R&G Strategic

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 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.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the senior consultant for the Building to Zero Workforce Coalition, a collaborative project of stakeholders in the building sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire R&G Strategic, and what were your goals?

We engaged R&G for branding and website development for the coalition.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

One of our funders recommended R&G Strategic

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

Created name for the coalition - the previous working title was NZER 2030 Building Code Workforce Coalition. Created a logo and brand Developed the website

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

We worked mostly with April te Bulte with support from Jayde and oversite from Sarah.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were delighted with the presence created for our workforce coalition. The brand and website help legitimize the work of the coalition and will be helpful as we seek funding for continued work of the coalition.

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

We had weekly meetings during the development of the brand and website. Email communication was also frequent.

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

Great research at the beginning, an impressive level of understanding of issues in the sustainability sector and great creativity!

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

Not a thing!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Communications Coordinator for Rayleigh Solar Tech. A cleantech startup based in Halifax, Nova Scotia that is working to commercialize the next generation of solar technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our website was no longer serving us. It got the job done in our company's early days, but it was no longer representing us as a company, which made it difficult to reach our key audiences. We enlisted R&G's help to create a new website that was hosted on a more accessible platform, that better represented who we are and what we do.

SOLUTION

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

We wanted to work with someone local to us. Out of the two options we identified, it was clear that R&G had the expertise we needed, and shared our company's values. They also made it clear that they were excited to work with us, which made us excited to work with them.

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

The project began with a discovery meeting where we worked together to outline everything we needed in our new website. From there, wireframes were developed, and we filled them out with photos and text.

Once we had a version that fully represented us, the website was moved from R&G's servers and launched on our own domain. Once the website was launched, a training session was conducted so myself and my team members could competently maintain the website on our own.

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

We worked with four members of the team on this project:

• Andrew Chaisson - Designer and Strategist
• Sarah Riley - Founder and Chief Strategy Officer
• Liz Gosselin - Founder and Chief Creative Officer
• Jayde McPhee - Junior Strategist

Riley and Liz led our discovery session and kept us on track while identifying needs we didn't realize we had. For the rest of the process, we worked very closely with Andrew and Jayde. Andrew took the lead, and we had weekly meetings. He was very responsive to all of our requests, and offered great guidance to make sure the finished product had everything we needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our new website was beautiful! It is already serving us well. It has prompted a number of media inquiries, and helped us find talented new additions to our team. We receive far fewer emails requesting services we do not provide, because our website now properly communicates who we are and what we do.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow on this project was so effective that the project was finished weeks ahead of schedule! Using a combination of email, Slack, Google Drive, and InVision, we were able to communicate well, and share ideas and files with ease.

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

The most impressive part of this process was when I phoned Riley one afternoon in December and said "we just learned that we have a big announcement coming up the first week of February.

Would it be possible to bump up the website launch by an entire month so it's ready in time for our announcement" and without skipping a beat, Riley said "we can make it happen". The project was already a couple weeks ahead of schedule at that point, but they were able to accelerate it even further without sacrificing the quality of the finished product.

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

I honestly can't think of anything they could have done differently.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Mine Shift Foundation. We work within the mining industry, but we’ve branched into other industries as well. We focus on workplace culture, teaching company members about allyship and bystander intervention in the workplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We originally started operating in 2018 under a different name. We just wanted to start a conversation within the mining industry about the workplace challenges that women, specifically, were facing in mining for being a male-dominated industry.

Through years of growth, we heard from a lot of men who had experienced inappropriate behaviors in the workplace. Additionally, the LGBTQ community was also facing challenges, so we came up with the bystander intervention training because no one was really teaching companies about that.

When we approached mining companies, they were really excited about what we were doing, but they were hesitant about our name, so we knew we had to rebrand ourselves. Thus, we reached out to R&G Strategic to help us with a new name and branding.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

R&G Strategic helped us come up with our new name and branding, including our new branding materials. Among other deliverables, we now have a letterhead, a full set of business cards for all of our directors, and a branding materials package, including banner templates, for the conferences we will have this spring or early summer. Currently, They’re also working on a PowerPoint template for us.

R&G Strategic has taught us a lot of things along the way about company names, logos, and branding. Throughout this process, they’ve also given us enough options to choose from for every deliverable. Some of those choices were difficult because we strongly liked at least two of the options. However, those were decisions that R&G Strategic helped us make.

The set of deliverables created by R&G Strategic so far is just the first stage of our rebranding process. We’re now looking forward to working with them on other stages to create branding assets for our website and other materials we need, but we need more funding to continue.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with two main people from R&G Strategic. Andrew (Designer), who has acted as the project manager, leading a lot of the presentations, and Liz (Co-Founder & Chief Creative Director). We’ve also worked with Sarah (Chief Strategic Officer), who has popped now and then, overseeing the process to see how things are going.

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

R&G Strategic was a referral from another association. We reached out to a few different companies, including them, and we really liked the work they were doing. They also came back to us very excited about the project. We had a very short timeline, and they had the capacity to meet it, so we went with them.

How much have you invested with them?

This first stage of the project has cost around $5,000. As we’re a nonprofit organization, R&G Strategic has worked with us around our budget.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first contact with R&G Strategic was around November 2021, and we started working with them in December 2021. They’re still working on the PowerPoint presentation, which should be ready in the next few days.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had very positive feedback from the mining industry about our new name, whereas some mining companies were hesitant about working with us before. Rebranding was a big move for us; it led us to serious conversations with important companies. For example, we’re in the negotiation phase with a couple of the larger mining companies in Canada. We have no contracts signed yet, but we’re very optimistic about our future.

Mine Shift members are mainly geologists and engineers, so we’d never been through a rebranding process before. Thus, working with R&G Strategic has also been a really educative and amazing process for us.

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

R&G Strategic’s project management is excellent; we’ve been really happy with everything they’ve presented to us. When they’ve delivered something we’ve felt uncomfortable about, we‘ve given them feedback, and they’ve changed it.

On occasions, R&G Strategic resorted to some of the stereotypical mining emblems we didn’t want to see because they were very easy to go to. However, they understood and listened to us, and we were then presented with something that reflected the high level of interest we were looking for.

We communicate via email and online meetings, and we’ve also used an online data transfer site.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It is impressive how well R&G Strategic has listened to everything we’ve needed, wanted, and didn’t want; it has been a very positive part of the experience. They didn’t have any preconceived notions about what they were going to deliver. Instead, they listened to us and delivered something that fits our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything R&G Strategic could improve on. We’re really happy with everything they’ve done.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Before working with R&G Strategic, we had many meetings within our organization to talk about our vision and what we were looking for from this process. Everyone had the chance to provide input so that we could create our mission, vision, and values statements, and we discovered that we were all on the same page, focusing on the same ideals and goals. Going through a process like this is a key part of any rebranding project so that you can understand your company’s true mission.