Morsekode

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the former director of digital marketing at Widex USA. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Morsekode?

We worked with Morsekode several times to create microsites that allowed us to showcase product user testimonials. We also worked on a digital experience that elevated the stories that were being shared with us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I came to Morsekode with an area of opportunity that was similar to a project they’d done for another company. That company created a user-centric map that allowed the users of their moccasin shoes to see where they traveled across the world. 

The users of our product — a hearing aid technology — had the same dynamics as the users of that company’s products. On top of that, we had a lot of advocates who shared stories and testimonials scattered across the web. As a result, we wanted to centralize those stories and testimonials into one area; we built a central repository for all these great stories. The platform was built using .NET.

Then, we needed Morsekode to give product users a strong brand treatment and digital experience so that they would want to share their own stories. Overall, we wanted our customer advocacy to increase through an inviting digital experience. 

What is the team composition?

We mainly worked with their interactive and client relations team, including Laura (VP of Client Relationships) and Colin (Associate Creative Director). In total, nine people contributed to the project under the guidance of these teams. 

How did you come to work with Morsekode?

I was introduced to Morsekode through my previous employment, where Mark (CEO) came to pitch. They were really strong in that engagement. When I went to my new role, I sought them out based on their strategic approach to digital campaigns, which combined customer experience with strong branding. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent approximately $100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership lasted from January 2017–January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our customer advocacy tripled in the first year to the point that we were getting 10 new reviews on average per month — all clearly inbound. Previously, we had to go through our CRM and ask people to leave a review. However, this project became something that users stumbled upon, and they felt compelled to contribute to it without being asked. 

Anecdotally, Morsekode took our good ideas and made them great. Oftentimes, my team members and I had a vision already in mind for what we wanted the deliverable to look like. Morsekode would go to work and come back to us with a better version of our idea. It was a risky move for them to not deliver what we'd asked for, but they never failed — their output was always far better than what we had presented in the statement of work (SoW). 

Moreover, there was something about their culture that carried down to the team. I’ve known their CEO and many of their leaders, and they were all fantastic listeners. Apart from that, they relied heavily on research and data before making any recommendations. 

How did Morsekode perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of project management, we used Basecamp and JIRA, and the process was extremely streamlined. They delivered on time, and they gave assurances that the deliverable would be ready on the requested date. This was part of their communication process around the project. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Morsekode turned good ideas into something great, and they had a combination of creativity, innovation, and understanding of the client's needs.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing glaring popped out during the engagement. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let Morsekode take your ideas and believe that they can make them better. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work for Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates on the Great Lakes Educational Loan Services, Inc. side.

What is your position?

I’m the Director of Marketing and Communications. I oversee several different teams for internal communication, compliance documentation, and our external communications team that works on communication with the student loan borrowers whose loans we service. I also have a client communications team that focuses on the schools and lenders to which we provide different services and products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Morsekode?

We needed to work on brand strategy and positioning. We wanted to tell a better overall story of who we are, not only in our current business but with the potential of extending into new business lines in the future.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

They began with a deep dive into our company, industry, and background, along with interviews. Then, they did an in-depth competitive analysis by first seeing what our key competitor's online presence is and the strength of their brands. This gave us a great understanding of where we were with regard to our competitors. Morsekode held a workshop for about a dozen of us in marketing and sales, to get a better idea of how we see ourselves and where we want to be in the future. They created a final strategy recommendation presentation for us with some positioning grids which included the key messaging hierarchy to take forward. They also produced an internal manifesto video to use to start telling our story better.

How did you come to work with Morsekode?

I had worked with Morsekode with a previous employer and engaged with them on several projects while I was in that role. Being very comfortable with the quality of the work that they had done for us there, led me to engage with them again.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was in the $10,000 to $50,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

We are wrapping up. You could call it completed at this stage.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

So far, we've gotten good content to position ourselves well. To accomplish that, we're updating our website, to line up with that positioning and thinking about other branding ideas.

How did Morsekode perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management has been really strong and they do a terrific job of listening. Morsekode is very in tune with what you're asking for and your expectations. They're very good at keeping the project moving and are realistic about timelines.

What distinguishes Morsekode from other providers?

The biggest thing for us was how well Morsekode listened to us. The end product we got is quality work. I've worked with them on higher education finance and law enforcement biometric tools – both with no problem understanding the material. Morsekode gives great measured opinions to help make the product better.

Is there anything Morsekode could have improved or done differently?

There's really nothing I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My organization is called 3M - we’re with the Traffic Security Division within 3M. We work on materials for transportation agencies. We’re selecting sheeting, pavement markings, and license plate sheeting. We primarily work with government agencies.

What is your position?

My position is Communications Manager for those product lines.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Morsekode?

We wanted to understand what our DOT [Department of Transportation] customer needed through experience mapping. Additionally, we needed video production and a position paper for a project I can’t talk about specifically. We’ve done a couple projects with them now.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Morsekode helped us develop a white paper – although we are calling it a position paper. They’re helping us work out how we want to position ourselves in the marketplace, showing our expertise within 3M, our long history in the transportation industry, and how we could influence new markets that we’ll be working in.

They’ve interviewed a number of technical people within our company. That coupled with supporting data, creative writing, and design work will culminate into a video. The purpose of that 2-3 minute long video is to come up with a high-level summary that we could show people explaining what we’re all about.

How did you come to work with Morsekode?

A colleague of mine was working with Morsekode on a customer journey mapping project in a different market, and she highly recommended them.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The customer journey mapping project was $50,000. For the video, we’re partnering with an illustrator as well, but Morsekode’s part is between $30,000 and $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We are currently working with Morsekode.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

For the customer journey mapping that we did, we’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback within the company. We want to improve our website and its content so this feedback is good news. We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback within both our division, the company generally, and corporate.

How did Morsekode perform from a project management standpoint?

Morsekode performed excellently. We meet on a weekly basis which keeps us on track. Our account manager is very attentive to our needs. He’s become very knowledgeable about our business, so it’s easy for us to interact with him and for him to understand what we’re requesting.

What distinguishes Morsekode from other providers?

One of the biggest things that distinguishes Morsekode from other providers is how our account manager has become part of our team. They’re very responsive, attentive, and have helped us meet all deadlines. The status meetings we have each week are great to keep us on track and make sure all questions are answered, so we can keep moving forward.

Is there anything Morsekode could have improved or done differently?

I can’t think of anything. They’re very helpful in giving us ideas of things that we can do differently, things that we may not be thinking of. Suggestions like that are always helpful.