Voice & Reason

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I'm an executive at California Retaining Walls, Inc

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We build retaining walls, sound walls, bioswales, box culverts, and more in Northern California for both the Residential and Commercial markets. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Voice & Reason to accomplish?

• Website Creation
• Brand and Logo Creation
• Marketing Campaigns

SOLUTION

How did you find Voice & Reason?

Referral

Why did you select Voice & Reason over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Voice & Reason were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Voice & Reason completely transformed our marketing strategy. They established our online presence with a brand-new website, designed a modern logo, managed a residential marketing campaign that brought in new business, and much more.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

40% of our new residential business comes through the updated website they created

Through the residential marketing campaign, Voice & Reason increased our residential jobs by 127%

A modern brand/logo that we use every day

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

Voice & Reason managed the project superbly and even offered to help with areas that were taking us longer than expected. 

What was your primary form of communication with Voice & Reason?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their ability to help with all things marketing. There wasn't a problem they couldn't solve. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Voice & Reason could have done differently?

No, we still have a relationship with Voice & Reason and we will continue to use their services in the future. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Analyst of a government company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Is a government research and planning agency

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Voice & Reason to accomplish?

• Design an online, interactive planning toolkit
• Design and print 3 flip booklets for planners

SOLUTION

How did you find Voice & Reason?

Agency RFI process

Why did you select Voice & Reason over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• strong value proposition for what we asked

How many teammates from Voice & Reason were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Scope of work was to develop 3 guide books in both a print booklet version of each, and an online interactive version on a public, government website in the form of a "toolkit". This included web design, designing infographics, and print design. 

The guidebooks/online toolkit included complex, technical content for land use planners, emergency managers, and climate/environmental professionals to navigate complex regulatory environments and community social and political environments.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When the online toolkit launched, it became the second most popular resource on our website which we mark as a great success. The print booklet versions came out sleek, accessible, and visually appealing, especially considering the complexity and thickness of the content. They are free, public booklets, and when we bring them to events they tend to disappear quickly!

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

They were highly flexible and adaptable.

What was your primary form of communication with Voice & Reason?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their creativity in finding solutions to our needs/problems is impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Voice & Reason could have done differently?

At times we felt they could have been more detail oriented, but given the complexity of the project, I think our project team and theirs' were both hard pressed to keep all the zillions of details straight - so I think they did the best they could.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a construction management firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Voice & Reason?

We work in the public sector managing school construction projects. The different school districts issue RFPs and qualifications that we respond to. Typically, the district selects people from their responses for doing interviews, and then an agreement. As a result, we wanted to update our written proposals to have a better look and get more responses.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provide basic information and Voice & Reason tunes up our proposals; this includes updating the message and wording.

What is the team composition?

We work with three people in total; two principals and their assistant.

How did you come to work with Voice & Reason?

Voice & Reason was looking for clients, so they contacted me through an email invitation from their LinkedIn account. They were a local company, so I met with the team and we started working together.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $20,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership with Voice & Reason started in January 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We won a contract with the first proposal that Voice & Reason assisted us with.

How did Voice & Reason perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via phone and email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Voice & Reason has expanded our vision of what is possible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, their team has been very responsive to everything we’ve needed. As the projects continue, we’ll be branching out into different areas of their services. Right now, I’m fully satisfied with Voice & Reason and we continue to work with them.

Any advice for potential customers?

Persist and get what you want from Voice & Reason. They’re good at communicating.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager and VP of Crusader Fence and we’re a mid-sized, industrial, heavy commercial, and perimeter security company. We do a lot of fences, access control systems, and other types of physical perimeter security.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Voice & Reason?

We had a couple of major challenges. The first ones are the overall brand continuity, updating our image, and giving us an overall marketing platform to work from. The second challenge we were trying to address stems from the first set of challenges, in regards to better reaching the correct customers at the right time. We just want to make sure that we’re being thoughtful and intentional about that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re working with Voice & Reason on an ongoing basis, so it’s an open-ended project overall — we also work with micro-projects throughout our partnership.

Their main objectives at first were to update our website, get it running, and build it on a better platform. From that, they created a lot of content such as pictures, videos, and got better images of our overall projects. They’ve also helped us develop segment brochures that we can send out digitally and physically. Moreover, they’ve built us an overall brand guide to help us use our brand in the right ways.

They’ve actually done the heavy lifting for a few of those projects, and they all run concurrently. In regards to the brochure, for example, we started out by saying how do we best target a few key segments, and how do we develop the things that showcase our strengths and help us connect with customers the right way. We slowly evolved these brochures into something that really resonates with our brand internally and externally. The brochure really captures the theme of what it means to be a fence company.

What is the team composition?

I work with three people from their team. Two of them are partners in the business, and one is a coordinator assistant, and she works administratively with us and she also works on digital marketing.

How did you come to work with Voice & Reason?

They reached out to me on LinkedIn. What I liked about them is that they have an interactive approach. They’re just really good thought partners and they’re very open to having a dialog. How they interacted with me through the sales process, their overall strategy, and innovative approach sold me on working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

Right now, we’ve probably invested about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our partnership in March 2020, and we’re still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Initially, we didn’t have any idea of what we were looking for, but we wanted someone to execute on our brand cohesion issues and Voice & Reason did just that. We measured the success of that from how we’re constantly getting good feedback about our logo, new marketing materials, and the content we’re putting out. People have been really excited about it, and in the end, all we really wanted was something to freshen the brand.

They’ve done a really nice job of incorporating our brand, and getting really fantastic imagery for us — they’re also the ones who go out to take all the pictures.

How did Voice & Reason perform from a project management standpoint?

Managing the project is an area where they’ve done really well. They built a dashboard for me to see the prioritization of tasks they’re working on. It’s been really helpful to allow me to see what I’m telling them to do, and that’s been phenomenal for the relationship. They’re open to feedback and they’ve adapted and evolved our process, and they’ve been super transparent with how they spend their time. The dashboard they developed also allows me to see make the right decisions when I’m choosing to allocate resources to them.

For a long time we met weekly, but right now we’re only meeting every other week. When things come up, we can just hop on a call. We typically communicate through any Google Platform.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think their customer orientation is probably their most impressive attribute. Even though they’re doing high-quality work and they’re very strong as a marketing agency, their customer orientation and how they interact and work with me is exceptional. 

Another thing that stands out is how open they are to feedback. They have a really good method of operating in terms of bringing really good content to the table, and they’re open to seeing what we’re seeing. They’re really thoughtful about the feedback we’re giving them, and their ability to adapt to what might fit the brand and culture is remarkable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

One thing that they’ve already improved on is transparency in how they manage the project. As of right now, I have nothing to answer, because they came back with a lot of better stuff. They’ve done a phenomenal job of taking that feedback and improving on it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I don’t really have advice from a constructive perspective, because I’ve talked to people about working with Voice & Reason and I just think they’re great people. They’re great partners that can guide you through the process, so I don’t have anything I would tell people to watch out for or anything like that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of RocketCM, a CRM database and automated appointment reminder system for salon stylists and beauty professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Voice & Reason?

We hired Voice & Reason to reformat our website and design customer-facing market collateral. The broader marketing campaign needed to drive sales.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Voice & Reason redesigned our MVP website from scratch based on our directions. During the collaboration, they changed copy, flow, and pricing in a series of four-week sprints. We’re now on the fourth sprint and one a few weeks away from launching the marketing strategy, which will include social media marketing for Instagram and Facebook.

What is the team composition?

We work with both co-founders. One focuses on design and development while the other does marketing strategy.

How did you come to work with Voice & Reason?

One of my colleagues had a professional relationship with the co-founders. We hired Voice & Reason because they were career marketers with extensive advertising experience. They applied the theory behind advertising to marketing.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2018, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website has generated new signups because it communicates our identity and visions more clearly. Be we currently do not have conversion data.  Voice & Reason is now waiting on our internal development team before they launch the marketing campaign.

How did Voice & Reason perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly Google Hangout conferences with both founders. They are not only fantastic to work with, but they keep us on track with exceptional diligence and regular check-ins. The team even gives us homework to complete.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Voice & Reason’s expertise stands out and the team’s execution maximizes their impact. Although we resisted upfront sprint payments at first, we now have no problem cutting checks ahead of each sprint. We’ve gotten more work done in four months than the last 18 months because they keep pushing us to excel.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’ve been very happy working with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clients should be ready to meet the demands that Voice & Reason place on their customers. We underestimated their pace. It was good for us, but also a challenge.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of Lynch Financial Advisors, a wealth management practice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Voice & Reason?

I reached out to Voice & Reason to develop a website that was more targeted to my clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Voice & Reason spent some time learning about our company and goals before ultimately developing a new website. They incorporated SEO and continue to monitor the site and its overall performance, making changes as needed to continually improve engagement.

What is the team composition? 

I generally work with the two owners. One has a great eye for graphic design, while the other complements his skills with more technical capabilities. 

How did you come to work with Voice & Reason?

I worked with one of their graphic designers in the past, who does phenomenal work, so I felt comfortable giving them the job.

How much have you invested with them?

I've invested between $20,000–$30,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

They started working on the website in April 2018, and they continue to provide maintenance and digital marketing services. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website just went live, so I don't have any metrics to report yet. Thus far, we've received a lot of compliments on the overall look and feel of the site. They've implemented efficient strategies to help us reach a more targeted audience and helped enrich our content to increase quality leads, rather than focus on increasing spending to reach a broader audience. 

How did Voice & Reason perform from a project management standpoint?

They're generally very responsive and open in terms of communication, which is mostly done over email per my preference. Sometimes we meet in person to brainstorm new strategies, but they're flexible in how we choose to set up meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're genuinely invested in their clients' satisfaction with the end product. They're less concerned about making a lump sum of money and more interested in building strong, long-term relationships.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything. I'm comfortable enough with them that I can openly provide any feedback where I feel they can improve as it comes up.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be openminded, because they're the experts and may have different strategies for achieving certain goals. Also, be sure to provide them with as much information as possible and take some ownership in the process. This type of work requires active participation on both ends.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and principal of Charge EPC. We perform design-build underground utility construction work throughout the West Coast.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Voice & Reason?

Our company has changed drastically since we first started, including our services and messaging. We specialize in far more areas than we used to, and we felt our specific name was limiting the type of clientele we could attract. We hired Voice & Reason to help us with our naming and rebranding efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Voice & Reason helped us start from scratch, even though our company had been around for over a decade. We had an in-depth process of breaking down our message and ideas. Their team also spent time interviewing our internal group to understand the nuances of our business and the competitive landscape.

From there, they helped us develop a new name, logo, branding materials, and website. Voice & Reason continually creates, updates, and refines our collateral to help our customer presentation efforts.

What is the team composition?

We have two main points of contact who have consistently worked with us. We usually interface with one or the other depending on our needs, but both coordinate equally. One manages the creative work while the other focuses on messaging efforts.

How did you come to work with Voice & Reason?

We have a mutual connection who introduced us. Although I interviewed a few other companies, I was impressed with the Voice & Reason team, their style, and overall approach, so we selected them for the project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $75,000 with Voice & Reason.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Voice & Reason in April 2018, and they continue to support and refine our efforts.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because of the work Voice & Reason did, our two entities are united under one common message. The materials they produced have received glowing feedback from our internal team, as well. We now feel confident next to our competitors. Based on the fantastic response from our customers, we believe Voice & Reason provided us with world-class marketing support, and I attribute that part of our success to them.

How did Voice & Reason perform from a project management standpoint?

Early on, we developed a schedule using Excel, and they always adhere to it. We also use various Google platforms to share information and communicate, which works well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their precise attention to detail and high level of understanding made them unique. They took the time to learn about my company and our market. Additionally, their great foresight has had a tremendous impact on our efforts. They look beyond the present and plan, which not all vendors do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As long as they continue to grow and expand their resources, there’s nothing else they could do to become better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to their process and trust that Voice & Reason knows what they’re doing. We didn’t know what to expect before starting the project, so we let them lead the way, and it paid off.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief strategy officer for a technology startup. We’re a voice experience platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Voice & Reason?

My partners and I came up with the concept for our company less than a year ago. After building the software product, we needed an external company to provide marketing materials that would yield a consistent brand identity. The project required both traditional advertising collateral and digital deliverables.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Voice & Reason started the engagement by holding a series of brainstorming sessions to understand what our product was and where we wanted to position it in the market. Then, they did some analysis on their own and presented us with a series of brand logos to consider. Once we finalized that, they developed visual and digital style guides to dictate the overall feel of our brand. This process culminated in them building out our entire website. Their efforts included designing the site’s frontend interface, user profiles, and administrative workflows.

More recently, they’ve been working to produce more physical deliverables like our business cards. They’ve also designed promotional items used for giveaways and the layout of our display booths that we set up at conferences. They essentially act as our full-time branding and marketing partner.

What is the team composition?

Mat (Co-owner, Voice & Reason) and TJ (Co-owner, Voice & Reason) oversee our account and work with us to ensure we’re satisfied with everything. Beyond that, we have access to a lot of resources within Voice & Reason like copywriters and graphic designers.

How did you come to work with Voice & Reason?

Our four founding partners have known both of their principals for years. We reached out to them for their opinion on selecting a vendor. Their input regarding the project was much better than any of our candidates at the time, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $15,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2018 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve only been out in the market for a short time, but have received a lot of positive feedback around the design of the brand itself. That reception is related to the quality of the product as well as the way we’re presenting ourselves as a company. Voice & Reason built the site in a way that takes advantage of SEO to help us develop a reputation in the industry.

In terms of the impact Voice & Reason have had on us as a company, they’ve provided a service that we wouldn’t have been able to perform on our own. We’d have to hire a department’s worth of full-time employees to complete the sheer scope of work they’ve been able to accomplish. Furthermore, they function as a neutral voice in a room full of strong-willed individuals that are passionate about the brand. As a result, they take our consensus and filter it through their internal processes to determine the best path for each deliverable.

How did Voice & Reason perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re using Basecamp per their recommendation, but also communicate through the traditional channels like phone, email, and conference calls. They’re readily available to us and have yet to miss a deadline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I know from experience that a lot of service organizations don’t take the time to fully comprehend the brands they try and amplify. Voice & Reason weren’t afraid to entrench themselves in our product to learn about its capabilities and the place it can hold in the market. Their team really understands what our product does.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I strongly suggest new clients follow Voice & Reason’s process. They’ve got their discovery and creative procedures in place for a reason and the results are excellent. Let them do their work without asking for shortcuts.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing and Finance Manager of Field of Green

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Field of Green provides the right synthetic lawns solutions for the customers needs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Voice & Reason to accomplish?

• Get the message to our market about our Landscape Solutions.
• Feature our American-made, realistic product offering.
• Highlight our 20 years in business and our trained employee installers.

SOLUTION

How did you find Voice & Reason?

Online Search

Why did you select Voice & Reason over others?

High ratings, Great culture fit, Good value for cost, Company values aligned

What was the size of Voice & Reason’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

Trade Show Concept and Design. Sales sheets design and production. Logo design. Photography. Social Media Management. SEO Management. Provide weekly Planning and Progress review meeting.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Increased Sales leads
• Decreased cost per lead
• New products successfully brought to market

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

Items were delivered on time and weekly meetings were held with updates and progress. Company was available for response to new thoughts or product offerings.

What was your primary form of communication with Voice & Reason?

In-Person Meeting

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

We're impressed with their extensive industry experience and knowledge. Very east to communicate with.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Voice & Reason could have done differently?

I haven't found an area that I could think of that they could have done differently.