PR content, and how we write content for our audiences. They manage the awards we do for ourselves and those we enter for our vendor partners.

For example, in our industry, there is a project called the Fed100 that is highly prestigious, and it’s an award that’s not easy to get. The team helps us write different nominations for it because a specific tone and language are required. They also find sponsors for the nominations.

Additionally, they do case study development and editorial contributed content on behalf of the vendors that we represent. They also help us with our own press releases or those that our vendors want to do. 

What is the team composition?

My primary point of contact is Elizabeth (EVP, Public Relations).

How did you come to work with REQ?

We hired them because they know how to do PR and case study awards better than anyone in the industry.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $1 million over the years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since 2004, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

REQ has gotten us onto about 15–20 different award lists that we wouldn’t have gotten if it wasn’t for them. They find the right awards for us and get us into them.

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re really skilled at what they do, and they guide us through the timelines and make sure that all of the deliverables are being met. They are the ones who make sure that the workflow and timelines are managed effectively.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve grown at a fast rate, and REQ has helped us scale from a few vendors to over 100. They’ve allowed us to scale faster and with much higher quality than if we had done it ourselves.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of right now. We’ve had a long-standing relationship, and when we asked for certain capabilities, they added them over the years.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them as much access to your business as possible. If you treat them as a part of the team, you will be successful.