Emotive Brand

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Marketing Manager of a consulting company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a learning platform for growing cultural competence and inclusion within and beyond the workplace.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Emotive Brand to accomplish?

• Brand Strategy
• Visual and Written Brand Identity
• New Company Values
• Brand Campaign
• Brand Video

SOLUTION

How did you find Emotive Brand?

Clutch Site

Why did you select Emotive Brand over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Emotive Brand were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Rebrand of our organization. Helped us simplify our brand architecture. I'm copy/pasting their proposal for your reference: 

• Immersion (Research) Review Materials
  • Corporate Strategy, Sales Decks/Product Decks, Competitive Landscape, Product Roadmap, Yearly Sales Forecast, Branded Collateral 
• Strategic Kick-off Meeting 
  • Meeting to review key priorities, challenges, considerations, and project success metrics 
  • Discuss and agree on the brand architecture of leading the product brand and dropping the master brand.
• Competitive Audit 
  • Review competitors, prospects, and aspirational peers Internal Stakeholder Interviews 
  • 5-7 interviews with executive suite External Stakeholder Interviews 
  • 1:1 interviews with a mix of 5-7 customers, investors, industry peers, etc. 
• Insights Development Deliverable 
  • Insights Deck Positioning Development: 
  • Positioning Territories 
    • Develop 3 Positioning Territories for evaluation Leadership Workshop 
    • 3-4 hour interactive Zoom workshop to cover: 
      • Positioning Territories
      • Target Audience Discussion 
• Brand Platform Development
  • Brand Idea an inspiring shorthand for the brand that serves as a rallying cry and informs brand expression 
  • Positioning Statement based on inputs from the workshop
  • Brand Pillars define what you do, how you do it and why you matter
  • Emotional Impact outlines how your brand seeks to make people feel across all touch points 
• Positioning & Brand Idea Refinement
  • Presentation of validated Positioning Statement Deliverables 
  • Positioning Platform:
    • Brand Idea
    • Positioning Statement
    • Brand Pillars
    • Emotional Impact 
• Messaging: 
  • Messaging Framework 
    • Once the Platform is approved, develop a strategic Brand Messaging Framework that unpacks the Positioning Platform into discrete messages for specific audiences, each focused on a value proposition 
• One-Page / About Us 
  • Develop a simple tool to help align all employees and equip them with new language, including: 
    • About Us 
    • Our unique value 
    • Elevator pitch 
    • Our markets 
    • Fast facts 
• Brand Narrative Development 
  • An internal focused narrative that helps employees understand the new brand in the context of the business today 
  • Deliverables 
    • Messaging Framework 
    • One-Page/About Us 
    • Brand Narrative 
• Visual Identity:
  • Visual Identity Concepts 
    • Agency explores multiple design approaches 
    • Presentation of 2-3 initial concepts including logo, color, typography, graphic language, motion 
    • 2-3 application mock-ups 
• Client Feedback & Selection 
• Visual Identity Development
  • Concept refined incorporating our internal feedback 
  • Logo configurations, typography style, color palette, and graphic language development 
  • Can include additional assets such as iconography style, illustration style, photographic style, expanded motion treatments 
  • 5-6 application mock-ups to strength test 
  • Presentation Client Feedback & Approval 
  • Final refinement based on feedback 
  • Visual Identity approved 
• Asset Development: 
  • Production Files: 
  • Logo, Font, and Color Assets 
    • Refinement and development of logo artwork 
    • Logo file suite 
    • Identify and detail fonts for licensing 
    • Identify primary and secondary brand colors in PMS, CMYK, RGB, Hex 
    • Graphic language assets that are mandatory to the Visual Identity, such as shape compositions and patterns 
• Brand Asset Estimates 
  • Prepare estimates for art direction and development of unique brand assets based on the approved Visual Identity 
    • Includes photography, illustration, diagrams, iconography, and motion requirements Brand Guidelines: • Strategy compilation 
  • Logo & Symbol usage and construction 
  • Color palette & Typography specification and usage 
  • Photography style 
  • Graphic language basic usage principles 
  • Example applications 
    • Brand Anthem Video 
    • Brand Digital Campaign strategy & development 
    • Brand Pitch Deck for Sales Team

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't launched our brand externally yet, but so far are incredibly pleased with what we received and had a great internal launch. We are looking forward to launching our new website and brand identity in the Fall.

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

INCREDIBLE. Everything was delivered on time. Literally everything. They communicated so well. Their work was way above expectations. Such quality work.

What was your primary form of communication with Emotive Brand?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They were the first partner we've ever worked with that seemed genuinely passionate about getting to know our company and passionate about our success. Their standard of work is at a higher caliber than we've seen. They were truly an invested partner through every step.

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

Not really. They surpassed all expectations and have transformed our organization.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Corporate Marketing of a business services company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We turn data into expertise so our customers can achieve greater commercial success.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Emotive Brand to accomplish?

• Brand Strategy
• Visual Brand Identity
• Brand Campaign

SOLUTION

How did you find Emotive Brand?

Referral

Why did you select Emotive Brand over others?

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

How many teammates from Emotive Brand were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Emotive Brand developed and provided brand strategy including messaging, brand guidelines and a new corporate logo. They provided new brand assets, a brand narrative and campaign copy. Finally they delivered digital assets for brand advertising.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Emotive Brand helped us modernize our corporate brand, and strengthen our market positioning.Their work has become the foundation for our marketing strategy going forward.

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

Emotive partnered closely with our marketing and executive leadership teams to manage projects and our expectations, provided clear timelines for deliverables and was communicated clearly on next steps and any potential delays.

What was your primary form of communication with Emotive Brand?

Virtual Meeting

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

They are small but mighty - a company that delivers big ideas and beautiful design. They very quickly became part of the marketing team and effectively partnered with our senior stakeholders.

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

Since our budget was cut, we likely should not have so fully developed our brand advertising campaign. I wish we reapplied this creative development budget more effectively by developing other assets we knew we would have use of instead. In future, it would be best for Emotive to raise a flag when they don't get a media plan at the time of briefing (don't be afraid to question the investment or the clients on what they truly need).

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of global talent brand and recruitment marketing at Marvell Technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Emotive Brand?

We needed to develop our employee value proposition.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Emotive Brand developed our marketing and brand strategy. Initially, Emotive Brand conducted a research phase where they interviewed our employees and conducted focus groups. Then, Emotive Brand created a singular employee value proposition strategy with the research discoveries. Emotive Brand also provided other deliverables, including our company’s narrative, messaging framework, and voice and tone guidelines. 

What is the team composition?

Emotive Brand’s team fluctuated throughout the project. At the peak of our engagement, we worked with two senior strategists, one junior strategist, and a project manager. 

How did you come to work with Emotive Brand?

My company was already considering working with Emotive Brand when I started at my current position. I helped with the evaluation and made the final selection. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $225,000 with Emotive Brand. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Emotive Brand from July–November 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I had a great experience working with Emotive Brand’s team. They had incredibly good strategists and presented their work to our executive team in a professional way. Emotive Brand was good at taking feedback, and when we asked to adjust something based on our executive’s team input, Emotive Brand listened to our request. Overall, Emotive Brand was excellent to work with. 

How did Emotive Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

Emotive Brand met deadlines and stayed on budget. They put together a project plan and updated it regularly. We had constant communication with Emotive Brand’s project manager. Our communication through Zoom was really easy, and Emotive Brand was responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was most impressed with Emotive Brand’s strategy — it was incredibly strong compared to other companies I’ve worked with. Emotive Brand immediately grasped what was unique to our company and consolidated the ideas that resulted from their research. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I was pleased with the outcomes of this project and can’t think of anything for Emotive Brand to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend having an active partnership with Emotive Brand because you get out what you put in. Give Emotive Brand as much information about your project as possible, and they’ll be the right partner for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing for a medical device company in the regenerative medicine industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Emotive Brand?

We needed someone who could help us develop a new brand for our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Emotive Brand has provided us with branding services. We started the engagement with a discovery phase, where we went through our company’s vision, mission, purpose, initiatives, and strategies and analyzed our current brand as well as the new company that we’ve recently acquired. We spent a lot of time unpacking how we wanted to position ourselves and what we thought the new brand should represent.

From there, Emotive Brand conducted a competitive audit, which involved analyzing the landscape of comparable companies in our field to determine what they were doing. They also interviewed our customers and prospects and provided us with recommendations and the insights they gained from that experience.

The final deliverables include a new logo, brand positioning, messaging, narrative, brand guidelines, colors, and strategic guidance around our brand strategy.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with five people from Emotive Brand.

How did you come to work with Emotive Brand?

Emotive Brand was referred to us by another vendor.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Emotive Brand has an incredibly thoughtful, detailed process. They asked really great questions, which allowed them to uncover great insights about the opportunities ahead of us and our market positioning and how we should go to market from a brand standpoint. Their approach has helped steer us in the right direction.

How did Emotive Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

Emotive Brand has performed well in terms of project management. They’ve delivered everything on time and within budget. They exhibit a high level of communication. Overall, they’re a solid agency partner.

We typically communicate through Zoom and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Emotive Brand is highly strategic in how they approach brand development. Their name “Emotive” truly represents something to them. That is reflected in our interactions because we can tell how important it is to them that whatever they deliver drives emotion and really hits on the emotive element of how we communicate. I would highly recommend them to any of my colleagues.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I have nothing but positive things to say. They’re definitely on the high end from a cost standpoint, so they’re not inexpensive. With that being said, Emotive Brand does deliver high value.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO of Lookout, a cybersecurity company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Emotive Brand?

We needed to rebrand and restrategize our messaging and positioning after a company acquisition. We were two companies coming together, so we wanted to tell a new story with a new logo, a new look and feel, and a new positioning statement.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Emotive Brand has helped us with our rebranding and positioning. First, they worked with our executive team to understand our goals, history, current products, upcoming products, vision, and how we wanted to talk about the company. They also talked with many of our customers and did market research.

During the discovery process, we provided Emotive Brand with our existing logo, brand guidelines, website, and other creative assets to use as their basis before moving forward. Then, they wrote our new brand positioning and defined the strategy around how we wanted to talk about ourselves and how we wanted to market.

After that, Emotive Brand designed a new logo for us and created our new branding guidelines, including our typeface, tagline, a new color scheme, and new imagery. Once they finished with the design portion of the project, Emotive Brand created a launch video and an internal document we called our launch manifesto, which details who we are and what our company does.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 4–5 people from Emotive Brand's team.

How did you come to work with Emotive Brand?

We found them through one of our investors.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $850,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around March 2022. However, this happened before I returned to the company in August 2022, so I’m not exactly sure. Although the rebranding process has technically ended, our relationship with Emotive Brand is ongoing because we go to them for our continuous needs.

For example, we worked with another agency to redesign our website based on our new guidelines, and Emotive Brand collaborated with that agency for the internal launch. Moreover, if we need updates on our positioning, something changes, or we merge with another company, they’ll be my first phone call.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve gotten nothing but good feedback about our new logo, positioning, and the way we differentiate ourselves in the market. Currently, we’re running a brand awareness study, and we’ll run it again a year from now to gather more metrics about the impact of this rebranding.

How did Emotive Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

We haven’t been an easy customer for Emotive Brand. Throughout the rebranding process, we probably were slower than they would have liked and didn’t make decisions in a timely fashion. Still, things really picked up after I joined the project, although we were already halfway through it. It took Emotive Brand six months to do half of the project, and it took them two more months to complete it after I joined. As for collaboration tools, we use Slack and email to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Emotive Brand offers the right amount of pushback and strategy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing Emotive Brand could improve on. Although we had to chase them for some last-minute things to meet some hard deadlines for the rebranding launch, most delays were on us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CMO at Pindrop, responsible for all marketing functions from Brand and strategy to GTM and demand generation. Pindrop is a voice identity company that helps clients how end customers interact with their business through voice.

We focus specifically on fraud protection, authentication, and personalization in the contact center.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Emotive Brand, and what were your goals?

Pindrop has been in business for 10+ years and while the initial brand strategy clearly helped build the company it was now hampering our ability to grow beyond just a single segment.

The goal of the project was to develop and socialize a new brand platform, positioning, and messaging that would enable the next 10 years of company growth.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We went through an exhaustive process of evaluating vendors of all sizes. Emotive was a recommendation from one of our investors.

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

At a high level the process was as follows:

1. review our current positioning and interview key stakeholders on the gaps & opportunities
2. interview customers to understand their view of the company
3. develop initial brand positioning
4. workshop with the leadership team to refine the positioning
5. positioning round two
6. review with customers and broader stakeholders
7. develop the visual identity and messaging platform the support the new positioning
8. develop brand guidelines and initial assets to help facilitate the transition
9. develop internal and external videos that helped people understand the new positioning and build excitement.

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

We had 5-6 people working on the team at all times including one of the partners, strategist, project mgmt, creative, copywriting and design

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have launched the new brand and it can be seen on the website. More importantly, the company is excited as measured by an increase in employee engagement and bookings growth has increased.

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

Given the very short timeline, we met 1-2 times per week over zoom and used slack for daily collaboration. The Emotive team developed the timeline and helped all of the participants stay on plan.

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

There were three things about Emotive that impressed me:

1. the partners were involved in the entire project, we didn't get handed off to a junior team to do the work
2. the quality of the work was incredible and they were very inclusive in the process
3. they genuinely cared about my company and how this work could change the business.

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

There's nothing they need to improve on.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Simpplr; we’re an AI-powered employee experience platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Emotive Brand?

We were going through a full rebrand and needed help with strategy and messaging.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Emotive Brand conducted focus groups and helped us define our brand messaging, which they applied to our website pages. We also collaborated to write our new mission, vision, statement, and value proposition.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Tracy (Co-Founder), Jim (Director of Creative Strategy), John (Program & Account Manager), and Jeff (Design Operations Manager). 

How did you come to work with Emotive Brand? 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $400,000–$500,000 in the partnership with Emotive Brand. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We engaged Emotive Brand from May–September 2022. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Although we don’t have specific metrics, we were pleased with the quality of Emotive Brand’s work. Furthermore, we received positive external feedback regarding the rebrand. Our clients commented that the new messaging aligns with our brand and resonates with them. 

How did Emotive Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

Emotive Brand was great when it came to project management; they met deadlines and worked within our budget. We communicated via email and Zoom meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were most impressed with their ability to deliver great messaging; it’s their biggest strength. Hiring Emotive Brand was one of the best business decisions I ever made. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing Emotive Brand could improve on. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of a consumer data platform. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Emotive Brand?

I hired Emotive Brand to develop our branding, logo, and messaging. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, Emotive Brand established our branding and corresponding guidelines. Then, we looked into several logo options Emotive Brand developed that represented the branding. We evaluated all the options before finalizing our choice. We didn’t give them much guidance. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with about five teammates: two brand strategists, a designer, a project manager, and a strategic leader. 

How did you come to work with Emotive Brand?

I was referred to them by an advisor. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested over $50,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

This project was from August–October 2022. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The experience was great, but we haven’t launched the brand yet. Our in-house team really likes the new branding. 

How did Emotive Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team was organized and proactive. Everything was delivered on time and within budget. We communicated regularly with their project manager through Slack, Zoom, and email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by how well Emotive Brand could quickly synthesize our company's essence and create a brand messaging that crystallized it. The brand perfectly conveyed our company and our services. Their designers did a great job capturing and creating a visual representation of our company through our logo, especially since we left the bulk of the project in their hands. Their team was also very professional.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there was nothing for them to improve.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO of an investing platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Emotive Brand?

We needed help with brand strategy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially provided Emotive Brand with the brief we wanted to accomplish and some previous brand work from two and a half years ago. The project had different stages. First, they interviewed people inside our company. They started with 10 leadership team members and then interviewed the next level down. In total, they probably did 40–50 interviews throughout the process.

Afterward, they did workshop exercises because we had 50 different ideas and strategies. Emotive Brand led us through the workshops. They brought everyone into a room, and we brainstormed ideas. All in all, they facilitated the discussion to help us get to a conclusion.

What is the team composition?

At any given time, there were around seven people involved in the project. It changed based on the stage. We also worked with Tracy (Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer).

How did you come to work with Emotive Brand?

Someone we’d used at the company recommended them, so we had them on our shortlist. We sent an RFP to several firms; Emotive Brand responded along with some others. Then, we met with the team and decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent under $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2021–May 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Emotive Brand delivered the work in a PDF document that articulated a new strategy for the brand, and they were extremely effective. Ultimately, they got us through the workshop to a place where the leadership team is very aligned on how to move the brand forward. We’ve all agreed that this is the right direction.

How did Emotive Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was excellent. They never missed a deadline despite having to coordinate so many different people. Tracy was very involved, and they prod us to ensure we hit the timetable. Communication was mostly through email; we didn’t use any management tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were fantastic. Not only did they do brand strategy, but they did corporate strategy. They had a strong understanding of people; the team was empathetic and critical, and they listened. When doing 40–50 interviews and trying to figure out a joint mission, vision, values, and purpose, it’s essential to ask good questions and listen. Also, they were able to tease out the real truth from people instead of a surface-level answer.

If you combine all of that, Emotive Brand was able to take that work and translate it into suggestions that could be transformative for our business. Often, a brand can just give you a document, but they gave us fascinating insights into the company’s core.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Maybe they could have a project management tool. It never occurred to me because they were hitting every milestone, but it could be interesting to see a tool like a dashboard to check the process at any given time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Know what you want when you go into it. You should have an understanding of whether your company is ready or not. True brand work means you should be open to changing your business. If the outcome is significantly different than where you started, you should be willing to embrace it. If the company isn’t ready to challenge the mission, vision, and values, it’ll be a waste of time and money.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a cloud computing space company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Emotive Brand?

We wanted to redo our brand positioning and messaging because we had difficulties ensuring that users understood our product and its benefits. We also wanted to differentiate ourselves in our competitive market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Emotive Brand did branding services for us, including our logo, brand messaging, public targeting, and our website’s colors and graphics.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 6–7 members of their team, including Tracy and Bella (Co-Founders), Jack (Senior Creative), Jamey (Strategy Director), Robert (Design Director), and Aoife (Senior Designer)

How did you come to work with Emotive Brand?

I was looking for design agencies with experience working with startups, and I chose them based on an article that praised the results of their work.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around $300 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from October 2021–May 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone on our team loves Emotive Brand’s work, which has improved our online platform.

How did Emotive Brand perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was great; they were able to put everything together and ensure that everyone was on track, including our team. They were also clear with timeliness, so we had no problems. Regarding communication, we integrated them into our Slack channel.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their experience was what distinguished them from other providers. Their designs convey the message we want to share, and that was because they did market research to compare our company to our customers. Overall, they were product-driven; they wanted to ensure that they understood the market and our differentials to create the product's story and design.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I suggest they add a public management tool where we can centralize all of our files. We did use Google Drive, but having something to manage what we need for each stage would be helpful.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t underestimate the amount of work required on your side, and listen to what Tracy needs to say.