Funkhaus

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Sr. Producer of McGarrah Jessee

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Independent, full-service brand development and integrated marketing agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Funkhaus to accomplish?

• Web development to overhaul agency website
• Easy-to-manage website backend
• Launch new agency branding

SOLUTION

How did you find Funkhaus?

Online Search

Why did you select Funkhaus over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Funkhaus were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We employed Funkhaus to build a refreshed agency website, showcasing a new look & feel for the brand, with the goal of bringing to life a unique & ownable digital presence that showcased our agency culture & values in a timeless, yet modern style (while also building an easy to manage CMS). 

Key deliverables included:

• Discovery & Wireframes
• Site Design
• Front & Backend programming
• Shopify integration
• Accessibility review

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We successfully launched a new site with all scoped features & functionality, with the final site far exceeding our expectations. Since launch, hosting & maintenance services are ongoing. Approaching launch, the process was seamless throughout reviews & QA. 

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

Overall timeline & key milestones were clearly outlined from scoping phase throughout the project. Adjustments were made, as things came up or as additional time was needed to complete reviews & secure approvals - each time both teams were in close contact and aligned on expectations. 
Funkhaus was extremely receptive to our feedback and coached us through the process of identifying goals & objectives for the new site, with helpful guidance on what could or could not be accomplished. Project managers made themselves available as needed, even visiting us in-person for project kickoff (which was greatly beneficial!). 

What was your primary form of communication with Funkhaus?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Funkhaus was exceptionally focused and in-tune with the spirit of what we were trying to craft, translating our 'wishlist' into reality and breaking down the steps to get there along the way. They helped us define & execute our brand's personality into digital form. They were fair partners, clear and concise in their communication, but more than that, they were an incredible cultural fit. Both teams meshed seamlessly, making our collaborative working sessions and reviews enjoyable and something to look forward to. They knew how to 'speak creative' and made all our stakeholders feel heard and valued. 

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

Nothing - could not ask for better partners. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Principal Visual Effects Director of Hyphenate

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Driven by detail and obsessive expectation, Hyphenate bridges all aspects of post production, from visual effects to color correction and editorial, under one streamlined roof with an eye on optimization and reliability.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Funkhaus to accomplish?

• Branding Refresh
• Marketing

SOLUTION

How did you find Funkhaus?

Neighborhood Reachout

Why did you select Funkhaus over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

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

1. DISCOVERY & STRATEGY:
   • We start every project with a 1-2 hour Kick-Off, followed by a deep-dive research phase to audit your brand legacy and the competitive landscape.
2. IDENTITY EVOLUTION:
   • Round 1: We’ll take your existing logotype and logomark and explore their sizing, kerning, and the lock-ups. We’ll consider ways to improve upon the “H” mark, and generally clean up or adjust the weighting. We’ll propose any improvements we see to provide you with some option. This round will be presented alongside collateral mock-ups to showcase how these updates could live in application
   • Round 2: We’ll take the winning designs from Round 1 and begin formalizing the system around them - supplemental fonts, colors, and art directed collateral concepts.
3. FINAL DELIVERY & BRAND STYLE GUIDE:
   • We’ll package all the approved brand elements into your Brand Style Guide to serve as a keystone for brand use. This will include guidance around:
     • Logo usage & recommended sizing >  Specific colors, dimensions, lines, accents, inclusion of trademark, brand signature, image styles
     • Color palette usage (web & print color specs)
     • Supplemental font parameters for headline, sub headline, paragraph styles
     • Do’s & dont’s for brand usage
     • Creative direction for collateral application

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The entire brand refresh aligned seamlessly with a new ground up website build we were doing.

We also worked with Funkhaus to help define some of the decision making on the frontend design of the website as well, which they did as an extension of their service with no charge.

The social media and marketing they have been doing with us over the past quarter has had an incredible impact on brand awareness and engagement, something I never anticipated for us or really had interest in doing. The team has a solid expertise in this field and everything about working with Funkhaus just feels familiar and personally catered. We love the entire team at Funkhaus!

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

They were incredibly responsive to critical feedback and came back to the table with new solutions that were above and beyond. Everything was always on time and their communication is unmatched. We never felt as though we weren't being taken care of.

What was your primary form of communication with Funkhaus?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They make you feel like we're one big collective team, like they are an extension of Hyphenate and vice versa.

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

We think Funkhaus is doing everything right!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Managing Director of company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We're a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating community for those impacted by stalking and its aftermath, changing society’s perception of this dangerous, violent, and often invisible crime, and making meaningful change at the legislative level.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Funkhaus to accomplish?

• Rebranding
• Developing boilerplate language

SOLUTION

How did you find Funkhaus?

Referral

Why did you select Funkhaus over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from Funkhaus were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Our non-profit needed help with a cohesive brand identity that could adapt to our changing needs. We also wanted help creating boilerplate language that encapsulated our mission and used a more authentic voice than traditional fundraising jargon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Funkhaus developed a new, streamlined logo for us along with adjustments needed for various applications of it. They created a design template that met our primary goal of showing engaging pictures of individuals that obscured their identity in non-traditional ways. We integrated their language into our website, deck, and fundraising materials and have felt more confident using phrasing that matches our identity, voice, and values.

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

Funkhaus was on top of deadlines and had materials to us when they said they would. They addressed any questions or concerns in a timely manner and were able to redirect their focus as elements of our project evolved and our needs shifted.

What was your primary form of communication with Funkhaus?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

We very much appreciated having such a large team in our initial meetings as we wanted feedback from a large range of people. While our day-to-day communication was more streamlined, it was great knowing there were many minds at work while still being clear who our point person was.

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

Not that I can remember

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive for the House of Taylor, a company within the House of Taylor Trust.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Funkhaus?

We were in need of a website and social media management.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The website was built from scratch, and we believe they used WordPress.

Funkhaus currently manages our social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and most recently TikTok. They track our follower engagement, brainstorm content, and create associated graphics and captions. They also manage Facebook and Instagram stories and reels.

What is the team composition?

Our point person on the social media front is the head of content for Funkhaus. There are three other people on her team. 

How did you come to work with Funkhaus?

They were recommended to us by another firm that we were working with. We had a meeting with Funkhaus and decided to move forward with them. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our SEO ranking has improved, which was a goal of ours. We’ve also had a regular and steady increase in followers since they started managing our social media. 

How did Funkhaus perform from a project management standpoint?

They meet deadlines, manage their time well, and send us reminders when they need things from us. We meet weekly and have regular emails with them throughout the week. If we have any specific project-related questions, we can get in contact with our point person very easily. 

They send out calendar invites with Google Meet, and we use Google Drive for commenting and sharing documents. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are the first and only firm we have used for any website and social media management. We’ve never had to look anywhere else because they do an excellent job for us. 

We appreciate their thoughtfulness and commitment to understanding the values that we find important in our work. They also do a great job of communicating those values through our social media. When we give them feedback, they’re responsive; they do their best to accommodate anything that we need from them. Funkhaus is a joy to work with, thoughtful, and brings a lot of passion to their projects.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re hard-pressed to think of anything that they could improve upon. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clearly lay out your goals and ask for advice. The relationship is a two-way street; you should come prepared with your own perspective because that helps them do a better job.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of the ness. We are an international fitness method focusing on trampoline cardio and muscle sculpting.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We are a small business that has been bootstrapped from day one, so we started with a self designed square space and pieced many booking, shopping, and video integrations into it.

While proud of our ability to do it ourselves, we grew at a fast rate adding multiple revenue streams as well as more digitally native products. We then decided we needed a better home base to help showcase these products, drive conversions and integrate different booking platforms and subscription models with an e - commerce sections.

There was only so much we could do on our own, so we tasked Funkhaus to completely re - vamp our site and create a bespoke Wordpress to house all our offerings on one site.

SOLUTION

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

We talked to three vendors, but ultimately Funkhaus had the best bedside manner. They didn't judge us for our budget, they listened and respected where we were coming from and helped us envision where we could go.

They were responsive and flexible with their proposal and their past work had a beautiful and understated elegance that was polished but not stuffy and simple but immersive.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

• develop a unique brand story around the trampoline workout and approach to wellness that needs to be properly translated through our digital home 
• design a website that will serve as a platform for The Ness to continue that growth now and for years to come.
• architect an easy-to-use interface that will serve up the site contents quickly, providing constant calls-to-action for visitors to “join” or “request more information.”
• Shopify will be employed as the e-commerce component to power the shop. We’ve engineered a seamless integration that enables Shopify to speak directly with the WordPress content management system.
• adapt to every environment such as desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile.

The website user will see one unified website with no delineation or link off-site for the store, and the client will benefit from Shopify’s highly-iterated commerce platform.

By building the site on WordPress and leaning on existing technology like Shopify, Mindbody, and Vimeo OTT your team will be able to easily update and manage your website content.

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

A project manager was our main point of contact and there were 3-4 other developers/designers on our project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Clients loved the updated design and now have a better understanding of all our offerings.

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

They were A+ with communication and timelines. We met all our deadlines and they even helped pivot to integration a new booking software in the 11th hour.

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

They took the time to show us how to use everything on our own. Most companies would send you off the deep end so that they can continue to bill you for every little thing you need help on. They really set us up for success.

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

No - we can't wait to work with them again.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I own a small production company. We provide commercial video production and post-production services. We also create branded web content.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Funkhaus?

Last year was unusual due to COVID-19, so we wanted to do something positive and rebrand our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Funkhaus rebranded our company. They also designed and built a new website for us.

In the beginning, we had some really good introductory calls with them so they could learn about our company. We had some basic ideas of what we wanted to do, but we trusted them and gave them the freedom to do something that would evolve our company in the right direction and revolutionize what we were doing.

For the site, they added a ton of little details that I'd never seen before on other sites. They implemented extremely original and unique elements like a scrolling play button, a split-screen where part of the screen is a still image and the other part is a moving picture, and other unique assets.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 4–7 people throughout the project. David (Creative Director) was heavily involved in the branding process. The team size changed depending on the stage we were working on.

How did you come to work with Funkhaus?

I've known about them for many years, and I’ve always looked at their work. They seemed to be an industry leader in our business. I saw the work they did for a big firm over five years ago, and they remained in the back of my head for future work since then. I also have a strong relationship with one of their content people through our children.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2020. They first worked on our branding, and then they started developing our site, which was finished and launched in February 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were blown away by Funkhaus’s work since the first website presentation, and we hardly gave any notes on things to change.

I’ve received the best feedback from our directors and our clients — it's been very positive all across the board.

I’ve seen an uptick in business in the last couple of months as well. I can’t measure if those results are directly related to their work, but I’ve certainly noticed that our team feels much more confident in pushing the brand now.

How did Funkhaus perform from a project management standpoint?

Their management was mostly great. We had regular meetings to go through our schedule and check on the designs, the branding, and the website. Our communication was mostly through email exchanges.

What did you find most impressive about them?

People that run this business are creators, and what they created for us couldn’t have been better. We got the best experience with the branding book and the guidelines, and the website and its functions — I won’t work with anyone else if we need to redo our site in the future.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing that would be nice for them to change is to have a written-out scope in a calendar form. We're very accustomed to calendars and specific deadlines in our business, and that would allow them to pay more attention to deadlines as well.

Any advice for potential customers?

I don't know anyone who is anywhere nearly as good as Funkhaus, so if you’re looking to work with them, you’re making the right decision.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Anna Musky-Goldwyn: I’m a co-founder of Political Playlist, a political news platform. We are non-partisan and focus on members of congress who are under the age of 45. Our goal is to spotlight young politicians that the public is relatively unaware of and engage voters of all ages, but specifically young voters. We do this by showing them that there are young people at the federal level of government who they can relate to and are fighting for the issues that the next generation of Americans is going to face.

We highlight those republicans and democrats to deliver information that doesn’t feel inflammatory and that isn’t playing into the repetitive news cycle that people might be watching or reading on a day-to-day basis. A lot of our news comes from local sources, press releases, social media accounts, and things that a lot of average voters and citizens don’t come across in their daily news consumption.

Anthony Barkett: I am the other co-founder of Political Playlist.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Funkhaus?

AB: When Anna and I came up with this idea, we reached out to a couple of firms similar to Funkhaus to talk to them about how we could bring this idea to life.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

AM: From the very beginning, we wanted the platform to feel very design-forward, so before we even approached Funkhaus we thought about what our social media presence might look like and put together a very preliminary design deck.

One of the things that we were really impressed with and inspired us about Funkhaus was their incredibly design-forward approach. Politics is usually a very unsexy arena to enter, and they made it feel accessible. Additionally, they amped up our design ideas to create something visually appealing that will help people engage with the information we’re delivering.

From the beginning, Anthony and I knew we wanted a custom matching feature on the platform, and Funkhaus took it in stride. The best comparison I can make is online dating. We threw a survey up on our website (Funkhaus helped with its structure) that pairs the user with five young politicians who speak to the issues that they care about. Funkhaus developed the backend algorithm to do the matching. They designed the feature beautifully.

AB: We are currently still working with them. Though we mostly update the website ourselves, they help manage it and have been teaching us how to keep everything operating correctly. We are hoping there will be some future development phases for the platform as well. We speak with Funkhaus twice a month to focus on those issues coming forward.

AM: They also provide their recommendations, as we’re operating in a startup environment. They’ve been very helpful when it comes to problem-solving.

AB: They helped us design the entire website, how we feature certain things, how it looks, and how things are sent to our users. The whole experience with the Funkhaus team has been phenomenal on our end.

What is the team composition?

AB: We worked with Rick (Design Director), who was mostly focused on web design.

AM: Rick’s twin brother Drew (Technical Director) did all of the backend algorithm work and dealt with the politician matching feature. Nick (Director of Client Services) has always been our main point of communication. Dylan (Operations and Client Development), who works with Nick directly, has also been incredibly helpful in terms of the day-to-day questions we have.

How did you come to work with Funkhaus?

AM: A friend of mine is a freelancer, and she gave us a list of several places that she’d worked with and liked, and we met with a few of them, including Funkhaus. We’d also come up with a couple of choices independently. I’d known my friend for a long time, though, and trusted not only her design sense but also her ability to assess a place’s efficiency. We also followed up and did some independent research on our own by looking into the projects the firms had worked on.

AB: When we met with them the first time, there were examples of their work that we really loved on their website. We told them that we wanted that type of energy for Political Playlist, and definitely helped achieve that. When we came in, their pitch showed us how they could bring it to life.

All of these people are great to work with, and when we did meet with other firms, Funkhaus’ vibe really stood out. They treated us very respectfully and didn’t condescend. They were very straightforward and trusting as well. That is really why we decided to go forward with them too.

How much have you invested in them?

AB: Our budget was about $60,000.

AM: We now have a small monthly fee of a few hundred dollars that we pay for all the extra help that they give us.

What is the status of this engagement?

AM: Our initial inquiry was in September 2019, and we’ve been working together since December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

AM: I would say that the first thing is really the design because that’s what people see when they first log onto the website. Funkhaus is integral in helping us make poppy content out of subject matter that isn’t very poppy.

On weekly basis, if not daily, people talk about how beautiful the site is. They think that the graphics are amazing, the color scheme is so inviting, and ultimately that the site just feels really cool. On top of that, the survey element took a lot of brainstorming between us and Funkhaus, and it’s really our marquee feature because it allows everything to be customized from the feedback that we get which is such a huge draw. People talk about how user-friendly the survey is and how we managed to compact a lot of information into a very quick experience. I think the design combined with the UX being very simple has accounted for a big bulk of the feedback that we get.

AB: I absolutely echo all of that. We said that we wanted to make politics sexy, and I think we’ve really achieved that with this site. Design and functionality have definitely been two of the top things in people’s feedback.

How did Funkhaus perform from a project management standpoint?

AM: Now that the site has launched, we have calls with them every couple of weeks. They sometimes have a couple of things to bring up, or we might have some questions or tweaks that we want to make. Both Nick and Dylan are really responsive, which has been very helpful because we are teaching ourselves to operate the backend of the website through WordPress. There are lots of little nooks and crannies back there that we don’t know about, so the fact that we can email Funkhaus and receive an answer from Nick or Dylan within an hour is amazing.

AB: They’ve been extremely responsive throughout this whole process. Rather than treating us like a client they needed to finish up with, they put a lot of effort and thinking into the work, questioning us on how the website would look to the user. This was very helpful to founders like Anna and I who had never developed a website before.

What did you find most impressive about them?

AB: We had a really positive experience with them. Funkhaus was one of the few groups that we met with that really invited us in and energized us on our idea. This was very important because we wanted to work with someone who loved what we were doing. I look at this as a partnership, and they’ve made it very easy. There haven’t been many times that we have been upset with them during the process.

AM: What Anthony and I wanted to do wasn’t simple. We had a vision, but given each of our backgrounds, we didn’t know what technical elements were required to execute it. Other potential vendors either quoted us an insane amount of money that we couldn’t afford or presented with more less technical options but didn’t capture what we really wanted.

When we went in for our first meeting with Funkhaus, it was like we were already working together. They had so many ideas on how to execute what we wanted. It took a couple of conversations to land on what exactly we were going to do, but we left that first meeting inspired and energized. Funkhaus put an enormous amount of thought into our vision and goals, and we definitely didn’t get the same from other options. We really hit the ground running with Funkhaus, and it didn’t require a lot of back and forth. They were committed from the get-go.

Finally, in this initial phase of launching the platform, they have been very respectful of the fact that we can’t throw money at everything. They are really creative in how we can make the platform as wonderful as possible without having an incredibly swollen budget. We’ve been really grateful for that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

AM: They are a relatively small operation compared to some other agencies and because of that, they are constantly talking to one another — everyone knows what’s going on with the project. During COVID-19, however, there were a few times when we were hoping to have something the month before and we didn’t. Within that time when things were late, however, they were always communicative, and we were never left hanging.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

AB: Start with Nick. He was our first contact there, and he’s great. He really helped handle the process for us.

AM: Take advantage of their creativity and be open to them building your idea. We didn’t really know what we were looking for, so don’t feel like you have to have everything figured out. They can definitely help fill in the blanks.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a project management company for construction. We represent several clients all over the world, particularly focused in the US. We have offices all around the country, with a small office in London.

We do the owner’s representative work in terms of project management, working directly with clients who own the property or development. We represent them from day one to completion, appointing architects and builders. We’re responsible for budgeting and scheduling for projects for different industries, including hospitality, medical, and government.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Funkhaus?

We’ve used a number of software systems to help us manage the process for construction, and we didn’t find anything suitable for clients. There’s a number of systems that benefit the architect and contractor. Still, it’s hard to find an auditable system that only has the clients’ interests and facilitates the team to perform well.

We wanted to create something that would meet that need and allow us to perform at the very top end of our services, but also good for clients to have visibility on the process.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Funkhaus built the system from scratch, including the design and visuals. It’s a cloud-based system, available for an iPad or mobile, that stores information. It also helps us run key performance metrics for anyone that’s involved in the team.

We’re in charge of running the system for the client, but they get access to everything. It allows us to invite team members, like builders and subcontractors, to the system as they’re onboarded onto a project.

What is the team composition?

In total, we work with five people. There are others behind the scenes, but I didn’t personally meet with them. I believe they also worked with one of their partner companies for development.

How did you come to work with Funkhaus?

We’ve been a fan of their work for quite some time. I know Drew (Founder & Technical Director) through a mutual friend. Their company is branded well, and they’re a young company with their head switched on.

When we met with them, they elevated themselves above everyone else. Funkhaus was by far the most impressive group. They understood our concept immediately, delivering quickly on their promises.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Funkhaus started in February 2020. It will be ongoing for many years as we build upon the system and maintain it.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within four weeks, we had a system up and running that was already superior to what we felt was in the market. Now, we’re building on it regularly, improving it with additional features.

We’re already generating revenue with our most important clients. It didn’t take a lot to sell this system to clients once it was operational. Being in construction where technology is notoriously slow and behind the times, it’s far superior to anything I’ve seen. It was easy to sell to clients with a quick demo.

If any issues or bugs come up, they’re quick to respond. The value speaks for itself.

How did Funkhaus perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very communicative. We would meet face to face when we could, but if not, we would jump on a Zoom. I know they’re busy, but they would always make time for us, which we appreciate.

When something was outlined as an improvement that needed to be made, they’d be very clear about the steps they needed to take and the timeline. They hit every deadline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The pace at which Funkhaus works is impressive to me. They have a creative design eye. They’re also honest, which is an essential factor. They’ll tell you how it is straight, whether you like the answer or not. When they give dates and budgets, they stick to those.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d like to see their business scale up and grow—nothing bad to say about them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Meet with them face-to-face. Funkhaus brings honesty and integrity, which is huge in my business. Don’t be afraid to listen to what they say to you. While you might not like something initially, be open to what they’re telling you. Be guided by their expertise.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of development at PRETTYBIRD. We’re a production company that makes commercials, branded entertainment, and music videos. We also have interactive content, as well as a sister company called Venture Land, which is a creative development arm. They create original IP including episodic content, TV shows, and feature films.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Funkhaus?

We already had an existing website that another company had built but it was very dated. It was functional but lacking in design. As a company that’s all about presentation and selling our art directors — we have a roster of filmmakers we represent — we needed a new set of eyes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve gone through two rounds of websites with Funkhaus. The first was in 2012 and then we did another redesign with them in 2015. They helped us with everything, including design and programming, on both iterations on the site. They were both involved with coming up with an aesthetic that best represented our brand and the actual programming of the site.

Since then they’ve done identity work for us including redesigning our logo and coming up with identities for a couple of other divisions of our company.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Nick (Partner & Partnerships Director) and Dave (Partner & Creative Director), the two partners in the company, and I’ve also worked with Dylan (Operations & Client Development) in his project management role. Dave and Nick are my two main contacts.

How did you come to work with Funkhaus?

After our first website, we knew we needed someone who was stronger from a design perspective. We started looking up websites that we liked and found Funkhaus. They had an aesthetic we liked and they seemed like the right fit after a couple of calls with them. Their experience working with other commercial production companies attracted us to them.

How much have you invested with them?

The first redesign was around $31,000 and the second, which included a complete rebuild of the website and additional functionality, was around $57,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June 2012 until August 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With both websites, and especially with the 2015 site, we started to see some knockoffs. Other companies would borrow our functionalities and design elements, and this let us know we were onto something.

We’ve also gotten a lot of positive feedback from clients. I can’t speak to exact analytics but we’ve seen an increase in visitors with each new build. One of the big features in the 2015 redesign was a newsfeed on our homepage. It doesn’t sound that innovative but we were piping in social media feeds from Instagram and Twitter accounts of the directors we represent. A lot of our creatives are celebrities in their own right and we wanted to create a hub where fans can keep track of all of our creatives. This has certainly had a hand in our increasing traffic.

How did Funkhaus perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great. We’ve done some other side projects since, and we wouldn’t be working with them if we didn’t have a great rapport with Nick and Dave. Early on we had some in-person meetings to do our first website but since then we’ve mostly worked over phone and email.

We vibe with them on a personal level and trust their design instincts. They have a great eye and understand our brand and aesthetic. It’s always super easy to work with them. We have high expectations and are very particular about our brand image so we give lots of specific feedback but they’ve always embraced it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a really strong design aesthetic. I follow all the work they do and am constantly tracking other sites they’re building to see what they’re working on. The fact that they work with so many other production companies and agencies in our industry speaks to their creativity. I think their motto is “The creative shop that creatives go to,” and there’s a lot of truth to that. I think it speaks volumes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As someone as interested in web design as I am I noticed a lot of the little things other people wouldn’t. I’ve noticed certain of their trademarks across websites they’ve designed for other companies in the industry. Remaining unique and creative is a challenge for any designer, and especially so when you’re working with numerous companies within a given industry.

We’re definitely going to reach out to Funkhaus when we need to design our website again, but one of the challenges we’ll give them is to make sure that our site feels unique to PRETTYBIRD.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Lift delivers filmed advertising content services in Mexico. I am the managing partner for the international advertising division.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Our goal was to re-position The Lift's brand as the foremost production service firm in Mexico and to elevate our marketing and communications strategy to better encounter our clients' culture, needs, and voice.

The projects for which we hired Funkhaus were:

• Website development
• Brand positioning and designing collateral
• Marketing and communication strategy
• Editorial and content creation
• Community management
• Hospitality and customer journey consulting

SOLUTION

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

We consulted with our most trusted clients and looked at the best production companies in the US (at the time some were our client's others were not) and who had developed their website, one name consistently came up: Funkhaus. We didn't even have a second choice, we knew it had to be them.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

We wrote a detailed brief with everything we had in mind as the project scope of work, the two big items were the rebranding and the new website. Funkhaus was then able to re-articulate our brief and come back with a perfect proposal for us which basically involved re-building the brand from the ground up in terms of identity, design, and marketing strategy.

Nick and Dave flew to Mexico a couple of times to really dive into what we were all about, they were as invested in the project as we were. In the end, the process had to do more with building a new and strong brand identity as well as a unique voice to engage in meaningful conversations with our clients.

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

Over the years we must have worked with over a dozen people at Funkhaus. Nicholas (director of client services) and David (creative director) have always been at the center of our relationship. We have also worked with operations managers, content creators, community managers, editors, designers, and programmers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Since relaunching our brand and website in 2014 we have seen exponential growth in leads and sales. Leads have consistently gone up over 35% from year to year and sales an average of 30% yearly. We were also able to capture our desired client scope and are now working for the top 30 production companies in the world.

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

They have always followed a very clean and detailed project management style, which includes deadline calendars, work plans, rollout stages, and exceptional customer service. They have always delivered every project we have done together in time and form.

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

The personal relationship that we have built over the years. We don't see Funkhaus as a vendor, we see them as an important partner. Also, their impeccable taste when it comes to design and how they apply technology in a subtle and seamless way into everything they do.

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

I can't think of any.