LGND | The Creative Studio

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the strategic relationships director at a national, nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to the 50+ population and their families. Our mission is to empower people to choose how they live as they age. I work in the organization's strategic partnerships function and enterprise strategy group, looking to build social impact partnerships that can support people over 50.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LGND | The Creative Studio?

We needed a video to showcase some of the work we're doing in the partnership space.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LGND | The Creative Studio developed a 3-minute interview-style video for us. They also created a 30-second social media cutdown that we could use across our social properties.

We started with a preproduction phase, where they went through a thorough discovery process to ensure they understood our goals, audiences, and key messages. This phase also included mood boards to establish the look and feel of the video. We also did some pre-interviews and created briefing materials.

Then, we moved to the production phase. LGND | The Creative Studio coordinated all the scheduling and logistics for the shoot. We held a one-day shoot at our offices. They handled everything soup to nuts, from the briefing materials for the people we were interviewing to all the other logistics in terms of the backdrop, lighting, and sound. They ensured we had the right staff and expertise on the day of the shoot.

We have our own studio in our building, so they coordinated with our studio staff to ensure we had the right people, materials, and equipment for the shoot. Finally, we moved to the postproduction phase, which involved video editing, sound mixing, graphics, and interview transcripts. The video is used on our website, social media, including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and on industry conferences and events.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–3 people on the day of the shoot, including a producer and an operationally focused person.

How did you come to work with LGND | The Creative Studio?

They had done work for us before and had done a good job, so it was an internal referral from colleagues.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August–November 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We just started promoting the video, and we're looking for ways to promote it more on social media. We've received good internal feedback, but we haven't had a chance to collect consumer-focused feedback. So far, everyone who's seen it has given great feedback.

How did LGND | The Creative Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very strong; they met all their deadlines and were on top of the project management component. I was very happy with their performance in that regard. We used Slack to share project materials and manage the review process. We also used emails for more regular check-ins.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I found them to be very reliable. They were responsive and flexible when things had to shift. We were managing a lot of different schedules and trying to bring everyone together on one specific day for the shoot. There were a lot of moving pieces, and things didn't always go as planned. They were super flexible, adaptable, and willing to roll with it and work with us to continue to stick to our deadline.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing really comes to mind. They have a pretty big suite of capabilities. I worked with them on one very specific thing, but they were very knowledgeable about video production.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing and communications specialist at a global construction engineering and procurement company. We operate in the US and many different countries across the world, creating mega projects anywhere from bridges to airports to tunnels and things along those lines. I’m also referred to as the webmaster within my team because I manage our website, including the former website 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LGND | The Creative Studio?

We needed help with web design and development. We required support to migrate our old site and create a new one. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LGND has designed and developed our new website. They've created design modules and components that generated excitement within our company. The team has designed visual components, including image modules, video embeds, and animations for key facts and figures that served as a ticker or count-up design. In addition, LGND | The Creative Studio has also designed a related resources component on some of our key pages that help interlink and send audience members on an intentional and streamlined journey.

The team has used Figma for design and WordPress for development and recommended WordPress Engine for our hosting. We continue working with them on a monthly retainer for any necessary improvements or optimizations. The team also maintains the site technically, handling any updates or plug-ins that need adjusting.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with an account manager, a project manager, a lead developer, a design lead, and a technical lead.

How did you come to work with LGND | The Creative Studio?

My manager and department head underwent an assessment phase with multiple development firms, and LGND was chosen out of that pool because of their design and innovative capabilities. We worked with various examples and proposals they put together for our website refresh, and they brought a lot of great ideas.

What is the status of this engagement?

We had previously worked with them on a project in 2023 when they developed a fantastic micro-site to showcase our annual report. The formal relationship for this project began in November 2023, and we continue to work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team's expertise is very helpful. LGND | The Creative Studio is great to work with and highly collaborative. The team is open to feedback and went through many design iterations until they got it right. LGND | The Creative Studio is interested in understanding the audience we cater to and has done a fantastic job translating our audience strategy into a site map and various user journeys. 

We’ve had a successful partnership, which is a huge reason why we'll continue with them. We’ve seen an increase in traffic on some key pages, with roughly a 20% traffic increase to those important pages.

How did LGND | The Creative Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

The team's account manager leads us through our weekly meetings and helped organize and compile content when we were in the site's drafting phase. LGND | The Creative Studio has performed well in terms of deadlines and budget. We communicate over Slack and use Google Docs and Google Sheets for our content editing. 

LGND | The Creative Studio is quick and communicative when addressing technical issues. We’ve had some issues with the host we originally engaged for the site, and LGND has been very agile in helping us engage a new host and go through the required steps to ensure it’s secure and meets our requirements.

What did you find most impressive about them?

LGND | The Creative Studio is a very optimistic team that is easy to work with. We’ve been having weekly meetings for over a year, and I look forward to talking with them every week. LGND | The Creative Studio has created an excellent and successful dynamic between their team and ours. A successful partnership starts with the dynamic and quality of communication, and that has been the most impressive and positive part of the experience for me.

Are there any areas they could improve?

A little more transparency in how they allocate development time would be helpful. I don’t have a good grasp of how long requested changes will take. When I ask specifically how many hours it will take or the cost, they’re always quick to respond. However, being a bit more forthright from the get-go would be helpful. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate often with them and get a good feel for the team and how they work together. Take advantage of the fact that they’re a very communicative group. Don’t be afraid to collaborate or ask them questions. They’re very open to feedback, and if their first attempt isn’t exactly what you’re looking for, that feedback will be met with appreciation.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the creative director of brand management at a philanthropy firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LGND?

We needed help with video production to increase brand awareness and engagement. We also wanted to uplift some of the voices of our grantees and share stories of the issues we were working on and the impact we made.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

LGND is consulting and executing video production work for our company. They create live-action videos, motion graphics, social cutdowns, and 2D animations. We started with a kickoff and discovery phase, during which LGND took the time to explore many of our resources and helped guide the tone and messaging for what our brand represents and our goals for each video type.

They support our team in building the messaging bank and creating scripts. LGND helps source the voiceover artists and music tracks. They provide storyboards and follow the process all the way through to the final video product. They're also responsible for audio mixing and video editing.

We use motion graphics for lower thirds and fully animated explainer videos.

What is the team composition?

We work with Taylor, the director of strategy; Hadi, the creative director; Patrick, the executive producer; Elizabeth, the project manager; Kosta, the animator and motion graphics artist; and Anthony, the brand designer. When needed, the owners, Mike and Patrick, are involved.

How did you come to work with LGND?

I worked with them previously, and my company at the time discovered them initially because Patrick had given a presentation about some of the work they'd done for Toyota.

We chose them for this project because they provided the best value for their services. Having worked with them in the past, I knew that the quality of their work was top-notch.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since October 2024, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We haven't made any of the deliverables live, so I don't have any metrics. However, they're very professional and meet our expectations. They understand the messaging and seamlessly guide the interviews with participants.

How did LGND perform from a project management standpoint?

They always stick to their deadlines and our budget, and we communicate through Slack.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I want to give a shout-out to Taylor.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I genuinely enjoy working with the LGND team. They're very kind, can pivot quickly, and always do great work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I really enjoy working with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

No, I don't have any advice.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Digital Comms & Marketing of AHIP.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

AHIP is a trade association that represents health insurance providers across the country; we provide advocacy services and professional education for our members.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Educate our key audiences about the work health insurance providers do to make health care more accessible and affordable for every American.

SOLUTION

How did you find LGND?

• Online Search
• In-person Meeting

Why did you select LGND over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from LGND were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

LGND was tasked with creating video content focused on the many different aspects of AHIP’s work, from their efforts around mental health and health equity to their foundational mission and network of experts. In doing so, it was crucial to maintain a sense of trust and seriousness given the nature of the content, but also present the information in a clear, easy-to-understand, and visually engaging way. 

Across videos, we used a mixture of animation and live-action and optimized the content for use across platforms to maximize its reach while building upon AHIP’s existing brand identity.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

With these videos, and alongside future content, we’re exploring what challenges the health care industry is taking on, why the time for action is now, and how everyone needs to come together to find solutions. By featuring the videos front and center on our website and sharing them across our social media platforms, AHIP is utilizing this content to demonstrate exactly how we're turning healthy insights into helpful innovations to Guide Greater Health. 

In terms of metrics, we increased video views in 2023 by 356%.

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

LGND is excellent at project management. They meet deadlines, and just as importantly, they provide regular status updates so we know exactly where we are in a project at any given time. They also go above and beyond to help us with emerging needs with short turnaround times.

What was your primary form of communication with LGND?

Virtual Meeting

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

The three best traits of LGND to me are: 

1. High-quality work product 
2. Great project management 
3. Fair and transparent pricing

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

At this time, no. Early on in our relationship, we had some understandable instances where our feedback did not seem to connect, and we needed to grow to know each other. But the LGND team listened, iterated, and learned. Their ability to adapt to feedback and even provide us with alternate solutions that we may not have thought of is why we value our partnership.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of IT for New York Association of Realtors, a trade association.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with LGND?

We needed a new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They migrated our platform from Sitefinity to WordPress. They handled both design and development. Their scope of work also included onsite SEO and ensuring ADA compliance.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a team that consisted of a couple of designers, developers, and project managers.

How did you come to work with LGND?

I posted an RFP, and their response set them apart from others.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a little under $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We kicked off the project in November of 2018, and they’re still providing ongoing maintenance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I couldn’t be happier with the way the project turned out. Moving from the old site to the new site was fantastic, especially from a design and usability perspective. We launched in February of 2020 and have had a 240% increase in users. We’re also seeing heightened engagement and interaction rates for site visitors.

How did LGND perform from a project management standpoint?

A relationship with a vendor can feel very cut-and-dry. LGND feels more like a partner. When technology issues come up, we collaborate and solve them together. It’s been nice having someone who’s invested in the success of the project, as opposed to someone who just performs a service. We utilized Slack and Zoom to communicate.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’d highlight their responsiveness and impeccable attention to detail.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m the wrong person to ask because I couldn’t be happier with them. Any time we have a problem, they bend over backward trying to solve it for us. They solve problems quickly and efficiently.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Understand what your needs are and what you’re looking for. Recognize that you’re hiring them as a partner and that honesty and transparency will get you further than pretty much anything else.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a private foundation in Kansas City, Missouri. We work with communities in education and entrepreneurship to increase opportunities that allow all people to learn, to take risks, and to own their success. I lead the communication and engagement work for the education portfolio, focused on the region of Kansas City, which lies within both Kansas and Missouri state.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire LGND?

The first time development of a digital data story to highlight the research our foundation had commissioned and tell our audience about an emerging body of work. We also wanted to ensure that some of the more controversial data points would be told through a narrative so that our audience could understand the bigger picture we were attempting to illustrate. In addition, we wanted the interface with the audience to be interactive and engage, fueling more curiosity from our audience.

What were your goals for this project?

* Tell the story of the data we commissioned in a narrative format. * Engage a new set of audience that were champions of rethinking education and reimagining HS education (measured by unique views, time on page, newsletter sign-ups from page traffic) * Elevate the data we had learned to be an influencer of local and national interest and action (media-inquires, national and local partnerships, attendance to local events)

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We did a discovery process with the vendor and they came back with a compelling proposal. We had previously heard good things about their work from other non-profits that had utilized their services.

Describe the project in detail.

LGND and myself worked extremely close on this project to get it executed. They guided the strategy, development, content creation and execution. They also were excellent at project management with a project that had lots of variables and many internal opinions that needed to be managed. From truly just a concept, the pulled out of me what the project needed to be a success. My team and I provided the overall scope, feedback throughout plus creative input, and managed multiple stakeholders that needed to review and provide input. However, LGND truly was able to take very little guidance and produce a truly sophisticated and visually compelling end product that everyone really enjoyed.

What was the team composition?

LGND had about 6 people that made up the project team, which included the project manager, our main point of contact. It also included a designer, UX technician, web developer, and videographer/animator plus leadership for high level conversations. The team fluctuated in size as needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We used the end product to do a social media campaign that brought in new attention and audience. Overall, it has been well received by external stakeholders and audiences.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

One of the most effective elements of LGND as a vendor was their ability to project manage. They were able to truly support our often busy team in keep track of the projects progress, clearly identifying when items needed review or something from our end, elevate if new ideas or direction was going to change expected end dates, etc. With the vendor we used Slack to manage quick communication and a shared drive platform to keep documents.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their greatest strengths were their creativity that could be translated into actionable steps, their project management, and the level of quality in their end product.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only area of improvement is the need for a more racially/ethnically diverse team. They are really top notch at what they do but diverse teammates can add perspective that they otherwise might miss.