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An integrated approach to branding and marketing.

5.0
1 review

Blade is celebrating our 25th year as a leading Toronto-based, full-service branding and advertising agency. We offer proven strategic and creative skills focused on building brand communities sensibly and sustainably. We are your edge in the ever-changing marketing landscape.

 
$10,000+
 
$100 - $149 / hr
 
10 - 49
 Founded
1991
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Toronto, Canada
headquarters

Reviews

5.0
1 review
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Branding and Marketing for Aquatic Startup

"They knew our business and needs far better than we did and guided us toward our goals." 

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
4.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
July 2017 - Dec. 2018
Project summary: 

Blade Creative Branding provided a range of services including web, logo, and marketing strategy development. They also developed a brand video and tagline.

The Reviewer
 
11-50 Employees
 
Toronto, Canada
Adam Di Fulvio
President, Canada Swim School
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Successful branding efforts have driven greater than expected sales growth and business expansion. Blade Creative Branding tightly grasped project goals and requirements and maintained constant communication. Their attentive customer service and focus on relationship-building are noteworthy.

The client submitted this review online.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the president of Canada Swim School. We offer aquatic services (mostly private swim lessons) to individuals of all ages and levels (mostly kids) by connecting swim instructors with families and pools across our region.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Blade Creative Branding?

Blade was going to help us start our company by developing everything we needed, from a logo and a website to a content and marketing plan.

What were your goals for this project?

We had a sister company that was immensely successful, and we wanted to replicate that business model across the country.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After interviewing several agencies, we felt we had the best connection with Wayne (Founder, Blade Creative Branding) and his team at Blade. His easygoing, confident attitude and instant grasp of our needs drew our interest. His company's location in the heart of Toronto, where we intended to grow, was the cherry on top. Wayne even met us in-person to get to know us better. This personal touch was amazing.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We tasked Blade with establishing a brand and identity for us. This required them to not only develop our web presence but also to create and execute a marketing strategy and win us clients. First, we had discovery meetings with Wayne and Pamela (Account Supervisor, Blade Creative Branding) at their office. I’ll never forget how much fun it was, and how they connected countless dots we wouldn’t have been able to ourselves. After interviewing our key stakeholders, employees, partners, and clients they presented a scope of work, which we made some modifications to before implementing. They started by creating our logo, a brand video, a tagline, and then our website and content. Marketing across multiple platforms followed these development efforts.  

What was the team composition?

Initially, we worked a lot with Wayne, who was awesome. After a few weeks, we transferred to an account manager, Pamela, who was equally amazing. She was positive, insightful, and very knowledgeable. Better yet, Wayne stayed in touch regularly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s been 100% successful, and that’s all thanks to Blade. We’ve been open for two years and have eclipsed both the sales ($250,0000) and locations (12, instead of 10) goals we set for our three-year mark.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They knew our business and needs far better than we did and guided us toward our goals. Being a startup, we possessed limited resources. In response to that and our tight timeline (two months), Blade prioritized their tasks with laser-like efficiency. They kept us in the loop throughout the entire project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Despite being one of their smaller clients, they always made us feel like a top priority. It was intimidating to work with a vendor that had customers with millions in annual sales, but they reassured me of our importance from the start. Their concern for our success and business was authentic and they helped us build a strong relationship.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Honestly, it would be hard to name one. Blade showed us that regardless of the size of the companies, teams, or budgets involved, they value their relationships.

5.0
Overall Score They were one of the best parts of our startup experience.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They always worked on our schedule, even when we had to cancel last minute. Rescheduling was easy, and their whole team was always there.
  • 4.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    We definitely got more than our money's worth. Their price was comparable to other vendors we researched.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    I'd give them a six if it was allowed.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    We've already recommended them to several colleagues.