Manifesto Agency

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Founder of Urban Light a non-profit based in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We PROTECT boys and young men by meeting their basic needs and EMPOWER them through education, training, and counseling—all to give them FREEDOM to choose a life beyond exploitation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Manifesto Agency?

Urban Light was fortunate enough to have been chosen as a pro-bono client of Manifesto in 2016. The challenge of every organization is in crafting a cohesive message, a visual movement and content that tells a story about your work. Manifesto has assisted Urban Light with enhancing our communication strategy, our global message, as well as amplifying our visual presence online.

What were your goals for this project?

Urban Light was a passion project with zero budget for marketing, ads, and website design. Manifesto's team transformed the Urban Light brand into a mature, professional and competitive charity within the global anti-trafficking arena.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I spoke to a number of current and former clients and was able to learn about the incredible reputation of the entire Manifesto team.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Once Manifesto conducted an extensive audit of our website, content and vision the Manifesto team worked very closely with myself and the Urban Light team to design a visual campaign and strategy that would allows us to make the most impact in our work in Thailand.

What was the team composition?

Throughout our 5+ year collaboration I have had the pleasure of working with almost every team member within the Manifesto family. I have worked with talented web-designers, articulate story-tellers helping me to craft the organization's message, as well as the Founder. Each ladder of expertise provided sound wisdom and incredible hand-holding support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since Manifesto's creation of Urban Light's new organizational logo, messaging and visual storytelling we have seen an increase in engagement online, an increase in donations, a surge in new followers via social media, and more noise and interest for allyship.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Both teams had to work virtually as our teams were located on two different continents and time zones and yet the Manifesto team has always been stellar with communication. Team members aim to be available at the client's need and is always extremely accommodating to any urgency we might have surrounding new projects.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The innovative thinking and clear communication from the team is what impressed me most with the Manifesto team. My expectation of Manifesto has surpassed excellent, with every project they tackle the end-result is never anything short of amazing and thoughtfully curated.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I normally recommend that companies address and build upon their Corporate Social Responsibility division, however Manifesto is not only already tackling this effort they are thriving in their support and care of the non-profit world. Manifesto is an absolute pioneer within this space and I applaud them for that.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Harvest Group is an omni-channel retail growth agency that specializes in coming alongside CPG brands every step of the retail journey. We represent small, medium, and large brands at key retailers such as Walmart, Sam's Club, and Kroger.

I serve as both the Vice President of our Kroger Division as well as the Brand Director/Chief Marketing Officer

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Manifesto Agency?

We hired Manifesto to engage in a visual identity rebrand, as well as to help us more clearly tell and communicate our story (differentiators). This included new logo, wordmark, manifesto, tagline, and color palette.

What were your goals for this project?

1. New visual identity which evolves with the maturity of our brand
2. New manifesto to engage and solidify our company culture and story
3. New business development pitch deck for meeting/discussing with new brand partnerships

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We engaged with 5 different agencies from all over the country, small to large, and evaluated design talent, dedicated resources, and overall client service strategy. We chose Manifesto based on the 360 creative support, the dedicated approach, and the heartbeat behind the company from the top down.

Describe the project in detail.

We engaged Manifesto in December of 2019 to develop a new visual identity for Harvest Group. They began by executing a one day, on-site, deep dive with our team. This, for me, was the key element of the success of the project.

They then did a study of our industry, and presented back to us the strategic white space they discovered for our marketing and messaging. We then moved in to the brand identity work, while parallel pathing the manifesto creation.

Ultimately, we finished up with the tag line and the presentation deck for New Business Development All along the way the team brought new ideas, fresh thinking, and new visuals for communicating our story.

What was the team composition?

Their team ranged from the Founders to the creative team and everywhere in between. We met designers, researchers, copywriters, etc. There was a core team, but then different elements of the project included folks with a unique skillset. Each team member was well versed in the project, our business, and our desired outcomes.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched the new branding recently, and it has been unanimously well received. We have received positive reviews from current clients, potential clients, and the industry. We also recently signed a large new client and we believe an element of the reason they chose us is due to the intentionality of our design work which Manifesto created.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We utilized Slack for team communication which enabled quick response and feedback for rounds of design and next steps. Their team also consistently provided notes and recaps of meetings and documented next steps. The 'account management' element of the Manifesto team is as good as I've ever experienced at a creative agency.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

1.The creative skillset combined with the strategic thinking of the entire team - they took the time to truly learn our industry, understand our business from end-to-end, and then bring their creative talents to the design elements

2.The dedication of the team throughout many changes and delays. There was never a loss of passion during the extension of timing on this project

3. The 'yes' based culture - their team never said "we don't do that". While they ensured we stayed close to in-scope, they went above and beyond in every aspect of service.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The only misstep we had along the way was the first round of brand logo presentation. I'm not quite sure what the miss was, but once we provided feedback that the first round of design missed the mark, the 2nd round of design far exceeded expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a former brand and marketing strategist at a semiconductor manufacturing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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.

SOLUTION

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.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior graphic designer at an HR and payroll SaaS provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Manifesto Agency?

We were entering a rebranding process.

SOLUTION

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.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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.

BACKGROUND

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.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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.

SOLUTION

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. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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. 

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. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Chief of Staff for a 60 person central organization within a large corporation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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.

SOLUTION

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.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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.