TGS Elevate

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the principal marketing lead at a regional bank.

What challenges were you trying to address with TGS Elevate?

They provide the production, retouching, and distribution of all of our brand merchandising.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They manage merchandising for all 534 branches. They also helped streamline the merchandising process by developing an updated database. 

We did a branch survey to gauge what our branches had and what they needed. From there, they took artwork from an agency and created merchandising for our branches and distributed it appropriately. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with Jeff (COO) and Kiersten (Project Manager). Jeff took care of big-picture needs, while Kirsten was my day-to-day contact. 

How did you come to work with TGS Elevate?

I heard about them through one of my colleagues. I was impressed with them and felt like they were a good fit for us. 

How much have you invested in them?

We spent about $150,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We initially worked together in August 2018. However, this project began in June 2020.

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

TGS Elevate handled the database flawlessly and executed the project brilliantly. Any changes we had to make were a result of branches not providing the proper information in our survey. Overall, we saw a reduction in complaints from the field. 

How did TGS Elevate perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent at meeting deadlines, and they were great communicators. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility and customer service skills impressed me. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing they could improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Be really clear on your scope and needs. Be open to new ideas from them. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the head of retail marketing and visual merchandising for Curaleaf, which is the largest cannabis company in the US. We are both in retail and wholesale and we have about five brands that operate underneath our Curaleaf umbrella as well.

What challenge were you trying to address with The Graphic Source?

We hired The Graphic Source to provide printing services for our retail assets, which are more elevated than normal posters and postcards. We don’t always know what’s the best execution of an idea is so we wanted a bit more collaboration to execute these ideas.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Graphic Source was responsible for our newest project which was a national rollout of our 3D product maps with replaceable magnetic graphics.
 
What is the team composition?

We work directly with a project manager and for our more detailed projects, we work directly with Jeff (COO, The Graphic Source) as well.

How did you come to work with The Graphic Source?

I’ve been working with The Graphic Source since 2014. Jeff and I collaborated at my previous company and knew that they would be able to help come up with solutions based on our idea. When our previous vendor was not able to meet our needs, I reached out to Jeff to see if they could take on this project and they were able to deliver.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with The Graphic Source in July 2020 and it is ongoing.

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

While the engagement is ongoing, the kitting and samples we’ve seen from The Graphic Source so far have been great.

How did The Graphic Source perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication is great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Graphic Source has eco-friendly materials that look great. The projects I’m providing them are more dimensional than just flat, they’re a solution for more than just regular printing services; they’re able to do temporary fixtures as well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes their turnaround times have room for improvement, but this is likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s harder to handle expectations in this new world.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear about your needs, likes, and dislikes. The more buttoned-up your project idea is, the better. However, if you’re unclear about what you want, they can help you navigate through that.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of visual merchandising for a furniture and lifestyle store.

What challenge were you trying to address with The Graphic Source?

We hired them to help us with signage, marketing, sign-holders, and fixturing.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Graphic Source has created sign-holders, fixtures for products, and frames. We send them our sketches and plans, and we talk with them about our material options.

The team then gives us a quote. As we built a relationship with them, they started making fixtures for our other stores. I usually work with them on special projects now. 

What is the team composition?

I work with Jeffrey (COO).

How did you come to work with The Graphic Source?

Other people on my team found The Graphic Source, and we've used them for a couple of fixture options. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent at least between $200,000–$500,000 over the years.

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve been working with them for the past three years, beginning in March 2017, but my organization has been working with them for 15 years. We work with them on an as-needed basis.

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

They’ve been a great partner. What I’ve appreciated about working with The Graphic Source is that they’re very quick to get me a quote; it may not always be the best quote, but they get it to me quickly.

For one project, they worked with their partners in China to get the cost down. They’re great about working within our cost parameters or at least being reasonable about options. They get back to me right away with options and with their capabilities. 

How did The Graphic Source perform from a project management standpoint?

The team’s project management is fantastic. They’re always up to date, and when I reach out to them, they get back to me quickly. They keep us updated if anything starts shifting or if they foresee delays, especially when working with overseas partners.

Additionally, during the pandemic, The Graphic Source has reached out to us to see if we’re doing okay or if there’s anything we need. They’re readily available for us, and we communicate via email and conference calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their timing sets them apart. They’re also great at coming up with options and ideas and collaborating with us to find the best result.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could work on getting their costs down, which is tough because they’re based in the US.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be realistic with your expectations and be clear about what you need. The Graphic Source is open to working in any way necessary, they’re really easy to work with. We have a comfortable rapport. Just make sure you have the correct information they need to make the best decision.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the Senior Manager of Creative Services here at Birkenstock USA. Birkenstock offers sandals, clogs, shoes, and arch supports all based on their original contoured cork-latex footbed. Birkenstock products are made in Germany, since 1774, and reflect key values of health and wellness, quality craftsmanship, and environmental sensibility.

What challenge were you trying to address with The Graphic Source?

We needed a vendor who could understand who we are as a brand and who could then collaborate with us to produce marketing materials that communicate to our current and potential customers in the retail environment.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Graphic Source is typically brought in when we have a concept or design idea ready. We then partner with them to determine the best materials, print process, and timeline to meet the delivery date.

What was the team composition?

They are a small but very efficient team. Typically I work directly with Jeff (owner) initially to kick off any project. He then passes it on to one of their very capable project managers who oversees everything through to delivery. The whole time Jeff is always still involved.

How did you come to work with The Graphic Source?

When I joined Birkenstock in February 2019 Graphic Source was already an existing vendor. I learned that they had recently changed ownership so I reached out to Jeff to learn what their capabilities were. I was impressed and we collaborated on a couple small projects. This was the beginning of a growing partnership.

How much have you invested with them?

In 2019, our spend with Graphic Source was in the area of $50,000-75,000. We plan on investing more with them in 2020 and going forward.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around March 2019, and Graphic Source is one of our key and trusted vendors today.

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

In the last year of working with them, they have always delivered with excellent results and typically above expectations, and because of this, we have entrusted more of our work to them. Graphic Source is very solutions focused which is why they’re one of my trusted vendors.

How did The Graphic Source perform from a project management standpoint?

One of their strengths is project management and customer service, which I feel are one and the same. They are fully engaged from the start until the end. They utilize project management tools to make sure everything stays on schedule, and if there is an issue (which is rare), they are quick to provide solutions, which is what a company like ours needs when juggling numerous projects.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The number one thing that they bring to the table is their skill in customer service. That particular strength is critical in this industry, and they provide the best service I’ve encountered in a very long time.

They are accountable, always follow through and provide tracking on the progress of all your initiatives and respond in a very timely manner whether it’s delivering invoices or just answering questions. That level of commitment just demonstrates how totally invested they are to your projects, no matter how big or how small.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would have to say no. Even though we all know there is always room for improvement. I can honestly say that they are always looking for new ways to do or solve things. Jeff and his team seem to always have the answer. Until they run out of answers, I will continue to work with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you are looking for a smart, nimble, professional vendor to help you with your company's marketing needs give Graphic Source a call. I promise you will not be disappointed.