Perfect Afternoon (FKA Trademark Productions)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a Credit and Debit card processing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Trademark Productions, and what were your goals?

I came to Trademark with and outdated website that did not properly target my audience. I wanted to have a more financial feel my website since I am in the Debit and Credit card processing industry.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

One of my employees was at a trade show in Las Vegas. He met the advertising director and was impressed with his portfolio and presentation.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The scope of the work and the direction I wanted to take was to start from scratch. I wanted them to develop a new fresh website that accurately describes the services my company provides. I outlined my goals and services my company offers and handed them over to Trademark.

We had our first zoom presentation within three weeks and I was extremely please with the concepts they recommended. I gave my approval to move forward and two weeks later we had another zoom meeting. I reviewed copy and graphics they proposed and they were spot on! Trademark proposed a click to call technology that I agreed to and it has delivered prospects and and a few sales within 60 days of launching the site.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

There was a copy writer, graphic designer, website developer and sales manager who was my point person. She communicated with me on all aspects of the project and kept me in the loop on their progress and time frame.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

All of my goals were achieved developing my new website with Trademark Productions. This is clearly evidenced by my referring them to my friends company that is currently using multiple vendors. By working with Trademark she will have everything under one roof and was very impressed with the work they did for me and the Trademark presentation.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Their management style was what any busy executive was looking for. They are professional, keeping you in the loop when they know it is necessary to communicate with you. When a zoom call is scheduled, they meet their deadline and are ready to present.

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

Professionalism. communication and meeting the agreed upon deadlines.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No. When I wanted to make any changes they were very accommodating and executed my requests in a timely manor.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company sells smoke detection kits to used car shoppers, dealerships, and rental agencies enabling users to objectively measure whether a vehicle has been smoked in. I am a co-founder and CEO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Trademark Productions?

We hired Trademark to improve our website, build out an advertising strategy and platform, and help us go from zero to 1000 unit sales a month online.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I interviewed with 9 agencies and found Trademark the most compelling. Trademark offered more value for the same price (or less) than other agencies. Every agency said they could make a compelling website, turn on advertising, and improve conversion over time. Trademark was unique and compelling in that they were the only agency that said lets invest the first 30 days into branding because if we capture an audience but don't have a compelling message, whats the point. This convinced us.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We developed a brand book and then built a website. We are currently curating content for social, blog, and ads. Soon we will launch ads and focus on optimizing conversion and reaching our sales goal.

What was the team composition?

The team is awesome. My organization has an account manager who is a jack of all trades and is accessible pretty much 24/7. We also have access to the creative director and the president depending on the needs of the moment. We also zoom chat with the entire team of contributors (half a dozen members from their firm) once a week or every other week.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website execution matched our highest hopes and dreams. Its all about the results, which are still unclear because we have not turned on advertising spend, but as each day goes by I am more and more confident in Trademark and our combined strategy.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Could not be better. Their team has been committed, and they continue to finish tasks on time. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Dwight, their leader, is a visionary. He can see 3 years into the future of my company the way our founding team does - unlike most of our other stakeholders - without explanation from our team. Danielle is everything you want out of an account manager. She is available, consistent, and supportive. We are in the trenches together.

Danielle's leadership makes us feel like Trademark is not a vendor, they are part of our team. Tyler, their creative lead, has incredible taste. Describing "the look" you want is one thing. Executing the aesthetic that describes the mood, tone, emotion, etc that we are going for is another. All you have to do is look at our website. Good look making a better site that he did!

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

I am a happy customer to date.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a medical organization, and I’m the VP of imaging and specialty services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Trademark Productions?

We needed to update our website and make it more user-friendly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Trademark Productions built a new site for us from scratch on WordPress. We started with a series of meetings with them where they trained us to enter content to the site and answered our questions — they were helpful with that. We then accepted and began the project with back-and-forth meetings to check the content that was going to be on the site until we got where we wanted.

Currently, they provide social media marketing efforts for us.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with 3–4 people; a project manager is our main point of contact, a web developer, and other people from their team who are also involved.

How did you come to work with Trademark Productions?

We were referred to them by a co-worker who worked with them in the past.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $30,000 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website looks great. Also, according to reports that Google sends to us, we’ve been getting more traffic on our website; we used to have 1–2 people on our site, and now we have hundreds of them — that’s great for us.

How did Trademark Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re wonderful to work with; we communicate via email or do meetings as needed — they’re very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They keep us on task even though we don’t know much about websites. We move forward with the content while they help us understand their industry. They’re also proactive in correcting things they see wrong to make sure that the site is functioning as it should

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have a dedicated team on your end to work on the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president at Cabresto Imports, a spirits company that imports tequila from Mexico to Michigan.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Trademark Productions?

We needed a company to do our digital marketing. We were working with another social media company, but we decided to expand a little more since our business line is a bit more complex.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The team at Trademark Productions performs all of our digital marketing services, including social media support. They help with hosting Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter posts. They also created our brand book since we didn’t have anything set in stone for our branding materials.

They gave us a little bit of consulting on the design of our tequila bottles that we have. They also gave us ideas on what will make our products sell a little more and ways for us to increase the price and have it as a luxury product and cater to those who are willing to buy a little bit more expensive bottle.

Trademark Productions helped us with our website. They added another tab for the restaurants and bars that want to sell us. They gave some recommendations on what to update and blog ideas. It was nice to get a different perspective of what people think of tequila besides us that make it, product it, and import it.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with Danielle (Account Manager), but I’ve met most of the team. I’m in touch with the person who is in charge of social media and the designer. I’ve also been in contact with one of the owners.

How did you come to work with Trademark Productions?

I searched on Google. Trademark Productions was one of the first ones that came up that were nearby to us. I looked at everybody’s website to see the services they provide. All the information they had on their website is what led me to contact them.

Their team was very approachable. Their creative skills are what helped us decide to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We have an hourly rate of $150/hour, and it’s 13 hours each month.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with Trademark Productions started in January 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team at Trademark Productions highly met expectations. They came through on the projects we’ve given them. They’ve also been very good at working within our budget. They carried out the vision we have for our brand.

How did Trademark Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

We have monthly meetings with Danielle and the social media director. Their implementation skills are right on. Danielle sends the postings for our social media almost a month in advance to give them the approval of the posts.

Their communication skills are good. We use email. If there are any issues with the posts, she’ll communicate with me right away to let us know they’re working on it and the status of where we’re at.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Since the tequila is imported from Mexico, we needed a bit of that culture embedded into our branding. They also have a location in Mexico, which helps with the translation side of business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their team could’ve had a project management tool or automated process for us to approve social media posts.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have your end goals ready. Showcase who the company is so they can understand who you are and what your values are.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-manager of the estate of Sylvia Moy LLC, DBA (doing business as) Masterpiece Sound Studios. We are the recipients of the very valuable estate of my sister, Sylvia Moy. Sylvia was a Motown songwriter who had a lot of different assets, including a recording studio located in the city of Detroit.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Trademark Productions?

They were primarily helping us in building the website for Masterpiece Studios. Masterpiece Studios had operated since my sister founded it in 1973. After my sister’s illness and the probate of her estate, the studio was shut down for two years.

The heirs of the estate then decided that we were going to preserve and promote Sylvia’s legacy. We had to come up with a plan for how to restart the business, and the first step was to create an impressive, professional website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Trademark Productions designed and developed a website that reflects the new business. We expanded its service offering in many respects, so the new site had to indicate that directional shift. I believe they implemented SEO to maximize the site’s performance.

They’re also creating our brand book and aligning our digital content in adherence to it. They’ve even provided training on how to navigate the backend of the website they created for us.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Danielle, who was our primary point of contact. We also worked with Tyler and one or two others that we interacted with.

How did you come to work with Trademark Productions?

We’re Motown-connected, so we went to the Motown museum and asked them for recommendations. They gave me a couple, and I also consulted Michigan State University, with whom we have a partnership. They also gave us some recommendations. We shortlisted and contacted 4­–5 companies. After reviewing the bids we received, we saw that Trademark Productions offered the widest scope of services at the most competitive price.

How much have you invested with them?

I’d say that we’ve spent around $15,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in December of 2019 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The website went live about two weeks ago, and it instantly received radiant feedback from site visitors. People have even taken the time to write to us about how amazing the site is. This overwhelmingly positive response has pushed us to step up our efforts in relaunching the business.

How did Trademark Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They were absolutely exceptional. They not only met deadlines but were flexible vis-a-vis changes in the plan caused by COVID-19. They were amazingly accommodating in rescheduling deadlines based on external circumstances. The entire team was very gracious.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team is comprised of exceptionally creative people. They’ve generated amazing content in flawless adherence to the branding they developed for us. They grasped the essence of our business so quickly, so I was just blown away by their preparation and professionalism.

I’d also highlight that they were extremely patient. I’m not tech-savvy, so I had to ask them many questions, but they were unceasingly amenable to them. They responded quickly and without any judgment.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I really can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d give them the highest marks and would recommend them in a heartbeat. You couldn’t engage a better group of people for a project like this.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director of Gougeon Brothers, Inc. We formulate and manufacture WEST SYSTEM, PRO-SET, and Entropy Resins Epoxy. We also have a joint venture in PRO-VAC USA.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Trademark Productions?

Trademark Productions is performing work for our Entropy Resins brand. Entropy Resins joined our family about two years ago. The website was outdated and didn’t provide the tools needed to adequately market to our consumers. We brought Trademark Productions on to redesign the e-commerce website and assist with the implementation of marketing strategies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They handled a full rebuild of the Entropy Resin website including custom backend programming. The website is built in WordPress and our store through WooCommerce. Trademark integrated their creative and technical resource to ensure the website’s providing what we need. The website is integrated with our ERP system, and our ERP system is integrated into Salesforce, which is our CRM system.

Trademark Productions also performed competitor research and analytic reporting to help us get a better understanding of the biobased epoxy market and where we can benefit. They are assisting our team with SEO strategy and website maintenance. Their team is also working on SEM marketing including Google Ads, campaign strategies, brand ambassador programs, and including the SEO content on our website.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Danielle (Account Manager) who provides us access to their team of creatives, developers, and marketers.

How did you come to work with Trademark Productions?

I worked with Trademark Productions at a previous company. I brought them on because their work is great. Their team is growing, so I knew we’d have the support we needed. Danielle was my point of contact at my other company too so I already knew she was great to work with.

How much have you invested with them?

Our current investment is around $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the rebuilding of our website, we’ve received more than a 56% increase in sales year-to-day over the last year.

The integration we have with the website and to our own CRM system is much easier for us to market to our end consumers. In addition to that, when we’re running our social campaigns and postings, we have a place that our audience can go back to. Before, it was very difficult to link them back to anywhere with more information.

Our team has received great feedback that we are providing educational content to our consumers. We’ve seen an increase in impressions and interactions on our social media as well. In the past two weeks alone, we’ve had over 20 inquiries from individuals wanting to become a brand ambassador.

Trademark Productions is very thorough, and they do their research. They feel like an extension to our department. When they talk to us, they say “our band” and “our product.” Their team has the resources and technology to constantly evolve.

How did Trademark Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

Trademark Productions uses an internal project management tool, and we use one on our end. Their communication is awesome. They respond within the same day and are constantly giving us updates. It’s easy to reach them and meetings are on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication alone is really great, and they’re very relevant. Their skillset and resources are phenomenal. It feels like they’re a part of our department. They’re not just a vendor we’re hiring to do work. Their team really encapsulates themselves to becoming part of our team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Allow them to integrate themselves with your team. They have the knowledge to guide you and teach you. Be open-minded to suggestions they have and utilize their creative team. Know that your money will be well-spent, and you’ll receive results.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of business intelligence and strategy at a pizza parlor that offers quick service and delivery. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Trademark Productions?

We wanted to revamp our website since it was over five years old. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built us a new website essentially from scratch because our previous website wasn’t very functional. They used Javascript, jQuery, HTML, among other programming languages. 

Currently, they manage our website to monitor for any potential issues with loading and functionality. 

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact was Miranda (Account Manager). There were several other team members that worked on it including Tyler (Creative Director). 

How did you come to work with Trademark Productions?

We interviewed about five different companies. I founded Trademark online through Google and I saw that they’d worked with other pizza companies. Additionally, they had the strongest pitch. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $60,000-$70,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I think we started working together in December 2018, and the work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I did Lighthouse testing on our previous site and our new site. Our old site had a score of 20, but now we have a score of 90. We’ve seen an improvement in online sales as well. 

How did Trademark Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They meet deadlines, even when we throw them some curveballs. If there are delays, it’s usually a result of last-minute changes we’ve made. Miranda is extremely responsive and always available to me. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They built some customized features for us. For example, we have a tool on our site where you can put in how many people you have and it will calculate how much pizza you should order. 

They’ve also educated us on how the website works. When I’ve gone into the website and messed something up, they’ve come back and explained what happened and showed me how to fix it. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

It would be nice if they did even more live demonstrations. We recently visited their office for a Google workshop, and I would love to have more opportunities similar to that. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about what you want. If you aren’t specific, you’ll create more work for them. For example, there have been instances where I’ve given vague instructions and they delivered far more than what I wanted. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

SMSHE is a healthcare engineering organization that supports facility engineers with top trends in facility maintenance, energy usage, code compliance, etc.. I am the volunteer manager of the Communications, Website, and Marketing committee. We manage social media presences, newsletters, forward-facing communications to members and potential new members.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Trademark Productions?

Our website was about 20 years old, was continually crashing, and was very poorly managed. We wanted a fresh start that would bring us a fresh start with a clean look and streamlined process for event registration and more to our clients.

What were your goals for this project?

To launch a new easy to use and easy to maintain website that was more sophisticated and upscale than the cheap template websites you can purchase from WordPress for $50.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They had rave reviews from industry peers, locally owned and operated, and very easy to communicate with.

Describe the project in detail.

New website launch for a nonprofit professional organization.

What was the team composition?

We had the same project team from start to finish. We worked with Tyler as our creative director and Miranda as our project manager. Miranda was a lifesaver, she was always easy to get ahold of, she made the process easy, fun, and less cumbersome. Most marketing launch initiatives I've been apart of tend to feel like a root canal on a backcountry road and there was none of that with the TM team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Aside from our beautiful website? And all of our members commenting on how much more user friendly it is? No.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They brought speed and robust capabilities while managing the relationship with minimal different parties involved. Single point of contact was huge.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Price? Who doesn't say that though.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the creative director of a manufacturing company. We’re three companies together. Cotterman builds industrial steel and aluminum ladders. Conveyor Components Company builds conveyor safety equipment and material. Material Control’s an offshoot of conveyor components.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Trademark Productions?

We wanted to update our website from our outdated look. One firm started on the project, but we weren’t happy with their services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Trademark Productions worked with existing code to update one of our WordPress websites. We then had them build an e-commerce site based in WordPress, which they did from scratch. While they focused on development, their team worked on the design too. Our team provided mockups and approved any changes but also asked Trademark Productions about best practices because of their team’s experience. We trusted their judgment.

Their team built another website that looks nice but wasn’t expensive to create. We wanted a basic WordPress website because the original platform was essentially a PDF stuck up on the web.

We have a maintenance program with Trademark Productions. Their team’s constantly working on an assignment for us.

What is the team composition?

There are usually 5–6 people involved in our projects. Our main point of contact’s Danielle (Account Manager) but we talked to everyone including Tyler (Creative Director), Miranda (Account Manager), and Dwight (Founder).

How did you come to work with Trademark Productions?

Our project manager searched for web developers in Michigan. Trademark Productions kept popping up. We read about them and liked what they said. For example, they talked about how they help people who poured money into an ineffective website. We were interested in that message and talked with them. We liked their critiques of our website because we were critical of it too. They seemed to be the right fit.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Trademark Productions in September 2018 and the engagement's ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In less than a year, the e-commerce site that Trademark Productions built made close to $80,000. We get a lot of compliments about our site’s look and feel and how well it works. The e-commerce site’s been quite successful.

Our web presence is far better than what we had before our engagement. That’s part of my objective, but at the same time, they’re a good partner in helping make that happen. The engagement works out well.

How did Trademark Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate via email and have monthly meetings via phone or onsite. Their communication and ability to meet deadlines are awesome. They're persistent with us to give them what they need. When they say they’ll have a product, they’ll have it. If they don’t, they’ll tell us why and when it will be ready. In my opinion, they’re exactly what you want from a web development firm. At this point, I wouldn't work with anyone else.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team spends a significant amount of time with us and gives us ideas. They’re helpful and do what they’re supposed to do. I would certainly recommend them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really, no. I’ve been completely satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be willing to communicate and listen to their ideas. Their advice is valuable, so listen to them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of a membership site for speech pathologists which provides materials for lessons.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Trademark Productions?

I wanted to add a case management system within the site. I originally developed the site on my own, so it was very simple and didn’t have many features. I wanted to scale up the site so that it could have more advanced capabilities. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I initially started working with a different vendor, but they could not deliver on what was promised. The site was a mess, so Trademark Productions worked with me to fix it and provide necessary updates. 

Recently, we decided that we wanted to develop a new, more sophisticated site. The new site will be able to support more features, including a case management system. This system will allow members to manage their appointments and track their students’ progress. 

Their team also does SEO and social media marketing work on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with a total of 6-8. However, I have two primary points of contact that remained constant throughout the engagement: Danielle (Account Manager, Trademark Productions) and Scott (Former Developer, Trademark Productions). 

How did you come to work with Trademark Productions? 

I wanted to find a vendor who I would be able to meet with in-person. I did a Google search for local web developers and I found Trademark Productions. We scheduled a phone call to discuss the project and I felt comfortable working with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

In total, I’ve probably spent over $80,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in November 2018 and is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since I began working with them, my membership has doubled. I get good feedback from users about how much they love the site and its features. It’s making their lives much easier. 

How did Trademark Productions perform from a project management standpoint?

They have amazing communication and regularly respond to my emails within a couple of hours. The team is kind and helpful, especially when troubleshooting technical issues. They’ve worked with me through it all. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They genuinely seemed to care about my site. It wasn’t just a project for them or a source of income. They always had ideas for how to make it better. They put their hearts into their work. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’ve been very happy with them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to them and trust their advice.