Daniels-Brown Communications

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m VP of communications for a local chamber of commerce and designated manufacturing association. We have about 7000 private sector businesses that make up our membership. Our communications department produces a number of pieces including a quarterly magazine, and email newsletter, video content, and social media. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daniels-Brown Communications? 

We're a relatively small communications shop. We can't do everything in-house, so we look for outside partners. Their first involvement with us was taking on all the graphic design and layout for our quarterly magazine.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Daniels-Brown Communications provides a combination of graphic design services and advertising development. They continue to do all the design and layout of the quarterly magazine. We also rely on them for many different capacities, such as consulting and conceptual work as well as graphic design.

They’ve done design work for a number of discrete advertising campaigns over the years. We've developed three TV spots per year for the last three years. They handle the production as well as ideation and content creation. We rely on their experience to hire a producer, videographer, and a 10–12-person crew for each shoot.

We also use Daniels-Brown Communications for communications audits. They both design and implement the audit. They do in-person, phone, and online interviews with stakeholders to measure how our communications department is doing. 

What is the team composition?

I work with both Stephen and Celeste (co-founders, Daniels-Brown Communications).

How did you come to work with Daniels-Brown Communications? 

Their work on the magazine predates my time here. It's a relationship I inherited but have also expanded. In addition to continuing their work on the magazine, I brought them in to work on our television, radio, and digital advertising campaigns. 

What is the status of this engagement? 

They started working on the magazine in 2008, and on our advertising campaign in 2015. Both engagements are ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The magazine stands out as our flagship communication piece. It's extremely high quality, which wasn't the case before Daniels-Brown Communications started working on it. They really elevated the look of the magazine.

In terms of our ad campaigns, we do polling on them each year. They poll very favorably as people are responding positively to the ads. In general, they bring a level of quality and strategic thinking that is valued. They’ve been an outstanding partner.

How did Daniels-Brown Communications perform from a project management standpoint? 

They're absolutely excellent at scheduling and communicating. They always meet or exceed our deadline. They interact with me constantly, even when things are changing and fluid. I’m never left wondering what's going on with the project. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

The level of quality is really high. I like the personal connection. Stephen and Celeste take time to get to know their clients as people. They figure out what we really want and need from each project and how they can deliver on it. They're both really easy to talk to, and it’s great to work with them. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

No. Nobody's perfect, but we wouldn’t keep going back to them for so many projects if we weren't extremely satisfied with their services. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Take the time to really communicate needs clearly. It's a collaboration. They’ll get in there and work hard to figure out how to achieve every goal.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I'm the president of Forterra Inc, a member services company. We manage and administer the member service programs (e.g., health care, employee benefits, workers’ compensation, and other benefits) of a large association.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Daniels-Brown Communications? 

We needed help to ensure that our brand is represented properly. We wanted to make sure that our marketing campaigns are effective.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Daniels-Brown Communications does a lot of work for us. They help us develop our collateral material. We use them primarily for design and copywriting. They also lead the conceptual development and production of ad campaigns for radio and print, as well as marketing surveys. We work together in coming up with the concepts and where we're going to place the ads. 

We have separate Squarespace websites for many of our different products. They work on the various sites, including securing the copyright for the images. They’re going to do a total redevelopment of one of our websites soon. 

What is the team composition?

We primarily work with Celeste and Steven (co-founders, Daniels-Brown Communications). I know that they have others on their team but I don't know the exact number. 

How did you come to work with Daniels-Brown Communications?

They came to us through a referral. They were doing outstanding work for someone else, and I liked what I saw.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$199,000.

What is the status of this engagement? 

I couldn't say exactly but I believe we started working together in 2010, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The ad campaigns have been extremely effective. We track the calls and inquiries that come in from each campaign. One ad campaign has more than paid for itself for two years in a row. So that's quite successful. Because of the great work that they do, I don't need to go anywhere else for marketing services.

How did Daniels-Brown Communications perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is very easy to work with and responsive. If they need something, they will get on me. They won’t just let things languish because they know that we've got to hit our deadline. The projects get done efficiently and effectively.

What did you find most impressive about them? 

They're extremely collaborative, which is a real advantage to working with them. They make sure that they're meeting our needs. They’re meticulous and they take pride in their work. They have quality resources available to bring in if something is outside of their expertise. Plus, their great people really stand out. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think so. Honestly, nothing comes to mind. We're totally satisfied with their work, and the relationship we've built with them over the years. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Just go for it. Take advantage of their creativity. They're invested in making sure that your products are a success.