thunder::tech

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Digital Marketing Manager of Cleveland Institute of Art

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Cleveland Institute of Art is a College of Art and Design that currently offers an undergraduate, bachelors of fine arts degree. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire thunder::tech to accomplish?

• Create a new website that authentically showed the CIA experience.

SOLUTION

How did you find thunder::tech?

Referral

Why did you select thunder::tech over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Amazing technical chops

How many teammates from thunder::tech were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

The scope of this project included a complete redesign and relaunch of a robust higher education website. 

The key deliverables included the following:

User Experience research, which involved many surveys and interviews with current students, along with focus groups with staff, faculty, board and senior leadership. 

Site map development, which involved rethinking how we should structure the new site based on the research. 

Design Ideation, involved presenting various directions for the visual aspect of the new site.

Limited mockups/site renderings, included renderings of various modules and how they would appear on the site/could be layed out.

Full template mockups, which included laying out a bunch of templates using various created modules based on our needs. 

Front end development, involved coding and making the template mockups come to life.

Application development, creating the Wordpress CMS system for our website.

Third-Party integrations involved setting up plugins and third party platforms like Paycor, Raisers edge and various others.

Quality assurance. The week before launch, T::T ran quality assurance to make sure all the dots were dotted before launch.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There were many. The main one included launching a brand new site within one year of the start of the project (which occured).

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

The project management was AMAZING! James was uber communicative and was very responsive to our needs. Especially as they changed throughout the project. 

He was always making sure to keep us updated on progress against timeline, budget and hours. Making sure to present us our options and how they could impact all of the above. There were many places were we needed to pivot throughout the project and James and the PM team made that super easy.

What was your primary form of communication with thunder::tech?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their development abilities. They were able to do front end development and application development and beta testing and edits all within 3 1/2 months. And create a site that looks amazing and is already showing divadends for us in terms of website traffic. We could ask for something and they were able to make it happen in development or find a way to make it happen.

Are there any areas for improvement or something thunder::tech could have done differently?

Where we ended up with design was amazing but I think on some projects, making sure to give some room for design iteration and space to sit on it could be helpful. We ended up putting this as part of the process and it was really to our benefit. I think it could be something that becomes helpful to other clients as well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of Cleveland Neighborhood Progress

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is a nonprofit organization that works to strengthen the community development ecosystem through equitable neighborhood revitalizaiton in Cleveland's neighborhoods. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire thunder::tech to accomplish?

• Develop a website for our new brand
• Create an events page that is autogenerated with the ability to filter

SOLUTION

How did you find thunder::tech?

Referral

Why did you select thunder::tech over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from thunder::tech were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

• Home Template: Home 
• Neighborhoods Template: 
  • Neighborhood List Content note: Neighborhoods are listed on this spreadsheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18Iki-33vZU_jN4VOgM-ZVt-A5Qgb26KgRedlKXtYWl4 /edit#gid=0 
  • Add and/or remove any neighborhoods if needed
  • Neighborhood Detail 
• Eat and Explore Template: Basic Content
• Live Work Play Template: Basic Content
• Events Template: Event List, Event Detail
• Basic Content Content note: Content will include information about Cleveland and Live Cleveland’s purpose.
  • The relationship between Live Cleveland and Cleveland Neighborhood Progress will be explained.
• Live Cleveland Template: Basic Content 
• News Template: News List 
  • Template: News Detail Page 6 of 7 
• Contact Template: Contact (with form) Template & Feature Inventory 

This is the inventory of templates taken directly from the project’s scope of work. If template names change, or if we swap out some templates for others, this inventory will be updated. Templates: 

• Home
• Basic Content
• Contact (with form)
• Search Results List
• Neighborhood List 
• Neighborhood Detail
• Event List
• Event Detail (with event submission form)
• News List 
• News Detail

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to launch our website on time with all of the assets that we asked for including some that needed to be edited very last minute. 

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

Thunder::tech was incredible at adjusting and being extremely available for all of our needs. They delivered items on time and we used Basecampfor project management. All of our teams' tasks as well as theirs was documented and clearly trackable. 

What was your primary form of communication with thunder::tech?

Virtual Meeting

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

The amount of peace of mind that we could enjoy based on thunder::tech's level of expertise and their communication. I had full confidence in whatever items I threw at them, and they delivered. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something thunder::tech could have done differently?

No. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Marketing & Branding Manager of an Accounting & Consulting Firm

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are an accounting and business consulting firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire thunder::tech to accomplish?

• Design, develop and launch a new website
• Develop and launch a new website

SOLUTION

How did you find thunder::tech?

Online Search

Why did you select thunder::tech over others?

• Company values aligned
• Industry Experience

How many teammates from thunder::tech were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We engaged Thunder::Tech to help design, develop, and launch a new website for our businesses. The scope of work included understanding our business, reviewing and presenting new, optimized solutions for our needs, and then designing, developing, reviewing, and offering support during and post-launch.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ultimately, we launched our website(s) that were designed and developed by Thunder::Tech within the scope that was agreed upon. The websites meet our needs and provide a new, enhanced experience for visitors to the site. During the process, the experts at Thunder::Tech offered insight and ideas to help ensure the management and end user experience of our website was first-class!

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

Project management and communication are what Thunder::Tech does best. The team at Thunder::Tech is one of the most responsive teams I have ever had the pleasure to work with. The team responds timely, offers great solutions, and is effective at merging your ideas with what is possible and creating a great experience for users.

What was your primary form of communication with thunder::tech?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The team that I worked with was very attuned to our needs, and made us feel like a top-priority at all times--a totally client-focused organization.

Are there any areas for improvement or something thunder::tech could have done differently?

There are no significant areas of improvement to note. As with any project, there will be items that come up, but with the great communication and effective project management skills of Thunder::Tech, those items are easily resolved.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CIO

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a specialty chemical and fine food ingredient distributor.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire thunder::tech to accomplish?

• Website Design
• Content Marketing

SOLUTION

How did you find thunder::tech?

Referral

Why did you select thunder::tech over others?

Close to my geographic location, Great culture fit, Referred to me, Company values aligned

What was the size of thunder::tech’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

Our initial project with Thunder::Tech was a responsive website design and development. Through the project, we also refreshed our brand guidelines. Key Deliverables and Milestones included: 

• CMS consultation and selection 
• Wireframes
• Style boards (three rounds)
• Website template design (three rounds)
• Photography/Imagery
• Responsive design development 
• Content installation via
• CMS training
• Full-text searching for content and linked PDFs
• Multiple client-side script installations
• Social media integration
• QA
• Post-launch review 
• Post-launch SEO audit

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• We maintained a detailed project management process to ensure both Thunder::Tech and our internal resources held to the project timeline. We also set benchmark KPIs based on the performance of the previous site and the newly developed site using many industry-standard KPIs for visitor engagement and demand generation.

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

Our organizational cultures meshed very well from Day 1, which continues today. We had weekly meetings for PM touchpoints, design reviews, and milestone reviews. We tracked project status via an online portal. THunder::Tech delivered all milestones and the site launch on time. Not only did Thunder::Tech's team respond to our needs, but they also coached us through the process. 

Multiple times they led us through business needs discussions, helped manage scope creep, and provided alternative ideas and solutions to our "wants." One thing we appreciate about our partnership on this project is our team was willing to tell us "no" and then explain why. Sometimes they helped us realize we didn't need something we were asking for. Other times, they refocused us on our site launch and helped build a post-launch enhancement strategy.

What was your primary form of communication with thunder::tech?

In-Person Meeting, Virtual Meeting, Email or Messaging App

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

As noted, our company cultures mesh very well. We truly had fun working together. They pushed us to be better and allowed us to do the same. Thunder::Tech is not territorial with their work. On multiple occasions, they've helped train our internal staff so we can perform ongoing maintenance and updates.

Are there any areas for improvement or something thunder::tech could have done differently?

I wouldn't change anything outside of some initial account management turnover early in our project. Thunder::Tech's leadership team remedied the staffing situation, and we've had a tremendous multi-year relationship with our AM and many key team members.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at (a/an) Research

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Leading publisher of market research reports across a variety of industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire thunder::tech to accomplish?

• New website fully optimized for SEO and conversions through improved UI/UX
• Re-branding of publishing branded logos
• New CMS integration with backend systems

SOLUTION

How did you find thunder::tech?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select thunder::tech over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fits our budget
• Good value for cost

What was the size of thunder::tech’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

• Improved Design: A fresh new website with improved UX design allowing for more flexibility in managing and changing site content and ultimately driving traffic and commerce to our research reports.
• Combining Brand Sites: The new website will integrate several brands that are currently housed in individual websites.
• Search Capability: A strong search capability is critical for the success of this site. New subscription services portal to promote our subscription business and lead generation.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Improved organic website traffic and improved site conversions.

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

ThunderTech used Basecamp as the primary project management software. We were also assigned one of the best project managers I've ever worked with. More than just managing timelines and deliverables, he was extremely knowledgeable and provided fantastic insight and guidance along the way!

What was your primary form of communication with thunder::tech?

• Virtual Meeting

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

Very talented group of individuals, from UI/UX to design to app dev. The company was committed to producing a high-quality product and ensured that the customer was kept happy.

Are there any areas for improvement or something thunder::tech could have done differently?

As with any large project, scoping is a critical element to a high-performing project. We have a very complicated backend system that needed to integrate to the new site, and probably could have used a little more time for discovery.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a coordinator at Catawba Island Club, a private club located on Lake Erie's Ohio Shore. CIC is known for its beautiful, natural location and is nestled on the Northwestern end of the Catawba Peninsula within the Catawba Island Township. CIC’s variety of amenities allow members and their guests to enjoy the Club year-round. The Championship 18-Hole Arthur Hills/Steve Forrest Golf Course, beautiful lakefront pool development, tennis courts and pickleball courts offer plenty of outdoor amenities. While the dining room and fitness center provide entertainment during the colder seasons. As the marketing and public relations coordinator, I spearhead several marketing initiatives simultaneously, including collateral materials and email campaigns. I also work with the events team on a day-to-day basis, promoting CIC related events and activities to over 1,400 members, ensuring the website and other platforms of communications are up to date. Additionally, I manage CIC’s social media outlets (Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and LinkedIn).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire thunder::tech, and what were your goals?

We were looking for a full-service marketing agency to take the lead on our recruitment efforts through paid advertising on social media, as well as develop an overall strategy. By doing this, we hoped to drive website traffic and increase applications for a variety of internships and seasonal positions.

SOLUTION

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

Our former CEO had a good relationship with Jason Therrien, president and CEO of Thunder::Tech.

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

First, we went through a discovery phase to share our branding materials and go over our goals for the campaign. We gave thunder::tech access to CIC's Facebook and Instagram channels, followed by a full platform audit to benchmark current performance, etc. They then put together a paid social media strategy, including campaign outlines and ad plans to be refreshed monthly. Once we hit our goal for seasonal hires, we worked on organic content for LinkedIn, as well as launched a Tik Tok account.

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

We worked with an account manager and several social media marketers and digital strategists.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The initial campaign was very successful. In the first month, we had over half a million impressions and a CTR of 2.27% (travel & tourism career industry average is 1.9%). All the creative content was engaging, but the videos were overwhelmingly the most popular. We started by targeting seasonal areas in the winter (Southwest Florida cities, Alabama, Georgia, etc.), but then transitioned to more localized zip codes to help with the final hiring push in late April.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had bi-weekly conference calls to go over our campaign performance and used email to communicate whenever we had a question about something. They were very responsive and willing to adjust to our needs.

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

thunder::tech’s willingness to adapt to our needs on the fly was wonderful. They listened to our off-the-wall ideas and put them to fruition.

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

Their creative content could have been more on brand, but their efforts were more than effective.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager at PSS. We design and sell safety traffic equipment. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with thunder::tech?

We hired thunder::tech to provide us with various services. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The thunder::tech team provides video production, digital advertising, website design, and maintenance services for us. They’ve designed our website from scratch. For video production, we do live and animated videos. Our teams always work hand in hand with them to create the videos. We’ve created so many videos that I’ve lost count. 

Moreover, thunder::tech has come up with digital marketing strategies for us. Our team works with them to design ads, too. Sometimes, we do the ads internally. We’ve done ads for boosted social posts on Facebook and LinkedIn and with trade and media partners.  

The other services they’ve helped us with include SEO, social media strategies, email campaign strategies, website maintenance and support, press releases, and media listening. 

What is the team composition?

They have different teams for different projects, but I mainly communicate with a project manager. 

How did you come to work with thunder::tech?

Our company engaged thunder::tech 15 years ago. I wasn’t with the company, but they probably found the vendor through local searches. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested around $2 million–$3 million. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around January 2007, and the partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have boosted search engine results and sales. thunder::tech has been wonderful to work with — there have been times when we weren’t sure how to approach a project, but they’ve provided us with expertise that wouldn’t have otherwise. 

As a result, we feel safer tackling any new marketing challenges while working with them. They have so many experts across various departments that we can tackle any kind of messaging regardless of the platform used. 

How did thunder::tech perform from a project management standpoint?

thunder::tech is highly transparent about where we are in terms of available hours. This ensures that we don’t go over budget and can prioritize larger projects over smaller ones. I’m also in constant contact with my marketing manager, who sets clear expectations about deadlines. 

To communicate with thunder::tech, I use emails, calls, and texts. We usually have meetings via Teams or Zoom. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m impressed with their wide range of capabilities. They have so many departments and areas of expertise. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They can stand to hire more people. If they have more employees, we’ll probably do even more work with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to suggestions since they have various experts in different departments. If you have an open mind about trying new things, you’ll benefit from working with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Communications of MFA Incorporated

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

MFA Incorporated is a supply and service cooperative for farmers in Missouri and the wider region.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire thunder::tech to accomplish?

• Stand up a modern website that fit our business.

SOLUTION

How did you find thunder::tech?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select thunder::tech over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from thunder::tech were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Our company was moving from an underfunded and outdated .net environment to Kentico and needed expertise in developing and building out the website. Thunder::Tech took us from concept to finished project (Phase 1). We are in the process of launching Phase 2. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Development of a custom site on Kentico that allows our development team to take over the reins. Work ranged from discovery and buildout to SEO and guiding us through bringing the site live. 

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

The thunder::tech team was transparent with all deadlines and did a good job checking in progress for tasks assigned to our team. 

What was your primary form of communication with thunder::tech?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Great service and availabe when needed. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something thunder::tech could have done differently?

None comes to mind. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Brand Activation Manager of (a/an) Arts, entertainment & music

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Entertainment Company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire thunder::tech to accomplish?

• Organic Social Media Management
• Audience Engagement
• Council, strategy, etc.

SOLUTION

How did you find thunder::tech?

Referral

Why did you select thunder::tech over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing first our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

What was the size of thunder::tech’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

T::T has been our agency of record on our waterpark resort and other accounts for years.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Revenue

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

Yes absolutely. This agency is responsive, organized, and helpful.

What was your primary form of communication with thunder::tech?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their modern workstyle and approachable personalities. I've made many friends within this company in my time working with them. Its hard to decline an invite to spend time with the T::T team!

Are there any areas for improvement or something thunder::tech could have done differently?

I don't think so, most of our issues arise on our side :)