C42D

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief marketing officer for Uberflip. We’re a software for marketers that helps them take all the content they’ve created and get it in front of the right buyer at the right time.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with C42D?

We wanted to realign our brand with the ways we had changed our product offering and how we wanted to be perceived in the market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

C42D did a lot of research by talking to members of our marketing, executive, and sales teams to understand the sentiment in the market. From there, they presented mood boards to give us different options for the directions we wanted to take with the brand.

Once we narrowed down the winning mood board, the team came up with new, updated brand guidelines, and they made changes to our logo, icons, color schemes, and fonts. That gave us the right infrastructure to co-manage the process on our own. 

The second part of the project involved redesigning our entire WordPress website, from the homepage up to the contact page. They used the brand guidelines to map out what the website would look like, and they designed about 30 pages.

What is the team composition?

We worked with around six teammates, but my main point of contact was David (Founder & CEO).

How did you come to work with C42D?

I wasn’t the one who identified them; it may have been one of my teammates. We liked their pricing, and they seemed to have good design experience. There were a lot of good examples in their portfolio. They hadn’t done work for SaaS companies, so that was a bit of a risk.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from January–September 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They built a website that’s much easier for us to manage compared to the WordPress template and management set up that we had previously. We’re seeing a lot of value in terms of agility and how hands-on our team can be.

The feedback has been great. People say that the brand looks refreshed and better represents what we do today. A lot of people have written in saying that our website is the type of website they’re striving to create.

How did C42D perform from a project management standpoint?

We had twice-weekly calls, and when we needed it, we were also able to jump onto calls whenever. Their communication was a strong point.

In any project, especially one like this, there's a lot of opinions and you can hit roadblocks. Teams can get emotional or passionate, but David did a really good job at keeping people even-keeled and keeping them on track. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their branding work was really strong. C42D’s ability to introduce new elements to the brand without our having to completely reinvent it was great. The term we used at the end was that this was a brand realignment, not a brand relaunch or refresh. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Both sides probably agree that we could’ve done a better job of scoping out the details of the project upfront so that we better understood the details of what we were doing at each stage versus having different definitions of the scope at a specific stage, which pushed the timeline a bit. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We have our own graphic designer, someone who oversees brand guidelines. Having that is important otherwise you're not going to be able to continue the work that C42D does. 

They provided us with the right guidelines, the right templates, and the right infrastructure, but our team still needs to adapt that in the moment and going forward.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of BAOBAB, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) business that focuses on creating an undeniably better polo shirt experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with C42D?

We got an influx of new customers. We originally launched our e-commerce website in 2018 and we built it on Shopify ourselves. We also did the photography on our own. However, the UX didn’t match the quality of our premium polo shirt.

We were looking for some design help to articulate the fact that our polo shirt isn’t normal; it’s better in a lot of different ways. We want to tell that story with recent-looking, advanced design. We also wanted to elevate our brand as well with a fresh, timeless look.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

C42D built a new Shopify website for us and gave us the foundation to build on top of the initial brand and website. They gave us a foundation to have consistent design elements across each of our pipelines.

What is the team composition?

We worked with David (Founder & CEO), Christa (Project Manager), TJ (Digital Designer), and a copywriter. 

How did you come to work with C42D?

I may have found them on Dribbble. I liked some of their work and called them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in March 2020. The bulk of the project wrapped up, but we’re going to work with them in the future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

C42D does quality work. I would put them in the top tier, and we got a lot of value compared to larger agencies. They’re not the cheapest, but when it comes to the value and getting quality work done, they did very well.

How did C42D perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was really good, especially given the pandemic.

What did you find most impressive about them?

C42D’s communication was good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Tell them your goals and be descriptive. They have the skills to come up with things on their own, so follow their process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of ProLeague.GG, which is an e-sports startup.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with C42D?

I had a structure for the business but needed the most essential part: a brand identity and a logo. Those are foundational to the success of a business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team created my business’s branding, which included my brand identity and a logo. They provided decks and copywriting services. Their team will also provide a landing page.

What is the team composition?

I work with four people from C42D: TJ (Digital Designer), Allison (Associate Art Director), Christa (Project Manager), and David (Founder & CEO).

How did you come to work with C42D?

I found them on Clutch and saw that they focused on logo design. I personally picked David based on his background. He not only had a background in gaming but also took the time to show that he appreciated the project. We could also have a casual conversation.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in July 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They hit the nail on the head with my vision for the logos. Their team did an overall stellar job with the branding. I plan to have them be a part of my company as long as it's operating.

When I ask for David’s opinion, he gives me an honest answer. He’s knowledgeable regarding business and design. It’s been great to work with him.

How did C42D perform from a project management standpoint?

C42D created a project schedule, and it’s been smooth. Their team regularly emails me and keeps me up to date. They’re a remote team of four but they seem like a remote team of ten.

Their team’s also straightforward. When I ask them questions about my tasks, they simply send instructions that are easy to follow. Although I didn’t give them any deadlines, their team has been time friendly. It’s been smooth.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m most impressed by their communication and openness. It’s hard to find a company that understands e-sports, and I’m sure that they took time out of their days to research the industry.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, C42D is a great team. They work together well, which is an accomplishment for any business.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust their process and follow their recommendations because they’re the experts.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a B2B SaaS platform that does annual subscriptions. We help our clients with content distribution for social media.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with C42D?

We are early-stage and we had some really good high-profile customers and case studies and really solid technology, but we weren't doing very much with differentiating ourselves from our competitors.

So, we wanted to start from scratch and do true brand positioning for the first time in preparation for launching our new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

C42D did an audit of our platform to understand who our customers are, what they say about us, and what differentiates us. They did phone calls with and interviewed different customers, and the deliverable was choosing our brand positioning document. 

The team also provided a visual representation of our brand and helped us with the copy for our website. We put together the content and they polished it up by rewriting it. 

What is the team composition?

Dave (Founder & CEO) was my main point of contact. We also worked with Christa (Project Manager) and other teammates on the visual side.

How did you come to work with C42D?

I think I found them on Clutch or another ranking website that had insights into the project budgets. I reached out to 4–5 companies, and Dave was one of the first ones to get back to me and schedule a call.

After my first call with him, I knew that C42D would be a good fit because of the other work they’d done and their grasp on what we were looking for.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent somewhere around $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in Q4 2019, and we launched the website a month ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My team and I are in the weeds almost every day, and we were lacking that big picture mentality. C42D was able to grasp our business, customers, and the value we provide and then communicate all of that. Additionally, even though we felt that the website looked great, the copy that they wrote made such a big difference. 

How did C42D perform from a project management standpoint?

Christa was great at keeping us on track and in line with deliverables. She kept me on certain deadlines and tasks so that I wasn’t holding up the project. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Agencies are usually known for having bureaucracy, over-scoping, and lots of details just to get you to a certain point.

I loved C42D because, even though we had clear deliverables and scopes, they didn’t have a long, drawn-out process just to get us to the proposal phase. Their willingness to take on an early-stage startup was also valuable for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind. We’ll go to them again for certain projects. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to do the work with them and get them everything they need even if it may be a burden. Our project was on the smaller side, so if you have a wide range of deliverables, make sure that it’s something that C42D has worked on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of marketing for a behavioral health company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with C42D?

We’re a new startup in the healthcare space specifically focused on pediatric behavioral health. When I came into the company back in mid-March, we were going through a renaming. We also knew we needed to do a rebrand. We really wanted the right partner to bring this vision of brand personality, that we had, to life. We really envisioned it as being this warm, friendly, relatable, really real company that would address behavioral health for children and support families every step of the way. We wanted a brand that was really warm and inviting for kids as well.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did our whole branding. They were basically creating our brand from scratch. That was everything from the logo to the full visual identity and then extending to actually creating some applications for us. It was pretty straightforward. We added a few more deliverables which they were really amazing with flexing and adapting to what we needed most. The scope was pretty much set from the beginning though.

They really took the time upfront to spend with our team members including our CEO and stakeholders across the country. They were really thoughtful about their processes by listening and learning. They did a deep dive with the team before they began to come up with ideas. We really felt heard and that they understood our vision and took the time to deeply understand what we were trying to say and to try to understand the real value of our brand and why it was so important.

What is the team composition?

I worked closely with their core team which included their designer/art director as well as an account manager, a digital designer, and the founder of the company.

How did you come to work with C42D?

I knew of them because they did the branding for a digital health startup that has done phenomenal things and they have an extremely strong brand. I then went to find out which agency they used and was introduced to C42D. We decided to go with them because of the great work we’d seen them do particularly in the healthcare space. We really felt they’d be the right partner for us to bring our brand to life.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April–May 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was a super-fast project. I was thoroughly impressed. We gave them an incredibly tight timeline and they rocked it and delivered even more than we asked for on time and in budget. They delivered a fully comprehensive visual branded entity system including all of the elements. They even went to the level of creating treatment elements for us that I could take and use to create beautiful designs with it.

How did C42D perform from a project management standpoint?

They were fantastic. They were incredibly responsive. Their account manager, Christa (Project Manager) was on top of everything. She was immediately responsive and always had the answers. She was amazing at keeping everything on track and delivering on the agreed upon deadlines and deliverables.

They were unbelievably organized. I’m impressed with how tight their team was on project management. They were highly engaged and were all working super collaboratively with us. We brought them onto our Slack channel and we were able to work really well through that. They made everything really easy on us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They became personally invested in it. They were a really important part of the team. They clearly cared about us, our brand, and bringing it to life. They listened to us as opposed to coming in and telling us what we should do. They wanted to work deeply with us, understand what we were doing, and become a part of it. The team was wonderful and easy to work with.

They delivered a beautiful brand that really brought to life what we had envisioned. They’re technically skilled and know what they’re doing but they also have a really good sense for understanding brands as well. Some agencies have their own style and design that comes across in the different brands that they do. I felt that C42D was particularly strong in that they didn’t seem to do that. They really developed something that felt fully us and not like anything else out there.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I was really impressed. The whole experience was fantastic. I’m really grateful for the work that they did and their partnership in it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly recommend them. They are an excellent partner that does extraordinary work for brands and bringing them to life. I highly recommend them especially if you’re looking for real collaboration and working closely with the team. Take advantage of their willingness to learn about your brand and spend a lot of time getting to know you and understanding what you’re trying to achieve.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a women’s health platform that develops tests that quantitatively measures fertility hormones. Our main goal is to empower women with information about her health as to no longer make for fertility a black box.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with C42D?

We didn’t have a brand when we hired them, only a color scheme. It was important for us to make our brand more consumer-facing and give it a great look and feel.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created brand guidelines, reworked our messaging, designed our app, and handled both product and package design. We decided on the total scope from the beginning and stuck to that plan. 

What is the team composition?

We had two primary designers, a project manager, and someone in charge of their copy.

How did you come to work with C42D?

I found them on Clutch. However, the real reason I decided to go with them was a blog post that they shared with them. It was a review of several cliches that larger companies are doing in their branding today. I appreciated him calling out these cliches and showing me that they work differently. We could see that in their work. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $25,000–$50,000 on their work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our work in March 2019, and it officially ended in November 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

People love the brand. Our goal was to create a feeling of comfort to indicate to women that they’re not alone on the journey of trying to conceive. It can be an isolating experience, and that feeling of comfort really comes through in their work. 

How did C42D perform from a project management standpoint?

We were constantly communicating over Slack. In the beginning, we weren’t seeing as much of the work in progress as we wanted. That was unsettling because we wanted to make sure they could incorporate our vision into the work without wasting their time. Once they started updating us more frequently, the project became more dynamic. They were also able to incorporate work very quickly.   

Their project manager was really on top of things. She made sure that everyone hit their deadlines and would loop everyone in for weekly meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I liked their personal touch. They seemed to engage with our goals, and our mission resonated with many people on their team. They’re passionate about what we were building. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The messaging wasn’t as punchy as we may have wanted while entering a crowded market. However, they did a great job for the initial launch of a new brand. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about what you want in the work. This was a big learning experience for me, and I ended up wanting things I didn’t think I did at the start of the engagement. I spoke honestly with them, and we collectively determined the scope together. Then, before you engage, make sure you have all of that ironed out.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a purchasing organization and a consulting firm that works within three main areas of non-compensation spend: travel, insurance, and market data and information services. We aggregate our clients’ spend to get them discounts on hotel, car, and insurance services.

Our team also negotiates renewals and advises on product procurement to help manage subscription services more generally. Our clients tend to be boutique, mid-sized financial services firms that benefit from our purchasing and benchmarking programs. I’m the VP of the market data side of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with C42D?

We were looking to fully rebrand our company. With that, we wanted a new name that reflected all of our focus areas without siloing us into any one of those areas. It was also important for them to allow us room for growth.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In addition to providing us with a new brand name, they helped us create a mission and strategy statement as well as a new logo. Their branding efforts also resulted in overall branding guidelines that dictate our fonts and colors. It also provided information relating to how to apply that information onto business cards and memos. 

They provided us with stock photography and helped us create business cards. Their team showcased how the brand would look on the web by providing a mockup for a web page with icons that would guide our web design and presentation decks. 

Typically, they would brainstorm before coming to us with several ideas for deliverables. We’d discuss together to guide the development. After they delivered, we’d circle back to offer feedback. For instance, we went through about six naming rounds before selecting one.

What is the team composition?

We were working with three people, including designers. Christa (Project Manager, C42D) and David (Founder & CEO, C42D) were helpful in organizing all of our work.  

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000–$100,000 on their work. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from June –December 2019. After that, they were just helping with one-off emails.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were very happy with the process. I know it can take years to effectively rebrand, but we managed it in just six months. We were happy with the new name, and they handled all of our feedback very professionally. They took our suggestions seriously, returning with work that reflected that. Our team loves the name, collateral, and branded slide deck. It all took several iterations, but they were very patient about that.  

How did C42D perform from a project management standpoint?

Christa always replied to us within the hour, which gave us confidence that they were making progress. Their responsiveness was great. They used a file-sharing app to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated their timeliness and responsiveness. They took on many iterations of work to make sure that we got the end products that we were aiming for. Their patience helped them take all of our feedback into account. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We struggled with coming up with a tagline. They provided us with about 100 options, but we couldn’t decide on one on our end. That wasn’t a huge deal, though, because we work in so many different industries. It would’ve been great if they went deeper into the presentation deck development as well. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure your streamlining feedback on all the deliverables because there are tons of assets that go into this kind of development. That’ll help make the process smoother.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president of a consumer goods company. We are currently launching a new line of diaper pails.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with C42D?

We launched a brand new line of diaper pails and needed branding from the ground up.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

C42D provided branding services for our company and new line of diaper pails. The team designed a new website, packaging, and logo for us. They also helped us name our new line of products and come up with the branding guidelines. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with four members of the C42D team, including David (Founder & CEO, C42D), Alison (Associate Art Director, C42D), Christa (Project Manager, C42D), and T.J. (Digital Designer, C42D).

How did you come to work with C42D?

I found C42D online while searching for branding firms. We had a very specific budget and wanted a partner who could do a great job within our budget. When we met them, our teams just clicked. We loved their previous work and they were happy to work with us on our budget and timeline.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement with C42D began in April 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve pitched to some major retailers and get an amazing amount of positive feedback, not just on the naming of our products but also on our branding, colors, and packaging. Everybody flips over it. The feedback has been off the charts. 

How did C42D perform from a project management standpoint?

C42D is very responsive and helpful. We had a very good experience working with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

C42D is passionate and they put their all into every project. The team is helpful across the board. They’re just great to work with, a very talented group of people.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, it’s been a very pleasant project so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I highly encourage people to consider working with C42D because they are very talented and hardworking. They are an accommodating group, and really seem to get along really well with each other.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and chief medical officer for Actify, an innovative mental health services company serving patients in 10 locations in 8 states, providing accessible, comprehensive treatment for mood and anxiety disorders ranging from digital therapies to interventional psychiatry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire C42D?

We needed help representing our expanding range of services through a new brand, new logo, new website, and new messaging both B2B and B2C.

What were your goals for this project?

We had built an international reputation in a niche area of the mental health care space, but wanted to create access for new patients by establishing a brand that represented offerings beyond 1 core service.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our CEO vetted several firms both online and by word of mouth. We then spoke with multiple of them. We were impressed from the beginning by C42Ds presentation, and then further convinced once we reviewed examples of previous work and their proposal that hit our needs exactly.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The process began with discovery interviews with both our CEO and myself. They immediately “got us” and got excited about our company, and this was quickly proven in the initial products that demonstrated incredible fidelity to the values we emphasized. Through an efficient, iterative process, C42D delivered a new logo, tag line, brand guidelines, and website.

What was the team composition?

We worked with their president, project manager, and multiple creative teammates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have quickly received substantial positive feedback.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was efficient and effective. They were always quickly responsive and respectful of our time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was most impressed with how quickly they “got us.” They were able to translate their understanding of our company both visually and in written content.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There were a few glitches in their management of a subcontractor, but we are overall extremely pleased.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Mira, a search engine for beauty. We try and power the consumer journey towards the purchase of cosmetic products through providing cosmetic recommendations, creating content, and having an extensive online catalog of cosmetics supplies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with C42D?

Before hiring C42D, we hadn’t gone through a full branding cycle. Our challenge for them was to help us forge a brand that resonates with our consumers and allows us to communicate our value proposition better. We want our company to be memorable and relatable, so consumers keep coming back.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We asked C42D to do a full branding cycle for us that consisted of a logo design, UI kit, a set of brand guidelines, brand messaging, and brand voice. In the beginning, we had them work on a three-month cycle where they looked at our products, consumers, and marketing channels. Through that, they put together a set of brand promotion tools with a style guide, social media deck, and general messaging.

What is the team composition?

In total, we worked with six people. We engaged with David (Founder & CEO, C42D), a product manager, and two or three designers.

How did you come to work with C42D?

We initially found them because of their great SEO. Our team contacted other creative firms to look for our perfect branding match. We found that other firms were qualified, but had more of a background in physical branding and not digital. We felt that our system needed to have a specific brand.

C42D had completed a bunch of products in our space and focus, which we liked. We also enjoyed their pitch because of how they described their perspective on branding. They seemed to understand our base and vision truly.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement started in June 2019, and we wrapped up this past month.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We love what C42D did for our new brand. I think it’s performing well. We didn’t collect any polling data to see if consumers preferred this brand over another. It’s hard to measure what the impact has been or if the brand resonates with our customers.

How did C42D perform from a project management standpoint?

We had no problems in this area. The process was very swift, and their team was always quick to get back to us. They were happy to work with our tools, so we used Slack for communication. Their team also did an excellent job of managing all of the work using Basecamp.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We haven’t worked with other firms, so it’s tough to say what defines C42D against others. There was a very personal touch that we had with them. David and one of their designers flew out from New York to San Francisco for a kickoff meeting. Throughout the process, they made sure communication was a priority. Anytime I wanted to chat, I was able to hop on the phone to discuss my thoughts.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Looking back, this might’ve been an artifact of our processes, but we found that halfway through big meetings once every week or two weeks worked best for us. We found that presenting sets of deliverables at big meetings and having small communication through Slack worked better. If I were to do this process over again, I would propose tight iteration cycles throughout.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with C42D. They’re awesome. We highly recommend them.