Archer Malmo

BACKGROUND

Could you describe your company?

I work for World Vision. It’s an international relief and development company. We’re located in the Seattle, Wash., area. Size-wise, we have 45,000 employees worldwide.

What is your current role and responsibilities?

My current role is marketing manager for youth programs at World Vision. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

Could you describe the business challenge that you were addressing before you went to Archer Malmo?

We were trying to get people to sign up for events, and so we wanted to develop a new communication plan. We intended on creating direct mail packages that accurately showed how important our work is. Additionally, we were looking for alternatives to bring down our cost per acquisition. 

SOLUTION

Could you describe the scope of the project?

Archer Malmo created digital ads of varying sizes for online banners, so we could acquire donors digitally. They also created a series of landing pages that walk people through the sales proposition. 

What was your process for selecting Archer Malmo with which to work?

They had worked with our organization for several years. We were aware of them and aware of the work that they’ve done for us in the past. They were amazing in that regard. They responded to the assignment really well. They were really great at research. They did some significant due diligence to look at our target market and to understand who we were trying to go after. They had proof of what our audience was and how we could approach them. We believe that that resonated with what we know to be true about our target.

The other thing that separated them from other potential candidates is you really got a sense that they wanted to partner with us. The work that we do as a nonprofit, it’s meaningful in some ways. They were able to speak to that in a way that was really transparent and honest. We really believed that they wanted to be a part of the mission with us. Not only were they professionally great, but relationally wanting to be a part of helping children around the world, too. That was significant.

When did the project start and end?

We signed a three-year contract with them. We started in 2012, and the contract is until 2015.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results and feedback, can you give specific improvements?

Pretty amazing: The digital improvements are a huge cost savings for us. The whole communication strategy is a lot more efficient now.

Overall, how well do you think Archer Malmo has performed?

Overall, they have been amazing. It’s hard to argue with the numbers that we’re seeing right now.

Is there anything special or unique about Archer Malmo that you haven’t experienced working with other companies?

I’m super appreciative of the digital work that Archer Malmo does and the diligence that they apply to it. They just have a nice knack of knowing what to do in the appropriate time. I feel that I had a special sense of transparency with them. 

Are there any areas upon which you think they can improve?

The only thing is there has been a little bit of a turnover with the staff that they’ve had. So, we’ve had a little bit of some issues with that, bringing some people up to speed.

BACKGROUND

Could you describe your organization?

We’re between 50 and 100 in size. We have about 650 clients. Our clients are public school districts, independent, and charter schools. We are in the education technology industry. We create backend business processes, removing paper forms, putting them online, so families can fill out the forms online, and then the administrative staff can communicate with families, monitor the forms, and then build a workflow around notifications. We’ve been around since 2000.

What are your role and responsibilities?

I’m the director of marketing and communications.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenges you were trying to address before you went to Archer Malmo?

We wanted to make sure that we were positioned in the marketplace appropriately to compete and expand our operations. We were looking to represent our brand properly. 

SOLUTION

Could you discuss the scope of the project?

We’ve done a couple of different projects with them. We started doing market research to understand how we should reposition ourselves. That started with research and then turned into a branding project. We then extended that into color, design, and brand update. We did a new logo update, and created a bunch of imagery. Additionally, the project consisted of developing new collateral pieces, a video, and a brochure to represent our new image and positioning. Currently we are building out a new website with them. 

How did you discover and select them as your partner?

We have an office here in Bethesda, [Md.,] which is where I’m located. But, our headquarters is in Austin, Texas. We looked at companies in both areas, went and did face-to-face interviews and presentations with about three or four different companies. Then, we chose Archer Malmo.

It was their presentation. They were competent and had a combination of having really intelligent people and smart design. They were able to, in their pitch, present clear deliverables.

Can you provide a general cost estimate for the project?

Around $200,000. 

When were the projects completed?

We completed the first project in October of 2013, and another project in December of 2013. Currently, we’re in the tail end of this project that will be completed at the end of June. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results, what specific improvement have you seen from the work at Archer Malmo has provided?

Archer Malmo has been effective at properly capturing a brand and an image and a voice from our company. They’ve been effective in helping us identify what core competencies we need to take to the marketplace in order to compete. Everyone in our company has been very satisfied with the work they’ve produced. 

How well has Archer Malmo performed?

Very well.

Is there anything you would consider special or unique about them?

What makes them unique is that everyone I’ve worked with there is really superior at what they do from the top-end head design guy down to the person who’s at an administrative level dealing with the logistics and the day to day of project management, everyone is smart, dedicated and good at their job. I don’t feel like there’s anyone on their end who I’ve not been satisfied in working with. They’ve proven that throughout their entire organization. Everyone is really strong in their skill set.

Is there any area that you think that they can improve upon?

Nothing comes to top of mind.

BACKGROUND

Could you describe your company?

Our headquarters are in the United States. We provide liquid asphalt to pavers, contractors, roofers, and other roadway maintenance-type of organizations.

What is your role in your firm?

I am the vice president.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address before you came to Archer Malmo?

The purpose of working with Archer Malmo was to position ourselves as the resource for the asphalt industry. We wanted to get the message out as to who we were, and what they could expect when doing business with us.

What was the company’s specific goal for completing this project?

Specific goal is to be recognized at the main resource for information and preservation for asphalt-related issues.

SOLUTION

Can you talk a little more about the scope of the project?

We completely redesigned our corporate website as well as our interactive website. The project also included redesigning our brochures, sales kits, and trade show booths. 

What was your process for selecting them with which to work?

We selected 10 companies that we picked across the country based on references or based on our own knowledge of what those firms are able to provide. They sent back a proposal. We worked it down to our top four. We brought those four guys into Jackson to meet the management, and they did their presentation. We dropped that down to two. Then, we went to visit those guys. Archer Malmo was selected through that manner.

Why did you pick them?

We liked their overall approach. We liked their measurements and analytics. We like the fact that they took those measurements personally, not just as a service to provide, but as a direct reflection of their efforts that they measure themselves. We felt that they were very responsible and proactive on the backend of completing a project to make sure that the project was completed in a satisfactory manner and that adjustments could be made and would be made to that product if it wasn’t generating the type of traffic we were looking for. We were also very impressed with their creative process.

Can you give us the cost of the whole project?

We’ve spent around $750,000. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

In terms of results and feedback, can you give me specific improvements that Archer Malmo made on your website so far?

The project is still in development, but I can speak to the overall appearance of the website, the messaging is stronger than what we had before. Additionally, the consistency of the message is very much improved.   

How well do you think Archer Malmo is performing?

I think they’re performing at a very high level. 

Is there anything you would consider special or unique about them compared to other companies with which you may have worked?

They’ve been very flexible. What stood out to me is their ability to process information that is foreign to them. They’ve taken on an industry, a business that they don’t have any knowledge of. It sounds simple, but there’s some pretty complex theories and strategies that their employees have been able to grasp quickly.