DEKSIA

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Marketing for Tactive, a B2B provider of print, promotional product, and fulfillment services that help brands deliver engaging, tactile experiences through physical marketing materials.

For what projects/services did your company hire DEKSIA?

We launched Pardot within our Salesforce instance but felt we were unable to create the kind of visual look for our emails and landing pages that best reflected our brand while utilizing the existing content builders. We hired DEKSIA to build easily editable templates that better reflected the style of our branding.

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We initially reached out to the company who built our website as we felt they understood our brand. They informed us they were recently acquired by DEKSIA, but that they would likely be able to help us.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After a discovery meeting to find out our goals, DEKSIA provided us with a proposal and SOW to ensure we were all aligned on the deliverables. We gave DEKSIA's team several mock-ups of what we were looking for along with access to our brand guide & Pardot account.

DEKSIA built the HTML templates within our system for our review. We made a few minor edits, but ultimately the templates were exactly what we were looking for!

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

We worked with 3 people, a salesperson, a project manager, and a web developer.

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

DEKSI provided us with fantastic training videos on how to utilize the templates as well as on-hands training/review. We are still working on sending out our first emails, but we were very pleased with how engaged and helpful the team was!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was seamless - with communication happening consistently through email and several offers to hop on a video chat should we need it.

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

I was impressed with their ability to hop into a platform they weren't familiar with and create something user-friendly. I found their communication cadence to be extremely helpful, as I never felt like we were falling behind the timeline.

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

I can't think of anything they could have done better!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Popular Revolt (formerly TuneLinked Corporation), a social media website for music professionals.

What challenge were you trying to address with DEKSIA?

We were looking to address concerns within the marketplace and fill a specific niche. Specifically, we wanted to be a directory platform for music professionals to find each other. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

I originally signed an agreement with DEKSIA for them to do brand development for us. They helped us with our branding guidelines and with the development of our solution. For one, I needed help with changing our company’s name to Popular Revolt, so I needed trademark support. For that, they gave me an attorney. 

Moreover, around a year ago, they also developed a prototype for our platform. While the prototype was behind a curtain, the demo was available for me to try. They also managed my landing page. Meanwhile, their team also partnered with third parties to handle the more complicated parts of the project. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with Josh (Managing Partner), Lauren (Director of Digital Strategy), and Luis (Former Marketing Strategist & Client Growth Hacker). 

How did you come to work with DEKSIA?

I found DEKSIA on Clutch. They were highly rated, and I liked their price for small and medium-sized businesses. DEKSIA was also one of the few branding agencies that didn’t want a percentage of my business. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement lasted from October 2017–December 2021. 

For transparency, they’re still billing me for some services right now — I have about $7,000 worth of outstanding invoices that I’ll take care of — but I plan to turn them off this week. I’ve also received a 60-day termination letter from them. 

How did your relationship with the vendor evolve?

Our engagement started off well, but things didn’t come to fruition. I was a novice at that time. I didn’t know what I didn’t know until I brought in consultants, and that was when everything became clear. To be fair, DEKSIA was forthcoming by saying that some things would be challenging, but they said that the project could be done. In the end, however, they ripped me off and didn’t deliver what I expected. 

To elaborate, they were supposed to serve as advisers, but I never received good advice; it seemed that their founders and leadership team were simply trying to enrich themselves. For instance, the attorney they gave me did nothing but charge billable hours without delivering anything. It was a misappropriation of funds, which I had on bootstrap. 

Moreover, the prototype they created was terrible, and it seemed like it could be done on WordPress. In any case, I still received an $8,000 invoice for it — their “management services” were more expensive than the actual development work quoted by the third-party development firm they used. In hindsight, I should’ve known that that was a red flag. 

Then, the branding guidelines they delivered were also subpar. In fact, I floated the guidelines to professional marketers in the industry, and I was laughed out of the room. They told me that those weren’t brand guidelines — they didn’t know what those were, but they were definitely not what real brand guidelines should look like. When I finally used another vendor, they showed me what real branding should be. 

I was also being charged for Google and Facebook ads even though there was nothing to advertise since we weren’t live yet. I hired a consultant overseas, and she told me that I was getting ripped off. She said that I didn’t need what DEKSIA was giving me, and the team wasn’t even telling me that.

Overall, DEKSIA didn’t understand what I was trying to do. They could help build a website and all the marketing mechanisms within Google and Facebook, but they couldn’t do the type of custom development that I was looking for nor the branding guidelines that I needed. They said they could do it, but they weren’t able to do so at the level that they claimed they could reach. At some point, they also realized that, but they weren’t forthcoming about it.

How did DEKSIA address the challenges that arose?

I didn’t hear anything from their founders and leadership except for when they talked about my outstanding invoices. They didn’t ask me whether I was satisfied with their services or not; they simply asked me to pay up the invoices. 

For comparison, if I told my new vendor that I wasn’t satisfied with their work, they’d call me and ask what they could do to fix the issue. I didn’t get that kind of response from DEKSIA even though I told their CEO I wasn’t satisfied. To be honest, I expected them to address problems since we’d been working together for a long time. Instead, they gave me an incomplete service.

Meanwhile, Lauren was a bright spot in our engagement. He was smart. However, he left and went to DEKSIA’s competitor in the middle of the engagement — he came back a few months later. Luis also left. 

How was project management handled?

Our communication deteriorated over time. In fact, I reached a point where I honestly wouldn’t pick up a phone call from them, so we kept the communication via emails. 

Is there anything that the vendor did well or that you would consider a strength?

They had no strengths. I was a novice, and it seemed that they took advantage of that. I was absolutely unimpressed by them. 

In what specific areas can they improve?

It would have been nice if Josh acknowledged that they didn’t meet our expectations and worked with me to figure out the $8,000 invoice they sent. There was never an attempt to right their wrongs with me. By contrast, if I had the same situation with my clients, I'd try to fix it and even take back the invoice. I wouldn’t want my clients to feel swindled. DEKSIA never showed any attempt to do any of that. 

What advice do you have for clients with similar needs to yours?

I don’t want to bad-mouth the team, but I want potential clients to know what they can and can’t do with DEKSIA based on my experience. They can help a mom-and-pop business, but they’re not a place for entrepreneurs who want to build a global brand — that’s outside of their skill set.

If you’re going to do something at the same scale as Popular Revolt, look for a team that has done large-scale marketing and branding campaigns. Then, figure out how the team can do those things at the same time or find a team that has relationships with other companies. For instance, the vendor I’m using now has partnerships with a development firm in another country, and that third party is helping us build our solution. 

This review was published on 12/17/2018 

Damien Leach
Founder & CEO, TuneLinked Corporation
Arts, Entertainment & Music
1-10 Employees
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia, United States (24476)
$50,000 to $199,999
Oct 2017 - Ongoing

Project summary

DEKSIA provided research and branding services to fill a position in the music marketplace. Their team is in the process of developing the MVP for the company. The first phase is completed.

Feedback summary

DEKSIA exceeded expectations. Early feedback for the website has been positive. Their team produces a high-quality product within an affordable budget and in a timely manner. Their collaborative approach complemented their approachable management style. Expect a dedicated and involved group. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of TuneLinked Corporation, a social media connection website for music professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DEKSIA?

We were looking to address concerns within the marketplace and fill a specific niche.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DEKSIA began with researching our marketplace to determine what to build within an MVP. We decided on a website to be more cost-efficient and because we can add more functionalities. It will be optimized for mobile.

The platform is for music professionals to connect outside of fan-building pages. Users can look for jobs, gig, and connect with musicians in various areas. Their team completed the branding phase and landing page.

At the start of the new year, we will begin building the finished MVP. Their team is partnering with other companies to build complicated pieces of the solution.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Josh (Managing Partner, DEKSIA), Luis (Business Development Manager, DEKSIA), and Lauren (Digital Specialist, DEKSIA).

How did you come to work with DEKSIA?

I found DEKSIA on Clutch. They were highly rated, and I liked their price point for small to medium-level businesses. DEKSIA was one of the few branding agencies that didn’t want a percentage of my business to engage.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $60,000–$70,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with DEKSIA in October 2017, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve received outstanding feedback from the landing page, and have been pleased with DEKSIA’s work so far. Their technical and marketing experience is fantastic.

I didn’t give their team a lot to work on besides a business plan, financial projections, and my vision. They boiled down my idea into something we can now build upon.

If you’re looking for a true partner, DEKSIA is the perfect fit. We bounce ideas off each other, and I’m treated as a valued client. They’ve met every deliverable I’ve asked for with high value and given me detailed direction for moving forward with our project. DEKSIA has gone above and beyond.

How did DEKSIA perform from a project management standpoint?

I have access to their work dashboard but mainly correspond through email. I’m able to visit their office anytime. DEKSIA supplies me with PowerPoint decks that showcase our progress and has a helpful finance department that I can talk to about invoices.

I’m a professional project manager by trade and feel that sometimes tools don’t drive the successfulness of a project, but can disrupt it. I love collaborating with DEKSIA’s team over lunch rather than going back and forth through Microsoft Project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

DEKSIA treated me no differently than their high-level clients. Their hands-on approach is a crucial asset of our engagement. They’re collaborative, communicative, and offer an affordable price point. DEKSIA helps companies navigate the waters of being a startup. I feel important working with DEKSIA.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, DEKSIA has done everything I’ve needed them to do. There’s nothing in our agreement that their team hasn’t met or exceeded. The next phase of the project is approaching, and development will be more tangible, so things may change. But working with them for over a year, DEKSIA’s work has been exceptional.

Overall rating

Quality: 5

Cost: 5

Schedule: 5

Willing to refer: 5

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CFO of a Japan-based beauty and wellness company. I am in charge of financial work and product development.

We initially sold hair care products for men, but we are now launching a new brand made for women. We are a product-based e-commerce company and have recently expanded our business in the US.

What challenge were you trying to address with DEKSIA?

We needed DEKSIA’s support in rebranding our products and the overall branding of our business.

What was the scope of their involvement?

DEKSIA initially helped us with the rebranding of our existing products. They changed the names and logos of these products. Then, they created an e-commerce site on Shopify where we sold those. Additionally, they have helped us establish another brand from scratch. For this brand, they were in charge of product label design, product shoots, and the website launch.

DEKSIA also does SEO and content writing services for us on a regular basis. They do marketing research on different strategies and write FDA regulations for our hair-loss treatment products. Their ongoing work for us centers on social media marketing — from selecting Instagram influencers to making YouTube videos to advertise our products.

What is the team composition?

We mainly communicate with Joe (Account Manager). Adam (Director of Strategy) is in charge of building our brand. We also work with two of their designers, Josh and Mary, who are in charge of creating our Shopify website and brand image as well as designing product labels.

How did you come to work with DEKSIA?

We had an initial list of 5–6 companies, and I contacted each of them to get to know more about their branding agency. Since we had not engaged with a branding agency before, we were still unsure if we were willing to pay a huge sum of money for their service. We planned to start looking for a team with affordable services and move on to another company with more expensive pricing if things didn’t work out. 

I thought that DEKSIA was the right team for us because Joe and Adam spoke clearly and impressively about what they do as a company. Their pricing was also fair as compared to other companies — it was not too expensive, but not too cheap as well. We were happy to hire their agency for these reasons.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $100,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in November 2020, and our engagement with DEKSIA is ongoing.

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

I’ll definitely rate their work with a 10/10. The website, labels, and images they create for us are all high-quality.

How did DEKSIA perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly communicate via email. They have a strict policy of sticking with that platform and using their email domain when contacting us. As for video calls, we regularly use Zoom.

They have amazing and top-notch communication skills. Our CEO is keen on preserving schedules and timelines, and DEKSIA’s team always delivers that. They immediately respond to our requests — their fast communication just sets them apart from other companies.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We are most impressed with the turnaround time of their work. We have a really tight schedule so we tend to set unrealistic timelines, but DEKSIA always delivers. Despite having to keep up with a tight timeline, they still constantly exceed our expectations with their high-quality work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you don’t want to waste their money, you should hire DEKSIA. There are a lot of branding agencies, and you might not always be sure if they provide good services or if their pricing is reasonable. However, you can always rely on DEKSIA to be the dedicated agency that will stand by your company’s side.

Joe is especially communicative and service-oriented. He goes out of his way to provide what we need. That’s the kind of service that their agency can provide, so choose DEKSIA if you’re looking for a company that can get the job done and meets your high expectations.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Unmistakable LEADER™ (a Become Unmistakable company) is a brain-science based leadership development course that takes rising leaders through 6 unique workshops.

For what projects/services did your company hire DEKSIA?

We hired Kory and Deksia to create a series of case studies to showcase the unique value of the program.

What were your goals for this project?

Prove the value of participating in Unmistakable LEADER. Showcase select activities of the program Establish expert credibility for Director of Learning Highlight the successes of Unmistakable LEADER graduates

How did you select DEKSIA?

A referral

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

The production process was highly collaborative. As a former DP, it was nice to be able to speak the same planning and technical language. We worked together closely through pre-production, scouting, casting and shooting. Shoot was about 3/4 of a day.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

I was very satisfied with the professionalism and expertise of Kory and his team. They did a fantastic job of listening to feedback and adapting in the moment. They moved very quickly on set and the post-production process beat deadlines by one week!

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

There were four deliverables: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA65Ck2zXKw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT1U77A4t1I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q49yUX1J9Lk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta3f0JCknLc

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. Communication was prompt.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Kory's skill, demeanor, and easy-going attitude. The speed of their service was above-average in the Grand Rapids market.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of. Highly recommend!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of operations for the Associated Builders and Contractors Western Michigan chapter. We’re an industry trade association that supports the commercial construction industry.

What challenge were you trying to address with DEKSIA?

We’re preparing to build and open a skilled trades training institute in an effort to help our members attract and train a new generation in the workforce. As we began to raise funds for the project, we needed to develop the branding and marketing needed to attract students to the school. We hired DEKSIA to work on the branding for the capital campaign that would appeal to potential donors.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We came to them with an idea and they created a brand strategy. Then they developed all of our brand assets like our logo, tag lines, key messaging, archetype, voice, and tone. Now they’re building our website.  

What is the team composition?

I communicate with our project manager almost daily, but we also have a monthly meeting to connect. Early on in the capital campaign phase, we connected with their lead strategist several times a week.

How did you come to work with DEKSIA?

We issued an RFP for support services. Then we reached out to our board of directors to ask if there were marketing firms they would like us to include and one person recommended DEKSIA. In total, we had three companies respond, and we brought in two to interview. Ultimately, our selection committee chose DEKSIA because of their astute awareness of business and how they aligned with our organization.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $20,000 so far, but expect to spend $60,000 in total.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2020 and the project is ongoing.

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

I would definitely consider our partnership a success. Although we haven’t launched yet, they’ve delivered all of our materials and have worked efficiently. Within a month, they developed our entire strategy for the capital campaign and it needed very few changes. Our strategist was able to take everything we are and turn it into an effective strategy. That was remarkable.

Additionally, we felt like the graphics department really understood us. We want to elevate the pathway that leads to trade schools like ours, and DEKSIA really spoke to that. They created a logo design and marketing materials for school counselor’s offices and information packets that can compete with other higher education opportunities.

How did DEKSIA perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent. Our meetings are very structured and we have very specific goals for each meeting, which helps us stay on track to avoid tangential conversations. We walk away from every meeting with a clear understanding of our to-dos and deadlines. Their system works really well.

Our project manager is also very responsive. He always sets up follow-up meetings so we are held accountable for reviewing documents and moving the project forward.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really understand what we need. They listen, discern it, and turn it into a successful campaign. They’ve done everything right.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the interview process, we told them that we wanted to know who we were going to be working with, so I was very upfront with them when we were assigned a project manager we hadn’t met before. Once I brought it up, they introduced us and it was taken care of. It’s very common for agencies to have a salesperson, but then once the project starts, the client never sees them again. I just wish that they had explained that we would be getting a project manager who wasn’t a part of the interview process.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of customer experience for a company that sells nutrition supplements.

What challenge were you trying to address with DEKSIA?

We initially decided to work with DEKSIA to generate new ideas and a strategic direction for growing the company.

What was the scope of their involvement?

DEKSIA helped us discover new ideas to grow the company. Their initial deliverable was a comprehensive strategy document that evaluated the business for growth opportunities. That exploration looked into additional messages that we can communicate. Our strategy engagement went well, so we decided to continue working with them on digital marketing management and design projects.

Their team executed on the ideas that we discovered. They manage our digital ad spend and advertising campaigns, specifically on Google, Facebook, and YouTube. DEKSIA started by taking over our existing campaigns and continues optimizing them. Our goal is to grow the percentage of spend and profit attributable to digital marketing.

What is the team composition?

We’re in contact with our account manager, Chelsea (Account Manager), and Lauren (Director of Digital Strategy).

How did you come to work with DEKSIA?

One of our founders met one of the partners at DEKSIA at a conference years ago. When we sought additional strategic direction, we naturally decided to talk with DEKSIA. They described their new strategy process, which we decided would be a good exercise for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend roughly $20,000 a month with them. At this point, we’ve probably spent $95,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership began around August 2020, and it’s ongoing.

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

It’s hard to measure strategy work. However, we continue to work with them, which is an indication of the value that we found in the opportunities that their process uncovered.

It’s easier to measure the success of digital marketing. For our most expensive campaign, DEKSIA improved the cost of acquiring a customer by 39% within a few weeks of managing it. They keep the budget steady and substantially improve that campaign. We’re getting better results with it while spending less money.

How did DEKSIA perform from a project management standpoint?

DEKSIA has worked well to mesh with our current systems and processes. It’s been a seamless transition in terms of project management. They maintain consistent communication in the form of weekly and monthly meetings. Their team also maintains communication in our Slack channels. They make sure that we’re able to see continual progress across the half-a-dozen projects that we have at any given time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

If someone’s wondering which ad agency to hire, I have no reservations recommending them. DEKSIA combines strategic depth with the ability to execute with creativity and quality. They deeply care about their customers. Their team begins with a desire to understand what their customer needs and then caters to that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I wouldn’t call out any particular area of weakness.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be willing to take the time it requires to formulate a good strategy and then trust the strategy. When entering into an engagement with an ad agency, you’re usually motivated by a desire to get work done. However, it’s incredibly valuable to take a few weeks and ensure you set a solid strategic foundation.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a property management company.

What challenge were you trying to address with DEKSIA?

We wanted to rebrand to modernize our look, logo, and customer touchpoints.

What was the scope of their involvement?

DEKSIA created a comprehensive lead generation strategy for our sales department along with a reputation management strategy. In addition to building a marketing strategy for us, their team led the rebranding process. As we’re completely overhauling our brand, they’ll work on many graphic projects throughout the year.

They also completely rebuilt our two websites. For the property management website, their team established the ability to do friction-free transactions for our new prospects. They drastically overhauled the visual appearance and streamlined it, making it easy to navigate.

What is the team composition?

I work with Josh (Creative Director), Joe (Account Manager), and various members of their team.

How did you come to work with DEKSIA?

I knew a number of firms in the area and never directly worked with DEKSIA. However, I had business contacts there. When we went through the search process, they produced their bid the fastest. We looked at all of the bids without names and reviewed the pros and cons. DEKSIA won the bid because they had the clearest process.

How much have you invested with them?

Their work comes to roughly $60,000–$75,000 so far. Annually, we expect to spend somewhere in the neighborhood of $40,000–$50,000 on our strategy after we finish fine-tuning it.

What is the status of this engagement?

We initially engaged them in August 2020, and we’re committing to using them for our ongoing digital marketing services.

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

I’m satisfied after reviewing what they produced. I’m satisfied with the budget too because they presented it accurately and stuck to it. We measured the success of the project by completing it on schedule and on budget with clear communications too. We hit all three of those.

How did DEKSIA perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team accurately quoted the project and then produced what they said they would. Their team was process-driven, which stood out to me. When I made recommendations, they adapted to them quickly. There weren’t ongoing issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed by their ability to meet and provide the necessary information for us to make decisions. I’ve worked with agencies that would hold 2–3-hour meetings but it wouldn’t feel like we knew enough to make any decisions. DEKSIA always has enough information and options to ensure that we can make decisions quickly. That’s always been impressive to me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have anything for them to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that they understand your business well. Trust their recommendations too.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of sales and marketing for Creative Polymer Solutions. We’re a spray foam and insulation manufacturer.

What challenge were you trying to address with DEKSIA?

We wanted to rebrand our product to be more of a national brand as we moved into a new state-of-the-art facility.

What was the scope of their involvement?

DEKSIA created our whole brand strategy and hierarchy. They created new logos, icons, and a web page. Their team also redesigned our technical safety data sheets as well as application and product guides for distributors and contractors. They also helped with the design of our trade show booth.

Additionally, DEKSIA directed an email campaign with leads and emails that we gave to them. They later managed a digital campaign mainly through Facebook and Google.

What is the team composition?

We've had contact with a dozen folks from DEKSIA. That includes account managers, photographers, copy editors, brand strategists, and digital marketers.

How did you come to work with DEKSIA?

The company decided to partner with DEKSIA before I came on board. However, I believe the marketing arm of our parent company found them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere in the ballpark of $150,000–$200,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started around September 2019.

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

The booth popped when we launched this brand at a trade show. Their designs were crisp, and they created a name that speaks to our work.

DEKSIA has been able to create a presence for us that has made a big impact. When talking to new customers, we hear them say that they see us everywhere. People ask about our products in our distributors’ facilities.

How did DEKSIA perform from a project management standpoint?

Their overall communication is excellent. About once a month, we have a meeting during which we check the pulse on the campaign. We review metrics and talk about any to-dos and deadlines. We need to provide them with information in order for them to perform. They’ll tell us what they need to bring us the deliverable. That process is nice.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by how much they learned about our business and industry. Their team researched us to understand how we could fit into our industry. They didn’t just create a catchy logo or icon. Instead, their team learned about our company and its goals to create a message behind it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any negative comments.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give DEKSIA a chance and let them do what they do best. You’ll be very pleased.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and managing director of Helix Sales Development. We’re a sales development organization that works with growth-minded CEOs looking to correct problems in their sales organizations.

What challenge were you trying to address with DEKSIA?

I originally went to DEKSIA because I thought that my messaging wasn’t clear. I wasn’t positioning myself well in the minds of my ideal client.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Once I started working with DEKSIA, it was clear that a few things were out of alignment. Their team looked into my marketing strategy before we spent money on any campaigns.

They basically audited all of my assets and then rebranded my organization. We renamed it, and then they created a logo, rebuilt my website, and redesigned my business cards. I also needed designs to be applied to certain products and tools. Their team helped ensure those designs represented the brand properly too.

We created ads for a variety of different efforts on various social media platforms with a clear target. We made videos and took photos to enhance my website and sales programs. They made my ideas crystal clear for presentations. Their team also created PowerPoint templates for slide decks.

What is the team composition?

At this point, I’ve worked with 6–7 people from DEKSIA. I worked with account managers, the head of photography, the head of website design, the head of digital messaging, and a couple of support people.

How did you come to work with DEKSIA?

I found them through a referral. I looked at their website and entered their sales process. Our conversation felt different from any other marketing conversation I had in the past. They wanted to understand my business needs rather than decide what I needed to do. They gave me a budget that would work for 12 months. Everything that we moved forward with is in alignment with that budget, which I hadn’t experienced in the past with marketing.

How much have you invested with them?

The budget for the 12 months is about $43,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in March 2020, and it’s an ongoing partnership. I anticipate working with them as my marketing department going forward.

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

Although I’m not a huge account, they don’t make me feel small. It feels like I’m receiving Fortune 500 marketing services but within my budget. The new brand makes us look like we’re a much larger organization. Everything is professional.

I was interested in an ROI. We created a dashboard to track every dollar spent on marketing. Right now, we’re building clarity around metrics. We have the infrastructure in place and want to run it for a couple of months. The dashboard will probably become tighter. Based on what I’ve seen so far, the return looks unbelievable. If I spend a dollar, I’ll get six back.

How did DEKSIA perform from a project management standpoint?

I was assigned an account manager who knows everything about the account. If he doesn’t have an answer to my questions off the top of his head, he’ll give one within an hour.

DEKSIA requires us to have a meeting every 4–6 weeks to make sure that we’re on track. They make sure that everything’s moving according to plan. Although they have project management software, I’m old school so their team calls or texts me

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their process differentiates them in the market. They have a different process that’s simple and saves me a ton of time. Their team developed a dashboard where I can see my ROI. I’ll be able to track my leads, close ratios, and win rates.

I’m not out there on my own. If I have an idea, they’ll ask how it fits into our strategy. Their team will talk me out of ideas that don’t fit and make sure that I stay on this planet.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We could’ve built out the infrastructure faster. However, they were more concerned about getting it right rather than pushing out a project. There’s ethics about it.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go into the process with an open mind. If your strategy doesn’t work, listen to DEKSIA. They understand how to communicate. They economically bring what Fortune 500 companies receive to small and mid-sized companies.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal at Know Honesty, an organization built out of being frustrated by the inability of companies to expose the true condition of their organization. There is a lack of honesty in organizations at all levels, whether you’re an employee or the owner of the company. What we do is implement a system that creates a much more open and honest culture and provides real tools that are designed to get you what you want from your business.

What challenge were you trying to address with DEKSIA?

We hired DEKSIA to do a full rebrand and marketing for Know Honesty. I built my practice from my own design strengths and those of a friend, and it was pretty weak. I needed a company that really knew what they were doing and could better create what I had in mind but that I couldn’t get out there. I engaged DEKSIA to create a more aligned brand.

What was the scope of their involvement?

DEKSIA is leading a rebrand to create better messaging around what I want to accomplish and align me better with who my particular target audience is and will be. They’re helping with messaging, rebranding, and a new logo. They’re building the complete brand and architecture. They have what they call a brand archetype that they’ve given me that I didn’t know much about. I’m glad I reached out to them to help bring to light what I am and how I fit in this world of business. They’ve aligned my messaging, logo, and brand around that archetype.

On the marketing side, they do SEO, website design, email templates, and social consultative work. They also do some written content. We’re targeting Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. We have bigger visions of all this that we’re still working on. 

What is the team composition?

We work with six different individuals, and we have a main point of contact.

How did you come to work with DEKSIA?

I have some good access with different marketing companies, and I knew Aaaron (Senior Partner) and Joshua C. (Managing Partner). There’s a level of confidence that I had in their deliverables. Something I challenge my own clients with is that there needs to be a measurable attached to your marketing. One of the things DEKSIA asked was whether I’d be able to handle all of the leads we’d be getting, and that was the moment I knew they were a company I wanted to work with. I’ve also seen some of their work in other organizations, and it’s quality stuff.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work began in October 2019, and we’re still working together.

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

We’ve just begun to see website traffic and leads inflow. I have noticed that my target audience is looking at my stuff more than they were in the past, so the net is capturing the kind of fish that I want.

I’m still surprised that they get me probably better than I get myself. I think that stems from the depth of their research and experience that they have in the industry. I tried to articulate what I’m trying to accomplish, and they came back with something that exceeded my expectations. They just get it.

How did DEKSIA perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s been extremely well done. They’re really good about making sure that expectations are clear on both sides, which creates a better collaboration. They’re spot on about meeting deadlines, and their communication is really strong. If there is a change, they articulate it well. There are no surprises happening. 

We communicate via email, video, phone, and text. We meet with them on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, and then we have a more formal monthly meeting. We’re pretty active in reaching out to them, and vice versa, when needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

DEKSIA has a really dialed-in process. We always know what’s next, and we’re clear on what to expect. There’s a clear objective that both parties agree on, and you get the sense that we’re going after it together.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything in particular.

Any advice for potential customers?

The company that works with DEKSIA should be clear about what they want but, at the same time, remain open-minded about hearing from the experts. It’s important to have a goal, but it’s also important to give it up to somebody who has experience in the industry and trust the work they’re going to do.