Arc Reactions

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the vice president of strategic planning for an automobile dealership called Prestige Auto Group. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Arc Reactions Inc?

The company wanted to grow its business. For background, manufacturers will put out an open point, and they’ll want to close it by putting a dealer in that open point. Most manufacturer agreements will say they have to offer the dealership to their existing franchises first before they can go outside. Our goal was to get in front of those manufacturers so they could get to know us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created a set of individual, yet combined videos that would appear in front of the president or vice president of sales at various manufacturers. The team produced the video from start to finish, including pre-and post-production. They used my input along the way. 

We ended up creating these videos, and then we paid the vendor to purchase laptop computers. We put the videos on the computers and gave them to the manufacturers as a gift. When they opened the laptops, they would see a seven-minute video about our group.

What is the team composition?

There were two main people involved along with an administrator. 

How did you come to work with Arc Reactions Inc?

I was searching for a smaller organization online. I wanted to avoid a large agency where you meet the president initially, but that’s the last time you’ll speak with them. I decided on a shortlist of 3-5 agencies to contact. When I phoned the number for Arc Reactions Inc, the owner picked up the phone. We had a conversation, and I could tell he cared.

How much have you invested with them?

We started in June of 2017, and the project finished in December of 2017.

What is the status of this engagement?

We invested about $60,000 in the engagement.

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

They completed the job on time, and we were really happy with the results.  We got face-to-face time with the manufacturers, who we didn’t know before. Now, I can pick up the phone and call the leadership at various manufacturers and have a conversation. It helped us get in the door and meet with the decision-makers, which was the intent. 

How did Arc Reactions Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

I made a good choice by hiring a small firm. They wanted to grow their firm, and they thought this would be a great way to grow. They were extremely responsive and invested in making sure the project was going to be really successful. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They cared about the success of the project just as much as we did.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so.
 
Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Future customers should maintain ongoing conversations with the owner. We didn’t spend all the time with the owner, but he was definitely involved. If there are any issues, tell the owner and he will resolve them. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a film and television studio infrastructure development company with projects in development worldwide.

For what projects/services did your company hire Arc Reactions Inc?

Logo, Branding, Graphic Design, Sales Copywriting, Marketing Consulting

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to develop high-quality branding, marketing materials and other support documentation for our business.

How did you select this vendor?

We were referred to a number of companies and did initial interview calls with each. Arc Reactions was the clear winner in all categories we considered.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

As we are a new company, Arc Reaction worked with us and developed our branding and all related graphic design elements from scratch. This included: Logo, Creation of Brand, Pitch Deck (Multiple Versions / Edits), Print Consulting, Print Setup, Business Cards, and Website.

What was the team composition?

There were 8 collaborators on our team, of which I was the lead and we worked mainly with David, the Owner and Project Lead for Arc Reactions. There were other members on Arc's team, but David ran point primarily.

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

Needless to say our team very impressed with the results, but the thing that matters most to our business is how our investors and associates react to the results. I have most commonly heard the following: "Wow, this looks great"; "Gorgeous presentation..."; "Concise and beautifully presented"; "fantastic"; "stunning"; "Well laid-out". We have had tremendous success with these materials that accurately represent our brand and our offerings. Truly a happy moment when I'm about to lay our materials on the table for the first time.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was shockingly easy and surprisingly efficient. Considering that my office is approximately 2000 miles from those of Arc Reactions and that I've never met a single person from their company face to face, I honestly wouldn't change a thing. We used every available technological means of communication: email, zoom calls, conference lines, text messages and collaborative online workspaces ALL to great effect. Tech is great and all, but the really important part of the workflow is the person on the other end of the line. Arc was absolutely fantastic to work with. My design team always felt heard and our changes (no matter how late in the process) were always addressed positively and professionally. When we made questionable requests, we were expertly guided and were always happy, indeed beyond happy, with the results. In a couple of words: Incredibly good communication and workflow.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Arc Reactions is a very impressive company on the whole. Their work speaks for itself, and their manner with customers is exemplary. They have been consistently courteous, generous, professional, productive and to make matters even better they are really really nice people! Unless they quit working I'm never going to call anyone else.

Are there any areas for improvement?

You know, I'm not sure there are any areas I see for improvement. I had a near-perfect experience with them. Every 'delay' was them waiting on ME for information or decisions. Every conversation was productive and enjoyable. The work was AWESOME. I guess I would ask them to be aware of this as they grow. Keep the touch with the customers. It is gold.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Hone Virtual Education, which provides highly immersive training solutions for first responders and other healthcare professionals.

What challenge were you trying to address with Arc Reactions?

We had a couple of products but we didn’t have a brand, logo, or any of the supporting elements to really position us as an industry leader within our market. We needed a complete branding package, including a website and comprehensive marketing materials.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Arc Reactions analyzed the market segment we wanted to compete in. They identified keywords, trends, topics, and even what brand colors were being used by competitors. They then mapped these out on a virtual diagram, using an AI program. Based on our segment, we could see how we compared to our competitors.

This exercise was phenomenally helpful for us in identifying keywords for our organic search ranking, as well as determining what trending topics were being discussed, for use in our blog content. They utilized this information to develop a concrete brand strategy.

We had two initial meetings. The first meeting was the discovery session, and they asked very good questions while letting us do most of the talking. By the next meeting, they had delivered three branding options—which were laid out for us on the table, professionally printed.

Everything looked and felt exactly as we’d expect a finished product to look. I got a little nervous when I walked in and told them that given our startup budget, we couldn’t afford to pay them for all of it. They then told us it was on them.

Their package had everything in it for us to review. We only had minor iterations to make at our next session. They really nailed it on the first one, through the requirements gathering session they did.

Arc Reactions built everything on our website from scratch. We also did some traditional print media marketing. They joined our Slack channel in order to stay up to date with all tasks. David provides monthly, quarterly, and annual reporting on all our marketing campaigns and efforts.

What is the team composition?

Our primary point of contact was Dave (Owner, Arc Reactions) but he took a very hands-off approach. We mainly worked with two members of the team. We interfaced directly with the member responsible for social media management and copywriting. The other handled the graphic design.

How did you come to work with Arc Reactions?

I found them through a recommendation on Clutch. I was looking at a couple of marketing agencies in Calgary and reached out to meet with a few agencies. Compared to the first two companies I talked to—who struck me as being stuffy—David and his team were very relaxed.

David was quick to point out the things we didn’t need to spend money on, which really caught my attention. He understood that we were a startup and had a tight budget. He didn’t try to upsell us on anything. We had $150,000 for the branding, and some of Arc Reactions’ competitors were asking for $220,000 or more.

While other marketing firms seemed to strictly refer to the proposal requirements, David was very flexible in scope. I was immediately taken by his passion and drive to support startups.

How much have you invested with them?

$150,000 covered brand design, web design and development, and marketing efforts. We’ll be renewing our contract with them for a reduced rate this year since we’ve completed brand and website development.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Arc Reactions in October 2018, and are in the process of renewing our contract with them.

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

For one of the marketing campaigns we ran in March 2019, David and his team got us 900 Facebook followers in a 24-day period. That was just phenomenal. I can’t speak highly enough about the level of service we’ve gotten from them. They’ve been very receptive and polite.

 We’ve also done remarketing campaigns. When people visit our website, we cash their coupons and enter them into our remarketing campaign. That’s been huge. We’ve seen an uptick of about 3% in sales over the last quarter since we launched the remarketing campaign at the beginning of this quarter.

They did a great job of increasing sales. They especially excelled at setting up our SEO, our website tracking, and the conversions setup.

The blog campaigns they’ve built for us have established a great foundation for lead generation. Their team did an excellent job of creating content and lead generation programs on multiple digital fronts. We’ve actually had quite a few people getting in touch with our sales team after reading our blog posts.

One of the things I appreciated was that, when we got the bill for the traditional print material, everything was at cost with no upsell. I asked David about it, and he told me they don’t upcharge on printing. Not only did we get it at cost, but they also got it rush printed for us, and didn’t charge extra.

How did Arc Reactions perform from a project management standpoint?

If I have a question, I can call David at 7:30 at night, and he’ll answer. Communication, with all members of their team, has been incredibly smooth. They utilized HootSuite to track all tasks, and everything was delivered long before the deadline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

For the amount of money we pay, the service they provide has just been phenomenal.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. My only pet peeve is that they still prefer email over Slack. I don’t have any complaints; I think they’ve done an outstanding job.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Some of David’s suggestions are out there and first sound a bit crazy, but I’d urge you to give it a go. Getting 900 Facebook followers in 24 days is a perfect example of that.

He told us he wouldn’t charge us for it if it didn’t work, but it worked phenomenally well. He has some interesting ideas and approaches, and I advise anyone wanting to work with Arc Reactions to take that opportunity.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the operations manager at Apple Fitness Store Ltd., a commercial and residential fitness equipment dealer. I manage our marketing.

What challenge were you trying to address with Arc Reactions Inc?

We needed a partner to manage our online marketing and enhance brand awareness, including a complete website overhaul. We wanted to better engage with people and increase our online traffic.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Arc Reactions Inc built a new WordPress site, contributing content such as posts. We provided them with a few examples of what kind of design we wanted, and they came up with a UX/UI that met our needs. They improved our Facebook and Twitter accounts and have currently been helping with SEO and Google Ads. They’ve also been working on improving our organic traffic.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact is the project manager, but I can also get in contact with the other team members. We work with a total of about four people.

How did you come to work with Arc Reactions Inc?

They found us. I did some research and then they came in and gave a strong and professional presentation that met our standards, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $200,000–$400,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We partnered in the spring of 2015, and the work is ongoing.

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

Engagement with our customers has significantly increased since partnering with them. Our likes on Facebook have gone from about 30 to 2,700, and our website traffic has increased by over 150%.

How did Arc Reactions Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

They don’t always meet our deadlines, but they usually tell us well in advance if something isn’t going to work out. We communicate via email and phone, and we hold monthly meetings to review analytics. We also have annual meetings to hash out our online marketing campaigns.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a small company that does lots of meaningful work. They easily fit in with our company and met our needs.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be more thoughtful about timelines and staff according to the workload.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Maintain frequent contact to make sure things are going according to plan. They’re a creative team, and the end result will be great.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a principal electrical engineer, president, and part-owner of Catch Engineering. We provide engineering consultancy services to the energy, oil, and gas industries.

What challenge were you trying to address with Arc Reactions Inc?

My business partner and I had made all of our marketing efforts, so the few materials we had were overly personal. Also, our website was mediocre. We sought out Arc Reactions Inc to help us build our brand, refresh our site, and create collateral.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve done around twenty projects together. For our first project, Arc Reactions Inc built my LinkedIn profile so that I could use my professional connections to grow our brand. They expanded my LinkedIn network and posted from my page. When this project proved successful, we re-engaged Arc Reactions Inc. They created a project summary sheet and proposal covers, and then they built our current website.

Arc Reactions Inc produced case studies, brochures, literature, presentation templates, and icons around how we talk about our services. They built landing pages and pursued Google Ads work. They even produced a video for a project my company was doing; the team came to the building where we were doing a generator lift and shot the video.

Currently, they’re doing a remarketing campaign involving inexpensive animated ads.  

What is the team composition?

We work directly with David (Owner & Project Lead, Arc Reactions Inc).

How did you come to work with Arc Reactions Inc?

David contacted me on LinkedIn.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent around $90,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Arc Reactions Inc and my company began working together in January 2015, and the partnership is ongoing.

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

Before, I had 800–1,000 professional connections on LinkedIn; now, I have 2,200–2,300, largely due to David’s efforts expanding my network. We receive lots of positive comments about the marketing materials and the website. Customers report that they found us through our website, which validates our work with Arc Reactions Inc.

Regarding the current remarketing campaign, people have commented on how often they see our ads. We’re not everywhere, but Arc Reactions Inc makes it seem like we are.

How did Arc Reactions Inc perform from a project management standpoint?

David and his team are attentive and engaging. To complete the technical work, they must get input and information from my team. We are very busy, but Arc Reactions Inc makes sure we complete necessary tasks; their persistence has allowed us to continue moving forward. It depends on the project, but I generally communicate with David weekly and have in-person meetings every 2–3 weeks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

As engineers, we think linearly; Arc Reactions Inc helps my team think creatively.

I like David’s tenacity and commitment. He wants his clients to see value in what he does, and he doesn’t view a project as successful until we start seeing an ROI or direct benefit.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nobody is perfect. There were times when Arc Reactions Inc could’ve offered more team support or resources, but I believe they did the best they could.

Any advice for potential customers?

Allow Arc Reactions Inc to help you, and don’t assume you know everything. David has a great handle on the marketing industry and a good eye for design.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of the company. We are based in Calgary, Alberta, serving businesses in Western Canada by helping them secure their assets using a risk-based methodology to reduce costs and improve ROI.

For what projects/services did your company hire Arc Reactions Inc?

We needed to develop a recognizable brand and messaging, including a website and marketing material.

What were your goals for this project?

The project goals were to develop a professional, recognizable brand for us that communicated our core values.

How did you select this vendor?

I searched for branding agencies, spoke to several organizations, and ultimately selected Arc after a discussion with them. Their professionalism and enthusiasm for the project and our organization set them apart from the others I'd spoken to.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We initially met with the team at Arc. We spent hours working together to understand the "why" and the "what" that was most important to the success of the project. From there, the team at Arc took the reins and drove the project forward, hitting milestones and promised dates.

The team at Arc provided business strategy consulting services to identify our business model before expanding into brand and logo development and performing the following services:

• Marketing Campaign Development
• Website Design
• Search Ads
• Branding
• Marketing Consulting
• Sales Consulting
• Print Design
• Customer Persona Development
• Business model development
• Content marketing
• Sales material design

What was the team composition?

I worked with their developers, growth manager, and the owner to accomplish varying tasks.

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

The branding Arc developed has received outstanding reviews and an exceptionally positive reaction from anyone I've spoken to about it. The outcome far exceeded my expectations and I couldn't be happier with the results.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We met virtually on a regular basis and communicated via email to ensure the project moved smoothly, deliverables were understood and well defined. The team at Arc really drove the engagement and effectively communicated.

A true mark of a great organization is how they handle adversity. Problems were few and far between, and when identified they were resolved professionally and quickly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The passion and enthusiasm for working with small businesses were incredible. They dove right in and spent the time and effort to extract key details that I'd not considered previously.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Everyone can improve, but nothing is worthy of being called out specifically. I have future projects in mind for the team at Arc and won't hesitate to call them again.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Total Investments manages commercial Real Estate in and around Calgary, AB, Canada. I am the president.

For what projects/services did your company hire Arc Reactions Inc?

I approached David and Arc Reactions after another successful joint marketing project with his company to refresh the existing logo, brand, and build a website for Total Investments.

What were your goals for this project?

The primary goal was a clean professional logo / brand that reflected the professionalism of my company and it's holdings. Once the logo was designed we needed it expanded into a brand with images, fonts, and vectors to be used on marketing / sales material. We then needed all of this designed and built into a professional looking website that was easy to use and conveyed the brand and services.

How did you select this vendor?

The choice to work with David and Arc Reactions was an easy one. I had worked with him on another project and was very pleased with the results and the quick turnaround time.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They designed multiple versions of our new logo (making it very easy to choose which one we liked the best), they then created a logo usage document, and built out the branding by way of a visual branding deck, they then worked with me to put together a creative brief for the website and on approval created mock-ups and built the site with a WordPress CMS.

What was the team composition?

There was 3 people at the beginning (when we started working with Arc Reactions) - Over 5 years later they have 8. David always takes the time to answer / return my calls and help with any edits / updates to the site.

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

The primary results were a professional brand and website that I regularly get complements on even 5 years after it was launched. It significantly improved my online presence. Arc Reactions exceeded my expectations on this project and on the overall look they came up with for Total Investments.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

The main steps of the project were outlined at the beginning. They didn't waste any of my time. Deadlines were met. Expectations exceeded.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I appreciated their work ethic and ability to brainstorm new ideas and directions. Also there commitment to quality.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None. One of the reasons we've been working with them for over 5 years.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Marketing and Business Intelligence Manager for the engineered repair services division of Wajax Ltd.

For what projects/services did your company hire Arc Reactions Inc?

Sales and brand copywriting services for a separate division of the company along with help needed for revamp of traditional marketing collateral.

What were your goals for this project?

Essentially we wanted to align our department with the newly changed corporate brand narrative. Traditionally, we were always considered separate from the main brand, but I wanted to change that scenario and make it more integrated and leverage the national presence of Wajax for our services division. David and his team helped us re-write our marketing and branding message which was unique to us yet kept us firmly attached with our corporate messaging.

How did you select this vendor?

Honestly, this project was very rushed and out of 3 vendors (2 of them in Toronto) Arc Reactions really stood out for me due to their dedication and commitment to my urgent needs as well as economical pricing.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We used Arc Reactions to create new marketing copy and design new sales collateral including revamped brochures and flyers, new content for our webpage as well as the new design for sales presentations.

What was the team composition?

I was mainly in communication with David - who had a team of experts working on the deliverables.

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

With their help, we were able to create better and more effective sales collateral that was previously non-existent for my team.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I was working with a highly competent team that understood the necessity and importance of my urgency. It also helped that our communication was very clear.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They understood my sense of urgency and went above and beyond to deliver. Long hours, multiple revisions, demanding client - you name it and they conquered it with ease.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.