Williams Whittle Associates Inc

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the executive director of the Interfaith Council of Metropolitan Washington (IFC), a small nonprofit. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Williams Whittle Associates Inc?

We reached out to Williams Whittle to help us rebrand ourselves for our 40th-anniversary celebration and campaign to increase our development fundraising.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Williams Whittle initially conducted research, reaching out to our stakeholders at various levels. They collaborated with us to figure out our niche and an effective way of reaching supporters, designing materials to use for our 40th-anniversary campaign as well as a short video. They also made suggestions for ways to improve our website and created a new logo, tagline, and hashtag. 

What is the team composition? 

We mostly work directly with Kelly (President, Williams Whittle Associates Inc.) and Rob (Chairman and CEO, Williams Whittle Associates Inc.), as well as a few others. 

How did you come to work with Williams Whittle Associates Inc?

They were recommended by one of our board members who had worked with them in the past. After conducting an RFP process, we narrowed down our choices to three vendors and ultimately felt Williams Whittle was the most personally engaged in our work. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested between $20,000–$25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The bulk of the project took place between June–November 2018, but they continue to support us and provide consulting.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Williams Whittle not only helped create attractive campaign materials but also provided additional design work outside of the scope of work. They helped us define and differentiate our brand, leading to a successful relaunch of our brand. Our board of directors was very impressed by their work, which is set to help increase donations and awareness for the organization.

How did Williams Whittle Associates Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

Kelly is very responsive and approachable; she always gets back to us within a couple of hours, and we have access to a lot of great resources on their team.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We've been surprised at how much value they've been able to provide within our relatively small budget. What they've done for us has definitely exceeded expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The more clarity you can provide their team in terms of project goals and target audience, the better. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the marketing and communications manager at a nonprofit organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Williams Whittle?

Our needs have evolved over the years, but we initially reached out to Williams Whittle when our organization was just forming and we needed help establishing a brand, crafting our message, and launching. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Williams Whittle has provided branding services from the start of the organization, which has included creating our logo, mission statement, and a website that features a locator tool. They've also developed our advertising plans, researching our target market and testing our messaging with different audiences in the process. They continue to provide ongoing support as the organization matures and our needs constantly evolve. 

What is the team composition? 

We work directly with Glaelis (Senior Account Executive, Williams Whittle) and Kelly (President, Williams Whittle), as well as an account executive and assistant account executive. 

How did you come to work with Williams Whittle?

I conducted a nationwide search and released an RFP. I also looked into campaigns we wanted to emulate and draw inspiration from and reached out to vendors we liked based on that before ultimately landing on Williams Whittle.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The organization is still fairly new, but our website continues to experience growth every month, and our social media presence has gone from zero to an audience of over a thousand followers. Williams Whittle's work has been extremely valuable overall; we are where we are today thanks to their help.

How did Williams Whittle perform from a project management standpoint?

They're responsive, organized, and proactive in communications. They keep a detailed list of tasks and milestones, going over progress in weekly meetings. They also help me figure out appropriate deadlines, prioritizing as needed and anticipating future needs in the process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're great at helping us with our report every year that we have to provide for each state. They have a strong handle on the many details of the work involved with our organization, so it's been a successful partnership overall.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing I haven't already spoken to them about. As our relationship evolves, they've been flexible and proactive about responding to our feedback. If we request something outside of their wheelhouse, they've helped us find other contractors when appropriate.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As with any vendor, keep lines of communication open and set clear expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the former marketing director for Virginia Hospital Center, a nonprofit hospital in Northern Virginia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Williams Whittle Associates Inc?

When the Hospital and Mayo Clinic established a clinical collaboration, we knew we had a key differentiator that needed to be promoted far and wide to distinguish our standalone hospital from the multi-hospital systems in our competitive market. We wanted as many people as possible in our primary service area to be aware of the collaboration, understand that they could receive world-class healthcare close to home, and choose Virginia Hospital Center physicians to provide it.  

As time went on, we also needed to increase patient volume in a key service line: OB/GYN.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To promote the Hospital’s Mayo Clinic collaboration, Williams Whittle annually produced multimedia, co-branded awareness campaigns, and continue to do so. Their involvement included creative concepting, production and trafficking; media planning, buying and reconciliation; and conducting pre-, mid- and post-campaign consumer research to track our Key Performance Indicators.

For the OB/GYN service line campaign, Williams Whittle did the creative – the centerpiece of which was a pair of sophisticated animated videos, still frames from which were also used in particular executions – and the media buy. The agency also coordinated and monitored the social media ads and SEM/PPC work of a third-party company with which the Hospital had a pre-existing relationship, which was extremely helpful.  

What is the team composition?

Kelly (President, Williams Whittle Associates Inc.) was our account management lead, and we also worked with Elizabeth (Assistant Account Executive, Williams Whittle Associates Inc.). Glaelis (Senior Account Executive, Williams Whittle Associates Inc.) was also involved in account management depending on work volume.  Wendy (Director of Media Services, Williams Whittle Associates Inc.) was consistently involved, as was Eva (Creative Director, Williams Whittle Associates Inc.). Karen (Director of Research, Williams Whittle Associates Inc.) handled campaign surveys and interpreted the results. Rob (Chairman & CEO, Williams Whittle Associates Inc.) was happy to make himself available as needed for brainstorming, presentations and periodic check-ins.

How did you come to work with Williams Whittle Associates Inc?

Before coming to the Hospital, I was in account management for various ad agencies and knew of Williams Whittle from being in the industry. I included them in the RFP process when the Hospital needed an agency.  

We ultimately chose them for several reasons. Williams Whittle followed the requests and instructions in the RFP which – surprisingly – some other agencies didn’t. I felt that it was a good reflection of how they would respect the Hospital’s project requirements and budgets. I also thought that they genuinely cared about our mission and goals and wanted us to succeed. I had a good feeling that we were going to work well together, and we did.

What is the status of this engagement?

It began in 2013 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Among other measures, the research conducted reflected increased awareness of our partnership with Mayo Clinic and of the hospital overall, as well as consumers being much more likely to choose the Hospital for their care. Also, our targeted email blasts had open rates and click-through rates that exceeded industry averages.

Regarding the OB/GYN campaign, the OB landing page (Pregnancy & Childbirth page of the  Hospital’s website) had the highest number of visits it had ever had to date. Additionally, the campaign won two 2018 MarCom Awards.

How did Williams Whittle Associates Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

The account management team was extremely responsive and accessible. We had weekly status calls and—because we’re located relatively nearby—sometimes weekly status meetings. We were in-touch nearly every single day. They didn’t just stay in touch for the sake of it; our communications were purposeful. Williams Whittle was flexible and able to adapt to the Hospital’s sometimes-competing priorities. They were also on top of reminding me about upcoming deadlines to make sure that we stayed on schedule.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Choosing just one thing is tough because it was a pleasure to collaborate with them in all respects– they’re great professionals and great people. But certainly, their account-management responsiveness, follow-up, and willingness to go the extra mile were impressive. Also, Wendy negotiated for us to receive massive added-value and discounted placements, which made our media budget go so much farther than it otherwise would have. And Eva was genuinely receptive to feedback on creative concepts and executions. She also welcomed my participation during production, which not every CD would do.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

None that occur to me currently.

The agency had relatively frequent account management turnover in the early years of our relationship. But, since then, our account management team has been consistent and – as previously mentioned – led by the president of the agency herself.

Also, several years ago, there was a rough patch with a creative staff member [no longer with the agency] who could be openly disdainful of the Hospital’s feedback. However, that was course-corrected thanks to a senior account director. Her actions underscored that account management at Williams Whittle is responsive to its clients and wants to ensure their all-around satisfaction.