What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The project is still in early phases, but the work they’ve produced so far around brand ideas and logo design has been very impressive. The Jake Group doesn’t show you 30 options; they’ll show you five excellent options. From there, they’ll start a conversation and tweak the best option for your specifications and requirements.
Our clients really appreciate and enjoy the current website, and I think they'll be very excited about the new one. Our clients have provided a huge amount of positive feedback saying that the website is very clear, provocative, and showed our depth of experience. We were very pleased with that.
How did Jake Group perform from a project management standpoint?
Their team is incredibly communicative, which is very important to us. They keep us updated throughout the project and always meet deadlines. They’ll always be forthright about any issues, which are usually due to something on our end. Their process is very tight. Other than occasional timeline data, all updates are sent to us via email.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Anneli has been involved in every aspect of our project. She's the person we initially met and hired, and she's the person who's still working with us. I know she relies on her team, but she provides input on everything they do. That's the same way that we aim to grow our businesses. When people hire us, they know that our partners and I are doing a lot of the work, and that's something that's very important to us.
Additionally, they have a very high level of technical expertise. They know all the marketing strategies, but they also have very effective business minds. This allows them to translate our business objectives into something marketable. I know they work with a lot of different types of business, and their experience really translates into their work. Anneli has a great eye for design and all the other things you would expect, but she's a businessperson, and that's something we value greatly. She’s done a great job moderating our partnership dynamics in helping us determine the direction of the project.
Are there any areas they could improve?
We’ve been incredibly pleased with the engagement. Marketing and design are very subjective, and I thought it’d be impossible to ask someone for three logos only to be satisfied with one in particular. The work they’ve done has consistently proven that they listen closely and understand our goals. There really aren't any areas of improvements that stand out.
The redesigned site is more modern and sophisticated and, as such, has been well-received. Jake Group’s consistent communication, responsiveness, and ability to work collaboratively make them a valuable partner. Their quality deliverables set them up for an ongoing engagement.