BatesMeron Sweet Design

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager of a family-owned restaurant business, and we have several Middle Eastern Mediterranean restaurants in the Chicago area.

What challenge were you trying to address with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

We were looking to develop better branding, marketing, and messaging for our restaurants.

What was the scope of their involvement?

BatesMeron helps us develop campaigns and strategies to introduce some of our branded products. We initially met up with them to discuss the scope of the work and provide them with the background on our restaurant’s history.

They then developed and implemented the branding and content strategy in place, and worked on the website. Once that was done, they moved to clean up the branding for our product packaging, and iterated several designs before going with the final output.

What is the team composition?

We work with about seven people from their team, and they consist of content writers, designers, and web developers. Our main point of contact is the project manager.

How did you come to work with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

We were looking for top branding and marketing agencies in the Chicagoland area and came across BatesMeron

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in August 2020.

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

I don’t have any specific metrics to share, but we’re really happy with the campaigns they develop for us. They’ve helped grow our sales revenue and also increase the traffic on our website.

How did BatesMeron Sweet Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great from a project management perspective. They’re very focused on handling each project and they respond promptly to our concerns.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’re impressed by the level of care they put into our partnership. We’re not just a number to them and they offer a lot of suggestions and tactics because they want us to succeed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As of right now, I can’t think of anything they could do differently.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise them to narrow down what they want and be more specific with what they’re looking to achieve.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder and CEO of a tech startup focused on assisting women in the professional space.

What challenge were you trying to address with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

Our business challenge at the highest level is the achievement of gender parity. With BatesMeron, we needed help defining our brand and voice so we could connect with our target market.

What was the scope of their involvement?

BatesMeron defined our brand voice and outlined brand guidelines, including our fonts and colors. 

We started by having two in-depth consultation sessions where we completed some branding exercises. The first session was so the BatesMeron team could understand our vision and the second was so they could understand our product.

Both sessions helped them strategize about how to get the brand voice and the brand story out — they then sent that strategy back to my team and me. We had a few more branding sessions after that to continue to define our brand.  

We just launched our tech app globally, and we're working with the BatesMeron team to bring everything in-house. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with Maggie (Former Senior Copywriter), Madeline (Designer), Becka (President), and Todd (Account Manager). After Maggie left our project, we worked with a junior copywriter. 

How did you come to work with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

I don't know much about the branding space, but everyone told me I needed to work with a good brand company. I was skeptical because anyone can say they're good at branding and marketing. 

In the end, a friend of mine who's been in the branding and marketing space for 30 years went through an exercise with me to find a branding company. She then did some backchanneling and BatesMeron stood out from the crowd — they're an award-winning firm. 

How much have you invested with them?

The project costs between $30,000–$39,000.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with BatesMeron in April 2021, and we will continue the partnership for the foreseeable future. 

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

Our team sends out a weekly, branded e-blast to all our users and we track metrics related to it. We've had a very high open rate on our emails, between 40%–50%.

Our UX/UI team has used the branding exercises we completed and the branding guidelines that we developed with BatesMeron to design our app's user interface. 

How did BatesMeron Sweet Design perform from a project management standpoint?

I can call Todd at any time of the day, and we use Slack to communicate. We generally have a two-stage check-in. 

The graphic designer is very dedicated, and the president involves herself directly in our overall branding strategy. The president at BatesMeron provides a lot of personal attention to our project — I can reach out to her at any time and have a conversation about any topic. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I love that they're very passionate about their work. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It has been challenging to find good talent during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is even more challenging in the creative field, and I wish we could've had a better replacement for Maggie. 

She left our project in a good place, but I wish there was more continuity. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

My advice depends on what a client is hiring BatesMeron for. If it's just for graphic design and copy, clients should make sure to ask for Amy (Senior Account Manager & Project Manager) and Madeline — they're a great team. 

If the client is working with them to establish their brand voice and guidelines, as we did, they should work with Becka. However, she's often very busy and isn't always available. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is Rally Insurance Group. We specialize in insurance for collector cars and personal insurance for small businesses, and we are a team of five. We are independent agents and we partner up with different insurance companies.

What challenge were you trying to address with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

Half of our business caters to collector autos and half is for small businesses, and we were having this identity crisis. We built our brand revolving around collector autos, and many people had no idea we did anything else besides that. We were having trouble balancing these two different products with some things in common but were also very different.

We were co-branding with other insurance companies, and their idea of branding was to put our logo on the backside of a brochure, which wasn’t really doing much for us in terms of selling our brand. We were cross-selling to our existing auto collector clients and trying to let us quote their homes or businesses.

We needed to get our heads straight about how we approach things and what we were doing, and that brought me to decide that we needed professional branding help.

What was the scope of their involvement?

BatesMeron Sweet Design helped us with two projects. The first was a branding project where they created a new design for our logos, letterhead, emails, and social media. Their design really pinpointed who we are, what we are, and what makes us stand apart from other agents.

The second project is incorporating the new branding into the new website that they are developing for us. Our website will be up and running probably sometime in March.

What is the team composition?

We work with a project manager and creative designers from BatesMeron Sweet Design. 

How did you come to work with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

I was trying to find somebody for marketing, but I didn’t even know how to look for what I wanted. It took a while to narrow it down and figure out what I wanted. I found BatesMeron Sweet Designs by reading their reviews on Clutch. From that, I knew what I wanted.

I started talking to Becka (President) and Linda (Vice President) and let them know that I’m a small business. I was looking for somebody who can get these things accomplished for me, but I’m not a huge conglomerate with endless resources. At the end of the day, the biggest reason why I decided to work with BatesMeron Sweet Design was that I liked their work and their creativity.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve invested $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with BatesMeron Sweet Design in May 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

We received our first branding document that didn’t need any revisions. They gave me about 15 pages of branding design, and out of those, only two things needed some adjustment.

How did BatesMeron Sweet Design perform from a project management standpoint?

BatesMeron Sweet Design assigned a project manager to me. We’ll have discovery phone calls with the creative team as well as Becka and Linda. If I have questions, I’ll course them through the project manager, and she gets back to me very promptly. There wasn’t a time that I need to ask them where we’re at and what’s happening.

After every meeting, they would inform us of what to expect and the timeline for it. They’ve always been true to their timelines. We had a couple of things that they had to change the date of delivery, but they’ve given me plenty of notice about the changes and explained what happened. They were also very good at walking me through what needs to be done and what to prioritize for the project.
 
What did you find most impressive about them?

BatesMeron Sweet Design would spend time to get to know our company in terms of how we approach insurance. They were spot on in interpreting our ideas. With team members of varying ages, we can’t seem to agree on anything, but when it comes to the design that they sent us, everybody liked what we got back. One of the best things is they’ve been great communicators. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. There hasn’t been anything that I found frustrating.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to be upfront about all the different aspects of your project in order to have a better understanding of each other. Let BatesMeron Sweet Design know what you want, and they’ll tell you what they can do for you.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO of a software solutions company for professional traders, creating technology to execute all aspects of cryptocurrency trading for large institutions. 

What challenge were you trying to address with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

They helped us with an internal project to create a physical representation of our company values. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with them to conceive and create posters that serve as physical representations of our values. It’s a collaborative effort that’s been ongoing for several years. Each year, we require a brand new set of creative assets from them, targeted to a new theme. 

What is the team composition?

There are a handful of teammates collaborating on the project with our team. 

How did you come to work with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

They were referred to me by someone in my network. After some early successful general marketing work they completed, we placed them on this project. 

How much have you invested with them?

Over the last four years, we’ve spent over $50,000 with them. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since around January 2016.

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

Every year, they exceed our expectations and impress with their creative work. It’s been a great relationship. The office is delighted with the environment we’re creating through their work.  

How did BatesMeron Sweet Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re good with communication, using collaborative project management tools on their end. The head of the company communicates with me on a regular basis, even if it’s just to keep in touch. She picks up my texts and calls at any time, so I’m always in the loop on progress. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They produce creative designs, have a passion for helping clients, and bring enthusiasm to projects.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We have a positive relationship because our team is putting effort into the relationship as well. In our industry, it can be difficult for outside agencies to get a true understanding of our company. That’s why fostering a close relationship is important, especially with complex brand projects. Make sure you’re putting the effort into educating them on your organization. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-owner of a food truck business oriented around Detroit-style pizza. We recently shifted to a brick and mortar location that offers pick up and deliveries. 

What challenge were you trying to address with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

As a result of our transition to the brick and mortar store, we needed to have a better social media presence. We did well on social media but focused on the pizza and didn’t expand much beyond that with the brand. We also wanted to create promotional materials.

What was the scope of their involvement?

BatesMeron mostly developed merchandise to supplement our healthy social media presence. Their team created 3–4 different designs that we’ll apply to many of our marketing materials.

They also developed a customer loyalty program. Their team was involved in generating ideas. We started with a call when we discussed what we wanted to tackle. We also talked about our goal and how to structure the program around it. For example, would it be a punch card or a spend-based program? We settled on a punch card, and then BatesMeron created designs and a name.

What is the team composition?

Initially, we had four people on the call. Our main group ended up being three people.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our partnership in April 2020, and it’s ongoing.

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

We added our rewards program to our Monday email blasts. In the email, we tell customers how many pizzas they need to buy to achieve a free one. It incentivizes a purchase. We’ve definitely seen an uptick in repeat customers, which was our goal.

How did BatesMeron Sweet Design perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly communicated via email but reviewed materials on Zoom calls. Our first call focused on fact-finding. Rather than pushing us, their team listened to what we needed. During the second call, they shared their ideas to secure our approval. Their team delivered their recommendations and gathered feedback during the subsequent calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team was in our target demographic, which enabled them to give appropriate feedback. It was nice to work with a young design team of like-minded people.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If anything, their team could’ve brought more ideas to the table. They did what I expected, which was listening to us and focusing on our needs.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come prepared with a clear idea of what problems you want to solve. As soon as they understood our problems, they had a clear path in mind.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president and founder of Flower Show Productions. We are an event production team that focuses on large-scale greening and gardening events for education, inspiration, and motivation within the gardening community.

What challenge were you trying to address with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

Our initial goal was rebranding the show, which included developing a new name and logo as well as reorganizing some of the actual events to be a little more relevant to today’s society.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They handled the rebranding process from end-to-end, working closely with us to deliver graphic design, copywriting, marketing suggestions and programming, and experiential programming creation. The only thing they haven’t done is actually place the media in various outlets, but they’ve done all of the content creation tasks leading up to that step for us.

What is the team composition?

We have a main point of contact as well as 2–3 other teammates who work on the project. I am also in contact with their owner about more general aspects of the engagement.

How did you come to work with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

Our company interviewed a few firms and really liked the energy of their team, so we decided to bring them on board.

How much have you invested with them?

The total investment has been over $1,000,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2011 and are continuing to do so today.

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

One of the things that we experience on an ongoing basis is people being very impressed by our look and imagery. They’ve helped us to come up with a different theme for the flower and garden show every year since we started working together. They’ve done ideation sessions and a lot of design work that has received almost entirely positive feedback.

How did BatesMeron Sweet Design perform from a project management standpoint?

We typically use Basecamp to communicate with them on a daily basis, as well as holding a base set of meetings depending on the time of year and what’s in front of us. That could be anywhere from once a month to once a week depending on how close we are to our events.

They were very flexible about scheduling those meetings, both in terms of time as well as location depending on what was more appropriate. They have really walked through the entire process with us over the years, and never let a thing slip through the cracks in that time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve always liked how easy to talk to and connect with they are. The quality and thoughtfulness of their work was what really drew me to them and has kept me coming back. I’ve especially appreciated the times that they came back to me and said that I wanted one thing but that they thought I would be happier with something else.

I really liked that because it showed they had looked at who I was and built upon our past experiences, which is not something you get with the vast majority of outsourcing companies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have to say that there isn’t anything in particular I wish they would improve. The owner and I meet once a quarter to talk about potential improvements but those are always addressed so I don’t have any issues.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t hold back. Put out as much effort as you want back from them, because telling them the nitty-gritty or ugly truths of where you’re at and what you need will help them to really get to the core of your business goals.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of DX Learning, a leadership development firm. We cater to any sized company.

What challenge were you trying to address with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

We wanted to take our existing, older website and update it. We also wanted to enhance our brand.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began our engagement with BatesMeron by focusing on the brand image and messaging of our company. After consulting with all internal teams, they delivered a 20-page document on the brand itself, a new logo, a new color scheme, new messaging, and other content to support how we were going to position ourselves in the marketplace. 

Now, we're in the midst of the website transition, and the team is currently working on development. BatesMeron has replaced the landing page, which is now in line with the new branding and messaging. The team created all the wireframes themselves.

What is the team composition?

We’ve interfaced with four people so far. My main point of contact is Amy (Senior Account Manager). We also work with Becka (President), Maggie (Copywriter), and Matt (Senior Designer).

How did you come to work with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

I met Becka through a CEO peer group. We became colleagues and friends though that, and when the time came to update our company, I gave her a call.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $100,000–$120,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in March 2019 and is ongoing.

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

We don’t have any hard metrics, but anecdotally, we’ve received a lot of positive feedback from clients. They’re impressed with the new colors and logo; in short, they love the brand. Even those who’ve been familiar with our company for five years or so have said they prefer the new look. Internally, we love it as well. BatesMeron has provided the utmost quality. 

How did BatesMeron Sweet Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They always deliver on time, and their communication is strong. To track the project, we use Basecamp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The intimacy and willingness to get to know us that they’ve brought sets them apart. BatesMeron has a diverse team with a great skill set, and their ability to visualize and articulate what we want to get across is excellent.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re great when it comes to delivering on expectations, but one place they could work to improve is keeping consistent communication throughout the project. Having weekly check-ins and follow-ups would be great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Provide them with as much clarity as possible, and do your best to be proactive. Also, understand that the more work you put upfront, the more you define the project’s success.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a bookkeeper for Quality Network Solutions, a company that provides I.T. technicians and hardware to 145 school districts in Illinois and Missouri. 

What challenge were you trying to address with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

We wanted to design a logo to celebrate our 20th anniversary in business as a gift to the owner of the company. Then, we decided to redesign the company logo as well. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

BatesMeron initially talked to me about different facets of the company (i.e., our services, target audience, and goals). We didn't want a logo that was too flashy since we targeted schools with small budgets; we wanted something clean and bold. After they developed our 20th-anniversary logo, our management team was so pleased that they gave me the go-ahead to have BatesMeron redesign our main logo as well. 

What is the team composition? 

I worked with Becka (President, BatesMeron Sweet Design) and Joshua (Associate Creative Director, BatesMeron Sweet Design). 

How did you come to work with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

I met Becka through a children's charity project that I worked on years ago and I liked her work then. When it came time to redesign our logo, I reached out to her after we had horrible results from trying to work with a cheap vendor. Fortunately, she was happy to help even though it was a much smaller project than what her team typically takes on. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–February 2019.

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

We love all the logo options BatesMeron provided. The new logo brought our company up to the current century and improved our overall image online. The anniversary logo boosted awareness and the legitimacy of our brand within our community, which has been great for business. 

How did BatesMeron Sweet Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Becka got back to me right away when I first reached out to her. Their team did a great job of collaborating closely with us over the phone to flesh out design ideas, making the whole process fast and efficient. Josh also did a great job of explaining everything and walking me through any technical issues I had with opening or viewing files. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very intuitive. It's amazing how they were able to listen and translate our vision into designs as if they knew our company as well as we do. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I was perfectly thrilled with everything they did. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what you're looking to achieve when you begin if possible. It's always harder when there's more than one person making decisions, so try to narrow the focus as much as possible. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for Impact XM, an experiential marketing agency.

What challenge were you trying to address with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

We needed a vendor to replace our previous programmer; that resource was disorganized and inefficient. We hired BatesMeron Sweet Design to build a new website with efficient functionalities. We wanted the designs to reflect the team’s branding expertise.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They developed a WordPress site from scratch using a base template. We then expanded the scope to include graphic design. Our team signed a six-month commitment for those services.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with Leah (Account Coordinator, BatesMeron Sweet Design). The team included a string of project managers and a dedicated programmer.

How did you come to work with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

I knew the owner from previous projects. During those engagements, the team produced top-quality work, had savvy expertise, and was well-priced.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from April–August 2017.

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

The team was design-oriented and confident in their decisions. They defended their choices whenever I disagreed with a solution, but they were also open to compromise and alterations. I appreciated the level of counsel BatesMeron Sweet Design provided in addition to their excellent customer service.

How did BatesMeron Sweet Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Our side had unrealistic expectations, but BatesMeron Sweet Design helped us establish viable timelines. They drove the schedule and made necessary adjustments to overcome challenges. The dedicated programmer invested significant time in our account while managing their other clients’ needs. I communicated directly with Leah and the dedicated programmer as direct points of contact; both resources accurately relayed messages. The entire team used Basecamp to track progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their branding and design expertise were noteworthy. The team had business acumen and the friendly service of a boutique firm. It was the best of both worlds. They were savvy and fun to work with—a spectacular combo.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could upsell better. The team didn’t push their services and I only discovered one offering by accident. They could market themselves more assertively.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the senior director of corporate communications for Lundbeck, a global pharmaceutical company based in Copenhagen, Denmark.

What challenge were you trying to address with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

We wanted to redesign our organization's identity and look and feel to reflect our old values and connect with our employees.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The BatesMeron team conducted several extensive meetings in their discovery process to understand our business perspective. They met with our business leaders, figured out our goals, and designed digital content to connect with new and existing employees. BatesMerson provided advice on our designs and how to improve our employees' perception of the company.

What is the team composition?

I worked with the owner of the firm, an account manager, designers, and strategists.

How did you come to work with BatesMeron Sweet Design?

I met with the owner of the company at an event and was impressed with the unique way they ran the business.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $40,000– $50,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have worked with them since September 2017 and the engagement ongoing.

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

We measured the culmination of the design campaign and people’s reactions. The results were in the high 90s out of 100 for an understanding of our company’s beliefs which was the primary goal of the redesign.

How did perform from a project management standpoint?

BatesMerson always stayed in touch about deadlines, updated us on modifications, and replied to our feedback. They were transparent with cost and took their time to understand our feedback and prioritize our business perspective, unlike many other design firms.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really take the time to discover your business and to customize their approach to the business challenge. They are creative with their solutions and keep the project cost-effective.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything right now.