Propr

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Propr Design?

I hired Propr Design to redesign my branding and website.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted to create a professional image.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Bob (President & Creative Director, Propr Design) and I went through the same small business program. We had a good conversation, and he quoted a fair price, so we started right away.

Describe the project in detail.

Bob interviewed me to get to the root of my services, appeal, and market advantage. Together, we selected the design and colors for the website and logo. Propr Design also wrote content and gave instructions on how to edit the website on WordPress. My services are nuanced and hard to describe, so it took a lot of conversations to hone in on what needed to be published. We worked back and forth on the copy, layout, and images.

What was the team composition?

I worked with Bob and his sub-consultant copywriter.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I have received many compliments on the website.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was great. The Propr Design team was responsive. Bob was patient and asked thought-provoking questions.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed with how quickly Propr Design achieved quality results. I thought it would be a long, painful process, but Bob was efficient. I also loved his creativity. He even came up with an awesome catchphrase for the firm.

Are there any areas for improvement?

His office doorbell is not a good way to reach him. He needs to talk to his landlord.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Red Stairs is a creative agency dedicated to content. We create it, manage it, plan it, and use it strategically to help our clients attract great customers. I'm the company owner, responsible for content strategy and development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Propr Design?

My client was a large marketing agency that wanted case studies for its sales team. We developed the content and engaged Propr Design to create a visual language and execute the graphic design.

What were your goals for this project?

I wanted the designs to support and enhance the stories we told and show the quality of my client's work. The client wanted collateral that would help the sales team close new deals.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had worked with Propr Design before and was always impressed with the quality of their work and their uncanny ability to translate client needs into visuals. They always deliver highly creative work that is appropriate for the client and market. I'm fussy about the partners I bring to my clients, but I knew they would be a great fit for this project. 

Describe the project in detail.

They reviewed existing collateral and created graphic designs for case studies. The new look reinforced the copy and expressed the quality of work my client does for customers. 

What was the team composition?

The core team had an account manager and designer. The owner oversaw the entire project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My client was so happy with the designs that they began working directly with Propr Design on new projects. We continue to collaborate with them on case studies and marketing collateral.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Propr Design was responsive and easy to work with. They kept the lines of communication open. The workflow was smooth and organized, which made it fun. Even though we were independent, we worked together to deliver seamless service.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Propr Design was highly creative. They listened carefully to our challenges and goals, then turned projects around in good time. I was always well-informed. I work with many graphic designers, and they stood out from the crowd.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Propr Design provided an excellent service. I can't say enough nice things about them. It's always a pleasure to do business with them, and I look forward to working with them on many future projects.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a nutrition company. We manufacture minimal-ingredient energy bars.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Propr Design?

We hired Propr Design to create a brand foundation guide. Our company had an established brand, but we never did a deep dive into our identity and values. The PDF document needed to communicate our values to our business partners and articulate the voice of the company via color palettes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a few meetings at their office, spending 3–4 hours going through questions, looking at customer reviews, and putting up Post-it notes. Propr Design leveraged constant word modification to deliver the customer research guide. The final document detailed customer types, their pain points, and desired solutions. Since our company is trademarking the content, we can’t disclose the tagline or too many details about the work.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people.

How did you come to work with Propr Design?

We received a recommendation from another vendor that couldn’t fulfill our scope requirements. I had interviewed about four other companies but chose Propr Design due to their proximity. Additionally, the team had fair prices and a comparably smaller size. We conducted phone interviews and met for lunch before signing an agreement.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $6,000–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from March–April 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The discussions were the most fun I’ve had working on the business. We came away from each session with new and exciting ideas for the brand’s future. It’s no surprise that our team received customer segments and taglines that we couldn’t have gotten with another agency.

Although we haven’t implemented Propr Design’s recommendations, the tagline had already ignited renewed energy with our investors. We expect to raise a significant amount of capital in the next few weeks.

How did Propr Design perform from a project management standpoint?

The team’s hands-on approach lent itself to rigorous discussions and feedback. Our side maximized results by questioning their recommendations at each stage. We’re now in a good position as a result of that interactive process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Bob (Founder, Propr Design) has a great mind and demeanor. His process maximized the branding exercises’ potential.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We constantly pushed the limit to get to the point we wanted, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Propr Design was a good fit for that approach.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clients should accept the first-draft deliverables because that equates to giving up value. Do a deep dive into each item to ensure phenomenal results.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the co-founder of a health beverage manufacturer. Our primary product is Wild Kombucha.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Propr Design?

We hired them to design a kegerator setup for a large grocery client. This included the kegerator and signage.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to communicate our brand to the customer while educating them about kombucha and how to fill up a growler.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I met the founder at an industry event where he presented on brand identity.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Propr Design created the kegerator display design using our logo. This included an illustration showing how to fill up a growler, an additional sign describing the product, and a kegerator wrap bearing our logo.

What was the team composition?

We worked with the founder and a senior designer.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The grocery client approved the kegerator design. It will go live in April 2019.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Propr Design was a responsive and effective partner. They met every deadline.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They readily adjusted the work until we were pleased.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We provide risk management for executives and company boards.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Propr Design?

We needed to establish a brand and website for our business.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to launch a successful platform.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended by the director of marketing for a mutual business contact.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The firm worked closely with us to develop a brand and website content as we moved toward launch. They also developed an initial firm brochure.

What was the team composition?

We worked with several team members from marketing and web design.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

They successfully tailored their services to establish a platform and message that reflected the character of our business. We launched several weeks ago and the response from our customers has been very positive.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They had a project manager, who worked with the other team members. Our communication was excellent.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They took the time to get it right, even when that meant reworking ideas and content.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president of BayRunner Shuttle, which provides shuttle service to and from BWI airport. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Propr Design?

We engaged Propr Design for web design, marketing, and rebranding services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Propr Design redesigned our website, working with our previous site as a backbone. They've also done some marketing, including Facebook ads, billboards, radio, and advertising at a college. 

What is the team composition? 

We work with three main people, including a project manager.

How did you come to work with Propr Design?

I met the owner of Propr Design at the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program and decided to work with them based on those initial conversations. As a small company, I wasn't sure we could afford their services at first, but it's worked out very well. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested about $20,000 thus far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since around July 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Propr Designs' marketing efforts, our ridership and online traffic has increased. According to Google Analytics reports, we continue to see positive growth. 

How did Propr Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very organized and keep track of project tasks in Trello, which has been a great collaboration tool. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their full-service marketing capabilities set them apart. As a small business owner, I don't have the time to explore different marketing options, so it's been very helpful to work with a vendor capable of finding which types of angles work best for us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. So far, everything's been great. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

No. Just give them a shot. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CSO of a brand that focuses on mother and baby wellness. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Propr Design?

The initial and largest work we had with Propr was for our brand identity as we clarified our company’s purpose, vision, and mission. Once those were clear, we created content and materials that extended our mission and vision into our marketing and storytelling campaigns. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, Propr did research and interviews, diving deep into our founders, leaders, managers, customers, and competitors. The research aimed to clarify the subjects’ points of view. After that, Propr distilled the information we gathered to determine our strengths, weaknesses, and customers. We found that we had a slightly different definition for those things, so we wanted to clarify them. Essentially, these were Propr’s initial deliverables.

From there, we worked on brand identity. Propr collaborated with us on everything from wordings and color palette to brand voice and tone. The team also created various visual assets that they called “seeds,” which our company must take and cultivate within our marketing materials. Since we didn’t have enough resources, Propr helped us in scaling these assets. 

At present, they continue to bring in more deliverables as we work together. 

What is the team composition?

We interface with three core people from their team, including Bobby (Founder & President), Gabrielle (Art Director). 

How did you come to work with Propr Design?

The first time I worked with Propr was in the food and beverage space. A client of mine and I interviewed a bunch of agencies to work on our customer’s brand identity. In the end, we landed with Propr and Bobby. Since then, we've worked with Propr on various other projects, including the current one.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere between $150,000–$200,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2020, and we have an ongoing relationship. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've had the best months of total consumption based on product sales in both digital and retail stores during our engagement with Propr. A big reason behind that is the quality of our content and focused brand messaging. As our A/B testing has shown, the clarity of our message and landing pages for marketing content has driven and improved our conversion rates. 

How did Propr Design perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a tough product to manage because of our evolving and ever-changing scope of work. However, Propr has done a good job of moving us forward. Sometimes, we’ve had to take a sidestep, but the team has been quick to push forward. They find ways to add new tasks in the scope as we progress. Overall, I’m pleased with their ability to move the project along while the scope of work changes. 

For project management, we’ve moved back and forth between tools. We use Trello quite often, and it works well. We also use a fair amount of Google Docs and Spreadsheets. Meanwhile, their team also uses Sketch and other wireframing tools for us to collaborate and exchange comments in real-time. To communicate, we’ve had regular video calls either through Teams or Zoom. We also have regular phone calls, emails, and Slack messages. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Propr has the ability to identify the core message of our business, what matters, and what doesn’t. They declutter all kinds of signals and work through them to tell us exactly what they learn. A lot of times, other companies don’t tell us such findings because the results are the opposite of what we think is right. By contrast, Propr declutters the message and gives us the reality of the situation regardless of how we might perceive it.

This is partially due to their working process, which is fantastic in terms of getting to the point with confidence. Other companies don’t trust their processes and the results they deliver, so they end up being hesitant about telling us their findings. By contrast, Propr has the confidence to deliver their message because of the trust we’ve built around their processes.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would push Propr — and anyone else, for this matter — to think further ahead, especially for a project that takes months or years to complete. The market moves so fast that teams have to think about multiple iterations ahead of time. They must look further into the future because the world will have been a different place by the time the project is delivered. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You’ll get access to Bobby, who has a great creative mind. Take advantage of your conversations with him and think about the biggest problem you want to solve — get his mind churning on that. He’s a great resource and addition to your team when used appropriately.