Woden

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Second Son Consulting, Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Technology ecosystems for organizations where intention meets innovation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Woden to accomplish?

• Help us refine our differentiator, which we new was more than our technical skills.
• Help us create a better narrative for our sales process.
• Help us create meaningful change for our internal culture and collateral, that would resonate with our entire team.

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

LinkedIn

Why did you select Woden over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• How the owner talked to me is how I talk to our clients

How many teammates from Woden were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We hired Woden to help us define our key differentiator, which we knew wasn't just our broad technical skills, and specialization in Apple-centric IT ecosystems. We knew it was the way we talked to our clients, approached the intersection of business, technology, and culture. But we're IT engineers; we're long winded, super technical, and not elegant with words.
The project scope included interviewing our staff, key clients, ket strategic partners, and our leadership team multiple times. They reviewed existing collateral, our website, previous unsuccessful and incomplete branding projects with other vendors, examples of client engagement documentation, proposals, and presentations, as well as performing market research on us, our industry, and our competitors.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There were 3 phases to the project, each with its own set of deliverables; each building on the previous.

The first was our StoryKernel: a brief and powerful sentence to sum up our philosophical differentiator.

The second was our StorySeminar: mission, verbal identity, elevator pitch, positioning, and a narrative strategy from which we can build company culture, collateral, and marketing materials.

The third was out StoryGuide: a densely packed guide including buyer personas, tailored elevator pitches and messaging examples for each persona, brand promise, calls-to-action, and a short and sweet version of key points for everyone on the team that isn't involved in sales and marketing, but still needs to inculcate the salient points into every day culture.

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

I've never worked with a vendor that did such an excellent job of driving the project from start to finish. They were just on it...from meeting scheduling to deliverables to follow up.

What was your primary form of communication with Woden?

Virtual Meeting

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

Ed and Anya, with whom we dealt the most, showed us time and again that they really listened to our feedback and input, and truly heard us.

Even when they disagreed, or felt another direction was a stronger choice, they didn't blow us off, they heard us, re-framed what we said, and helped us understand their perspective at a deeper level. And, when we felt strongly about something, they took it to heart and always showed effort to truly understand the context and relevance of our comments, and to incorporate it into the work product.

This felt like a true collaboration at every turn.

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

On a few occasions early in the process, I had to ask for more time to review the content, or slow down the delivery of the information in the meetings, simply because I needed to process a little more slowly. Each time they listened, and gave me the space and time I needed. And as the project moved forward, they clearly heard me because I stopped having to ask after the first few weeks, they just met my pace without me asking. That's really it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Administration of Highland Cabinetry Inc

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Highland manufactures and sells cabinet products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Woden to accomplish?

• Enhancing Brand Recognition
• Competitor differentiation

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

Online Search

Why did you select Woden over others?

Company values aligned

How many teammates from Woden were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Woden has played a key role in developing your brand’s strategic narrative through a collaborative process with our employees and clients. The team assigned to our project has helped evaluate which elements of our company should be highlighted, and how to structure the story of our company for maximum impact. I feel that their approach has been deeply collaborative, thoughtful, and invested in our success. Through this process they have been able to craft strategic marketing and branding deliverables tailored to both internal and external audiences, aligned with our company’s identity and values.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Woden has helped us develop a brand identity that goes far beyond just a logo. Through in-depth research, they identified what our company truly represents and organized insights gathered from both employees and clients. The information they collected and analyzed has provided us with a clearer understanding of how our clients view us, highlighting what we are doing well and where we need to improve. This insight has been extremely valuable to our discovery process, helping us refine our direction and better align with our audience's needs and expectations.

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

 Woden has been highly attentive to project timelines, working diligently to deliver results quickly and efficiently. Their commitment to meeting deadlines while maintaining quality ensures that our project progresses at a pace that perfectly aligns with our needs.

What was your primary form of communication with Woden?

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

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

I was incredibly impressed with how effectively Woden articulated our employees' sentiments and captured the essence of what we stand for—an identity that was once unspoken. They have accurately expressed who we are, what we represent, and where we are headed, providing a clear and inspiring vision for our future.

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

No, they have been very thorough with our team and the process in which they have mapped out this project. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President & CEO of BMA Banking Systems

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide partnership, guidance, and technology services to propel community banks forward.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Woden to accomplish?

• Better define the BMA brand.
• Develop a compelling brand story to increase market perception and awareness.
• Utilize brand story and pillars to further anchor and solidify company culture.

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

Online Search

Why did you select Woden over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Woden were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Sales funnel analysis including awareness, consideration and evaluation stages, customer experience, retention and advocacy. This included employee, customer, and key vendor interviews. Website analysis was also conducted to determine effectiveness of content and design. Woden also conducted market research regarding several market competitors. 

The scope included revision or development of our company purpose, mission, vision, values, and brand pillars. Additionally, the project also refined our brand and origin stories for use in anchoring company culture and strengthening marketing efforts. Key deliverables included:

• Employee and customer interviews and surveys
• Competitive research
• Market research
• Brand and origin story refinement and development
• Onsite seminar with key BMA staff
• Refinement of core values, differentiators, company vision and mission statements, brand personality, postioning, verbal identity, and narrative strategy
• Development of customer journey and personas, elevator pitches, product messaging, brand promise, and CX messaging/guidelines
• Development of transformation plan
• Coaching and collaboration, including editing existing materials

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Measurable outcomes that demonstrate progress or success include:

• On-time completion of employee and client interviews and surveys
• On-time completion of on on-site seminar with 15+ BMA team members
• On-time completion of 100+ page StoryGuide detailing all updated brand items included in the project
• Delivery of recommended webcopy and key marketing materials copy changes
• On-going coaching and collaboration to advise and train key employees in deployment and application of above items

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

They were top-notch professionals who were patient when we had delays yet still managed to meet or exceed expected timelines. Not a single complaint about the team or project management. They pressed us when we needed to move without being unprofessional. They were 100% responsive to our needs and questions.

What was your primary form of communication with Woden?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I was most impressed with three things:

• They are really good at what they do. Turn-around times were always met and they are highly collaborative.
• They learned alot about us and our market and challenges in a relatively short time. I felt like they could intelligently advise and speak to our industry and company situtations.
• They are true partners. They are personable, friendly, and genuinely focused on helping us succeed.

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

I can't think of a single thing. When we had questions or disagreements about a direction or item, we talked these through and came to better results any time we faced a potential issue.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Marketing of Wilmac Technologies

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Develop, sell, and support customer interaction technology for call centers, trading floors, and 911 centers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Woden to accomplish?

• Clarify how to tell our story
• Align our marketing and sales messaging
• Generate pipeline

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

Online Search

Why did you select Woden over others?

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

How many teammates from Woden were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Woden started by conducting research with our employees, customers, and partners to get a better handle of what we do and what defines us at Wilmac. They interviewed at least 10 employees, 2 customers, and 3 partners, and collected survey responses from a numer of customers. 

After this research, they assembled our Story Kernel, a 5-paragraph hero's journey story about the challenges our customers are facing and where we fit in the market. From there, we had a 5-hour Story Seminar session where we reviewed Wilmac's Brand Pillars - our vision, mission, core values, brand personality, and positioning. This was hosted on-site at our office and involved the entire leadership discussing these pillars. 

Finally, all of this information was put into a Story Guide, a 100+ page document that went into further detail and is meant to be a guideline for us moving forward. It included examples of messaging and targeting for different levels of the funnel and our core audiences. Now, we are working on the Story Accelerator, which is assistance with the application of this messaging.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The 3 main deliverables - Story Kernel, Story Seminar, and Story Guide. The key wins for Wilmac are generating pipeline with our new outbound messaging. That is still in progress.

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

Items were delivered on time and were dependent on Wilmac's responsiveness. The estimated timeline was approximately 3 months and we received those deliverables in that time. The Story Guide has taken the longest amount of time. Woden was very responsive and accommodating. 

What was your primary form of communication with Woden?

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

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

The premise and the ability of one of the company leader's (Ed Lynes) in understanding our business. Our business is very specific and niche and Ed has done an incredible job proving the value of their business. We likely wouldn't have gone through this project with him involved.

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

A little more clarity in what was expected and deliverables. The project timeline could've gone into more detail. Certain questions and asks came up that we weren't expecting, like information on the target audiences towards the end.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the COO of an IT company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're a transformative solution partner that ensures organizations reach their operational potential through intelligent automation. Led by a visionary at the forefront of digital transformation, our company combines extensive industry experience and profound knowledge of emerging technologies with a relentless focus on guiding businesses through the complexities of successful automation. 

Our approach places humans at the center of everything they do by ensuring that intelligent automation is accountable, observable, and reportable. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Woden to accomplish?

• Build messaging
• Help create brand excitement

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

Online Search

Why did you select Woden over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Understood our challenges

How many teammates from Woden were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Woden produced several deliverables: a StoryKernel, StorySeminar, StoryGuide, and ongoing StoryAccelerator deliverables. These build on one another. The StoryGuide is a lengthy document consisting of the following chapters:

• EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.docx
• INFOGRAPHICS.docx
• STORYKERNEL.docx
• AWARENESS PITCHES OBJECTIONS CTAS.docx
• BUYER PERSONAS.docx
• CONSIDERATION PITCHES OBJECTIONS CTAS.docx
• DIFFERENTIATORS.docx
• ORIGIN STORY.docx
• BRAND PROMISE.docx
• PRODUCT MESSAGING.docx
• EVALUATION PITCHES OBJECTIONS CTAS.docx
• CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE GUIDELINES.docx
• CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE MESSAGING OBJECTIONS CTAS.docx
• BRAND ACTIVATIONS.docx
• EVANGELISM MESSAGING OBJECTIONS CTAS.docx
• APPENDIX.docx

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Too early to say. Their deliverables are very good. The ultimate outcome will be measured in the number of substantive conversations we have with qualified (current need, available budget) prospects led to us through our new messaging and brand identity.

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

Not only did they deliver on time, but they did so in the face of periodic intransigence on our part (that is, we'd get busy and fall behind on reviewing deliverables, etc.). And they were available for the occasional emergency assistance, such as when we needed language for some marketing material in a hurry.

What was your primary form of communication with Woden?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Since we started working with Woden, I've heard about a few other companies that approach marketing and branding as a matter of story telling. But it's still pretty rare, and we think it's a solid approach, one that made sense to us.

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

Occasionally, early drafts would fall into traps like using cliches or failing to connect the concepts we discussed with one another. But after a discussion or two the end product was always very strong.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of FileBank

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

FileBank, Inc. provides secure document management, storage, and digital transformation services to State and Local governments, K-12, and businesses, helping them manage and protect their critical information.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Woden to accomplish?

• To establish "who" is FileBank
• To understand "why" our customer buy from us
• To establish as strategic brand voice internally and externally
• To reorganize and build upon the foundational layer of our brand for a future Website launch and rebrand launch

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

Cold Call

Why did you select Woden over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Ed Lynes (CEO)

How many teammates from Woden were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Woden performed typical discovery calls with key stakeholders, which built out the first deliverable, the Story Kernel," which dovetailed into one onsite workshop called the "Story Seminar" review/validation, which pulled in all of the internal/external interviews and research and ultimately building to the larger of the deliverables, a 100-page+- "Story Guide" blueprint document.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

1) A cohesive awareness of who, what, and why FileBank is in business and what we do for our customers.

2) Content to support our presentations, proposals, and website.

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

Like any engagement, the content collaboration had some scheduling conflicts, and questions arose around the messaging alignment. Even with this, the project timeline was met, and Woden continues to deliver quality deliverables and meet FileBank's needs.

What was your primary form of communication with Woden?

Virtual Meeting

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

When their business development rep first contacted me, I liked the project scope's building blocks approach from StoryKernel, to StorySeminar to StoryGuide.  I was looking for tangible assets and outputs that I could put into practice for my team/website immediately.  I also was impressed when Ed took the reigns when the project needed his direct involvement.  The team and Ed's hands-on approach removed any concerns I had, and the finished product met our requirements.

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

Here’s a revised paragraph for better clarity in a feedback survey:

The meetings often focused too heavily on the ‘moral’ methodology and framework, which took away from the time we needed to work on the project itself. I raised this concern multiple times and believe the team heard me. The recalibration with Ed and Anya was crucial.

The original Story Elements didn’t resonate with the founder, and Ed’s adjustments to the Story Kernel and Story Guide significantly improved the final result. I think a workshop like the one Ed and Anya provided during my onsite visit would have been beneficial from the start.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of Orkin Canada

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Orkin Canada is the nation's biggest and msot trusted pest control company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Woden to accomplish?

• Develop our brand Ethos and compass into a brand story
• Define our brand pillars to align with our strategic narrative
• Help us launch it intern○ Create a foundation for our messaging both internally and with customersally

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

Referral

Why did you select Woden over others?

• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Woden were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• The Woden team was able to take the foundational elements of our brand and provide a clear and concise story, the StoryKernel, to gain alignment with our team and talk about ourselves with customers. 
• Woden was able to dive deep into what makes us special in the industry. 
• They delivered on a story that we are able to utilize in every aspect of the business.
• Through interviews with team members and research into our market.
• Woden took the elements of our brand we outlined in our Ethos and brand compass and created our strategic narrative. 
• We took part in a StorySeminar working session facilitated by Woden where we crafted our foundational brand pillars, refined our story, and developed a plan to stand that story up within our organization. 
• Woden provided our StoryGuide, a comprehensive blueprint for aligning our strategy internally and sharing our story with our customers.
• Our strategic narrative captures everything our organization is about. It mirrors our customer’s journey and defines the unique role we play in their story.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After working with Woden, we were able to find more clarity and cohesion in our messaging, both internally and with customers. Through incorporating a foundational story that serves as the blueprint for how we operate as a team and communicate our value, we were able to take the key elements of who we are as a brand and boil them down into something everyone can rally around. 

This will improve our ability to highlight our unique position in the pest control industry, enabling us to have better sales conversations and give our team members the “why” behind the work they do every day.

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

• Deadlines were met with no issues. 
• Always availble for discussiona dnmeetings when required.

What was your primary form of communication with Woden?

Virtual Meeting

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

Woden understood our brand culture and mission right away and put it into words and action with the StoryGuide.

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

Nothign comes to mind. Pleasure to work with and great results.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive Director of Youth Action Project

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Youth Action Project (YAP) strengthens communities through tailored mentorship, workforce development, and creating viable economic opportunities.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Woden to accomplish?

• Define our brand identity and key messaging

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Woden over others?

• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Woden were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The Woden team led us through discovery and strategy sessions, completed stakeholder research, surveys, and market research, and then articulated our organization's unique value, overarching purpose, and key messaging components. This all culminated with the delivery of our StoryGuide (brand guide) to provide our team with insights on how to use our new brand elements in effective storytelling.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our organization has received a brand refresh that more accurately describes how we serve our community, including revised mission and vision statements, purpose statement (Moral), positioning elements/brand pillars, and a tangible handbook (StoryGuide) for implementation.

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

The entire Woden team was kind, professional, responsive, and flexible with our needs. They kept the project moving forward for timely completion.

What was your primary form of communication with Woden?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their entire team, including the managing director, fully engaged in meeting attendance, email responses, and general support. More importantly, their knowledge and approach made the process effective and enjoyable.

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

N/A - We couldn't have been happier.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Commercial Operations of Leidy's, LLC

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Manufacturer of pork items such as bacon, ham, and sausage.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Woden to accomplish?

• Define a clear story that can be told our employees and customers

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

Online Search

Why did you select Woden over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Woden were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The Woden team was able to provide a clear and concise story that we have used not only during our conversation with customers but also to gain alignment without internal team. Woden was able to dive deep into what makes us special in industry. They then delivered on a story that we are able to utilize in almost every aspect of the business.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have already utilized Woden's crafted story in several marketing campaigns through radio, packaging, and online. The sales team has also utilized the sales playbook in their conversations with existing and new customers.

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

Woden was able to deliver on all projects in a timely manner. They were a huge help in actually helping us manage this project. They kept meeting on time and quick. They were very efficient with time used. Any questions or requests we had, they responded in a timely manner.

What was your primary form of communication with Woden?

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

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

I was most impressed with their quick turnarounds and the in-depth research they did about us. The quality of their work was most impressive as well. They were able to create detailed descriptions describing Leidy's and its role with the customer and within the industry in a quick fashion.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of STRIVE

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

STRIVE is an employee experience solution company focused on partnering with employers to create the one experience that drives employee retention, productivity, & wellbeing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Woden to accomplish?

• Create urgency messaging around employee experience
• Define our brand story to be compelling
• Solve top of the funnel areas for improvement

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

Online Search

Why did you select Woden over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Woden were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

STRIVE engaged with Wooden to transform our brand story, identity, & messaging! We knew we had a fantastic product in an area that the market needs (employee experience) but we were unable to get the amount of leads we wanted. Needed a strategic partner to help define our vision and be an ongoing support!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were absolutely thrilled with the work Wooden completed and we just finished up a week ago so results are still early: 

1. Created a streamlined and captivating STRIVE end-to-end story from our ideal customers' perspective 
2. Help to redefine our approach to explaining employee experience as a new / emerging way to drive people operations value 
3. Creating a tagline of, "One Employee's Experience is an Entire Company's Potential" that created 600 leads at SHRM

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

Everything was delivered on-time and as expected! Pivotted several times and were extremely flexible around process and refinement.

What was your primary form of communication with Woden?

Virtual Meeting

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

Woden's ability to convey complex ideas in the simplest and most relatable way possible was impressive! The story arc aligning with the customer journey was so eloquent that I use it in almost every marketing / sales meeting!

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

The Story Guide is amazing and a fantastic artifact but 140 pages is tough for anyone outside of my head of marketing or myself to read. More bite-sized content with the StoryGuide as an initial deliverable would be helpful.