Skidmore Studio

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing partner of a training business. We provide individual and B2B training.

What challenge were you trying to address with Skidmore Studio?

Our website was outdated. It was hard to navigate, and we wanted to create a better experience for our users and enable them to buy services and resources more easily.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Skidmore created our current WordPress website. They chose a development partner and helped manage that relationship.

Their team essentially started from scratch but included all of the elements from our previous website. They built pages where users could buy resources and training sessions as well as access free resources in our library.  Their team designed and developed the website, but we created the copy.

What is the team composition?

I mainly communicated with two people from Skidmore.

How did you come to work with Skidmore Studio?

Two of my colleagues met Skidmore at a conference. Another colleague at the time knew them professionally and suggested that we utilize their services. One of the main reasons that we chose them was their strong design aesthetic.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $50,000 in their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started this project with them in September 2019 and it wrapped up in April 2020.

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

This was a complex project. Before we started to work with Skidmore, we had a vision for success. During our initial meeting, we shared our vision, which their team followed. Although a few aspects of the project didn’t unfold exactly as planned, we were happy with how the website came out.

How did Skidmore perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly check-ins over the phone but also communicated via emails. When we had questions, we received answers. Skidmore used a platform where we placed all of our copy and images for them to include in the wireframes.

Skidmore pushed hard to ensure their team completed our checklist. The project was a little off schedule, especially towards the end. However, their team was transparent about the delays, which the development partner mainly caused.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by their reliability and the quality of their work. Their team was transparent about prices and timelines. It was also a collaborative process, so they felt like a partner. Skidmore cared about making sure we were happy with the results.

When we launched the website, it was during the pandemic. Their team was kind and sent us a gift thanking us for our partnership. They also called us to ensure that we were well, creating a personal relationship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they were a great partner throughout this project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a vision for what you want in a website and determine what success will look like at the end of the project to share with them. They found a description of our goals helpful.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director of a family-owned and operated company that creates LED lighting for bikes, outdoor experiences, and equipment.

We’re a B2B business in that we sell to mass retailers, but we also have a B2C element.

What challenge were you trying to address with Skidmore Studio?

Initially, we engaged with Skidmore Studio to create a cohesive brand style guide and tool kit for our packaging.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They determined everything from photography to the style and color of each box. They created a strategy for packaging across all of our different product lines.

They addressed how all of our products could come together to represent our brand as a cohesive unit.

Recently, we’ve been working with them on our 2020–2021 product catalog, which introduced new branding that will take us to the next level. They came up with a new brand direction.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Drew, producer Amanda, and sean, our graphic designer.

How did you come to work with Skidmore Studio?

When our COO was looking, he received a couple of recommendations from individuals in the area. Then we did some research on vendors, and Skidmore Studio’s expertise working with brands of all sizes really appealed to us. We chose them over others because of their strategic insight and their focus on building brands over time.

When I was brought on, it was clear that they could help us grow and become a nationally recognizable brand.

How much have you invested with them?

The product catalog alone was $15,000 and we’ve spent more on excel sheets and the style guide. I believe it’s less than $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in September 2018 and it’s ongoing.

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

Our team loved the new brand for the upcoming year. They gasped when they saw the catalog. So far, we’ve received good feedback from our representatives in the field. Our materials are fresh and attention-grabbing.

They did a sensational job, taking different feedback, and brought their own creativity and expertise to fully develop that style guide. They’re poised to freshen things up and evolve nicely with us.

I set a high bar for agencies, and Skidmore Studio delivers at the level I expect from them.

How did Skidmore Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re communicative and transparent. We converse over email and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their creativity is unmatched. They take cockamamie client ideas and turn them into strategic, measurable deliverables that make sense and can evolve with our brand rather than having a short shelf life.

They’re also flexible and can easily pivot when needed.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing I could say would be to do one last proofreading of the final deliverable. It’s a fairly minor thing. Overall, they do proof their work, though, and they deliver based on the scope of work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I found that developing a creative brief for myself was very helpful while working with Skidmore Studio. By outlining my goals and objectives before I talk to them, they’re able to bring more of their own creativity to the scope of work. We’ve always been happy with the results.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Lcg Foods is a restaurant business in Michigan. We have a couple of revenue streams and business entities under the Lcg banner, including the Louisiana Creole Gumbo restaurants, food trucks, and food service. I’m the president of the company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Skidmore Studio?

We were trying to grow from what we termed a ‘mom and pop operation’ to a corporate one. We have plans to grow from a city business to a regional one across Michigan over the next 3–4 years, and we were looking at how we might smarten up our branding and develop new strategies.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Skidmore Studio did a pretty in-depth interview with us about where we were and how we saw ourselves. They looked at how the public saw us and our operations, trying to see where we were and where we wanted to go. We talked that through, and when we were done, they provided some feedback.

They helped us redefine and redesign our logo, which we’re starting to implement now. Skidmore also looked at our collateral, including product packaging, and came up with some design ideas for that. They helped us develop some slogans and product statements that we could use in our marketing. They put together a statement overview of who we are, along with a description of our products that we can use in public statements and marketing.

They’re helping us define the look of our third restaurant in terms of its interior, signage, and graphics.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Drew (CEO & President) and their design lead. We’ve had conferences with five people from their side, and we’ve interacted with 3–4 of them, both design and content people. Drew has always been there to see what was going on and to give his input.

How did you come to work with Skidmore Studio?

I attended the 10,000 Small Businesses training program, which is sponsored by Goldman Sachs. They have local entities that train small businesses on growth development. I was there around 2014, and I met Drew as a result of that program. I had some familiarity with Skidmore, remembering them from when I was working in broadcasting. They were involved in some automotive work we did back then, and I had a pretty positive image of the level of work Skidmore does and the kind of company they are.

When I was facing this growth challenge for my business, I thought about Drew and decided to reach out. We had a formal discussion about the project, and we came up with some ideas about how we’d work together and what he might be able to do for us. We engaged him for the service based on that.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve paid them around $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project kicked off in January 2020, and we have an agreement to work with Skidmore through to the end of the year.

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

We’re just getting to the point of actually implementing the deliverables and doing some of the things we want to with our marketing. We spent the first six months working on the design and discussing our company. We’ll set up some metrics as we move forward, and we expect to see some results by the end of 2020.

How did Skidmore Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication has been good. They’ve been very flexible in terms of accommodating our schedule and incorporating our feedback into their work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They listen in order to see how they can serve. They have a creative team that’s able to translate what they understand about our business into something that’s usable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The pandemic has really put a damper on what we’re doing because we’ve had to do things through Zoom meetings since March. That’s a lot different than sitting across the table from them and writing things on a whiteboard. We’ve been successfully moving forward, but the pandemic has changed the way we’re working.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I’m learning as I’m going, so I don’t want to come out sounding like an expert. As a small company, we needed someone that could bring a vision of what the broader world would accept. Many times, we’re in a bubble as a small company, and we won’t see beyond the day-to-day context. Skidmore has been very helpful in broadening my thinking and giving me another perspective. I can’t give advice to someone getting ready to face this challenge, because I’m working through it myself.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a leadership development consulting firm called Dion Leadership.

What challenge were you trying to address with Skidmore Studio?

I broke off a consulting partnership with another organization. I hired Skidmore Studio to help us with the strategic launch of our new company and brand. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Skidmore Studio strategized around how to market a new brand. Their team helped me to create a new proposition with a set of consulting services to be crystal-clear in the marketplace. They did a competitive analysis of the market place and then provided us with a brand message and tone. Their team led us through a naming process and developed the brand colors and look. They provided style sheets and a customized logo.

What is the team composition?

There’s a core team of three people from Skidmore Studio. Behind the scenes, I worked with five other people.

How did you come to work with Skidmore Studio?

I briefly interacted with Skidmore Studio as a referral relationship through a mutual client. I was impressed with their organization, so I called them. I got a couple of quotes from a couple of different firms. After looking at the different quotes, I thought that they’d be the best fit for us.

How much have you invested with them?

It was a flat fee project of $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2019 and the project concluded in December. After a while, I may bring them in again to refresh the brand.

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

The success of the project comes from meeting the timeline and us being satisfied with the output. We looked to launch a brand to my satisfaction, which they did.

How did Skidmore Studio perform from a project management standpoint?

Skidmore Studio was responsive. They dedicated a project manager who worked with us throughout the project. In the beginning, they laid out milestones that we put on the calendar. Every time their team had a date, they met it.  Their team was open to feedback. Even at the end of the project, the executive on the team asked for a meeting to receive feedback.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their creative team has an uncanny way of hearing the common themes from various interviews and articulating those into a clear brand. Their team has a powerful gift of taking a lot of information about a brand and putting it into four words or less. Skidmore Studio brings a depth of knowledge and experience. They were perfectly spot on.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve done a lot of projects with consumer brands. Their team didn’t have historical projects in our space. If they get more clients like us, they could gain more perspective on B2B consulting brands. That being said, Skidmore Studio was a quick study and understood our business space in short order.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Dedicate the time to do your homework and come in with a clear point of view. This work comes from the subject matter experts at the company. Their team can give a better output if you can articulate your marketplace and history.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Michigan Farm to Freezer is a small batch manufacturer of Michigan grown fruits and vegetables. We focus on season extension for specialty crops grown in our state in abundance, during a short growing season. I am the owner and operator of the company.

For what projects/services did your company hire Skidmore Studio?

Like many small businesses, our brand, website and strategy was created bit by bit over a period of time through the engagement of our staff, friends and a few contractors. The opportunity arose for us to move our business to Detroit from Northern Michigan, at which point we decided it best to undergo a re-branding in an attempt to enter a new market with a cohesive and quality look.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to increase our distribution in Southeast Michigan through the engagement of 30 new independent grocers and 85 corporate stores, which would nearly double our revenue and volume. We wanted a better way to tell our story of Michigan's bounty and season extension.

How did you select this vendor?

We spoke with a few network leaders and heros in Southeast Michigan's food economy. Skidmore's name continued to rise to the top as a company that we should engage in our process. Their experience in Detroit, and experience with other emerging brands made the choice a simple one.

Describe the project in detail.

We had several discovery meetings with Skidmore, and they brought their team out to our facility for a tour and understanding of our operations. We talked through how we've grown our business to the point that it was, what we were most excited about in the future, and what barriers we saw in the market.

After initial discovery, we were presented with a competitor analysis, market trend analysis, and a brief on our competitive advantages as a brand. As we worked through brand strategy and visual identity, we had regular meetings with their team to provide feedback, gain input and craft a brand that was truly representative of us, and the movement that we are a part of.

Their team brought a ton of energy, ideas and passion to this process, allowing us to step out of our current reality, and look from a high level at who we are, and why our business is critical in the food system. As materials were developed, we were provided opportunity to engage in feedback loops and share perspective that shaped the work.

In the end, we landed with a brand that speaks as well to our effort as we do directly.

What was the team composition?

We worked with an account lead who coordinated engagement across a diverse and talented team. We engaged regularly with Skidmore's Creative Director, several designers, copywriters and editors. There's was an approach that pulled different talent from within the agency as we needed it for specific portions of the project.

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

Through this effort we launched a completely new packaging design, label, website and go to market strategy for our target customers in Southeast Michigan. We have retained a 100% rate in securing the grocers on our list of ideal prospects, and have revenues in by over 30%, and grown gross profitability by over 50% in the same period.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were flexible in meeting the demands of our fast moving, growing company, while maintaining professionalism and driving outcomes. Skidmore was a joy to work with in this regard. Their copywriters would jump in and take measurements of merchandising freezers when on site, to ensure that we had what we needed to grow. They were comfortable and successful in the fluid approach that we needed.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We found a group of incredibly passionate individuals who shared our joy for good food and new opportunity. When we speak about Michigan agriculture, it is often met with sideways glances in industries that aren't directly engaged in growing or creating food.

For us, this passion and energy is ingrained in our DNA. We believe that a perfectly ripe strawberry is a gift pulled from the earth to be celebrated and shared. At Skidmore, we found a group of foodies that were energized by our focus and passion, and capable of using our drive to brand our product in a way that reflects that.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.

Please describe your company and your position there.

CauseLine Labs are the makers of ScoreSide, a consumer engagement platform for sports fans and charitable givers, teams, sponsors and other entities. I am a founder and CEO

For what projects/services did your company hire Skidmore Studio?

We used Skidmore to redesign our brand and identity after a name change.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to have an identity and brand that demonstrate our mission, personality, and goals.

How did you select this vendor?

We found Skidmore through personal recommendations and vetting

Describe the project in detail.

The project was a very quick-turn around in order to be present in a version 2 of our mobile platform. We needed a logo and UI personality that we could start from that would work for mobile, web, print, and broadcast.

We needed to work with only a few options (so, whatever was presented needed to be a choice, but not a long exploration or search for validation) and we needed exceptionally fast turnaround.

What was the team composition?

Our team was immediately given an account rep, two designers, and a production manager. The president worked directly with us as the account rep to manage the tight timeline and to make sure we felt valued.

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

With our new brand and identity, we have greatly increased user engagement as well as partner engagement. We have had multiple parties reach out specifically to comment on the new logo and identity.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

With the very tight timeline, the workflow was incredibly handled. The skidmore team was willing to dig deep and take time when we needed it and were also able to take our initial input and feedback and return results within days

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Skidmore's ability to get what we actually wanted sometimes because of and sometimes despite what we actually said was very impressive. Their team was incredibly talented and easy to work with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were very happy with the outcome.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of RecoveryPark. Our mission is to create jobs for people with barriers to employment. We do this by launching for-profit businesses in the food space. RecoveryPark Farms is our first launch and our City is Detroit, Michigan.

For what projects/services did your company hire Skidmore Studio?

We were looking for a company to help with packaging, label design and product branding. After releasing an RFP to several companies, and an extensive interview process, we chose Skidmore Studio.

What were your goals for this project?

Development of specific product brand and the label for the clamshell packaging of our lettuce mix.

How did you select this vendor?

We sent out a Request for Proposal (RFP) to multiple companies. We were specific about our requirements and asked to see examples of design work each company was commissioned to do for others. Additionally, we staged interviews with the candidates and called referrals.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We selected the vendor. We then scheduled information gathering sessions and a feedback loop. Each meeting built on the previous meeting. Our final sessions were review of concepts and selection of final product.

What was the team composition?

Four people on the design team - one to manage the workflow, two on actual design and the project lead, who is the Principal Designer of the company.

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

We have a product label ready to put on packaging.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team from Skidmore Studio worked seamlessly with the RecoveryPark Farms team. The project progressed PDQ.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We are in the midst of raising capital to get our products into retail so we knew that we needed help with branding and packaging. Working with the Skidmore team was a super smooth process. They really listened to us and kept us in the loop throughout the whole process. Our products are now shelf-ready.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.