Speak Creative

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a independent financial planning firm. We specialize in financial planning and investment management for women healthcare professionals.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Speak Creative, and what were your goals?

We are a brand new firm and needed branding and a website. As a virtual company, the website is our office front and the only avenue to bring our services to prospects so we wanted to work with a company that was at the top of their game. We found that in Speak.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We looked at previous work Speak had done as we also considered other vendors. Speak was easy to work with and we liked their designs more than any others we saw.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

They focused on the branding of our company first. They had an initial meeting where we discussed what our ideal client looked like, what our services were, and how we could showcase that to prospects. They developed several options of logos and after reviewing, we were able to choose the best fit. Then website creation began. That was a much longer process.

We had 3-4 meetings total and lots of back and forth sharing through the building systems Speak uses. It was a long process, but partly because we took our time creating the content. Speak was incredibly organized and guided me through step by step.

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

4 Senior Project Manager Brand Strategist Designer Web designer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

I have just launched so no measurable outcomes yet, but all who have seen the site have been impressed by the level of professionalism, ease of use and consistency of my message.

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

They used a few online tools to show my drafts and I could make edits to those drafts as well.

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

Easy to work with and love their style. In a couple of instances, they went above and beyond our agreement.

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

First quote I received was significantly higher than the second quote I received a couple of months later.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the communications director for a social service nonprofit serving Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Speak Creative?

Speak first designed our website in 2008, with redesigns in 2014 and 2022. They also designed a separate site for us in 2018, and I worked with them personally on creating a site for my neighborhood association in 2013.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

In 2008, we requested and received proposals from a number of vendors. Ultimately we chose speak because they were affordable, thoughtful, thorough, and easy to work with. Those characteristics have remained even as their company has grown significantly over the years.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Our site was 8 years old, so this was a complete redesign. The steps in the project were clearly outlined with explanations of each step and an expected timeline in the project proposal. After an initial discovery meeting and creative brief to share ideas, we met with their team to create a content plan. They shared an initial design (which was perfect - just what we wanted but didn't know how to ask for it!) . They loaded our content from the old site (a totally unexpected and unbelievable new perk) and we spent a few weeks updating and rearranging content on our end. Once we approved the launch, it happened quickly and smoothly.

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

• Business Development Strategist
• Senior Project Manager
• Brand Strategist
• Senior Designer
• Front End Development Manager + Designer
• SiteWrench Community Manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our new site just launched yesterday, so no measurables yet, but it is BEAUTIFUL and functional. A much cleaner UX, which is critical as we work to connect members of the community with emergency shelter and financial assistance to help when they are in crisis.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They are clear, prompt, and thorough communicators who kept us on task throughout the process.

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

They are just so easy to work with. Friendly and easy and accommodating but so sharp and smart too. They strike the perfect balance for us and match the vibe of our team well.

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

Several tools were introduced for project management, file sharing, etc. that didn't seem to have much utility on our end. The most useful (and really cool) for us was one called BugHerd, but the rest didn't seem to serve many purposes on the customer side. I can see how they would work better for people with different work styles who might take full advantage of them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

Respondent 1 (Marketing & Communications Manager): We are Shelby Farms Park Conservancy. We’re a forty-five-hundred-acre urban park located in Memphis, Tennessee. I'm the marketing communications manager, and I'm here with our communications coordinator. Together, we handle communications and marketing for the park and manage the park's website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Speak Creative?

Respondent 2 (Communications Coordinator): When we were first becoming an organization, we had a very basic website. As our fundraising means grew—and our need to communicate with our visitors grew—we knew that we needed a more dynamic, engaging, and up-to-date website that fit with the park brand. We also wanted to make sure the website was in line with current technology standards.

R1: We were looking to build a mobile-responsive site, which we didn't have. We had added some features to the park, and, as we rolled out the new amenities, we wanted to combine that with the launch of a new website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

R1: This is the second website that Speak Creative has done for the park. I was only involved in this one, but my colleague worked with them on both the first and the second. They've done both design and development work for the current version of the site. SiteWrench is the back end that we use, and they did all of that development.  

The team also assisted with content development and helped design the new site map. They added photos and content to the site that we provided. We have a fundraising platform that had to interface with the website for online giving, and they helped us with that as well.

R2: They handled the project from beginning to end. We had some existing branding, but they were able to take that and elevate it. They worked with us to design, as my colleague said, an organized and mobile-responsive site on this most recent update.

Speak also created all of the visuals and designed the look and feel of the website. We played a major role in laying out the site map based on our organizational needs, but they did everything in terms of organizing and designing the site.

What is the team composition?

R2: We’ve had one point of contact at a time for each project that I’ve done with them. There was one dedicated point person who managed the website from beginning to end. She served as a coordinator between the Speak Creative team and us.

We worked directly with two other people from Speak during that project. We’ve been able to talk to others as well, including the developers, as needed.

How did you come to work with Speak Creative?

R1: I worked with Speak Creative while I was in another position before I started in my current role. My previous organization used them for websites as well, so I brought some prior experience with the company. The needs were very different, but it was helpful coming into this project with some knowledge of their expertise and service quality.

R2: For our first site, we put out an RFP with some local firms. Based on the proposal that we received from Speak, we deemed that they would be the best fit for us. We made that decision after evaluating project samples that they had provided for us. We were also appreciative of the way that they listened to our needs and our vision. We sensed that they would be able to meet us in the middle.

They were clear about how they wanted to make sure that the project in their proposal was going to be uniquely ours, but with that special Speak flair. It was easy for us to stick with them when it was time for us to update the website. We did put out an RFP for the second edition of the site, but, for the same reasons I’ve already described, Speak had the best proposal.

How much have you invested with them?

R1: We spent $16,000 on the second website.

What is the status of this engagement?

R1: We signed the letter of agreement the first week of February 2016 and wrapped up the project in May of 2017.

R2: We started our partnership with Speak in 2012, and they’re still working with us on other projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

R1: They worked hard to help us overcome some of the difficulties that we were having while we tried to interface the fundraising platform with our website. That was a very complicated process, and Speak went above and beyond to meet our needs.

How did Speak Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

R1: They’re fantastic. Every change in the project timeline came from our side, and they were very patient with us as we navigated some unexpected situations.

R2: They took the time to listen to us. We had many, many meetings to make sure the site was where we wanted it to be. Speak insisted on having plenty of meetings so that they could ensure that they were delivering the exact right product.

What did you find most impressive about them?

R1: Their out-of-the-box thinking and problem-solving abilities are exceptional. The team regularly brought forth great, creative ideas that fit within our budget. We’re a nonprofit, and they were very in tune with our budgetary limitations.

Also, every person from Speak that we’ve worked with has been extremely professional. They were always open to our feedback and concerns.

Are there any areas they could improve?

R1: I can’t think of any. Every experience that we've had with them has been great. They’re top-notch.

R2: Any time we faced an issue, it still came out as a positive experience because of Speak's commitment to delivering a quality product. They're easy to work with, and the team is full of great people.

R1: I got a very kind email today from our rep even though I'm not currently working with her. I think that is a testament to the kind of friendly and invested team that Speak has.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m the digital director for the Humane Rescue Alliance in Washington, D.C. I oversee our website, social media, and digital marketing. We serve as the city's Humane Society and provide adoption and animal care services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Speak Creative?

In 2016, two legacy organizations merged to form the Humane Rescue Alliance. We hired Speak Creative to help us launch our new website as a combined organization.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Speak Creative developed a new website that’s mobile responsive. Our two organizations’ previous sites were quite outdated. They guided streamlining information from both sites together into one cohesive site. They helped with content editing, layout design, and usability. They used their proprietary CMS, which is called SiteWrench. They met with key stakeholders to talk about program areas and what we needed to feature in different web sections.

Our content is extremely visual. Everybody loves puppies and kittens, so we wanted to make them front and center. Speak Creative created a scrolling video for our homepage that illustrates the vital work that we're doing. More than 70% of our traffic is from users who are interested in adopting. They put the Adopt a Pet button in the center of the home page. They created many different ways for users to find all the available animals for adoption. As a non-profit, we also wanted to highlight key facts and figures for our donors. Speak Creative created graphics to highlight those numbers on our home page, as well as a donate button. 

We continue to keep Speak Creative on a design retainer to work on additional pieces of the website post-launch. They maintain and enhance features for our major fundraising events by building unique templates. We're also working with them on digital marketing initiatives. This year they started working with us on expanding paid digital marketing, paid social, and Google SEO. 

What is the team composition?

For website development, we worked with a project manager and two designers. We continue to work with the same project manager and 2–3 designers on digital marketing campaigns and the design retainer. We also work with one business relations person on contract negotiations. 

How did you come to work with Speak Creative? 

We interviewed several companies. We loved their work, particularly because it looked so different from other animal welfare organizations. We wanted a site that was clean, modern, custom, and unique. Their client portfolio was extremely impressive. We connected with Speak Creative because they believed in our mission and understood the important work that we do. 

How much have you invested with them?

The website design was $40,000, and our monthly retainer is around $1,700.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in July 2016, and we launched our website in October 2016. The larger engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received so many positive comments about the updated site after the launch. People were impressed with the quality of work and creativity that they injected into the project. We've also seen an increase in traffic and an increase in adoptions since launching the new website. That could be attributed to a lot of different factors, but the site is 100% a contributing factor. They've been able to and elevate the brand and expand our brand reach to people who need our programs and our services. We're excited to keep working with Speak Creative on new content and new ways to share our story. 

How did Speak Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

Initially, we had some reservations about them not being located in D.C. Speak Creative was able to do a site visit with us to really understand our work. That kickoff meeting was extremely helpful. Overall, they've been incredibly responsive mainly if any issues or emergencies come up. They always jump in and help us figure out and implement a solution for our problems.

The team, in general, is excited about animal welfare and the work that we're doing. We love working with people who love animals. It's important for us to be working with a company that shares our same values. It's been inspiring to work with them. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

We were intrigued by their SiteWrench proprietary software. A lot of other providers use a WordPress template. We didn't want a website that looked like everybody else's. Speak Creative has taken the time to build their own system that enables them to deliver a unique product. 

Are there any areas they could improve? 

They're a smaller team, which we like. However, it also means that there's only so many people to do the work. As they’re attracting great clients, being able to expand their staff will allow for more flexibility and their team not getting overwhelmed. We enjoy working with them, and it's been a great partnership. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

I've referred several animal organizations to them. In our case, we’d done our own research and knew the end goal that we wanted. They’re absolutely happy to work that way and give ideas throughout the process. If you come to them with no ideas at all, Speak Creative has the ability to come up with several concepts and pitch them to you. Don't be afraid if you don't have a specific idea. They can absolutely make it work.