WRK Partners

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a digital marketing agency that specializes in digital marketing strategy, SEO, digital advertising, programmatic and social media management for a luxury clientele. I am the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WRK Partners?

We were seeking a design partner to help us with branding material for our company and to support our clients’ design needs as it related to digital marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve executed website design for us and for our clients, created pitch material and advertising creative, and they are currently redesigning our entire reporting platform. They also have strong programming capabilities for website design and rich media advertisements.

What is the team composition?

We primarily work with Lisa (Co-Founder and Partner, WRK Partners) and David (Founding Partner and Creative Director, WRK Partners). One of the things we like most about working with their team is the personal attention we receive from the founding partners on a regular basis rather than communicating through a mid-level project manager.

How did you come to work with WRK Partners?

Our offices were in close proximity to one another and when we were in need of design work, we decided to connect with their team. Upon reviewing their portfolio, we felt they had the right experience and design eye for our team as well as our design-savvy clientele. We had a good working relationship from the start and felt we could utilize their skillset on both internal projects and with our client work.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve collaborated on approximately $40,000 worth of design and programming work over a 5-7 year period. That number is well over $100,000 if we include the work they’ve done on behalf of our clients.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our first project with WRK Partners was in 2011 and we continue to work with them to this day.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I think the strongest evidence of their impact is our continued work with their team. Our team, as well as our clients, demand websites and creative that is not only visually appealing but that drive conversions. If their designs weren’t performing in both of those categories, we wouldn’t be so willing to come back time-and-again to work with their team.

How did WRK Partners perform from a project management standpoint?

They're extremely collaborative when designing websites or branded material. We have direct access to the founding members who bring a wealth of experience to the table. They always have fresh ideas that build upon our initial vision and they’re willing to work through revisions until we’re 100% satisfied. They stay on schedule, update us frequently on progress, and provide very good customer service.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to collaborate with a wide variety of personalities and bring projects to fruition within set timelines is impressive. They are very creative but give their clients the opportunity to share their own vision as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At the moment, they suit our needs well so I don’t have any advice for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of Jibs Life, a footwear company based in New York and Miami and produced out of Brazil. Most of our sales are direct-to-consumer via our website, but we offer limited wholesale in the U.S. and abroad. We also have a few affiliate marketing partners online. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WRK Partners?

We hired WRK Partners to build our e-commerce site and help us define brand guidelines for our first stage of brand development. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The co-founder of WRK Partners took the lead as we created our brand bible. During 2-3 meetings with our entire team, we identified our brand values and the essence of our company's character. He worked diligently on our branding statements, taglines, and a visual aesthetic. Although we touched on our target customer base, it was more of an idealized than data-backed perspective. 

Once complete, he shared these takeaways with the creative director and extended team. They selected color palettes, fonts, and basic layouts for emails and different marketing tools. During one of our first campaign shoots, we used the brand book to reinforce the underlying framework for the photos and videos we produced. It was a useful tool full of supportive materials. 

WRK Partners built our website on a Shopify platform. They selected the best technology platforms throughout the process. The system they used for web development included a live viewing feature that let us preview and adjust the mockup before it launched. Lastly, the team created our first investment pitch deck.

What is the team composition? 

We worked most closely with Robert (Co-founder & Managing Partner, WRK Partners) and Charlie (Creative Director, WRK Partners). 

How did you come to work with WRK Partners?

Our decision to hire WRK Partners was relationship-based. I had worked as a consultant for one of the co-founder’s previous companies. We'd also hired him for other branding projects. Since the team’s clients include companies from several industries besides fashion and e-commerce, they design unique visual work. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $30,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2016–September 2017. After a long process, they completed the branding and website within one year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

WRK Partners built our first website, so we don't have a lot of comparable data that directly relates to their services. As a bootstrapped company, we've gone from $0 to $400,000 in revenue. The brand they created was a key factor in presenting ourselves as an established company while we were still very small.

How did WRK Partners perform from a project management standpoint?

WRK Partners was highly involved in the whole process and worked hands-on. They provided accurate reporting on both a weekly and monthly basis. Our timeline progressed as expected. It took slightly longer than we originally planned, but that's normal for a website build. They fulfilled all the tasks they agreed to complete.

What did you find most impressive about them?

WRK Partners seemed genuinely excited to work on our brand and see our company grow. They always put forth their best effort and went above and beyond to spread the word about our products. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

WRK Partners incorporated our constructive criticism very well. I've seen improvements take shape. Timeliness and direct Shopify knowledge are the only areas they could improve. Over the time we worked together, they learned quite a bit about the platform. They have excellent creative skills and produce high-quality work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of product and brand marketing at Cascade Maverik Lacrosse. We have two lacrosse brands. Cascade is everything neck-up of the lacrosse player (e.g., helmets and eyewear) and Maverik is neck-down.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WRK Partners?

The main challenge was creating unified brand guidelines for these two previously separate brands that are now together. That’s a major undertaking because each brand needs to have a distinctive look, feel, and tone in order to maintain the brand identity.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WRK Partners created guidelines for how the brands should live together, as well as a new catalog. They did some consumer research by surveying different concepts and mockups of different ideas. There were multiple discovery rounds at different stages of the engagement. They would present thoughts for us to brainstorm together, and then we’d take the ideas through our internal sign-off process.

They also worked on rolling out new campaigns for the Maverik brand, including the launch of a new lacrosse head. WRK Partners helped refresh the brand to make it more attractive and engaging for a younger audience. They came up with the creative ideas and then executed photo shoots with our athletes. They used those assets for a new advertising campaign to further differentiate it from the Cascade brand.

What is the team composition?

I primarily worked with Robert (co-founder, WRK Partners).

How did you come to work with WRK Partners?

They’d previously worked for Maverik before I joined the company. I met with Robert to talk about my vision going forward. He showed me his conceptual design ideas. I liked what he had to say, so I decided to move forward.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost was between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project took place from August 2016–September 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

By establishing the first dual brand guidelines for the combined brand, they gave each brand its own voice while showing how they fit together. Everyone embraced the new brand guidelines. They did a great job balancing the legacy and the history of the brands with the new brand attributes. Ensuring that consistency was incredibly important for the combined brand to be successful. That was a big achievement.

The Maverik head launch was our most successful product launch ever. They created the campaign’s artwork. They went with a smoky, darker look and feel. They also used a new font. Our consumers identify with it, and it suits the brand well. It’s a cool, modern feel that’s really attractive to our target audience. The banners and other artwork that they created for the digital marketing campaign has resulted in solid metrics. The click-through rates and overall engagement was much higher than in previous campaigns.

How did WRK Partners perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is excellent. Everything was done on time and on budget. The process was very collaborative. I have a lot of opinions and was heavily involved in the artistic direction. They're able to work with a variety of different styles and personalities and be successful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re flexible and nimble. They know when to push their ideas and when to listen. They’re able to accept new challenges, or curveballs, and quickly adapt. There’s no panic when projects or deliverables don't go in a straight line from beginning to end.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a national real estate development company. We develop commercial properties, including multi-family apartments, mixed-use, retail, and hotel properties. I am the vice-president of development and oversee our large mixed-use projects throughout the U.S.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WRK Partners?

We worked with previous marketing companies at our various locations around the U.S. Some were better with our branding and logos but lacked skill with social media and influencing. We were working with a company in D.C. that was slow and nonreactive. We wanted to find a new company that could do our website development, drive business to us, and spearhead our marketing and social media efforts. We wanted a collaborative team and WRK Partners met all our needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We met via telephone and they explained their capabilities. We told them about our expectations and agreed on a price. We gave them full control of our website and they made changes to improve SEO and drive traffic to the site. We had weekly phone calls where they presented their results and we adjusted our advertising dollars based upon their feedback and our own knowledge of the industry.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with all three partners and one of their associates. Lisa (Co-founder and Partner, WRK Partners) is our day-to-day contact.

How did you come to work with WRK Partners?

Our New Jersey partners had a connection with one of the partners and recommended them. We met with them in person and decided to switch from our previous company.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent in excess of $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2016 and our collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to their efficient management of our social media campaign along with our great leasing team, we were able to fully lease our apartment building three months sooner than what we originally anticipated.

How did WRK Partners perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is excellent. We have a very clear direction and scheduling is transparent. They follow up with us and make sure we stay on task. We manage a huge portfolio of assets, so we appreciate their attentiveness.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very good at avoiding scope creep. They negotiate their fees up front and work with us if something that arises that is outside of the scope. They discuss any changes with us before sending big change orders.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything I would change. They’re responsive to our needs and respectful of our feedback.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a marketing agency with digital marketing capabilities. We do brand development, marketing strategy, fabrication, printing, and installation for our clients. I am the creative director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WRK Partners?

We needed a design firm to do overflow work for us when our in-house design team needs augmenting.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked on a handful of projects with them, typically logos, brand development, discovery, and packaging concepts. We typically send a brief and occasionally include them in client meetings. We usually have two to three rounds of creative presentations and revisions, followed by the final deliverables or concepts.

What is the team composition?

We work mostly with Rob (Co-Founder & Managing Partner, WRK Partners), but also work with David (Founding Partner & Creative Director, WRK Partners) and Lisa (Co-Founder & Partner, WRK Partners).

How did you come to work with WRK Partners?

Rob is a friend of one of our team members and we were introduced through them. They are exceptional designers and have great sensibility for the type of branding work we do.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $90,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked with them since March 2017 and work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They offer a sophisticated level of design work that is immediately convincing and matches each brand we work on.

How did WRK Partners perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver on all the work we need. The quality of their work is generally very high.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They've got a lot of experience and design skill and they can be trusted with high-level projects.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could the lead the process a little more. Sometimes they are a little disorganized and scheduling suffers. Our process would benefit from more frequent check-ins and status updates.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

As a supply chain solutions company, we help retailers shorten their supply chain, improve their visibility, and increase their profits. We’re known for providing a wide range of services under one roof. My role as the executive vice president is to oversee business development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WRK Partners?

Our website was outdated and difficult to navigate. Although we had amazing content, visitors were too frustrated with the unorganized layout to click through and read it. We needed help transforming our website into a user-friendly, visually appealing platform that presented our complex business model in an organized manner. New copywriting was also on our agenda.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I was immediately impressed by WRK Partners because they didn't come in telling us what to do; they listened to what we wanted. They met with us to learn more about our business, our competitors, and how to develop a website that's relevant to our clients' needs. Their extensive research expanded the project's scope to include third-party plugins like Google Maps and package tracking, in addition to adding owner biographies. After spending a couple of months in the discovery stage, they moved on to copywriting. We gave them pages of information, and they crystallized our thoughts down excellently. Their copywriter mapped out the navigation for all of the pages and sub-pages. Once they completed the design, they migrated the platform to WordPress.

Their team also updated our marketing collateral, including new business cards, stationery, PowerPoint templates, and sales sheets that are available physically and electronically. We now highlight our services on individual sales sheets so customers can easily find what they need. Our new tagline was their idea, which is a perfect description of our brand. We had such a great experience working on the project that we’ve continued to work together on other things.

What is the team composition?

There were a lot of people involved in the project, including programmers and creative artists, but I only interacted with the project managers.

How did you come to work with WRK Partners?

I discovered them through a mutual friend many years ago, but I never got the opportunity to work with them until this project. Out of the five development companies we reached out to, WRK Partners was one of two who didn’t charge us for their pitch. Our hiring decision was greatly influenced by their cost-effectiveness. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We awarded them the project in 2013, but we didn’t launch the website until 2015 due to delays on our end. Since then, we’ve worked on several other projects together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Visitors were frustrated with the awkward navigation on our old site, which caused our website traffic and bounce rate to suffer. Now that the site has a more user-friendly interface, we're experiencing higher traffic and lower bounce rates. We've also received between 20–30 written inquiries, which confirms that customers are spending more time on the site and learning about our services. In addition to improving our online presence, their work has had a tremendous impact on our trade show presence as well.

How did WRK Partners perform from a project management standpoint?

The project managers were excellent at managing both of our teams and keeping the project on schedule. Whenever we needed assistance, they were available via email and text.

What did you find most impressive about them?

WRK Partners is extremely passionate about their work, and it shows in the quality of their designs. I was starting to think that they wanted to come work for us in-house because their excitement to work on the project matched our own. We also appreciated them for enhancing the platform in ways we could never imagine. I often had to slow them down because they kept bouncing off brilliant ideas for the site that we weren’t ready to take on.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They made a few mistakes, but they always had a corrective action plan in place for a quick resolution. I wouldn’t change anything about their services because they lived up to all of their promises.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal and vice president of development at Advanced Realty. We are an operator, developer, and owner of income-producing properties. We work with various product types, ranging from multi-family, mixed-use, office, retail, and industrial.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WRK Partners?

We needed branding and marketing assistance. We needed to better understand our demographics and consumers. Additionally, we wanted to hone in on our identity to better represent ourselves to our market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They began with research to understand the needs of our clients. Additionally, they had to understand our expectations were for the final deliverables. After this, we had to create a schedule everyone was able to adhere to. The WRK Partners team then created branding materials including signage, collateral, and the logo.

What is the team composition?

I worked primarily with two co-founders and a founding partner.

How did you come to work with WRK Partners?

I was introduced to them through a friend who recommended them to us.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement is ongoing. We recently wrapped up one project but are beginning another.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After their branding and marketing work, we had a very successful leasing period. The more successful our leasing period is the better job of branding they did. Another way to measure the metrics is in how they were able to deliver the product to our team and roll out the websites efficiently, which allowed us to be more flexible.

How did WRK Partners perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is phenomenal at project management. They are organized in the way they produce information for us. They were able to meet the expectations set on both ends. What was great about working with them was that they are extremely responsive and flexible. The team is good at taking and providing feedback to make the project a collaborative effort.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to develop and execute on the brand has been most impressive, especially compared to other firms in their line of business.  Each member of the team brings something new to the table. They listen, collaborate, and produce your vision in a creative, artful fashion. With them, it is never a one-sided project, it is always a team effort.