Woden

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Bush Hog is in the agricultural equipment manufacturing industry. We also do roadside maintenance equipment and zero-turn mowers. I’m the VP of sales and marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woden?

We wanted to put together a cohesive brand to put in front of customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The initial step was interviews with internal people, both at an executive and mid-management level, as well as some of our territory salespeople so Woden could build an understanding of our company and culture. They also interviewed dealers we sell through and end-users to identify that group’s thoughts about Bush Hog.

They then came back to us and showed us what they’d learned about our culture and brand. Moving on, they did market analysis and competitive analysis and looked at our current online and hard-copy branding. Their first pass on their “story kernel” (a term they use to label what they believe we’re trying to be) went well. Then, Ed (Partner, Woden) ran us through all the information they gathered, asked our executive, sales management, marketing, and customer service management teams lots of questions.

The deliverable was a several-hundred-page book called the Story Guide. It starts with the Story Kernel and then makes recommendations on branding and different aspects of the sales and marketing process.

What is the team composition?

Ed was our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Woden?

They utilize the hero’s journey as the basis of their business. They talked about how the customer is the hero of the story, rather than our company. Bush Hog acts as a mentor to the customer. The customer is Luke Skywalker and we were Obi-Wan Kenobi. Most marketing firms try to make their client the hero, rather than the end-customer, but not Woden.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a bit over $24,500 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2018 until January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The first thing that was really good was that they came up with the perfect tagline for us. Everyone says so. It reflects our unique position in the industry, and they came up with it early in the process.

It’s hard to point to a specific metric we gained through during what they recommended because our business is very dependent upon weather and the agricultural industry. I will say, however, that this year we’ve had more orders than any year since 2007 or 2008. It’s been a very good year, even with COVID.

Everyone has been very complimentary regarding the things we’ve implemented that Woden has recommended. They’ve certainly strengthened our brand, making it more cohesive where it was disjointed.

How did Woden perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. They laid out the timeline and they very much followed through on it. We mainly spoke through email. There were four milestones, so it wasn’t a real in-depth long project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very creative and they dig very deep into your business to understand it. Their unique story guide and story kernel, utilizing the hero’s journey stand out as well. It worked very well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t know of anything they could have done differently that would have made the project better. It was a very strong engagement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Line up other managers to be sure they’re engaged because it’s not just a sales and marketing engagement. It’s a whole company engagement. Our team wasn’t excited about Ed coming and running a six-hour meeting but their tone changed afterward. They wanted to do it again. Everyone realized their value.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Savida Health, an outpatient addiction treatment provider. We treat patients with substance use disorder, and we provide medical care and behavioral health services to that population.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woden?

We had started with a small acquisition, and we wanted to rename our business and work on our customer-facing digital presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Woden helped us with our website and related customer-facing elements. They created data and materials for us to use in order to tell our story. They talked to several of our team members and patients and looked at what competitors were doing. They then prepared a package of materials that we could use on our website, in brochures, and in presentations to various constituent groups, insurance companies, and the like. 

Their output was a lengthy report where the key feature was the Savida story that Woden put into words for us. We’ve used some of their work for content on billboards and radio ads.

What is the team composition?

I would say that we worked with 3–4 people at Woden, but this was close to two years ago.

How did you come to work with Woden?

We have a private equity sponsor, and one of the other portfolio companies had worked with Woden and had a positive experience. That’s how we found out about them.

How much have you invested with them?

I believe we spent around $20,000 with Woden. Woden provided very good value for what they did. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Woden from about March–June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We evaluated the success of the project by looking at their output and developing opinions about how well-suited their work was to the purposes that we hired them for. They were very good at researching and proposing a variety of names to us. We ended up changing our company name. 

The key feature of their output was something called a StoryKernel, which was a relatively brief, multi-paragraph summary of the Savida story. We thought that they did a good job with that. The other elements of their report were very useful, and we’ve certainly incorporated much of what they did in our external facing presence since the project concluded.

How did Woden perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very good. They delivered on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Woden was able to come up to speed on Savida and what we were doing quite rapidly. They had a very good understanding of what it means to be an addiction treatment provider.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their final report was very comprehensive — both the soft version and the paper copy were about 300 pages. It could’ve been better synthesized because we had to dig through the document to find the immediately useful components. Their output was great and comprehensive, and I don’t think they missed anything. However, it wasn’t as synthesized as it could’ve been.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’m an enthusiastic supporter of Woden. For any new business, merging companies, or company that doesn’t have a well-established brand and identity that they’re fully happy with, Woden is a very good choice to help modify and improve a company’s story and presence.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of a renewable energy company. We're a seller, distributor, and financier of solar home systems to off-grid communities on a pay-as-you-go basis in sub-Saharan Africa.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woden?

We hired Woden to develop a strong and internally aligned understanding of our brand identity, our purpose, and how we speak about it to all of our stakeholders.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Woden developed a story kernel and story guide. They also facilitated a full-day story seminar with our whole team.

What is the team composition?

There were about five people working on their team. Ed (Partner) was more of a relationship manager as well as the project manager that I dealt with on a day-to-day basis. There was this other person and she had people behind her that I dealt with less directly. There were graphic designers, copywriters, and strategists.

How did you come to work with Woden?

I can’t remember how I found them, but I might have gotten an email from them. I was intrigued by how they presented their email with a brand storytelling approach.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked with them from March 2018–January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Woden delivered a fairly impressive document and deliverable that's useful for us.

How did Woden perform from a project management standpoint?

The project management aspect of it was very well done. They were very diligent at scheduling meetings and calls to share drafts and get my feedback and turning that around. They delivered on time. I can recall that their model depends on them being very well structured and being able to turn things around in a timely manner, and they followed through on that pretty well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Woden’s insight into the use of storytelling to talk about our brand is very powerful. I think the product was very compelling. They were a group of very smart, creative, and motivated folks.

They worked very diligently and hard to understand our company and the environment that we operate in and turn around something that was relevant and practical for us in a professional and slick package.

Woden’s project management and discipline was obviously something that they'd done before and they had a very systematic approach to completing these kinds of projects. The way that they executed very systematically was interesting and impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think we would have gotten more value out of this if we had been willing to invest more and go something a little bit more in-depth and bespoke.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know that it isn't a full-service, bespoke, and in-depth brand identity and development service that they provide. Setting your expectations is important and it was something we lacked.

As an organization before you invest, you need to have the assurance and the confidence that you’re going to be able to implement the stuff effectively after they deliver their deliverables.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Checkpoint Surgical is a medical device company based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our devices are used intraoperatively by surgeons looking to locate, assess, and/or protect nerves. It’s used in complex procedures where nerves are at risk.

We have an outside sales team tasked with identifying surgeons that complete procedures within our space and getting them to try the product in an upcoming procedure.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woden?

We hired Woden to help us tell our story more effectively. Before Woden's enlistment, our focus had been more on factual or procedural based information about the devices. It was a very clinical approach to marketing and sales.

We wanted Woden to help us craft a story to invoke a more emotional response from our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We first worked with them to craft our story, which involved a one-day checkpoint on a more emotional level. We talked about the why behind the device and the background. One of the stigmas we deal with within our industry is the perception that nerves could be sacrificed in a procedure for a greater good, like saving someone’s life. The reality is that there doesn’t have to be a choice – nerves can be protected, and lives can be saved.

The story now explains that on a more personal level. The deliverables impact our organization internally and externally. Their team did a comprehensive review of all elements within our organization and told us where and how the story could be incorporated into these elements and how we could weave it into daily life.

They gave us around 40 specific suggestions – some were incredibly actionable, and others would take much longer to execute.

What is the team composition?

We had heavy contact with Ed (Partner), and we worked with support people who reviewed our collateral and provided insight.

How did you come to work with Woden?

Our CEO received their pitch piece. He came to me and asked me what I thought. We were looking for a more holistic marketing approach, and we were interviewing a myriad of traditional marketing firms. Woden seemed more out of the box, and we liked it.

We presented the various proposals from different firms to our executive team, and everybody liked Woden’s approach. We invited them to give an in-person presentation. After that, we decided to go with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback has been very positive. Our purpose was met; we received a checkpoint story and message that we could clearly articulate to our customers and internal team. Woden delivered many outstanding ideas that we probably should have thought of ourselves. They made those ideas into actionable projects for our organization.

Our need for them has reduced, but we still communicate with them periodically on a consulting basis.

How did Woden perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they’ve been excellent. We had no issues. If there were delays, they were likely on our side.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to come into an organization that they knew nothing about and diagnose opportunities quickly was extremely impressive. The team found ways to communicate our story, engage our customers, onboard employees, and present design ideas effectively.

Are there any areas they could improve?

This might’ve only been visible to me because I’m familiar with this type of work, but I would’ve liked a little bit more personalization. I could tell that they worked off a template.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We engaged with Woden. We pushed back on some of their ideas and edited their work. At the end of the day, it was a collaborative process that allowed us to come up with something very good.

The best way is to become extremely collaborative. If you don’t agree with something, then push back. If you have a better idea, present it and make them then defend their way. In that type of environment, you come up with something great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Nielsen-Kellerman Company. We design and manufacture niche electronics that are for consumers and professionals, predominately in the weather and environmental monitoring field, as well as sports performance measurement spaces.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woden?

We’d made two acquisitions of companies that made weather stations. One company imported stations at consumer price points, predominately from China, and the other made high-cost stations in Maine. We intended to market one of those from under our weather brand we already had in place. Neither of those companies had any marketing to speak of so we wanted to get our arms around the story for those two acquired companies. This would help us align our efforts as we started marketing and outreach. Quickly, we decided to include our own brand in this project to establish the key differences in the stories.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did a lot of research, which was tremendously valuable. They’re really good customer researchers and use a variety of techniques including direct outreach, web scanning, and search. They figured out what customers already perceived and believed about the three firms since all three had been around for a while. They also analyzed where there might be opportunities to capitalize on that existing thinking.

After presenting their research, they crafted all three brand stories. This took the form of long-form discussions of the role of the brand and the products in the “hero story.” They follow the “hero” model; it’s a customer-centric model where you talk about how the brand helps the customer succeed, rather than just talking about the brand.

We had meetings to tweak the stories, and focusing on the differentiators between the three brands. They also delivered slogans and keywords for each brand, as well as a roadmap for implementation, marketing, and customer outreach efforts.

What is the team composition?

I worked with 4-5 people on this. Hannah (Brand Storyteller) and Rachel (Creative Team Manager) acted as the lead researchers, and Ed (Partner) was on all the teams. There were two story people as well. They got impressively familiar with an area that they knew absolutely nothing about on the frontend. A couple of other people helped with research as well.

How did you come to work with Woden?

We’d previously worked with another firm on brand stories. I knew we needed to get these new brands off the ground quickly. I ran into them on LinkedIn, and, after viewing their website, I knew we would align. I reached out to them and we created a fixed-price deliverable. I preferred that over an open-ended retainer.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $65,000–$70,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February until June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It would be challenging to track it statistically, as it’s being employed across a broad range of marketing activities. Anecdotally, it’s definitely helped my team get their feet under them in terms of messaging and differentiation, since they’d never done anything with weather stations before.

A lot of our focus has been on social media activity for the ambient product, as well as PPC on Amazon and the wider internet. In this year, they’re up over 10% YoY. I don’t know if I can directly attribute that to the story work but it for sure helped my team execute our plan.

We haven’t used the other brand much yet because we’re still finishing the product, but it will get used significantly. They’re producing launch materials right now.

How did Woden perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve had excellent communication and have stuck to their schedule. Working with three at once was a lot but they stuck to it. That’s the advantage of having a standardized process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We started at the front very well-aligned in how we thought about the project: it really matters what the customers think and how we’re going to help them. They were able to stay focused on that and what they heard from customers and turn it into actions and words, incorporating even the potential negatives. They were quite specific, which I find that younger marketers have a hard time doing. Woden dug in and really understood why weather stations were important by the end of the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think they’d ever done a project where they were working with three similar products before. Initially, all three story guides were kind of the same, but they took the input and participated in the discussions to learn how to differentiate the three brands. We didn’t know how we were going to do it either in the beginning, so it was a group discovery process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It would be somewhat challenging for an organization with no internal marketing team or marketing chops to take what they do and use their work effectively. If you need someone to take over your marketing and do I for you then they’re not the right choice. If you need exceptionally good customer research, customer insights, and story guide distillation, however, then they’re a great choice. They’re also very cost-effective compared to most outside marketing firms in my experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President & CEO of The FSL Group

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

To help our clients simplify chains, enhance execution and reduce costs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• To establish a differentiated brand story
• Improve alignment with internal and external customers
• Support a go-to-market strategy in a commoditized market

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

Online Search

Why did you select Woden over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

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 ultimate goal and work was to establish a differentiated brand story that aligns internal teams and articulates a compelling narrative to support a go-to-market strategy in a commoditized market.  Woden's approach consists of three key deliverables within the initial project phase -- the StoryKernal, the StorySeminar and the StoryGuide -- all of which stack upon each other thoughtfully and comprehensively to reach the ultimate goal.  Other key deliverables were:  brand pillars, mission statement, vision, positioning, brand personality and core values.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Value against cost and timeliness.

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

They were exceptional in every way and at every turn.

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?

How smart, talented, insightful, patient and customer-centric every single Woden team member have been.

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

None whatsoever

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of Flip AI. We provide an observability intelligence platform to analyze and interpret observability data, helping organizations quickly diagnose and resolve critical software and system incidents.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woden?

We wanted to refresh our positioning, marketing, and digital presence so we could stand out in a crowded space of AI startups selling solutions to enterprises.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Woden led a multi-week engagement through which they conducted extensive market research and interviewed our employees, customers, and partners. The primary deliverable was a comprehensive market positioning recommendation document.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four teammates from Woden.

How did you come to work with Woden?

I met Woden through a referral. They had a great track record and an outstanding reputation. More importantly, Ed, the CEO, had a refreshing and personal approach to building a relationship with our company for a few years before our work together even started.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–July 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We met every week to review the project checklist and track progress for them to deliver the final market positioning recommendation document.

How did Woden perform from a project management standpoint?

Anya was a terrific project manager. She was very timely, responsive to our needs, and delivered everything on time. We communicated via Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing about Woden was the depth and speed with which they got familiar with our story, company, and overall space. They translated that knowledge into real, actionable recommendations for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I can come up with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The company provides executive coaching, leadership development, team effectiveness, and executive assessment services to help organizations drive change and achieve superior performance through leadership excellence.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woden?

We needed to better define our narrative.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of work delivered by Woden?

Woden delivered a story kernel, a story guide, and an in-person delivery.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three teammates from Woden.

How did you come to work with Woden?

Woden cold-outreached our CEO.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2024–June 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Woden’s deliverables were good, but the process was a bit painstaking. The meetings leading up to the deliveries were pretty repetitive, and our internal team had to be in an excessive number of meetings. Overall, the project was very good, but it had almost too much detail.

We’ll have to do some work to better tailor the outcome for different areas of our internal team. The story guide is large, so only some parts will be applicable to some teams. We plan to split up the story guide for each team and conduct guided implementation sessions with leadership.

We anticipate a lack of buy-in from leadership, but we’ll show the story guide’s effectiveness. Our sales team has already had significantly more engagement using the story guide as a narrative.

Woden’s revisions and drafts allowed us to collaborate throughout the process, making the deliverables more natural to the company rather than something that didn’t. Woden ensured the deliverables reflected the company’s voice through collaboration.

How did Woden perform from a project management standpoint?

Woden’s project management was good, but the project could’ve moved faster. We could’ve done less back and forth on drafts

What did you find most impressive about them?

The way Woden linked the story arc throughout the process gave a strong narrative.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Woden could’ve streamlined the meeting load.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on 6/23/2025.

Head of Marketing, Global Consulting FirmConsulting

Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania

51-200

Jan 2025 - Jun 2025

$10,000 to $49,999

Project summary
Woden provided strategic narrative and messaging work for a global consulting firm. The team helped the client renew their strategic narrative.

Feedback summary
The client had an incredible overall experience with Woden. Moreover, the team delivered on time, responded well to the client's needs, and communicated effectively via email. Overall, the client praised the team's ability to draw clarity from complexity and tell a story.

Quote
"Woden's ability to draw clarity from complexity and tell a story was outstanding."

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of marketing at a global consulting firm. We help organizations drive change and achieve superior performance through leadership excellence.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woden?

We needed help renewing our strategic narrative.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Woden provided strategic narrative and messaging work for us. The team helped us renew our strategic narrative.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four teammates from Woden.

How did you come to work with Woden?

Woden’s head reached out to us. We had worked with countless agencies, but this was the first time we saw the end work resonate with the market and our internal team.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–June 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had an incredible overall experience with Woden. The team’s ability to create clarity from complexity was outstanding.

How did Woden perform from a project management standpoint?

Woden delivered on time and responded well to our needs. We primarily communicated via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Woden's ability to draw clarity from complexity and tell a story was outstanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any.

STAR RATINGS
Overall rating: 5

Quality: 5

Cost: 5

Schedule: 5   

Willing to refer: 5

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Fundingo

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Loan management software

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Messaging
• Positioning
• Storytelling

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

Other

Why did you select Woden over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• 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.

Woden played a pivotal role in refining our brand narrative and positioning. Ed and Alicia led the strategic storytelling process, helping us uncover and articulate FUNDINGO’s core identity, differentiators, and customer promise in a way that resonates with our target audience. His work helped us sharpen how we talk about the problem we solve and why our solution matters.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Clarity 

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

On time and within budget, highly responsive

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?

Woden was very relatable and had deep knowledge.

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

None 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the VP of Marketing of an other industry company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an industrial 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Revise Corporate Messaging
• Provide a framework for sales and marketing conversations

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

Referral

Why did you select Woden over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• 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.

Review competitors, interview staff and customers, create corporate brand identity, offer a framework for differentiating us from others in the marketplace.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In office delivery of brand identity, final delivery of a comprehensive framework for positioning and messaging our corporate value in the marketplace.

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

Weekly check ins, online meetings and interviews, larger milestone delivery included in office, face-to-face reporting and then final digital document.

What was your primary form of communication with Woden?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

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

We were impressed with how they utilized their proprietary framework to organize, align, and relay our corporate brand, our value according to our customers, and a means to frame sales and marketing activity through a funnel.

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

Suggested areas for improvement include the last month of the engagement. This could have been more dydactic and less theortical. That would have made for an easier ramp and increased likelihood for continued engagement.