Killian Branding

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Executive Director of Child's Voice.

Our mission is to empower children with hearing loss to be successful in all educational and social settings by optimizing their listening, speaking, and academic skills.

We provides services being at birth through age 8. We provide support for our graduates in their mainstream schools. Our students wear hearing aids and/or cochlear implants. All use spoken language.

For what projects/services did your company hire Killian Branding?

It was time for new branding. Killian designed a new logo and marketing materials. They created the unique look for Child's Voice.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed to update our original design from when the program was just opened. We needed to be child/family friendly. Great and happy successes happen at Child's Voice. We needed that bring that to life.

Young children learning to listen and speak takes hard work on everyone's part. We wanted to celebrate the children's successes.

How did you select Killian Branding?

We interviewed several vendors for this job. Killian came in ready to go. They did their research and captured exactly what we needed--and then some. The creative design of their team and ease of communication made the number one pick.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Child's Voice has had this brand Killian designed for many years. It has the test of time.

They were able to incorporate the smiles of the students and the devices they use right within our name. We use this brand of 'smiley' across all our marketing materials. When you see it at conferences or on merchandise you know it's Child's Voice.

What was the team composition?

There were several people involved in the branding design. They came and presented three layouts. They walked through each and described why they designed what they did. Our final decision was the right one and we knew it at the exact moment we saw it.

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

The unveiling of the brand was a huge success. We have taken a component of the brand and continue to use it in all our marketing. Staff and family members take the brand when they travel. We have our brand across the world.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

This project was completed many years ago. Nothing remarkable stands out. The team was outstanding.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The quality of its work. And impressed it is still around. Companies come and go but Killian Branding was reliable, came in organized and always consistent in the high quality of work they did. The ease of communication and their responsiveness is commendable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We need to go back to them and expand our 'tag' line. A bit of explanation is required.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager of a private membership club with a small plate restaurant. We serve upscale cocktails, boast an extensive whiskey list, and have a talented chef. I handle all the administrative tasks, including social media, marketing, and payroll.

What challenge were you trying to address with Killian Branding?

We needed a partner to help us with branding, especially on social media.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Killian Branding has helped us with various projects, including internal branding like our messaging and core beliefs. They created a tagline for our business—which they trademarked—and unified all our different documents, such as our house rules, membership guidelines, and dress code. We clarified our mission statement and company vision, identifying our desired position in the market and brand voice.

We already had a logo, but they refined it by making it black and gold. For our Facebook page, they created a short 30-second slideshow, and they’ve also worked on our Instagram stories. All the posts are consistent across their look and feel, which is typically gold text on a black background. They haven’t helped with content creation yet since most of that is done in-house, but they help disseminate it. A different company built our website, but Killian Branding revamped it and made it look cleaner. They also set up automated emails to our customer base.

How did you come to work with Killian Branding?

We found out about them through the owner’s daughter, who has a nationally-recognized restaurant.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $18,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in October 2018, and the partnership is ongoing. 

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

They track certain metrics and provide a monthly report to show progress and improvement.

How did Killian Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly calls that last about 45 minutes each. They send the meeting agenda beforehand, and we can give feedback right away.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re incredibly organized and process driven. They think we have a great brand, and they always seem to have someone who can work on any request right away. The turnaround time for most tasks has been less than 24 hours; they’re that prompt.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the first month of our engagement, they didn’t produce much information or many documents. We now know it’s because they were doing things like trademark approval, but they could’ve done a better job communicating what they were working on.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a new restaurant concept in Saudi Arabia, which sells healthy meals in a casual fast food setting; things like sandwiches, salads, and juices.

What challenge were you trying to address with Killian Branding.

We needed help to figure out our branding. More specifically, we wanted to determine the personality of our brand, what we're about, and who our target customer is.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re in the first stage of the process. They produced for us a positioning statement and established our brand. They also worked with us on determining what type of customer we needed to attract. Our customers include typical healthy customers and someone that’s a little bit overweight and looking to eat healthy. However, they found our target customer was neither of these and was someone who more typically eats a Quarter Pounder with a Diet Coke. This type of customer needs to be satisfied and he’s not willing to give up taste to be healthy. Their team identified that if we could get this type of customer in our restaurants, we would be successful. In stage 2, they’ll produce marketing materials and determine the points of contact for our target customer.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Bob [CEO, Killian Branding] and two of his assistants.

How did you come to work with Killian Branding?

I looked for marketing agencies through the U.S. and found the teams on the East Coast were very slick, and the teams on the West Team coast were more relaxed and free-spirited. When I met with Killian, they had good, Midwestern values that made sense. I appreciated their approach and came to the conclusion that I should work with them because of that. They have common sense and a value system that I could understand, and I thought people could understand.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in 2017 and the engagement is ongoing.

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

While we don’t have any measureable statistics yet, we will further down the road. However, we’re very satisfied with the work so far. I’ve worked with many international brands, marketing companies, and they didn’t even come close to them. The deliverables will be available in the middle of 2020. We’re about 5 years out.

How did Killian Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent. Overall, they have a very good approach and bring together all the pieces and present them in an organized manner, even though they’re 10,000 miles away.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m dedicated to working with their team and believe in them 100%.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a small catering company for weddings and corporate events. We have been in business for 10 years. I am the owner of the company and the pastry-chef manager. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Killian Branding?

Our website was old and needed an update.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Killian Branding has been working with us since the start of the company, designing print brochures and ads. Killian Branding created a multipage brochure in a modular fashion, allowing us to take out and add pages as needed. It worked well from a printing-cost perspective. It also allowed us to target different audiences using the same piece, rather than having a different brochure for every section of our business. When we first started out, we were new and offered everything, from events to drop-off catering, cooked meals, and classes. There was a separate page for each of those, so, if we decided to no longer offer a particular service, we were able to do it without remaking the whole printed piece. Killian Branding helped us develop that strategy and designed the material.

Most recently, we've used them to redesign our website from the ground up. Killian Branding updated it according to how our business has changed over the last 12 years—what services we've taken out, which ones we're trying to grow. They’ve made the site more client-focused.

How did you come to work with Killian Branding?

I had mostly worked with individuals before finding Killian Branding. They were the first agency we've used which had everything under one roof in terms of copywriting, design and strategy. I found Killian Branding through the friend of a friend. We met with Killian Branding's team and principal and decided that they were a good fit.

How much have you invested with Killian Branding?

Our projects with Killian Branding have ranged from individual ads to larger scopes, like the website redesign. An average project costs around $5,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Killian Branding at the beginning of 2005, even before our business was started. We have an ongoing relationship.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We have kept our own metrics using Google Analytics. We're getting many more form submissions on the website, which is great. It's up to us to convert them into actual events, but getting more traffic is great.

How did Killian Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

Killian Branding's owner has been my main point of contact. For small updates, I can also reach another manager and get responses right away.

What did you find most impressive about Killian Branding?

The overall focus on our brand involved cohesive thought around what we were trying to offer, rather than on making it look pretty. Killian Branding stuck to the same branding for all our material, helping make it more cohesive.

Are there any areas Killian Branding could improve?

Not that I can think of.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a board member of a Chicago-based non-union theater company. We have been around for 10 years, producing theater shows for events and children.

What challenge were you trying to address with Killian Branding?

We needed to have an organization rebranding. The website was severely outdated, our branding was unclear, and we needed some help with a complete overhaul.

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we initially reached out to Killian Branding, we discussed the rebranding of our organization, with an understanding that the project would be presented to our board of directors for approval. Killian Branding attended one of our board meetings and presented what they thought we needed, which was a huge help in getting the project greenlit. The work included a new logo, new messaging, a new website, and a new mission statement.

How did you come to work with Killian Branding?

We approached a total of 4 candidates in order to obtain proposals from each business and give our board of directors an idea of the variety of quotes and offerings. We inevitably chose Killian Branding.

How much have you invested with Killian Branding?

The cost of Killian Branding's work will end up being between $30,000 and $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Killian Branding around February 2016. The first proposal meeting took place in January of that year. We are still working with Killian Branding on designing our new website. During my time as a board member, we haven't worked with any branding companies other than Killian Branding.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

It's a bit hard to measure results this early in the game, given that we've just launched our new look in terms of a logo. Also, the new site isn't live yet. We also haven't incorporated our social media threads into the branding effort.

In terms of board response, we have found the logo to be much more professional. We’re excited with our new direction. We're optimistic about Killian Branding's work and its impact on our current and new members. 

How did Killian Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

Killian Branding has been fantastic. They're very organized and have held us accountable. One of our struggles came from being a board trying to run a company. Everyone has a second job and other time commitments. Because of this, there have been times when we passed certain feedback deadlines set by Killian Branding. They have been great at working with us and understanding our challenges. Because we're a theater company, we also didn't have a huge budget, so we needed to organize the entire project in phases. Killian Branding was helpful in prioritizing tasks in a way which we could afford.

What did you find most impressive about Killian Branding?

Killian Branding is committed and invested in our organization, its work, and its goals. The very fact that Killian Branding's owner came to one of our meetings in order to present the proposal in person has shown real motivation and investment in what we're doing. For the last year, I feel that their investment in our success has remained strong.

Are there any areas Killian Branding could improve?

Not off the top of my head.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

‎ I am the general manager of EuroFurniture. We are primarily a retail furniture business but we also service architects and interior designers. We have a brick-and-mortar facility in Chicago with a 40,000 square-foot showroom, as well as a website through which we service accounts throughout the US.

What challenge were you trying to address with Killian Branding?

We were rebranding our main website, eurofurniture.com; our retail store European Furniture Warehouse; as well as the catalog business, European Furniture Importers. After the 2008 crash, we had pulled back on all of our advertising. After being in survival mode for a couple of years, we decided to bring in a branding agency for help. This is where Killian Branding came in.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Killian Branding came up with a new logo, a new tagline, and a new direction for our company. Their involvement allowed us to ramp up and restart our advertising. Killian Branding brought all of our companies under 1 umbrella, namely EuroFurniture, giving us a common voice and theme across all platforms.

We mainly engage in Google pay-per-click ads, Facebook ads, and direct mail advertising. We also have a catalog which is distributed to trade clients. Killian Branding is in charge of putting that catalog together and organizing it. Anytime we need some creative work done, whether it's an online or printed banner, we go to Killian Branding.

How did you come to work with Killian Branding?

We interviewed several different firms for the rebranding process. We preferred dealing with a local agency in Chicago in order to have face-to-face meetings. We also wanted to work with a smaller agency instead of a large one that would assign us an intern or some sort of underling. We felt that our concerns wouldn't have been heard as clearly in that situation. With Killian Branding, our personalities matched. We sat down with their principal and some other people in the organization and were most comfortable.

How much have you invested with Killian Branding?

The cost can vary from 1 month to another, depending on what we're working on, so it's a hard question to answer. In 2016, we spent over $30,000 on Killian Branding's services. We have an hourly contract with Killian Branding. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Killian Branding around 2010 for our rebranding effort. Killian Branding continues to handle many of the creative aspects of our advertising.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Our brand has become more cohesive with what we do. Our retail store used to be named European Furniture Warehouse, which gave it a connotation of being a discount place. In fact, we offer high-end, mostly Italian contemporary furniture. With their logo and branding, Killian Branding brought us into the new millennium. We went upmarket quite a bit as a result. Overall, I would say that we've had a successful partnership with Killian Branding.

How did Killian Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

Killian Branding performed excellently in this regard, offering good communication. Anytime we needed a project from them, Killian Branding delivered on time and on budget.

What did you find most impressive about Killian Branding?

We appreciated being able to reach Killian Branding's principal, as well as the open and relaxed atmosphere for brainstorming and bouncing ideas off of each other. Killian Branding made an effort to understand our business and goals instead of offering set solutions which are made to fit into whatever the customer wants to do.

Are there any areas Killian Branding could improve?

No agency can be everything to everyone, so Killian Branding should stick to what they know best. They've come to us with some other services like client management. We appreciated having new ideas brought to us, though.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Killian Branding?

Clients should be open and honest regarding their expectations and needs, which will help everyone.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a manufacturer of soft-sided insulated cooler bags, primarily used in the food service industry.

My role is human resources [HR] but I take on other special projects such as licensing and I've been working pretty closely with Killian.

What challenge were you trying to address with Killian Branding?

We acquired the business in 2010 and our name was TCB Manufacturing. Nobody knew what TCB meant or how that related to our products. It was outdated and irrelevant, our website was awful and we didn't have a brand message. We needed help to become more visible, more differentiated from our competitors, and more urgent to our prospects.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We also work with a lot of schools and startup companies and TCB Manufacturing meant nothing to anybody. We wanted to be updated, but we also wanted to show that we were still an American manufacturer who made quality products. Killian helped us come up with our whole branding scope of our name, our mission, and our vision. They still help us all the way across the board with social media, email campaigns, and just getting us up to date and relevant in 2016. We've become visible, differentiated, and urgent.

How did you come to work with Killian Branding?

Our continuous improvement director was the one who found Killian and made initial contact. We were looking at two companies initially. We were working with a local company that was doing website design for us. We found out that we needed to get to the root of the problem, which was that we needed to rebrand our entire company.

We talked to a couple of different companies, and we found that Killian was small but very efficient and able to answer any question that we had. They were very quick with turnaround on anything that we asked. We just felt very comfortable with them, and we met their whole team. They came out to visit us here in La Porte, Indiana, and we just hit it off. They give us options and allow us to make decisions but steer us in the right direction and tell us what to lean towards. Ultimately, they are the experts and we look to them for their expertise.

How much have you invested with Killian Branding?

Over $50,000 and under $100,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started with Killian in September/October 2015 and the work is ongoing. We rebranded and launched January 1st, 2016 and we became sevenOKs. We were on a tight deadline because we wanted to relaunch in January 2016 and we did. It was an unbelievably, almost impossible deadline that they hit.

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We had a poor social media presence before. No one was maintaining it. We had no real connection with any of our customers. We now have a social media presence. We have email campaigns and a measurable way to see what works and what doesn't work.

We use marketing automation now. We reach out via email campaigns, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; we didn't have any of that before. Now that we have that, we can see what works, what doesn't work, and what customers' feedback is. We're getting forms filled out. We're starting to do e-commerce. There are lots of things that have been working and we're moving in the right direction.

How did Killian Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

They're experts. Bob Killian has the right people with him. Every different area that we work with, there's an expert in that area and they let you know what to do and how to move forward. It's been really great.

What did you find most impressive about Killian Branding?

I can say honestly that everything that Killian has done for us has been unbelievably above and beyond what we thought they would do. They're wonderful to work with.

Are there any areas Killian Branding could improve?

Not that I know of right now.

Please provide a description of your company. 

My company is MPA Healthcare Solutions. We are a health care analytics firm, using data and analytics to improve the quality of health care across the country.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the vice president of business development, so my job is to look at different ways we can take our set of skills and apply them to the various sectors of the health care sector.

What was your goal for working with Killian Branding?

The work we do is very analytical, very data driven, and that’s not very inviting necessarily for the average client. So, the challenge we faced was how do you take something that can be very dry, and make it more accessible to our potential customer base?

Please describe the scope of their work.

Killian Branding did a complete overhaul of our website. They completely changed the look, the dynamic, even the feel of it, so that it would be more welcoming, easier to navigate and, frankly, easier to understand.

Beyond that, more than just doing the technical piece, they also helped us with our brand’s messaging strategy. They took our outreach efforts from a dry business proposition to a discussion of values. Not necessarily economic values, but human values that would go along with our brand. So, they brought in a more human element while emphasizing the values that would drive people toward us.

What was your process for selecting Killian Branding with which to work?

We used our network. I found Bob [Killian, CEO of Killian Branding] through a referral from a colleague who works at a hospital here in Illinois. We requested RFPs [request for proposals] from three companies, one company was a very technically proficient young company that could put together a website that would be very functionally appropriate. Another company had a seasoned team, and had developed a nice efficient process.

However, Killian Branding offered expertise not only with the website, but also with branding and marketing strategy, and that made a huge difference in our project. Their combination of skills is really what distinguishes them from a lot of companies out there.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

It was in the $10,000 to $50,000 range.

What was the timeline of the project?

We engaged them initially in December [of 2014], shortly before the holiday. We agreed on a concept for the website and system requirements right before Christmas, and then they went to work through the month of January on actually building the site out. We had the beta site up in February [2015].

Can you talk about the results of the project and how you feel they performed in terms of the quality of their work? Are there any statistics or metrics you can share?

Our old site had a bounce rate of about 92 percent, which is about as bad as you can get. That dropped immediately. I have not checked it recently, but the last time I did check, it had dropped by half, and was continuing to trend down.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes Killian Branding stand out, compared to other companies?

I’d go back to the fact that they are proficient on both sides of the marketing conversation. They’re not just technology experts, they are also branding strategy experts. It’s difficult to find both of those qualities in one firm, particularly for the size of project we were looking at.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

They exceeded my expectations because they were great at the branding and marketing side. I didn’t think we could get as much as we did, and all they did was make me want more. So, if anything my only wish is that the project was bigger so they could do even more for us.

What advice would you give a future client of theirs?

Sit down with them and talk about what you’re trying to do. Spend the time in explaining your business, your value proposition, and who your target is. They can take those ingredients and come up with something that you couldn’t have thought of on your own. It’s important to spend that time up front, to work on the concept, don’t rush to the design. Get them engaged in an understanding of what it is you’re trying to do, where you’re trying to go, and they can take it from there.

Please provide a description of your company. 

My company’s name is 55 Questions, we're a management consulting firm.

What are your role and responsibilities?

I founded 55 Questions to work with mid-market, privately held CEOs and their management teams to help them do things that they don’t like doing on their own, like holding good meetings, being effective, being honest, being accountable and growing their business in a way that’s repeatable.

What was your goal in working with Killian Branding?

I wasn’t really facing a business challenge in the classic sense. As a sole proprietorship, you need a certain amount of credibility for people even to think about talking to you. The things they look for are a website, a blog, LinkedIn, and all the basics. So, my challenge was establishing that kind of credibility so that people would see that I really have a company – that I really do what I say I do and maybe I would be worth talking with.

Please describe the scope of their work.

Killian Branding did the branding, named the company, and did the Web design. While I may have provided material that ended up being content, they took what I gave them and made it real.

What was your process for selecting Killian Branding with which to work?

When I started 55 Questions, I ran a peer group, and as part of running this peer group, I had speakers every month. One of my speakers was a good friend of the owner of Killian Branding. He had spoken to my group and suggested that Killian Branding might speak to my group about marketing communications.

In my past life, I was head of marketing for McDonalds in the United States, so I knew a little bit about marketing and a little bit about the value of marketing tools. In time, I developed a relationship with Killian Branding, so when the time came that I decided to start my own business, there was no selection process. I went directly to Killian Branding. 

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

I’ve probably spent around $30,000 working with Killian Branding.

Can you talk about the timeline of the project, such as when it started, and when it was complete?

It was about a four-month process, maybe five at most. Literally, we sat down and did a brain dump. I brought my materials, and we talked about what I do and how I do it. Killian Branding came back with a concept of work and an outline of costs, which we ultimately agreed on.

Can you talk about how they performed in terms of the quality of the work?

The most surprising thing to me in the whole process was the development of the 14 or 15 videos on the website where their media team interviewed me about my work. The quality of those videos was fantastic.

I think the work was very well done, and I’m very pleased with the website. I’ve never had anybody say anything negative about the site, and when I have sent people to it they have been very complimentary. When people are thinking about using Killian Branding, I send them to my website, and they come back and tell me how impressed they are with it. So, everything I’ve ever gotten was positive.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

There was nothing that I wasn’t happy and satisfied with in terms of what Killian Branding did. They came in on budget, and they came in on time. How often do you hear that anymore? They did what they said they were going to do, and they did it in a way they said they were going to do it.

What advice would you give a future client of theirs?

Don’t be shocked when you hear the number. Relax, take a deep breath, and realize you get what you pay for. Yes, you can get a website built somewhere for $1,500, and you’ll get a $1,500 website. Once you get past the sticker shock, look at what you’re trying to do, look at what you’re trying to communicate. Do you want a $1,500 brand or do you want a brand that looks really good? So, you get to decide: what do you want your brand to look like? Once you decide that you want your brand to look professional, then you have made the right decision. If you’re looking to build a website cheaply, go online. You’ll find plenty of amateurs out there who will do that for you.