Takt

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a Director at Professional Beauty Association

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are the national nonprofit trade association for the professional beauty industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Massive Media to accomplish?

• Improve user experience on our wesbite
• Get a better content management system for internal teams to use
• Better organize information and have best in class web presence

SOLUTION

How did you find Massive Media?

Online Search

Why did you select Massive Media over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Good initial sales calls

How many teammates from Massive Media were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We needed a whole new website design, architecture, and development by a drop dead date of our existing website license expiring so as not to incur additional fees on an old, outdated platform.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website was beautiful, thoughtful, easy to navigate and on-time for our launch requirements.

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

Excellent and organized, this team is on top of it and really cares about the work they do and their clients.

What was your primary form of communication with Massive Media?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Great thought leadership - between UI/UX best practices, design and development skills, and project management. It's clear this team is great at what they do in the way they can clearly communicate expectations, take feedback and direction, and deliver on what was promised.

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

Everything was excellent. Towards the end of the project, we had less touchpoints (as everything was in development) so it's the only time we ever felt a little unsure of what to expect...but that has more to do with past, negative experiences with other agencies and less about what Massive was able to deliver for us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Lead, Consumer Involvement and Initiatives of a healthcare company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a small specialty mental health and substance use program within a large public health organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Massive Media to accomplish?

• Design and develop a new WordPress based website

SOLUTION

How did you find Massive Media?

• Referral
• previous project

Why did you select Massive Media over others?

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

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

Our program website was given a complete overhaul. Work included:

• Research + discovery (UX, content, design, technical)
• Solution design (Style tiles, Hi-fi prototypes, technical plan)
• Website development (back-end, front-end) + content implementation(content entry and migration, on-page SEO setup, analytics, Quality assurance and testing, training and documentation, Client acceptance testing)
• Post launch support

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were looking for a site with improved accessibility, SEO ease of use and an overall updated experience. Given that we are not income generating, our goal is to increase our reach. Newly relaunched, we expect that the traffic to our site will go up and that visitors will stay longer. We have not worked out a specific user feedback process yet, but that is in the works.

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

We had a dedicated project manager who stayed ahead of us ever step of the way, they were organized and responsive pulling in appropriate team members as required. The timeline laid out by Massive was well articulated and adhered to. Any changes to the schedule were mutually agreed upon and often as a response to us needing more time to complete assigned tasks. In addition to a weekly project update we had regularly scheduled check-in meetings that were efficient and inclusive.

What was your primary form of communication with Massive Media?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We really appreciated their energy and vibe. From start to finish, their curiosity and enthusiasm really shone through. Although we were bringing a small project to the table, we felt valued and that our business was appreciated.

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

Because we were so new to this we have nothing to compare it to. We felt that we were in good hands and had confidence in their team's ability to guide our project. Never once were we left with the impression that we were just another project and I believe that this is reflective of the company's commitment to customer centered service.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing and Public Relations Manager of Oak Bay Beach Hotel

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A 100 room boutique hotel in Victoria, BC, providing guests with the ultimate luxury and wellness experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Massive Media to accomplish?

• We hired Massive to help us improve our online guest experience. At the time, our digital presence wasn’t at par with the experience our guests have when they stay with us. Specifically, our previous website didn’t communicate our offerings and value proposition effectively and they couldn’t easily find the information they were looking for.

SOLUTION

How did you find Massive Media?

Referral

Why did you select Massive Media over others?

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

How many teammates from Massive Media were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Massive worked with us to create an online presence that parallelled the exceptional experience our guests have while staying with us. We worked with Massive to tell our story more effectively using stunning photography, compelling copy, and a better layout. Furthermore, we worked with Massive to ensure the new site provided clear paths to information based on well thought out user journeys. RFP: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ldt8U2yW9jvCO3Hk7OXXRbxWASr9QK93/view?…

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Measurable outcomes from this project that demonstrated success were an increase in guest bookings and overall conversion from the website, a reduction in unnecessary time spent on the phone by our reservations team, an increase in our brand awareness.

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

During the entire process, their project and time management was outstanding. They delivered items on time (and sometimes, ahead of time!), they listened to our needs and explained how our needs influenced each decision or suggestion they brought to us, and ensured that we were always happy with the current project before moving on to the next stage.

What was your primary form of communication with Massive Media?

Virtual Meeting

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

Most impressive about this company was their culture. Through in person and digital meetings, you can tell that this is a well-rounded and incredibly skilled group of individuals who is extremely passionate about what they do, and genuinely motivated for the success of the client.

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the marketing manager at Raven RSM. We bring out the rescue and safety savvy of Canadians across the country with the training they'll remember when it counts, rescue gear that makes sense, and safety strategies they'll use. From professionals with a rescue mandate to recreationalists and workplace employees for whom rescue is a secondary task, our training, equipment, and services will bring out the best in our students and clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We approached Massive with the ask for a website equipped with e-commerce. In addition, only a few short years prior, we'd split our website into three distinct domains for our different client bases and realized we'd made a mistake. The website needed to unify disparate and disconnected user journeys, maintain our existing online course sign-up experience and drive the new key business offering of equipment sales. As part of that journey, we also engaged Massive for a visual rebrand.

SOLUTION

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

We shortlisted Massive alongside one other firm. We initially opted for the other firm based on their client portfolio - they'd worked with retail companies in the outdoor industry and even had staff that was team members of some of our existing rescue clientele. When that relationship fell through because of poor scheduling on the part of the firm, we turned to Massive with a bit of hesitation. We had originally felt we were not urban enough to be a good fit for Massive - we'd gravitated towards the other firm because they felt familiar to us.

But it became immediately evident that our ethos was the same as Massive's - our relentless pursuit of excellence matched their bold personality. Also, it became clear that Massive would never drop the ball in something as fundamental as scheduling. We were both doggedly committed to producing a masterful result. These underlying values closed the deal for us, and we are forever grateful. Staying with something familiar would have kept us within the standards of our own industry. Partnering with Massive raised the bar in ways only cross-pollinating outside the familiar can. Turns out the future does favour the bold.

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

Massive began with an in-depth Research + Discovery process where they learned about our business, customers, industry, operations, and technical requirements: these involved interviews over Zoom, interactive workshops and presentations. From there, the project split into two tracks: Brand and web. Branding efforts began by crystalizing Raven's purpose and turning it into messaging that rallies and inspires. Then came the logo and visual ID concepts, which we shortlisted and refined until we eventually landed on our new logo.

Meanwhile, Massive's UX team was planning our new website's content and information architecture around its users' needs. These translated to Figma wireframes that later became the backbone for the new website's UI and visual design. Massive presented us with these designs in Figma via a clickable URL that let us navigate the site to get an idea of how it feels. Copywriting was a collaborative effort between Massive's copywriters and our internal team and was completed in a Google Doc.

With the website's UX, content, design, and technical requirements completed, Massive's developers began coding Raven's custom theme on WordPress, integrating the website with our various platforms and business-critical technologies. Then came testing and QA. Massive did the bulk of this internally before handing us the keys to the staging environment for Client Acceptance Testing. From there, we made final adjustments and tweaks before launching the new brand and website!

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

Ten people (2 UX and Content Strategists, 1 Brand Strategist, 2 WordPress Developers, 2 Designers, 2 Project Managers, 1 Art Director)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This data appears fantastical. We know.

• Direct Traffic: Increased 49x between February and August 2022 year over year.
• Organic Search Traffic: Increased 61x between February and August 2022 year over year.
• Avg. Session Duration: Increased 6x between February and August 2022 year over year.
• Pageviews: Increased 94x between February and August 2022 year over year.

We have received more newsletter signups since the website launch, and more form submissions in general. Our online course sales remained strong and didn't falter for a moment during the transition to the new site - courses remain waitlisted and sold out country-wide. As for retail sales, we have nothing to which we can compare our new e-commerce platform - we never had one before!

But we are easing into the new e-commerce reality with the support of a solid UX and ongoing fine-tuning from the team at Massive. Any ongoing challenges we face with e-commerce lay more in our new inventory software and its integration to the website than with anything specifically related to the website design.

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

Project management was clear, timely, and consistent. A single Project Manager served as a point of contact for us and provided weekly updates via prescheduled video check-ins and documentation. Our project actually changed hands between 4 project managers over its duration, but despite that, we never felt that information fell between the cracks. An impressive accomplishment! At the end of our project, we were also left with a 100+ page "website training" document - a living google doc where changes to the site can be documented by ourselves or Massive as time goes on.

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

We felt that we received the best of the best from Massive; that they'd curated the best takeaways from every client in their portfolio, synthesized them with our needs, and delivered our branding and web design based on the result. Part of this meant that Massive's CTO pushed us to reconsider our entire backend software ecosystem seriously. Massive went above and beyond the statement of work to deliver a brand and website; they guided us to the (admittedly painful) realization that we needed to back up the work they were doing with equally masterful backend software.

They knew that the website and branding they built would never reach their full potential without a better tech stack behind the scenes. Our entire business is better because of their input on this issue.

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

Challenges remain in the realm of e-commerce for us. We believe this is due to the new inventory software (Netsuite) and its integration to our Wordpress WooCommerce site, as opposed to anything relating to the site itself. I can tell that Massive had never worked with a client connecting WooCommerce to Netsuite. While building integrations was not at all within the scope of Massive's work with us (that fell to the integration partner we were working with), we obviously would have loved to benefit from any prior knowledge that Massive had of such integrations done for other clients.

We hope future clients will glean tips and tricks because of Massive's experience with us. As I said, we received the best of the best from Massive because they curate the best takeaways from every client in their portfolio. We are proud to add our experience to their already deep well of knowledge.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm Dallas Parker, one of the founders and creative directors at Doberman Pictures, an animation company in Vancouver British Columbia. We do Pre-production (storyboards, animatics and design) and we work exclusively with DreamWorks Television Animation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Having Creating a new website for Doberman Pictures that emphasized HR and showcased the great work the Doberman team produces.

SOLUTION

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

We selcted Massive on two factors: 1. the quality and asthetic of their OWN website and 2. upon meeting the team in interviews, they had an open minded, playful sensibility while also presenting as reponsible professionals.

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

Doberman Pictures was looking for a ground up website rebuild AND rebrand. We asked Massive to create a website framework that would help us attract like-minded creative talent - something that would show artists who we are, what OUR aspirations are and why they want to be here. Project deliverables where:

• Project Discovery + Kick-off
• Stakeholder + User Interviews
• Competitive Discovery
• Brand Sprint Workshop
• Design Discovery Visual Identity
• Creative Information Architecture + Userflow
• Copy High Fidelity Prototypes Technical Plan Server Side Set-Up + Backend Development
• Front-End Development
• HTML / CSS / Javascript
• On-Page SEO Content Implementation
• Analytics 
  • Google Tracking Code Installed
  • Quality Assurance
  • Website Training Brand Guide

The steps included were:

• Research and Discovery Solution
• Design
• Web Development + Implementation

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

about 7 Massive folks:

1. Project Manager
2. Art Director
3. Designer
4. UX Strategist
5. Content Strategist
6. Developer
7. QA Manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

On the website itself (though still pretty fresh off launch) we've had a lot of positive feedback from the team as well as from DreamWorks, our primary client. Delivered with the website were very thorough documentation and materials such as a style guide, how to upkeep and manage the site doc (50 pgs Illustrated!), logo files, meeting recordings and more. In addition, Massive have made themselves available for questions as they arrise. We feel very well taken care of by the Massive team in terms of materials given and ongoing support.

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

Working in a world where video meetings with large groups of executives is the daily norm - we actually were inspired by and learned a lot from the way Massive conducted their meetings and managed the project. Production schedule was quickly explained and agreed on and Massive kept to the timelines rigidly - if there were holdups it was on Doberman's part. The really impressive thing though was the proffesionalism of the meetings Massive conducted with Doberman; well dressed, polite, engaging and PREPARED! Each meeting came with a very proffesional agenda preparing us for what we were going to be speaking about, who was going to be doing the speaking and what the goals were going to be at the end. We will be taking a page from their project management ourselves.

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

It was evident that Massive Media had the chops to create something beautiful and engaging based on their portfolio and company website - and they delivered a beautiful end product that we're really proud of. What was most unexpected and impressive though, turned out to be the openness to pitch in with innovative creative ideas based on what they learned during research and discovery about Doberman's personality and aspirations. An example is that Doberman identified a print half tone/dot matrix type asthetic as something we liked - BUT, we recognized that we produce content for television, not for print. Massive came up with a solution that felt in the spirit of what we loved about the print asthetic but was geared towards tv - tube TV square pixels. This was an 'aha' moment and, as evidenced by the website, is a core element of the rebrand.

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

Cannot think of areas to improve at this time.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and COO of The Advisor Guide, a company that works in the financial services industry. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Massive Media?

We hired Massive Media to help us with marketing to improve our brand positioning. The website we had was outdated and wasn’t reflecting our company’s messaging. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Massive Media developed a website and branding materials that reflected our messaging. Their team designed our logo and put together our color palette using the messaging we provided — they also did copywriting for us. 

At the beginning of the project, we discussed my goals with Massive Media’s team and our challenges. From there, we laid out a project schedule that laid out what we wanted to accomplish for each part of the project. Massive Media’s experts then seamlessly coordinated each piece of the project to ensure they met our deadlines. 

They then did market research to determine our brand positioning — our company name fit well in our industry and didn’t need to be changed. From there, we decided we only needed to change our logo, color palette, and website design. We gave them free rein with our color palette and logo design, although we did give them broad guidelines. Their team also developed the website’s wireframes in Figma. In the end, Massive Media then went beyond the scope of work and delivered social media icons, banners, and backgrounds to help us with our launch. 

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with about eight teammates from Massive Media, but several developers were working on the project that I didn’t interact with. I worked with a UX/UI designer, a font specialist, a logo designer, and a copywriter. 

How did you come to work with Massive Media?

We conducted thorough research into marketing agencies across Canada and the US on Google. I used Clutch to check company reviews because I was looking for companies that offered specific services and spent time curating their own messaging and brand on their website. I eventually found Massive Media and was impressed by their website. I knew that if they’d put that much care into their own site, they could do the same for my company. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $65,000–$70,000 CAD (approximately $52,000– $55,000 USD) with Massive Media. 

What is the status of this engagement?

This project with Massive Media was from November 2021–March 2022. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We measure the project’s success through site traffic, click-through rates, and bounce rates. We also collect feedback from the customers we direct to our website — we want to make sure that our message is clearly communicated to the customers we’re already connecting with. 

Our customers provide a lot of positive feedback — they love the website and how clear our messaging and services are. Since the website only launched a few weeks ago, I don’t have accurate metrics about bounce rates or other quantitative metrics. Despite that, I’m happy with Massive Media’s deliverables and the positive customer feedback I’ve gotten. 

How did Massive Media perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a very strict timeline and deadlines for Massive Media to meet. They were able to follow through and did what they needed to meet those deadlines. We used Google Drive and a few other platforms to review deliverables, including BugHub. The project was very collaborative; we had weekly and biweekly virtual meetings. Outside of those meetings, we typically communicated through email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Massive Media’s quality of work and project coordination were outstanding; their team of professionals broke down the project into specialized categories. They learned a lot about our needs and positioning, which informed the rest of the project. Massive Media fully grasped who we were, where we were coming from, why we started, and our services. Focusing on those aspects made a huge difference when it came to delivering a beautiful project.

I appreciated that Massive Media was professional and didn’t force us to change our company name so they could charge us extra. They were honest and told us that our existing company name was a good fit for our industry. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing for Massive Media to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d advise customers to keep an open line of communication with Massive Media.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Business Partner and Graphic Designer in the Southern Alberta's Institute of Technology's (SAIT) Marketing Department. I am a project manager who focuses on recruitment and brand strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

SAIT hired Massive Media to produce a series of videos for on-demand information sessions that covered a wide variety of content. These videos are to help students along their customer journey to decide on their program at SAIT.

SOLUTION

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

Massive Media was selected from an RFP that was conducted by SAIT in approximately 2019. They were selected due to their creative team and project coordination. For this project specifically, we went with Massive Media due to their ability to meet our deadlines and provide the services we required to complete the goals of the project.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

We started with an initial brief and discovery meeting with Massive Media. In this, we outlined the different videos we were looking to create and prioritized the videos based on their use in a recruitment event happening a short while later. We outlined our deadlines and worked with Massive Media on specific deadlines for each video. SAIT, as subject matter experts, provided Massive Media with scripts and in-house talent recordings along with B-Roll video. Massive Media took the provided materials and created additional content slides and b-roll into videos that promoted SAIT programs based on an area of interest. With each video, Massive Media turned them around quickly - providing us one video as a template, which we perfected and then the other videos were created. SAIT provided timed feedback.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

Working with Leigh and Kyle was an incredible experience. Kyle provided a lot of the technical needs and requirement outlines per video and outlined the expectations that would need to be completed for each video we were creating. Leigh provided the project outline, kept us on track and routinely followed up with us on everything from where videos were at, guidance on how to supply purposeful feedback to their team and ensured that Massive Media and SAIT remained on schedule for the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to show off our videos at our recruitment event. We received a lot of positive feedback from our stakeholders and attendees about how the videos looked, sounded and provided the necessary information to apply to a SAIT program.

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

The project manager, Leigh, was effective in communication. Through email and meetings hosted on Microsoft Teams, Leigh maintained a professional and personable approach to our project. Leigh was able to be clear about deadlines and needs from the Massive Media team and had a detailed understanding of our project goals and objectives. Leigh kept regular communication with us, updating us throughout the project's life span.

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

Massive Media was able to understand our goals and took the time to get a really clear picture of our needs. Our project manager had previous experience in the post-secondary industry which helped when we experienced roadblocks and slight delays. She managed to work through them and still deliver the videos in a timely and extremely well executed manner.

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

I wish we were located in the same city - it would have been amazing to work with them in person. But they are incredible at managing projects virtually.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Coordinator for Special Events and Filming at the District of West Vancouver.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Massive Media?

The District of West Vancouver hired Massive Media for a brand refresh of the Harmony Arts Festival, the District's largest event. Harmony has grown over the last 10 years and required a refreshed look to appeal to a broader audience.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals of the refresh were to keep the spirit of the brand, while giving it a contemporary look.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The search process began with phone interviews with five local marketing agencies, which were selected based on online portfolios, reviews, and price range, and was narrowed down to three. The three companies provided thorough overviews of the works they would complete along with quotes. After an internal review process, which involved multiple departments, the District of West Vancouver awarded the competition to Massive Media because they demonstrated the ability to best serve the District.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Massive Media started by sending the District a calendar that clearly outlined the timelines, scope, and deliverables of the project. Next, they hosted the events team for a kick-off meeting with their team of the CEO, Creative Director, Project Manager, Designer, and Content Strategist. A week later, they held a workshop called 'Start with Why' for District staff and other key members of the Harmony Arts community (a total of 17 participants).

Following the workshop, Massive Media interviewed a list of eight volunteers, District staff, sponsors, and attendees. Once the research phase was complete, Massive Media conducted a collateral audit followed by several in-person presentations where they presented us with several options and allowed us time to provide feedback and refine the options.

Through interviews and workshops, Massive provided us with a refined brand story and visual identity. 

What was the team composition?

Our team worked directly with the Project Manager who would often include the Designer, Copy Editor, and Creative Director in phone calls and meetings. The size of their team they dedicated to the District remained consistent throughout the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are very pleased with the results of the brand refresh. We received lots of positive feedback from our sponsors and community on the updated visual identity. Our internal team felt that Massive truly listened and delivered well beyond our expectations.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

This refresh had to be completed in a tight two-month timeline and required a lot of engagement from the Harmony community. Massive delivered the results right on time and always allowed time for feedback and refining. They ensured we had a point-person on our team to keep communication flowing with ease.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by the breadth of expertise on Massive's team. They really spent their time listening and understanding, from all perspectives, what the brand was and where it needs to be. They also worked very collaboratively with the District and were always open to feedback in a very approachable way.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were very happy with the results and saw no areas for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the web and digital manager at a nongovernment organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Massive Media?

We had a website that hadn't been updated for quite a while. We needed to figure out a new direction for the platform so that one of our teams could continue to work and expand on what their work was hoping to accomplish.

We wanted a lot of modular agency, so being able to take a page and add components that still fit within the site’s aesthetic and theme, while also providing the flexibility internally for our team to make choices or present certain pages and content of their choosing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provided Massive Media with a site map, a skeleton of how the website was currently structured, and access to the website to create the skeleton for themselves as well. We had a conversation about the optimal way to structure our content; before, I think people had been creating content types or subtypes at their leisure, and we needed to reevaluate what the user preference and perspective would be. I did as much as I could to provide them with the precursor documents, and then they handled wireframes. They did a design overhaul of our website and made it look more visually appealing. 

They also ensured that as our program shifts or changes, the website is able to do the same. That was a key functionality piece.

What is the team composition?

Throughout the project, I worked with at least six people. At the first level, I worked with René (Partner & Creative Director). We also worked with two project managers: one was dedicated to the external day-to-day communications, and the other managed internal communications. 

When we did wireframing and design in the beginning, we talked with a particular person from that team; then, during the development and bug phase, we worked with someone from the development team. 

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent just under $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in February or March 2019, and it wrapped up by May or June of that year. We host the website on our own server, so they handed the website over to us. However, I’ve gone back to them a few times since launch to ask questions, such as about adding a functionality, and they’ve been super accommodating.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They went above and beyond. I think one of the big pieces is that the team that we got the website built for hasn't come to me in quite a while to make any changes to the site. In my position, I tend to sense that a team is going to push toward getting a new website when they're coming to me pretty regularly to make small fixes on the backend of the site. When a website launches, I can tell if it is or isn’t working for the team depending on how much they're reaching out to me. The team has been able to handle the website and become pretty self-sufficient. For me, that's a barometer of success on their end. I think it also helped that Massive was there to onboard and assist on that front.

How did Massive Media perform from a project management standpoint?

It was a really good process. They didn’t miss much, and they were always very responsive within a day or less. Our organization is split across Canada; although Massive is based in the same city as me, the project team is based out of the East Coast, and they were flexible with handling that time change.

There was a lot of back and forth, and sometimes, unexpected things came up. Everyone was super flexible, accommodating, and understanding of the situation. I think that’s a tribute to their experience dealing with clients, not only from our industry but other industries as well. They took on challenges as they came, which was really nice. To communicate, we used Google Hangouts, email, or quick phone calls as needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I thought the whole process was really well done. One of the most challenging pieces was when we had two feedback loops in the design that were part of the agreement, but we had to explore and add a third round because of internal feedback on our end. They managed that really well; I think it could’ve been a sticky situation, but they communicated well, and it ended up just being a small bump in the overall journey of the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I think it was pretty good for the most part. I didn’t think there was any glaring weakness or issue working with them.

Any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend taking one of two paths: have everything clearly defined upfront, or be willing to collaborate and work with the ideas that Massive brings to the table. I think that a lot of the time, when you work with agencies like this, it can be frustrating to both parties if you’re undecided on your approach.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a business analyst and project manager at a lumber treating and building materials distribution company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Massive Media?

We were looking to build a completely new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Massive Media designed and developed a new website from scratch. We put together and internal project team, identifying various stakeholders in different areas of the business. Executives in these departments helped us compile a list of requirements for the website. 

The Massive Media team took these requirements to build an initial design draft. The internal committee approved items, design elements, and functionality they had created. Then their team developed the website based on that feedback through several iterations. After that site was approved, they populated the site with content for various pages.

Massive Media helped us create a branding guide based on our internal standards. The guide for the updated design language for the new website. Their team also provided social media and marketing strategies, creating a plan for the frequency and content of posts. These campaigns adhered to the brand guidelines.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 6–7 members of the Massive Media team.

How did you come to work with Massive Media?

I did some internal research on marketing and web design firms in Canada. Massive Media came up so I checked out their past work and decided to send them an RFP that outlined the requirements and scope of the project. From there, we discussed how they would approach the project. We evaluated them against multiple other firms and, after bringing them in for various presentations on their strategy, we decided to work with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Massive Media ran from September 2018–October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have been evaluating the website on Google Analytics and have seen a noticeable increase in the number of pages users go to. We have also seen an increase in engagement across our various social media platforms.

How did Massive Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Massive Media was adaptable to our changing timelines and schedules. We ran into some challenges in terms of internal scheduling, but they handled them well. Overall, they were great to work with and always delivered results on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was fantastic to work with Massive Media. Everyone on their team is knowledgeable and experienced and it really shows. We were satisfied with both the final product and the relationship we had. They actually care about the products they were releasing. It felt like they were as invested in our success as we were.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were very strong in all of the areas we needed them to be.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be upfront and open about what you want. Treat it as a partnership, not just a transactional relationship. Be open to changes and flexible in requirements because they have great advice. If they tell you something is or is not possible, trust in their expertise.