Rule29

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Managing Director of InFolk

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

InFolk is a company that develops SaaS products for small business leaders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Rule29 to accomplish?

• Brand identity, story, and logo
• Website design
• Web application design and UX/UI development

SOLUTION

How did you find Rule29?

Referral

Why did you select Rule29 over others?

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

How many teammates from Rule29 were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The project entailed creating a brand identity, including story and logo design, along with the design of a marketing website. They also assisted in the development of a naming strategy for our product line. They did the design work for our first web application as well as UX/UI design.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Tangible deliverables included our brand story guide, logo assets, and designs for both the marketing website and web app.

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

It was incredible. They were pushing our R&D teams, always on top of our timeline and anticipating next steps before we were.

What was your primary form of communication with Rule29?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The most impressive thing is they're amazing at doing design work. They took all our feedback on our company values and how we wanted our company and products represented and created beautiful designs that perfectly fit who we are.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Rule29 could have done differently?

I can't think of anything. They were a dream to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Alto is a company that helps you invest in alternative assets (diversify your portfolio) with a tax-advantaged IRA account. I am the art direct at Alto responsible for all branding related items and specifically the website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rule29, and what were your goals?

Our current website was awful, difficult to use, difficult to update any information, performed terribly and everyone hated it. We were working on rebranding the company and with that found it a great time to completely overhaul the website. We wanted to start from scratch and build in a way to empower the marketing team to make changes and updates to the site without requiring our engineering resources,

SOLUTION

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

I had previously worked with Rule29 before and had such a wonderful experience they were our first choice of web services based on how great it went previously. The website had was amazingly beautiful, intuitive and allowed marketing team to be empowered.

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

ADA compliant website marketing empowerment everything our current website had plus a resource center hubspot integration SF integration SEO benefits Blog capability video and podcast capability We broke the project into 3 stages, phase 1 (first launch before EOY to get key pages up, phase 2 to make improvements and launch careers and phase 3 to create a resource center)

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

The team consists of:

• Jenn - project manager
• Susan - art director
• Justin S - developer Andy

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our site was launched on time and has the functionalities we need. Superior customer satisfaction, while it's very fresh and new and we don't have data the user experience for the team to edit and make changes is amazing. We went from a website update taking 2 weeks, to 2 minutes!

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

We used slack, basecamp and email. Jenn ran the weekly meetings but we all communicated often via slack which was very open and candid conversation. Come website feedback we used BugHerd which was a great tool to document things on the live site, and see when the updates were being made and progress associated. I really loved all the tools we used and frequent communication and insight we had to the project.

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

The collaborative nature - rarely did it feel like we were deciding things, or they had complete decision making. It felt like all major decisions Rule29 gave us advice and feedback on how it would affect us and their previous experiences but allow our team to ultimately decide. I felt confident in each decision because of their input and expertise.

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

When the project was going to be delayed, finding out soon so we could adjust the schedule and determine what was in or out of scope. We needed an EOY launch to test out functionalities so sticking to the expected date was important for us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Senior Director of Marketing for an EHS (environmental, health and safety) and ESG (environmental, social and governance) software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rule29, and what were your goals?

We hired Rule29 to

• A) Help us craft an updated brand message that reflected the company we have become after years of growth and M&A activity, and to then
• B) Help us translate that into a fresh design approach, and finally
• C) an updated website. Our goal was to tell a better story that reflects our mission and the outcomes our customers achieve.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed 5-6 vendors, doing a deep dive into their approach and portfolios. Rule29 was the clear winner. Not only was their work fresh, vibrant and compelling, their philosophy and style really clicked with our team and we knew they were a team we'd enjoy spending time with. Their integrity and values were big factors.

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

Rule29 started with interviews of key exec team members and reviews of marketing collateral (e.g. buyer personas, brand guidelines) and recent customer surveys. Rule29 also interviewed a mix of global enterprise customers. They turned this information into a market research deck that was very well received by our marketing team and c-suite. They then drafted an internal messaging doc to confirm direction for story, design approach and website build). Finally, they built website and delivered new brand guidelines.

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

We worked primarily with their Chief Evangelist and a brand & marketing strategist. They were supported by a robust team of creatives. For the website build, we worked closely with their web architects and specialists.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Rule29 hit every deliverable on time and then some. Due to critical company M&A activity, Rule29 was asked to move forward their website deliverables almost a full 3 months earlier than originally scoped, and had 3 months to deliver. We launched on time for the new deadline and provided invaluable support to our company and the board at a critical juncture. The new website and updated messaging has been an overwhelming success, with high praise from around the company. It has done a good job repositioning us as an organization both externally and internally.

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

Rule29 has flexed to meet our needs throughout the process. We began with Monthly meetings and lots of email communication; we then moved to weekly working meetings. In the weeks leading up to the website launch, we were working online "shoulder-to-shoulder" on a daily basis. We also communicated with the broader team via basecamp. Rule29 stayed loose and confident, even in the face of changing deadlines. They made no excuses and just found a way to get work done.

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

Rule29 plays at the top of their intelligence. Interactions with them are always rooted in kindness, curiosity, play, a sense of humor. It's just fun to work with people who have their priorities right. They take feedback without defensiveness and strive to do a great job. In short, they really care...and that makes all the difference.

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

We are excited to continue to work with Rule29. We've formed a great partnership and believe they are an important part of our go-forward. I don't really have areas of improvement because they sought out and took any feedback or corrections we had along the way. You can't really ask for more than that.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

MicroAire Surgical Instruments is a mid-size medical device manufacturer located in Charlottesville, Virginia. As the Creative Solutions Manager, I oversee all aspects of Marketing Communications and all visual aspects of the brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rule29, and what were your goals?

We partnered with Rule29 to refresh the MicroAire brand. Our goal was to update our brand story to reflect our current market position and help provide a roadmap for future development.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We selected Rule29 from a shortlist of bookmarked potential partners found on Clutch.co. Having prior knowledge of their proprietor's stellar reputation and after an excellent introductory conversation, we made the decision to work with Rule29.

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

Rule29 helped us to interpret valuable quantitative and qualitative insights pulled from their independently conducted Customer Perception Survey, Competitive Benchmark, and Targeted Brand Positioning Exploration. We then collaborated to rewrite our brand story and messaging. Rule29 developed and presented three options for visual elements to express our updated brand story. They also delivered a Brand Strategy to help us execute on our new branding and provide a roadmap for future branding applications.

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

We communicated directly with the founder/CEO, Creative Director, and Senior Account Manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Rule29 team is very attentive to every detail while they're getting to know you and learning the scope of your project. By the time they're sharing the results of their research, they know as much (if not more) about your brand as you do. This knowledge transfers into their creative and strategic work which means accurate deliverables at every stage. For us, this resulted in a streamlined approval process and a clear path forward for execution.

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

Rule29's project management style is straight forward. Your key correspondence is with a dedicated account/project manager, but you'll have access to your entire Rule29 project team through Basecamp which keeps a good record of all conversations. Timeline and project updates are proposed and easily approved through Basecamp. Video conferences at each project milestone help ensure alignment and keeps everything on track.

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

While we (the client) did our very best to come prepared for this project, in the end we through a lot of curve balls at the Rule29 team. What's most impressive about our collaboration is their team's flexibility. They never balked or left us feeling unreasonable. Instead, every challenge was just a conversation away from level set. They are equally invested in a great outcome.

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

We are genuinely left without suggestion for improvement. Our interaction with Rule29 could not have gone better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the creative director of a global security services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rule29?

We needed a design partner to manage our many creative needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our engagement with Rule29 started in the midst of a comprehensive rebrand, so we decided to produce a hardbound coffee table book that would showcase different elements of our brand.

Since then, we’ve been working with Rule29 on a number of different projects so they’ve become our primary creative arm, supporting our internal team.

What is the team composition?

We regularly interact with an account manager, three designers, and the owner.

How did you come to work with Rule29?

We were introduced to Rule29 through web research and reputation. We knew they were the right fit for our company after having a productive Zoom meeting with their team.

How much have you invested with them?

I believe we’ve invested about $65,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in August 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Every project that we’ve completed with them so far has been on time and budget. I’ve also been receiving glowing compliments and great reviews for all the items that their team has worked on.

How did Rule29 perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent from a project management standpoint. They have a streamlined process and their account manager is a world-class professional.

Furthermore, they always keep me updated on the progress of the project and they clearly communicate their expectations for when they need feedback.

We use Basecamp as our primary management tool and we send each other texts for quick resolutions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re very impressed with their creative prowess. It’s rare to find a creative partner that would go above and beyond to deliver a great product, and does it from a place of just wanting to be helpful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any constructive feedback for their services.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

To get the most out of your engagement with them, I advise you to be prepared to have fruitful discussions with them about your goals and expectations.

I would also recommend giving them the space and opportunity to go beyond the scope of the work, because you’ll be satisfied with the results.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Cuebiq is the only privacy-first data clean room providing brands and partners the ability to process and use human mobility data responsibly for insights and business growth. I am the Chief Marketing Officer and have the responsibility of developing and executing a full-funnel growth strategy whilst positioning Cuebiq as a market leader in the location data procurement and processing space.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rule29?

Rule29 has been integral and instrumental in aligning Cuebiq visually with excellence and integrity. R29 consistently delivers both brand elements and thought leadership that elevates Cuebiq's stature as a mature, human mobility solution to enterprise innovators.

SOLUTION

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

Rule29 was chosen for their empathy and vision. Their ability to understand the complex business of human mobility and technical topics and distill that into a visually compelling brand and message set a new standard for our future growth.

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

The brand identity project was fast-paced, fluid, and extremely important that it set Cuebiq apart from a crowded competitive set. A brandmark and brand guide was needed to add a new discipline of consistency to the chaotic start-up routine of multiple logo versions and content that didn't align with the brand message. R29 developed a defining brand guide and implemented it throughout the organization - in print and digitally.

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

The team assigned to Cuebiq at R29 is small and precise - which was highly desirable and gave us the ability to work through complex issues quickly while making progress in a short period of time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We successfully managed to grow our pipeline by 200% in the first 3 months of messaging and visual work delivered by Rule29. Thus, allowing us to further invest in more support from the R29 team that was implemented with similar results over the next quarter.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

R29 has a consistent work ethic and communication cadence — a highly desirable and often underserved area of partnerships.

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

The team is not afraid to push boundaries whilst still maintaining design excellence and consistency of brand. Access to their sharpest minds is a tremendous plus.

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

We wouldn't change anything about the experience to date and the ongoing work we look to accomplish with the R29 team. They take all customer and partner feedback into account and adapt efficiently.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Boston Retail Solutions provides Retailers, Shopping Malls, Airports & General Contractors temporary wall systems used in construction along with full service printing and installation to wrap the temporary walls and beyond.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Rule29, and what were your goals?

We hired Rule29 to help us rebrand our company, formerly known as Boston Barricade.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I've known Justin and the team at Rule29 for many years and I've always been fond of the quality of their work and the level of service they provide. It was an easy choice going with a trusted partner like Justin for this very important project.

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

Rule29 helped us analyze our current brand, evaluated our competitors, and met with me on multiple occasions to discuss the findings and collect our input. They helped us create a mission & vision statement, evaluate tagline options, create a new logo and brand guidelines.

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

I worked mostly with Allison their Brand Strategy and Research Associate.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our rebrand launched with great success, our customers, vendors and employees all resonated with the new look and feel for our newly renamed company. Since the rebrand our sales team has been able to easily sell to new markets given that our name no longer limits the types of products and services we provide our customers.

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

Their communication style was consistent, regular, and concise. I never felt inundated with emails. The team utilized basecamp so I could easily track our project. I never worried about where the project was at because their updates and on-time delivery. 

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

I find Rule29's ability to come up with creative ideas the most impressive. Any one can sketch up a logo, but Rule29's team balances the why with the design so there are compelling reasons that support their design choices. Plus they delivery a really sharp, fresh product!

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

I think they did a great job, and I'm glad I went with R29.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing for a fintech company servicing retail futures and forex traders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rule29?

I was bringing two brands together, and Rule29 was brought on to help me create a new website under the single umbrella brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team helped with the ancillary parts of the CMS including the help center and areas of the website that are not part of the main CMS. The former agency that developed the new umbrella brand presented to Rule29, and then we left it to Rule29 to translate their work into the website design.

What is the team composition?

Justin (CEO) was on our calls, and we also worked with Ali (Marketing Associate), Susan (Art Director), Katie (Brand & Content Strategist), and Brian (Associate Art Director) to a lesser extent. We also worked with a contractor of theirs as well.

How did you come to work with Rule29?

They came recommended by somebody in my department. He knew someone who knew someone. I really liked the team and that they are a B Corporation. Recently, I read a LinkedIn article about partnering with people and companies that are aligned in terms of values and we are. Justin joined in but we had a women-led team which everybody celebrated.

How much have you invested in them?

We invested close to $75,000–$80,000. Rule29 estimated a low and high range as part of the official SOW.

What is the status of this engagement?

We signed the contract in June 2020 and the collaboration just ended at the end of February 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re now doing a website analysis of our new website versus the previous branded website, but that research isn’t finished. This project took six months, and we achieved our launch date of mid-December.

Then, we had incremental work with them as well which we called the post-launch initiative. The objective of that was just tying up loose ends and ensuring that our systems were working well on the backend as it’s tied to our email, HubSpot, and other things.

How did Rule29 perform from a project management standpoint?

At the highest level, project management was a nine or 10 in getting the site to launch. We had some hiccups post-launch in terms of both technical glitches and getting an understanding of having the systems talk to one another. In terms of the base project and the initial scope of work, it went really well, and I attribute that to the leadership of Katie and Susan.

Also, I think it was very effective for my team to use two types of software; one was Basecamp and the other one is Pageproofer which enabled us to make changes directly on the site. There is a running agenda which is part of a standing weekly meeting where both sides are updated.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It is everything that matters to me. It’s all about relationships, and I was really impressed with our core team. What they did exceptionally well is manage the project in terms of pushing us to know the decisions once we made them. There were no take-back decisions because they were going to start the coding and also let us know that we weren’t achieving the desired timeline.

The team, specifically Katie and Susan, were really receptive and amazing. Justin was too, but we had more on-the-ground work with Katie and Susan. We worked really well with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It seems like I needed more information on the combining and talking backend of technologies. We struggled a little bit on the technical aspects of getting things up and running, and again, it is probably because I don’t know anything.

However, it seemed like there was a little bit of a delay or a continued conversation about the same thing for too long. It would’ve been better to put those to bed sooner rather than later, but they were more or less addressed.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take advantage of the system that they’ve created using the software especially if the project is similar. Have your stakeholders understand how to use Pageproofer because it’s a system that enables the people who are visual to comment exactly on what they see on the site. It was very helpful.

Also, when you talk to Justin, you can tell that he’s someone that’s a person of his word. He believes in what he’s doing, and the nod to the B Corporation says it all. I appreciate their aspirations, and the team that we had was really exceptional.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a retail investment firm and we have sister companies in residential and retail investment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Rule29?

They worked with our residential group. We had over 20 operators and we narrowed that down to five operators. In doing so, we had an opportunity to rebrand 12 of our properties.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project included logo development, creating brand standards, color, signage application, and it was a very quick turnaround. They needed to develop, present, edit and finalize the logo and branding for all of the properties within two weeks.

What is the team composition?

There were two main points of contact on their team, but I don’t know how many other people were working on the project.

How did you come to work with Rule29?

I’ve worked with Rule29 in previous positions. I’ve worked with them on numerous branding and design projects in the retail industry. When we started an agency search, Rule29 was at the top of my list for recommendations.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

They completed the project in a few short weeks in March 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was very successful. They were able to complete the project in just under two weeks, and the quality of their work was excellent. The majority of what they proposed didn’t require edits, meaning that their first designs were spot-on and were accepted as final.  

How did Rule29 perform from a project management standpoint?

The majority of what we did was through email because it was such a time-sensitive project. We never had to email them several times because they were always responsive. There was also an initial kick-off call, in which we had an excellent collaboration. The follow-up presentation calls on Zoom were great as well.

In addition to this, everything was done remotely because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though we expected communication challenges because of this, they made sure that we were heard.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re good listeners and they ask questions to ensure that they fully understand the objective. They always want to know how we intend to use it. They understand how company culture can influence the design itself. To sum it up, they have very strong communication skills.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I’ve had such a long-standing relationship with them, it’s hard to find a negative.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Prepare yourself to work with a unique agency. They’re different than other companies, so be ready to be wowed by the results.