Resound

Introduce your business and what you do there.

MAC6 provides collaborative space for small businesses to grow their business. We have a co-working space, co-manufacturing space, and traditional commercial space for businesses. We help support their growth through the different offerings in real estate. We also have a culture focused leadership program piece of our business, which offers a variety of programs to help leaders and their teams scale and break through ceilings.

I’m the director of programs and COO [Chief Operating Officer].

What challenge were you trying to address with Resound?

We’ve been in business for six years. We started out as a business incubator. We worked with startup companies and took them through a 9-month program to help them scale their business and grow. Through that process, we realized it doesn't matter how great an idea is. It’s the people around the idea that make the difference. We started to hone in on leadership training and helping the people in the business, supporting them, helping them communicate better, solve problems, and work productively. We shifted from our incubator model to more focused on real estate and the leadership piece. We were finding that was the difference between success and failure. It caused a lot of confusion in our network and our community because we weren’t great at communicating the message of the shift we had made.

We needed Resound to help us craft a brand strategy and communication plan that would help us educate everyone in the community what we really do.

What was the scope of their involvement?

There was a wide range of things they did with us. They first took us through their 4-hour brand workshop to figure out our identity, our values, what we wanted, and where our business was going. They then crafted a brand shift story, communication plan, and helped us identify and create the story as people who would be in our demographic. Then we created a plan of what the other things that we wanted to accomplish.

They also helped us with our core program offering and helped us develop the content and facilitation piece. They helped us with content with an editorial calendar and assisted us with blog posts, too. Resound created some print collateral pieces for us as well, including a folder and one-pager sales sheets that help explain each of our programs.

In addition, they made a few updates and changes to our website. We’re going to be doing a complete re-do of our website in the coming weeks, which they’ll be helping us with.

What is the team dynamic?

We worked primarily with Mike [Managing Partner, Resound], who is on the large strategy and vision team. We worked with Eric [Director of Creative Services, Resound] on the project management side, but also on the course content and facilitation side. We worked with Kayla [Brand Strategist, Resound] on the content side who helped us with our writing.

When we work on the website, we’ll be with Nikki [Senior Web Developer, Resound] and Douglas [Web Developer, Resound].

How did you come to work with Resound?

They are a tenant of our co-working space and moved in a couple of years ago. When we realized there was continued confusion in the marketplace of what we do, that they were in our backyard, and heard really great things about them, we decided to talk to them about our marketing and brand needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $27,000 for phase one.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2017, and the work is ongoing.

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

Resound helped our team tremendously to clearly articulate what it is that we do. We’ve already seen the results outside in our communities. When we went to events or talked to people, people were finally started to understand what we do and how to engage with us. We saw an increase in leads from our work with Resound.

How did Resound perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. We had a plan and they even created a portal. We would go in and check the status of what was happening with each piece of the project. They were wonderful in communicating with us when things changed or when they needed something from us, so that we didn't delay the timeline. We were able to deliver all the deliverables on time that we set out to do. For the content and course creation, I met with them once a week. On the rest of the stuff, we had deadlines and we would check in when we needed to.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We at MAC6 tend to complicate things. Resound's ability to uncomplicate them and help us clearly articulate our message was wonderful. Their communication was great, too. We were never wondering when something was going to be done. The creative way that they solved our complex problems was impressive. They always looked for a creative solution and worked with us to come up with something. Resound had a clear process of how they were going to help take us through that process.

As a small business ourselves, sometimes we got overly ambitious and wanted to execute ourselves, and just needed a consultant. They were great at stepping in and offering their help when they saw we were taking on too much or didn't have the capacity. Their ability to transition between consulting, telling us what to do versus doing it, and going back and forth, was really helpful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’ve worked with a variety of different marketing companies over the years. They really have been the easiest to work with.

Do you have any advice for future clients of Resound?

Allow them to work through their process. Sometimes people in a business want to keep control or try to micromanage the process. Resound can really help. My advice would be to let go a bit and allow them some free reign to be as creative as they can, and to not be there undoing that.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing at a CPA firm in the Phoenix Metro Area. I oversee two other people and all of the marketing functions here at the firm, including branding, proposals, advertising, collateral pieces, content marketing, and marketing budgets.

What challenge were you trying to address with Resound?

We felt that our visual brand didn’t match who we were internally. We were fun, outgoing, and not your typical CPA firm, and we realized we were communicating otherwise. Visually and verbally, our communications were representing an old, stereotypical CPA firm, so I approached Resound to help us completely redo our branding.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started with a brand audit back in June of 2015 where we spent 3 months surveying clients and employees. We also did some company research on who we are as a firm, and also audited all of our existing marketing materials.

After we used the brand audit to come up with an action plan, we hired Resound again to do the actual overhaul of the visual rebrand, logo, and tagline. They defined our visual and verbal guidelines, and also developed a Remarkabook, which took a few months. They did some minor logo design, brand guideline creation, and also developed our WordPress website.

We had an existing website that was 5 years old, but Resound created a more responsive one from scratch. It’s an informational website, but it also has a lot of contact forms throughout so prospects can easily contact us. It’s also easy for marketing to utilize now, whereas the old site required an external web person to do everything for us, which was costly. We’re now able to edit 95% of the content by using a CMS, which saves us money in the long run.

We have a form on the front that we can change throughout the site. We can also put e-books on it, or whatever kind of lead generation we desire.

How did you come to work with Resound?

I did a Google search for a local company. I came across one of Resound’s old blogs, and I felt like what they were saying about a brand resonated with our company.

I interviewed them along with two other companies, but still liked them the best. They really understood rebranding. They didn’t just want to give us a cool new logo or website, which is what other companies were offering. They really wanted to help us reshape how we present ourselves.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $40,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in June of 2015, and we launched our website in October of 2016.

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

There’s usually a lot of negative feedback in a firm with numerous partners. However, between the 18 partners and 150 employees, we’ve had nothing but positive feedback from everyone. Everybody loved what Resound did. Visually, everything was great, and the website allowed us to measure success based on session times, page views, number of visitors, etc.

We tracked the first 6 months for the purpose of submitting for an AAM Award, which we won for the website and the rebrand as a whole. With that tracking, we had 1,200 sessions in the first 3 days of the website launch, which is huge for an accounting firm.

We also saw a 23% increase in page views for the first 6 months, a 20% increase in average time sessions, a 620% increase in visits to the services page, and a 600% increase in visits to leadership page. Our new and responsive website has also seen a 70% increase in mobile users in the first month. Resound really made a positive impact, and every single person within the firm was happy.

How did Resound perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great. They were really effective with communication throughout the entire process. We used Google Docs to work on content creation together so we could both have access to it. That’s the only tool we used collaboratively.

They were also very cooperative in working with our in-house team that consisted of myself, a graphics coordinator, and a content writer, which saved us a lot of money.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to work with all kinds of people is impressive. They managed to make everyone within the firm happy, and their knowledge around branding is also commendable. They really understand the whole process from the beginning to end, and they’re also very good at creating a unique design. I didn’t want another stereotypical accounting firm website, because that’s not who we are. They applied sound strategy to give us something that accurately represents our firm.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, because I was able to address any issue with Mike [Managing Partner, Resound] throughout the entire rebranding process. I can’t think of anywhere in which they’re lacking.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the vice presidents and engineers at a small civil engineering firm. We were established in 1995, and we have around 25 employees right now. Our specialty is flood hydrology and fluvial geomorphology, mostly for government agencies in the Southwest U.S.

What challenge were you trying to address with Resound?

About five years ago, we transitioned from a single owner to employee-owned (about 18 of us). We realized that no one in the company was consistent with the brand, and we all communicated with our clients differently, which made us seem unorganized and scattered. Everyone in the Southwest had a different view of who we were and what we did, so we needed to get organized and consistent. Also, our project manager and I felt our brand had aged and the company had grown, so we wanted to develop a brand and logo that were authentic to what we’d become. Our 20^th anniversary was coming up, so we wanted to freshen everything up and get a new site, logo, and maybe even name before then.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first thing Mike [Managing Partner, Resound] and Jeff [Co-founder, Resound] did was internal and external market research. They surveyed employees to learn what the most important aspects of the company were, and they interviewed clients to discover what they thought of our company and what they liked or disliked. They also did competitor research, brand definition, brand auditing, action planning, and budget estimates.

They came back with a report of how we were perceived from the outside and the inside. From there, Mike and Jeff developed a brand metaphor and potential name options. I’d never heard of a brand metaphor, so they walked us through that and even participated in a strategic planning meeting with the whole company. Resound and another one of our consultants led the meeting and talked about the branding process and how to help us all unify our image.

Resound helped us realize that we’re a services company with a niche and a specialty. Our project manager and I helped shepherd the project, such as leading feedback sessions until we finally developed a new name and logo based on the brand metaphor. Unfortunately, the board thought the changes were too much, so they shelved the branding initiative.

This wasn’t a problem with Resound or their process, though. We had some strong resistance from inside our company to outside help, but they did a great job of overcoming that. Mike and Jeff identified a real problem in our company, that we have a vacuum in executive leadership since the ownership transition, so we've been waiting for leadership to develop before we attempt further branding changes. We tweaked the logo a bit, but that was done in-house.

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

While we weren’t able to apply any of the major brand changes, Resound still left us with some great products. We have a brand metaphor, name and logo options, and market research that, hopefully in a few years, we can look at again and better utilize. Other than the physical products, the project manager and I learned a lot about the branding process. Mike and Jeff wouldn’t just go away, draw something up, and then present it to us. They took time to teach us the process, which was incredibly valuable. Without a doubt, the things they taught will be helpful down the road.

How did Resound perform from a project management standpoint?

Their management and customer service was phenomenal. Mike was great at scheduling meetings, coordinating tasks, and keeping on schedule. In fact, he usually had to wait on us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their work product was great. They were responsive, and I was humbled by how much better they were at customer service than us. They served us much better than we served our clients, which is saying something. I could tell Mike really strives to help other companies have the best brand and marketing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing that I can think of.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am VP of Marketing and Programs with the Tempe Chamber of Commerce. We are a member-funded non-profi5 501(c)6 who advocates for businesses.

For what projects/services did your company hire Resound?

Resound has helped us with our Business Excellence Award videos for two years running which involves showcasing six business finalists. In addition, in early 2020 we asked them to help us create a promotional video for the chamber that showcased our three main pilars in our new marketing plan: Advocacy, Connectivity, Visibility. They did an amazing job and exceeded my expectations.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to promote the chamber's three focal points: Advocacy, Connectivity and visibility by telling a story through the eyes of our members. Many people don't truly understand what a Chamber of Commerce does and this story-telling tool will be used to let people know what we do and why.

How did you select Resound?

Resound is a part of the MAC6 Community, one of our partners in the City of Tempe. Resound was nominated for and received the Business Excellence Award in 2019. During that process, the chamber was able to learn more about Resound and experience the work they could produce.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

The promotional video was something I envisioned in three segments and scripted each item to showcase a member of the chamber speaking about each pilar.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

Resound met with me and asked questions about the script and vision and had no problem bringing the concept to life.

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

Unfortunately, the video was released the same week as the pandemic but it allowed people to see the chamber in 'action' while the world was shut down. To date, this video is now showcased on our home page and has had over 200 views. The chamber had not produced a promotional video in over 10 years and this project will hold up for many years because of the way it was done.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Seamless and productive.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Resound has a very authentic, smart, and easy style, and that works well with me. I'm very detail-oriented and I tend to try to lead and perfect. Resound was great about stepping back when I was in my zone and letting me tweak where needed. They let you take ownership of your project without letting you fail.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None, I would hire them anytime.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of sales and marketing for a manufacturer of specialty lubricants for the automotive aftermarket, HVAC, and wind industries. We have customers worldwide and two brands: one regular brand in the marketplace and one private label for very large customers.

We’re basic, in the sense that we have our own laboratory in-house where we formulate, test, and develop new products. We have our own SDS department as well, so we have our own safety data sheets. It’s not outsourced. We blend the products here, bringing in the base stocks from the largest oil companies in the world. We are ISO9001 certified.

What challenge were you trying to address with Resound?

Our website was drastically out of date, and we’d been referred to Resound by some gentleman we were working with on building on our traffic.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were very structured. When they came in, they asked questions in a structured manner. We’ve done this type of design project twice in the past, and Resound was very thorough. Mike (CEO and Managing Partner), Chris (Manager of Operations), and Sam (Chief Creative Officer) worked together as a team. They came up with some designs based on the feedback from our meeting and put together options and layouts for the site, which we approved.

They also built the backend of the site, which included downloading a lot of products and formatting them with our templates. Obviously, they made sure the site worked well on hand-held devices as well. They put together a complete package for us.

When they came down to visit us, they spent a day-and-a-half taking videos of our facility to include in a corporate video to put on the website. We didn’t want to do a video of us sitting behind a desk and talking, but of the stuff our customers want to see. A lot of people want to say that they make their products in-house, but they really don’t. They’re middlemen who put their label on someone else’s product. By displaying our processes on video, we show our customer base that we make all our own products in-house.

There’s proprietary information involved in what we do, so we didn’t want to give away too much. Resound shot all the footage on-site and took some aerial footage of our facility with a drone. Sam handled that part. I’ve been involved in video projects before, and I know you have to have all the footage you need before you put it together. Sam did a good job of getting various pieces of footage to ensure he had the maximum amount of material to work with.

What is the team composition?

Mike, Sam, and Chris made up our team. Sam and Chris were the primary drivers. Chris kept everything in-line and acted as the communicator. Sam did a lot of technical stuff behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Resound?

We deal with different marketing partners, so we gathered recommendations from people we knew to determine who we should speak with and then made our decision from that group.

We chose Resound because we felt comfortable speaking with them on the phone felt like they were able to provide us with a website that we were going to be satisfied with. The skill and knowledge necessary to do that stood out — I know many people think website building is basic but that’s not the case. We were interested in Resound’s creativity and were comfortable with their team. We bought them down to our office even with COVID going on because we thought it was critical to kick the project off with a face-to-face meeting.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from around June–September 2020. We had a couple of delays — obviously with was covid some things were beyond our control, but Chris did a good job keeping us on track for timelines.

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

We won’t really know the effects until we cycle one full year because last March and April were when things bottomed out with COVID, so there isn’t a good level to compare our current results against. Autoparts stores had a great year last year, and they wouldn’t have done as well as they did without COVID-19. When we compare our performance this year to last year, there are so many things that make it hard to make accurate estimates about long-term performance.

Looking at it from our customers’ standpoint, we updated our quoting process during the project, and our customers like the improvements. It’s efficient and more streamlined than it was. We redesigned the site to be informative because customers want information about our products — they want videos and all kinds of support, so we built the platform based on that goal. Our customers have commented that they like the changes we’ve made in that regard. We also included UPCs, which we didn’t have before. Customers had to ask us for those prior to the redesign.

The website is much more seamless for us in dealing with our customers and providing them the information they need than it used to be.

How did Resound perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve done of a lot of employee performance reviews over the years, and if I rate an employee a three on a scale of 1–5, then that’s not a bad score. It means they’re doing their job. A four, for me, means that they go above and beyond, and a five means that they walk on water. When I put out information on people, I keep that in mind. Having said that, we thought that they did an excellent job from a project management standpoint. They kept us on track — Chris drove a lot of that. We mostly communicated with them through email.

They had a project timeline, and they were great at working hard to hit those goals. Any time we ran behind was because it took us longer to get them the information they needed. I looked at COVID as an opportunity to invest the necessary time in our website, but our business went through the roof in May and June after being down a significant amount of the year. Even though we got very busy, we stayed committed to the website project but we didn’t have as much free time as anticipated. If we were behind by a week on a segment, it’s because we were slow, not them. They were kind and patient with us. It was very much a team effort to the extent that we wouldn’t hesitate to use them again on projects in the future.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Resound had integrity, and integrity alone distinguishes a lot of people in the world today. They did what they said they would do, and they were a pleasure to work with. Even though we all expect that, more often than not, companies don’t deliver on that. I would say that Resound delivered.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There may have been a few challenges merging the data effectively onto the site from the datasheets. It felt as though we were sending them information that we’d already sent them, but both sides wanted to get it right, and we knew they were dealing with a huge amount of data. Overall, Resound did a good job and fixed the issues quickly, but if I had to name one thing they could improve on, it would be fine-tuning that process for large amounts of data.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Stewardship. We do home loans, insurance, and investments with wisdom and love.

What challenge were you trying to address with Resound?

We were in the process of creating a brand image that would allow us to be better connected with our community. We also wanted to have something that could communicate who we were as a company. All the other branding we had associated with previously didn’t feel like us. As such, we hired Resound to help us understand who we were and develop a branding that resonated with that.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Resound team provided a full branding package, which included a branding handbook that described the processes that we went through in discovering the identity of the company. They created logos, sonic sounds, color palettes, and images. Moreover, they also developed stories to support our branding pieces. 

In creating the above-mentioned efforts, they also got to know who our customers on top of getting to know us. One of the results of the branding package was a website refresh. They ensured that everything was aligned with our new branding, including the logos.

What is the team composition?

Mike (CEO & Managing Partner) was our main point of contact. We also talked a lot with David (Principal Product Manager) and another member of their team.

How did you come to work with Resound?

Resound was our client. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $5,000–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

They worked with us from January 2012–January 2013.

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

It was remarkable how they connected with the needs of our community. The stories they crafted reflected who we were and allowed us to get closer with our community. More importantly, there was more pride in me as an owner or leader of the company, which trickled down to our team as well as the products and services we offer. 

Since their work, we became one of the 5000 fastest-growing companies in the US, two years in a row. I also won as one of the 35 entrepreneurs under the age of 35 awards. Furthermore, my producers are top 1% in the country in their fields. Overall, we experienced a crazy amount of success and I wholeheartedly believe that one of our turning points was this process that we went through with Resound. 

How did Resound perform from a project management standpoint?

They had a simple, easy, fun, and organized project management process. We typically communicated through phone calls and email. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their care distinguished them from other providers. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I enjoyed my experience with them, and I highly recommend them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be transparent. Share as much of your heart, soul, and mind as to why you started your business and why you’re continuing to work in your business. Once they tap into that, it makes the process so much more impactful.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing at a fire safety products manufacturer.

What challenges were you trying to address with Resound?

We were acquired by a public company, and we had been through a lot of change. We hired Resound to help us solidify our brand and reflect some of the changes we had been through.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our executive leadership team did an exercise with them on where we wanted to take the brand and our core values. Resound used that information to develop a brand book for us. They included things like values, tone, voice, creative direction for copywriting, colors, fonts, and imagery guidelines. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with the CEO and chief creative officer. 

How did you come to work with Resound?

I found them through Google. I got proposals from several vendors. I liked Resound because of their focus on branding. 

How much have you invested in them? 

We spent about $20,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2019, and we wrapped up the project in March 2020.

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

We didn’t use a lot of quantitative metrics to measure their success. However, the new brand guidelines have been a springboard for us. The communication of our value proposition is clearer now. Our conversion rate on our website has also improved. 

How did Resound perform from a project management standpoint?

I think they’re among the best agencies that I’ve worked with. They were proactive and managed all of the moving pieces of the project seamlessly. The team was able to work independently, which I appreciated. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

Their expertise and focus on branding are impressive. They have clear systems and processes for their work. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be interesting to see if they could partner with other agencies to deliver and implement the branding guidelines they provide. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It would help if you got buy-in from your company’s executive leadership. This way, you can ensure the rollout is effective. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for NAEBA — the National Associate of Exclusive Buyer Agents. We’re a mission-driven organization that focuses on helping homebuyers purchase their homes. None of our members work with sellers, as we’re all about helping home buyers work with an exclusive buyer agent. This ensures they have the proper representation throughout their real estate transaction.

What challenge were you trying to address with Resound?

We were trying to increase our market share because we’re a national non-profit organization. We have limited funds in terms of marketing and advertising strategy, so we partnered with Resound to better leverage our budget and grow our understanding of our brand.

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we started with them, we created a marketing strategy that defined our advertising rollout for the year. It consists of digital, social, and Google advertising. They’ve also helped us with podcasts.

They’re our full advertising partner. We work with them on our marketing strategy, as well as advertising, and our go-to-market build-out. The latter consists of a number of projects, including a trademarked logo for one of our products. Our website is another huge part of this — they redesigned the backend, including our CRM.

What is the team composition?

We’re close with Mike (CEO), and he appointed a couple of people we work with daily: Chris (Manager of Operations) is the point person, and Sam (Chief Creative Officer) acts as creative director. They also include other team members like graphic designers and web developers according to the needs of the project we are working on.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $150,000 with them to this point.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since November 2018.

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

We’ve had three KPIs: leads, web traffic, and revenue. Because of them, we’ve been able to increase all three categories substantially.

How did Resound perform from a project management standpoint?

They introduced an online dashboard when we first started with them. This helped us gauge the timeline. They’re extremely eager to get our projects across the finish line. It is extremely refreshing, as our board feels the same way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve been a great partner with us. They are eager to deliver projects ahead of deadlines. I can’t be happier about their aggressiveness, or with the quality of work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have better understood the structure I have to move through to get things approved internally.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Meet with Resound and clearly define your project objectives with them. This helps them manage the timeline and deliverables accordingly.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and CEO of a consulting firm.

What challenges were you trying to address with Resound?

I wanted assistance with naming and branding services.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped me come up with a new name for my company and acted as a branding consultant. They also designed a new logo and website. They built the website in WordPress. We also came up with a tagline for the business to communicate my company’s mission. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with Chris (Manager of Operations), Sam (Chief Creative Officer), and Mike (CEO). 

How did you come to work with Resound?

We worked out of the same co-working space and sat next to each other. Mike and I had developed a good rapport before I approached him about this project. 

How much have you invested in them?

I’ve spent about $3,750. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2019, and we finished our most recent project in September 2020. 

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

Their branding gave me confidence in conveying what I was trying to sell. They’ve helped me clarify my message and move forward as a business. The website is professional, and I’m proud of it, which wasn’t the case with my old website. 

How did Resound perform from a project management standpoint?

They were top-notch. They kept me informed about the project via email. We also had in-person meetings. Even though the project is complete, they’re still there to help me when I need it. The follow up is very good. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to get an idea out of my head and onto paper impressed me. They made my ideas a reality. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There isn’t much that I think they could improve. They have a collaborative approach, which I liked. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to understand where your limitations are. It’s important to build a partnership with them and be creative. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a software company that creates a tool for apps similar to CRM and e-mail marketing for small businesses. I work in the marketing department and plan events for our users and strategic business partners.

What challenge were you trying to address with Resound?

We hold two large events annually, numbering 600 and 2,500 attendees each. We needed to outsource web design for these events when our in-house creative team was downsized 2.5 years ago.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They added functionality and redesign to our Drupal site in collaboration with our stripped-down creative team. The team did brand design in addition to coding and backend development. For one conference, they created 4 t-shirt designs from which we chose one as a giveaway for 500 attendees.

What is the team dynamic?

Resound has grown in size since the start of our engagement. Originally, we worked with a developer and Mike [Co-owner, Resound], who served as project manager. Since then, we’ve had three different project managers, but we still work with the same developer.

How did you come to work with Resound?

Our creative team had used them before and referred them. Our team also recommended a few others, but we decided to go with Mike’s team.

How much have you invested with them?

I'd prefer to leave that confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

Work started in October 2015, and it is ongoing.

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

The results are very subjective because our company’s stakeholders have limited their ability to be proactive. Our business model is better served by Resound responding to our creative needs than by them working as design partners. The relationship has definitely ebbed and flowed, but the results are mostly consistent and the team is very responsive.

How did Resound perform from a project management standpoint?

My confidence in them has increased as their company has grown. They understand our marketing needs and can ‘run with the ball’. We communicate regularly with weekly calls in the 3 months leading into an event. I never feel out of the loop with our Slack channel, which my boss uses as well. Overall, communication is fluid and transparent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

As the client, we feel very cared for. They’re willing to go the extra mile with personable customer service. Once, I placed an emergency call to our web designer on a Saturday. He picked up while mountain biking and performed triage in real time. That dedication isn’t very common today.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We crave more process, more timeline, and more project management from their end. Having more processes in place would give us higher visibility into the project. I’ve suggested implementing timelines or Gantt charts. However, there has been improvement in this area since work began.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust them to guide branding and marketing designs. They are subject matter experts with great ideas for branding and re-branding.