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We Believe Brands Were Meant to Stand for More.

5.0
1 review

Manifesto is a brand declaration agency with offices in Milwaukee, WI and Portland, OR. We specialize in rallying humans around the heart and soul of the world’s most ambitious brands. From launch campaigns to employee engagement and branded content that captures brand stories that need to be told, we believe it all starts with identifying your brand’s onlyness—the one, unique thing in the universe only you can lay claim to.

Using deep human insights, we helSave & Continuep brands reclaim why they started, what their purpose is and how to tell the world about it. Speed+Strategy is our super power. And no one gets under the hood of a brand faster than we do.

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$50,000+
 
$150 - $199 / hr
 
10 - 49
 Founded
2011
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Portland, OR
headquarters
  • 541 NE 20th Ave, Suite 115
    Portland, OR 97232
    United States
    971.202.7340
other locations
  • 628 N Broadway
    Milwaukee, WI 53202
    United States
    414.270.0270

Portfolio

Key clients: 

Starbucks Intel  Nike Amazon  Arbys & Arby's Foundation UW-Madison

Reviews

5.0
1 review
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Marketing Strategy and Web Dev For Alumni Association

"Their approach to brainstorming and partnership is key to our success."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$200,000 to $999,999
 
Oct. 2016 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Manifesto Agency planned an experiential roadshow for an alumni association. They developed strategy, created collateral, crafted events targeted to specific needs, and made a website. Their work is ongoing.

The Reviewer
 
201-500 Employees
 
Madison, Wisconsin
Ellen Roeder
Senior Marketing Manager, The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The experience received over 7,000 engagements from key audiences, garnering internal praise and earned media. Manifesto Agency continues to provide quality creative work and insightful strategies. Their warm, personable team responds quickly to queries and demonstrates enthusiasm for all projects.

A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior marketing manager for the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, a philanthropic and alumni engagement nonprofit for the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Manifesto Agency?

There are 13 state colleges in Wisconsin with UW–Madison being the flagship university. Unfortunately, there are misperceptions surrounding the university regarding funding, admissions, and other factors. We reached out to Manifesto Agency to create an experiential, state-wide awareness campaign that allowed for engagement opportunities with both alumni and non-alumni who live in Wisconsin.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Manifesto Agency helped us set up a roadshow for UW–Madison complete with an ice cream truck. (We’re known for our freshly made ice cream from our on-campus dairy, so we decided to offer free ice cream as part our Get the Scoop Myth Busting tour.) Working with Manifesto, we rehabilitated a 1957 International Harvester Metro van. Their team walked us through what a roadshow would involve from an experiential and logistical perspective. They recommended stops in key geographic locations where we wanted the UW to have a presence. They also helped us pick smaller events where our truck would be the main attraction.

The first year we embarked on the roadshow, our staff handed out free ice cream and interacted with community members. However, in the second year, we wanted to have an engagement component. Manifesto helped us design a six-question quiz that busts specific myths about UW–Madison. We had had a basic approach in mind, but their team helped us form each question to be approachable for a wider audience. 

Manifesto also created a website that administers the quiz digitally. It resulted in a lot of powerful and positive engagements with key audience members, which we’re excited to see. 

All in all, Manifesto Agency played a key part in the creative and strategic aspects of the project. They did so much brainstorming with us, and their assistance in designing the road show was essential. In addition to the truck design and the website, they also created marketing collateral for our organization.

What is the team composition?

We primarily work with Tim (Partner & Chief Storyteller, Manifesto Agency), Matt (Managing Director, Manifesto Agency), Kathleen (Account services, Manifesto Agency), and their creative team. Dave (Partner & CEO, Manifesto Agency) is involved as well, but as he works out of the Portland office we are geographically closer to the Milwaukee office. In total, the team is about 8–9 people.

How did you come to work with Manifesto Agency?

A member of our leadership team worked with Manifesto Agency at his previous position in another company. He had an excellent experience with their team and brought them to our attention.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $200,000–$300,000 annually.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in late fall 2016, and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The online and in-person quiz has brought over 5,000 engagements this year alone. Our staff is thrilled with the process because the in-person engagement has led to some in-depth conversations about the university. I would recommend Manifesto, which is a huge compliment from me—it’s my reputation on the line as well as theirs. 

Manifesto is really good at what they do. They provide an experiential point of view that we lacked when we first thought about how we could take the university on the road. They’re also full of incredibly friendly and lovely people. Whenever I see their team, I get hugs when I arrive, and I get hugs when I leave. I genuinely enjoy working with them. Their approach to brainstorming and partnership is key to our success.

How did Manifesto Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

The team has done really well. Whenever you work with an entity in higher ed—especially one that’s aligned with the state—there’s a lot of nuances, rules, and caution. Manifesto Agency picked up on that quickly. 

Plus, even though none of them are alumni, they completely bought into what we were trying to accomplish. They listen carefully to our needs before developing solutions. After presenting their ideas later on, they listen to any additional context or knowledge we provided to inform their perspective. They were always willing to learn, and we only ever had to tell Manifesto anything once. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

For me, it comes down to Tim. Compared to other ad agencies I’ve worked with, the way Tim thinks through a situation or challenge is unique. He thinks through a variety of perspectives, asks thoughtful questions and is all about collaboration. The solutions he offers are on the mark.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Our project goes through phases of heavy engagement when we’re planning and then infrequent communication when we’re in maintenance mode. However, as of now, I can always reach them through any channel and they’ll respond within a couple of hours no matter what I need.

Any advice for potential customers?

When you check out Manifesto Agency, meet with them in person, if possible. Otherwise, get on the phone and have a get-to-know-you session. I think you can learn so much more about people through a phone call or face-to-face conversation than through email. 

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I would give them a higher rating if I could.