Brand Poets

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a medicare health plan in the service of Miami-Dade County. We’ve been in business since 2018, but our first open enrollment period was in 2019. I am the senior sales and marketing director for the organization. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brand Poets: Design & Communications?

We were new to the market so we were looking for someone to brand our company.  That's how Brand Poets started — they helped us create our image, logo, color scheme, and other things related to our brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Brand Poets pretty much worked closely with us on our collateral materials such as marketing or member-facing documents. Each year, they help us create our brand strategy and ensures that we keep the integrity of what we’ve already developed and prepare something recognizable in the market. 

They also help with all of our promotional items like roll up banners, and whatever it is we may need for events. We also do a lot of direct mail with them, so that’s been something we’ve been doing in the past few years. Furthermore, Brand Poets is also in charge of provider affiliation announcements. 

Basically, whenever our selling season changes, they help create the strategy for that type of mailing. Just recently, they’re also assisting us with some of our website development needs, including creating images for us. However, their work is not focused on managing our website itself.  They’re also in charge of our social media, in platforms such as Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google. 

What is the team composition?

We work with Tanya (Founder & Creative Director). We also have a social media person and an account manager. Our team also works with a translator since everything we do is in English and Spanish, and there’s another person creating content for the different pieces that we need. In total, we collaborate with five people. 

How did you come to work with Brand Poets: Design & Communications?

When I first came across the company, I started here at my company and the printing company that someone that was here prior to me had used recommended Brand Poets. At that time, they had created a logo for the company, stationery, and some other documents someone else requested. 

We met, sat down, and talked, and I really loved their work. The team showed me their portfolio and the services they had provided to other third-party clients. After that, we hired them on a temporary basis and years later, they’re still with us. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started collaborating in July 2018, but the team had already been working for my company prior to that. They continue to provide services to us. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve got a lot of positive feedback from our target market. Since we work in a sales environment, we have brokers as well as salespeople. Each year, when we unveil what the new benefits packages are going to look like — which they will use in the marketplace, they’re always very pleased with the flow of documentation that they can use to present to a potential member.  

When we have direct mail pieces, we have a sales platform that measures the results from our marketing campaigns and we’ve been pretty successful with them. The ROI with the direct mail pieces we’ve done in reference to our social media has been extremely well. 

How did Brand Poets: Design & Communications perform from a project management standpoint?

They have an incredible project management process. We are a startup organization and our first year was very challenging for us, but Brand Poets has ensured that we got our documents in time for our first selling season. They’ve hired additional people to get our stuff done on time and beautifully.

We have quarterly meetings where we measure outcomes and ratings, and how we’re expanding in the marketplace. They’re always available and our account manager is always in contact with us. Even when she goes on vacation, there’s always someone backing her up, and we have another account manager that we work with as well. Overall, the collaboration has been fantastic. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They always respond quickly and efficiently in order to meet the timelines that we have. We have never been disappointed when it comes to timeline, even when we put them against time by giving them something at a later time. Furthermore, they’re very organized. 

We receive monthly reports for everything regarding the project’s status. We also have phone calls to go over anything that we’ve missed or anything new that we’d like to implement. I’m very satisfied with their services. Brand Poets is extremely great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really can’t think of anything off the top of my head that they can improve. However, in the beginning, understanding our business has been a little challenging since we’re regulated by Medicare, and we have lots of rules and regulations that we need to follow. Perhaps, it is asking too much, they should understand the compliance component of our organization, although I believe they already understand it pretty well. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If a company is looking to hire them, just know that I have recommended Brand Poets in the past. As I’ve said before, I’ve never been disappointed with them. They’ve produced what we’ve asked for. Everything they do has exceeded my expectations. Their timeliness, sense of responsibility, and professionalism have been great. I really like working with them. I work with other marketing agencies besides them, and their difference is day and night.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the associate head for communications and strategic partnerships at an episcopal college preparatory school for grades 6–12.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brand Poets: Design & Communications?

They help us with our design, marketing, and advertising needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They do most of our branding and have designed logos, graphics, and banners. They even have a copy editor who helps us with our taglines.

They also support digital marketing and advertising for us. They handle our Google Ads and have done SEO work as well.

What is the team composition?

I work with Tana (Founder & Creative Director) and Lisa (Director of Client Services).

How did you come to work with Brand Poets: Design & Communications?

We chose them for their design ability and customer service.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around January 2014 and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re an innovative branding company. Thanks to Brand Poets: Design & Communications’ strategy, we have a very consistent brand. They’ve helped us increase brand awareness in our community. Right now, we’ve paused our SEO efforts with them, but we would still recommend them for SEO support.

How did Brand Poets: Design & Communications perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a weekly meeting and they generate a report on all of our projects every week. They always deliver on time and on budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have integrity and are very loyal.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very specific about what you’re looking for.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Program Director at Temple Beth Am, where I run several events a week that all require marketing.

Additionally, I am in charge of our monthly bulletin, essentially a news magazine for everything happening at Beth Am.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Brand Poets: Design & Communications?

We have a variety of marketing needs, including strategy for advertising enrollment in our day school as well as our large annual fundraisers.

Additionally, we have a wide variety of programs that we offer that each have advertising needs, both print and digital.

Lastly, our monthly bulletin , Commentator, which consists almost entirely of ads done by Brand Poets.

What were your goals for this project?

We have an eye towards modernizing the look, feel, and branding of everything we are doing at Temple Beth Am and Day School.

We often have very quick deadlines, and need a partner who can be flexible with that as they offer creative ways to enhance our branding.

SOLUTION

How did you select Brand Poets: Design & Communications?

We had worked with Tana Llinas previously and had a very positive experience, and were excited to continue with her as she launched Brand Poets.

We were particularly glad to be working with someone already familiar with our needs and goals.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They handle design of our monthly bulletin and all accompanying digital and mail pieces associated with event promotion. They handle design of all signage at our major events, including fundraisers.

They often design and facilitate the ordering of "swag" promotional products for various purposes. They design logos for various projects.

They help strategize recruitment ideas for our day school, and for our capital campaign.

What was the team composition?

We work directly with Tana Llinas through Lisa Yap Sam, who manages all of our projects and is the liaison between our team and the graphic designers at Brand Poets. Lisa receives all projects and communicates all edits.

We speak with Tana once a week to talk big picture and, at times, brainstorm needs of individual projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have been consistently happy with the artwork with we get, the professionalism of the staff, and the timeliness of urgent projects.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We each have liaisons to allow for more efficient communication of needs on both sides.

We speak once a week about all projects, and communicate through email and phone throughout the week regarding individual questions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I love our working relationship, and I find our communication to be very effective.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing comes to mind!