Urban Emu

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the majority stockholder and VP of an industrial specialty chemical company. We develop, blend, manufacture, ship, and service all types of industrial metalworking, metal finishing, and water treatment chemistries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Urban Emu?

When we started this company, we were a small organization. Our website was done by another company several years ago, and it looked awful. We wanted to expand our image and get the word out.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially thought of doing an app, but Urban Emu came up with excellent reasons why that should be the next step. They looked at the antiquity of our current website and told us it could be so much better. Then, they dove into our business and asked for our top five competitors. They looked at all their websites, researched them, and gave us their suggestions.

Urban Emu developed logos and everything but the actual products themselves. Since there’s some liability associated with industrial specialty chemicals, they made sure that the wording was appropriate. We developed that on our side, and they compared it with our competition.

Then, they created the entire website from the ground up. They took our previous site and built upon it. With 1,400 different products, we needed ways to go in deep and get back out easily without users getting frustrated. We did individual websites with links that collect the products by market and product type.

For example, we might have one product that can do five different things and has three different links — one might fall under the food and beverage marketplace, while another might be for just general industrial, and a third little basket would say it’s an Alkaline cleaner. Also, there might be ten different names for one product. We’ve tried to link the spoken word, written word, and photo altogether to make it easy enough for the business owner, engineer, chemist, or person pushing the broom to realize that’s the product they’re looking for.

Therefore, we’ve had to put together the descriptions and another layer below for technical and safety data sheets. It has required a tremendous amount of work from our side as well.

Right now, we’re still developing some items. We’ve done this for several months, and they’ve been completely on the ball on updates and moving forward with the project. We haven’t launched the site yet, but Urban Emu has put in a tremendous number of hours into it.

What is the team composition?

Initially, we were in contact with Patrick (CEO & Principal). Now, we deal with four people on a regular basis. Alyssa (Senior Designer) is our primary contact person, Stephanie (Account Support) is our branding person, and Maggie (Director of Client Engagement) is our graphic designer. She has worked on the physical logos, layout, and website flow.

How did you come to work with Urban Emu?

It was word of mouth. They had done another website for a large landscaping company in New Jersey. A guy I swam with told me to look at their website and bugged me for a month. When I finally looked at it, I knew it was what I wanted.

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve probably spent between $10,000–$15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them around October 2019. When COVID-19 hit, everything came to a halt because we had to retool our business. Manufacturing dropped down into healthcare and FDA-approved products like hand sanitizers, germicides, and disinfectants. Our whole company changed, and we actually prospered during it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven’t launched it yet, but when anyone sees what we have, they’re impressed.

How did Urban Emu perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve held my hand through the whole process. Their team has been great — they’re never pushy, but they’re always there. They actually have some team members that work early in the morning and finish in the afternoon and others that start at noon and work until 10:00 p.m.

Therefore, we can fire off an email, and someone always gets back to us within ten minutes. We don’t bother them on the weekends, but they have our needs covered during the week. We use email to communicate, and it has worked out well. Urban Emu has tried to get us to use more tools, but that isn’t our style. For us, it’s just easier to do it this way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s their creativity. We need things done differently because of our 1,400 different products and all the links associated with them. In this industry, even the people who use these chemicals need a photo to go along with the written word to link it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wouldn’t change a thing so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Call them as soon as possible, and don’t come in with a completely blank slate. If you point them in the right direction, they’ll run with it. However, they’re easy to redirect if you change your mind. They’re great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a youth sports software company. We create software for the coaches, kids, and parents that participate in youth sports.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Urban Emu?

We wanted to redesign our app. We needed it to be a lot more user friendly, engaging, intuitive, be more polished, and have a better design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we met and I told them I wanted our app to be as simple, friendly, and engaging as Facebook. We asked them to make it as helpful and intuitive as Slack. We talked about the audience, our brand, and what we represent. Then, we did some initial designs and colors, which was really helpful. They were experts in what we were looking for.

 From there, we went through the important phase of executing all the designs in every page of our app. They designed an activity feed for our app, so it resembles a social media feed. The final stage was a handoff from their design team to my development team. We finished the app design work faster than planned, and I asked them to redesign our website.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Sarah (Senior Digital Designer), Brian (Associate Creative Director), and Patrick (CEO & Principal).

How did you come to work with Urban Emu?

We’re geographically located next to each other in New Jersey. I reached out to Patrick because I wanted to use their service, but the timing never seemed right. As soon as I raised my last round of investment, the first thing I did was engage them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2020, and we wrapped up in June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were able to deliver exactly what we needed. They kept things on budget and on time. They were excellent.

How did Urban Emu perform from a project management standpoint?

Their designers were extremely diligent in making sure that my employees and I stayed within the agreed-upon timelines. They don’t have a separate project management team to manage the timelines, which is extra impressive that they managed it all themselves. They were respectful of our budget, too. They were able to successfully redesign our site with the extra hours we didn’t use.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Patrick was incredibly easy to work with. They all made it very easy for us to get started working together, work within the budget we had, and make sure that we finished our goals successfully.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so. They did an excellent job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I can sincerely vouch for Sarah and Brian. They do excellent work and they’re great to work with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior policy advisor for the USDA/CNPP. We work in food and nutrition policies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Urban Emu?

We needed some development and design work done.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Urban Emu helped us create two new websites, handling development and design, from scratch. One of the websites is primarily informational and has a feature that allows people to register to attend public meetings. Urban Emu made several changes, per our request.

The other website is purely informational. Their team created an infographic and animated it for use in presentations. They created a mobile app for consumers. It works on the Apple Watch as well.

Currently, they’re working on developing an Alexa Skill for us as well as overhauling our consumer website for MyPlate. There’s an interactive quiz, connections to other resources, and a code that can be put into the mobile app to connect them.

What is the team composition?

Patrick (Founder & CEO) is my main contact, and I have some interaction with the project managers, designers, and programmers.

How did you come to work with Urban Emu?

I had worked with them at a previous company, so I invited them to bid on the project. They were the best in terms of technical response and understanding the dynamics of the work, politics involved, etc.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $250,000–$500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around January 2018, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They meet, or exceed, our expectations of the engagement with the digital asset, customer service, daily interactions, and effort each team member contributes. It’s extraordinary. We’re looking forward to seeing the app go live; it’s something to be proud of.

How did Urban Emu perform from a project management standpoint?

They handle everything quite well, managing our expectations and understanding of the different projects. Their team accommodates our requests while being very honest regarding what’s possible within the scope and what needs to be done to do those things that are outside the scope. We discuss things via calls, which the designers and programmers are involved in.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re great at finding the less obvious solutions. Their professionalism, customer service, and programmers are phenomenal. The quality of their work is on the private sector level. I can’t say enough good things about them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes they’re too nice; they don’t put their foot down when they probably should.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a construction management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Urban Emu?

We needed help with our website. We’d had a bad experience with a previous vendor, and needed someone else to come and clean everything up. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They implemented a completely new website. Our old vendor was using a template that was very limiting and didn’t allow us to add a lot of the functionalities that we needed. Urban Emu came and revamped it. Our website has a completely different look and layout with enhanced capabilities. 

They also do our social media marketing. They manage our LinkedIn and Facebook. In addition, they created an employee portal for our team. 

What is the team composition?

We work with a team of five people including Patrick (CEO), Hayden (Marketing Specialist), Maggy (Creative Specialist, Digital Design), and Alyssa (Senior Designer).

How did you come to work with Urban Emu?

Our writing consultant recommended them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $86,000 so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We starting working with them in the summer of 2016. They continue to maintain our social media accounts and make updates to the website. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I get a lot of compliments from people in the industry, especially about our social media posts. 

How did Urban Emu perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very good with project management. We have weekly check-ins. They meet deadlines, even when we request projects at the last minute. Our industry is dynamic, but they’re flexible and always there to support our needs. They typically deliver ahead of time. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The thing that makes them stand out is their creativity. They use the information we give them and present it in the best light. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I just wish I had found them earlier. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re looking to step up your digital presence, they’re the best. They can take you to the next level. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a small LLC that my partner and I are using to initiate and launch a public speaking app.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Urban Emu?

My partner and I aren’t in the technology field, but over the last five years of developing this idea, we’ve learned a lot and have a lot of contact and exposure.

Originally, we were looking at creating a website that would enable us to help people help each other overcome the anxiety associated with public speaking. What we’ve done since then is morphed into a mobile app that will do the same thing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the start, we had prototypes developed by another team, but they weren’t to our standards. A lot of money was wasted. Patrick (CEO) and his team came in to help us get organized. Their understanding helped us decide to move forward with an app. So after those conversations, we started from scratch.

Urban Emu brought in an app developer to actually build the app while they oversaw the process. The app has a lot of different features. Users can ask questions and for help. There are communication areas where users can see different conversations. We also have swiping technology integrated within the app. There is also a live presentation area where users can present to others, and then they can provide feedback.

We also have a video library where users can watch instructional videos.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with three people, including Patrick, Sarah (Senior Digital Designer), and the developer. Other people involved, but we didn’t have communication with them.

How did you come to work with Urban Emu?

I think we connected a few years ago. It was just doing research and looking for someone with the characteristics that we were looking for.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2016 or 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Throughout the years, Patrick and his team have supported us. Their strategic thinking helped guide us throughout the engagement.

We haven’t launched yet, but I’m happy with how everything is going. They’ve delivered everything they’ve said they would. They’ve also been generous with their time.

How did Urban Emu perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re always on time. More importantly, the team adds enormous value when it comes to understanding our audience's user experience and behavior.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Along with understanding our users, they understand the big picture. Their team is great at understanding their clients as well. They can explain what’s a good or bad idea and how that fits within the bigger picture.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I feel comfortable with them. I’ve never had a complaint. I’m lucky to have found Urban Emu.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I don’t know all of their areas of expertise, but I would say give them a try. Patrick is honest and forthright. You’ll know immediately that you can trust him. Ask him questions before deciding if they’re a good fit or not.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m the founder & principal for a public relations agency. We do campaigns and initiatives largely for the federal government or associations with professional societies. They’re mainly about social health or cause-related issues. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Urban Emu? 

We needed some web development and branding for a client. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

They’ve done several projects with us, including primarily website-related work for most of the clients. Generally, they enhanced the foundation that was already there. They have also worked with me for professional and international clients, doing everything from graphics and design to website structure, user-testing, SEO, Google Analytics, and more. 

They built a website from the ground up. I provided the copy and they did design, recorded and edited videos, and are going to train the client on how to make future changes. They are also doing an integration of resources. 

Most recently, they worked on a project surrounding mental health and COVID, which involved several clients. 

What is the team composition? 

There were several people working on the most recent project. I interacted with seven of them, including Ken (Creative Director), Brian (Associate Creative Director), and Tim (Immersive Experience Facilitator). 

How did you come to work with Urban Emu? 

The creative director I was working with recommended Patrick (CEO, Principal) as someone who could do way more than website. We worked together on a project, and it was a great collaboration, so we’ve continued working together. 

How much have you invested with them? 

We’ve spent between $90,000–$100,000 just for this latest project. 

What is the status of this engagement? 

We began working together around February 2016, and it is ongoing. The most recent project ran for roughly five months and just wrapped up. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They bring value to the company, and our clients, in many ways. They do user testing, ensure products get to market on time, organize quarterly dashboard analytics for clients, create infographics for social media posts, and so much more. Feedback from clients has been great, and I enjoy working with this team. 

How did Urban Emu perform from a project management standpoint? 

They’re accessible and responsive. They’re very organized—able to produce reports and updates anytime we request them. They work well within deadlines too, communicating if adjustments need to be made. They are willing to go above and beyond to get the job done. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

They are professional, accommodating, and patient. Every person on the team is committed, smart, valuable, easy to work with, and personable. They are on the cutting-edge of what they do, such as apps and digital technology. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

No. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

I recommend working with them. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a flower farm based in Monmouth County, New Jersey. We’ve been family owned and operated since 1983. I’m the marketing manager who handles all the online and print marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Urban Emu?

We relied on Urban Emu to help us with digital marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Urban Emu helped us get our brand new website up and running. They migrated our platform from WooCommerce to Shopify. They assisted in transitioning our business to an online model in time for the COVID-19 shutdowns. They integrated a curbside pickup and local delivery feature into our site.

While the website migration has been a major project, Urban Emu has helped us with smaller-scale tasks. They’ve handled much of our social media campaigns and have produced marketing materials for us.

What is the team composition?

I work with 4­5 teammates on a regular basis.

How did you come to work with Urban Emu?

The partnership preceded my onboarding at the company, so I only continued the engagement when I came in.

How much have you invested with them?

I believe the cost is somewhere around $1,500 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in February 2019 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve definitely seen more online sales than we ever have in the past. Just this year alone, they’ve accounted for around $500,000 of our sales, which is triple what we were seeing last year. They’ve been an invaluable resource, as the marketing department I run is a one-woman-show.

How did Urban Emu perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re exceptional on this front. I can call them at any hour of the day or week, and they’re unfailingly responsive. We use Slack, text, and emails to communicate, and they’ve always been amazingly helpful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’d highlight their reliability. I’m not tech-savvy, but they’re always here to provide immediate support. No matter what the problem is, they make sure to get to the bottom of it. They’re really on top of their game.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so. I have nothing negative to say.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re an easygoing team that’s very easy to work with. I imagine any company would have as positive an experience as I’ve had.