Spectacle Strategy

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I lead market research for Slack. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Spectacle Strategy?

We brought them on to help with our go-to-market strategy for a new product and feature we were launching that came out of an acquisition. We needed to figure out who the audience was for the product and how to position it for those audiences.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us scope what the appropriate amount of questions would be to answer our questions. Particularly, they helped us understand we don’t need to boil the ocean, we just needed to understand how to best position this product and who to position it for. 

Everything from performing the research, helping us synthesize it, to developing a go-to-market plan was part of their role. The range was primarily research related, but they handled it from soup to nuts. They were essentially part of our core team. 

They came onsite, helped run a workshop with our team to solicit ideas and thoughts. They worked with our team to help frame hypotheses going into the research, refining it based on the brainstorm and discussion.

From there, they conducted all the sessions and synthesized everything down. We held a couple of workshops in Denver where they helped us make meaning of everything. 

To best understand how to use those insights, they interviewed a number of internal stakeholders and worked with our customer success, product, and go-to-market teams. 

What is the team composition?

The team we had was made of four people. Michael (CEO), who led the project, had assembled a fantastic collection of folks who are all experts at what they do. We had a dedicated researcher, a quantitative researcher, and a copywriter assigned to the project. 

How much have you invested with them?

I believe we spent around $150,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2018–April 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the more compelling KPIs that came out of the project was the amount of press we got and the initial uptake. The work they did on positioning obviously made its way into external comms. The blog post was the second-most visited blog post for a feature launch that Slack has ever had. 

That came out of one fundamental bias they helped us break; they changed the way we were going to be talking about it. We were going to focus on automation, but they were able to pull through an emotional story that helped position the product as a collaboration feature. 

How did Spectacle Strategy perform from a project management standpoint?

They did a fantastic job. Everything was buttoned up and nothing was late. They were very fastidious. We just used Slack to communicate. They were extremely flexible in how they communicated with us, adopting Slack and working the way we needed them to work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with a lot of different agencies over the years. One of the things I appreciated the most was their no-nonsense approach. In the industry, it can often be about how much you can sell to your client, and I never felt that with them. I felt all of Michael’s recommendations were for the betterment of Slack and the product we were trying to launch. The thing that differentiated them most was being able to tell us when we don’t need something.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I can think of for them to do differently. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Spectacle Strategy is best when you’re not just looking for a partner to run a project. When you’re looking to transform some aspect of your business, they are fantastic at full-team engagement and working cross-functionally as an external partner. I don’t think the project would have been successful if I had compartmentalized the vendor and handled communications up the chain.

As their client, the biggest benefit is feeling comfortable putting them in a room with executive leadership. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the communications strategist for Fifth Season. In that role, I am in charge of messaging, PR, consumer-facing content, and social media.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Spectacle Strategy?

Spectacle works with us to build our brand and messaging strategy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team works with us closely on strategy across the board. Whether it’s for a video on social media, launching a website, or creating some sort of direct to consumer program, they are always there to guide us on that and help us make sure it totally fits within our brand’s existing voice.

They also help to take on special longer projects, especially when it comes to upgrades or redesigns of our website. When we did that most recently, they worked with us on creative and were in charge of keeping the timeline to ensure that we were getting the deliverables from the team that was building the site. They even helped us transition to e-commerce functions as well.

What was the team composition?

There are three main people who interact with us from their team. The main point of contact is probably Lauren (Senior Strategist), but we work with all of them.

How did you come to work with Spectacle Strategy?

Their team has worked with our company since the beginning to help build our brand from the ground up. I came in knowing that they had been a great resource and that I wanted to work with them closely on all of the new projects on which I was hoping to hit the ground running.

What is the status of this engagement?

That partnership precedes my time at the company, but I believe has been ongoing since about early 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We don’t have that much data, especially on the e-commerce side of the project, since we have really just launched a lot of the projects. That said, we are incredibly satisfied with their work so far. When we got started with the website, we really had no idea how we wanted to present ourselves on the other side of the change and they really helped to guide us through that entire process.

Now, we’ve ended up with a website that every employee and customer feels speaks to them in a different way. It is something truly remarkable because they were able to make one product resonate across multiple totally disparate audiences, so we have been totally pleased with the results.

How did Spectacle Strategy perform from a project management standpoint?

The whole team is incredibly available to answer any questions that we have for them. We use a Slack channel for quick communication, and they have been incredibly helpful throughout the entire process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their dedication is a real strength as compared to other providers. We really feel like they are invested in us and a part of our core team even though they are an outsourced team, and their emotional investment in us plays a huge role in our success together.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always room to improve, but I don’t think there’s anything they need to be doing differently as an organization. Our priorities have changed rapidly, and they could potentially call us out on that more to help us stay more focused, but it’s definitely not something I would blame them for.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them a chance to dazzle you with their ability to strategize, because that is really one of their major strengths at a team. They are all very strategic thinkers and can cover every aspect from the more big picture view and time management to detail-oriented, thorough planning between the different members of their team. If you take the time to get to know those strengths, you will make a really effective team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an indoor robotic vertical farm based in Pittsburgh. Our organization grows leafy greens, herbs, lettuce, and more using a fully autonomous system that we developed at the company. I’m the marketing experience strategist, handling everything on the brand experience side. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Spectacle Strategy?

I joined after the engagement started, but they were helping us take a new strategical outlook on how we were going to rebrand our organization.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve worked on plenty of our strategy back-end. That’s involved connecting us to graphic designers and copywriters to start our basic brand redesign process. At this point, they’re working with us on a large-scale website build-out. In all of their work, they’re ensuring that we’re aligned with the market via marketing strategy and advice. Specifically, they’re paying attention to our messaging and communication within the space to help position us for success.  

What is the team composition?

I work very closely with Michael (CEO), Lauren (Senior Strategist), and a newer hire. 

How did you come to work with Spectacle Strategy?

The executives at our company handled and RFP process before I joined the company. They were focused on partners with experience in the vertical farming space, the Pittsburgh area, and the fresh food world. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Personally, I’ve been working with them since Septemeber 2019. They’ve been collaborating with the company since around January 2019, though. Our work is ongoing because they’re an integral part of what we’re doing right now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been absolutely invaluable to our strategy back-end. We quickly realized that a brand redesign wouldn’t be easy, but they’ve been a guiding light throughout the process. In everything from strategic decisions to logo creation, they’ve been unbelievably helpful. 

As we work to launch this brand, we’ll be setting KPIs for traffic and awareness. We’re striving to resonate with audiences dedicated to the local food scene. We’ll be tracking that in many ways.    

How did Spectacle Strategy perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is unbelievably attentive. We work with them through our standups that ensure progress is being made twice per week. Whenever we need them, they’re available to us. So, we haven’t been limited to communicating during standups. In addition to our meetings, they send along weekly status reports that detail our accomplishments. Their attention to detail has been phenomenal. They come into all of our endeavors having thoroughly prepared themselves, and their ingenuity helps us solve challenges.   

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team knows how to connect with partners almost instantly. They put time and effort into understanding our desires as well as expressing what they hope to get out of the relationship with us. Their connection to their clients showcases their commitment to achieving greatness which each of them. The team’s experience in a multitude of spaces has also proven to be extremely helpful for our team. That’s gone a long way in developing this brand. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve handled everything very well, so I don’t have any complaints at this point. Despite our slight time zone difference, they’ve been accommodating and willing to hold meetings according to our schedule.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to get on the phone and talk to the team in person. Once you understand the value they can bring, you’ll be sold almost immediately.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Fifth Season combines robotics and AI with vertical farming to disrupt the country's $60 Bn. produce industry with an entirely new category of fresh food. Fifth Season's locally grown leafy greens and herbs set a new standard for freshness, taste, and safety.

Grant Vandenbussche is the chief category officer responsible for corporate strategy, business development, consumer product, and marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Spectacle Strategy?

Fifth Season engaged Spectacle to transition from a tech based R&D company into a market defining category king. Fifth Season's highly technical, robotics and AI teams lacked a well strategized consumer brand, product portfolio, and insights engine. Fifth Season had a limited budget and an extremely short timeline so an agile, expert approach was necessary.

What were your goals for this project?

1. Consumer brand identity creation.

2. Consumer product portfolio strategy.

3. Consumer insights and new product development strategy.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Spectacle Strategy has unique skillset and expertise when it comes to connecting consumers with technology. Often, agencies can get overwhelmed by the complexity of highly engineered products, companies, and data sets. Spectacle quickly showed a keen understanding for the technical nature of our robotics and AI products.

They matched this understanding with a proven ability to distill the complexity into powerful, habit changing consumer language. They accomplished both of these things while properly navigating a the challenges of a highly involved cross-functional co-founding team.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Define a corporate identity. Define a product portfolio strategy. Define a consumer insights and new product development strategy.

What was the team composition?

1 Managing Director 1 Engagement Manager 1-2 Project/Program Associates as necessary 1 Creative 1-3 Freelance creatives, as necessary

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We successfully executed a corporate rebrand, on time and received 15 inbound requests from local, regional, and national publications to discuss the rebranding. Internally, over 90% of employees felt proud of the new identity and said that it helped clarify the direction of the company and set the stage for category kingship.

Significant investor and sales traction as a result of the product portfolio strategy. 4 innovative new products developed because of the consumer insights and new product development strategy, 2 will soon launch commercially.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Spectacle has taken the time to understand how we'd prefer to engage and stayed consistent. We've dealt with too many agencies that fall off the 'update/organization' bandwagon. This is not that agency. They are reliable and professional in their workflow.

Spectacle is also a highly present team that doesn't bill unnecessary hours. They are available to hop on the phone late at night, or early in the morning. They call when things need to be discussed immediately or when things will be easier over the phone. They're happy to do video meetings, or just slack if that's the preference.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Ability to guide a high-growth company through the nuances of tech and consumer so successfully. It is very rare.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Spectacle Strategy will sometimes get rush requests from top tier tech companies on product initiatives that can take a significant amount of time from top resources. While we have never experienced project failure because of this, I think they could staff more full time people to support these requests.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the product marketing lead for an enterprise collaboration tool. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Spectacle Strategy?

We needed help with identifying a target audience for one of our products. We wanted to test our messaging and positioning to reach them better.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Spectacle Strategy worked with us to lead a series of user research studies. We conducted a couple of focus groups in various locations. Spectacle Strategy helped put together the research methodology, interview questions, and types of prospects we wanted to study. They then ran the focus group alongside us.

After the studies, Spectacle Strategy and our team had several working sessions. Together, we took the insights from the user research and put together recommendations for how to message our product on the market.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Michael (CEO, Spectacle Strategy) and Lauren (Brand + Strategy Consultant, Spectacle Strategy).

How did you come to work with Spectacle Strategy?

I had worked with Michael at a previous consulting firm, so I knew the quality of his work and the way he thinks. We considered a few other companies during our pitch process. Spectacle Strategy’s pitch stood out because they tailored it to our business and our product, showing care and knowledge. They also can take what they hear in research and apply it as actionable recommendations.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from June until October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Spectacle Strategy contributed to a majority of the success that we’re seeing in user engagement and click-through rates on our emails, videos, and webpage. While they weren’t the only driver of our success, their work helped us craft messaging that appealed to many of our target customers. The research we did together also helped our internal sales and customer success teams communicate a story about our product.

How did Spectacle Strategy perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything was great and on time. We put a project plan and timeline together at the beginning, and Spectacle Strategy was flexible about our changing needs and timing. It worked out quite well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Spectacle Strategy’s dedication to this project showed throughout our collaboration. They took the time to understand and care about our project. I felt a personal commitment from each team member we worked with. I also appreciated their willingness to present new ideas and paths that I wasn't originally thinking of. With their expertise and our research findings, we could dig into strategy and find new directions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wish that Spectacle Strategy had talked to every stakeholder on our team to get more context to our project beforehand. However, we didn’t have the time, and they didn’t have the resources to staff that.

Any advice for potential customers?

Have a conversation with Michael and his team. On paper, many consulting agencies sound very similar. But what really convinced my research team and me to go with Spectacle Strategy was hearing their team talk about their ideas at the proposal stage. It gave us confidence that they had the capability and expertise to get our work done.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We were starting a new company in the fintech/blockchain space and enlisted Spectactle to help us with market research, market strategy, branding, and design.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Spectacle Strategy?

We hired Spectacle to help with the creation of brand and assist with market entry strategy.

What were your goals for this project?

To better understand our customers painpoints, decide on a company name/logo, and develop an overall look and feel of our brand (as well as specific deliveries with deck and landing page).

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Introduction from a colleague.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We had many phone and in-person meetings with Spectacle who intimately understood our company and aspirations. They flew down to Austin for a few day sessions that were extremely productive.

What was the team composition?

Mike and Lauren and their design team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The outcomes were fantastic and I get a compliment on work that was performed by Spectacle at least once a week. I am very pleased with both our company name, logo, and overall brand. It will serve us well for years to come. In addition to giving us the tangible assets, they also provided a depth of meaning and connection to our brand that allows us to maintain authenticity. Furthermore, Spectacle helped us better understand our customer by performing many town hall meetings - they were far more effective at pulling out information from customers than I would have been.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Working with Spectacle was very seamless. They are highly responsive, meet deadlines, and have a level of professionalism that made working with them enjoyable.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Most branding agencies are just focused on one or two assets - ie a company name/logo/landing page/deck/etc. While Spectacle can provide all of that (and do a world-class job at it to boot) their depth of knowledge around business building and strategy means that they can grow with your company. After invested the up-front time to deliver these assets, Spectacle will deeply understand your business and market and be able to help in a multitude of other ways as you progress on your journey. Michael and I have become friends and there are few people that understand my business and challenges as well as he does. We regularly discuss mission critical decisions where he is able to provide unique perspective and insight.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Maybe they could be more fun and easy/going... just kidding! The Spectacle team is super fun and a pleasure to hang with. You will likely find yourself looking forward to the working sessions so you can grab beers and hang out with them afterwards!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former CEO of Go Raw, an organic snack food company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Spectacle Strategy?

We hired Spectacle Strategy to help us reposition our brand. We wanted to transition the focus from raw foods to plant-powered nutrition, a more relevant topic for our audience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Spectacle Strategy presented three positioning options, and we selected one.  We collaborated on how to best frame our messaging and overall communication. They helped us translate our new identity into package designs and other marketing collateral. We worked with our PR group to optimize the new talking points Spectacle Strategy created with our team.

What is the team composition?

Michael (CEO & Director, Spectacle Strategy) was our primary contact throughout the project, and he brought in 3–4 other specialists throughout the process.

How did you come to work with Spectacle Strategy?

We were originally going to work with a different vendor, but our project ended up being too small. They recommended Michael because he was a former employee of theirs.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October 2017–January 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The brand is now able to more effectively communicate with its audience because of Spectacle Strategy. After doing a survey, we saw that our new plant-power nutrition approach was twice as favorable among our consumers than our previous positioning.

How did Spectacle Strategy perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent communicators. The workflow between our teams was smooth and done well. Managing the project was one of their skills; it was terrific.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They led the project with an expert and personable team that helped us get the most out of the engagement. Michael had the necessary expertise and was willing to interact with us as much as needed. His leadership made a significant difference in the strength of our relationship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I was pleased with their service, so I can’t think of anything for them to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take advantage of their interactive nature. Having an iterative process was effective and it’s worth collaborating with their team for each step of the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Flyline Ventures, a venture capital fund.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Spectacle Strategy?

We engaged Spectacle Strategy to help us analyze the market potential for a potential startup opportunity.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to bring a new player into a very large industry, and we needed to know how receptive potential customers were to try a new process in an established market. Spectacle Strategy led a market research study for us through a general population survey. Their team looked at key elements such as category relationship, retail relationship, brand relationship, concept appeal, and barriers to adoption.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people. Michael (CEO and Founder, Spectacle Strategy) served as our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Spectacle Strategy?

I learned about the team through a former coworker of Michael’s. The group that introduced us was a much larger group, and I was looking for a smaller team to do a relatively small study. Spectacle Strategy was a small, new firm that had the experience of a larger firm, making them an ideal candidate for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October 2017–February 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Spectacle Strategy delivered a high-quality report on time and at excellent value. The professionalism, broad scope, and attention to detail far exceeded my expectations.

How did Spectacle Strategy perform from a project management standpoint?

The team always kept me up to date on progress; they responded quickly and maintained our expectations for timing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven’t worked with a marketing research vendor like Spectacle Strategy before. However, the quality of their work speaks for itself.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we were thrilled with their results.

Any advice for potential customers?

Give them a chance. I highly recommend Spectacle Strategy to anyone considering these services.