smallnormous

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a strategic consultancy for HR and talent acquisition.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with smallnormous?

I had a customer who was interested in developing their employee value proposition. I was looking for copywriting and design assistance.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They used best practices to develop my customer's value proposition. The team interviewed leadership, employees, and provided insight from people who were not hired.

What is the team composition?

I work with Eric (Creative Director, Design) and Jen (Creative Director, Copy).

How did you come to work with smallnormous?

I’d worked with their founders in the past as a part of my agency experience and we’ve had a personal relationship lasting more than a decade. When Eric and Jen went and started their own firm, I always kept in touch with them.

I knew they’d bring a level of personal commitment and understanding to the project, as well as a next-level customer service and creative thinking to the customer. They’re brilliant creative minds who are also diligent, dedicated, and personable. My customers love them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2020, and we wrapped up in August 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our main measure for success is how happy our customer is, and in this case, our customer is extremely happy. It was challenging because our client’s corporate brand had chosen a completely different vendor than the talent acquisition team.

Their CEO loved our creative direction, which made our customers look great. In terms of the actual conversion, it’s still too early to tell if this new branding will bring in more talent. That being said, in my professional opinion, it will impact quality positively.

How did smallnormous perform from a project management standpoint?

They were always ahead of schedule, which was amazing. The hang-ups we did have were always on the customer side since there were so many rounds of approval processes. Jen and Eric were very organized up to the point that they would remind me if I dropped the ball on a deadline. They made a huge impact on the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I found them to be really thoughtful. I really liked how they approached the customer personably. The team made people feel comfortable talking with them. They’re clearly knowledgeable and experts in their field but they never made anyone else feel small or less.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, none that I can think of. I would certainly hire them again.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you want the work to be great, you have to be honest. Don’t sugarcoat things and make sure you tell the team the truth even if it's ugly. They need to know the pitfalls.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of talent acquisition at Amentum, a government contractor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with smallnormous?

We were purchased by a private equity firm, and as a result, we needed to stand up our employer brand and create a new career site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were instrumental in resting our employer brand messaging. The team designed the candidate engagement as it relates to their interaction with our career site, which they also designed and developed. Creating our brand culture and feel, smallnormous was also responsible for meeting with our internal stakeholders and getting a sense of what our company and culture is all about. They did all of the creative content. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people from smallnormous.

How did you come to work with smallnormous?

I was introduced to them through a consultant I’d been working with. We chose smallnormous because of their innovative, cutting-edge, creative vision, as opposed to the typical conservative approach to career site development.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost was between $10,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February–August 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we’ve launched the site, our conversion rate is blowing out industry standards. I attribute that to the way in which our content and experience is created, which smallnormous had a great influence on. They focused on the small details, which have a huge impact on the experience on the site. The team made it simple for the individual to apply and added meaningful content throughout. It was exactly what we were looking for.

How did smallnormous perform from a project management standpoint?

They were exceptional. The team was always available and extremely responsive. They were consultative, patient, and knowledgeable — smallnormous really took the time to provide me the important data and information I needed in order to make educated and meaningful decisions. From my perspective, it worked very well. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The smallnormous team has the experience of working at a big marketing company, which they’re able to bring down to a small organization. The expertise they bring really drives the solution. They’ve given us the benefit of having past experience as well as more intimate service.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not from my vantage point. They did remarkably well under the circumstances. The team adjusted their schedules to our timeframes. If there was a deliverable date that was challenging, smallnormous always met it; if they didn’t, they communicated very well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give smallnormous a chance. They’re awesome.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

As the owner of a boutique corporate training and leadership development company, choosing the right partners to work with are often make it or break it decisions. My success is heavily dependent on the quality of work my vendors can provide because that translates into what I can provide to my clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire smallnormous?

Complete website design and development

What were your goals for this project?

My goals were to have a professional website built that could appropriately and accurately illustrate my brand and services.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Based on seeing their other work, I quickly moved them to the top of my list. The more I interacted with them, the more I became certain they were the right ones.

They were a strong fit for my kind of business but their energy and attitude towards the work had a balanced level of professionalism with creativity.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They interviewed me and asked a lot of questions during the discovery process. This level of detail helped me to better understand my own business and what I offer my clients. They turned all those answers into a beautifully designed website that I am very proud of.

They designed my website from scratch, provided updates and insights every step of the way, and ultimately delivered exactly what I had hoped for while exceeding my expectations.

What was the team composition?

They have 2 wonderful founders that are involved in everything they do.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The website has just become 'live', so I do not have any impact yet, but I am confident in sharing my new website and having it be the face of my business on the internet.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They provided a full project layout before any work was completed. It was helpful that they continued providing updates daily until the project was done. It was finished ahead of schedule.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They really understand the importance of balance professionalism and creativity. Sometimes designers are too creative and can't execute, or vice versa. The final deliverable exceeded my expectations and they remained impressive on the project management side of things.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I manage operations at CMAV, an audiovisual production and equipment rental company. We provide full-service event production and audiovisual-equipment rentals for corporate meetings, conferences, social gatherings, and special events.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire smallnormous?

We purchased print and digital ad space in our local business journal to promote a winter sale. Wanting to make the most of our investment, we hired smallnormous to help dial in our strategy and come up with a brilliant execution.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to increase visibility and business during our slow season. We wanted to have an on-brand, cohesive look and feel to our ads across multiple channels.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had vetted over 100 local marketing firms via Yelp and Google, looking for a particular level of quality. I was surprised to read how focused they were on helping small businesses. I was sure that they'd be out of my price range. After a very generous free strategy session and fully understanding our needs, they gave a proposal for performing each need piecemeal -- the kind of bites my budget needs.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We prioritized a new print ad, two digital ads, and on their wise suggestion, a landing page so that ad space could be conserved and greater detail could be provided on the landing page.

What was the team composition?

I worked with both Eric and Jennifer together. Jennifer is the copywriter and Eric graphic design. Both are top-notch strategists and complemented each other well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The work product produced was much better quality than what we had before, which was the first success. Time will tell, but I think this campaign will be more effective than our marketing in the past, as they were able to dig to the emotional driver behind the promotion and develop copy and imagery to support it. They selected just the right photography and while the ad has a distinctive feel, it's certainly in line without already developed brand. That takes serious skill!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Fantastic. They took my briefing and presented a proposed strategy. Once aligned, they created a draft, took edits, refined and finalized. They are quick to respond and let me know when they anticipated delays (never more than half a day).

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Everything. I loved first their own marketing on their site -- fun, smart, and different. They are exactly who they present to be, high-level marketers affordable for the small business. There are lots of graphic designers out there touting branding experience. Developing a logo for a friend is not the same as being seriously educated in branding and marketing. These folks are the real deal. I will use them for as long as they'll have us!

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nope! Keep on keepin' on!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner and nutritionist at Best Bite Nutrition, a nutrition consulting business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire smallnormous?

I hired smallnormous to help us with naming, branding, logo development, and website design and development for my new business.

What were your goals for this project?

I basically needed to set up my business completely.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had known Jennifer (Co-Founder, smallnormous) as a personal acquaintance for many years prior to smallnormous and had recently reconnected with her and her partner Eric (Co-Founder, smallnormous). I'd already begun researching vendors before reconnecting and had almost decided to work with someone else when I was introduced to smallnormous and their work.

After seeing examples of their work, I felt that it was of much higher quality compared to what I'd seen from other vendors. Theirs was so beautiful and sleek. Overall, I felt that they would be a better fit for me.

Describe the project in detail.

We had an initial meeting so that Jennifer and Eric could get a good feel of my personality, my preferences, my dislikes, and more. Once that was complete, they gave me a timeline of expectations.

First, I was presented with several amazing suggestions for business names. I had a difficult time choosing because I loved so many of them. Next, I was presented with various logos to choose from, and once again I had a difficult time choosing. We moved onto color variations from there. Once that was all complete, website design was started and completed. I provided assets as requested and Jennifer and Eric worked their magic on my website. I am so happy with the end result.

What was the team composition?

I worked with both Jennifer and Eric—sometimes together and sometimes one at a time depending on whether we were working on copy or design or both.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website is still brand new, but I can say is that I’ve received so many compliments on the design and UI that I've recommended smallnormous more times than I can count. Specifically, people love the clarity of my site as well as its ease of use.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Jennifer and Eric are extremely easy to work with because they take their business very personally. They’re responsive, extremely organized, and they strive for excellence. smallnormous wants its clients to be 1,000% happy.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

My mind was blown with the choices I was offered for business names, logos, and colors. Their overall creativity is outstanding and I felt that they really understood me each step of the way. The options I was given and how the project progressed showed me that Jennifer and Eric were really listening. In my experience, that’s a rare and valuable quality.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are no areas of improvement at all. Jennifer and Eric ensured I was satisfied during the entire project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the president of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor. We're an international nonprofit dedicated to the study and application of humor to enhance health and human performance. We help people, organizations, and communities increase their wellbeing and results through humor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Smallnormous Advertising & Marketing?

We hired them to create a new website for us. We had an old website that had too much text and way too many pages.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to pare down the website content to what people really needed to know and make the new website more current and aesthetically pleasing.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I was referred to Smallnormous Advertising & Marketing by someone else.

Describe the project in detail.

They consulted with me about what I wanted, learned what we were about, and took time to get to really know us. After that, Smallnormous Advertising & Marketing sent me an outline template of what the new website would look like as well as a step-by-step framework for the copy we would need to write. I wrote the copy exactly how I wanted it, and then they reviewed and edited to make it better.

What was the team composition?

Both their owners worked on the website. One actually created the website and the other worked on copy edits.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are getting many more visitor through our website now than we previously were. I've also been contacted by at least 20 members of the organization specifically to tell me how great the new website is and how it’s such a tremendous upgrade.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was excellent. Smallnormous Advertising & Marketing went out of their way to work with us. In fact, we had an IT person on our end that was a little difficult to work with, and they did a great job navigating that.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I appreciated the fact that they tailored the project to our needs and budget. I know they have bigger clients but they spent a lot of time with me to make sure we felt great about our new website.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I really can't think of anything for them to improve. They were excellent.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director at a 150-person pharmaceutical company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Smallnormous Advertising & Marketing?

We needed to refresh our employer brand for a new career site.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were hired to consult on the employer branding and make a proposal for what it should be. The team was instrumental in sorting out what a more formal employer brand could be. We went through several iterations before landing on a final version.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Jennifer (Owner/Creative Director, Smallnormous) and Eric (Owner/Creative Director, Smallnormous).

How did you come to work with Smallnormous Advertising & Marketing?

They were hired before I started my current position.  

What is the status of this engagement?

They began the project in September 2018 and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have any tangible metrics right now, just because we haven’t launched the new site yet.

How did Smallnormous Advertising & Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is definitely flexible, consultative, and serves as a great partner. They displayed very good client management skills, overall.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have really good energy in terms of getting us excited about the work they’re doing. The team was able to maintain that excitement throughout the entire process, all while staying motivated and engaged.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could benefit from listening more.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would suggest sticking to the project timelines to make the whole process smoother.