Backroom

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO and Co-Founder of MAKA Media

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A children's media company producing stories that promote healthy childhood development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Name
• Brand (Visual identity & logo)
• Pitch Deck for Pre-Seed Round

SOLUTION

How did you find Backroom?

Referral

Why did you select Backroom over others?

Great culture fit, Good value for cost, Referred to me, Company values aligned

What was the size of Backroom’s team?

2-5 Employees

What was your primary form of communication with Backroom?

Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

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

• Brand Identity
• Name, wordmark, color palette, and typeface
• Brand vision exercise
• Develop content framework for pitch deck & webpage
• Analyze competitor & inspirational brands
• Client to provide data on problem solved
• Naming exercise, concepts, & final selection
• 3-5 naming story concepts
• Final name selection will be in partnership with I&T
• Define brand story across pitch deck & web
• Design visual identity: wordmark, color palette, typeface family Pitch Kit Investor-ready pitch deck, leave behind, and single-page website
• Pitch deck design & copywriting
• Leave behind design & copywriting
• Web template selection (Squarespace)
• Content development for webpage: copywriting & photo styling
• All materials include 2 rounds of revisions

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Brand developed
• Name of company and logo
• Pitch deck that we can take to investor meetings

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

Backroom were wonderful - not only did they deliver on their deadlines, but they also managed up to us, ensuring that we were getting them the materials and content they needed in order to meet these deadlines. They were always quick to pivot based on feedback and were extremely responsive to our needs.

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

We absolutely loved how deeply Backroom cared about our company and the product we are creating. It felt like they were really part of our team and building it alongside us, with the same care and passion. They went the extra mile with each deliverable and were always very positive!

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

We went through a few iterations on the visual design, and perhaps that process could have gone faster if we were happy with the initial design, but we also recognize this is all part of the process and they created ample opportunity for us to provide feedback and for iteration.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former account strategy director for Chalk + Chisel, an interactive agency that builds installations and web and mobile apps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Backroom?

We felt that our brand name didn’t represent our new services and how our company had evolved. We decided to undertake a big rebrand to attract new customers, properly represent our services, and re-engage our internal team.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We kicked off the project with a discovery phase to give Backroom insight into our business. They conducted interviews with our team members and top clients. They learned about who our team was and what made our offerings unique. They also conducted a competitor audit to learn about different brands and understand the type of branding our target market was attracted to. 

After that, we moved into the branding phase. They provided us with a new company name and handled the registration process. The team also delivered a full brand identity suite, including a new logo, color scheme, and fonts, packaged into a style guide. They also created a voice and tone guide which helped us write copy and create materials according to our new brand identity. 

Backroom also consulted on our website development process, which we managed internally. Additionally, they guided us through the rollout process and shared best practices to get our team excited about the new brand. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with Kara (Founder & CEO), a technology lead, and a design lead. 

How did you come to work with Backroom?

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $30,000–$40,000 in the project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Backroom from November 2014–February 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Backroom delivered a successful rebrand that resulted in increased sales and brand recognition.

Their efforts also garnered significant internal excitement and workplace pride from our employees. Employees had a new sense of energy, which was great. We also gained a lot of new business prospects due to the successful rebrand.

We were really happy with the results; we actually partnered with them on more projects and recommended them to others. 

How did Backroom perform from a project management standpoint?

Backroom managed the project effectively and stayed within budget. We met weekly in person, and they delivered everything on time. The team also communicated weekly progress updates via email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with Kara and the team’s willingness to translate branding terminology to our founders and keep them engaged throughout the partnership. Backroom effectively explained the rationale behind their process and why branding was so important, which kept the project on track. They set clear expectations and explained what they were doing and why; this was paramount to the project’s success.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing they could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust the process and ask questions because the team is more than happy to answer them. Also, approach the project with a solid understanding of your business goals; it will help Backroom tailor their results according to your needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a department manager for an employment center in the staffing industry. Our main mission is to connect those in underserved communities with training opportunities and advocacy in the job market in order to get a new job.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Backroom?

We needed help with our marketing and branding to start our brand from the ground up.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, Backroom came in to get familiar with our brand persona and customer needs. Throughout this process, we had several meetings to help them understand our overall mission. From there, we worked with them to figure out what our mission statement, archetype, and brand persona would be, as well as what our brand design would look like. Moreover, they helped us define how we would be focusing on our positioning in the market.

After the discovery process, we worked with Backroom on a complete rebranding, which included defining a new color scheme, brand voice, and brand guidelines, as well as designing new illustrations and a new website. We had several meetings with them throughout that process to work on our illustrations and website pages; basically, we did a complete overhaul of our brand, site, and overall market presence.

In addition to that, Backroom worked pretty heavily with our development team to implement the designs on our website and ensure it was redone as we had planned.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Kara (CEO), who led the project; Josh (Art Director), who worked with our development team on the website redesign; and Michelle (Director of Strategy), who worked with us on our marketing strategy. We also worked with another teammate from Backroom on our copywriting.

How did you come to work with Backroom?

We were connected to Backroom through a different marketing firm. They came highly recommended, so we decided to work with them on this project. When we started this project, we weren’t sure of the direction we would take. However, Backroom had a lot of experience in branding and marketing, so we thought that they would help us get our feet off the ground with marketing strategies.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2019–October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we started this project, we were a startup, so we didn’t have prior metrics regarding brand effectiveness to compare. Still, I can say that Backroom’s work definitely helped us improve our visibility in the market. They gave us a completely different look and feel, helping us define the brand voice we needed.

Moreover, our team has grown significantly since working with Backroom. At the time, we were a team of around 10 people; now, we’re a team of 50. Although most people didn’t know our former branding, our current one has been received positively.

How did Backroom perform from a project management standpoint?

We had a lot of positive interactions with Backroom, and we were able to have the project completed, so the overall project was done well. The team was very receptive to feedback and changes, and they contributed to helping us find our brand voice as a whole. Throughout the project, we had several meetings over Microsoft (MS) Teams, Webex, and Zoom, and we also communicated via Slack. Moreover, we used HubSpot.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Backroom’s creative eye and focus on creating a solid brand for the market were their strengths. They provided us with a beautiful brand presence and voice, which we didn’t have prior. Their creativity was definitely one of their best assets, and branding was one of their specialties. Overall, they were definitely a good partner to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At the time, Backroom might have benefited from having an additional teammate on the project who was able to work heavily with our development team on the UI/UX design side of the project. They stretched a little bit thin in that area. Still, they did the best they could with what they had.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re struggling to find your brand voice and look and feel, Backroom is definitely a good company to work with. Go in with an open mind and listen to what they have to offer. Leaning into their process will help you in the long run with creating the most appropriate brand for your company.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the project director of a small nonprofit organization that aims to educate the people in New Hampshire about how our public education system is funded and the inequities baked into that system. We do a lot of advocacy to push for more funding from the state.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Backroom?

We had a gap in staff for our communications role for a few months, and I needed a company to keep our social media up and running while I was in the process of hiring and interviewing a new person for the position.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Backroom to handle our social media marketing initiatives. This involved managing our Facebook and Instagram accounts, setting up the ad account on Facebook, and drafting social media posts and newsletters, which they sent to me for approval and for publishing. They also helped me build a 3–6-month onboarding plan for when the new communications person came on board. Aside from that, they also created various branded templates and social media graphics that we continue to use to this day for our posts.

We started the project by outlining where we were, what we needed from them, and the challenges we were facing in terms of social media marketing. They then came back with a detailed scope of work proposal and went through our social media accounts and website to identify our strengths and areas for improvement. They also did their own research and analyzed our online presence to build their scope of work.

What is the team composition?

I primarily worked with three people from Backroom.

How did you come to work with Backroom?

Someone who works for them reached out to us about getting involved with us on a volunteer basis because she cares about our advocacy. In talking to her, I realized that I was about to need the services that she did, so we decided to hire them for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $10,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–June 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The templates and graphics that Backroom created for us have been incredibly helpful in terms of creating new content for our social media posts. We’ve also seen a 300% increase in our site traffic, a 400% increase in our Facebook traffic and engagement, and a significant increase in our Facebook and Instagram followers.

How did Backroom perform from a project management standpoint?

Backroom performed well in terms of project management. They were incredibly professional and clear. They stayed on budget and were accommodating of scope changes throughout. I always heard back from them within the same day, and provided me with multiple drafts on posts with a really quick turnaround. The work they were doing was very clearly laid out ahead of time. I had a lot of opportunities to provide input on their work, and then there were opportunities for regular check-ins throughout the project or the specific scope of work to make sure that they were continuing to meet my needs and the expectations of myself and my board.

We typically communicated through Slack and Zoom meetings. We used Google Docs and Google Sheets to map out their newsletter and social media timeline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The issue we work on is really complicated and very dense, and it is really challenging to boil the issue down into quickly understandable graphics and visuals. Backroom did a great job of taking complicated policy information and boiling it down into accurate graphics and visuals that helped get to the heart of the problem in as few words as possible. They also took the time to understand the issue that we’re working on so they could provide great content for us.

Out of all the different proposals I received for this specific project, Backroom was the most comprehensive in terms of the scope of work they put together. They were comprehensive in their scope of work but also incredibly flexible.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have any complaints.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a technology consultant that offers software configuration training and development for clients.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Backroom?

We came to them for basic copywriting, and the engagement expanded to include developing a brand framework.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Backroom started off with an initial consultation to review what we needed. They built a custom scope for us and set a basic timeline before launching into a discovery phase. I walked them through the background of our company, and they designed a survey for my employees to fill out to give feedback on our brand and what they’d like to see improved. It was an anonymous survey, so people answered very honestly. The results informed the following brand positioning effort.

Currently, they’re developing copy based on our new brand. They’re also in the process of creating a new website for us; we’ve reviewed wireframes and they’re modifying the layout. They’re in charge of coming up with the structure of the site, and then we’ll hand it over to a design company who will bring the structure and copy to life through development and design. All work has been done in Figma.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with around four people from their team.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost is around $12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since July 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Backroom got a great response from our employees on the survey; about 50% filled it out. They’ve also been able to successfully create new brand messaging and positioning, as well as help us make decisions about how we’re portraying ourselves. They’re extremely thorough. Looking forward, I believe the new website will help us hire people more easily as well.

How did Backroom perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re strong with project management. We communicate over Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have deep expertise in branding; unlike other partners we’ve worked with, Backroom has gone above and beyond to learn about our company and ensure that we arrive at where we wanted to go. They’ve delivered multiple strategic, impactful insights into how we can move forward and grow.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re having hesitations about moving forward with a branding project, I would recommend moving forward because it will definitely be more helpful than you expect. Branding can sometimes be a bit obscure regarding the deliverables but just have a conversation with Backroom and you’ll see their value.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Sales and Marketing manager for the Biotechnology division at Smiths Detection. Smiths Detection provides detection technology to keep people, assets, and infrastructure safe from a range of potential threats.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Backroom, and what were your goals?

We hired Backroom to help grow our digital presence, increase inbound leads for our products, grow brand awareness around current products and for new product launches, help with marketing strategy, and create new marketing content.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Backroom was a local agency and provided a personal approach to marketing. They customize their consultative approach to our product and market specifically and take the time to learn our market in order to best guide our strategy.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

We have used Backroom for a number of projects and have evolved their scope depending on current needs. They have managed our google ad campaign, created landing pages to garner inbound leads, created remarketing strategies, and run numerous linkedin ad campaigns. Backroom has created multiple pieces of content including white papers, datasheets, and videos. They have helped with email campaigns, tradeshow planning and outreach campaigns, and performed SEO reviews for our website.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Depending on the project we have had different resources assigned to work with us. We have worked directly with the CEO on general project scoping and overall strategy. We have worked with the director of strategy, project managers, and the creative design lead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We have received numerous leads through our campaigns with Backroom over the last 2 years. We have attributed over 50% of our website traffic directly to work we have done with Backroom. We have multiple pieces of content that they created still in use by our sales and marketing team.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow is flexible and effective. We have constant access to our project manager and their entire team is extremely responsive. We can provide feedback to their campaign strategies and suggestions or their content and they make changes as needed while continuing to make strategic suggestions based on their own marketing expertise.

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

Backroom is always accessible and extremely personal with their approach to our strategy and needs.

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

We work in a very niche industry so there is always room to grow knowledge about a client's product and market in order to more closely guide strategy and approach.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of an aviation company based in Maryland. We work with clients in the Defense sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Backroom?

Our website was very dated and needed an overhaul.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

I have worked with Kara and her Team since she left R2i consulting to start Backroom. She has supported three of my companies since that time in marketing and branding.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

I am the CEO of AIRtec so I was not intimately involved in the project. I know that a series of meetings were held to gather information on the Company, our mission and core values and how we position ourselves in our industry. Then the design commenced with several more meetings between my marketing folks and Backroom before the website was finalized.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Not entirely sure but I can remember 4-5 Backroom staff supported the effort to include the owner of the company, a project manager and several SMEs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Website has not gone live yet. Because of the work we do, we had to have a government security review first. Hope to go live the last week of September.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. They've been working efficiently.

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

I have worked with Kara the longest, and I was always impressed with her talent and creativity. Josh is very good at listening to the customer and was outstanding at helping us come up with a new logo design which actually kicked off the overall branding and redesign of our website.

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

I was not intimately involved in the project but I have heard no complaints from my staff that were involved.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder of a video production agency in Baltimore, MD. We produce films, documentaries, commercials, and animated explainers for companies all over the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Backroom, and what were your goals?

We desperately needed help putting our best foot forward as a company by first understanding who we are and what we're about and then communicating that through every element that is public-facing but also internalizing it, too.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The CEO was an acquaintance of ours and we knew her company did great work. So we worked with her.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Backroom was responsible for developing a brand guide, logos, colors, messaging, and more. They sat down with me and my partners for in-depth conversations to truly understand our company and then used that to inform every element in the deliverable.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Kara, CEO, worked with us directly in terms of creative and interviews. There was also a designer and eventually a web team came on board.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We get compliments all the time on our brand. I don't have any hard data to demonstrate success but we all felt really good about the final product and that's what we're hearing from our clients too.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Backroom was very organized, always took a little extra time with us (and I know that we can be demanding and detail-oriented). It was a very professional through out and the end product was a result of that.

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

The most impressive thing about the whole project was that we felt seen. They conducting in-depth interviews with our team in which we had a lot to say, and Backroom was able to take all that info and make us better at being us.

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

I don't think so. They took the time to get to know us. The content team and the design team felt in lockstep and the end product was truly a case of the project being greater than the sum of its parts.