Massive Media

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Coordinator for Special Events and Filming at the District of West Vancouver.

For what projects/services did your company hire Massive Media?

The District of West Vancouver hired Massive Media for a brand refresh of the Harmony Arts Festival, the District's largest event. Harmony has grown over the last 10 years and required a refreshed look to appeal to a broader audience.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals of the refresh were to keep the spirit of the brand, while giving it a contemporary look.

How did you select this vendor?

The search process began with phone interviews with five local marketing agencies, which were selected based on online portfolios, reviews, and price range, and was narrowed down to three. The three companies provided thorough overviews of the works they would complete along with quotes. After an internal review process, which involved multiple departments, the District of West Vancouver awarded the competition to Massive Media because they demonstrated the ability to best serve the District.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Massive Media started by sending the District a calendar that clearly outlined the timelines, scope, and deliverables of the project. Next, they hosted the events team for a kick-off meeting with their team of the CEO, Creative Director, Project Manager, Designer, and Content Strategist. A week later, they held a workshop called 'Start with Why' for District staff and other key members of the Harmony Arts community (a total of 17 participants).

Following the workshop, Massive Media interviewed a list of eight volunteers, District staff, sponsors, and attendees. Once the research phase was complete, Massive Media conducted a collateral audit followed by several in-person presentations where they presented us with several options and allowed us time to provide feedback and refine the options.

Through interviews and workshops, Massive provided us with a refined brand story and visual identity. 

What was the team composition?

Our team worked directly with the Project Manager who would often include the Designer, Copy Editor, and Creative Director in phone calls and meetings. The size of their team they dedicated to the District remained consistent throughout the project.

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

We are very pleased with the results of the brand refresh. We received lots of positive feedback from our sponsors and community on the updated visual identity. Our internal team felt that Massive truly listened and delivered well beyond our expectations.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

This refresh had to be completed in a tight two-month timeline and required a lot of engagement from the Harmony community. Massive delivered the results right on time and always allowed time for feedback and refining. They ensured we had a point-person on our team to keep communication flowing with ease.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by the breadth of expertise on Massive's team. They really spent their time listening and understanding, from all perspectives, what the brand was and where it needs to be. They also worked very collaboratively with the District and were always open to feedback in a very approachable way.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were very happy with the results and saw no areas for improvement.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the web and digital manager at a nongovernment organization.

What challenge were you trying to address with Massive Media?

We had a website that hadn't been updated for quite a while. We needed to figure out a new direction for the platform so that one of our teams could continue to work and expand on what their work was hoping to accomplish.

We wanted a lot of modular agency, so being able to take a page and add components that still fit within the site’s aesthetic and theme, while also providing the flexibility internally for our team to make choices or present certain pages and content of their choosing.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I provided Massive Media with a site map, a skeleton of how the website was currently structured, and access to the website to create the skeleton for themselves as well. We had a conversation about the optimal way to structure our content; before, I think people had been creating content types or subtypes at their leisure, and we needed to reevaluate what the user preference and perspective would be. I did as much as I could to provide them with the precursor documents, and then they handled wireframes. They did a design overhaul of our website and made it look more visually appealing. 

They also ensured that as our program shifts or changes, the website is able to do the same. That was a key functionality piece.

What is the team composition?

Throughout the project, I worked with at least six people. At the first level, I worked with René (Partner & Creative Director). We also worked with two project managers: one was dedicated to the external day-to-day communications, and the other managed internal communications. 

When we did wireframing and design in the beginning, we talked with a particular person from that team; then, during the development and bug phase, we worked with someone from the development team. 

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent just under $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in February or March 2019, and it wrapped up by May or June of that year. We host the website on our own server, so they handed the website over to us. However, I’ve gone back to them a few times since launch to ask questions, such as about adding a functionality, and they’ve been super accommodating.

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

They went above and beyond. I think one of the big pieces is that the team that we got the website built for hasn't come to me in quite a while to make any changes to the site. In my position, I tend to sense that a team is going to push toward getting a new website when they're coming to me pretty regularly to make small fixes on the backend of the site. When a website launches, I can tell if it is or isn’t working for the team depending on how much they're reaching out to me. The team has been able to handle the website and become pretty self-sufficient. For me, that's a barometer of success on their end. I think it also helped that Massive was there to onboard and assist on that front.

How did Massive Media perform from a project management standpoint?

It was a really good process. They didn’t miss much, and they were always very responsive within a day or less. Our organization is split across Canada; although Massive is based in the same city as me, the project team is based out of the East Coast, and they were flexible with handling that time change.

There was a lot of back and forth, and sometimes, unexpected things came up. Everyone was super flexible, accommodating, and understanding of the situation. I think that’s a tribute to their experience dealing with clients, not only from our industry but other industries as well. They took on challenges as they came, which was really nice. To communicate, we used Google Hangouts, email, or quick phone calls as needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I thought the whole process was really well done. One of the most challenging pieces was when we had two feedback loops in the design that were part of the agreement, but we had to explore and add a third round because of internal feedback on our end. They managed that really well; I think it could’ve been a sticky situation, but they communicated well, and it ended up just being a small bump in the overall journey of the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I think it was pretty good for the most part. I didn’t think there was any glaring weakness or issue working with them.

Any advice for potential customers?

I’d recommend taking one of two paths: have everything clearly defined upfront, or be willing to collaborate and work with the ideas that Massive brings to the table. I think that a lot of the time, when you work with agencies like this, it can be frustrating to both parties if you’re undecided on your approach.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a business analyst and project manager at a lumber treating and building materials distribution company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Massive Media?

We were looking to build a completely new website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Massive Media designed and developed a new website from scratch. We put together and internal project team, identifying various stakeholders in different areas of the business. Executives in these departments helped us compile a list of requirements for the website. 

The Massive Media team took these requirements to build an initial design draft. The internal committee approved items, design elements, and functionality they had created. Then their team developed the website based on that feedback through several iterations. After that site was approved, they populated the site with content for various pages.

Massive Media helped us create a branding guide based on our internal standards. The guide for the updated design language for the new website. Their team also provided social media and marketing strategies, creating a plan for the frequency and content of posts. These campaigns adhered to the brand guidelines.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 6–7 members of the Massive Media team.

How did you come to work with Massive Media?

I did some internal research on marketing and web design firms in Canada. Massive Media came up so I checked out their past work and decided to send them an RFP that outlined the requirements and scope of the project. From there, we discussed how they would approach the project. We evaluated them against multiple other firms and, after bringing them in for various presentations on their strategy, we decided to work with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Massive Media ran from September 2018–October 2019.

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

We have been evaluating the website on Google Analytics and have seen a noticeable increase in the number of pages users go to. We have also seen an increase in engagement across our various social media platforms.

How did Massive Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Massive Media was adaptable to our changing timelines and schedules. We ran into some challenges in terms of internal scheduling, but they handled them well. Overall, they were great to work with and always delivered results on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It was fantastic to work with Massive Media. Everyone on their team is knowledgeable and experienced and it really shows. We were satisfied with both the final product and the relationship we had. They actually care about the products they were releasing. It felt like they were as invested in our success as we were.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were very strong in all of the areas we needed them to be.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be upfront and open about what you want. Treat it as a partnership, not just a transactional relationship. Be open to changes and flexible in requirements because they have great advice. If they tell you something is or is not possible, trust in their expertise.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the e-commerce and marketing manager at Global Shoe Connection. We are a shoe distributor and e-commerce company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Massive Media?

We were looking to build a new brand and website. They provided branding and identity services. The website will be replaced as a second phase with Massive Media.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team worked on our visual identity and branding. Naming, key messaging, brand story, and logo were developed.

What is the team composition?

We work with a team of five people thus far.

How did you come to work with Massive Media?

We came across them a few years ago but the project we had did not go forward. Their team made a good impression, so I reached out to them again to see if they wanted to work with us on this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $30,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

It began in May 2019 and is ongoing for the second part of the project, the website.

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

The product has received positive feedback from the industry. Others have been interested in using Massive Media for their own branding work. Internal stakeholders also gave strong feedback.

How did Massive Media perform from a project management standpoint?

It was great; their communication was amazing. They were easy to work with and always delivered everything on time. It’s been fun to work with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very genuine and authentic. Everything is honest and up front.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be ready to laugh and have a good time while getting a great product at the same time.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Executive Director of a non-profit organization. We have a permanent staff of 4, and a rotating group of contractors that are hired on a per project basis. Our work focuses on public policy research and program evaluation.

For what projects/services did your company hire Massive Media?

Our website and company branding was out of date and poorly thought out. It did not showcase our achievements well and it did not communicate the right kind of message to our potential funders.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted a new website that: 

• Showcased our past achievements
• Communicated our services, value and level of expertise
• Looked modern and appealing

How did you select this vendor?

I did on-line research for web development and marketing companies in Canada and took recommendations from friends. I asked for bids from 4 different companies. I evaluated all of the proposals and took the two top proposals to my team for their input. The team selected Massive based on the proposal that they submitted and the examples of their work that they submitted.

Describe the project in detail.

Once we selected Massive, we had a meeting with their team at our office (their team included their creative director, our project manager, and Lindsay the Massive CEO). At the initial meeting Massive was focused on understanding the culture and approach of our organization, and the explicit things that we wanted out of the project.

After the initial meeting Massive sent a project plan that outlined the steps that would take place, and the proposed deadlines. Massive asked for the names of people whom they could interview to get an outsiders perspective on the strengths of our organization.

Within 2 weeks Massive had concluded the interviews and developed a detailed calendar of milestones for my approval. The third week after the initial meeting I met with Massive for their Style Presentation. They had developed two possible looks for the new website that I provided feedback on. Both looks were very well done.

At 5 weeks into the project Massive sent a prototype of the website design and layout along with a content plan. Samples of the key page were ready for review by week 7.

Over the next few weeks our team worked on updating and creating new content, with helpful advice from Massive on readability etc. The website was available for my review by week 12.

There were a couple of feedback points and a few small items that needed changing. The content development took longer than anticipated on our side (not Massive's fault at all) and so the project deadline was pushed slightly. The website went live at week 18.

What was the team composition?

Initially I met with 3 team members, the Company CEO, the creative director and our project manager. At the key page meeting the lead code developer was also there (I was given to understand that he had a team of 2-3 people working with him). At one point our project manager went on vacation, and so we had a stand-in project manager for that week.

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

Massive did a fantastic job. We love our site. It had all of the elements that we wanted. (www.icclr.org)

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. The communication was great. Our project manager always answered emails quickly and checked in regularly. At one point we needed to have a supplemental meeting (about feedback from my board of directors responding to the key page) and the Massive team was happy to schedule that meeting on pretty short notice.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They seemed to genuinely care about helping us succeed. They were enthusiastic about the project and they met all of their deadlines. They were easy to work with, great at communication and took feedback well. The final product turned out great.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can't think of anything that caused me any concern. I would work with them again without hesitation.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Teach & Kids Learn (TKL) is a national leading provider of online professional development for educators seeking to meet state re-certification requirements, salary advancement and graduate credits. My position in TKL is CEO & Founder

For what projects/services did your company hire Massive Media?

Our initial challenge was focused on rebranding our company's overall design elements and outward-facing messaging. This national campaign will look to leverage various marketing methods which Massive Media will be designing and leading. The national marketing campaign is scheduled to take place during September and October of 2019.

What were your goals for this project?

To date, Teach & Kids Learn (TKL) has been known as more of a very successful regional provider of online professional development. Our rebranding and new product & services launch will mark a new and pivotal change in the growth that our company has been able to achieve over the last few years. Our new product & services which we will be launching will expand our overall reach to new district partnerships throughout the country.

How did you select this vendor?

Our company researched several marketing firms to determine which ones had the capacity, experience and reputation as a rebranding. Once we narrowed down the list to five companies we contacted them and provided a proposal bidding process. Our team met with each of the companies through a formal vetting process.

We reviewed the proposal and determined what each marketing firm could bring to this project. The vetting process took about 3-4 weeks. After careful review, our team determined that Massive Media had exactly the experience and design capabilities that we were looking for to help us in taking the company to the next level.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The process started with a comprehensive review of our company’s mission, services, products, and our people. We needed to not only come up with a new fresh look but also design elements that would allow us to grow in new directions as a company. This new design and messaging would lead us into our next phase of growth as a national company and a deeper set of services and product offerings.

Once the rebranding phase was completed, the next phase that we entered with Massive Media was to design and develop a new TKL public website which is scheduled to launch in September 2019. The new website design needed to combine both an easy flowing UI design element along with providing a simpler overall company product & services message.

Lastly, Massive Media was contracted to creating a national marketing campaign to showcase our new rebranded website site and new product launch.

What was the team composition?

Massive Project Team ○ Lindsay Smith - CEO ○ René Thomas - Strategy + Creative Direction ○ Christina Cooke - Project Manager ○ Megan Schrader - Brand Strategist + Copywriter ○ Jessica Young - Copywriter ○ Ryan Gutierrez - Sr. Designer

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

Currently, our rebranding, website, and marketing campaign is due to launch in the coming month. So it is too soon for us to provide outcome data and/or information. we believe everything will be well-received due to the great work that has been accomplished to date.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. There were meetings scheduled with each of the key players in our company where an interview and discovery process was used. Once completed the next step was for Massive Media to present to us their findings and a general understanding of what we do, how we do it, and more importantly why we do it.

This allowed us to provide a check for understanding which would later play a very key role in all facets of the work that needed to be completed. I must say that I feel that this is truly the strength that Massive Media has as a marketing firm. They really take the time to understand your business and mission. So much so that you will begin to view them more as an extension of your overall team versus a hired external consulting team.

Their depth of understanding was impressive. Next, came the work of planning and doing. Their attention to detail and timelines is unparalleled. They provided us with regular meetings that were scheduled around specific deliverables toward the project completion.

If needed, additional impromptu calls and/or email messages would help to fill any gaps that might need attention were provided. Their project management team made sure that all goals were met and project delivery was completed on time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to ask the right questions which would lead to a deeper understanding of our company dynamics, as well as our products and services. They were able to really to get to the heart of what we were looking to accomplish with our rebranding and company refresh.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can't think of anything at the moment. We would definitely recommend them to other companies that are looking to rebrand and/or redefine themselves for their markets.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the principal at Inn Ventures Hospitality Corp., a hotel and resort consulting company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Massive Media?

We engaged Massive Media to help us create a brand for one of our resort developments in progress.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a name already picked out, and Massive Media validated it and created a logo and icon. They've also helped us create the brand story and we plan on working with them to develop additional collateral that will include digital, print, and video.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with three members on their team.

How did you come to work with Massive Media?

I knew the principal of their firm before he started working at Massive Media. After we interviewed their team, we felt comfortable working with them based on the questions they asked us to help us develop our strategy and brand statement.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since June 2018 and the relationship is ongoing.

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

Massive Media effectively articulated what we wanted to say into a compelling brand statement. They took the time to understand our market and needs through an extremely helpful analytical process.

How did Massive Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They've been great about staying in constant communication with us and delivering ahead of schedule.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their initial strategy of taking the time to understand our company and goals sets them apart.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They have a great team and handle projects well beyond our expectations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be brutally honest with them when providing ongoing feedback and assessments of their work.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the financial controller at an industrial auctioneer company. Our headquarter is in Vancouver, B.C. with multiple offices in Canada, the US, Germany, and China.

For what projects/services did your company hire Massive Media?

We needed Massive Media to create a new website for us. Our existing site was outdated, and a majority of our users visit the site on mobile devices, which our site does not accommodate.

What were your goals for this project?

We want to have a user-friendly site that functions across multiple platforms. The site has to be capable of displaying all necessary information during our hundreds of annual auctions.

How did you select this vendor?

One of our partner companies had their site redesigned by Massive Media, and we were impressed by their work. After hearing their proposal, we committed to them for the project.

Describe the project in detail.

We began the project with several discovery meetings to discuss main objectives. From there, they spoke to all of our stakeholders and staff to better understand our business model. They incorporated all of this information into their design drafts and content flow. We had a round of feedback on aesthetic changes and finalized the site’s look. Now, the focus of the project is on tweaking the site to accommodate our proprietary auctioneer software.

What was the team composition?

Massive Media provided their entire team for this project. They also supplied a project manager.

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

We’ve received a mock-up that we’re thrilled with. We don’t need to change anything about it, so we can proceed with the integration process on our backend and launch the new look of our company.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Under Massive Media’s advice, we have a primary manager on both teams, which makes communication smooth. All questions go through the project manager, and if they can’t answer it, they’ll internally forward it to the right person. Additionally, their entire team is present during every meeting, which gives each side a mutual understanding of the project. There is no back and forth on the small things, and our sessions are condensed and fruitful because of their management style.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their participation on a daily basis and high level of knowledge in our industry are valuable to us. There are some instances where they educate us on our customer base, rather than the other way around.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a client services coordinator for a commercial real estate company, specifically for the high technology facilities group.

What challenge were you trying to address with Massive Media?

Our team profile on the corporate website wasn't terribly enticing or exciting. We were looking to brand ourselves outside of that corporate box in order to reach our tech clients.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Massive Media held a few meetings to get to know us and understand our needs. They drilled down on some possibilities, and then came back to us with a proposal. The majority of our clients are in the tech world and they speak a very specific language. It’s a small and tight knit tech community here in Vancouver. They helped us brand ourselves by creating a new website, which also gives us a bigger reach.

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with the CEO and the CXO. We worked 1–2 other people on occasion.

How did you come to work with Massive Media?

They were a previous client of ours. They knew our language and who we were trying to target, as well as were able to interpret our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $10,000 CAD (approximately $7,600 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We signed the agreement in June 2017 and launched the new website in February 2018.

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

They absolutely listened to what we wanted, and delivered exactly what we needed. We’ve had a lot of good feedback from our clients. They nailed the look and feel of the website. It speaks the right language at a level that other people can understand. They went above and beyond by recommending photographers and organizing a photo shoot as well.

How did Massive Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication was excellent. They never canceled or postponed a meeting. We told them from the beginning that the website would never be a priority for us. We asked them to push us to deliver what they needed. They did a great job of keeping on top of us in a very warm way. Even if we were late, we were able to deliver the materials because of their effective communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They listened to us, which was key. We had a sense of what we wanted to do but found it hard to paint that picture. They delivered on our vision even though we weren’t able to specify what it was we wanted.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they did a great job. We made their life difficult, but they made ours quite easy.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a digital project manager, formerly with Force Four Entertainment, a production company based in Vancouver, Canada, where I was involved on two CBC documentary series.

What challenge were you trying to address with Massive Media?

We were looking for a vendor to facilitate and execute our digital campaign strategy and report on metrics and performance.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their team developed our social media strategy for the first series, and our digital ad campaign strategy for both shows, running an ad campaign for each. They provided insight on our target audience, stakeholders, and messaging. Taking into account the sensitivity of the issues we were covering in the two series, Massive Media helped us navigate conversation around the topics on social media. Their team also designed and created all digital assets, including social media ads for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google.

What is the team composition?

Lindsay Smith (CEO and Founder, Massive Media) and René Thomas (Partner, Massive Media) were very involved in the overall strategy. We were assigned a Project Manager and worked with a few other resources at different levels of the project as the task required.

How did you come to work with Massive Media?

Our series producer had worked with them before and loved their work, so we reengaged them for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested under $100,000 CAD (under $80,000 USD) for both campaigns combined.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them on the first show from July to December 2015, and the second from January to May 2017.

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

Massive Media conducted an incredibly successful social media and digital ad campaign, resulting in a lot of public engagement. Our broadcaster and everyone involved was very happy with it.

How did Massive Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team remained professional, insightful, and responsive throughout the engagement. They were quick to send back drafts and iterations on creative and their agility made the whole process seamless.

Since our shows involved sensitive subjects, Massive Media had to help us react quickly to online social media engagement and issues as they arose—they were 100% available throughout.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm most impressed by their personal touch and insight. Being responsive and available to us throughout each campaign was incredibly important.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. It was such a joy to work with them and I felt comfortable knowing they were always there for us as we needed them. I wouldn't change a thing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as honest and open about what you want as possible, regardless of your experience with digital ad campaigns. Their highly knowledgeable team can help you navigate the work regardless of your level of knowledge in this space.