Bringing Brands to Life Digitally
KOTA is a creative digital agency. We bring together compelling design, technical brilliance and forward-thinking digital marketing to help your business succeed online and offline.
KOTA was founded in 2013 as a design and development agency. At our core, we are a combination of artists, geeks and innovators that provide big agency strategy, creative and tech combined with the flexibility, responsiveness, pricing and 'can do' attitude of a smaller, independent agency.

headquarters
other locations
Web Dev for Yachting Company
the project
"The KOTA team are experts in what they do."
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 a communications manager at SuperYachtsMonaco, a yachting company for charter and for sale. We’re a global company with headquarters in Monaco.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Initially, KOTA did a lot of discovery to figure out what our business was, what the problems would be, how different clients and users would approach the website, and what their requirements would be.
The team then developed the wireframes that we could then approve, change, or tweak as we needed. They put together the user experience as well.
Finally, KOTA did the design, built the site, and developed the CMS. Testing was done and it’s gone live. We’re pretty much done with debugging. They used WordPress.
What is the team composition?
There were five people that we were personally interfacing with. There were two head people, a project manager, a development manager, and someone else doing interface for MailChimp.
How did you come to work with KOTA - Creative Digital Agency?
We asked our team to ask around. We wanted to know who was considered the top notch. A friend of our managing director told him about KOTA.
We had a shortlist of five companies, and we personally interviewed all of them via telephone. We did follow-up face-to-face interviews with two companies. It was very clear who we wanted to work with.
How much have you invested with them?
The total cost was about $50,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from February-December 2020.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Initially, KOTA did a lot of discovery to figure out what our business was, what the problems would be, how different clients and users would approach the website, and what their requirements would be.
The team then developed the wireframes that we could then approve, change, or tweak as we needed. They put together the user experience as well.
Finally, KOTA did the design, built the site, and developed the CMS. Testing was done and it’s gone live. We’re pretty much done with debugging. They used WordPress.
What is the team composition?
There were five people that we were personally interfacing with. There were two head people, a project manager, a development manager, and someone else doing interface for MailChimp.
How did you come to work with KOTA - Creative Digital Agency?
We asked our team to ask around. We wanted to know who was considered the top notch. A friend of our managing director told him about KOTA.
We had a shortlist of five companies, and we personally interviewed all of them via telephone. We did follow-up face-to-face interviews with two companies. It was very clear who we wanted to work with.
How much have you invested with them?
The total cost was about $50,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from February-December 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The website is great, and it works super well. I was surprised. Our site isn’t a cookie cutter kind of plug and play website. I love the SEO element as well.
We’ve had great feedback from our industry peers. They say it’s really cool and so fresh. Everyone in the company is happy with it as well. Most importantly, clients have complimented it.
We already have a reasonable inquiry level through the site. It’s hit the ground running perfectly. Now we’re just doing optimization in different areas. The KOTA team are experts in what they do.
How did KOTA - Creative Digital Agency perform from a project management standpoint?
They were awesome. Every call was perfectly managed. There was no going too far off message or no talking too long like some people do sometimes.
Our project manager was perfect. She was unshakeable. It’s so good to have someone like that.
When we went to the development phase, our lead for development was super responsive which makes a big difference. He was so fast and responsive. He had a really good understanding.
They’re very smart people. Everything was cohesive and considering they’re all remote working, it was a great team effort.
What did you find most impressive about them?
KOTA is creative. There were a couple pages that we went back because they didn’t make it shine. They’d go take care of it rather than just saying they delivered what we wanted. They had a really good attitude. Their attitude and creativity helped immensely.
Are there any areas they could improve?
The only problem we had was in the very beginning and it was because of COVID-19. It had nothing to do with them.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
If you have someone who is an expert in CMS systems and SEO who works for you already, they can talk to them at the same level. I don’t know how it is if you don’t have expertise in-house. We had someone who could have conversations with them. Let them be creative.
Focus
Portfolio
Penguin Books & Jamie Oliver, Matchroom, British Red Cross, Penhaligon's, Comptoir Libanais, Pho, Saatchi, Dazn and Opta.

Web Design & Development for SuperYachtsMonaco
SuperYachtsMonaco are a boutique brokerage headquartered in Monaco and operating globally. They help their customers buy, sell, build, or charter luxury yachts - and anything in between - anywhere in the world.
KOTA were approached to design and develop a new, industry-leading platform for them. This project was not only about lead generation but also about creating something unique to stand-out in the industry.
SuperYachtsMonaco wanted to bring a fresh approach to yacht brokerage with their casual style prevalent throughout the new website.
Case study:
https://kota.co.uk/work/super-yachts-monaco

Digital Marketing campaign for Jamie Oliver's '7 ways' book
Once more, we’ve partnered with Jamie Oliver and Penguin books to create the marketing campaign for Jamie’s new 2020 book - 7 Ways. This is part of the simple concept led trilogy of 5 Ingredients and VEG.
In the book, Jamie shares 7 achievable, exciting and tasty ways to cook 18 of our favourite ingredients, and each recipe will include no more than 8 ingredients.
The key to the campaign was a concept that was accessible to all food lovers. It had to be vibrant, modern, bright, commercial and immediate.
Case study:
https://kota.co.uk/work/jamie-oliver-7-ways

Martin Building Co. San Francisco
Martin Building Company is a multidisciplinary design and development property firm based in San Francisco, USA. They are well known for their intriguing blend of stunning contemporary architecture and civic responsibility, which can be seen in all their projects – creating exceptional and sustainable urban environments.
KOTA were not only tasked with bringing their online presence up to date but also creating something beautiful and unique complimenting their stunning property design. They wanted the new platform to be forwarding thinking, utilising the latest web technologies and design trends keeping them one step ahead of their competitors.
Case study:
https://kota.co.uk/work/martin-building

Web Design for tangerine
We love a challenge here at KOTA, so being tasked with creating a new website for one of the world’s design pioneers was an exciting prospect.
With studios in London and Seoul, tangerine designs compelling customer experiences for globally renowned brands. Their experience spans more than 30 years with countless awards, dozens of patents and game-changing products and services that have exceeded people’s expectations every single time.
The goal of the project was to create a thoughtful, intuitive, inspiring website which supports their new projects, brand values and messaging.
Not only that, the site needed to be multilingual, optimised for strong search/localisation performance and built using a cutting edge framework all linked to a flexible content management system.
Find out more: https://kota.co.uk/work/tangerine

Branding for Understanding Jewellery
For David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti jewels are so much more than precious ornaments. From its original beginnings as a publication by David and Daniela, 'Understanding Jewellery' is an encyclopaedia of jewels, and now the trusted authority in the jewellery world. Their unrivalled expertise and sincere passion for what lies beyond a rare ornament has now seen David and Daniela’s knowledge translated into online digital formats, and their unbiased services branch into advising, collating, speaking, and demystifying an industry with an enduring history.
KOTA spent time with David and Daniela to create a 'brand' around the Understanding Jewellery name. Our process first of all uncovered a purpose and proposition into 'why' they do what they do. What was at the heart of this was passing on of their knowledge and the stories behind the jewels.
We turned this passion into a simple message of 'The Eternal Fascination, the Enduring Magic', and also a tone of voice that Understanding Jewellery is 'the' authority in jewellery.
Case study:
https://kota.co.uk/work/understanding-jewellery

Website for Matchroom Boxing
Over the last 30 years, Matchroom have pioneered the showcasing of sports such as boxing, snooker and darts. Barry and Eddie Hearn have promoted these niche sports into now global events, drawing stadium crowds and a hugely grossing pay per view audience around the world.
With the focus on boxing events now bigger than ever before, KOTA were tasked to create a stand out platform worthy of the status and user traffic. Our approach was to cater to the audience wanting sports info and purchasing live event tickets, but also to bring some style and artistry to the profession.
What we produced was a mixture of the showcase event glamour and behind the scenes storytelling, uniquely bold and unapologetic.
Case study:
https://kota.co.uk/work/matchroom

Video Production for ContractPodAi
We are excited to partner with ContractPodAi®, who are one of the world's fastest-growing AI-based contract management solution providers. Together with Duality, KOTA helped ContractPodAi® translate their expertise and innovative approach into a bold, new brand.

Jamie Oliver VEG - Marketing Campaign
For the 3rd year in a row we were luckily enough to win the campaign for Jamie’s latest book – VEG. It gives readers an extensive selection of veg-based dishes, from simple suppers and family favourites, to weekend dishes for sharing with friends.
As we all know, vegetarian cooking comes hand in hand with a few misconceptions; some might think it’s difficult to cook, some might feel it’s not children friendly, some even believe it’s too time consuming or not even tasty! We addressed these misconceptions head on by talking to all those different consumer groups who wonder whether vegetarian cooking is for them. We told this story through a playful tone of voice and by talking to people in their own every day language to create a warm, yet ‘to the point’ feel.
Creative & rollout
As the book is full of vibrant, colourful recipes we made sure the creative highlighted this by focusing on the cut-out dish alongside a selection of bold primary colours which stood out from the usual colour palettes seen in many other vegetarian books.
Penguin Books have rolled out the campaign internationally, across various platforms from out of home billboards and digital displays to all forms of social media and online advertising.

British Red Cross - One Kind Thing - Web Design & Development
In spring 2019, we partnered with the British Red Cross on their latest campaign – OneKindThing.We were tasked with creating the digital platform which was part of a nationwide campaign, showing people that even the simplest things can change the life of someone in crisis. The site had to engage and encourage users, with clear call to actions and simple user journeys, for them to take the next step in offering their help for others.

Design4Retail - Web Design & Development
Design4Retail are a revered agency started in 2003 that create retail spaces and concepts for many high street brands. Based in two studios near Leicester, their 60 strong team offer a full service from strategy and conception, through to build and delivery. Kota were challenged with creating a platform that would keep them ahead of the game in their creative industry, whilst also expertly showcasing their eclectic case studies, which ranged from shop and concession designs, pop-up spaces and brand development.

Comptoir Libanais - Web Design & Development
Comptoir Libanais are a Lebanese restaurant chain with over 20 venues across the UK and in Europe. Founded by Tony Kitous in 2008, the superb Lebanese flavours of the food are accompanied by eclectic restaurant interiors full of colour and texture. We brought this vibrant aesthetic through into the website design, really capturing the essence of the brand and atmosphere of the venues online.

Jamie Oliver 5 Ingredients - Marketing Campaign
After winning a extremely in-depth pitch process, we were selected by Jamie Oliver to produce the digital marketing campaign for his ‘5 Ingredients’ publication. The book centres on the concept of using just five main ingredients for each dish and has a very stripped back, minimal aesthetic. Our main concepts for the campaign were also based on the idea of simplicity. The creative for the out of home advertising played with the idea of deconstructing the dishes, showing the 5 ingredients in their original form, next to a half plate of the finished meal. The book went on to become the biggest selling publication in the UK in 2017 and so far has had two television series made from it.

Opta Pro - Creative Web Design & Development
Opta Pro are pioneers of sports data, supplying sports teams, media channels and analysts with both valuable statistics and analytical software across the disciplines Football, Rugby and Cricket. They are thought leaders in their industry, and have become part of the language when talking about anything concerned with sports data. We were commissioned to design and build a brand new platform that would align with their refreshed branding and modernise their online offering. The website was very content heavy, with a large multimedia section, as well as multiple events with historical archives.

Linden Staub - Creative Web Design & Development
Linden Staub are a London based Model Agency who challenge perceptions of their industry. They are the mother agency to over 50 models and were the first agency to completely ban using fur in their shoots. With this in mind, they wanted an online platform that was Avant Garde, visually beautiful, but intuitive and functional for the user. It also needed to stand out amongst their many competitors, as a platform that was creative and contemporary in form and function.

Meta - Creative Web Design & Development
Meta are a film and broadcast cloud platform that have revolutionised how video meta data is stored and delivered. Drawing from years of experience in media technology, they identified a significant space in the market for a purpose-built Cloud Computing Platform for the delivery of metadata at scale. The platform not only uniquely unifies multiple sources of data that historically had been stored in varying formats, it is also focused on great user experience and usability. Meta approached Kota to build a new website that showcased their unique products and to create an online experience that portrayed the style, ease and clarity of their software.

Newby Tea - Creative Web Design
Newby is the world’s most awarded luxury tea brand. Founded in London at the turn of the millennium the brand had a clear mission – to reintroduce quality tea and revive the world’s love for it. Their teas are renowned for uncompromising flavour that mirrors the character of their source. Tea is shipped directly to their unique, state-of-the-art storage and packing facility in India, which is strategically located in the heart of all the fine tea-growing regions of the world. No other tea brand, locally or internationally, has the same rigorous standards, placing Newby at the forefront of the luxury tea industry. They can be found in five-star hotels, Michelin-starred restaurants, high-end stores and esteemed heritage venues globally. It was their need for luxury and quality that made Newby Teas contact Kota to design their new website. The brief was simple – design an intuitive, beautiful, minimal platform that gave the impression of real quality.

MC Saatchi Merlin - Creative Web Design & Development
MC Saatchi Merlin are a talent management company based in Soho, London. They specialise in ex-athletes who have moved into the mainstream media, but also have international supermodels such as David Gandy on their roster. The agency has changed it’s talent focus slightly over the last 3 years and re-appointed Kota to design a website re-fresh after we created their previous site in 2014. Our team were challenged with designing a dynamic portfolio based platform that showcases the spectrum of talent managed by MC Saatchi. The new focus moved away from the existing editorial style design and towards an ultra-modern, fresher look that was more attractive to a younger demographic.

Holland Green - Creative Web Design & Development
HollandGreen have 3 architectural studios in the South-East of England and have been transforming living spaces together for over ten years. We partnered with them to completely re-design their online platform and help raise their digital profile to meet the standard of their current clientele. HollandGreen wanted to try and move away from the usual architect website offering and instead create a website that really stood out in their industry, whilst at the same time keeping all the informative content that existed on the previous website.

Jazz Cafe - Branding, Web Design & Development
We were honoured to partner with leading restaurant brand Colombo Group as part of a £3m refurbishment for The Jazz Cafe, an iconic Camden venue. Our designers created a complete brand identity for the venue including a new logo, menus and signage, as well as the design and build of The Jazz Cafe website that coincided with the re-launch of the venue.

Lightbox - Creative Web Design & Development
Lightbox are multi award winning documentary makers with previous titles including ‘Searching For Sugarman’, ‘LA 92’ and ‘Man On Wire. Producers Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn have received Oscars, Emmys and Baftas for their work, and continue to push the boundaries of cinematic documentary. With offices in both London and LA, Lightbox is a well renowned production company in the UK and the USA. They challenged Kota with delivering them the best website in their industry, a challenge that we welcomed with open arms.

Gratte Brothers - Web Design & Development
Gratte Brothers are a UK Building Services company who specialise in services ranging from Mechanical and Electrical Design, to Security Systems and Catering installations. Founded over 70 years ago as a family business, the company is now moving into its third generation, and so the perfect time to contact Kota, looking to transform their online presence.

Uhuru - Branding, Web Design & E-commerce Web Development
Uhuru is a fashion portal that stock brands who only use ethically sourced clothing. We were commissioned to create this new brand from scratch, including logo marks, patterns and textures, fonts, digital marketing and print marketing. We created a brand look that was in keeping with the current online fashion market, but also had a global feel, drawing inspiration from Asian and African culture. Furthermore, we also designed and built a beautiful E-Commerce platform using Magento 2. This platform allows merchants to add their own shop front, then manage and sell their own products within the site.
Reviews
the project
E-Commerce Development for Coffee Business
"The team was really responsive and great at keeping us up-to-date on their progress."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I oversee the marketing at Little's Coffee – a small, family-run business based in the South West. We primarily produce flavoured instant coffee and coffee pods that are sugar free and additive free, in plastic-free packaging.
For what projects/services did your company hire KOTA, and what were your goals?
Our website was over 5 years old and we needed a new website that would support the business growth and really simplify the user journey to convert more sales
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
We had briefly worked with Kota on past projects and knew they would nail the brief we set them. We asked two other agencies to pitch and decided Kota understood the business and our challenges the best.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
We knew we wanted to move across from Wordpress to Shopify and Kota helped us at every step. They approached the site from a UX perspective initially, with a focus on mobile. Once we signed off the initial sitemaps, they presented us with some designs (which we loved so much, there were very minimal changes needed). They built the site over the next few weeks and presented us with a really polished site. The whole process felt pretty seamless.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
2–3 – primarily Maja, project manager, Bekah, developer, and Alex, SEO. Jonny, the MD worked with us at briefing stage, too.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
While it's too early to see any measurable outcomes, we're confident that our new website will convert more sales over time – in thanks partly to the team's UX work and the Shopify checkout process. We've had so much positive feedback and the website feels much more like it represents us as a brand. From our point of view, making updates to the site and managing the CMS is so much easier and clearer, too.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
The team was really responsive and great at keeping us up-to-date on their progress. They were really flexible and were happy to work to our timelines.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
It was just easy to work with the team at Kota. They're a super creative and super smart bunch – nothing was too difficult for them (particularly from a development point of view) and we didn't have to make too many compromises on our vision.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
Not massively but if I'm being really picky I would say a little more support or expertise sharing with some of the Shopify set up would have helped speed up the end of the process to getting the site live.
the project
Wordpress Web Dev & Design for Luxury Travel Company
“They were clearly empathetic to our needs and how we wanted to position ourselves.”
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.
Adams & Butler is a private travel designer based in Ireland. We work with international clients, many of whom are celebrities.
What challenge were you trying to address with KOTA?
We had three websites selling to Ireland/the UK, Africa, and other parts of the world. However, we were very unhappy with them because they weren’t database-driven and used proprietary software. Our goal was to amalgamate our sites under our brand so that people would know we covered multiple areas instead of one.
What was the scope of their involvement?
KOTA created a brand new website in WordPress, doing everything from the redesign to the logo update. For the logo, we’d done focus groups with clients to collect feedback. People liked our old logo, but we were a bit bored with it. KOTA helped us keep the overall look while giving it a little burst of light.
As for the site, we needed to make it more user-friendly and intuitive. Some of the included features were embedded videos, easier blogging capabilities, and improved quoting. Previously, B2B clients couldn’t use information from our site because our branding was all over it. KOTA’s changes allowed us to print off pages with our without labels, which saved us time when process inquiries.
What is the team composition?
Jonathan (Managing Director) was our main point of contact, and we also worked with Maja (Digital Project Manager) and James (Creative Director).
All of them were good at dealing with people of different nationalities and cultures at our office — I’m a shoot-from-the-hip type of person, while others were more subtle, but KOTA was very easy to work with.
How much have you invested with them?
The project cost was £40,000 (approximately 48,000).
What is the status of this engagement?
The website was built between April–October 2020, but KOTA is still making some tweaks. They gave us three months to play with the site and see how we liked it. Now, we have a set amount of complimentary work.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The process evolved between us along the way. They eventually started to understand when we needed more time to do something and where our strengths lay. Now, the traffic we’re getting is double what we saw before. We rank highly on searches for “Jewish tourism” and “ghost tourism Ireland.”
How did KOTA perform from a project management standpoint?
KOTA had an in-depth process, and it worked. We got the results we wanted on time because of how detailed they were.
They used a Gantt chart, which detailed what our responsibilities were and whom we’d talk to in their team. James was in charge of design, Johnathan was our overall contact, and Maja was our day-to-day contact. I enjoyed that because it meant that we didn’t waste time talking to too many people and reexplaining things.
As for communication channels, we worked on Zoom, Teams, and email in addition to weekly meetings. If anything urgent came up, we’d call them. I’ve even asked Johnathan for advice recently, which he was happy to provide.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I just loved the way that KOTA just got us. James was the first designer I’d come across who didn’t try to take over as if he knew best. He listened actively and was empathetic. Even though our fields were totally different, he got where we were coming from.
Some of the things we wanted to do weren’t practical, but they’d find other ways of accomplishing our goals without charging extra for unnecessary add-ons. They were clearly empathetic to our needs and how we wanted to position ourselves.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, not that I can think of. They’re very talented, and we highly recommend them.
the project
Web Dev for Yachting Company
"The KOTA team are experts in what they do."
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 a communications manager at SuperYachtsMonaco, a yachting company for charter and for sale. We’re a global company with headquarters in Monaco.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Initially, KOTA did a lot of discovery to figure out what our business was, what the problems would be, how different clients and users would approach the website, and what their requirements would be.
The team then developed the wireframes that we could then approve, change, or tweak as we needed. They put together the user experience as well.
Finally, KOTA did the design, built the site, and developed the CMS. Testing was done and it’s gone live. We’re pretty much done with debugging. They used WordPress.
What is the team composition?
There were five people that we were personally interfacing with. There were two head people, a project manager, a development manager, and someone else doing interface for MailChimp.
How did you come to work with KOTA - Creative Digital Agency?
We asked our team to ask around. We wanted to know who was considered the top notch. A friend of our managing director told him about KOTA.
We had a shortlist of five companies, and we personally interviewed all of them via telephone. We did follow-up face-to-face interviews with two companies. It was very clear who we wanted to work with.
How much have you invested with them?
The total cost was about $50,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from February-December 2020.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Initially, KOTA did a lot of discovery to figure out what our business was, what the problems would be, how different clients and users would approach the website, and what their requirements would be.
The team then developed the wireframes that we could then approve, change, or tweak as we needed. They put together the user experience as well.
Finally, KOTA did the design, built the site, and developed the CMS. Testing was done and it’s gone live. We’re pretty much done with debugging. They used WordPress.
What is the team composition?
There were five people that we were personally interfacing with. There were two head people, a project manager, a development manager, and someone else doing interface for MailChimp.
How did you come to work with KOTA - Creative Digital Agency?
We asked our team to ask around. We wanted to know who was considered the top notch. A friend of our managing director told him about KOTA.
We had a shortlist of five companies, and we personally interviewed all of them via telephone. We did follow-up face-to-face interviews with two companies. It was very clear who we wanted to work with.
How much have you invested with them?
The total cost was about $50,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from February-December 2020.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The website is great, and it works super well. I was surprised. Our site isn’t a cookie cutter kind of plug and play website. I love the SEO element as well.
We’ve had great feedback from our industry peers. They say it’s really cool and so fresh. Everyone in the company is happy with it as well. Most importantly, clients have complimented it.
We already have a reasonable inquiry level through the site. It’s hit the ground running perfectly. Now we’re just doing optimization in different areas. The KOTA team are experts in what they do.
How did KOTA - Creative Digital Agency perform from a project management standpoint?
They were awesome. Every call was perfectly managed. There was no going too far off message or no talking too long like some people do sometimes.
Our project manager was perfect. She was unshakeable. It’s so good to have someone like that.
When we went to the development phase, our lead for development was super responsive which makes a big difference. He was so fast and responsive. He had a really good understanding.
They’re very smart people. Everything was cohesive and considering they’re all remote working, it was a great team effort.
What did you find most impressive about them?
KOTA is creative. There were a couple pages that we went back because they didn’t make it shine. They’d go take care of it rather than just saying they delivered what we wanted. They had a really good attitude. Their attitude and creativity helped immensely.
Are there any areas they could improve?
The only problem we had was in the very beginning and it was because of COVID-19. It had nothing to do with them.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
If you have someone who is an expert in CMS systems and SEO who works for you already, they can talk to them at the same level. I don’t know how it is if you don’t have expertise in-house. We had someone who could have conversations with them. Let them be creative.
the project
Web Development for Consulting Firm
"Just a really nice approach with a great bunch of people to work side by side with."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
We are an award-winning consultancy disruptor that deploys teams from its expert network, The Change Society, to solve the challenges companies face when undertaking change.
Founded in 2016, S&S was born as a rebellion against ineffective change management practices. I'm the Head of Digital there and I oversee the digital strategy of the company across branding, marketing and creative.
For what projects/services did your company hire KOTA - Creative Digital Agency, and what were your goals?
I actually designed our website when the company first launched in 2016. While it managed to do the job for a while, we were in need of a freshen up - a new front end design, a highly editable backend and a robust content space.
The main challenge was that we needed it to be released in line with a large promotion - and it was only 5 weeks away.
How did you select KOTA - Creative Digital Agency and what were the deciding factors?
I'd had a look at some of their past work and was impressed with some of the sites they had developed. That along with their approach and the 'art of the possible' attitude made me believe that they could get this done despite the uber-tight timeframe. They were also just a good bunch of people who I knew I could work with.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
Basically we needed to give KOTA all of our content that we wanted built into the site for them to start creating a design prototype against. We then spent a week with them going back and forward on the front end design, tinkering with bits and pieces using easily sharable links from Adobe XD.
A client Slack channel was set up which made the feedback loops super quick and they were always on hand. We all knew we had to be quick with responding considering the time constraints, so the sense of urgency was always there which expedited the process.
Once design was signed off, they went into development and built the site in Wordpress. They then sent a beta link and we ironed out the bugs in the last few days before the go-live.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
The main points of contact included: Jonny Bradford - MD Maja Fulconis - Digital Project Manager James Huse - Senior Digital Designer Aleksandra Matwiejczyk - Marketing Manager
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
The only outcome was getting a great looking website up and running in the short time that we gave KOTA. This was achieved and managed to the millimetre the whole way through to ensure we were on track. It's now up to us to drive the world to our brilliant looking site.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.
As mentioned above ** A client Slack channel was set up which made the feedback loops super quick and they were always on hand. We all knew we had to be quick with responding considering the time constraints, so the sense of urgency was always there which expedited the process.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Just a really nice approach with a great bunch of people to work side by side with. No request was ever too hard and this created an innovative and positive vibe in the project team.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
N/A
the project
Website Dev for Government Outsourcing Company
“They gave us more than we wanted, and we’re delighted.”
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 CEO of Integrate Agency. We’re an outsourcing company for the government. Our emphasis is on working with social enterprises and businesses to provide services in the community.
What challenge were you trying to address with Kota - Creative Digital Agency?
Our goals were to communicate our offerings more effectively and to do a directory of our members on our website.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We already had a branding kit established. Kota came in and developed our website. We’re a difficult company to define and therefore explain our services online. We had a process to understand what we do. Kota interrogated me to distill our offerings into something simple and understandable. They didn’t implement the directory but were very effective in working with the third party who did.
How did you come to work with Kota - Creative Digital Agency?
They came highly recommended. I had heard great things about them.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve invested about £18,000 (approximately $26,000 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
Our ongoing engagement started in August 2019.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
I had a high expectation, and they met that and more. People were blown away by the website — that’s exactly why I approached Kota. Our feedback has been universally fantastic. There were little subtle things they did that were way better than what we thought we’d get. The little details made a big difference. That’s what separates average developers from companies like Kota.
How did Kota - Creative Digital Agency perform from a project management standpoint?
They were very flexible in working with me to meet deadlines. The biggest threat to the timeline was me personally because I’ve got a million things to do. Nothing was ever too much trouble. The project has been a start-stop situation. Kota has been very professional in how they get things done. We communicate through emails and phone calls.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They did a number of very subtle things on the website that added flair. They gave us more than we wanted, and we’re delighted.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I can’t think of anything. We’re really happy.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Trust in their expertise. If you go in with a fixed view, you may not get the most out of their talent. They achieved better than what I wanted. Give them the space to achieve those extra details that’ll surprise you.
the project
Web Redesign for Music Bar
"The design of our website is just incredible."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the Head of Marketing and Communications for Rocket Leisure, looking after all the internal and external output of the company, across online & digital as well as PR and media.
For what projects/services did your company hire KOTA - Creative Digital Agency?
To re-design our websites for our four live music and cocktail bars.
What were your goals for this project?
We needed a total website overhaul, to give out a more mature impression of our brand, while keeping the independent and fun feel of our venues.
How did you select this vendor?
I was a really painful process to begin with, first of all by putting a Facebook status to see if I had any friends in the business, then chatting to people who had done it previously. I had many conversations with various web designers but felt a lack of inspiration from any (especially with the budget investment being proposed by them). I stopped looking, and that's when I stumbled across a website built by Kota, and knew that these guys would be up to the job. From there, it was plain sailing!
Describe the project in detail.
We had the initial kick off meeting with the full team from Kota as well as myself and my three Directors. We agreed on the structure of the websites and how they would sit alongside each other before going into design stage. We also talked about what analytics we would want to be getting from the sites. The initial design stage took place, and Kota sent over the pages for my approval. After a small bit of back and forth, we nailed the overall design and went into build stage. Generally, the websites were pretty much perfect from the offset. There was some back and forth on some of the key design elements such as the characters portrayed on the website, but that was just a case of choosing the right people who portrayed our brand. Following that, the only other thing that took some time was the parallax on the home page, as it was such a crucial landing point for the customer and getting them engaged in the website. It took some time to get right, but we are really happy with the outcome and pleased we put the right time and effort into it to make sure everyone was happy.
What was the team composition?
We were assigned a project manager at Kota who feed all our information back into the creative and development team. I was the main point of contact from Rocket Leisure, and managed the approval process with my Directors.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
The feedback on the websites has been incredible, and it's so beneficial to be able to see how customers are using our websites as we have no visibltiy of this before. Our bounce rate has decreased and average time on the website has increased, so that's promising. Mainly, it's cut down our internal time and how long it takes for us to update all our events. With four venues and 1200 gigs a year, our time is precious and we are now able to make changes to our sites quickly and easily.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Our project manager was always quick to respond and helpful with our requests. There was quite a lot of back & forth to deal with, partly due to struggles on our side with a lot of people involved, but Kota were good at sticking to their guns and belief in their ideas to keep pushing us in the right direction.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
The design of our website is just incredible. In our view, it's the best bar website out there. We are thrilled with it and how well in conveys our offering, our vibe and our story.
Are there any areas for improvement?
Overall I'm really satisfied with how it went. If I'm being picky, I think more time on the phone rather than email would have helped, and also potentially a few more calls/face to face meetings with the creatives and/or developers would have helped clear up any questions/issues faster and more directly.
the project
E-Comm Platform Dev for Ethical Fashion Company
"They're honest and always looking to do what's best for the client."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
Ethical fashion e-commerce website, Founder
For what projects/services did your company hire KOTA - Creative Digital Agency?
To create the e-commerce site from scratch.
What were your goals for this project?
To create a web store that was beautiful, but still communicated a purpose of a greater good.
How did you select this vendor?
I'd seen their work for other sites and loved the visual impact they had created for their clients.
Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.
Designed the site as per my requests and always had ideas to help build on my original idea for the site.
What was the team composition?
The team included Jonny, who led the project - and was very good at it; James and Charlotte. All of them were to work with. They all brought unique talents to the table which helped alleviate the end product they created for me.
Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?
They were able to deliver what was promised. They were great and creating a structure to the project and communicating clear projections.
How was project management arranged and how effective was it?
They used Slack and included me on most of the project building so i was able to maintain full control over my website.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
A lot of companies are not transparent about deadlines and promise unrealistic timelines. With Kota, they're honest and always looking to do what's best for the client.
Are there any areas for improvement?
Not really!
the project
Website Development for Humanitarian Organization
“Their staff is very talented, and they care about what they’re working on.”
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 am the digital communications manager at the British Red Cross, a voluntary aid society that helps millions of people in crisis in the UK and around the world to prepare for, respond to, and recover from crisis and emergencies.
What challenge were you trying to address with KOTA – Creative Digital Agency?
We brought in KOTA – Creative Digital Agency to create an exciting and engaging landing page for One Kind Thing, our flagship brand campaign.
What was the scope of their involvement?
KOTA – Creative Digital Agency designed and developed a bespoke landing page, but also gave a unique look and feel to the campaign. They used WordPress and created a single-page website. We then used a reverse proxy that would allow us to host the campaign information on one platform, but it would appear like it was a part of the Red Cross website.
What is the team composition?
We worked with a creative director, a graphic designer, a project manager, and a senior developer. Their team was helpful, and their project manager really took charge of the project. It felt like they were a part of our organization.
How did you come to work with KOTA – Creative Digital Agency?
We used a tender system to choose between various agencies. KOTA – Creative Digital Agency provided a comprehensive plan and exciting proposal for our landing page, and everyone on the panel knew that they would help us move this campaign forward.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from March–May 2019.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The landing page’s main purpose was creating an engaging digital experience that improves how users experience our brand and encourages them to do the one kind thing that will impact someone’s life. Obviously, we need more time to be able to report for specific metrics but we can say that the campaign had a positive impact on Brand metrics so far.
How did KOTA – Creative Digital Agency perform from a project management standpoint?
They did a wonderful job liaising with five different stakeholders within the British Red Cross and the brand agency that was developing our campaign. The creative and graphic designers understood the brand very quickly and presented a wide range of exciting designs and features.
The project manager created a project plan very comprehensive that helped to clarify ownership of different tasks and deliverables, which was really compatible with our normal workflow. Throughout the project, everyone knew who they needed to be in contact with to ensure that everything was completed.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They were very keen to help and really wanted the project to be successful.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They should learn to say no to the client sometimes.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
First, create a very clear brief because it will help them deliver the best product. However, give them some creative freedom because their designs are fantastic. Their staff is very talented and they care about what they’re working on.
the project
Web Dev for OOH Planning & Buying Company
"The visual representation of their design concepts were second-to-none."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
Rapport is a global OOH planning and buying agency. As part of the company's marketing and design team, my role is to streamline Rapport's image to both internal and external stakeholders, through the company's social media and online presence.
For what projects/services did your company hire KOTA, and what were your goals?
We decided that it was in the best interests of Rapport's global network to streamline each market's online presence into one, global website, featuring case studies, office contact details and job vacancies for each Rapport market, into one unified website experience.
How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?
We researched plenty of web development teams and KOTA were one of very few who introduced themselves via a video call, providing us with a personalised recommendation based on our needs. KOTA's portfolio of previous work gave them the edge over competing agencies.
Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.
We had a kick-off meeting which allowed us to discuss the brief with KOTA's assigned project manager. From there, we were able to share examples of websites we liked and elements we wanted to use on our own website. KOTA's design team shared a number of different concepts for us to evaluate, and from there, our preferred concept was chosen and the development phase began. We were able to provide feedback at every stage of the process and regular meetings were held where we could share feedback as a team.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
Acting as the project manager, our team consisted of a global senior leadership team who would ultimately have the final say over design and functionality. Below them, a team of 4 made up the day-to-day team who would be in charge of making key decisions throughout the process.
Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?
We introduced a job vacancy section on our website, which has attracted an array of new talent which we would otherwise not have had access to. Feedback from internal stakeholders has been very positive, with many saying our new website design was more in-line with our key competitors.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
We had regular check-ins with KOTA's dedicated project manager, where we could share feedback along the way. KOTA gave us room for flexibility, allowing us to introduce new ideas at various stages of the project, even if those features were not originally included in the agreed project scope.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
KOTA were incredibly professional at all times, and were always happy to pick up the phone to answer questions. The visual representation of their design concepts were second-to-none and we felt this really reflected in the finished product.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
N/a
An expert team, KOTA delivered an excellent website, which performs well and has garnered positive feedback from clients, industry peers, and internal stakeholders. The team’s project management and customer service skills are flawless, making them remarkable partners.