Fonder Studio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of Mashbot, a digital transformation and product engineering firm. I am responsible for the go-to-market and growth of the company, while following a set of principles and ideals held by our firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FlowState Branding, and what were your goals?

Through a series of acquisitions, we made the decision to rename and ultimately rebrand our identity. We looked to a firm local in the Denver market who had a broad range of experience, from brand strategy, digital delivery of that strategy, along with high-end, custom apparel to further underscore that brand.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched extensively, not only sourcing locally in the Denver market, but including other more well known markets such as San Francisco and New York. We ultimately chose Flowstate, not only due to their location, but their overall experience and like-minded values.

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

Our project was divided in two, beginning with Brand Strategy & Identity, followed by Web Redesign & Apparel. The team at Flowstate conducted a series of interviews with our team, to learn more about how we perceive our company and how we would want others to perceive us, both near-term and in the future. They were very detail-oriented, ensuring we understood the process and purpose along the way. We engaged in multiple review cycles, making changes along the way, until we were 100% comfortable and in alignment with the outcome.

For the brand and digital strategy, the team presented an elaborate set of carefully curated style-scapes. Once a direction was chosen, we then received multiple revisions until the final brand package was produced - again, very detail oriented.

With respect to the site and apparel, we received the same level of detail, with multiple revisions as needed. For the apparel, we received material samples, pre-production samples and other assets to help facilitate the process.

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

We worked closely with a team of 3-4, with others stepping in on occasion. This included an overall project/engagement manager and marketing and design specialists.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are still in early growth stage, but the feedback on our identity has been great. We are able to promote a level of professionalism that creates confidence in our customers, ranging from innovation to capability.

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

The team had a well understood process to not only guide us along the way, but set appropriate expectations so that we were always aligned. Much of the work was shared through team drives, allowing us access to artifacts as they evolved. Email was the typical form of communication.

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

Their willingness to understand our reason for doing what we do, why we do it and how we do it. They listened intently before offering up solutions in order to best understand our needs.

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

Timing is our only recommendation. We, like most customers probably have faster timelines than is often possible from vendors. Not a criticism as we respect the process and the attention to detail, but I do think it would serve FlowState well to leverage additional tools etc to collapse the process a little.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a brand manager and QC lab coordinator at Wyeast Laboratories. We are a premium liquid yeast supplier for the craft brewing industry and other fermentation types.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FlowState Branding?

We had done a brand refresh and built a new website about five or six years ago with a different agency — it was my first introduction to a website rebuild. Unfortunately, we were given an incomplete website that left our customers in the dark about how to contact us and no way to place orders, all on a platform that no one seemed to want to touch."

That being said, our goal in working with FlowState Branding was to continue with the same brand image that we had developed as a 35-year-old company. We wanted a modern website that was going to meet all the needs of our customers, our customer service team, and our technical support team. And, we needed to be considerate of our budget.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FlowState Branding  did a complete website rebuild for us from scratch using WordPress. We were already familiar with the agency, and they were already familiar with our brand and the expectations that we had for the project. With the website, we were looking for a really user-friendly interface for our customers to browse our technical products and have really good flexibility with how they were requesting and placing orders.

We have a very broad audience: B2B customers, and retailers. We needed to provide resources for technical content for end-users that don’t purchase directly through us. Our product is very technical and dynamic, and we try to back it up with technical support resources. FlowState Branding helped us portray what our product was in technical detail, how to use it, and how to get it to our customers in a user-friendly way.

They did SEO for our website as well. We already had an established relationship with FlowState with branded merchandise, and they had previously built a merchandise website for us that was integrated into this new website build. I didn’t spend that much time working with their SEO team, and they mostly handled this side of the project themselves.

We also continue to work with them in improving even the tiniest of things. They are doing our website management for us. They are always available and in touch with me for follow-up projects and ideas. They are also teaching me how the website works, so that I can add my own content as needed. 

What is the team composition?

I’m regularly in contact with 3–4 people from their team. Depending on what part of the project is being worked on, they pull in more people as needed. This allows everyone to be involved in each task.

How did you come to work with FlowState Branding?

We originally met FlowState Branding at a tradeshow a number of years ago. We had already developed a really good relationship with them and had a good understanding of their professionalism, energy, and the quality of their work.

When we were considering other agency options, their team really stood out — they showed us how important we are as a customer, how much that means to them, and how much our customers mean to us. It ended up being a pretty easy choice.

How much have you invested in them?

For this project, we’ve spent around $50,000–$60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them on this website build in January 2021, and our engagement is still ongoing.
  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, I am extremely satisfied — they’ve been really incredible to work with since launching the website about six weeks ago. I never thought I would spend this much time on our own website; I enjoy logging in every day, learning the different corners of the website, seeing how it is being used, and seeing our goals being met.

One thing that’s been the most exciting and impressive about the website is the traffic we are seeing from our customers. On our old website, we weren’t even able to accept order requests or emails. To see a flood of contacts and new customers coming in and engaging with the website and how straightforward the process is, has been something I’ve really enjoyed. This has allowed us to finally get the clients that we should’ve been getting for the last five years. 

How did FlowState Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m one of the sole people responsible for content and deadlines from our end, and they’ve been very understanding of that. We have regular deadlines, a goal each week, and an appropriate amount of time for each task — this process has been working pretty well. We actually had to push back our launch date a few times, but we did so in order to add more things to the website and look at it more thoroughly. During this time, they were flexible and very accommodating when we needed to readjust our timelines on certain tasks.

For communication, we have regular group conference calls to keep in touch, and we use a number of different platforms, such as Zoom, Google Meet, Slack, and email. They are about as accessible as you can get; we get instant feedback from them when needed, and they never waste any time during our calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They demonstrate an incredible balance of being professional and personable and always have a lot of energy for their customers. If something needs to be changed or added, they’re willing to bend over backward to find a solution.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing I had a little bit of trouble with were tracking content details and understanding exactly every person’s role from a project management standpoint, so that I could keep on track with the build. We have a very content-heavy website with very nuanced information across our products. However, these haven’t gotten in the way of getting tasks done. To put it simply, a little more organization in terms of communication and task tracking would have kept the project even more streamlined.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to have an idea of what you and your company needs. If you can communicate that, then they can meet that need for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

At the time of this project, I was the marketing manager of a construction company established around 1996.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FlowState Branding?

The company had gone through a couple of brand updates, but needed to do a full rebranding in terms of the logo, color scheme, website, collaterals, and even the positioning. We reached out to FlowState to help us with a comprehensive branding project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FlowState then provided us with a full, comprehensive brand package and website revamp. We began by answering a brand questionnaire in order for FlowState to understand our personality, services, fees, competitors, key statements, and the phrases we used when selling our services or positioning our company. 

After which, their team put together a very dynamic presentation that detailed why they wanted to build the logo the way they did and what colors they chose to stay consistent with the brand image and our company’s future goals. They explained how the brand could help us position ourselves in the marketplace, while differentiating ourselves as a long-standing, trustworthy local contractor.

The project was done in 2–3 stages that covered digital branding, redesigning our website and marketing collateral, and showcasing the end results. We received the logos, assets, materials, positioning statements and all other files, but I departed prior to the implementation of the other project pieces.

What is the team composition?

We worked with around 5 different people that included Shamus (President),a creative director, a graphic designer, and a brand strategist.

How did you come to work with FlowState Branding?

Having been a marketing manager in Colorado for years, I’ve always heard really positive things about FlowState. The company had actually already done some social media campaigns with them in the past. 

We had such a good experience with them that I included them in my initial RFP. We then decided to go down the rabbit hole with them to do a complete rebranding and website revamp.

How much have you invested with them?

I think we had spent around $10,000–$20,000 when I was there, but as my company continued to work with them, they may have shelled out $20,000–$50,000 for the website. All in all, it may be around $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around February 2019. I departed from the construction company in August 2020, at which time other aspects of the project were still underway.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I didn’t have any specific KPIs but their communication and professionalism were completely top-notch. FlowState was just incredibly creative and genius. They presented things that blew our expectations out of the water.

When I look at our website, I feel like I can almost touch our brand and hold it. They did a great job of executing the logo and color scheme across all our materials, taking into consideration how the brand would carry itself for the next few years.

How did FlowState Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

I have never experienced anything better. Their communication was very detailed. When they said they would contact me on a certain day, they made sure to do so. They would call and deliver exactly what they had promised, giving us updated timelines and polished presentations throughout. 

We communicated in person, in their office, or via phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

FlowState is incredibly creative. They have a very strong team. It always falls back on their communication and professionalism, which made me truly enjoy working with every single person on their team. 

It’s always challenging to ask for a really large investment for a product that’s intangible, but their team made it easy for me to look good whenever I would request for funding for the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We were one of the first construction companies they had worked with. Though they knocked it out of the ballpark, it was hard for me to sell them to the owners as they didn’t have prior experience in our field. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Really poke through their experience and trust your gut when dealing with FlowState. So much of your project success will rely on communication. If you can’t articulate your needs well, they will do everything they can to pull it out of you through detailed questionnaires.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the VP of Marketing and Content Strategy for a manufacturer of Gaming PCs. We work with global influencers in the eSports and gaming space to create exciting PCs for consumers

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FlowState Branding, and what were your goals?

The business was going through a name change and we had to create a name and a whole new storyline, while keeping true to the company ethos, while not losing SEO ranking, organic traffic and existing clients

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We talked with five branding agencies from New York, California, Colorado, UK, Germany. We went by creative brief, response times, creativity, customer service, how teams got along with each other on calls an over Zoom, as well as gut instinct. Of course price was probably number 1 way of cutting agencies out of the mix, and then it came down to the above.

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

The FlowState team interviewed key people within our organization and lead us through a series of branding exercises. They listened closely to our answers. Questioned them, expanded on them, asked more questions and did a deep dive into our competition. There were three rounds of questioning, all very easy and non invasive, but very important for coming up with final brief. And they nailed it.

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

We were assigned a team of 4 people. Tom Abrams, Director of Digital, Josh Block, Digital Media Designer, Alex Bair, Lead Content Strategist and Reena Bhagat, Digital Account Manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new name, colors, font, and overall vibe have truly encapsulated the company. We will be implementing the name in the coming months and will work with FlowState to create ancillary product and other assets to compliment the work they created. This will be in addition to the original scope of work.

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

The team was extremely careful to listen to our needs and deal with all the questions we had. It was an easy back and forth. It was actually quite enjoyable and we looked forward to our calls every 1.5 weeks (3 calls and numerous emails to nail down the final product). They were super receptive to our needs. And at the same time, which I very much appreciated, they pushed back at us when they felt we were doing ourselves a disservice. They just didn't say no... they took the time to explain why certain options were better than others, while at the same time, when we came up with ideas, they did their best to incorporate them, without harming the end result.

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

It was easy. The communication was great. We all would grab a drink and food with them, if we were in the same city. Super professional, while making this whole process fun and easy. It was daunting for us. A full rebrand, with complete style guide and in a time frame that is aggressive, made us nervous, but the team really brought us in, calmed our nerves and created great work.

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

No. Truly, I was very happy.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a full-service e-commerce company that manages all aspects of e-commerce for our clients. We’re positioned to be an extension of our clients’ teams, managing pricing, supply chain, analytics, strategy, and more. Brands hire us to manage their entire e-commerce portfolios. 

I’m the VP of marketing, handling client advertising and PPC on platforms like Walmart and Amazon. I also work on corporate marketing for our company.   

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FlowState Marketing?

We needed a team that was great at writing content and building websites in a tech-forward space to create our company platform. Despite being in a tech-driven space, we also wanted to appear relational. We brought their team into the project to tell our story through our site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were tasked with telling our brand’s story through our site. Their team created a full-scale website that conveys our positioning, showcases our past work with clients, and features testimonials. The site is about 15 pages that dive into our services. We wanted to be very specific about our differentiating services, so they also built out microsites for the five unique branches of our company.

Additionally, their team built a blog and provided video content through a launch video. They revamped our brand with new colors and a logo, built strategically off our company story.  

What is the team composition?

We worked with a content writer, a developer, the owner, a creative specialist, and a project manager. 

How did you come to work with FlowState Marketing?

Our team was looking for local vendors and heard about their work through word of mouth. They were located a few blocks away from our Denver office. We sent out RFPs to a list of vendors. Their proposal was the best, so we hired them.    

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $35,000.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We collaborated from April–October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re very happy with their work. They added several extra touches to the site that went above and beyond the scope of work. The quality of the site was integral in telling our story. While their graphics and visuals were excellent, they were also great with their copywriting. 

Other web design and development companies actually contacted us after the site went live, praising FlowState Marketing for taking our brand into a tech-forward space. 

Through that alone, we felt like a strong contender in the market. They implemented fantastic, subtle nods to our company’s story without detracting from our tech-forward goal for the site. That went above and beyond.  

How did FlowState Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project manager was excellent and in constant contact with us. When timelines changed, they adapted quickly. We were never in the dark on when tasks would be complete. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They communicated their process and explained their reasoning for making decisions. With that, they accepted feedback from our end. They did a great job listening to us and pushed back when necessary. That was helpful because they’re the experts in the space.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they did a great job. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate at a high level because they can only work with what you tell them. The more you communicate, the easier the project will be for them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Digital Marketing and Brand Manager. We're an HR Technology B2B Solution for executive-level hiring, development, and succession planning. We're a rapidly growing company that helps organizations hire senior management and sales professionals in a trusted, scalable, and digital format.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FlowState Marketing?

Our last website was developed in-house on Squarespace and lacked the scalability needed to continue growing the brand. Our brand was also almost a decade old and the coloring, copy, and styles weren't connecting well with our global audience.

FlowState was brought on to update our brand color palette, copy, and website in a way that would allow us to build trust and authority with potential buyers in our space.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a brand that resonated with a global audience, a website that told our story, and an identity we could take into the next decade with pride.

SOLUTION

How did you select FlowState Marketing?

FlowState was one of the agencies we contacted and presented our potential project to. They were the best as resonating with our goals for the revamp and redesign. We were also under a tight deadline for phase 1 of the website and needed the project to land on our desk sooner rather than later.

Describe the project in detail.

FlowState kicked off the project with a few discovery meetings which involved myself and other key stakeholders. They attempted to identify the essence of our brand that would eventually translate into a refreshed look and feel.

We then moved into a design phase where they took many of the ideas we'd collaborated on and moved them into the design. A few rounds later we reached a look and feel I believe both sides were happy with.

Next was copy, which was a bit of a heavier lift than we anticipated but their copywriter was patient and incredibly helpful in identifying areas she needed our input and copy she believed would resonate with potential buyers.

Once it was all put together we went through a copy round of revisions and comments to help finalize the website we now have today. Now, we're entering phase 2 of the website design to help us expand functionality now that we've identified additional content needs.

What was the team composition?

We worked with their project manager, a copywriter, designer, developer, and other additional staff. The team stayed very consistent throughout the project and that enabled us to maintain a clear vision of our goals, branding, and outcome criteria.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a completely refreshed brand, copy, and a whole new website. The redesign was popular with our domestic and international clients which felt the brand was continuing to innovate and stay modern.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

There were a couple of points where communication or understanding throughout the project broke down. But I was managing executive stakeholders and their team was working with tighter deadlines than we were able to meet. But, once we got into a rhythm and everyone understood turnaround times the project began moving a lot smoother.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

FlowState understands branding very well. Their copywriters know their stuff and are very dedicated to building a clear vision of who your company is and what consumers or potential buyers might want to learn.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There was a lack of understanding of the real customer journey on both sides going into the project (hence, phase 2). I think there's some focus on design over functionality for the client that I believe could be improved upon.

There are just things we're unable to update on our website without more work than might otherwise be necessary.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a brand manager at a healthcare biotech company that develops and commercializes everything from dietary supplements to medical foods and drugs. We also provide ingredients used to develop those products, selling them to B2B customers. I oversee the commercialization of products as well as our corporate brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FlowState Marketing?

They were tasked with helping us redo our corporate brand. We were an early-stage startup that was under new leadership and had just acquired several small companies. At that time, we were trying to figure out our high-level brand strategy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They undertook brand identity from a corporate perspective, taking charge of logos, design assets, and the development of a new website. When we approached them with the work, I provided them with the corporate color palette and a brief of what we wanted to communicate to our customers and audience.

In terms of the design, they had creative freedom otherwise. Returning with a design that reflected our requirements, they opened themselves up to an iterative process. They designed and developed the site on WordPress. 

What is the team composition?

We worked primarily with Tom (Director of Digital) and Reena (Project Manager). They were our day-to-day contacts, but we also interacted with copywriters, developers, and designers. Especially at the beginning of the project, we had larger calls with the entire team to ensure that everyone understood the company and project. 

How did you come to work with FlowState Marketing?

They’re a local agency, and we had heard good things about them from other regional businesses. We reached out to them for help defining a brand identity for the company.

They provided a quote and proposals, finding that they provided high-quality work as a smaller, nimble agency. We felt that they would be able to function as an extension of our team. 

How much have you invested with them?

The development projects cost about $50,000 in total. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from April–October 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The company has a much more established brand than it did before our engagement. Feedback has been incredibly positive, truly reflecting the work we’re doing currently. Internal colleagues are happy with the changes to the site.

We’re also noticing that more customers can find us online through our website. Our old site didn’t mention the B2B end of our business at all, but FlowState Marketing was able to include that on the new platform through a series of lead capture forms. That’s helped different types of customers reach out to us through our site with ease.

How did FlowState Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed well. We’re an early-stage company with a lot of moving parts and differing opinions. Not only did they manage deadlines and communicate, but they were flexible when we needed to adjust something last minute. 

They were always very accommodating of change. The site launched according to schedule, even though we could’ve easily delayed the project with requests for changes. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

This was a challenging time for consistent branding at our company, but they did a great job of quickly understanding our business and the main points of communication we needed. They were much more nimble and flexible than larger agencies, able to roll with the punches. 

They’re very invested in client success. For instance, we had a hard deadline that aligned with an important board meeting. When we were having trouble with our hosting environment leading up to the meeting, they allowed us to host the site on their server until the board meeting was over. They did it free of charge. That level of partnership isn’t always easy to find at an agency. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared with requirements and show transparency with your business challenges. When we gave them insight into things we were facing internally, they could better serve our team.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing partner at Walter’s 303 Pizzeria & Publik House. We’re a local pizzeria with four stores in the Denver area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FlowState Marketing?

We hired FlowState to provide branding services. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FlowState helped us with a branding program to help bring us to an understanding of who our market is. They helped us develop a new and improved logo based on what we already had. They provided additional collateral like new menus as well.  

The team is also completely redesigning our WordPress site, which has included integrating a POS system for our online orders.

What is the team composition?

We initially were working with around eight or nine people on a consistent basis. When COVID-19 hit, we paused our partnership, and when we came back we were working with about three people, including Tom (Creative Director).

How did you come to work with FlowState Marketing?

We started looking for a partner around the time when we were opening our fourth location. We came across some of the work FlowState had done in the area, so we reached out to them. They came off initially as a smart, confident team, so we decided to partner with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent a little under $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2019. We put things on pause for a while during COVID-19, but the work is ongoing again. We’re set to launch the site in about two weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since our site hasn’t gone live yet, we unfortunately don’t have any metrics right now. I can tell you it’s been really enjoyable working with FlowState. They’ve kept us on track throughout the whole process, and were patient with us even when it was tough to meet their deadlines, working around our schedule. 

The best part about the engagement was that we always felt like FlowState had time for us. They were diligent, but also flexible and understanding. 

How did FlowState Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was exceptional. Their ability to keep our projects on track is top-notch, as was their patience. As a restaurant, we have so many variables going on on a daily basis. FlowState was really great at managing us when things fell through the cracks. 

We used Basecamp to track progress. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their patience and ability to understand our business stands out. They became familiar with our daily operations schedule, so they were able to adjust to our needs along the way. 

FlowState also gave us the ability to understand what needed to be done while working with an agency like this. As we grow, we might need to bring on support for larger projects. Now we know how to work with a true branding and marketing agency. We’d work with FlowState again in a heartbeat.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When we first started working together, it was a bit tight and restrained. One thing they could’ve improved on was being available and ready to host us as clients.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared and be diligent about your time and effort. FlowState will work hard to keep you on track, so make sure you understand the timeline process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CFO of Flatirons Field Services, a private midstream company in the oil and gas sector. We have infrastructure assets in North Dakota as well as a chemical and water treating business that operates in several states. We are a growth company, so we are always looking at new opportunities in North Dakota and beyond. We have a team that sources and executes on these opportunities.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FlowState Marketing?

We needed an updated website that looked professional and current. We wanted it to capture the attention of people through good SEO.

One of our challenges was that we have two very distinct operating platforms: the midstream business and the chemicals business. They are very different in terms of how we advertise and approach them from an operational standpoint. However, we needed to represent both of them on our homepage.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They initially helped us out with branding, such as company design and color schemes. Our original logo and corporate design were seven years old, so we really needed an updated look that was consistent with other companies out there that are similar in size to us. 

They leveraged that into talking about how to redesign the website. They worked with us on the language and the key terms that would drive the message of the website. Then, they used that to develop an initial template for the website that we could comment on. 

Finally, they got into programming and coding so that they could develop a functional website. I know that they worked on SEO; I just don’t know how it was embedded into the website.

What is the team composition?

There were two project managers that we interfaced with on a regular basis. Overall, I think there were 4–5 people from their team.

How did you come to work with FlowState Marketing?

My co-worker and I really tackled this website together. He represents the chemical side, and I represent the midstream side. He brought FlowState to us, and it was a competition between FlowState and another smaller company that was focused on the energy industry. That other company bid a much lower rate than FlowState, but what attracted me to FlowState was that I wanted an unbiased, generalist developer to come into our industry. I wanted to have a clean slate.

An energy-specific web designer knows the lingo very well and understands what the rest of the peer group is doing, so that what you get is going to be pretty consistent from a language and design standpoint. There is low risk because you are going to get something that is similar to your peers. I didn’t want something that was necessarily similar, and I wanted an element of new entry into the space. The risk with that is that they might not get the industry, and then it all falls apart. It was a calculated risk, but it turned out to be the right choice.

How much have you invested in them?

It was about $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

September of 2019 was when we launched the early-stage design discussion with FlowState, and our work was finished in February 2020. I would say that they targeted to have it done by the end of the year, but the reason for the two-month delay into February of this year was entirely on our side. We just got busy, and then with the holidays, things rolled into the new year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The homepage was very well done. The site is streamlined and easier to navigate than our initial site, which is a huge improvement. Now, our site’s users can easily go from one of our businesses to another. 

I wanted to have a rolling counter on the homepage that shows how much natural gas we are processing from the midstream standpoint. This is just a visual cue to people in the industry that shows the size of our company and how much business we do. FlowState was able to set that up with minimal interaction from us, and I really like that as something that is viewer-appealing and also unique. You don’t see that with any other industry peer out there. I was trying to go for a blend of consistency with other up-to-date websites in our peer group but also ways to differentiate ourselves.

Our industry went into a very steep downturn right after we launched the website, and then with the Coronavirus, I have been really out of touch with people for the past couple of months. I haven’t gotten a lot of feedback from people outside of the company, but I know that people inside the company like the website. It is working well, and it looks beautiful.

How did FlowState Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

I think it was great. The website overhaul was a lower priority for me; it was important, but we’re a small company that is juggling a lot of things at the same time. I found it very helpful that they were consistent on the timeline and tried to keep us on that timeline so that things didn’t slip into oblivion. In order for them to understand our industry, company, and people, we had a very interactive and verbal collaboration during the first couple of months. Once they began website design, we left comments on different layouts and the wording of various sections. 

One of the interesting things about this engagement was that FlowState didn’t know much, if anything, of our industry, and we didn’t know much, if anything, of what they do. I think a testament to the success of the final product is that they do a very good job of getting up to speed internally on various industries, regardless of their existing knowledge base. Then, they manage that on their end without having to bother the industry folks with website development lingo.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The thing that impressed me was how quickly they got up to speed with our industry. I got the feeling at the beginning that they didn’t know much about the oil and gas sector. I didn’t discount them for that; in fact, that was one of the reasons that I hired them. 

They did a very interesting diligence process to identify keywords and terms that they could then use to populate a very early draft. The language within that draft was almost ready to run. We were surprised by that; we expected to have to coach them and go through several iterations to get them up to speed, but there was not much coaching needed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I had a very good experience with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The advice I would give is to trust their ability to understand the business and also stick to the timeline you set. I think timelines are very important to them, and I can understand why. When you are in the thick of it, you can move much more efficiently toward each successive step because you are in the sphere of understanding the industry, business, and company. What you don’t want to have is a three- or six-month lapse, because then, you have to relearn a lot of that stuff. Make sure you honor the timelines, as FlowState can be very insistent about them. If you do, which we did, you will get a very nice product out of them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Production and Marketing Coordinator at a production company headquartered in the Denver area. We produce corporate events and serve clients across North America.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire FlowState Marketing?

We wanted to redesign the website to include information that more clearly presents what we do and who we are with an updated appearance. While we could have created a basic website in-house, we were looking for something more customized which required outside services.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a website we could easily update on our end, be simple to navigate and represent our company well.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We researched various web designers in the area and narrowed our search down to a few. After holding some interviews and reviewing proposals, we ultimately chose FlowState for their portfolio, offerings and scheduling flexibility.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we officially accepted their proposal, we had an in-person kickoff meeting at their office to align our visions for the website. From there we had calls and email communication to review designs and provide feedback. We utilized google docs to communicate final website copy. The project ended with an in-person meeting at our office.

What was the team composition?

There were a bunch of different people on the team, but I mostly interacted with the Project Lead and the Web Developer. They were both very accommodating when it came to making tweaks to the design and making sure we understood how to maintain our site after it launched.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have heard from people who looked at our site that they found it to be very informative and clear, which was one of our goals.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team was very accommodating of our busy schedules, as this project was occurring during our busy season. Sometimes there were miscommunications and slow response times from their end.

Project deadlines and expectations for various phases weren't always clear to us and the project dragged out a longer than we wanted. That all being said, we were in a busy season and sometimes our feedback was a little delayed. Overall, we were happy with the team and pleased with the end result.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were impressed with the web developer's willingness to spend time training us on Wordpress. And some specific Adobe XD features that would help us maintain the site. They also provided us with the XD files upon our request, as we prefer to have ownership of our assets and we are very appreciative that they accommodated this request.

Are there any areas for improvement?

When initially presented with the design concept, we were only given one direction mock-up as an option. I would have liked to see three very different design directions to react to early on in the project.