Vyway Market & Brand Strategy

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Vice President of Marketing at Nuwellis

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Vyway Market & Brand Strategy, and what were your goals?

We hired Vyway to help us execute a corporate rebrand. Our former company name did not reflect all the patient segments we serve and we were seeking a new, more encompassing, and fresh brand identify. We wanted a name that would not only reflect what we do but also inspire our workforce and customers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We contacted 4 companies that we had experience working with in the past or that were recommended to us. Once we met with them and heard each company's proposal, we selected Vyway because of their expertise, branding process, and testimonials by former clients.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Vyway held several meetings with our executive team and other selected members of our company to better understand how we viewed our current brand, challenges we faced with it, and our vision for the company. Once they had a thorough understanding of our company values and vision, they created a Vision-Vantage-Voice platform that would serve as the foundation for our new brand. Then they worked with us to develop different brand options from which we selected our new brand name and identity.

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

We worked with two people from Vyway - Anne Berg (Principal of Vyway) and a branding assistant.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because of the project, we now have a brand identity that truly reflects who we are, who we serve, and our company mission/vision. The brand has been well-received by our customers and business partners and has created a sense of shared identity and focus withing the company. In addition, we feel like we have a brand whose equity will continue to grow with us. We could not be more delighted.

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

We had weekly meetings with the principal, Anne Berg, to go over progress and next steps. We also communicated often over email and Zoom. Anne is an excellent communicator who kept us informed and engaged every step of the way. She was also always extremely well prepared, easy to work with, and available. The project was finished on time and exceeded our lofty expectations.

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

We were all very impressed with Vyway's branding expertise and how easy they were to work with. They made the process fun and exciting. We were also impressed by their commitment to get to know us, our business, and our goals. The process of working with Vyway felt very thorough and complete.

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

No, Vyway was truly a great partner throughout this project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner and CEO of KC Product Development; inventor of Vizziq™ Neuromuscular Trainer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Vyway Market & Brand Strategy?

We came to Vyway needing everything branding and marketing related for a new startup. Our challenge is to introduce what is essentially a new category of product: a patented mobility training device that articulates with your movement.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Vyway came highly recommended by a trusted colleague.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

BRAND CREATION: Vyway guided us through brand naming, trademark understanding, and also brand identity and logo creation.

BRAND STRATEGY: We had the privilege of experiencing Vyway’s exclusive process, Vision Vantage Voice. We gained clarity on our mission, values, vision, positioning, value proposition, messaging, SWOT analysis, fundraising PowerPoint presentation, and more.

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS: Vyway led the charge on any number of mar-com and digital initiatives including website creation, digital ad campaigns, collateral pieces, and photos/videos. We’re now staged for an official national launch once we receive proper funding.

What was the team composition?

Vyway has deep internal capabilities that include strategic planning, copywriting/editing, creative direction, and account/project management. They also have seemingly endless contract resources they have vetted through the years. We couldn’t be more thrilled with the always expanding top-talent team they bring to us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re executing both a B2C and a B2B2C strategy with multiple target audiences. The soft-launch work we’ve done has been incredibly well-received. We’re gaining early traction through digital ad campaigns and training videos, along with strategic partner and key influencer relationships. We’re ready to launch!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. Anne Berg is a master communicator and writer. She’s also very detail-oriented and highly responsive. The bottom line is Anne genuinely cares about our product and shares our excitement in reaching our goals. Her enthusiasm is shared by the entire team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The depth and breadth of their expertise both internally and externally is most impressive. Vyway exceeds our expectations at every turn. The level of knowledge is impressive. I’m always learning from Vyway.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

Can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

President & CEO of Huebsch Services, a uniform, matting and facilities products / services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Vyway Market & Brand Strategy, and what were your goals?

Over many years, we hired Vyway for a number of corporate projects including brand strategy, brand naming, brand identity, market research, marketing plans, marketing communications, website creation, collateral design, campaign execution, and more.

SOLUTION

How did you select Vyway Marketing & Brand Strategy?

Based on their reputation for doing great work and achieving strong results.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

BRAND STRATEGY: Vyway has their own process called Vision Vantage Voice, which guided us through Mission, Vision, Values, Positioning, Messaging, Experience, etc. BRAND NAMING: Vyway has expertise in naming that includes an understanding of trademark law, which we found helpful as we innovated and introduced new products.

BRAND IDENTITY: Vyway worked with us on logo creation and the various support elements such as color, font, imagery, application, etc. MARKET RESEARCH: Vyway designed and executed a qualitative study to obtain customer input to help guide our decision making regarding new products and services. MARKETING PLAN: Vyway developed a strategic and tactical marketing plan that included the seven Ps of marketing and the detail necessary for my team to understand and support the work.

Latsly, MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS: Vyway managed the planning and execution for an integrated mar-com program that included a new website, digital campaigns, press releases, collateral pieces, photo and video creative assets, PowerPoint presentations, and more.

How many people from the Vyway Marketing & Brand Strategy team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Anne Berg did all the strategic planning, copywriting/editing, creative direction and client communications. Initially, we had no internal marketing team so we outsourced virtually everything to Vyway and their extensive network of contract professionals who brought graphic design, videography, web development,

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were always pleased with the work Vyway delivered. Over the years, we gained a foundation of knowledge and a new-found appreciation for marketing. Our business grew year over year by double-digit percentages and we’re now poised for the next 135 years of serving our valued customers.

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

Vyway was a highly responsive and always available resource for us. Their client communication and project management skills were great.

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

Their standards of excellence were high and impressive. Anne Berg’s passion for branding comes through and energizes everyone she works with. I wouldn't hesitate to hire Vyway again on any brand or marketing project.

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

None I can think of at the moment.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the CEO of Fire Summit, a startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Vyway Market & Brand Strategy?

We were a startup when we developed a new product. As a result, we needed initial branding for the company and the product. Vyway worked on that and helped our marketing efforts. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We needed Vyway to create the brand promise of the company. We had a name, but we didn’t have a mark beyond that. As a result, they created an entire brand from scratch that resonated with the company and appealed to our customer base, which was large enterprise businesses and Fortune 500 companies. 

Vyway worked with our executive team to think about our brand in terms of our actual market and how we want to position ourselves in the marketplace. That included all the language, positioning statements, visuals, and the general way we wanted to project our company to our customers. In terms of research and documentation, they did a ton of discovery by working with our team to understand what we meant to our customers. They also researched the value we held as an organization. This ultimately helped us create our own special voice, which we used in all of our communications.

At present, the company’s website doesn’t exist anymore because we ended up selling the company off. As a result, all of our online materials aren’t available right now. 

What is the team composition?

We mainly worked with Anne (Owner), and she brought in other people as needed. She brought in a communications expert who wrote our copy and determined the words we used in our advertising and marketing efforts. She also brought in designers for the colors and fonts that we used. 

How did you come to work with Vyway Market & Brand Strategy?

They reached out to us when we were searching. We did interviews and landed on Vyway as the best choice because of the methodologies they used to help companies create a brand. 

How much have you invested with them?

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

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them at FireSummit in January 2000. They still do the same work for me, so we have an ongoing partnership. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were successful after our engagement with Vyway. We raised roughly $10 million from investors, and having a strong brand was crucial in that process. They played a big role in helping us achieve that particular milestone. 

How did Vyway Market & Brand Strategy perform from a project management standpoint?

Vyway did a great job in project management. They kept us on track and never missed their own internal deadlines. We communicated either over the phone or via email. Our teams also did a lot of in-person workshops.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The best part of working with them was the methodology they used to work with our executives and create the strongest brand message for us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They should get their methodology out there even more and tell the world about it. It was so powerful and such a great differentiator for them, so more people should learn about it. They should encourage people to use their service.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a call with Anne and take it from there. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Director of Marketing for Seeyond Architectural Solutions, a custom architectural products and services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Vyway Market & Brand Strategy?

In preparation for our startup launch, we needed a comprehensive branding and marketing program and execution of all the program elements. A critical challenge was educating the market about a brand new product/service category.

What were your goals for this project?

To introduce a new brand to the architectural space and gain awareness, traction, trial and loyalty with multiple target audiences including contractors, interior designers and architects.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our executive team worked with Vyway at previous companies on other projects and were delighted with the results.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

BRAND CREATION: We needed a new name, a new brand identity, trademark search, etc. Vyway led all of these initiatives. BRAND STRATEGY: Vyway has a proprietary methodology called Vision Vantage Voice that guided us through Brand, Purpose, Values, Positioning, Messaging, Experience, etc.

MARKET RESEARCH: Vyway planned and executed a qualitative study to obtain critical voice of customer input, from which we could unearth key insights for our positioning and message development to all target audiences.

MARKETING PLAN: Vyway developed a comprehensive market strategy including product line definition, pricing and promotion. The plan included key objectives, strategies and a full complement of tactical initiatives to get the brand launched. It also included a detailed media plan that addressed print and digital media buys for multiple target audiences.

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS: Vyway created strategies, concepts and tactics and followed through with execution for an integrated mar-com program that included a new website, digital campaign, ad campaign, PR campaign, collateral systems & architectural library kit, trade show display, award entries, nomenclature system, stationery system, photo and video creative assets, PowerPoint sales presentations, case studies, and sales training materials.

What was the team composition?

We had an established executive team, but needed significant outside expertise and support which Vyway brought to the table. Vyway did the strategic planning, copywriting/editing, creative direction and client communications. Additionally, Vyway's network is robust with world-class contractors available as needed to execute various tactics (e.g. video and animation).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The launch was a tremendous success. The start-up brand garnered national attention almost immediately and continued to gain marketplace momentum for up to 5 years at which time the business was sold to a global player in a related design category.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The coordination and communication were seamless. We never missed a deadline and both the executive and sales teams were delighted with the marketing results. Vyway attended weekly meetings and was a fully integrated member of the team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Vyway brings real value because they get to the core of market and brand strategy and make it “come alive” with highly creative marketing and communication plans and campaigns. They know WHY a recommended approach should be followed. Notable differences about Vyway: The strategy and plans were ACTIONABLE and Vyway developed great passion for the business which contributed to the marketplace success the brand achieved in a short amount of time. Vyway consistently raises the bar and is an excellent resource for a business committed to building brand value. I wouldn't hesitate to hire Vyway again in any brand or marketing capacity, and in fact I have.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None come to mind. We were very pleased.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the newly hired interim CEO of a 25 employee manufacturing company that made custom doors and millwork for high-end custom homes and historic renovations. Our customers were both B2B (builders and architects) and B2C (homeowners.) The company had recently been acquired, and the new ownership team brought me in.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Vyway Market & Brand Strategy, and what were your goals?

When the new owners acquired the company, it was on the brink of bankruptcy and the previous owner was going to shut it down and walk away. The company needed a well-defined vision and mission to help steer a turn-around, and build employee morale. Due to the extent of previous troubles, we also decided that re-branding the company would be essential.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Vyway and its owner Anne Berg were recommended to me. Key points in their favor were Anne's experience and professionalism, and Vyway's ability to integrate strategy, branding and execution in a single project, on a fairly aggressive timeline.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Vyway led the management and sales teams through a series of collaborative sessions to define Vision and Mission, and captured this in a strategy document which gave direction to the next step, re-branding. Vyway then helped us define our new brand through statements of brand values, value proposition, key images etc. Finally Vyway was critical to executing the re-branding including developing a new company name, and developing a new website, marketing collateral, letterhead and business card design, etc.

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

Anne, the owner and principal was heavily involved and was supported by two others specialists at different points in the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because we worked with Vyway from strategy through execution, we ended up with a very coherent and well-integrated company rebranding. Employees were excited about the re-brand, and we received many compliments from customers on our website and marketing collateral. Almost all of the work is still in use now (4 years later).

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

Vyway and Anne were easy to work with, flexible and responsive to our needs and schedule.

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

Vyway's ability to work across strategy to implementation set them apart for other agencies and consultants that we considered.  They also were able to assemble a great team of contractors for specialized things like web development and graphic design.

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

Overall, Vyway was great to work with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Seeonic provides RFID-based technology and solutions in a variety of industries. I am one of the Founders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Vyway Market & Brand Strategy, and what were your goals?

To help the company create a new name and brand image.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Recommendation from respected colleague.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Brainstorming was done on the naming with suggestions created by Vyway. A smaller list of names was narrowed and finally a single name was suggested by Vyway and accepted by Seeonic.

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

Anne, Principal, was the single person from Vyway.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Company name, Seeonic, was selected along with brand attributes that were used in all marketing communication.

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

Vyway had a branding process which Seeonic used from beginning to end. Communication between the companies was by email, telephone calls and periodic face-to-face meetings.

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

Their process was thorough and rigorous. This process provided the guidance needed to accomplish the naming and branding.

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

No