Smack Bang Designs

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of Ranavat Botanics, a company that sells all-natural ayurvedic skincare products.

What challenge were you trying to address with Smack Bang Designs?

We needed help with branding, including developing a logo and some of the packaging for our products.

What was the scope of their involvement?

After having a few discussions with their team, Smack Bang created a questionnaire and mood board to help us decide on a branding direction. They designed a few logo and packaging concepts for us to choose from and then provided a brand style guide.

What is the team composition?

Elodie (General Manager, Smack Bang Designs) acts as our main point of contact, but we also work with a designer.

How did you come to work with Smack Bang Designs?

I found them through an online search. I ultimately decided to work with them, because I liked their work and their rates weren't outrageous, making them more approachable than other vendors. After the first project we collaborated on, we wanted to keep working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've probably invested $20,000 or more.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2017 and we continue to collaborate on other projects.

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

Although we didn't set any specific branding benchmarks, we've been very happy with their work overall. Smack Bang's designs have helped differentiate our company, opening us up to more opportunities with larger retailers.

How did Smack Bang Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

In addition to providing high quality work, their team completes projects on time, is easy to work with, and is very organized. We didn't need to use any communication tools, because the way they manage projects and provide timelines is straightforward enough; I like that approach.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm impressed by everything they do, from the quality of their work to the way they manage projects. They're a pleasure to work with and genuinely focused on what's best for the client. I appreciate that they help me stay on track with the brand, providing input when my ideas venture off course. They've helped me stick to our vision, while being flexible and receptive to feedback.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of The White Tree. We provide live music, photography, and film services for corporate and private events throughout Australia. Our business model is a bit unique in that we have a heavy tech component and a number of freelancers who work for us.

What challenge were you trying to address with Smack Bang Designs?

I parted ways with a partner who’d been doing our graphic design and I realized we were losing control of the brand as our business scaled up. Smack Bang Designs helped us regroup and clarify our brand personality.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provided us with end-to-end rebranding. We started out by assembling a brand bible in order to give them an idea of what we value and what our business is like. Next, they helped us redesign our logos and select new fonts and color palettes. They also helped us revise some of our copy to better reflect the new brand personality. From there, they moved on to our website and prepared all of the designs for our developers. In addition, they designed our marketing collateral, which included creating 7-inch vinyl that we could hand out.

What is the team composition?

We initially met with their owner, who served as something of a project manager at the outset. We also had an account manager and a graphic designer.

How did you come to work with Smack Bang Designs?

I know a lot of freelance graphic designers, but they didn’t have the branding and marketing experience I needed, so I decided to expand my budget to ensure that all the work got done properly. I’d heard of Smack Bang Designs before and I liked the idea of having a designated team that would stick to the timeframe that we planned.

How much have you invested with them?

Excluding the printing, we spent about $25,000 AUD ($18,367 US).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from November 2017 to April 2018.

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

We’ve noticed clear activity increases on our social media accounts, and we’ve seen changes to our web traffic and revenue as well.

How did Smack Bang Designs perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re a really hands-on company. Their owner spent a lot of time working with us at the outset and our project manager was always accessible by phone or email. We usually got replies within 10 or 15 minutes. Their management software also ensured that the flow of the project was seamless from start to finish.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re always prepared. They want to make sure their deliverables are going to help your business grow. I can’t overstate how well they did with helping us develop our brand bible, because all of our other creative execution fell into place once it was complete. It’s a document that can make or break your business as you scale up and getting it right means new people can come on board efficiently. They read it and understand what we’re about and generate much more effective content right out of the gate.