R\West

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am currently the Chief Marketing Officer for a mid-size U.S. credit union.

For what projects/services did your company hire R\West?

Brand/Re-branding projects including platform and identity development. Media strategy and buying services Creative copywriting and design Website design and development PR strategy and support Social strategy and support Video and music production

What were your goals for this project?

Goals varied by project, but virtually every project was focused on one or more of the following: Acquiring new memberships Retaining and expanding existing member relationships Fostering brand evangelism

How did you select R\West?

The initial relationship resulted from a Request for Proposal for our institutional re-branding effort. They were the clear winner from both a cost, but most importantly, a collaborative working relationship perspective.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

I have worked with R\West for nearly 15 years across three different financial institutions.

During the course of my business relationships with R\West, they have at varying times been my media agency of record; supported me in three financial institution re-brandings; served as our lead creative agency including copywriting, design, and production; designed and developed three different websites; and supported our public relations and social community efforts.

What was the team composition?

Over the course of my working relationship with R\West, I have worked with several teams across their organization.

Each team has always included at least one senior leader ensuring the relationship is on track, at least one line manager from whichever area(s) the particular project needs, and somewhere between 4 to 7 others depending upon the project scope or ongoing work.

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

The fact that I have sought their partnership across three different financial institutions should speak volumes to our joint success. Specifically speaking, my first financial institution quadrupled in size over the 8 years I worked with R\West there.

My next institution nearly doubled in size in 3 years I partnered with R\West there.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Generally speaking, I have typically found R\West to be very collaborative, very open to feedback, and highly communicative. We always had regular weekly or monthly meetings depending upon the project scope to keep the team aligned and informed.

They provide written status updates to ensure there is a record of conversations and next steps. And I have always appreciated that the team leaders make themselves available at all hours if emergencies arise.

As with any project or relationships, bumps happen from time-to-time as new members come and leave on both sides of the relationships. However, R\West has demonstrated to me that they're always open to feedback on how they can revise, transform, and improve to better serve our needs.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

There are two things that I think truly set R\West apart.

First, they truly are one agency with multiple specialties. Many agencies say that, but I have often found it to be lip service because they'll specialize in one or two areas and "dabble" in the others.

With R\West, I have found that they seek high quality talent across their many disciplines and seek to build a fully-integrated shop which empowers me to develop a much more integrated brand experience for my members.

Second, I think what truly differentiates R\West is that in all my years of working with them, it's never between "you" and "us". Their default language is "We".

They view themselves as just as accountable as I am for delivering upon institutions goals, and they are fantastic about putting forth opinions and suggestions that they feel will help us get there as opposed to just delivering what we "ask".

This is the number one thing that keeps me coming back time after time. I know they have my and my company's backs.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Sure, there's always room for improvement in any relationship. New opportunities pop up, new people come on board or leave, and new challenges arise which cause us to revisit and optimize our working approaches.

For me, it's not about perfection at every turn, it's about knowing I have a trusted partner that will go down the rabbit hole with us and help us come out on top and grow. You won't go wrong with these guys!