R&G Strategic

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a senior manager at EfficiencyOne Services, an industry-leading energy efficiency service provider. Our company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EfficiencyOne, the company that runs all the energy efficiency programs in Nova Scotia. We operate Canada's first energy efficiency utility and market the expertise we've developed locally to a broader client base.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with R&G Strategic?

We had rather ambitious sales targets this year. We contracted R&G to develop a sales strategy to meet or exceed our sales targets.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

R&G Strategic figured out the tactics and mechanics to help us reach our goals. Specifically, they helped us identify how to bring a couple of our more prominent opportunities to a close. After we agreed on the scope of work, they developed and submitted to us a proposal that we could use to apply for federal government funding. R&G Strategic was great to cooperate with the program’s requirements.

What is the team composition? 

Our main point of contact with Sarah (Director of Strategy, R&G Strategic) We also engaged quite a bit with Christa (Lead Strategic, R&G Strategic) In a meeting or two, Andrew (Junior Brand Strategist, R&G Strategic) was involved as well. The experience with the whole team was fantastic. 

How did you come to work with R&G Strategic?

We found them through a referral by an internal colleague of mine who knew Sarah from when she used to work with our parent company’s partner marketing agency. They’d become friends through professional exposure that fostered mutual respect. I asked if R&G Strategic offered sales strategy, and she said it was worth reaching out. They came highly recommended for their professionalism and robust marketing services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our project with R & G Strategic lasted from April to May of this year, notwithstanding the period when we were having preliminary conversations before they submitted the proposal and we secured the federal funding.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our partnership has provided a relatively easy-to-follow road map. We're confident that this engagement is going to help us reach our revenue targets for the year. I’m incredibly impressed with the final product. That positive sentiment is shared by our entire in-house team, including the general manager. Before the project, I’d met with the lead a few times, so I felt confident they'd deliver. 

How did R&G Strategic perform from a project management standpoint?

I met with our main point of contact a couple of times before bringing her into the broader team. R&G Strategic was extraordinarily responsive and adaptive to our timelines. When they sent us a draft report, for example, I had some clarifying questions about how to translate their ideas into practical terms for my business. R&G Strategic adapted to my needs and quickly provided specific examples. I don't mean that to suggest that the material was difficult to interpret. In areas where I needed a bit more clarity, they accommodated me.

What did you find most impressive about them?

R&G Strategic's subject matter expertise, customer service, and responsiveness are second to none. I continued to be impressed with their ability to manage the process and with the final product itself.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Mara Renewables Corporation develops microbial technologies to make renewable oils. We take microorganisms from the ocean to the lab, optimize them, and make oil with them. This oil is a renewable source of oil and we make different products with it. One product is a nutritional application for human consumption that could be used for medicinal assets for humans and animals. We’re looking at making these renewable oils for fuel applications. We want to be part of the solution of using the renewable sources for energy. We use science to create products and optimize technology in a sustainable manner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with R&G Strategic?

For the first generation of our website, we used a different company. Although a good piece of work, the website content was no longer relevant.

The last few years, we were focused on developing the core of the company. Taking our technologies from the lab level to a commercial level to sell a product was new to us. We had a website, but it no longer reflected what we are doing now. It used to show that we were an R&D company. Now that we’re selling, our customers said our website didn’t accurately reflect our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They designed promotional materials like flyers, and we liked their work, so we proceeded with the work with the website. They redesigned the website based on our business vision, mission, and goals.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people. One or both of them came to our location for discussions. Sarah (Director of Strategy, R&G Strategic) handled design, communication style, and content. Liz (Director of Design, R&G Strategic) handled the design elements, colors, and art.

How did you come to work with R&G Strategic?

Our company shopped around and found them online. We contacted 3–4 companies. It was very important to us that we have access and interaction with the people doing the work with us. We were lucky that R&G Strategic is near us and could have face-to-face interaction.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2017–February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I’ve received overwhelmingly positive feedback. There’s more traffic on the website and more questions from the public. It’s helped a lot.

How did R&G Strategic perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very good at delivering on time. They were very good at responding right away. If there was an error, they fixed it within minutes. They’re adaptable to our requests.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very good at listening to the message and transforming it into very understandable information. We’re mostly scientists so we want to put absolutely everything there. They filtered what we wanted to communicate into something that the public would understand. They were very good presenting options to us. Although they heard a lot of overwhelming information, they were patient and very good at distilling the core message and better communicating it.

I’m convinced we made the right decision in choosing them. It was a pleasure working with them. They’re very likeable people.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We set up a tight timeline. They were delivering on time, but we needed more time to provide the materials they needed. We had to tell them to wait and not ask again for the materials, and they listened.

We had some different perspectives on the selection of the art and photos for the website. They could have been a little more flexible and willing to try a different concept or color. It was a minor thing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the VP Sustainability at a real estate company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Real estate management and investment services

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire R&G Strategic to accomplish?

• Internal teams at GWLRA understand the company's net zero goals and the roles they play in achieving those goals.

SOLUTION

How did you find R&G Strategic?

Referral

Why did you select R&G Strategic over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from R&G Strategic were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Develop online training course for company's net zero goal (1 hr), including content creation and design. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Received final course - content was good and design looked great.

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

Delivery was on time or within agreed upon schedules. The team was very responsive and accommodating to requests and changes.

What was your primary form of communication with R&G Strategic?

Virtual Meeting

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

Folks were pleasant to work with, professional, and offered good feedback and opinions on the content.

Are there any areas for improvement or something R&G Strategic could have done differently?

Nothing in particular, I think it worked well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an Executive of uptreeHR

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

HR consulting firm for small to medium sized businesses in Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire R&G Strategic to accomplish?

• Design an anniversary logo

SOLUTION

How did you find R&G Strategic?

Referral

Why did you select R&G Strategic over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from R&G Strategic were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Design a special anniversary logo using our current logo but incorporating the 10 year milestone.
 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A logo that met our specifications and that we were happy with.

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

Everything was on time and they responded quickly to emails and requests.

What was your primary form of communication with R&G Strategic?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I was impressed with how well they captured our somewhat abstract vision.

Are there any areas for improvement or something R&G Strategic could have done differently?

Nothing that I can think of!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Community Impact of Deli Star

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Deli Star is a family-owned, B2B protein-manufacturer supplying fresh, never frozen proteins to foodservice, behind the deli, grocery, sandwich, salad, and meal providers. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire R&G Strategic to accomplish?
Completed a GHG inventory and provided insights into outcomes.

SOLUTION

How did you find R&G Strategic?

Referral

Why did you select R&G Strategic over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from R&G Strategic were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.
Report on your baseline Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions with findings, methodology, and recommendations. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Provide support in a weekly check-in.

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

Yes, they were very responsive throughout the duration of the project.

What was your primary form of communication with R&G Strategic?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I liked the addition of Matt to the team - his experience in Food and Beverage really took this project to the next level. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something R&G Strategic could have done differently?

Perhaps more guidance on how to do the calculations in the future. Scheduling meetings in the beginning was a challenge. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the former Global Digital Marketing Expert of an automotive company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The company is a leading provider of innovative lightweight solutions for the global automotive industry

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire R&G Strategic to accomplish?

• Create a sustainability brand for our company

SOLUTION

How did you find R&G Strategic?

Online Search

Why did you select R&G Strategic over others?

Company values aligned

How many teammates from R&G Strategic were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

R&G helped the company to tell our sustainability story more effectively, with a new brand identity and narrative structure for our ESG and Sustainability programming and reporting

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

- Naming options (and reasoning behind) - Key messages - Support on how to integrate the concept into our reporting structure

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

They have been very professional and patient. They had a project calendar that they were constantly updating to reflect any changes.

What was your primary form of communication with R&G Strategic?

• In-Person Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their knowledge about the Sustainability topic

Are there any areas for improvement or something R&G Strategic could have done differently?

The briefing sessions were a bit informal. Considering that we invited some of our top level executives to these meetings, we were expecting them to be more structured.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Founder of a retail company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We sell refillable and low-waste products for home and personal care.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire R&G Strategic to accomplish?

• Make our website more visually esthetic and user friendly.
• Make our website easier to use on the back end.

SOLUTION

How did you find R&G Strategic?

• Online Search

Why did you select R&G Strategic over others?

• High ratings
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from R&G Strategic were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Design planning, wireframe and visual design
• SEO research, audit and plan
• Email marketing and review app installation
• Brand asset design and naming
• Project management

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Website was updated within the allocated time frame.

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

A spreadsheet was used to identify tasks and show progress. Issues were responded to efficiently as they arose. The project management was very organized overall.

What was your primary form of communication with R&G Strategic?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their project management and communication were great as well as their experience with SEO and the Shopify platform.

Are there any areas for improvement or something R&G Strategic could have done differently?

Make sure they fully understand the apps they recommend using or installed for us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Marketing & Communications Manager of an environmental services company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We run programs that steer our community towards a regenerative circular economy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire R&G Strategic to accomplish?

• Refresh our logo
• Develop a brand suite

SOLUTION

How did you find R&G Strategic?

Online Search

Why did you select R&G Strategic over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from R&G Strategic were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We asked R&G to refresh our branding, including:

• Main logo
• Secondary logos as part of brand suite 
• Colour palette 
• Typography 
• Brand guide

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Website activity

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

R&G went above and beyond to deliver our new branding on a tight timeline. Their communication was excellent and our weekly meetings kept the project on track. They were very receptive to feedback and were always willing to try out new ideas with us while keeping our main goals in mind.

What was your primary form of communication with R&G Strategic?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We were drawn to R&G based on our alignment in values around sustainability and CSR. We appreciated working with a company who was familiar with the industry we are in and believed it was paramount to us being able to differentiate our brand from the competition while staying relevant to the sector.

Are there any areas for improvement or something R&G Strategic could have done differently?

Nope!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive Director of Mine Shift Foundation

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Mine Shift Foundation is a non-profit society dedicated to creating a mining industry free of all forms of harassment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire R&G Strategic to accomplish?

• Rebrand logo
• Build website

SOLUTION

How did you find R&G Strategic?

Met in person at conference

Why did you select R&G Strategic over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from R&G Strategic were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Creation of new website & domain. 
• Transfer over emails and content from previous website/brand & update new information. 
• Assist with migrating email hosting and connection with Microsoft 365/Teams.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

successful launch of new website & functional emails!

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

They were prompt on deliverables and always responsive with updates of progress along the way. We used a wire frame to curate the content for the new site which was very helpful.

What was your primary form of communication with R&G Strategic?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The team approach of their staff to provide full support from a technical aspect and client relationship.

Are there any areas for improvement or something R&G Strategic could have done differently?

No. We appreciate their patience with our project!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

At Ubisoft, we create worlds for everyone. We are dedicated to enriching the lives of our players by developing high-quality games that resonate with all kinds of personalities, bring people together, and allow everyone to learn and grow while having fun. I'm the Communications Director for the Ubisoft Toronto development studio.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire R&G Strategic?

We embarked on a mission to re-imagine a compelling new careers hub for Ubisoft Toronto with an intuitive experience, a beautiful aesthetic and exciting, purpose-led storytelling. Together, we’ve prioritized our goals and envisioned the user experience, and completed development and finetuned the site during post-launch.

SOLUTION

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

Had a small RFP process and the team's values, innovative thinking and explanation of their process won them the pitch.

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

• DISCOVERY Formatted like a workshop, the discovery session lets us take a step back to better understand your project’s objectives from a high level.
• WIREFRAMES Starting with your hero areas, we freeform functionality on a digital whiteboard from the basics to a fully flushed-out wireframe, guiding and refining features as we go.
• VISUAL DESIGN Beautiful, exciting visual design helps highlight key messages, and drives engagement and enthusiasm from internal teams to intended audiences.
• FEATURE LIST & STATEMENT OF WORK The feature list gives you a detailed rundown of the outcomes of our collaboration. We’ll provide you with design files, and a comprehensive development plan—so you’re ready jump straight into the build.
• UI/UX Blue print --> Build --> Post-launch support

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

5-6. Creative, tech, SEO, development

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Positive feedback on the site from leadership and stakeholder teams

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

very effective, open-communication and flexible scheduling

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

Their commitment to their values and people-first approach was impressive. How they work with clients.

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

Not particularly.