BS LLC

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m wine director and partner of Dear Restaurant and Butchery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BS LLC | Branding, Strategy, & Design?

We opened a new restaurant, so we had quite a few opportunities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BS LLC managed our PR and marketing campaigns. They also designed and printed our physical marketing materials including stickers and stamps. Their team used Adobe InDesign and Acrobat. They also helped us come up with a name. Eventually, their team helped us to develop brand colors and logos. Their team designed our menus too. Additionally, they developed our website with a delivery feature.

What is the team composition?

We've worked with about four team members from BS LLC.

How did you come to work with BS LLC | Branding, Strategy, & Design?

We interviewed high-profile companies in large cities such as New York and Chicago. Eventually, our architecture firm recommended that we contact BS LLC. Their team was small and had experience with restaurants. We liked that they weren’t a large corporation, so we wouldn’t be lost in the woodwork.

How much have you invested with them?

Usually, it’s about $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2019 and have them on a retainer. Once the website’s live, they’ll continue to help us with our technical needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ben's (Co-Founder) incredible with rhetorical strategy. He also has connections around town that enabled him to set up opportunities for us including a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the mayor and exclusives in Cincinnati Magazine. They helped us come up with a name that connected with our character; that was amazing.

How did BS LLC | Branding, Strategy, & Design perform from a project management standpoint?

We used to have online meetings about once a week. At this point, we text and talk as needed.

They’re a small but effective team that works hard to meet deadlines. Under these hard times, we have to be acrobatic. Their team’s acrobatic and adapts based on our changeable needs during the pandemic.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their passion and interest in the project most impress our team. They fell in love with the project and stick with us, which is awesome.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they met our expectations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to them and take their advice. They’re creative and present ideas without the intention of always securing your acceptance. Their team’s there to help you think. You can trust them because they’re seriously on your side.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a business that manufactures bedding and pillows.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BS LLC?

We wanted to create a way for consumers to track their lot of down. For example, if someone purchases a down jacket, there’s a QR code on the hangtag that describes the quality of the down, where it came from, and the sustainability.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We gave them the basic principle of what we were looking for in an Excel spreadsheet, and BS LLC took that and created the webpage. They built the database to track the different lots on the background from scratch, not just the consumer-facing website.

The team is adding functionality that allows us to track all of that information constantly. Each lot has its own permanent website.

What is the team composition?

We have one main point of contact. 

How did you come to work with BS LLC?

We heard about them through word of mouth.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent $100,000, and $65,000 of that was for this particular project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them March 2019. This particular project is complete, but we have them on retainer to help us with general website updates, design, and other projects on a monthly basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our customers are happy with the final product.

How did BS LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

BS LLC communicates with us on a monthly basis based on a monthly report that breaks down what the project was and how much time they put into it. If there’s extra time, the retainer rolls over. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team is very nimble.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and CEO of a commercial and retail flooring dealer. We have 21 locations, 15 of which are retail stores. We have five different retail brands that operate in the same market. Our company sells and installs to end-users. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BS LLC?

BS helped us with brand strategy. Because we have five different brands, our parent company never really had an identity. We wanted to work with BS to create a corporate identity and web presence. This would let people know we’re out there and also lend legitimacy to our company. Large corporate and commercial companies want to see scale and a long history when you’re bidding projects to them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve supported two separate projects. For one project, they did a brand segmentation analysis of the five brands under our umbrella. They looked at the different characteristics and customer profiles of each brand to help us improve our marketing and go-to-market strategy.

They conducted thorough interviews with myself and our director of marketing to talk about the company and our history, so that they could get to know our brands and us. They developed a detailed strategy about how they would go about doing a study of the brands, which involved themselves and academics spending time in our stores, talking to our customers, and learning about the process to help develop a framework for the brand profile, type of customer, and type of job. They used all of that data, both qualitative and quantitative, to develop a brand profile, which they presented in a detailed final report.

For the second project, they helped us create a corporate-level brand and website. It was a custom developed website built from the ground up.

What is the team composition?

I know Ben and Sebastien (Co-Founders) personally. Brooke (Director of Client Experience) was our main point of contact, and she was the one who helped coordinate the project. Ben oversaw the actual content delivery, and then both Ben and Sebastian were involved in the presentations of the findings. For the website, I believe they used a web development team from Europe.

How did you come to work with BS LLC?

I have a personal relationship with Ben.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began last summer, and it completed in April 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our corporate website, which has only been up for 3–4 months, is already driving leads from more commercial customers that we would not have reached otherwise. We’ve gotten good feedback on the site; everyone loves it.    

We’re working to reposition some of our branding to better differentiate our retail brands, so we refer back to some of the results that they produced, which were more quantitative in terms of customers’ tastes and preferences and the customer profiles. They also mapped our brands against other well-known brands to show us where they might fit strategically. We also refer back to those as we talk through positioning our retail brands from a marketing standpoint. 

How did BS LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

They have always delivered on time and within budget. Communication was excellent; they were very proactive. To communicate, we used email and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was fun to see creativity meet strategic thinking. You don’t always see those two together. Ben and Sebastien were super creative, but they also really thought through our project strategically and got to know us well enough to execute.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not that I can think of; they were great.

Any advice for potential customers?

Trust their process. It was much more in-depth than we anticipated going into it, and we ended up getting a lot out of that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of commercial development at The Loring Group, a real estate company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BS LLC?

We purchased 17 properties in an urban neighborhood in downtown Cincinnati and were looking to create something special in this neighborhood. We didn’t know what that something was, but after conversations with residents, businesses, neighbors, and community leaders, we determined that the neighborhood needed an identity.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to create an identity for the neighborhood through a community-driven approach, and we reached out to BS LLC to form the identity and strategy. Over nine months, we met in organized meetings with various residents, business owners, community leaders, and stakeholders in the neighborhood to get valuable input and insight into what they believe what identity was. That way, we were creating an identity for the neighborhood with the neighborhood.

Every 2–3 weeks, we met with different community leaders. Each meeting, we came prepared with unique questions and outcomes with measurable goals associated with each. This let us show and illustrate the creative process behind how we created an identity. We didn’t want to present the finished product to the community without them being involved in the work or understanding the work that went into it.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 10 people, ranging from full-time employees to third-party contractors

How did you come to work with BS LLC?

We considered a number of firms for the project. We became familiar with BS LLC through our community partners and businesses that have worked with Ben (Co-Founder), Sebastian (Co-Founder), and the team on many different projects. 

The fact that they were in the neighborhood and knew community leaders was a big factor. What also helped was that, before we finalized our choice, BS LLC presented research and developments that would help us accomplish our goals. We appreciated that they were hands-on every step of the way. 

After many meetings and conversations – in-person and virtual – to review the portfolio BS LLC put together, we brought BS LLC onto our team on a contractual basis to help us create the strategy.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from January to October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s hard to attribute the success of our neighborhood to one project, but our leasing for our commercial and residential units has surpassed 95%. For our community leaders, we’ve also seen an additional $17 million planned for investment in our neighborhoods since we announced the new identity. While it wasn’t the only factor, I think our project played a factor in the increased rejuvenation of the neighborhood.

How did BS LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

From the beginning, BS LLC provided a set of deliverables, targets, and a schedule and stuck to it. The only reason they didn’t stick to a timeline however was because my company couldn’t make a decision in time. 

They communicated every objective and the reasoning behind it, and they documented each deliverable in our weekly update meetings. These happened every Friday, the day after BS LLC would submit their written report of the week’s accomplishments, the work left to do, and their requests for us as a client. We’d discuss the report, determine the next week’s metrics, and work on what BS LLC needed from us as a company. From start to execution, they were no less than excellent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

BS LLC was in trenches with us for every hard deadline, 2 a.m. phone call, and day-of production request. That applied to every member of the team, including Ben and Sebastian. No one is more or less important. That assured us we were working with the right team. 

What’s more, they saw this project as their own success, which meant a lot to us. They even moved their office to the neighborhood after the project was over.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of a specialty manufacturing company. We manufacture shafts for a variety of markets. They’re typically used in large pumps and electric motors for machines used in processes like water treatment, fire suppression, and mining. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BS LLC?

I had recently acquired the company. I was the third owner in the company’s 41 years of business. Our name no longer had any relevance since it was made up of the initials of the original owners who hadn’t worked for the company in 20 years. I hired BS LLC to assist with a rebrand, including a name, website, and company mission.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They interviewed our employees and customers to understand what differentiates us from our competitors. They used that information to determine options for a new name, brand, and theme. Their work helped us understand what messages to highlight to connect with our customers. 

What is the team composition? 

We had two main points of contact. They brought on different specialists throughout the project as needed. This included a photographer and videographer. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started mid-2018 and finished up at the end of 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve been really helpful. They delivered everything that we expected. Their work helped us change our approach to the local labor market. Our direct labor team has grown 30-50% in the year, in large part due to their contributions. 

How did BS LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was good. We had a designated project manager that worked with our in-house team and their team. We used G Suite tools to collaborate with them. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The creativity and flexibility that they brought to the project were impressive. They brought in tools that we wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I think they delivered on what they committed to. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be thoughtful and have clear expectations from the beginning. As long as they have clear expectations outlined, they will deliver. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of Mapi Restaurant Group

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Restaurants

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire BS LLC to accomplish?

Name one of our concepts and create a brand

SOLUTION

How did you find BS LLC?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select BS LLC over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from BS LLC were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Main goal for hiring BS LLC was naming and creating a brand.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Very unique and well rounded brand.

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

Items were delivered on time. Very thoroughly. I had a great project manager and kept things accurate and on time

What was your primary form of communication with BS LLC?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The team behind it. Their creativity and uniqueness were unmatched. They understood what was difficult for me to express and delivered over howI could ever imagined

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

Not much from my experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Specialist of a manufacturing company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We manufacture packaging equipment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire BS LLC to accomplish?

Build new webpages to add to our current website

SOLUTION

How did you find BS LLC?

Online Search

Why did you select BS LLC over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Had experience with complex product offerings

How many teammates from BS LLC were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Distill complex product offerings and sales structure in order to target key prospects and customers by meeting with several of our subject matter experts. Create 4 easy to navigate and understand webpages by industry how we can help customers from that industry with their specific packaging equipment needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Copy and Website Frame build-out. Also supplied image recommendations.

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

They were responsive and timely on their deliverables. They worked well with us to overcome project roadblocks as they occurred.

What was your primary form of communication with BS LLC?

Virtual Meeting

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

The teams' ability to distill complex ideas and they were very pleasant to work with.

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

There was a little confusion on draft versions. I discussed this with BS LLC, and they have taken steps to resolve the issue in the future.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Operations Officer of Olina Health

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Health and wellnesse e-commerce company providing prebiotic and probiotic symbiotic blend.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire BS LLC to accomplish?

• Brand Development
• Product Package Design
• Product Photography

SOLUTION

How did you find BS LLC?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select BS LLC over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost

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

Scope of work includes:

• brand messaging
• identity design exploration
• development

Deliverables included:

• identity design exploration
• visual mood boards
• logo designs
• digital application
• typographic system
• color palette
• secondary graphic assets
• key brand messaging (purpose, mission, vision, taglines, and tone of voice).

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Completion of tasks
• On time delivery
• Quality of design

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

Their project management was excellent. Consistent communication, great follow-through on tasks, openness to feedback, and on-time delivery of assets.

What was your primary form of communication with BS LLC?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The designs were really amazing. We were really impressed with the elevated look and the variety of great options we had to select from. Not only the product package graphic assignment was great but the typography was also really stunning.

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

Our project benefited from workshops and collaborative strategy sessions. We may have considered having one or two for the core messaging side of our project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner and President of Apricus Capital, a private equity company with a flexible approach to investing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

To establish a new brand and create some basic SEO.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I've worked with them in the past and knew they would execute.

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

Name selection, logo creation, website layout and design, and copywriting.

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

I worked with a handful of people including the co-founders and project managers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Like they have done before, they created a great solution that exceeded my expectations.

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

Extremely good project management, including following up on both their internal actions and the support they needed from my business.

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

They have the best blend of creativity, strategy, and clear messaging that I've come across.

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

No, everything was great.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of Tablespoon Cooking Co. Tablespoon offers hands-on cooking classes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire BS LLC Branding Agency?

BS LLC helped create a business plan for Tablespoon. This helped us secure funding for our brick-and-mortar storefront buildout. We've also worked together on some smaller graphic design projects for merchandise, gift cards, and window clings.

What were your goals for this project?

We approached the business plan from a visual editorial perspective, instead of a dense text-heavy document. We wanted it to be beautiful, easy to digest and help us tell our story visually.

SOLUTION

How did you select BS LLC Branding Agency?

I got to know Ben and Sebastian personally from our coworking space. After getting to know them and becoming familiar with their work, I knew there was no one else I wanted to work with.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

BS LLC executed the copywriting, creative strategy, graphic design, photography, market research, printing and production.

What was the team composition?

I've worked closely with the partners, Ben and Sebastien, and the client experience director, Brooke.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I secured funding for the storefront. We've done several smaller projects together since and we're now about to start on a branding refresh and website redesign.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

excellent.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I love working with them. They are professional, creative and their work is unique and sets my business apart. They take my ideas and vision and improve them.

Are there any areas for improvement?

no