Freshmade

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing and innovation for Frieda's, a family-owned specialty produce company. We sell our products to most of the major grocery retailers across the country.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Freshmade?

Freshmade originally came on board for a brand refresh. Since then, we’ve ramped up their involvement on a number of new projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Frehsmade has had a hand in several projects over the past few years, including a website redesign. They also did some reconceptualizing around our social media, which they ran for a few months before producing and delivering a playbook, so that we could manage the accounts on our own. They provided similar services with our video and photography campaigns.

Further, the team revamped our B2B materials, including our sell sheets and other materials we give to our buyers to encourage them to buy our products. We’ve done a number of other, smaller projects together as well. 

What is the team composition?

I typically work with five people from their team. Vanessa (Partner & Director of Partners and Clients) manages our account, though Dave (Partner & Executive Director) and Russ (Partner & Creative Director) are some of my main points of contact as well. Carina (Multimedia Designer) has worked on photography and recipe development, and we’ve worked with Elayane (Social Media Manager) on our social media accounts. 

How did you come to work with Freshmade?

Freshmade was with my company when I came on board.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Freshmade in April 2018, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Freshmade’s work was one of the main reasons I joined the company. The website portrayed a fun brand with a unique, vibrant personality. They’ve really helped invent the current personality of our brand. Because of that, the team is so invested in our company that they engage wholeheartedly in projects. The team is really able to think about our brand and how we’re trying to communicate it, and what they can then do to convey it. Since they invented the brand, they understand it better than anyone else. 

We hear from clients all the time that they love the look and feel of our brand. The materials look great; it’s clear Freshmade has a great sense for what consumers like.

How did Freshmade perform from a project management standpoint?

It became very apparent very quickly that Vanessa is more than just a typical account manager. She’s very strategic and creative herself, so when I present our challenges, she really understands how to overcome it and move our brand forward.

When we’re actively engaged in projects, we have a weekly status meeting.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Freshmade really cares about us—they’re invested in our success. We’re not just another paying client to them; they’re part of our family. It makes all the difference.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Having such a creative partner can be a double-edged sword—sometimes, they have a tendency to see things their way, so we have to have a conversation to get them to see things our way or open up to realities. That said, we’re glad they’re able to start from such a creative place, rather than us having to challenge them to come up with better solutions.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My philosophy with any agency is that you peak the second time. The first time you work with them, you’re getting to know them and they’re getting to know you. By the second project, you’ve worked out the kinks and understand each other better. So, I would recommend giving Freshmade a smaller project first, so that you can ramp up really quickly to create something bigger together the next time around.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of business development for a food production company. We’re a grower, importer, processor, and distributor of specialty produce. We distribute to major retailers throughout the nation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Freshmade?

We initially approached Freshmade to help us create packaging for one of our clients. From that engagement, our professional relationship grew as they helped us define our own brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, Freshmade helped us refresh our company’s identity. They’ve supported us in defining our company as a leader in our segment with an organized brand identity. In addition to that, we’ve started our own retail brand, and Freshmade helped us create that identity as well. 

We’ve also engaged the team for website creation and development.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with several members of the Freshmade team, including Dave (Partner & Executive Director), Russ (Partner & Creative Director), Vanessa (Partner & Director of Projects and Clients), and Hillary (Project Manager). 

How did you come to work with Freshmade?

They were recommended to us by someone in our industry. Their offices were close to our headquarters, so we decided to interview them. We clicked right off the bat and were impressed by their portfolio, so we decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $200,000–$1,000,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with Freshmade on an ongoing basis since November 2001.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we began our relationship, our goal was to frame our company as a professional organization that merited business with large, well-established organizations. Today, we have an enviable list of clients that include some of the biggest names in the industry. Further, people in our industry approach me on a regular basis with compliments on the quality of our brand presentation. 

How did Freshmade perform from a project management standpoint?

We keep in touch consistently with Freshmade, holding regular meetings both face to face and over the phone.

Freshmade is a collaborative, informed team. However, they don’t force their opinions on us. If we give recommendations, they try to work within those guidelines unless they feel we’re going down the wrong path.

What did you find most impressive about them?

From our first engagement, we were very pleased with the quality of Freshmade’s work. They provided us with an excellent range of high-quality options. Ever since that first brand iteration, we’ve had several refreshes and relied on the Freshmade team to bring each of those to fruition. In fact, we’ve met with other providers along the way to see if their pricing and design elements were in line, and each time, we returned to Freshmade.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Freshmade is currently in growth mode. Right now, they’re great at fulfilling everything we throw at them, always rising to the occasion when they’re not familiar with something. Sometimes, though, as they branch out into new sectors, it can take some time to perfect those. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You’ll have a good experience partnering with Freshmade.