the unicorn

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Product Marketing of CureMint

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Spend management software for dental organizations so they can control spend and grow profit

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire the unicorn to accomplish?

• 3D Animated Explainer Video
• Complete Redesign of our website

SOLUTION

How did you find the unicorn?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select the unicorn over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from the unicorn were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

As the new head of marketing, I wanted to stand out in a rather dull industry: software for healthcare. To do that, I needed a brand new look and feel to our website. In addition, we wanted a 3D animated explainer video to tell our story. Part of the requirements was to heavily incorporate 3D assets within the design of our website.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In terms of the 3D animation, we currently have an engagement rating of over 70%. Measurable outcomes for the web design will be available after we implement the development.

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

Sofiia, who lead project management, is one of the best I’ve ever worked with. Her approach is very thorough and organized from initial planning to final delivery. Her communication and ability to hold her team accountable really stood out to me throughout the process.

What was your primary form of communication with the unicorn?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The Unicorn demonstrated true compassion and partnership. They care about a high quality of work. They care about the details. They care about our company’s success. And they really care about my individual success. I always felt like they were looking out for me.

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

I think a better understanding of their working process internally could always help. This provides an opportunity for extra empathy.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the SVP Marketing of RahRah

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

RahRah empowers organizations to leverage community potential, revolutionizing success through innovative software and unparalleled support.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire the unicorn to accomplish?

• Animated explainer video

SOLUTION

How did you find the unicorn?

• Upwork

Why did you select the unicorn over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

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

As a B2B SaaS company whose paying clients then provide our app to our end users for free (e.g., employees, students, etc.), we needed an animated explainer video that clearly and concisely demonstrated the value of our solution. We only had a general idea of what the video should entail, and needed direction on scripting, storyboarding, and everything else to get a finished video.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were presented with regular updates, as well as animation/moodboard options, animation sketches, a storyboard, script feedback, voiceover actor options, opportunities to provide comments for revisions of video drafts, all files of the video which included all formats, and cuts for social media.

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

the unicorn was awesome. Always on time, if not ahead of schedule. If anything, they were often waiting on us but instinctively knew when to wait, when to push us for responses, and when to proceed with their best judgement. They responded to all feedback very well and were fantastic partners.

What was your primary form of communication with the unicorn?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I was very impressed with how much the unicorn truly partners with their clients, how accommodating they are, how receptive they are to feedback and ideas, and yet how willing they are to give input and honest input and feedback themselves. It felt like working with an in-house creative team because all of that thought and consideration demonstrated how much they cared about the best outcome and our company.

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

I can't think of anything they could do better.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Executive Assistant to the CEO of a consulting company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Concept Bureau is a boutique brand strategy agency that builds powerful strategic brands that create their own categories and win markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire the unicorn to accomplish?

• Create the intro, outro & cover image for our talk series

SOLUTION

How did you find the unicorn?

Online Search

Why did you select the unicorn over others?

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

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

For the intro and outro, we want to reference our existing brand guide in terms of fonts but bring the visuals and graphics to life. We have redesigned our decks recently, drawing inspiration from the brand guide. To help with inspiration, we have compiled a list of reference samples that showcase movement, production quality, and overall visual impact. While we appreciate these samples, we are open to different styles. 

The intro must include the series title, but we would also like to see options with the talk title and/or speaker. As for the outro, we want clear and attractive prompts for viewers to visit our website, subscribe to our newsletter, or follow us on social media platforms. Both the intro and outro should be short, lasting between 3 and 5 seconds, yet leaving a strong impact on the audience. The deliverables should be in a high-quality format suitable for online video platforms like YouTube, TikTok, IG Reels, and YouTube Shorts. 

We prefer a royalty-free music track that is upbeat, modern, and aligns with the tone of the talks. We are looking for a creative, collaborative, and responsive individual who can translate abstract ideas and instructions into tangible visual results.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Timeliness, quick turnaround time for feedback and output

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

They exhibited excellent project management skills by delivering items on time, surpassing expectations, and promptly responding to the client's needs.

What was your primary form of communication with the unicorn?

Email or Messaging App

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

They were able to meet our vision by delivering results that exceeded expectations.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the founder of the Space Lemon Agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with the unicorn?

We hired them to help us out with motion design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired the unicorn to produce a video for our project with an electricity association in Europe. We had two produce two videos, and we initially worked with another vendor on the first video. Because of an unforeseen problem, we had to find another vendor to produce the second video in the same style as the first one.

We started our engagement by helping the unicorn with the video’s storyboard and providing them with some references from the previous video. the unicorn then created graphic design, animated the video, and handled the editing.

What is the team composition?

I worked with a project manager from the unicorn.

How did you come to work with the unicorn?

I found the unicorn through a freelancing marketplace.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent a total of $3,200 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August–September 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video was well received by the end client, who prefers to use the assets for different political discussions. 

How did the unicorn perform from a project management standpoint?

the unicorn performed well in terms of project management. They delivered everything on time despite the time constraints, and they were incredibly flexible and transparent throughout.

We typically communicated through phone calls and the freelancing platform. We also used Boords for the storyboards.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were most impressed with the unicorn’s flexibility and ability to implement feedback quickly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Astraeus Health Corporation, a health technology company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with the unicorn?

I needed a company that could help me with branding and design.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired the unicorn to help us with our branding. We started the engagement with a discovery phase, wherein we went through our company values and goals.

They’ve helped us develop our brand voice and messaging and designed our logo, color schemes, digital and print materials, and templates for presentations. They’re also in charge of creating copy material for our website as well as figuring out the words that we’re going to associate with our brand.

What is the team composition?

We work with the owner and two graphic designers from the unicorn.

How did you come to work with the unicorn?

I found the unicorn through Clutch. They also have experience working with healthcare startups before, so I felt comfortable going with them for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $10,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's really hard to quantify branding and design work, but I would say that the unicorn has been able to help us meet our goal of making our startup look more mature and more professional than it did before. They’ve definitely taken our branding and all of our materials to the next level.

How did the unicorn perform from a project management standpoint?

the unicorn has performed well in terms of project management. We use Figma to keep track of the deliverables and Jira for project management.

We typically communicate through email and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

the unicorn has been instrumental in helping us focus on our company values and mission and making sure that these are reflected in our branding materials and brand voice. They have the necessary expertise to guide us through this entire process and provide us with a unique perspective in terms of branding.

I’m also impressed with how thoughtful and methodical their processes are. They’re very particular about how they create the things we ask for, which has resulted in a very coherent set of branding materials.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d say that the only thing they could improve on is their turnaround time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to give yourself more time than you think you might need for your project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder and managing partner at Prodigium Pictures, a media production company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with the unicorn?

Our company focuses on producing and filming live-action content, so we needed a partner that could create animated content for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We work with the unicorn to produce animated content for our clients. They’re primarily responsible for creating animations for corporate videos.

We take care of the creative aspects of our videos, which include the script and mood boards, while the unicorn team is in charge of storyboarding, creating keyframes, and using 3D or 2D animation software to produce animation.

What is the team composition?

We only work with a project manager from the unicorn, who is our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with the unicorn?

We came across the unicorn through a freelancing platform. I initially commissioned a small project to them just to see if they would be the right fit for us. They did a really great job on that project, so we decided to start formalizing our partnership and working with them directly. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent somewhere around $30,000-$40,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The videos that the unicorn helps us produce are usually corporate videos and not marketing videos, so it’s really hard to keep track of metrics. However, I can definitely say that all of our clients have been very happy with the videos.

How did the unicorn perform from a project management standpoint?

the unicorn has performed well in terms of project management — they’re always on schedule and are consistent in delivering on time. I also appreciate how collaborative and supportive they are. Unexpected changes in the scope are not unusual in the creative industry, but they’re always flexible and accommodating of these scope changes.

We primarily communicate through Skype.

What did you find most impressive about them?

the unicorn is a female-owned business. My company, on the other hand, is almost entirely run by men. Having that different perspective in terms of creatives and design makes a ton of difference in the quality of the work that we produce together.

I am also really impressed with how competitive their prices are.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only downside that I can think of is that there’s only one person in their team that I can talk to in English. This, however, has never been too big of an issue — they’re still able to produce promising work that meets our expectations and vision.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to prepare your project well before you commission them to do work for you.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a global communications manager in BetterMe, leading behavioral healthcare app publisher. I take care of Public Relations, digital presentation BetterMe brand, and catching the target audience's attention by exploring different digital tools.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire the unicorn, and what were your goals?

We were up to launch a new feature in the BetterMe app – CBT – Health Coaching, a psychology-based lifestyle change program. And we needed to present it to our users and explain how it works.

SOLUTION

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

We were looking for a reliable partner who can visualize our ideas and explain the CBT feature easily and simply – using the power of, we asked our partners, friends, and colleagues for such contractor. After trying test tasks with different contractors, our team decided to work with The Unicorn.

Two different options for the test task were done, with great attention to detail: we have chosen one of the offered styles and continued working with this style together with The Unicorn.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

It was a pleasure to communicate with Sofia! The working process was precise and structured, we approved the milestones step by step, which was very helpful for the project. We started with the product and the script (which we prepared beforehand) briefing.

After that, we approved the sketches for keyframes. Having test animation, we had an understanding of what to expect from the animation style, so after keyframes approval, we got the animation. The VO artist was carefully selected and we got the VO together with the final product, without any additional communication with the VO artist.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

I communicated with Sofia (owner) through the whole working process. It was fast, in-time communication. Our team didn’t provide much feedback, because we know what to expect from each stage of animation and we had a clear understanding of the final product we were expecting.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Sure! We posted the video on our YouTube Chanel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikYWtSvEBOE and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CUxYqV-IA4T/

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The workflow was very smooth and friendly. After we finalized the video, the unicorn provided us with all working files in cases we would need them for social media. The team was sharing their in-house review (changes) process (Frame IO), so we were aware of intermediate results, comments, and were able to add our notes. We had the deadline, milestone dates, mentioned in the agreement, and the creative team met them :)

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

Willingness and ability to dive deep into the product, readiness to take care of the final result, openness to new ideas and proactive creative way of thinking. You feel when your contractor care for your product.

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

Maybe, more flexibility about changes from the client’s perspective.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Director (Operations) in YellowFIN Robotic Solutions - a customised robotic development Company based in Melbourne, Australia. We are a growing start-up delivering our services in Oceania region.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire the unicorn?

YellowFIN Robotics is a small and tight-knit set-up. We are keen to explore news possibilities and avenues as robotics & AI come to the fore front. For this purpose we launched a marketing campaign where an animation was a critical part. We engaged the Unicorn to befittingly present our concepts so as not to leave any gaps in understanding in a client's mind.

What were your goals for this project?

Although Robotics is catching up, it is still limited by our imagination. We find ourselves spending a lot of time explaining our vision to our clients. The Unicorn animation was expected to do this for us and also showcase our new concepts to high level decision makers in new regions where we want to expand.

SOLUTION

How did you select the unicorn?

Our team did our research. The Unicorn came across as a reliable, experienced and creative option. They were engaged as they instilled a lot of confidence in us by explaining their process to deliver.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

I have to admit that ours is not an easy industry to understand. Moreover it becomes harder for someone not within the realms of the industry to get a grasp of "concepts". It all boils down to communication, asking the right questions to form the base of the canvas we are trying to paint.

The Unicorn did all of this and more. Sofiia is a thorough professional and was very clear in communicating the process, information required, trying to understand our vision and also trying to make us understand what can be achieved. This helped us immensely in managing our expectations.

The animation style options were given along with different VO for selection. The Unicorn went through our published media including our website to make the animation consistent with what we were trying to project as a Company.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

The milestones were well communicated. Storyboard was developed and feedback sought. Changes were made whilst we worked on an apt VO. The second stage story board and snippets of animation went a long way in our understanding and also to make timely changes.

The Unicorn sought feedback at every stage where there was a doubt. The animators and producer worked well in tandem to reflect the changes we desired in the end product.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The animation was really well received by our team. This animation is yet to go out to the desired clients but I am sure this will prove critical in our anticipated success.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project was managed well. Timeline was tight but it was achieved.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I am most impressed wither process. The leader is suave and professional. Their style is distinctive. Their animators are creative. The Unicorn managed to make us think out of the box when it comes to video production and showed us a very convincing alternative of storyboard which helped us make the right decision. I mean their portfolio speaks for themselves!

Are there any areas for improvement?

I cannot think of any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm leading the marketing efforts at Oro Inc., the company behind OroCommerce, OroCRM, and OroPlatform solutions. Our company is developing flexible and robust open source solutions to help businesses in the B2B commerce industry grow, build their digital presence, and streamline their operations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire the unicorn?

We hired the unicorn agency to create a short promo video for our OroCommerce product, a B2B eCommerce platform.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to have a modern-looking compelling video within a very challenging timeframe. Basically, our deadline was a little over a week.

SOLUTION

How did you select the unicorn?

They were recommended to me by my ex-colleagues. Their previous works seemed professional, modern, and smart to me. So we jumped on a call, and the approach to the project won me over completely - they were looking to deeply understand our company, our customers, and the industry we operate in, before actually starting to talk about illustration and animation styles.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

• Optimized and trimmed our original video script to fit a short and compelling format of the video
• Created custom illustrations for our video
• Created storyboard
• Worked with music and voice over
• Created the animation and put the whole thing together

What was the team composition?

1. Creative director
2. Project manager
3. Illustrators
4. Animation professionals
5. Sound producer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's too early to tell if there was any marketing impact, but I'm very satisfied with the result, as well as the top management suite of our company.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Some small hiccups at the beginning, but everything was fixed and perfectly streamlined very quickly. Overall, the communication and organization of work on the project went extremely well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their commitment to delivering a high-quality products and their diligence was impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

As I said, there were small hiccups in communications, so I guess this is one area that could be improved further. But again, it's nothing major, and overall I highly recommend this team for any creative marketing work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a brand marketing manager at Mira Fertility, the world's smartest, clinically-proven ovulation, and fertility tracker. You can find more information about us on a website https://www.miracare.com/

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire the unicorn?

Improve a current brand book, develop new brand assets and templates for digital marketing.

What were your goals for this project?

1. Create visual brand language that would be applicable to all channels: digital-focused, flexible, recognizable.
2. Make all marketing channels look in one style. It should be easy to understand that it's Mira even without a logo.
3. Make future design process easier with style system and templates.
4. Create brand identity that is modern and align with design trends.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

1. Having examples of branding design for the wellness field.
2. Easy in communication.
3. Budget.

Describe the project in detail.

We started from developing identity and visual references developed basis and worked on brand assets. After that Unicorn combines all guidelines to a brand book.

What was the team composition?

We worked with the head of the agency.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Great feedback from customers and the team on the new design.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Pretty effective, we completed all milestones in time and some even earlier.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

unicorn has a great design portfolio and are proactive and thoughtful in terms of identity. They are willing to go extra miles to get better results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

If we will have more time, we would like to create prototype for some tasks and test them before drafting the final version of design.