The Right Idea
Grafik is a Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia area-based branding and marketing agency helping clients around the globe better understand and engage their audiences in meaningful ways. From strategic positioning and customer experience design to marketing automation and lead generation, we’re here to build and grow your brand. Because your business depends on it.

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Carfax, U.S. Census Bureau, Honda, WTOP

Refreshing an Iconic Brand: C-SPAN
No other entity is so often parodied with so much fondness. C-SPAN is like your straight-laced aunt everyone loves precisely because she is so straight. You don’t want to change her, but you’d love the chance to go through her closet and “retire” a few outfits.
We were thrilled when this stalwart of American media asked us to freshen up their look as they approached their 40th anniversary. The challenge was to ensure that the essence of C-SPAN—what makes them so iconic—remained.
After absorbing their existing research, we conducted internal and external interviews with stakeholders on the Hill, the media, and C-SPAN’s funders. What we found was universal agreement that C-SPAN is more relevant today than ever before, and a desire to see C-SPAN toot their own horn a bit more.
Far more than a single channel covering the House, there’s also C-SPAN2 & C-SPAN3, original programming like BookTV and American HistoryTV, the C-SPAN Radio mobile app and, impressively, an archive—searchable and editable—of nearly a quarter million hours of broadcast video. A new visual identity needed to work seamlessly across this entire landscape—on air, online, and in print.
The most visible part of the refresh—designing a new logo—appears to be a straightforward task. But the art and discipline of balancing letterforms and colors did not take place in a vacuum; it was part of an overall look at their positioning around the 40th year anniversary and into the future.

Intelsat: "Imagine Here"
In 1965, Intelsat launched the first commercial global satellite communications system. Since then it’s been transmitting some of the greatest moments in history for everyone in the world to share. With countless stories to tell, and myriad breakthroughs to acknowledge, Intelsat should be a household name. But a host of new technologies had gradually pushed satellite technology out of the limelight. Intelsat needed to reclaim its leadership position, and it turned to Grafik to help set the foundation for that effort.
Working with executives to support a proposed shift in the business model, strategists at Grafik met with representatives from every division: mobility, networks, media services, and government services, careful to include leaders from a variety of international offices. Our goal was to identify the common threads — the vision that could be shared by all. Additionally, we surveyed technology buyers in a dozen countries in order to understand perspectives on satellite technology, Intelsat, and its many competitors.
Our findings pointed to a solution that elevated the conversation internally and externally. The new brand mantra, Imagine Here, is as much about the potential within Intelsat as it is about the endless possibilities that emerge for customers.
Grafik pushed the color palette and developed a brand identity that focused on the reliability of Intelsat technology and the opportunities it affords. The rollout continues today as the organization prepares to launch globally, but already, the new brand is building excitement and enthusiasm across all corners of the enterprise.

Vantage Data Centers
Data centers are just big rooms with racks of servers, right? Wrong, that’s like saying a Lamborghini is a fast car. Data centers today are the superstructure enabling the technology that flows out to consumers and securely keeps major entities functioning.
When Vantage Data Centers came to us, they were a regional, West Coast data center provider. The leadership team had a clear vision for becoming a leading global provider to the market they served: hyperscalers, cloud providers and large enterprises. They asked us to help present an entirely new Vantage to the world.
We immersed ourselves in Vantage’s re-tooled level of expertise and evident new spirit by conducting deep-dive interviews with the leadership team, third party industry analysts, and clients.
We chose to march under a single word that summed up the shift from what they had been to the global player they had fast become and were building on at all levels every day: Ready.
Every page of the new Vantage Data Centers site had to reflect this well-coordinated move to the leading provider of hyperscale data center expertise worldwide—that meant all new messaging, a new consistent look, and the ability to grow as new locations were added across the globe. And it was all done in both English and French.
Vantage Data Centers’ approach to power, cooling, sustainability, operations, and locations positions them as the go-to partner for the introduction of major technical advances—a fact we drive home at every customer touchpoint. Proven, it can sustain customer success for the long run. Flexible, it can be implemented across the globe and adapt to evolving client needs.

An Enhanced UX for Good Days
Every day, people with chronic conditions find hope in new treatments, only to be shocked by costs that are simply too expensive even with insurance. Thankfully, co-pay assistance charities like Good Days raise money to pay for what insurance won’t. Good Days turned to Grafik to make it easier for everyone—patients, caregivers, pharmacies and donors—to find, and offer, life-changing help.
The site had to empathetically tell the story of what this charity does, and at the same time make it easy to get—and give—the help that can decrease suffering and extend lifespans for the chronically afflicted. We even supplied a new mantra that summed up this dual mandate: effective compassion.
Our solution was to Design user journeys that take visitors to the right information—from diseases to medicines to Good Day’s expert Patient Care Navigators—based on a quick and simple self-assessment of their specific needs. We created and leveraged personas to inform the IA and user journeys of the new site. A new messaging platform guided site content, and also helped Good Days staff going forward as they continue their outreach to caregivers and corporate donors. Users found the navigation simpler to use, and a new set of icons supported the text for quick access to highly visited pages.
The persona-based UX delivered the goods for Good Days. Year over year figures for the first month* the site was operating yielded a 109% increase in sessions, 189% increase in users and 56% increase in page views. More than simply an increase in page views, we tracked the pages visited and discovered a 321% increase in the pages housing the “diseases covered” content, critical information for patients that also frees time for Good Days Patient Care Navigators to go deeper with their patients.

Northbank
Philadelphia has more rowhouses than any city in America; more than 400,000. But when two renowned builders came together to breathe new life into a former industrial site on the Delaware River, it was with a vision to expand on that historic rowhouse fabric and deliver a new kind of neighborhood. Plans for 35 acres of thoughtfully designed townhomes, condos, retail, and public green spaces offer a unique combination of waterfront amenities and close proximity to vibrant urban areas.
With several years of construction ahead, Grafik developed an overarching brand identity for the neighborhood that could serve as a foundation throughout the life of the project. The name “Northbank” helps to locate the neighborhood geographically—north of downtown and above the Ben Franklin bridge—and denotes that the area is bigger than a single residence, or a small collection of homes. Northbank feels established. It is part of a town. Where Philadelphians reconnect with the water. Where locals are eager to come home.
Introducing Northbank to prospective homebuyers during a global pandemic meant diverging from our typical real estate playbook and leaning more heavily into digital marketing than ever before. We worked with the project’s builders, architects, and sales teams to tell the story behind this thoughtfully designed community through a brand video, online advertising campaign, and an interactive website, culminating in a well-attended virtual grand opening that led to over 50 home sales in just the first eight weeks.
The state-of-the-art sales center and collateral package we designed for Northbank helps prospective homebuyers experience first-hand what makes this place so unique, from the thoughtful contemporary architecture to the panoramic river views.

Tower Oaks
For over 15 years, we’ve worked with regional builder EYA to bring dozens of walkable urban developments to market in the DMV.
Most recently, EYA’s leadership came to us with a unique challenge: to create a visual identity for a new community it was building in Rockville, MD with Pulte Homes, a national builder with its own brand aesthetic. The new identity would need to operate under one unified look, feel and experience for prospective buyers.
We developed a community identity and messaging platform that was distinctive enough to stand out from the surrounding developments, exciting enough to depict the unique lifestyle residents will enjoy, and broad enough to credibly represent the two builders that spoke to young families, professionals, and empty nesters alike.
The launch campaign spanned two new websites—the first provides an overview of the Tower Oaks community, while the second offers a deeper dive into the EYA townhomes product—as well as a sales center experience, sales package, and merchandise.
The neighborhood opened to much fanfare, with robust sales that are at pace to exceed expectations. This new visual system brings together the strong equity both real estate brands offer, as well as a lifestyle unlike any other on the market.

Shady Grove Fertility: "A Better Approach"
The New York City fertility center marketplace is a crowded one. With several well-established and well-known names already operating, how do we make Shady Grove Fertility (SGF), one of the largest and most successful fertility centers in the country, stand out as a new player?
A competitive audit revealed that lush photography of adorable babies and families was ubiquitous—who wouldn’t be enchanted? But what set these photos apart from each other? We purposely chose to lead with a different creative approach that starts with an understanding of the emotional toll that comes with trying to conceive.
After interviews and focus groups with patients and physicians, it was clear that while every fertility journey is different, everyone has received well-intentioned but useless advice while seeking answers. For those ready to begin treatment—our primary target audience—the inadequacy of this advice is both obvious and annoying. They’ve even tried some of these “folk remedies” out of desperation. They’re now ready for real science and medicine that gets results—carried out with heart and humanity as only SGF does.
In addition to the :30 spot, we created a series of paid social and digital display ads introducing SGF to the NYC market. All drove to a landing page housing the full length campaign video and a call to schedule an appointment at the new location.
Word-of-mouth referrals, in tandem with the paid campaign, resulted in a wave of website visits and user-generated testimonials from patients.

Driving Awareness For Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Awe-inspiring advances in the treatment of cystic fibrosis have added tomorrows for thousands now living with what was formerly seen as a pediatric disease. Our long-time client, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, plays a major role supporting both patients and the scientific community. CF clinical trials are key to continuing this progress—but with a patient population of fewer than 35,000 people across the country, enrolling patients in the hundreds of ongoing trials is difficult.
The Foundation built and hosts a powerful tool on its website—the clinical trial finder. But awareness of the finder, and of the importance of participation in clinical trials, needed a boost. Leveraging the foundation’s unique commitment to a collaborative approach in seeking the ultimate cure, we created the multi-media Trailblazer campaign. Highlighting the importance of trials, it recognized the entire community’s role—from patients to supporters to researchers. We also focused on the surprising number of trials, and the ease of researching them thanks to the trial finder.
Key performance indicators centered on increased use of the Clinical Trial Finder—more traffic to the finder, greater time spent on the Clinical Trial Finder page, and more “Ask About Participating in This Study” submissions. In just over a month, the campaign shattered the goals.

Alliance for Automotive Innovation
Personal transportation technology is advancing at a rate unequalled since the birth of the automobile. Cars are no longer expected to simply get you from point A to point B—they’re now expected to park, check the temperature, and even preempt an accident.
So when the nation’s two largest auto associations came together to form the single most authoritative voice of the industry, our challenge was to help them build a new brand focused on creating a transformative path for sustainable industry growth.
This new super power was set to represent the manufacturers producing nearly 99% of cars and light trucks sold in the United States. They just needed the look, feel, and messaging to properly communicate that to the world.
The brand video we created for a symbolic launch at CES spoke to both members and legislators about the storied history of the automotive industry, its current present and bright future focused towards ground-breaking innovation.
The integrated campaign introducing the new brand featured outdoor billboards in key auto markets, digital display campaigns and a VIP launch party for members and stakeholders at CES. Early campaign results feature high audience engagement on both the organization’s new website as well as social media channels.

ICD - Taking Short-Term Investing Further
If short-term investing seems counterintuitive to you, that’s because you’re probably not a member of a corporate treasury team. Treasurers know that wise short-term institutional investments of cash can have a real impact on bottom lines while still maintaining the liquidity needed for timely acquisitions that support corporate strategy.
Founded in 2003 by people who saw the need for an easy-to-buy, easy-to-sell channel wholly independent of the banks offering these investment products, Institutional Cash Distributors has always remained true to its founding principle—one that Grafik surfaced in a simple Mantra: Treasury First.
Over the years, ICD refined their offerings, consolidating services through a robust portal and ensuring follow-the-sun support to serve a truly global client base that includes the world’s best-known brands. To reflect their ease of use and technical expertise wed to high-touch service, a new, modern-yet-friendly logo was created, leveraging the color palette already well-known to their current customers. In addition, new brand assets and the introduction of a photography style were applied to a reimagined website and all marketing materials.

Wealthspire
It began with two distinct wealth management firms: one, a vibrant young company focused on growth, and the other a well-established institution led by a single visionary individual. Bronfman Rothschild and Sontag Advisory were both highly successful, client-centric organizations with tremendous experience and expertise managing exceptional wealth and the myriad challenges it often presents. Both were eager to write the next chapter of their corporate story. Enter a third entity, NFP, a nationally-recognized insurance broker that had recently acquired Sontag. When leadership from these three prestigious brands came together, they envisioned a remarkable opportunity to create a best-of-breed advisory, and they turned to Grafik to direct the strategic effort.
We began by identifying the common threads across these organizations to determine how best to develop a brand foundation that everyone would embrace. Additionally, we sat with the leadership of NFP to understand vision and expectations for the new entity. Our comprehensive study of the two firms, their cultures and their competitors led the Grafik team to recommend a new brand name, Wealthspire, intending to capture the aspiration of the firms and their clients. We captured language that was familiar to both teams and built an identity that celebrated the best of both worlds. Ultimately, we delivered a brand strategy that framed the merger of two powerful firms and laid the foundation for future brand touchpoints.
With the new identity solidified, we took the existing digital presence of each entity and brought it together to tell a cohesive and consistent story on a new website. We mapped a content strategy and migration plan to support SEO efforts and to re-introduce Wealthspire as a thought and market leader.
Since launching in October, bounce rates have decreased by ~10%, users and sessions are up 150%, and session duration is up 28%.

Uniting a Family of Companies for Van Metre Homes
When one the most well established real estate companies in Northern Virginia was looking to align its many divisions under a stronger parent brand, it came to Grafik. Van Metre made it our task to unite its various teams, and clearly articulate value across every business unit. In the course of a comprehensive rebranding initiative, we established a new brand architecture, positioning and digital strategy, messaging platform, and visual identity. The powerful brand and go-to-market programs we developed effectively communicate Van Metre’s commitment to its customers, employees, and the communities it serves.
Fundamentally, our efforts focused on showcasing the ecosystem Van Metre had created over the past 60 years. Deeply rooted in Northern Virginia, this family of companies includes new homes, apartments, property management services, commercial real estate development, lending, and considerable philanthropic efforts. We established a framework for richer storytelling—a narrative that built on Van Metre’s proven track record and its longstanding commitment to the region.
Refining the founder’s signature was just one of the many herculean efforts we took on at Grafik. Once the leadership team approved an evolution of the logo that captured the spirit of the late Al Van Metre, the team set about to create a look and feel for the visual identity that included a system of icons and colors unique to the local market. The final brand identity underscores the notion of a family of companies, and ensures each sub-brand stands out within its own industry.
We're proud that this work was a 2020 winner of the REBRAND 100 Awards!
For more information, check out our case study here: https://grafik.agency/case-study/van-metre/

Branding A Tech Startup, Capella Space
How do you reach customers from space? That was the challenge facing one of San Francisco’s brightest startups. Grafik helped out by establishing a clear path to prospects.
Led by some of the most brilliant young minds in the space industry, Capella had been carefully considering every facet of their newly designed satellites and running countless tests to ensure their successful launch and deployment. But the startup hadn’t stopped to think about who they were, what they were enabling, and how they were shaking up the market.
After extensive interviews with Capella leadership, VCs, customers and partners, and competitive positioning exercises, we realized that the story is not in space, but the effect on Earth. This angle allowed Grafik to articulate “a new perspective” for the startup. We developed a new brand and messaging strategy to introduce prospective customers to the myriad commercial, and affordable, uses of space-based technology.
With this in mind, Grafik created a brand and messaging strategy built on Capella’s groundbreaking approach to earth observation. We designed and developed a new website to drive awareness of real-world applications in everything from agriculture to infrastructure to disaster recovery, explicitly addressing the needs of core personas identified during strategy. For the site’s brand video, we let the team’s passion and boldness come through to bring the Capella story to life. The video has received over 6,000 views and counting.

Place Branding to Connect The D.C. Riverfront
Buzzard Point is a historic Washington, D.C. landmark, the final jewel in the crown of the Capitol Riverfront Community—the District’s fastest growing neighborhood.
With beautiful new residences, retail spaces, open-air markets, and an active shoreline still many months away, Grafik used the grand opening of world-class Audi Field to launch our place branding campaign this summer.
Online, in signage, social media, and PR, we leveraged its deep history and bright future to bring the inspiring vision of Buzzard Point to life.
Festivities around the inaugural D.C. United game at Audi Field meant plenty of reasons to post invites, reminders, and schedules for fans wanting the latest news. It was also the perfect chance to capture new neighborhood followers. We made certain the Buzzard Point branding was prominent in all of them.

Building A Brand Architecture For EYA
Highly esteemed by fellow developers, local civic leaders, and more than 4,000 homeowners, EYA has always been a successful company. But when its leadership came to Grafik, our strategists suggested a major shift in the way EYA was doing business. Rather than marketing each property individually, we believed the key to success in the long term was a powerful overarching brand.
Our research led us to recommend a new brand architecture that would allow every neighborhood to retain its individuality while delivering on a consistent brand promise. EYA would offer homebuyers more than just a new home—it would offer a one-of-a-kind lifestyle.
Today, when EYA reviews a proposed property site, one question is always asked: Does this site embody the mantra? If it doesn’t offer “Life Within Walking Distance,” then there’s no deal. It’s that simple. Our rebrand has helped EYA become more focused, more thoughtful, and more successful.
Designed to underscore the brand mantra and highlight the newest neighborhoods, the new corporate site serves up the most relevant locations through geo-targeting using mobile GPS or IP data.
Grafik has played a critical role in developing identities for EYA neighborhoods since we began working with them nearly a dozen years ago.

Movella: Bringing Meaning to Movement
From manufacturing motion sensors the size of a grain of sand to creating advanced applications for myriad industries, one company is immersed in every facet of movement. It all started when motion sensor manufacturer, mCube, acquired a leading motion capture company that serves the film, gaming and live entertainment industries, as well as autonomous vehicle systems and industrial motion control. Next came the acquisition of a biometric data company focused on helping elite athletes reach their peak performance and avoid injury. The synergies between the firms spoke to a world of possibilities, and immediate opportunities across Asia, North America and Europe. With so much potential for rapid expansion into new markets, it was critical for the new company to have a powerful brand.
Our comprehensive strategy tackled positioning and brand architecture — how industry-focused technologies should be presented to audiences. It began with an immersive research and discovery phase, including extensive interviews with employees and leadership. We identified alignment across company cultures, offerings, and clients to create a brand promise that was authentic, credible and distinctive. Built from the predicate that measuring movement is key to understanding a world of constant motion, we positioned the new merged firm as the entity that brings meaning to movement.
Creating a name that could be trademarked and used worldwide required deep and rigorous vetting, both from the legal standpoint and from the aspect of any associations the name may have in different languages across the globe.
The new name, Movella, clearly focuses on movement, cleared all hurdles for use worldwide, and was embraced by all those anxious not to lose the cachet of their former company names as they introduced existing clients to the new brand. Making their job simpler was the visual identity that captured, without words, the dynamism and purpose of Movella.
Reviews
the project
Research & Branding for Private Defense Company
"Grafik did a phenomenal job making of us stand out in the market."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the VP of marketing and communications for a private defense company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Grafik?
We wanted to elevate our brand in the market and share more of the transformation story of the company’s recent years.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Grafik did a research and discovery phase, talking to people in various levels and positions within the company to gain a fuller understanding of our needs and desires. They refined their initial concept once they finished that phase.
They then did brand recognition, graphic identity, and brand elevation and refresh. They also provided creative ideas, did logo repurposing and consultation, conducted market research, and went through ideation. They kept enough elements from the old brand so people would recognize it.
What is the team composition?
The account manager is my main point of contact, but there are roughly 15 teammates across the integrated spectrum of services they provide who have interacted with me.
How did you come to work with Grafik?
Using Google and word of mouth, we did a competitive search for a branding partner. Grafik was recommended, and we considered them along with four other companies.
In the end, we felt they showed the deepest understanding of the defense industry and a knowledge of what we wanted to accomplish, and we liked the innovative, forward-thinking ideas they presented.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent $500,000–$1,000,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working together around January 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We launched internally first, and then externally in September 2020. Internal feedback has been excellent; employees love the graphic identity and branding they created.
They feel that it’s a better reflection of who we are. There has also been increased use and requests for our various formats, templates, and Microsoft Teams backgrounds.
Externally, we’ve seen exponential gain; website traffic has more than doubled, applications for employment, downloads, usage, and requests into our marketing collateral have increased, and PR requests have improved. Grafik did a phenomenal job of making us stand out in the market.
How did Grafik perform from a project management standpoint?
The account manager does an excellent job, keeping things on task, and responding to new tasks and requests. We use a collaborative tool that allows me to see the deliverables and planning process and to comment.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re excited about what they do and are committed to their work product being of high quality for the success of my business. They are a collaborative partner for us, and I like their approach of explaining ideas, internalizing our feedback, and embracing it in the deliverables.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I believe they need to scale in order to accommodate the increasing demand of their clients. There have been a few times when responses to requests have been delayed. Perhaps they need more resources in place to prevent such delays.
the project
Full Rebrand for Nonprofit Media Organization
“They’re a company that we highly respect, and we will continue to keep them in our arsenal of companies to work with.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
We’re the VP of marketing and the VP of communications at C-SPAN, a not-for-profit media organization based in Washington, D.C. We provide the public access to unfiltered government proceedings across multiple platforms. C-SPAN is primarily a television network, and we have three channels—C-SPAN, C-SPAN 2, and C-SPAN 3—that broadcast proceedings uninterrupted, with no commercials, commentary, or analysis. We’re funded through license fees paid by television providers—cable and satellite companies—that put us in people’s homes.
Technology has allowed C-SPAN to move beyond television; we have a very robust presence on the internet, including a website that streams live coverage. We also have an archive of more than 250,000 hours of the American democratic process dating back to 1987, all of which is free and available to anyone in the world. Our radio station is local in DC, but our radio networks and podcasts are also available online and via apps. We have an extensive outreach effort through C-SPAN Classroom, a free membership program that tens of thousands of teachers have joined to utilize C-SPAN resources, such as videos and lesson plans that we create to help teach civics, history, and government.
What challenge were you trying to address with Grafik Marketing Communications?
We were approaching our 40th anniversary and needed a fresh, clean look for our forward-thinking, multi-platform brand. C-SPAN hadn’t changed its logo in around 30 years, and, as we began preparing for our anniversary and positioning ourselves for the future, we didn’t want to look like a dated company.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Our work with Grafik Marketing Communications has evolved over time. The focus shifted from the logo to the entire brand, as it quickly became apparent to us that we needed to redo our messaging, such as how we talked about and presented ourselves. From there, it evolved even further to be not just our main brand but also all of the brands and networks that fall under C-SPAN, such as the other two C-SPAN channels, our book TV program, C-SPAN radio, c-span.org, etc. What started as a smaller project became widespread across our entire company brand and all of our platforms, evolving into a much larger project.
Grafik Marketing Communications began their work with us by interviewing all of our key constituents, internal team members, and people who were important to our industry. Externally, they talked to people on Capitol Hill and journalists who used our program or were parallel to our program. From all of those conversations, they garnered an understanding of how people viewed C-SPAN. Then, they asked us how we wanted to be viewed, so that they could see the difference between public and internal perception. Beyond the initial interviews that they did, Grafik Marketing Communications participated in some of the research we were doing internally. They used that research to understand how we needed to evolve and in the talking points they created for us.
Once they understood what we needed to change, they built where we needed to go directionally with our brand. They pushed our brand and messaging toward how we wanted to be viewed in the future. Grafik Marketing Communications did multiple logos across all C-SPAN properties and sub-brands. They did messaging and created communication plans. As a non-profit, boasting our brand isn’t in our nature, and they taught us how we could essentially toot our own horn. They proposed a way for us to explain ourselves to young audiences in a way that would resonate with them and help them understand the unique role that C-SPAN plays in the media marketplace.
At the time, there was so much dissension in media; people were choosing sides. This was a good opportunity for C-SPAN to showcase our position right down the middle as a trusted resource. Grafik Marketing Communications helped us craft the language that we used in promotional campaigns, from five-word taglines to much longer paragraphs and general statements about us. We also had them do a video for one of our campaigns.
How did you come to work with Grafik Marketing Communications?
We put out an RFP to five companies and quickly narrowed that down to three. Those three vendors came in to pitch and present to our chairman, CEOs, and the two of us. Grafik Marketing Communications had the most prepared presentation by far. They presented what they saw for C-SPAN, whereas the two others didn’t do much upfront work; instead, they showed us ideas they’d done for past clients, requiring us to imagine what they could do for C-SPAN. Grafik Marketing Communications even had a video pitch, which wasn’t something we’d asked for.
From the beginning, Grafik Marketing Communications came in with a clear understanding of who we were. We were impressed that they put in so many hours ahead of time. This spoke to their dedication and willingness to be committed to our goal.
How much have you invested with them?
Our company spent between $100,000–$250,000. We didn’t do ad buys through them, as we do this internally, but other clients would likely use their services for that.
What is the status of this engagement?
We put out the RFP in the spring of 2018 and began working with Grafik Marketing Communications in September. The bulk of the release came on March 19, 2019, the date of our 40th anniversary, on which we introduced the new logo, messaging, fonts, and color variations. We completed the campaign by June 2019.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
C-SPAN has been around for 40 years, and we’ve always been hesitant to use outside vendors because we operate in a very different sphere than they’re used to. However, Grafik Marketing Communications recognized from the start that C-SPAN was different and unique. They took the time to listen to us and approached us in a way that heightened our comfort level regarding how they’d work with us and ultimately help us with the messaging. They didn’t try to fit us into the same peg that they would for an insurance company, or even another media organization. The team seemed genuinely intrigued and motivated by the fact that we’re different, and we felt good that they were paying us so much attention and adjusting their efforts to match our interests and needs.
Their work generated a lot of excitement internally. Most of our staff has been at C-SPAN for quite some time, so it was energizing to have a bright, colorful, contemporary, and unified look across the entire company and in all of our products. Our funders and television providers saw their work as a good thing as well. They don’t generate revenue off of us, so they want to find value in supporting a public service such as C-SPAN. We received so much positive media attention from Grafik Marketing Communications’s work, and from that, funders and television providers got credit. One of the spots we created had branding at the end that tagged cable affiliates, and those affiliates ran the spot as free cross-channel promotions. It was a huge gain for us that these funders and affiliates got credit for carrying C-SPAN.
Just recently, C-SPAN was recognized as one of the three finalists in Brandweek’s rebranding category for campaigns. We had no idea how the project would unfold when we started it, so to go from there to being recognized as one of the top rebrandings in the country was a huge positive. Although it wouldn’t be solely attributable to rebranding, we’ve had a banner year in terms of growth. Increased engagement and number of followers on social media platforms has exceeded all of our expectations for growth this year.
How did Grafik Marketing Communications perform from a project management standpoint?
Grafik Marketing Communications was terrific in terms of communication. They also kept to the timeline, even when we made it challenging and continued to add different projects. A six-month time period was a fair timeframe going into the project, since we had just planned to do some modest changes, but it became pretty intense as we continued to expand the scope. We were so excited by the things we were seeing that we expanded the work across all of our platforms and sub-brands; we saw this as a real opportunity to position C-SPAN for a much stronger future by making our brand identity more contemporary.
The people at Grafik Marketing Communications were our favorite part of the process; they were easy to work with and pleasant, and they engaged with our product in a way that went beyond expectations. We have nothing but positive things to say across the board about their people. While we consider ourselves pretty organized and capable of accepting new challenges, I don’t think we could appreciate the extent of what was going to happen when we began this project. However, Grafik Marketing Communications knew, because they had the experience. Their organizational skills kept us focused on the right things. They helped us make decisions to get things done by March 19th, proving to be efficient and effective guides in working our small group through the process. It was a high-stress period of time, and Grafik Marketing Communications kept us calm, happy, and on track. They gave us lots of options, from the logos to the messaging points. We did various rounds of proposals, during which everyone from our top executives down had a chance to go back-and-forth with Grafik Marketing Communications, expressing what we liked or disliked and what we thought resonated.
The best thing we can say about Grafik Marketing Communications is that we’re continuing to engage them. They’ve helped us with at least two other smaller projects, and they’ll continue to do so. They’re that easy to work with.
What did you find most impressive about them?
We were very impressed by their ability to understand us and our marketplace; they really did their work upfront and got to know who we were. We’re a broad-thinking media organization, driven by our mission to provide the American public with unfiltered access to things. They put themselves in our shoes so that they wouldn’t interfere with our mission or pollute it with partisan messaging. Grafik Marketing Communications was well-rounded in serving both our marketing and communication needs.
Are there any areas they could improve?
There isn’t much we can think of. The toughest challenge for them was probably that they hadn’t done much work with a television company. All of the work they did had to be suitable to several platforms. However, we ultimately got there.
Any advice for potential customers?
Share with them as much as you can about yourselves. Trust them, because they have a really good handle on how to help clients.
the project
Rebranding & Marketing for Home Builder
“They are one of the most thoughtful firms I’ve ever worked with.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
Van Metre is a homebuilder of condos, townhomes, and single-family homes. I am the VP of marketing.
What challenge were you trying to address with Grafik Marketing Communications?
We started a rebranding effort for the entire company and for each division. We wanted to differentiate ourselves and tell our unique story. I joined the company partway through this initiative, and Grafik came on at the beginning. The project was designed to give a voice to our new homes division and to illuminate our values as a local company that has been in business since 1955.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They did a top-to-bottom reboot of our website design and content, brought HubSpot into our backend to help with marketing, lead flow, and lead generation, and did a lot of independent community branding. The backend content management system is built in Pimcore, and is one of the biggest changes for us. We had thousands of images and content blocks that needed to be structured.
Each community within our network has its own individual page, with its own look and feel, theme, and storyline. Each page is unique, with individualized word marks to match.
What is the team composition?
Our main point of contact is their SVP of client services. We also work with two of their principals: their head of client strategy and a creative director.
How did you come to work with Grafik Marketing Communications?
They were hired before I joined the company, but I know they were selected because of their breadth of experience in other industries. Our leadership wanted an agency that didn’t focus solely on real estate or home building that could bring a different perspective to our brand. Their creativity, strategic ideas, and scope of work were all factors in hiring them.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent $1.5 million–$2 million.
What is the status of this engagement?
Our collaboration started in August 2017 and is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We get great reviews, especially within the real estate community. Agents always comment on how easy our site is to navigate. Information is easy to find, and our SEO is one of the biggest changes they’ve made.
Everything they designed is an improvement upon the old site. People look at us differently, and recognize us as a stable company in our area. The site shows both our longevity and our local presence in the right way. They have an amazing insight into what a consumer wants and needs, and they’ve shown our brand in a very different light.
How did Grafik Marketing Communications perform from a project management standpoint?
Their project management was great, and they were upfront about deliverables and issues they found with our old legacy site. We emailed back and forth quite a bit, met in person all the time, and used Basecamp for part of the project. They were very solutions-oriented, and it was refreshing to get their reports on what they had found and how they planned to fix everything.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They are one of the most thoughtful firms I’ve ever worked with, and they consider both the rational and the emotional sides of the customer journey. Not only do they care about our brand, they care about our community. We’re a very philanthropic organization, and they help with our charity events and attend our grand openings. They’re truly invested in the company and want to make sure our brand is showcased properly. I’ve never seen so many people from an agency attend a grand opening event before.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I would love to see them bring photography and videography in-house. Their creative directors have an amazing eye, and it would be nice to have that level of talent within the agency, without needing to contract a third-party photographer.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Let them go through their discovery process. They’re very thorough, and it’s worth every hour they spend. It was one of the most important things they do, and it will have an impact on the success of your project.
Grafik delivered a unique brand identity that better reflected the business, and their work received both positive internal and external feedback. This resulted in improved website traffic. In addition to being responsive, the team is an enthusiastic partner who is devoted to the project's success.