XO Agency

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of marketing and communications at Multnomah Athletic Club. We're the largest non-profit private athletic club in the U.S.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with XO Agency?

We use posters, website graphics, and email marketing to promote our classes and activities to our members. We had no brand consistency within those materials. We wanted to create a system that our designers could use to produce the materials in consistency with our brand, so we were looking for a vendor to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided them with our brand style guide, and then, they created a design system for us. We have digital displays throughout the club, and we put promotional materials on those displays. The design system that XO Agency developed helps us achieve consistency on those digital displays and in our email marketing. We’re now starting to use the system for our print materials, such as posters.

What is the team composition?

We mostly worked with Scott (Head of Design and Executive Creative Director, XO Agency).

How did you come to work with XO Agency?

I met Scott when he was working at a different agency. Then, he left that agency and started his own company. When I had a chance to hire him for this design project, I didn't hesitate.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from May–August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Both our members and our internal team like the professional look of the materials, while our in-house designers find it easier to produce them. We're also incorporating many elements of the design system into the production of our monthly magazine, so it now has even broader implications for our department. We've hired a new designer since the project was completed, and once he got trained on the system, he was really impressed with it.

How did XO Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Scott did an excellent job and always came prepared for our meetings. He also helped us with various presentations to our stakeholders. We mostly used email and phone to stay in touch.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Scott was passionate about the project and delivered a high-quality product. As he was developing the system, he was working with our in-house designers to get their feedback on it. Once we launched, they were able to adopt it very quickly. He was also great at following up and making sure the system was working for us and that we were using it the way he intended.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't really think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust him and let him guide the process. Also, give him as much information as possible. He did an amazing workshop with us upfront to understand our brand and our members.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the vice president of marketing for a division of Gartner called Evanta.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with XO Agency?

The brand was antiquated and didn’t fit with its new parent company after it was acquired. We needed a firm to help with a new brand strategy to refresh its identity.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They took all the brand pillars and the role the brand plays in people’s lives to create a new vision statement, tagline, tone, and everything necessary to present a fresh identity perspective. They created new photography and iconography guidelines and a new logo.

Branching off their brand work, they illustrated what everything should look like in context, from direct mail and email, to brand templates, to extensive work on the visual direction of the website. They were heavily involved in the features, functionality, and strategic planning for the new website launch, always with the end user experience in mind. They helped form features that would generate leads, build the community, and be most impactful for the business.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three or four resources. Scott (Executive Creative Director, XO Agency) was my primary point of contact. I also worked with his partner and a third-party technical director.

How did you come to work with XO Agency?

I worked with Scott previously, trusted him, and had a good sense of his design capability. I knew he could execute the brand work I needed and would understand our business and our target audience. I considered a few other agencies, but he was the first person I thought of.

XO has a reputation as a flexible, easygoing company, and those attributes meshed well with our executive leadership team. They demonstrated an easy ability to unearth certain characteristics of the brand, and we decided to hire them.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project lasted from about May 2018–August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The group we have socialized with the new vision felt it was spot on and really got to the heart of the brand. The accompanying manifesto really embodies what we do and why we exist as an organization.

From a practical perspective, the brand guidelines help our studio of graphic designers do their jobs. The brand book gives them everything they need to guide them and give them the flexibility to be creative. Our design team was very enthusiastic about this kind of piece to work with.

How did XO Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Their management was fantastic, and they were very responsive. They met every single deadline, even as last-minute requests came through. Due to some technical challenges on our side, most of our communication was via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The caliber of their talent and the leadership of their organization are top-notch. They’re some of the smartest, brightest, most talented people we’ve worked with. I’m very fortunate to know them and would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a team with their abilities.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. They’re detail oriented, communicative, and to the point. They move quickly and make the process feel like progress.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Set clear expectations at the start and be as specific as possible about what you hope to achieve. They’re communicative, but the more they know about key considerations, the better value you’ll get from them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the president of a management consulting firm. We advise and develop leaders in profit, nonprofit, and government sectors around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire XO Agency?

We had three main company websites that lacked coherency across our brand and were difficult to maintain. We engaged XO Agency to consolidate our content and brand into a single WordPress site.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a company website with a modern look, a clear message, and a unified brand. It also needed flexibility for us to make new iterations and improvements down the road.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We connected through a mutual branding and marketing partner.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

XO Agency first reviewed our prior work to use as a starting point. They helped us what content to migrate from other sites to the new site. They then designed and developed a WordPress site. Their team worked with ours to create and curate icons, graphics, and copy.

What was the team composition?

We worked with three team members from XO Agency.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website has yet to launch, but it has garnered overwhelming praise from our team. XO Agency delivered a visually appealing site that met all our requirements. They went above and beyond the original statement of work and accommodated scope changes with ease.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The collaboration ran smoothly from start to finish. XO Agency communicated exceptionally well throughout the project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team demonstrated dedication to our project and careful attention in our goals and needs.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Communications Lead of ECOnorthwest

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Public policy research for better human outcomes

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire XO Agency to accomplish?

• New website
• New branding
• New messaging

SOLUTION

How did you find XO Agency?

Online Search

Why did you select XO Agency over others?

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

How many teammates from XO Agency were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Website and brand refresh. 

• Website deliverables: 
  • From-scratch website with 20+ pages and dozens of posts.
• Brand deliverables: 
  • New logo, messaging, and visual identity.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Beautiful website with new branding and messaging, delivered on time and to great applause. New logo and messaging delivered on time and adopted quickly by entire firm.

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

They were absolutely on time, professional, and easy to work with. They always answered our questions very promptly and with care.

What was your primary form of communication with XO Agency?

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

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

Wonderful, brilliant people who really care about doing their jobs well!

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

Nothing at all

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Brand Marketing of MeyerPro, Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide high-end audio/visual equipment and labor for live, virtual, and broadcast events.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire XO Agency to accomplish?

• Re-design our website from the ground up

SOLUTION

How did you find XO Agency?

Online Search

Why did you select XO Agency over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from XO Agency were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The team of Laura and Scott at XO Agency met with us many times to discuss background and direction of the company. Leading a brainstorming session we were able to pinpoint how we wanted to portray the brand and visually tell the story of our past, present, and future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

XO Agency took our aging site and revitalized it visually, as well as with strong SEO work on the back-end. Everyone in the company as well as our clients have been extremely impressed with the outcome.

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

Communication with XO Agency was prompt, detailed, and fantastic.

What was your primary form of communication with XO Agency?

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

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

They were a wonderful team; they were able to manage small and large projects.

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

We have no complaints.