Brand architects. Brand builders.
We build beautiful brands for consumers who value authenticity, design & experience.
Strano + Pettigrew is a Toronto-based creative and branding agency with a passion for strategic design, fully integrated campaigns and brand building.
S+PDA has always strived to pursue an architectural approach to projects—meaning a well-researched, strategic framework supports each execution.
With a strong emphasis on traditional typography, S+PDA develops compelling creative solutions in the areas of brand strategy, campaign development, visual identity, packaging, editorial, experiential, print design, interactive and broadcast.
Although our expertise is primarily food and beverage, we have also worked with brands in the hospitality, entertaiment, aviation, education, telecom and non-profit sectors.
The agency serves clients nationally and abroad, primarily Canada, the U.S.A. and the U.K., always ensuring that the authenticity of a client’s brand is at the core of every execution.
headquarters
Focus
Portfolio
Air Canada, Aramark Canada, Beam Suntory, Careers Group University of London, Childhood Cancer Canada, Dentalcorp, EndoCanna Health, Jenny Betts London, MaRS Discovery District, Second Cup Coffee Co, University of Toronto, Zone·tv
Second Cup—Holiday Packaging 2017
Each year, Second Cup Coffee Co. makes the holiday season special for their customers with unique new beverages and seasonal favourites. It also gives us the opportunity to design new cups, in-store material, and packaging for their tea and hot chocolate varieties.
This, along with food and beverage photography makes it a fun time of year for us as well.
Zone TV dynamic channels
Zone·TV is redefining the TV viewing environment by delivering a personalized entertainment experience filled with expertly curated, exciting new content.
Jenny Betts London branding + packaging
Jenny Betts London is a luxury home fragrance brand based out of London in the UK.
The Tannk Clothing Co.
Founded by philanthropist, entrepreneur, author and mother Anita Okoye, the Tannk Clothing Company is a children’s apparel company with an unwavering dedication and commitment to helping improve the lives of African children.
Tannk's vision is to become Africa’s most trusted and philanthropic children’s clothing company with a promise to produce, and make affordable, the best possible children’s apparel, while contributing to the education and empowerment of African children. A significant percentage of proceeds will be donated to several children’s education causes across Africa—staying true to its vision.
Strano and Pettigrew worked closely with Anita Okoye to develop an overarching brand strategy and visual identity that would reflect a sense of positivity, caring and playfulness.
The Walper Hotel Look Book
The Walper Hotel is a luxurious, boutique hotel situated in the heart of Kitchener. Built in 1893, The Walper was meticulously restored in 2017 with no design detail overlooked. From the finest rugs and curated wallpaper to the locally crafted millwork and art, every inch of this elegant hotel is exquisitely designed.
Rightly so, C.K. Atlantis, the hotel’s management team, wanted to produce a look book that was designed with the same contemporary elegance and attention to design detail as the hotel itself—a piece that would be present in each room and used by the hotels management team as a sales tool.
The hotel’s interior design team had incorporated two primary colours, used sparingly in each room as accents. We took those colours and used them as part of the master palette. Additionally, the luxury wallpapers play an important role in the hotel’s aesthetic—we incorporated some of those as patterning.
The Walper Hotel is a showpiece of design and sophistication. We would like to thank C.K. Atlantis and Perimeter for this amazing project.
Second Cup - Flat White National Launch
Second Cup Canada had introduced the Flat White to its menu of espresso based coffees. Strano + Pettigrew was asked to develop a nation-wide launch campaign that would introduce this antipodean favourite to Canadians. Since the Flat White was new to most Canadians, our mission was to “Educate and Advocate”—and there’s no better way to do that then by letting Canadians taste one!
So we commissioned two, custom made, Piaggio Ape50s from Ireland to be the focal point of our experiential sampling campaign.
Stockyards Small Batch Distilling Co.
Stockyards Small Batch Distilling Company represents the future of handcrafted, small batch spirits. Their approach is grain to glass production with a “no-compromise” focus on organic, local, single estate ingredients.
Although their ingredients are the main story, the Stockyards package design plays a crucial role in ensuring a distinct and highly visible shelf presence. We wanted to explore a direction that would clearly stand out in a cluttered, highly competitive, sea of clear glass. We chose a white, matte overall coating for the bottle and a fairly minimalist approach to the bottle decoration. The brandmark is a testament to the ingredients with a space for the distiller to mark each bottle with its unique batch number. Craft spirits the way they were meant to be.
Flash Cold Brew
Summer of 2017—Second Cup Coffee Co. introduced their new Flash Cold Brew. Along with branding and developing a full launch campaign, this was one of two spots we created to help drive awareness.
Momentum Jets
You have arrived.
Momentum Solutions was adding a new service to their portfolio of divisions to address the growing need for luxury and executive travel. Our brief was to capture their clear mission to elevate and redefine the premium, private air travel experience.
With careful consideration to differentiating Momentum Jets as a category-defining experience, we developed a well-researched brand strategy and visual identity.
The complete brand identity system included all touch-points throughout the client journey—the brandmark, the livery design, website design, print and digital business collateral, P.O.P materials and on-board amenities package design.
Momentum Jets—You have arrived.
Effica - QuadTX
Precision life sciences and the efficacy of personalized, genomics-based medicine.
Effica was created as the medical division of one of Canada’s leading cannabis holding companies. The brand’s ethos was centred around efficacy—evidence-based, personalized health and wellness solutions which all start with a simple genomics test.
Strano and Pettigrew began by synthesizing the company’s research into a cohesive brand strategy. This was followed by a rigorous name generation exercise, culminating in the name Effica for the corporate brand and Quod:TX for their DNA kit and nutraceutical products line.
Effica comes from efficacy.
The name Quod:TX, pronounced “quad,” is a reference to the four chemical building blocks of the DNA molecule. “Quod” in latin translates to “evidence.” Combined with TX, or treatment, Quod:TX stands for evidence-based treatment.
Built from the ground up—a complete branding exercise from strategy to naming to visual identity.
Eclipse Technology Solutions
Technology Solutions. Business Performance.
Eclipse Technologies was in the process of reinventing their client value proposition. They engaged us for a complete brand revitalization in order to capture their transition from technology reseller to future-focused, end-to-end technology solution partner.
S+PDA amplified their sophisticated offering within the marketplace with a revitalized brand and visual identity system including an actionable strategic framework and brand positioning. Strano and Pettigrew designed every touchpoint for both print and digital, from stationery and print collateral to social media templates and their new website.
This project represents a complete brand revitalization solution—from brand strategy to creative development to production of all assets.
Perimeter Developments Corporation
Creating extraordinary spaces that transform and inspire.
Founded in 2010, Perimeter Development Corporation is a leader in acquiring and uncovering the hidden potential of underutilized or vacant properties. Approaching their tenth anniversary, the leadership team at Perimeter felt it was time to revitalize their branding and their website.
S+PDA, being respectful of the branding elements Perimeter wished to keep, we developed a slight evolution of the brandmark, introduced new typography, patterning, custom icon design, colour palette and overall design system.
Reviews
the project
Corporate Identity for Full-Service PR Firm
"They are mindful of deadlines, which is vital in our line of work."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm the co-founder and co-owner of Strategic Objectives, a full-service public relations firm specializing in brand building programs for global and national brands operating in Canada.
What challenge were you trying to address with Strano + Pettigrew?
We contract with Strano + Pettigrew to provide graphic design services or published materials for third-party clients. More recently, we worked with them while redoing our own corporate identity.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We engaged Strano + Pettigrew to develop our new logo—one that we could easily use on social media. Our name is a rather long one to use on social media, so we relied on Strano + Pettigrew to create a more social media-friendly logo that can effectively tell our story.
When we partner with Strano + Pettigrew to help shared clients, their team is responsible for graphic design and taking complex materials and presenting them in an easily consumable fashion. Meanwhile, our team focuses on public relations.
What is the team composition?
Albert (Principal/Creative Director, Strano + Pettigrew) has been our primary point of contact.
How did you come to work with Strano + Pettigrew?
We were introduced through a shared client that hired us separately, and we quickly realized that we worked well together. When it came time to determine a firm to help with the identity for our company, they were the logical choice.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked with them for the first time in 2015. Since then, we work together on a project-by-project basis, depending on if we feel they are the best fit for the client.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Our agency identity has been very well-received, and our social media presence has grown. Additionally, they work they’ve done for our clients has been similarly praised.
How did Strano + Pettigrew perform from a project management standpoint?
They are mindful of deadlines, which is vital in our line of work. I have the utmost trust in them.
What did you find most impressive about them?
The quality of their design work is beautiful. Albert is good at listening and understanding what a client wants to achieve. These projects are very much about what the client wants to achieve, as opposed to simply what the art director prefers. He is flexible in his designs to match the client’s expectations.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, they have been wonderful collaborators.
the project
Branding for Pet Nutrition Company
“Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates know how to engage customers through their stunning package designs.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder of Zukudla, a nutrition company for exotic pets.
What challenge were you trying to address with Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates?
We didn’t have much experience in the exotic zoo market, so we needed help creating a brand that would perform well in the market.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We originally wanted them to refine our existing brand concept, but we eventually developed entirely new brand initiatives. After donning us with a more fitting brand name, they moved on to produce four signature looks for our brand and the accompanying packaging. Once we selected our favorite option, they built 3D PDF animations of the packaging and 3D renderings of the full marketing presentation that would be installed at the point of purchase. Our team reviewed their work, and they made the changes for the final product.
What is the team composition?
I worked with Albert Strano, the co-founder and creative director at Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates.
How did you come to work with Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates?
When I met them, I had already invested a lot of money to work with another branding agency. After seeing Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates’ stunning portfolio, I knew that they would be more beneficial to our growth than the previous vendor.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent $250,000 on their services.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
While some of our products had zero traction in the marketplace, our dog treats became widely successful due to the captivating packaging. In six months, our unknown brand was picked up by 170 stores. We realized that Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates’ marketing efforts had a big impact on our growth when other companies started asking who’s behind the work.
How did Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates perform from a project management standpoint?
There was never a time when our teams weren’t on the same page. They have a trusted process in place that streamlines their development and communication efforts; we request new material in a shared document and they quickly produce the deliverables.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Even brilliant products are hard to sell without great marketing; fortunately for us, Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates know how to engage customers through their stunning package designs. They always manage to exceed my expectations with their work. Beyond their talent, we appreciate their simple billing process and their lack of surprise fees.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I honestly don’t have anything negative to say about them, except that they can be sensitive about their work. It’s nearly impossible to ask them for changes during the later stages of the project, but the final results are always satisfactory.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
The cost of not working with Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates outweighs their relatively high prices.
the project
Branding for Kids Clothing Company
“They’ve given me guidelines that I can use to make this brand a success.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the founder of Tannk, an affordable kids’ clothing company based in Africa. Our mission is to provide affordable clothes and give back to the African educational system at the same time.
What challenge were you trying to address with Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates?
I needed help with branding as I wanted to stand out on the international platform. I didn’t want to hire a local team because I wanted my logo to eventually become recognizable without the name of the company.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We started by making sure that our brand name was aligned with the mission and the quality that I foresaw. Albert (Principle & Creative Director, Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates) helped with that—we both contributed things into what the brand should be aligned with.
Together, we developed the logo for the brand. They went a step further and created a brand overview, mission, vision, and the quality of the brand. Albert really helped in making all of those elements. We then did the stationary mockup; they came up with a template for most of my stationary, including presentations to investors and business cards.
What is the team composition?
I worked with Albert.
How did you come to work with Strano + Pettigrew?
I contacted them because I’d heard about and seen some of their work online. I sent them and a couple of other companies an email and explained what I intended to do.
Strano + Pettigrew understood the altruistic value of my company. They really reached out to me with great enthusiasm, and we struck up a good conversation. I explained in detail what I intended for the brand, which they took on like it was their own.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent $8,000. He understood that I was a startup and gave me a pretty good discount.
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from July–October 2018.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They helped me streamline our business, doing everything that an owner would do. They’ve given me guidelines that I can use to make this brand a success.
They’ve really good with feedback, even outdoing themselves. I’ve never expected I would get all of these deliverables for that amount of money. After they showed me initial samples and mockups, I knew it’s going to be a huge success. They’ve given me a very good foundation.
How did Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates perform from a project management standpoint?
They were very professional and always on time with deliverables. They gave things I didn’t even request. The communication was excellent: we used video calls and Google Meetups. They took it upon themselves to make sure I carried on each stage of our agreement.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re not just a company, they have a vision and a heart. It wasn’t all about the money for them—instead, it was about how excited they were for the project. They took it on as their own and it was like working with my business partner.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No. I don’t know what else they could have covered. For them to take on a small company like mine just shows that they’re really cool people. They’re trustworthy and efficient.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
No.
the project
Brand Strategy & Marketing for Entertainment Experience Company
“Their responsiveness makes me feel like we’re their only client.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
ZoneTV is a hybrid company. We’re a news, media, and entertainment company that also has this incredible fabric of technology underneath it. We deliver entertainment to paid TV operators throughout North America. Our primary focus is on video entertainment products. We have a series of on-demand services that go to paid TV operators and extend to paid TV viewers. We also have a series of new linear channels that we have been launching this year and offering via subscription service to viewers. The company is focused on acquiring digital-first content, bringing this never-seen content to paid TV, and curating, programming, and offering it in a unique way.
I’m the founder and executive chairman of the company. My commitment to the organization is around product vision. I’ve brought in our new marketing brand strategy as we have gone through significant product line releases this year. I manage the board and corporate matters for the company.
What challenge were you trying to address with Strano?
The company is 15 years old. Before October 2015, we were called ES3 which was a pure technology company focused on the media space. In October of 2015, we made a major strategic change. I appointed a CEO because we had great opportunity to become more of a media company than a technology company. At that point, we decided on the brand of ZoneTV. We used an online service called 99 Designs for a new logo, and that’s all we had done with our brand strategy. We worked 1–1.5 years under that partially thought through brand approach. We needed a better brand strategy and brand tools as we launched our linear channel service and became more of a consumer-facing company. We needed a better strategic approach to how we were going to be able to scale this brand identity.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We went through a series of interviews independently and then as a team. They articulated well and captured the tone and spirit of what we do. They succinctly captured that, put it in a brand book, and converted it into a strategy that was dynamic enough for us to be able to scale on. That was the first objective, and they did extremely well.
We made a multi-phased project. What we needed immediately was the new image for ZoneTV, the marketing and stationery templates, and the strategy for how we would apply that new brand identity to things like merchandise. That way, we could operate on a corporate level with this new brand design. We also asked for a series of secondary design assets that would help us with our marketing and sales materials. I saw that as more of the corporate brand strategy design and culmination of assets that we needed to operate. They did that very well.
As ZoneTV launched a series of 14 linear networks for paid TV, we put the objective and the challenge in front of Strano & Pettigrew to create a connected sub-brand series of each channel. We wanted each channel to have its own brand identity and color palette that’s complementary to the master brand of ZoneTV. That way, people would know, in some respects, they’re connected, but, in other respects, they take on their own monolithic brand identity and structure as they grow up as their own channel. It was an interesting challenge. We looked at everything from illustration styles that would match the themes and the creative context of what we had done within ZoneTV. They put together an interesting vertical branded approach that allowed us to go from the master of ZoneTV and drive down this vertically connected series of sub-brands, which represented our linear television networks. It leveraged iconography and color palettes that created connections back to the master. Each palette tells a story around the richness and the style of the content that goes into each of these linear program channels.
As we closed out the original project, we retained Strano & Pettigrew. We’re on a monthly retainer with them. They are our creative and brand services organization now. We continued the work by extending that brand into our new website. They’ve been working on creative work supporting our marketing and sales material. They’ve done incredible work on both print and digital for our new linear channel network. They’re also working with creative ads for tradeshow events that we’re going to. We’re even doing creative ads for media buys that we’re doing on paid television to promote our services.
They’re also working with our product user experience team. They’re now both informing and enforcing brand adoption and bringing neat ideas to the creative side of our product interfaces.
How did you come to work with Strano?
I knew Al [Co-founder & Creative Director, Strano & Pettigrew] from past experiences in the late 90s. I knew of his firm. I reached out to him through LinkedIn and explained what our challenge was and I showed him our existing logo. I told him I wanted him to put together a path of truly identifying the values and the brand message all the way through. We wanted them to understand what our company is doing and help us articulate our message and put together an identity strategy that will scale with the company because we have a unique set of requirements.
How much have you invested with them?
Confidential. For phase 1 and 2, it was a project-based cost structure which was extremely helpful because we didn’t have it in our original 2017 plan for our budget. We received great value.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in April of this year, and the work is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Our primary customers on the business side are big paid TV operators and cable companies like Comcast, DIRECTV, AT&T, CenturyLink, Bell Canada, Tellus, etc. Since we’ve launched our corporate brand, we received tremendously positive feedback and no negative feedback. It resonated strongly within our market, and people understand that the brand approach that we took is now our identity. It’s been adopted quickly, much faster than I expected.
How did Strano perform from a project management standpoint?
They do really well. We have a creative brief and docket structure set up with them where we put in requests for new creative work to be done. They manage those dockets quite well. They set up a nice file sharing system. Their responsiveness makes me feel like we’re their only client. They’ve done a good job in account management. We get an incredible level of attention. There’s a level of enthusiasm as well. They want to bring forth new ideas. There’s a back and forth collaboration when we engage with them. They’ve hit every major deadline that we’ve needed them to hit.
What did you find most impressive about them?
One of the kudos I would give them is that they don’t work in a vacuum. It’s a dynamic environment whereby we have product designers and developers that Strano collaborates with. We also work with another agency which does video production, and Strano works with them seamlessly and collaboratively to provide insights and brand concepts that bring everything together. I see them as the glue that keeps this new identity crisp and on the right track. Everyone understands that this is a part of our new DNA in the way that we want our company to be recognized outside in.
Are there any areas they could improve?
They have incredible talent for video productions. I would suggest that they expand their skill sets even further to take on more video work. They’ve got an incredible talent pool. If it’s in their design to expand their breadth of skill sets and services, they could become a one-stop agency. It would allow us to be able to increase our retainer with them on a monthly basis and lean on them for everything we do.
the project
Design & Branding for Dental Business Services Consultancy
"They did an unbelievable job."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m Vice President of Marketing at Dentalcorp, which is a business services consultancy for dental practices in Canada. Our network comprises 250 dental clinics.
What challenge were you trying to address with Strano & Pettigrew?
We were working with a very dated brand. Consequently, we wanted a nimble design agency to rebrand us as a health care company, not a consultancy. We needed that vendor to be highly creative and able to meet our demanding schedule.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Strano developed the vision and brand integrity. They changed our logo’s color palette and did our stationery and other sales collateral. We were unable to change web developers when the engagement started. But after 2 years, they helped us redesign our site’s look and feel. Additionally, they created a sub-brand, DC Institute, which is an education organization. We handled all marketing internally.
What is the team composition?
We had one point of contact, who was a web designer that hosted all of our 250 clinic websites. The team also included other designers and project managers.
How did you come to work with Strano & Pettigrew?
A colleague in our network referred us to Strano based on their relationship. We looked at multiple companies; they were one of 4 firms in our search’s final stage. We chose them because the team displayed an active passion that we did not sense in the other firms.
How much have you invested with them?
We switched from an hourly rate to a retainer structure. The amount is confidential. [CONFIDENTIAL]
What is the status of this engagement?
Work started in 2013 and is on-going.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Feedback says that our brand exudes sophistication. I directly attributed that to the identity they created for it. Our ads have great detail, which not everyone would notice. Everything is subtle, but well-thought-out. The execution brings our brand to life.
How did Strano & Pettigrew perform from a project management standpoint?
They're phenomenal at hitting our demanding deadlines. They can turnaround advertising solutions within 24 hours. We communicate via phone and email.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They did an unbelievable job with DC Institute. The team created something new from our existing brand. The first thing people say about the institute is its branding; they love it.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, because their process works well for us. There hasn’t been an issue in our entire relationship.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Find a partner that understand the client’s philosophy and will challenge initial concepts. Most firms produce what their given, but often neither party isn’t completely happy without some back-and-forth in the collaboration.
the project
Print Design & Marketing for Coffee Retailer
“Everything they’ve done so far moves the brand in a premium, contemporary direction.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I am the head of marketing for Second Cup, a specialty coffee retailer in Canada.
What challenge were you trying to address with Strano + Pettigrew?
About three and a half years ago, we initiated a complete brand and business transformation. We needed a company to help lead our in-store and out-of-store marketing communication elements.
What was the scope of their involvement?
They redesigned our website, and all of the packaging for our consumable goods. They also worked on our rewards program emails, and the merchandise we sell in-store, cups, tumblers, etc. They’ve worked on digital promotions for experiential events. For instance, when we launched flat white in Canada, they designed a little Piaggio coffee truck as a promotional idea. Everything they’ve done so far moves the brand in a premium, contemporary direction. Our principal focus is driving sales and cultivating purchase interest.
Strano also does all of the artwork production, preparing our files for print, and resizing and reformatting about 90 different versions of our point of purchase kit for use in various Canadian markets. They’ve reskinned the website, impacting its design and functionality, and we hope to initiate a complete overhaul next year to change the backend.
For the first year and a half of our engagement, we paid them on a per-project basis. Now that we’re more established, we pay an all-inclusive monthly retainer. We will start work on other large projects in the future, so our payment structure may change again next year.
What is the team composition?
We work mainly with two people: Albert Strano [Co-Founder, Creative Director, Strano Pettigrew] acts as our outsourced creative director, and his right-hand person manages our account and does design work for us. She keeps the project timelines moving, and is our primary contact for creative feedback and revisions. They manage their whole team, so we may have anywhere from two to six people working on our projects at any given time.
How did you come to work with Strano + Pettigrew?
They came on board shortly before I was hired. Our new CEO joined the company about a month prior to engaging them. She referred them through her network.
How much have you invested with them?
For the first year and a half of our engagement, we paid them on a per-project basis. Now that we’re more established, we pay an all-inclusive monthly retainer. We will start work on other large projects in the future, so our payment structure may change again next year.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in March 2014, and our collaboration is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We’ve seen improvement, with positive growth in five consecutive quarters. We are changing people’s perceptions of our brand through the physical look of our stores, and through social media dialog. The tone that people use to describe us, and the way they interact with the brand is moving in the direction we want to go. They’ve had a lot of impact on the business.
How did Strano + Pettigrew perform from a project management standpoint?
They’re extremely dedicated, and do whatever it takes to meet deadlines and our crazy turnaround times. The business is in flux, and they always try to be as accommodating as possible. They never get frustrated with us, and never let their personal biases or egos get in the way of producing great work.
Albert is a fantastic designer who really understands the aesthetic of our brand, and our vision. He is instrumental in shaping our plans, and passionate about the work. He shows a sense of ownership, and has been with us since the beginning of our transformation.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re talented, creative, passionate, and committed. They’ve been a great collaborative partner.
Are there any areas they could improve?
Sometimes we catch errors from their junior staff. We have such tight turnaround times, it seems like the approval channels occasionally don’t complete before they deliver items to us. When there is proper oversight from intermediate or senior members, they catch those issues before delivery.
the project
Brand Strategies & Design for Full-Service Ad Agency
"It was an amazing experience, and I couldn’t recommend them enough."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the president of Clear Media, a full-service advertising agency. We specialize in the iGaming vertical and buy media globally.
What challenge were you trying to address with Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates?
We needed their team's branding expertise.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates supported our branding efforts by generating strategies that leveraged our brand identity. They initially conducted market research to determine which solutions were most suitable for our company — for instance, they studied the logos of our competitors to design a unique one that best represented our business. We also tasked them with refurbishing our website to fit the color schemes and trends they came up with.
Apart from the design aspect, Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates also helped us reenvision our strategies in the realm of iGaming. They conducted a survey among our existing customers to determine our areas of strength and areas for improvement before collating the results and forming a brand strategy report.
What is the team composition?
We worked with two resources from their team, with one supporting our creative pipeline and the other resource focusing on strategy building.
How did you come to work with Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates?
I originally found Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates through a referral. After our initial meeting, it was clear we needed their expertise.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent $28,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
Our project ran from March–June 2021.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We witnessed how our business statistics skyrocketed upon launching the products of Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates' efforts. In fact, it's almost hard for us to keep up with the increasing demand of our participants in the iGaming space. On top of that, their team made sure to promote our business well by recommending lucrative conferences to us, which helped us secure multiple proposals. Overall, both our clients and internal staff only had great things to say about the work they did for us.
How did Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates perform from a project management standpoint?
We communicated via email and had periodic Zoom meetings. Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates was an accommodating team that kept us updated throughout the process — it was an amazing experience, and I couldn’t recommend them enough.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates had evident expertise in understanding the core of our business and generating strategies that worked for us. They were a professional team that helped take our business to the next level.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, we're happy with everything they delivered.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Trust their expertise. Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates is a reliable team that brings feasible ideas to the table.
the project
Logo & Web Design for Staffing & Recruitment Business
"They are very knowledgeable and have a lot of experience in brand strategy development."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
We focus on mergers and acquisitions of staffing and recruitment firms. As a Marketing Specialist, I oversee all marketing and communication initiatives for the company.
For what projects/services did your company hire Strano + Pettigrew Design Associates?
We hired S+PDA at first to assist with renaming our company and then to help develop a new logo, brand guidelines, brand assets, and website design.
What were your goals for this project?
Our goals were to develop a fresh, sophisticated, timeless and powerful logo to help position our company as a leader in the staffing industry. We aimed to elevate our design aesthetic and therefore visually set our brand apart from our competitors.
How did you select this vendor?
We identified S+PDA through online reviews and recommendations as well as our personal assessment of their work. We interviewed 4 different firms for this project. The deciding factor was the confidence and knowledge of the principals at S+PDA along with their competitively priced, thorough proposal of services. Their design aesthetic on both their own marketing materials and as evidenced in the work they've done for other companies was very impressive and aligned with our expectations.
Describe the scope of their work in detail.
The process was very thorough. They began with research and stakeholder interviews, producing a brand overview document to help guide our marketing initiatives. From there the project progressed to a name generation phase where S+PDA developed a handful of suggested new names for our company. Once we agreed on a name they developed 3 different logos for our consideration. Upon selecting a logo they developed the necessary brand assets and created wireframes for our website. The team at S+PDA worked quickly to meet our tight deadlines and made changes based on our feedback.
What was the team composition?
I worked directly with the 2 principals of the firm throughout the entire project.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
We haven't yet launched our new company name, website, or logo so I can't comment on the value of their work yet.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
The workflow was very effective. Everything was submitted on or ahead of schedule. The team at S+PDA was very easy to work with, responded to feedback and requests promptly, and provided input as necessary.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
They are very knowledgeable and have a lot of experience in brand strategy development behind them. Their work is sophisticated and clean.
Are there any areas for improvement?
Nothing that comes to mind.
Strano + Pettigrew’s designs are impressive and receive positive reviews. The team’s willingness to align visual elements with client expectations, and deliver them according to tight schedules, makes them a trustworthy and capable partner.