Olive & Company

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Outreach & Initiative Coordinator of Chisago County

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

County Government is an arm of the state of Minnesota and oversees many programs funded by property tax revenue.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Olive & Company to accomplish?

• Create a brand platform that unifies all Chisago County governmental entities

SOLUTION

How did you find Olive & Company?

Referral

Why did you select Olive & Company over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from Olive & Company were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We began our project with little to no guidance or parameters around our brand, brand platform, messaging, or even our logo. Recognizing the importance of having these assets streamlined, we enlisted Olive & Company to help us build a unifying guide that could be used for many years to come. Key deliverables included:

1. Stakeholder Interviews
2. Brand Platform Development
3. Mood Board & Logo Design
4. Key Messaging for internal and external audiences
5. Brand Deployment & Implementation

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We began our project with a very low bar. Implementing just about anything consistently was going to be a success for this project. That said, here are a few key deliverables that we are proud to share:

1. Stakeholder Interviews that encompass a broad variety of perspectives
2. Comprehensive Brand Guide that addresses the daily needs of a governmental organization
3. Brand Guide that is accessible and usable to those not in the design/ marketing industry
4. Gain approval and support from county board, county employees, and county constituants

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

From the beginning, Olive & Company was polished, professional, and undeniably expert in their field. That said, we were met in spaces that worked for our team and with an approach that mirrored the culture of our organization. Throughout the process we felt well cared for, listened to, and like our imput was integral to the successful outcome. 

What was your primary form of communication with Olive & Company?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Olive & Company operates as a team. They have a highly cultivated group of experts and we approached them as a team, and were enveloped into their cohort from the very beginning. As glad as I was to have the project completed, I was sad to no longer have regular opportunities to work with the Olive & Company Team.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Olive & Company could have done differently?

One thing that I learned at the end of our project was the assumptions for implementation did not match our capacity. Most of what we received from the Olive Team was built for implementation by someone (or a team) that operates using Adobe products.

We do not have that expertise in house and have had to learn on the fly to be able to implement some of what we received as project outcomes. If I was to do this again, I would be more clear from the onset about how we plan to implement and use the brand assets that Olive & Company created for us.