Brands Were Meant to Stand for More.
Manifesto is a courage-led brand agency with offices in Portland, OR and Milwaukee, WI. We specialize in rallying humans around the heart and soul of the world’s most ambitious brands. From branding, strategy, campaigns, employee engagement, and branded content and experiences we believe it all starts with identifying your brand’s onlyness—the one, unique thing your brand can lay claim to. Using deep human insights, we help brands declare what they stand for and activate their customers, employees, and stakeholders around this belief system.
headquarters
other locations
Focus
Portfolio
Intel, Amazon, Arby's, Starbucks, UW-Madison, Paylocity
Amazon Gift Card Digital Campaign
The customer is at the center of Amazon’s retail efforts—and Amazon has products for each and every one of them. They tasked us with figuring out how we could position Amazon Gift Cards as the perfect gift because it allows customers to buy the gift they really want.
We developed a series of short, witty animation vignettes to show their customers how to take the guessing out of gift giving–and to bring a smile to their faces. The digital content campaign was leveraged on Amazon social media and OTT.
Death's Door Bottle Launch
Despite the brand’s growth and scale, we uncovered that a pour of Death’s Door Gin tastes exactly the same as it did with the first batch. Its commitment to quality is unwavering and yet the brand never stops improving the process or even the vessel it comes in. With intentional care for everything they do, Death’s Door Spirits cares about the details, from an ergonomic shape and an easier pour to the reduction of waste that comes from sourcing bottles made in the USA. Said simply: Same Gin. New Vessel.
Manifesto created an integrated industry-focused PR effort to garner media coverage and buzz among Spirits influencers and publications. Getting coverage across media publications and listed on design blogs, the campaign focused on telling the story of an intentional brand as the precursor to a national awareness campaign.
Nike Zerocity
Nike seeks to create a zero waste supply chain, but to do it, Nike knew they’d have to rally the entire organization around a singular goal wrapped in an irresistibly powerful story.
At the heart of Nike is performance. To crack the code on selling Nike’s zero waste supply chain plan we had to transform it into a story that tapped into the heart and soul of Nike employees and their ambition to push past the boundaries of what’s possible. Instead of driving down waste, we called on employees to accelerate it to zero.
Armed with a deep human insight about the collective momentum of Nike, its athletes and the world, we created a platform called Zerocity. Lighter, better faster. When Nike, our athletes and the world create an unstoppable force that accelerates waste to zero, we’ve done our job. We’ve created sustainability through innovation. We have created Zerocity.
Arby's Foundation, The Big Wait
There’s a tough truth facing kids across America.
When’s the last time you waited in a line 30,000 people deep? Every day, there are 30,000 kids across America who wait in an invisible, but very real line. What are they waiting for? A Big Brother or Big Sister. 30,000 mentor roles waiting to be filled and 30,000 kids who can’t wait to meet them.
This Fall, Manifesto worked hand in hand with The Arby’s Foundation and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America to help tell these kids’ story. With a focus on childhood hunger, youth mentorship and career readiness, Arby’s saw the opportunity to raise awareness around the mentorship gap.
With the launch of the microsite TheBigWait.org, we deployed a handful of teasers into the digital ether followed by a :60 TV spot, illustrating what would happen if this line was made visible. Driving viewers to the site, the video content campaign accompanied a simultaneous national in-store dollar donation program at Arby’s restaurants to support Big Brothers Big Sisters, No Kid Hungry and Junior Achievement.
UW-Madison #ThankYou72
Sam Adams - I Am Boston
Delta SkyMiles Portfolio Launch
Delta SkyMiles sought to build affinity in second tier markets. With head to head competitors like jetBlue and Southwest Airlines holding the number one spot for domestic travel in those markets, the SkyMiles credit card team needed to find a way to differentiate and drive both enrollment and affinity for Delta SkyMiles. Repositioning the card in a portfolio approach and leveraging the one point of difference that Delta can claim—an enhanced experience to more exotic destinations—our work with Delta helped them secure an aspirational lens on the accrual of SkyMiles in a first step to overtake the competition. With direct flights from Boston to London or Indy to Paris, Delta laid claim to the reality that Delta SkyMiles take you farther than the competition.
- Launch strategy development
- Campaign development
- Campaign creative execution (digital + social)
Paylocity Rebrand & Site Launch
Paylocity was challenged with the opportunity to step into the enterprise-level brand they were meant to be. As one of the first cloud-based solutions rooted deeply in a culture of caring more, our work involved a year-long brand evolution project. The singular insight? That Paylocity's culture fueled a new kind of currency—that of care. Conducting both qualitative and quantitative research, Manifesto helped to determine that their unique value to clients focused on their incredible culture and care not just for client's today, but for their tomorrow. Paylocity's onlyness emerged as both a rally cry and declaration of their approach to client partnership: Forward Together.
- Qual. & Quant. Research
- Focus Groups
- Brand Strategy
- Positioning
- Brand Playbook Development
- Website launch & Brand Asset Builds
- Brand Illustration
- Anthemic Video Content
GE Healthcare 2030
GE Healthcare wanted to showcase how emerging technologies could change the care pathway for patients in the very near future. Manifesto worked hand in hand with GE Healthcare's global Imaging team to create a traveling road show concept anchored by a powerful emotive content piece. Our work involved, strategy, planning, creative development and production as well as an accompany talk track for GE Healthcare executives.
Arby's #MeatSweats
Reviews
the project
Brand Marketing Campaign for Semiconductor Manufacturer
"They uniquely get under the hood of a brand and bring very valuable insights that are rooted in culture."
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 former brand and marketing strategist at a semiconductor manufacturing company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Manifesto Agency?
We were trying to solve for a global brand reinvention. Ahead of launching with our consumers, we knew we had to launch with our employes.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Manifesto Agency developed a comprehensive employee-led brand reinvigoration campaign that was designed to help employees understand the brand essence and technology differentiation that the organization has around the world.
The team provided a lot of marketing assets, including a creative campaign that would resonate with the hearts and minds of both our employees and consumers. They helped us sharpen our brand strategy and realign the direction we wanted to go on a global scale.
Additionally, Manifesto Agency created a huge brand activation that was a technology tour with three shipping containers, one in each of three different continents, that traveled around simultaneously over the course of a few quarters.
It was designed to bring technology to the hands of our employees. They also helped us with building takeovers, wrapping buildings and elevators with our new messaging structure and brand resonance. Their services also included videos and lifestyle shoots.
Finally, The team helped us to do exposés on who we would consider our star employees to give voice and heart and face to the brand, fanning the flame of those exemplary employees.
What is the team composition?
We worked with 6–8 teammates.
How did you come to work with Manifesto Agency?
Dave (Managing Partner) and I were introduced through a mutual, professional contact.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked with them from about 2017–2019 on this particular project.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We saw a huge volume of brand advocates, as well as resonance with what the organization was trying to do in the word. Manifesto Agency’s work increased employee price, engagement, and sentiment. We also received positive feedback regarding the stories, headlines, and exposés. All of it was so well received.
Additionally, their work helped to prepare our global employee base for the consumer-facing brand refresh that came just after this brand campaign. The experiential marketing part of this campaign ended up winning an award, so it was great for the team to receive that recognition.
How did Manifesto Agency perform from a project management standpoint?
They were incredibly responsive. The volume of work that we did over several continents simultaneously was herculean. There’s so much planning that goes into experiential marketing.
When challenges came up, Manifesto Agency handled them with grace and a sense of urgency.
Overall, the experience was very positive. They’ve continued to win work with my former organization which speaks to their partnership and engagement skills.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The team is very strong with strategy, especially helping companies to iterate on their current brand strategy. They uniquely get under the hood of a brand and bring very valuable insights that are rooted in culture. Additionally, the team is very creative and flexible.
The systems they developed for our marketers are reflective of the 360-degree needs of the omnichannel life that we now live in. Manifesto Agency did a smart job of creating a suite of assets that were flexible and modular so that they could be localized, which they thought through right from the beginning.
We really appreciate this as a global brand. The founders of the company are a delight to work with. They have high integrity, are really creative, and love what they, which shows in all the work they present.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Given the volume of work we did, I think they could’ve done with extra hands. I talked to Dave about this. Having more help would’ve helped them to ensure that all of the i’s were dotted and t’s were crossed in terms of experiential installations.
Some extra attention to the minute details amidst the pressure of delivering an experiential and global install campaign on our campuses would’ve been ideal.
the project
Rebranding for Online HR and Payroll Software Company
"They don’t offer cookie-cutter solutions — it’s been a customized, unique experience."
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 senior graphic designer at an HR and payroll SaaS provider.
What challenge were you trying to address with Manifesto Agency?
We were entering a rebranding process.
What was the scope of their involvement?
There have been two main phases of the project. The first was the research and strategy phase, where we began drawing up a plan to conduct quantitative and qualitative research around the best direction for our company. After finishing the interview and research reports, along with audience segmentation, and persona building, we created brand positioning statements, study reports, a brand messaging framework, and a creative brief.
Next, we transitioned into the visual identity side of the project, building out the brand guidelines. We established brand identity and a brand book, and are working on asset creation.
Manifesto has also provided support on the website development and design side. They’ve also helped us create a lot of the marketing piece templates that have been used internally and will eventually be used externally.
What is the team composition?
In total, we’ve been in touch with about six to eight team members throughout the project. Dave (Co-Founder) was my lead contact for the first phase, along with Matt (Managing Director). Tim (Co-Founder) stepped in for the second phase as well. We’ve also worked with creative and art directors.
How did you come to work with Manifesto Agency?
I’ve known Tim and Dave personally for a long time. When I was put on the rebranding project, I knew they were in the industry so I gave them a call. Manifesto was one of the 14 firms we considered. Ultimately, we thought they would strike the perfect balance between having a great amount of experience, but would also be able to relate to us as a partner.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent a little over $500,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We began working with Manifesto in May 2019, and the project is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We just launched the website, which has been live for less than a month. We’ve already seen tremendous amounts of growth in traffic and engagement. The quality and performance have definitely increased.
Due to COVID-19, we’ve paused our external brand launch. Instead, we’ve done an internal soft launch, which has been well received so far. We’re planning to go to market with Manifesto as soon as we’re able.
How did Manifesto Agency perform from a project management standpoint?
They’ve done a great job. Matt is our main project manager, and he’s been dedicated to making sure we’re staying on track. There’s been a lot of executive input from our side, but Manifesto has been extremely flexible and adaptable.
The team has maintained most deadlines we’ve set and has always offered clear, honest communication, adding us to their Slack channel. They have a very diverse and dynamic team that is capable of handling every aspect of our project.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Tim and Dave offered a great balance in their involvement in the project. They stepped in when they were needed, but also knew when to let their team work independently. They’re really effective leaders, instilling a great deal of confidence in their team. Overall, Manifesto is a very personable group that tries to understand our needs as well as possible. They don’t offer cookie-cutter solutions — it’s been a customized, unique experience.
Are there any areas they could improve?
There were a few times when Manifesto over-promised on when they would be able to deliver. We would’ve appreciated them under-promising and over-delivering, rather than the other way around. We also ran into some problems scheduling early on.
the project
Branding & Web Design for Charter School
"Their commitment to understanding our needs and listening to us has made them stand out."
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 executive director of a public charter school. Our enrollment has grown about 800%, and we’re a high-performing, award-winning institution.
What challenge were you trying to address with Manifesto Agency?
We hadn’t done any marketing or public relations work to improve our visibility in the community, so we hired Manifesto Agency to help. We were trying to raise funds for these efforts, so we wanted their team to help create these materials. Also, our website wasn’t user-friendly, so we needed to improve the UX.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Manifesto Agency simplified our website and handled the redesign to give users a more holistic experience on the platform. They helped us target the key taglines that we needed, narrowing our focus down to around seven. Their team conducts social media marketing for us, working on our branding and strategy. They create materials and new improvements for our efforts, overall.
What is the team composition?
Tim (Chief Storyteller & Managing Partner) and Matt (Managing Director) are our main points of contact, but creators, web designers, a secretary, and others support the efforts, as well.
How did you come to work with Manifesto Agency?
We sent out an RFP and Manifesto Agency responded. They had more experience in branding and marketing, which is what we wanted to focus on. They’d also worked with local companies on their websites and shared their samples. We were very attracted to their branding and design work. After interviews, we chose them over other options.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent between $70,000–$100,000 on their services.
What is the status of this engagement?
We’ve had an ongoing relationship with Manifesto Agency since April 2018 and it’s ongoing. We’re always looking for other tasks to use them for.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They’ve played a significant role in creating materials to help our fundraising efforts. We’ve been very satisfied with the deliverables. We also appreciate the guidance and wisdom they bring to our unique business, contributing to the success of the project.
How did Manifesto Agency perform from a project management standpoint?
They’ve been excellent; I’ve loved working with them. We communicate over email and phone mostly. Their secretary attends each meeting, keeps and sends the minutes, and gives us reminders. On top of making sure we’re satisfied, they work to deliver everything on time and up to our expectations.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their commitment to understanding our needs and listening to us has made them stand out. They also process our requirements but still provide their own expertise and knowledge to enhance the project. They help take our ideas to the next level, so I’m very satisfied with that.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t have much experience in this area, but they’ve delivered on what they promise so I have no complaints.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I’d suggest you do your homework. There were a few people we considered during the process and we interviewed Manifesto Agency a couple of times before signing the contract to make sure it was the right fit.
the project
Marketing Strategy and Web Dev For Alumni Association
"Their approach to brainstorming and partnership is key to our success."
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 senior marketing manager for the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, a philanthropic and alumni engagement nonprofit for the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
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.
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.
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.
the project
Branding & Design Setting for Medical Tech Company
"The team was very adept at understanding the essence of the work of the team."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the Chief of Staff for a 60 person central organization within a large corporation.
For what projects/services did your company hire Manifesto Agency?
We were looking to build a brand identity for the work of our team and increase the use of the team's services.
What were your goals for this project?
The campaign needed to be informative, project thought leadership, yet be humble and recognize the broader ecosystem in which we work.
How did you select this vendor?
Reverse RFP. The team participated in a workshop with a few other vendors to get to know our organization and then respond with a brief proposal as to how they could best satisfy the project needs.
Describe the scope of their work in detail.
The work included setting design guidelines for print, online and video. The vendor developed a value proposition and go to market messaging supported by thought leadership pieces in print, online and video.
What was the team composition?
The team was highly collaborative and brought experts to bear in the appropriate areas.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
The work was frequently shared in external and internal presentations with positive feedback.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
The vendor always responded well to feedback. Their project management was satisfactory.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
The team was very adept at understanding the essence of the work of the team and translating that into a passionate vision that resonated well with consumers of their content.
Are there any areas for improvement?
Nothing that hasn't already been mentioned.
Not only did Manifesto Agency's efforts win them an award, but they also led to an increase in brand advocates as well as enhanced identification with the brand among employees. The team developed a strong strategy, was responsive, and worked efficiently to tackle the large volume of work.