ThreeSixtyEight

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the brand manager of Woolly Threads, a startup retail company. It was founded in 2014 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We work primarily through third party retailers but we also sell heavily online. We focus on a collegiate and Greek demographic. As we’ve developed through the years, we’ve branched out into different demographics. I do everything dealing with the brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ThreeSixtyEight?

Our primary need was web development. We needed web development. We envisioned a unique, simple, clean, easy-to-use website. Our demographic is collegiate and we’re working with millennials, so it needed to be top-notch and interactive. The site had to continuously keep users engaged and really interested.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In the beginning, ThreeSixtyEight did a lot of work for our branding. They created our logo. We would come up with abstract ideas and they would make them tangible. Our biggest contract with them is for our website and they continue to maintain it. They were entirely in charge of developing our website with the goal of making it unique. Our website is a custom site that uses Shopify.  They've helped with site maintenance a lot.

How did you come to work with ThreeSixtyEight?

One of the head guys, Kenny is the one who pitched to us. That being said, we work very closely with Jeremy.

How much have you invested with ThreeSixtyEight?

I’m not sure. I haven’t dealt with any of the finances.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’re working with ThreeSixtyEight now.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Everything on the site is really easy to use. It has a very basic look, but that’s the look we were going for. They’ve helped create a brand experience and appearance on our website along with the look and feel of our logo. In addition, we have metrics from when the summer campaign was running. The numbers skyrocketed for the days we had people submitting entries and voting for winners. There was a huge increase in website visits.

How did ThreeSixtyEight perform from a project management standpoint?

Our original project manager was always available to speak with. There’s a new person who’s assigned to our projects. We’ve only worked with her for a couple weeks but she’s been very helpful. She’s done a good job of seeing through all the work and making sure that everything is done in a timely manner.

What did you find most impressive about ThreeSixtyEight?

ThreeSixtyEight’s strength is in their communication and collaboration. They took what we had from our CEO and founder, who is our "big idea guy", and expanded on his ideas and made them tangible. Working with them is so beneficial because there’s a free-flow of ideas that they make tangible.

The key thing to note about their company is the breath of life that they bring to projects. Going to their office is such an experience. The ThreeSixtyEight team has such a young, fresh outlook on things. That’s what keeps pulling us in time and time again to work with them. For the most part, they will go in with an open mind, 100%. There’s never an idea that’s too big. That’s something that we value. That’s something we’ve enjoyed working with them on.

Are there any areas ThreeSixtyEight could improve?

One area would be the turnaround time. While the work always gets done and gets done really well, it does take a little time. That’s the nature of web development. Coding is not an easy task, we know that. But for a website as young as ours, working with the demographic that is as in motion as ours, we need to go fast. That’s something that’s not easy to do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the chief marketing officer of Image Systems, a global company focusing on digitizing content. We accelerate business processes around the document life cycle; these processes are often highly labor-intensive and error-prone.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ThreeSixtyEight?

We had several. We needed to completely refresh and redesign our website. We also needed help with content, SEO and initiatives to consolidate and simplify our brand. Lastly, we were looking for someone to design templates for our email campaigns and as well as other graphics. Other than content development, we don’t have the internal capacity to manage the website. We are a small organization so we need to outsource these tasks.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We engaged ThreeSixtyEight [formerly Hatchett] to modernize our website, create a responsive design, and help us with the overall web architecture. Our web design is based on WordPress. Aside from being responsible for the overall performance of the site, ThreeSixtyEight also handles branding initiatives, email campaign templates, SEO, and content.

We set out on an ambitious plan. Our goal was to complete the design, rearchitect, refresh, and launch our website by January 2016. We put together a project team that developed the overarching ambitions and goals for the website. We identified what we needed to achieve and also looked at the website structure in relation to our product portfolio.

The content was a joint effort since we have content writers on our team. But we sought their expertise to help us streamline it. They provided us with guidance for the overarching messaging and made sure the website content was optimized in terms of meta tagging. They made sure the site had the appropriate links and was optimized for organic search results. To make sure they rank optimally, we also continuously evaluate the top keywords.

ThreeSixtyEight also provides us with continuous enhancements to the website design. They provide us with monthly reporting of KPIs on the website performance. These reports include unique inbound visitors, the performance of the site in terms of organic search results, what pages are being hit. We now have a general insight into the website performance.

They help us with the overall look and feel of our corporate presentation from a design perspective. We are continuously working with them for enhancements to our brand guidelines and visuals. Their work lets us significantly streamline our product brand architecture. For example, they’re helping us come up with a set of consistent icons for our products. In addition, they’re designing templates for our Marketo-based campaigns, case studies, and product collateral.

How did you come to work with ThreeSixtyEight?

We hired ThreeSixtyEight because they have significant experience in WordPress-based website design and architecture.

How much have you invested with ThreeSixtyEight?

The monthly retainer is about $4,800 for a set of predefined services. Sometimes there’s a bit of overrun based on our requirements, but generally, we spend that amount.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started this project in earnest back in the fall of last year, in October. The engagement is ongoing and we have a monthly retainer with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The teams worked extremely well together. We put together an agile approach with weekly sprints. As a result, we managed to meet our goal. We released the website on time and on budget. Overall, we’re pleased with the results we’ve achieved so far.

We spent a lot of energy in making sure we’re top of mind with digital marketing and social media marketing initiatives. For example, we significantly improved the number of unique visits to the website from organic search results. Well over 55% of our inbound traffic comes from organic searches. That’s significantly up from the previous website.

We have also continuously improved our organic searches. We have 10 top keywords against which we measure our rankings and the performance of the website. We wanted to be on the first page of Google searches—third or fourth position or higher for 5 of our top keywords. Over the course of the last 6 months, we’ve accomplished that. In less than 6 months, we’ve managed to achieve top of mind recognition for the specific keywords around which we build our campaign. That’s based on the design of the website and our social media strategies. We’re focused on accounts payable automation, mobile capture, and areas we are ranked on the first page of Google. That was an important metric for us to achieve.

How did ThreeSixtyEight perform from a project management standpoint?

We are a global company operating across multiple time zones. Over the course of the last 6 months, we released localized versions of our website in German and Japanese. That required the firm to work cross-functionally with our colleagues and suppliers worldwide. So far, ThreeSixtyEight has been very proactive and very flexible. They are very responsive and they are always available. If we have any urgent requirements, they are on the line right away. I cannot say enough about the proactive customer facing orientation of the firm. They are highly customer-centric, dedicated and committed. They meet the deadlines by and large, especially for the website design. There are always issues, but overall they’ve always met the project objectives. They are very sensitive to our priorities.

What did you find most impressive about ThreeSixtyEight?

They’re [ThreeSixtyEight] very personable. It’s a real pleasure to work with them. I consider them an extension of our organization. We all work very collaboratively. They’re very flexible and conscientious. There’s always transparency to what they’re doing. It’s a really great organization to work with.

ThreeSixtyEight provides a lot of multi-media expertise which we find helpful. They tapped into social media and they’ve gone through a couple of changes through acquisitions. Even through this transition, they’ve been very proactive in letting us know what’s happening, how they’re going to help us, and what implications this transition will have on us.

Are there any areas ThreeSixtyEight could improve?

They’ve hired some new people that will be working with us on managing our project. They’re going through a transition phase but they haven’t dropped the ball. Although we had a couple of hiccups with the changing of personnel, it’s been a smooth transition.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Kid Possible Summer Camp. We are based in Baton Rouge and we cater to boys and girls aged 6 to 12 years old.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ThreeSixtyEight?

As a startup, we needed help with designing our logo and website this past summer.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were doing design and developing the website on WordPress. I had picked out the brand colors and the feel that I wanted for the site. As far as the actual design went, they developed 5 different designs and I narrowed it down to 3. They went back and asked what I liked, then integrated my comments into the final design. For the site, I had an idea of what I wanted the site to look like. I wanted it to be interactive for kids. They took that concept and ran with it.

How did you come to work with ThreeSixtyEight?

When I was looking, I went to 3 different groups in Baton Rouge. My partner started his company and used Hatchett to develop that website. What sold me was the fact that they were totally game about working with a startup, which is always good. When I first talked to Jeremy and Drew on the phone, they asked what was I looking for. They listened to what I said and when we met, they actually had ideas of how to bring it to life. The other 2 groups were like, “This is what we do. You either take it or leave it.”

How much have you invested with ThreeSixtyEight?

We paid $15,000 for their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

It’s ongoing. We started working together in August of 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I’ve gotten very positive feedback for the site. People think it’s really fun, interactive, professional and easy to use. As far as statistics, I don’t have any since this is the first year. The brand that they developed is very useable. I can use the designs over and over again by changing a couple of things. Often when you purchase a design, the firm holds onto the rights and you have to go back to them. With ThreeSixtyEight, once you purchase the design, it’s yours. That’s great. I feel like I can do anything with it.

How did ThreeSixtyEight perform from a project management standpoint?

I was working with Drew primarily. My expectation for the website launch was it was going to run over a month or 2, and it did. As far as communicating changes or issues with the site, they did a good job of saying what was going on. They told me if what I wanted was doable or not. They did a good job of managing my expectations.

What did you find most impressive about ThreeSixtyEight?

My favorite part about them is that they [ThreeSixtyEight] embraced my industry and worked to fit in. I know they work with a wide range of clients in different industries. Summer Camp is very unique and it was fun to see them work with it. To this day, they’re able to get into the mindset of my industry with our other projects.

Are there any areas ThreeSixtyEight could improve?

The only thing that’s been confusing was their structure after the merger. It was not clear who I should be communicating with on certain projects. Previously with Hatchett, Drew was my contact. Now that they’ve merged, I know that there are other individuals but I don’t know their roles. I always have to ask if I’m talking to the right person. I think there could’ve been an introduction of some kind.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Manda Fine Meats is a meat production company in Baton Rouge, LA. We make and sell a variety of different meats wholesale primarily in Baton Rouge. At our Baton Rouge facility, we focus on sausages and hog head cheese. We also sell deli meats and a variety of other products to stores and food service. I am Special Projects Director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ThreeSixtyEight?

We wanted a new website. We hadn’t had a new one for over 10 years, and it looked like it. It needed a complete overhaul, not just in its appearance, but also we needed it to address what our customers wanted when they came to our website. It was missing certain information and features that we wanted to get out there.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Several members of our company sat down with two people - at that time it was

Several members of our company sat down with two people—at that time it was Hatchit before they merged and became ThreeSixtyEight. We told them what we wanted on a website, and they asked us a lot of clarifying questions and got a feel for what we needed. We were very broad with what we told them it had to look like. We just knew we wanted certain features. We gave them a lot of free reign in the design and love what they came up with. They gave us a few different options of mood boards and other examples. We told them what design pattern we liked the most, and they created the home page. Once we got the home page designed and settled, they translated that to the rest of the website, which went pretty smoothly.

We wanted a products page that was interactive. One big problem with the old website was it catered to our wholesale buyer rather than the individual end customers that buy our products in the stores. We wanted to make the website more available to our end customers. Our old website was a multipage list of everything we offer for retail and restaurants. It was written in a very technical way that only the wholesale buyers would understand. In addition to the wholesale list, the new design shows the products that we sell in the stores with images and descriptions, and people can filter through them and look at only deli meats, or just types of roast beef, or look at all the sausage options. So now it’s much more user-friendly for customers to go on and see what we offer.

They also added a product location finder that is very useful to customers and stores. You can type in your address and find stores near you that sell Manda products. That was a big enhancement and a useful tool for our customers. They revamped our recipes. We had this plain recipe page with an index card background, but it was not well organized and had no images. Our new recipe page you can filter by types of recipes or by-product used in the recipes. There are beautiful pictures that we’ve taken that draws the eye in.

We are currently doing more work with them to redesign some of our product labeling.

How much have you invested with ThreeSixtyEight?

It has been in the range of $10,000 to $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was completed in March 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We weren’t tracking our analytics until we got the new website up and running, so we can’t speak to tracked changes in website hits. That being said, we've gotten great feedback. People think it looks beautiful, modern, and sleek. One thing that has been wonderful is that when we get questions through our social media, most of them can be answered by directing them to our website. We’ve cut down on phone calls with simple questions too because our site is now an easy resource to direct customers to. That’s been very useful.

How did ThreeSixtyEight perform from a project management standpoint?

I thought they did a fine job. In the beginning, they laid out the whole process for us. At every step of the way, I knew what was going on. If something was taking a long time, I could go back to that outline. They kept me updated.

What did you find most impressive about ThreeSixtyEight?

It was enjoyable working with them. They were very genuine in all of their communication with us. We gave them a lot of leeway in the design, and they loved that. I was impressed with the creative things they [ThreeSixtyEight] came up with. They seemed up to date on the best practices and what would bring our website into the 21st century.

Are there any areas ThreeSixtyEight could improve?

The project did take a bit longer than projected, but it wasn’t entirely caused by ThreeSixtyEight. Some of that was on our end since it took us a while to gather up content that they needed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is CenturyLink. It’s a global Fortune 500 IT solution that’s headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana. We are the number three telecommunications provider.

My position is within the newly formed employer brand and recruitment marketing team. Our focus is to recruit the best and brightest talent at CenturyLink in any of our office locations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with ThreeSixtyEight?

They serve as a creative execution for web development. We had somewhat of an archaic career site. While working with the career site host, we were able to change up our UI and UX experience. We were able to give ourselves a freshly branded feel using our corporate brand but also understanding that the employer brand is a little bit different from corporate and product brand. We are telling the story of the company. We had many meetings and conversations with ThreeSixtyEight to determine what that story was, who we are, the best way to tell it, and represent that visually.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were creating the wireframes for us and determined the experience the viewer would have and then passing it off to our host for implementation and development.

How did you come to work with ThreeSixtyEight?

It was before I joined the team. They had done a search and realized that our current vendors weren’t meeting our expectations and weren’t giving us what we needed as far as creativity and aesthetics.

They’ve done a lot of videos for us to keep that running consistent and fresh across the page. When we chose them, it was more about the quality of the work, the type of clients they had, the ease with which our conversations go with them, and how well we work together. The videos they produced were motion animated graphics. We have enjoyed that with them. It gives us a fresher feel and look.

How much have you invested with ThreeSixtyEight?

Average annual range is $50,000 to $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

It is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Hard stats would be too hard to quantify verbally, but feedback - we started from ground zero. We had a presence, and it was working but definitely didn’t have any flesh laying on top of those bones. When it comes to elevating us aesthetically to the type of company that we are actually, an $18 billion company, ThreeSixtyEight has allowed us to take hold of that look and feel and be A to Z who we say we are. For me, it’s more about being able to put that video out there and know that it’s best in its class and know that I’m holding my ground next to who might be in our space competitively.

How did ThreeSixtyEight perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s wonderful. I’m a super Type A perfectionist, and sometimes they out-perfect me. I tell them to nag me until they get what they need from me. They take it seriously. They meet deadlines, and if they can’t, we work to determine what’s more realistic.

What did you find most impressive about ThreeSixtyEight?

I think it’s passion, personality, and experience they bring to the table that distinguishes them [ThreeSixtyEight]. They are a lot of fun and enjoyable to work with them. It doesn’t feel like I’m working with a vendor. We’ve made friendships, and that’s what’s most important. We have the type of relationship that’s professional and get the work done but we also truly enjoy working with them on any project that we’ve ever brainstormed with them whether it comes to fruition or not.

Are there any areas ThreeSixtyEight could improve?

I think they’re a little overstretched. They’re hungry and ambitious, and they want it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of LUS Fiber

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Fiber to the home broadband 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire ThreeSixtyEight to accomplish?

• Drive brand awareness
• Acquisition marketing
• Drive new sales

SOLUTION

How did you find ThreeSixtyEight?

Referral

Why did you select ThreeSixtyEight over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from ThreeSixtyEight were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Create and execute  new acquisition campaign, re-introduce our brand in existing markets, introduce us to new markets, refine value proposition and deliver incremental subscribers thereby driving more revenue 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Growth and brand awareness

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They delivered on time and above expected quality. Fast response and very flexible with direction changes

What was your primary form of communication with ThreeSixtyEight?

Virtual Meeting

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

I'm impressed by their creative and critical thinking, which is very hard to find. Very client focused while always keeping the end user in mind. Used their subject matter expertise to enhance direction of the project but not overwhelm decision process. True partnership 

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

None- any feedback was welcomed and adjusted for 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder of Rebellis Communications

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Communications strategy

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire ThreeSixtyEight to accomplish?

• Create a brand logo
• Create a brand look and feel
• Build a website

SOLUTION

How did you find ThreeSixtyEight?

Referral

Why did you select ThreeSixtyEight over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from ThreeSixtyEight were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Scope included brand identity, logo and website development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Beautiful, high functioning website and logo design. Effective and thoughtful creative.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Everything was extremely organized and on time. They were very responsive and listened very well.

What was your primary form of communication with ThreeSixtyEight?

Virtual Meeting

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

I'm impressed by their attention to detail and a clear attempt to understand the personality and needs of the founder.

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

No. Beautiful work and a fantastic team. I would hire them again and recommend to everyone.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a part owner and Director of Operations of a growing restaurant chain. We are a QSR operating in Louisiana, serving Cajun and seafood dishes in a timely manner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire ThreeSixtyEight?

Branding, logo, digital marketing, and overall yearly marketing strategy - essentially serving as an extension of and core component of our marketing department.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The owner and team displayed a passion and desire you don’t often come across in the industry, they committed to turning us from a local restaurant to a scalable chain. The entire team and every individual we’ve had the pleasure of working with, each displayed this same passion.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Through discovery, they spoke with key members of our team and identified the key areas of our business where we needed to exploit. They used this info to craft a yearly marketing plan.

What was the team composition?

I’ve worked closely with the owner, C-suite level, photographers and analysts.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen steady increase in sales of roughly 10% per store per year.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We communicate over email often, phone called occasionally as needed, monthly update calls, and occasional in person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were a team of supremely talented individuals who did their best for our company.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

None.