Murmur Creative

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started off by creating a brand new logo for the entire company that would be used in the redesign of the labels. This part of the process took about 3 months and many revisions until we got it to where we wanted it to be.

Once we got the logo design, we had 3 distinct labels created. Within each of those tiers, there are different color designs and graphics to delineate between the brands within that tier. Not only did we have to decide what the pattern or template was going to be for each of those 3 tiers, but we also had to pick colors. We do about 18 beers per year, and for us, it's important that we get them out on time.

These labels also had to get federal approval by the TTB [Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau], and if they would have said they weren’t up to spec, or that we needed to have them changed, it would’ve made things much more difficult. We would have had to go back to the drawing board and redesign them. However, each of the 3 tiered labels were approved on the first go-around from the TTB, thanks to Murmur.

They made sure the UPCs [universal product codes] were the right size, and ensured the government warning size was large enough and had a certain font. They also made sure the alcohol percentage was in the correct place.

They also created an ad for us concerning the rebrand. They did a brilliant job, and we're currently using it in national publications.

We had discussed other pieces outside packaging and branding, like business cards, sell sheets, and even web design, but we haven't used them for any of that work. It wasn’t because we didn’t want to go with them, we've just mostly been doing that work in-house.

What is the team dynamic?

My original contact was Mary [Account Director, Murmur Creative]. Kylie was our project manager, but I didn’t end up dealing as much with her in the end because Andrew [Owner, Murmur Creative] took control of the project. Most of my communication with him regarded design, changes, and the whole process in general.

How did you come to work with Murmur Creative?

I found them online. I interviewed 5 different designers—2 of whom were references from somebody that works here, and 3 of whom I found myself. I like Murmur’s website and some of their past work, so I sent them a blind email inquiry. Mary got back to me within an hour despite being on vacation at that time. The fact that she still felt it was important enough to get back to me immediately was great. From there, it snowballed into something much bigger and better.

How much have you invested with them?

The entire rebranding project cost over $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We selected them by the end of June 2016, and started on the project by early July 2016. The project took 3 months.

What was the scope of their involvement?

In concert with a graphic designer we already worked with, they rebuilt the website from the ground up using WordPress. They improved the layout to be more intuitiv, added components for video, and made it much more personal, which is important since we are consultants.

They also fine-tuned a complex interface template that allows users to register for workshops online. This was an existing feature, but they improved it immensely and made it much easier to navigate.

After completing the site, they also provided SEO setup.

What is the team dynamic?

Kylie [McMinn, Producer, Murmur] served as project manager during the website overhaul and coordinated with the development team. While she was the main coordinator, we still had access to the development team and occasionally communicated with them directly, which was very helpful.

In designing the e-commerce function, we worked directly with Tim [Lundy, Digital Producer, Murmur].

How did you come to work with Murmur?

We knew Mary [Nichols, Account Director, Murmur] through one of our speaking workshops. After auditing a class, she found our service to be very helpful and offered to help elevate our digital presence. Once we decided to redesign our website, we contacted Mary and she convinced us right away that Murmur was the ideal company to take our brand to the next level.

We weren't sure how much a project of this scale should cost, so we shopped around and found their price to be very competitive.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $12,000–14,000. That includes the complete website development and initial SEO work.

What is the status of this engagement?

We hired Murmur to retool our website in January 2016, and worked with them again from June, 2016 to May 2016 to build the e-commerce function.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a really great experience with Murmur for the logo development process. We were so impressed by the quality of their work, attention to detail, responsiveness, and creativity. We decided to work with them on developing a brand book so that we could update our color palate and typekit, as well as guidelines around the type of photography and image assets we use. We wanted to put all of this into a book for our organization to use moving forward.

We also contracted Murmur to produce and design a suite of branding elements, including our collateral, letterhead, envelopes, and business cards, among others. We did an additional contract with them to update our website to reflect the updated logo, header, web fonts, and colors. Since 2016, we’ve done more contracts with them, including a document production, general brochure, and a special splash page development project. They’ve done well with everything we’ve assigned to them.

What is the team dynamic?

Mary Nichols [Account Director, Murmur Creative] coordinated the RFP [Request For Proposal] and was in charge of new business. I was immediately impressed by her responsiveness and positive attitude, and she connected with the mission of the organization. That’s always a huge boost for environmental nonprofits when the person doing creative work has really tapped into the spirit of what’s being done. Kylie [Producer, Murmur Creative] is the project manager I’ve worked with for all of the graphic design projects, and she’s very responsive, as well as helpful.

There hasn’t been a single instance where I was left waiting, or looking for more attention than I received. Renee [Designer, Murmur Creative] is the graphic designer. She wasn’t the first person to tackle the logo design, but ultimately, she contributed an idea that we really loved. She did a fantastic job with that, and has since worked on some document development for us.

There’s definitely a benefit to having continuity with the organization that has been so involved with developing our new brand.

How did you come to work with Murmur Creative?

I was really impressed with a logo they’d created for Next Adventure, which is an outdoor gear brand. Once I saw it and their portfolio, I was intrigued because environmental nonprofit and outdoor retail both operate in the same scene. I was also impressed with Murmur’s website, so I asked some friends who are digital designers who they thought I should go to, and Murmur came up.

I did an RFP, and ultimately selected Murmur for the logo development. I knew I didn’t want to work with a huge agency, since we’re a nonprofit client with a limited budget. I also wanted someone who could collaborate with our committee and staff members as far as creative elements go.   

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on the initial branding and logo design together from January-July 2016.