Rivers Agency

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing at a community bank. 

What challenges were you trying to address with Rivers Agency?

We engaged them to help us develop our brand and manage our website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve been a partner of the bank for more than a decade. Over the course of our relationship, they’ve come in and helped us update our website and branding to reflect our growth. This helps us get better lead opportunities and put forth a more energetic brand voice. 

Our website was built on WordPress. 

In addition, they recently started doing SEO work for us. 

What is the team composition?

I work with a team of four people including Claire (Senior Art Director), Lauren (CEO), and Sarah (Creative Director). We also get support from other teammates for certain projects. 

How did you come to work with Rivers Agency?

I wasn’t involved in the hiring process.

What is the status of this engagement?

I wasn’t at the company when we started working with them. We’ve been working together for well over a decade, and likely for more than 20 years.

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

Last, the website generated over a million dollars in new deposits and loans. Claire is amazing. She’s always responsive and understands what I’m asking for. 

How did Rivers Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s a pleasure having Claire as our project manager. She ensures that work gets done on time and always works to achieve the best possible outcomes for us. We have biweekly check-ins to go over our work. They’re always willing to hop on the phone with our other agency partners. They take the time to help and ask insightful questions. We feel very well taken care of. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their creativity and flexibility are impressive. A few years ago we did a brand campaign and contest. We asked people to share their dreams and goals with us. Each quarter, we picked a winner and gave them $25,000. We also worked with a new partner such as a business or nonprofit organization each quarter. Rivers Agency helped us come up with creative ways to display this campaign at each of our branches. They also helped us put together the landing page and other marketing collateral, both online and offline. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I think they’ve been a great partner for us. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

They’re a one-stop-shop and are very agile. There are many benefits to working with them. They’re able to tackle any marketing challenges. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m co-president of a candy company. I oversee our communications and digital presence.

What challenges were you trying to address with Rivers Agency?

We wanted to update our website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to do a complete redesign of both our company website and our e-commerce platform. They designed and put together both websites using our preexisting brand guidelines. We also moved to Shopify for the e-commerce website. The company website was built through WordPress. 

We populated the website internally after they trained us on how to update and maintain it. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with Lauren (Founder) and Graham. There were at least 2–3 other team members as well. 

How did you come to work with Rivers Agency?

I put out an RFP, and I reached out to about 12 development agencies. I was impressed with Rivers Agency’s portfolio and their communication. They didn’t overpromise, I felt like we would be in good hands with them. 

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around $25,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in the fall of 2016, and we completed the work in early-2017.

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

A big indicator of their success is that we didn’t have any issues arise and users didn’t have problems accessing our online platform. This allowed us to focus on our core business. 

They stuck to the scope of work, and they didn’t do anything beyond our scope of engagement without our approval. They heard what we wanted and translated it into something that worked with our existing platforms which ensured we stayed on time and within budget. 

How did Rivers Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

I thought that they were excellent. Lauren’s communication was strong, and the project went well. They were proactive in their work, so we didn’t have any problems after the new websites launched. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They deliver. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, no. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

They’re going to deliver what you ask, so be clear about what you want from the beginning. That being said, they’re also great at helping clients conceptualize and communicate their ideas. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the corporate communications manager at Grubb Properties, a real estate development and investment firm that focuses on multifamily and office projects throughout the country.

What challenge were you trying to address with Rivers Agency?

We hired them to help with the rebranding and marketing of one of our projects in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It’s a 70-acre property, a mix of retail offices and multifamily housing. We wanted to brand the neighborhood and the properties that we’d be building within it.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Rivers Agency did a total rebrand. They came up with a logo and an overall marketing and branding concept. Additionally, they built a comprehensive website that included video, helped us pick names for the building, and did press releases. 

The team has also done our social media, and they've assisted with community outreach by helping us connect with local nonprofits and charities in areas we sponsor.

What is the team composition?

We have a core group of about 4–5 teammates, but a total of 10 have worked on the project.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent around $250,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in July 2017, and our engagement is ongoing.

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

Rivers Agency has provided really excellent service, following through on everything we’ve asked of them. They’ve always worked to make the deliverables unique, which has sometimes taken a lot of time. They always make sure that we’re fully satisfied with the results. 

How did Rivers Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

The team has done a really good job of ensuring that we are in regular communication. It’s a big project with a lot of people on our team from different departments.

The team has always done a good job of making sure that the core group meets regularly and that communication stays open between all of the different members. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve developed a great relationship. They understand what we need, and both parties are invested in the project. Rivers Agency cares about the project and its success. It feels like we’re really partners at this point because we’ve worked on it together for so long.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the beginning, it took a while for us to find our footing, maybe because it was such a big project. It took a while to learn how to talk and listen to each other without coming into it with a preconceived idea of what would be the best thing to do. We’ve since figured it out, and we were able to overcome this challenge.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to new ideas and to having them come up with a lot of creative ideas. At the same time, be clear about what you want and what you think success will look like for you. If you tell them the results you want to see, Rivers Agency can get you there.