REX Marketing + Design Inc.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Business Operations of a CPA firm. We provide accounting and tax advisory services to SMBs and I focus on business enablement efforts.

For what projects/services did your company hire REX Marketing + Design Inc., and what were your goals?

Our business has undergone significant growth and change in leadership structure and we needed help establishing our brand and making the team more cohesive. We hired Rex to help our leadership team establish our market strategy and brand strategy such that they coincide with each other.

How did you select this vendor?

I found 12 other companies after comparing reviews and websites. Once we interviewed and heard each team's proposal, we went with our vendor because of their focus on the importance of establishing a strong branding strategy over digital marketing materials, SEOs, graphic designs, and advertising spends. Their needs assessment and proposal was also much more detailed than others and contained more tangible points.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

To start, they defined our brand strategy through a discovery meeting with key member of the team, research, internal workshops, audience profiling, and journey mapping.

This process allowed them to develop an understanding of what matters to our company, our team, and our audience – giving us insights that allow us to amplify the value of your offer and brand through the Brand Compass.

They have also delivered the Marketing Action Plan which helps us make strategic decisions on all marketing actions and budget allocation.

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

2 people: Allison Bran - Agency Director, Sr. Strategist. Melissa Wong - Brand Director, Strategist

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

Our leadership team now has a much clearer and defined vision of the company's direction and what plans would be required to further scale the business in a sustainable manner. The Brand Compass and Marketing Action Plan has allowed us to consolidate previously ambiguous ideas into actionable steps.

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

We had zoom meetings every two weeks or so with Allison and Melissa to review their findings, workshop ideas, and discuss next steps. We communicated over email frequently and they gave us prompt updates. They also used google forms to send out a survey to our team to gather insight on our whole firm and interviewed a few of our clients. They have completed everything on time as well.

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

Their ability to ask insightful questions allowed our team to explore certain ideas in a clear manner. It felt like they truly cared about each one of their client's needs and wanted to help us define and reach out goals. The research they have performed and the way that they were able to accurately consolidate all our thoughts into a single page was most impressive.

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

The google form contained questions that were long winded and at times confusing for the employees but Rex was able to promptly make changes to the form as per our suggestions.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a real estate development company specializing in high-end single-family homes plus mid-rise and mixed-use developments.

What challenge were you trying to address with REX Marketing + Design Inc.?

We wanted a more streamlined brand awareness approach. We wanted to have everything in line including our core values, our target market website, and social media, for instance.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did part of the project research and gave real-life experiences to the team members, which was extremely helpful. It wasn’t just numbers on a page that they found on Google; they actually shared real experiences. After the first few meetings, they gave us a couple of proposals, and then it all became collaborative. 

At the development stage, they did the complete website using WordPress along with a brand refresh with new fonts, colors, and logo design modifications; they gave a more consistent look.

What is the team composition? 

There were 4–5 web developers involved. 

How did you come to work with REX Marketing + Design Inc.?

They were recommended to us. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent approximately $30,000 CAD (approximately $24,000 USD) with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

It was around February–September 2020.

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

We’re up over 100% on our website at the moment. 

How did REX Marketing + Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Even though we were all spread across Western Canada, we were able to find a collaboration doing things remotely. During the web development stage, they’d give us weekly updates and we communicated through video calls, emails, WhatsApp, and phone calls. It would’ve been better to sit in a boardroom to get things done or to see Rex Marketing’s team in person, but COVID-19 impacted that and they did a phenomenal job with the resources they had.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their passion to help our businesses grow and reach our goals is what distinguishes them from others. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We don’t think there’s anything they could’ve done differently.

Any advice for potential customers?

Just trust them. It can be tough to see your original content be modified, but they have talented people in their team.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of DermaSpark. We’re a distribution company working strictly in Canada. At the moment, we represent five companies from all around the world, with different products. Our headquarters are in Vancouver.

What challenge were you trying to address with REX Marketing + Design Inc.?

Our goal was to capture as much market share as possible and to send our message out.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve been working with REX Marketing + Design Inc. for 11 years, on multiple projects. Every time we launch a new product, we’ll go through a brand discovery process with them, during which we discuss the value proposition we’re bringing our customers.

Once we understand the product thoroughly, we’ll work on its positioning on the market. REX Marketing + Design Inc. is the expert that does that. They handle the digital marketing and design parts as well.

What is the team composition?

We’re working with four people from REX Marketing + Design Inc. Allison (Founder & CEO) is the brains behind everything. She guides everybody behind the scenes. She’s a very smart person.

How much have you invested with them?

We’re paying them more than $100,000 per year. The cost over the years is in the range of $700,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with REX Marketing + Design Inc. in February or March 2010, and it’s ongoing. We have them on retainer, and we’re working closely with them day in and day out.

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

I don’t intend to ever go elsewhere. According to the results we’re getting, I believe we’re working with the very best. I can’t provide exact measurements, but we’ve had very nice growth over the years, and I truly believe that REX Marketing + Design Inc. is a significant part of that.

One of our most successful products is a machine for facial treatments. We’re one of many distributors of this product around the world, and we’re operating in a relatively small country. However, we have the highest sales count for the product compared to any other country. The product is selling more here than in the UK, France, Italy, or the US, which has 10 times the population of Canada, and that’s because our marketing is better.  

How did REX Marketing + Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a project manager assigned to us, and we have one person on our side responsible for the communication with REX Marketing + Design Inc. I rate her 12/10.

We have calls with everyone on the team, mainly during brand discoveries. We’re using Asana to work with them, along with email, Slack, Zoom, and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There are lots of agencies that can create nice designs, but it’s rare to find one that profoundly gets into a business and into a product’s value proposition. I haven’t found this with any company other than REX Marketing + Design Inc.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re very good, and I don’t want them to change.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

My advice is for clients to not think about it too much and go ahead with REX Marketing + Design Inc. They won’t look back.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of a registered autism nonprofit.

What challenge were you trying to address with REX Marketing + Design Inc.?

We needed help with branding.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired them to redesign our logo and visual identity. They also put together a three-part video series that spoke about the project for us to post on social media.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Allison (Founder & CEO), Melissa (Senior Account Manager & Brand Strategist), and Christian (Lead Graphic Designer).

How did you come to work with REX Marketing + Design Inc.?

We’re part of the same business networking group, Business Network International. We’ve known them for a few years through that contact.

How much have you invested with them?

For the logo, it was around $3,000. They gave us a discounted rate because we’re a nonprofit.

What is the status of this engagement?

I joined the project in December 2018, and we wrapped up in March 2019.

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

The quality of service was quite high. The team actually won an award for the logo and visual design that they built for them. They don’t want to give you a one size fits all solution; they really want to look at who you are as a business and what are your needs and target markets. I appreciated the depth that they went into when looking at everything.

We were really happy with the logo in the end. They did a good job of tying in some key branding concepts like inclusion and connection. I wasn’t there for the whole part of the project, but I definitely feel like they developed a log that represents our organization.

How did REX Marketing + Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

By the time I came on board, we were mostly corresponding over email. By that point, the discovery phase was mostly done and we were selecting the logo among different colors and options.

They’re very collaborative and involved. The team takes a very deep dive to learn about their clients and their needs. There’s quite a bit of time they invest in the intake. We did go into their office once to review the whole branding since we weren’t there from the beginning.

They gave us two hours of their time to discuss the whole project and bring us fully up to speed.  I really appreciated that. In terms of timelines, they were always on track. If anything, they were pushing us to finish things on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a great team and we could tell that they’re all good friends. They really like working with nonprofits and found this to be a meaningful project for them. The team went above and beyond because they truly cared about the project; they wanted to make sure that we would be in a good position. They gave us a lot of work for what we spent. Lastly, they’re great educators. They taught us a lot about marketing and the decision-making process. Allison, specifically, has a strong sense for business building and sociology. I really trusted their input.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were patient throughout the entire process. They really wanted us to make a good decision. Having a leadership transition from our side during the project made it hard for me coming in. Especially, making decisions around making the logo. That had nothing to do with REX, though. I respect what they do to help businesses and I would refer them to other contacts I have.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to come with an open mind. They have a lot of experience and know-how in terms of brand building. Allison recently launched a 12-week training series to teach them how to do marketing for themselves. She’s a really strong educator and wants to empower people.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a lawyer with GBC Law. We provide a variety of legal services.

What challenge were you trying to address with REX Marketing + Design Inc.?

We wanted to do some rebranding. We needed someone to help with our website and give us a fresh look.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The first thing they did was try to understand who we are as a company so they could later implement it into the existing website through our branding. So far, they’ve helped us develop a certain look and design for our materials and for our website. They’ve also helped us with our content and layout for the development of a new website they built from scratch. Now, they’re working on Google Ads with us. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with just about everyone on their team at some point. We’re mainly in contact with 2–3 people for the work, though. 

How did you come to work with REX Marketing + Design Inc.?

We came across them through a recommendation from someone who redid our headshots for our website and decided to go with REX Marketing. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $30,000, but I’m not completely sure of the budgeting aspects of the work. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2020 and our engagement is ongoing. We’ve completed the website, but now we’re moving into the next phase and they’re helping with Google Ads campaigns. 

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

Their service has been excellent and thorough. They understand who we are as a company and are able to help us portray it through our brand. 

How did REX Marketing + Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very receptive and open to our suggestions for how we want everything to look. Everything has been excellent. They’re always updating us on what part we’re at in the project and if there is anything we need to do. If time goes by when we need to do something, they follow-up and touch base to see how things are going and offer help.

They’re great at communicating and always seeing how they can help. We mainly use email and phone calls to communicate. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciate their energy and enthusiasm; they’re very professional and welcoming. Overall, they’re just a really good fit for us and our firm. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with them. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I honestly don’t have anything we’ve had an issue with. If something they provided us didn’t work with our idea, they always work with us to fix it and make us happy. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Bring in high energy and be ready and willing to work, because that seems to be what they’re about. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Fresh in your Fridge, an in-home cooking service. Our team, which is comprised entirely of nutritionists, goes into clients’ homes on a weekly basis and does all of their grocery shopping, meal planning, and cooking in their kitchens.

What challenge were you trying to address with REX Marketing + Design Inc.?

We needed to update our website. We wanted more of a streamlined look and visual identity between all of our platforms. Further, we didn’t really have any branding in place, so we wanted to create something that was special and impactful.

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, REX Marketing + Design Inc. did a brand identity and discovery session. They spent a lot of time getting to know us and our business. They even spoke with some of our clients and staff to determine what our values are, why we’re doing this, and what the essence of our business is. 

Once they came up with the core messaging, they started to put together our visual identity. They chose logos and colors and figured out how everything would flow together. The team then built the website and took on some associated projects, like creating social media calendars and some presentations for our brand launch.

What is the team composition?

I mostly worked with an account manager, Melissa (Senior Brand Strategist, REX Marketing + Design Inc.). I also worked with Christian (Lead Graphic Designer, REX Marketing + Design Inc.) and Allison (CEO & Founder, REX Marketing + Design Inc.), who I’ve known through Business Network for 4–5 years. Allison was involved in a lot of the conversations, but I typically spoke with Melissa directly. 

How did you come to work with REX Marketing + Design Inc.?

I initially found REX Marketing + Design Inc. and decided to work with them based on my relationship with Allison.

How much have you invested with them?

The major project we did with them cost $17,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The bigger project that we did with them lasted from January–December 2018. We’ve done some smaller projects along the way. 

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

Everyone loved the new website and branding materials; they’re all really colorful, bright, and expressive. I actually still get great feedback today. I just feel really confident about the brand that we have set up. 

How did REX Marketing + Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

In terms of project management, they were awesome; we didn’t have a lot of issues. I was usually the one falling behind on deadlines, so they really kept me on track with everything in that capacity. The only missed deadline was the website launch, but that was because we’d hired a third-party developer; REX Marketing + Design Inc. was just overseeing this, and they communicated very extensively throughout the process. We typically communicated via email and Zoom video conference calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The one thing that stood out was how personable they were. I felt like they really wanted to get to know my business. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of.

Any advice for potential customers?

Doing the brand discovery was really worth it. This is an optional service they offer; alternatively, you can just go straight into visual development and logo design and all of that. I wasn’t very sure what the process would be like, and I was even a little skeptical. However, the discovery was really worth it to uncover what the essence of our business was. It was a 3–4-month project and probably added $4,000–$5,000, but I feel like that was really key to how substantial our brand is now.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president at The Coaching Studio, a boutique coaching and leadership development firm.

What challenge were you trying to address with REX Marketing + Design Inc.?

We needed their team’s branding expertise as we decided to initiate a marketing approach.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve kicked off our collaboration with a discovery phase, wherein REX Marketing + Design Inc. has conducted thorough market research to understand our clients and the trends within our industry. We’ve come up with strategies on how we can execute a brand overhaul based on their findings.

We’re currently working with their team in implementing branding strategies and solutions, and they’re also helping us refurbish our existing website to align it with our current marketing goals.

What is the team composition?

We work with about five members from REX Marketing + Design Inc., including Allison (Founder & CEO), Melissa (Brand Director), Alex (Marketing Content Producer), and Christian (Lead Graphic Designer).

How did you come to work with REX Marketing + Design Inc.?

REX Marketing + Design Inc. was strongly recommended to us by someone we know and trust. We decided to choose them among their competitors because of their unique work and captivating leadership skills.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $40,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing collaboration with REX Marketing + Design Inc. commenced in February 2021.

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

We haven’t publicly launched any of their marketing efforts yet, but I can confirm that our internal team is beyond satisfied with the quality of REX Marketing + Design Inc.’s work. They know how to identify areas that matter to our business growth — watching them bring our ideas to life has been an amazing experience, and we can’t wait to show their work to the world.

How did REX Marketing + Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly communicate via email and periodic meetings. They’re a cooperative team that values our ideas, and they collaborate effectively with us to ensure a great output.

What did you find most impressive about them?

REX Marketing + Design Inc. is committed to delivering high-quality outputs while maintaining a compatible relationship with us. They listen to our needs and deliver these within our timelines — we highly value them for that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There isn’t anything we haven’t addressed already. We always allocate time to share feedback on each other’s work.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t hesitate to hire their team — you’ll get good results, simplified processes, and a meaningful partnership.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and president of a company that makes environmentally friendly alternative chemicals.

What challenge were you trying to address with REX Marketing + Design Inc.?

We wanted a better, more succinct way to explain what we do to existing clients as well as to prospective customers. We hired REX Marketing for this purpose.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We held several meetings to allow REX Marketing to understand what we do as a company. We provided them with brochures, customer testimonials, and the history of our business. At one point, they reached out to several of our customers themselves to see how our company is perceived on that end. The team also gathered their feedback to help us solidify our marketing message. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people which included Allison (Founder, Agency Director & Senior Strategist).

How did you come to work with REX Marketing + Design Inc.?

I just really liked their comfortable approach to the project. REX Marketing was supportive and extremely helpful from the very beginning. They saw the potential of our company and really wanted to help us succeed. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from June–August 2021.

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

At this point, I can’t give any solid metrics. We have not yet made any headway with what we’ve done. I will say, however, that REX Marketing was very thoughtful and professional throughout the engagement.

How did REX Marketing + Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated through email and phone. Most of our meetings were done in person.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve never really dealt with anybody in this area before, but what I really liked about REX Marketing was that they were extremely easy to work with. They were supportive and personable. From a business perspective, they proposed really good ideas and showed a desire to see our company succeed. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would’ve been nice to have been able to develop a presentation or a more concrete selling tool that I could present to our clients. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Provide the team with as much information as you can to help them reach their goal. They are very good at what they do. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of LZRK Consulting Inc. We are a boutique consulting firm that coaches and consults on developing Executive Presence, a unique combination of image consulting and executive coaching. We help leaders and their teams walk the walk, talk the talk and look the part.

For what projects/services did your company hire REX Marketing + Design Inc.?

We hired REX Marketing + Design to redevelop our website for rebranding. They initially did our website for our previous incarnation, ICU Image Consulting Inc. and we liked them so much we hired them again to complete the rebrand, including the logo, website and all related collateral.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to create a sleek new website that we could later use to generate leads; at the moment we just needed to be present online in a clear and stylish way.

How did you select REX Marketing + Design Inc.?

Allison Bran has been my marketing advisor for many years, since we first met in a networking group and has never steered me wrong. I wouldn't go anywhere else for marketing and design.

Describe the project in detail.

We did an in-depth discovery process to establish the new brand and direction, then got into design and development. They completed the website well within timeline and budget and even won us an award for its design.

What was the team composition?

I worked initially with Allison and Melissa, then moved more to working with Melissa as our project was completed and we needed different pieces of collateral and design.

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

Our website has received good reviews from our clients and colleagues and won a SIA design award. We haven't actively engaged with SEO as yet, but fully expect that to work well for us when we do.

Our last site was #1 on Google for a very long time under the keywords "Image consultant Vancouver" and when we're ready to be that visible again I am confident that our site will be #1 again.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was very effective - it was always easy to talk to a team member and have a problem solved or a question answered.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I am most impressed by Allison's commitment to authentic branding and to elevating and supporting her young, talented team. She does great work as a leader and the team shows their abilities well.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I wouldn't have done anything differently. I would return again for any other help in the future.