Torchwerks

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of the board for Omaha Permaculture, a nonprofit in Omaha, Nebraska. We focus on taking vacant land and turning them into more sustainable ecosystems. It’s a model similar to community gardening where we also train locals on how to tend to the gardens. We create healthier ecosystems while helping to bring food to neighborhoods.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Torchwerks?

We operate within the expansive field of permaculture, and we’re growing very quickly. We needed help defining our identity and communicating that to people. We engaged Torchwerks to help us narrow down our core messaging.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their work largely involved branding strategy. In one specific project, they produced a video where they interviewed city officials that we work closely with, as well as the Karen refugees that run our most successful gardens.

They scripted the questions and handled post-production. Torchwerks also reached out to a musician to create an original score for the video as well. The final product ended up being around four minutes.

What is the team composition?

The Torchwerks crew consisted of about four people. We were also working with a local director who helped with the editing.

How did you come to work with Torchwerks?

My executive director’s wife is an employee at Torchwerks. They’ve been quite involved in our organization.

How much have you invested with them?

They donated much of their labor to the project, so the only person who got paid was the independent director that they brought in for supplemental editing. The market value of what they donated would be between $5000­–$7000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement lasted from September­–November 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was a great success; they’ve gotten nothing but rave reviews from our team. We have a difficult story to condense into four minutes, and yet they really captured the heart of the work we’re doing in Omaha. We used the video for Giving Tuesday in December, and that promotional piece helped with our fundraising campaign. We brought in $5000 from that day and around $10,000 in December, total.

How did Torchwerks perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication and production style were both stellar. I was in awe, it’s amazing how fast they turned the project around. We communicated through email. They hit our deadlines as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a really excellent group. When someone’s donating their time, you might worry that they’d do substandard work. We never had that issue with them because they go above and beyond to ensure a high-quality product. They involved us in every step of editing and reviewing before finalizing the work. I was very impressed with their professionalism and collaboration throughout the whole project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d just recommend anyone to trust them because they’re really able to get to the heart of your hard work. They’re able to narrow down a thematic focus if you’re struggling with that.