broadhead|HMH

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior marketing director for Truliant Federal Credit Union, and we’re headquartered in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. We have about 280,000 members and we’ve been in business since 1952.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HMH?

We needed someone to help improve our brand identity and digital presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We rely on HMH to expand our brand recognition and presence in our markets. They’re helping us continue to grow our name in the Charlotte area by producing brand initiatives to get our message out to prospective clients, because we want them to understand the benefits of joining us.

Moreover, they also provide us with their creative capabilities and strategic direction. They create product campaigns for when we need to re-energize a certain product and depending on the direction of the specific project’s scope, they’ll either formulate an animated spot, radio spot, print ad, or OOH collateral.

They will then deliver multiple concepts which we’ll refine through a series of meetings and once those are done, they’ll come back to us with the final deliverable.

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with the creative director, but we’ve also interfaced with other people from their team. There’s a creative lead, media buyer, account representative, and general manager.

How did you come to work with HMH?

HMH was already an extension of the Truliant marketing team when I came along, and I think it’s because they wanted someone that was familiar with the Charlotte market.

Once I started working with their team, I was impressed by the quality of their work and how well they knew Truliant.

How much have you invested with them?

We roughly spend around $50,000–$60,000 USD.

What is the status of this engagement?

The ongoing partnership started in October 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

HMH mostly helps us with brand-specific objectives, and I can definitely say that we’ve had an increase in brand awareness in our markets as a result of our partnership with them. They’ve also helped us identify our brand voice, which sets us apart from other financial institutions.

Having that unique and lighthearted tone gives us an advantage because it adds humor to our advertising campaigns, which engages more people. We’ve been very clever with our OOH messaging and it has gotten us a lot of great feedback from our board of directors, members, and employees.

How did HMH perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is good because we have specific people assigned to our account. We trust them to not switch people on us and it gives us a certain level of comfort, knowing that we’re working with the people who know us best.

We know our project is in good hands and we don’t have to spend additional time trying to immerse someone who isn’t familiar with our brand. 

We used to do in-person meetings but because of the pandemic, we now typically communicate through Webex and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What distinguishes them from other providers is their team knows and understands how to support us. They know our business so they’re going to be able to diagnose any issues and present us with a creative solution and strategy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re an organization that is always ready to execute once we identify a need. The creative process doesn’t really happen as quickly as we want, but I understand it’s not something that they can control.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

As an organization, it’s important for you to know what your goals are because they’re going to be asking about your needs and expectations. You don’t always know the ins and outs of every department, but you have to represent and promote them efficiently.

I would suggest getting the right people to join the conversation with HMH so they can fully understand what you want to achieve. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the VP for administration and external affairs of the North Carolina State Ports Authority. We are an international deepwater port agency, and we own and operate three terminals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HMH?

HMH is our agency of record, which means they handle all of our advertising, both domestic and international, as well as our corporate branding.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

HMH handles our print advertisements, which is our main area of concern. Basically, the team is responsible for developing yearly creative campaigns for digital and print ads. They also draft op-eds and thought leadership pieces on behalf of our senior executives. These are then edited to be published in various trade journals. Additionally, they serve as our PR consultants — they train our internal team on matters involving public speaking and on-camera representation.  

What is the team composition?

We work with about six people, including the director, a brand monitor, media buyers, and a brand advisor.

How did you come to work with HMH?

Our company put out a bid for ad services. We interviewed 10–15 respondents, and HMH was selected after a competitive bid process. 

How much have you invested with them?

Overall, we’ve spent $3 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in March 2015, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

HMH has provided us with various analytics, and we’ve seen a substantial increase in front page views, session durations, and direct clicks from our digital ads. Our presence has also increased in trade media, and our earned media has totally exceeded my expectations. 

How did HMH perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s incredibly easy to work with the team — they’re all very available and accessible. Unfortunately, due to the nature of my work, I’m not usually available during business hours, but I’ve never had a problem with getting in touch with the HMH team. There’s always someone available and ready to answer any questions as fast as they can. Additionally, they’re very flexible and willing to accommodate us when we want to go in a different direction.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Our relationship is constantly improving in a way that I’ve never seen in other ad agencies I’ve worked with before. The HMH team has done an excellent job — we’ve even seen our competitors start to emulate some of our ads. Overall, there’s been a dramatic increase in our brand visibility in the broader international shipping media.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing I’d have them change — I’m a big supporter of HMH.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The team is really willing to learn, so take advantage of that by explaining your business, what you do, and how you operate.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for a 110-year-old company that manufactures axles, breaks, and trailer components for the commercial vehicle industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HMH?

We needed help launching a new global brand identity campaign.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, HMH researched our company and competitors. They analyzed what kind of brand identity we needed. They interviewed our key executives on what they thought the brand meant to them and their customers.

The end deliverable was a new brand identity. There were a lot of background documents so that employees can understand the reasoning behind a lot of the new branding elements. We launched a lot of new graphic and branding elements.

What is the team composition?

I worked with their president, an account manager, a graphic designer, a copywriter, and a PR strategy specialist.

How did you come to work with HMH?

I’ve known about HMH for a long time. I used to work at an agency where they were our competitors. They were also the agency of record for one of our biggest customers, too. That customer still uses that brand identity that was developed in 1998. We figured if they could do a good job for our largest customer, they’d be able to do a good job for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $200,000–$1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2015, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We also measured the effectiveness of all of our advertising with them. Overall, we’re definitely happy with the brand identity work that we’ve done with them.

How did HMH perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re fantastic.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We did surveys and interviews with our customer base. The feedback has all been positive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes their turnaround time is longer than some of their competitors. That being said, they always meet their deadlines.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take the time up front to make sure you give them enough information.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the executive director of public affairs for a government entity that provides transit for people in the Portland metro region.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HMH?

We hired HMH as our agency of record, and we did multiple marketing and communications projects with them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

One of our main projects with HMH was a grand opening campaign. We were opening up a brand new extension of our light rail system, and we asked them to figure out a grand opening theme and marketing campaign to launch this extension. They did everything from the tagline to the graphics and marketing strategies we used to get the word out there. They helped with all of that and informed our overall campaign.

We used them in other projects, too, such as in launching and developing a brand identity for a multi-agency fare system. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with Cindy (Account Supervisor), and she helped us get our projects through. Denise (Director of Brand Strategy) was in charge of research. 

How did you come to work with HMH?

We went through a competitive process to put them under contract. They responded to an RFP that we put out on the street. They were located in the same building as our headquarters, so it was interesting that they applied to be our new vendor. It was also fun because we didn’t have to go far for our meetings. Eventually, they were selected.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent at least $150,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

This specific project lasted from January 2013–January 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

HMH developed the overall imagery of the grand opening, and it was incredibly well-received in the community based on the feedback we received from people and our partners. On top of that, their creativity and the overall look and design of the theme was so amazing that it lent itself to us in raising money — we raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

I didn’t have any quantitative metrics such as sales, but they exceeded our goals because the project went so well. They were very inclusive and collaborated closely with us. It was the first time they ever worked in the transit sector so they dug in deep to figure out what people wanted. In the end, it was fun and they did a great job. 

How did HMH perform from a project management standpoint?

They met all of our deadlines. If they ever missed one, it was because of us. Working in the government, we were overworked, but HMH was accommodating. They helped us out so much and kept us on track, so we were truly grateful for them. They monitored everything and ensured we were on task. 

Their team was also realistic with the deadlines they created in many of our other projects. As time went on, they started planning according to how we would interact with them. In other words, they were smart and tried to learn so much about us until they adapted. I truly appreciated that. We really loved working with them because they were great people to work with. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were very adaptable when it came to figuring out what we needed and how we needed it. Being in the government, our needs and structure were a bit different from other types of clients. Some other ad agencies simply told us what we needed, whereas HMH did the legwork to figure out what we truly required. They did a great job in sussing out those needs and understanding our path forward, which wasn’t easy. 

HMH was a great company, and they did tremendous work for us. There were times when we’d simply throw projects into their hands and ask them for help. They’d then come back and knock those out of the park. Moreover, they became an extension of our creative services and marketing team, and they were a tremendous partner as we solved marketing and PR issues. Overall, we were grateful for their adaptability and services.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any. When they encountered an issue or a roadblock, they would regroup to understand the problem a bit more, and then they’d figure out a path forward so they could improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

First, start off with research and let HMH help with that from the get-go. That way, they’ll understand the issue, and you’ll have a better product in the end because they know more about what you’re facing. You might have to spend a bit more money on the research, but you’ll get a good product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager of a bus manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with HMH?

We’re looking to get into the electric vehicle market. Unfortunately, virtually no one in our industry knew what electrification required. Our experience with building diesel buses wasn’t as transferable as we expected. Based on this experience, we created the Electric Bus Authority to help us market our commitment to understanding the full scope of the electric bus market. HMH helped us craft, formulate, and promote this message.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They first helped us create the Electric Bus Authority brand and messaging. We then promoted the messaging across different social media and trade publication channels. After this, they provided us with trade show support. They’ve also contributed video-related work, collateral creation, and logo development.

What is the team composition?

I’m not sure exactly how many people worked on the project, but they supplied us with creative directors, art directors, account executives, account directors, brand strategists, and designers.

How did you come to work with HMH?

They’ve been our partner agency for many years, since before I joined the company. When I came on board, I thought I’d bring in an agency I knew from my previous experience. Over time, though, I came to learn that there wouldn’t be anyone better at supporting our brand than HMH. The people-centric culture driven by Ed (CEO & President) sets them apart from everyone else.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere between $7,000,000–$10,000,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since February 2013. They’re our go-to firm for anything marketing-related.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The main area we’ve been focused on is separating our brand from not only our competitors but also from the commoditized perception of our industry. In a space where most people don’t recognize brand differences, we wanted to build approachability and brand loyalty while establishing ourselves as thought leaders. They’ve helped us become a trusted advisor in the school bus business.

How did HMH perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m not sure what they use internally. On our end, we utilize a shared document and have weekly meetings that provide us with timelines and tasks to take forward for the next meeting. They keep everything easy for us. I receive a status report before the meeting and action items after the meeting.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The culture they’ve established as an organization makes me want to do business with them as a client. I know they’ll always give me an honest answer and real feedback. Their creative prowess also makes them really good at what they do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don't think so. We’ve never had service issues.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them do their job. Oftentimes, even in my experience working for agencies, clients want to micromanage marketing engagements rather than letting them run free creatively. You can trust HMH to provide big ideas and excellent service.