Valiant Design

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director at COAN Food, a food wholesaler specializing in premium meat snacks.

What challenge were you trying to address with Valiant Design?

We needed a company that could develop a sales platform for us and help us increase our brand awareness by having a coordinated, quality social media presence

What was the scope of their involvement?

We started the engagement by coming up with a marketing strategy. Valiant Design provided us with a roadmap of what they recommend we should be doing in terms of conventional and digital marketing.

We took a phased approach — Valiant Design initially developed a Shopify e-commerce website for us before conducting competitive research and helping us refresh our brand messaging. We then worked on a number of sub-projects, including refreshing our media resources and packaging. They also engaged a content writer to come up with original content for our website.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 3–4 people from Valiant Design.

How did you come to work with Valiant Design?

We found Valiant Design through a recommendation. They stood out to us because they understood what I was trying to do and because they had experience working with similar brands.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around £25,000 (Approximately $31,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from August 2021–February 2022. We’ve finished the first phase of the project, and we’re planning on reaching out to them again once we get more funds to continue with the second phase.

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

In terms of quantitative metrics, it’s too early to tell. But we’ve received positive feedback from our target audiences in terms of our brand. We’re still the same company — we still sell the same product, but people do feel like we have a bigger presence than before. Overall, we’re incredibly happy with the results of this project.

How did Valiant Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Valiant Design performed really well in terms of project management. They stayed on track and ensured a smooth workflow throughout the project. They were also local to us. It wasn’t a prerequisite, but it was a real bonus that we could just pop in and see them whenever we needed to.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Valiant Design understood the route to market and the potential business disposals and how they could help us grow.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no complaints.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It would be a good idea to work as closely with them as possible to ensure the project’s on-time delivery.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the co-founder of Great Glen Distillery. We are a craft distillery based in the highlands of Scotland and we're predominantly producing gin at the moment.

What challenge were you trying to address with Valiant Design?

We hired Valiant Design to do our branding, logo and packaging design, and website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the start of the engagement, I did a short presentation to showcase the nature of our business and what kind of product packaging we wanted. Valiant Design’s managing director had already been to our part of Scotland, so she understood geographically the potential of our distillery. I provided them with a little brief and we brainstormed for ideas.

Valiant Design then came up with five different concepts for our logo and bottle design. They explained the reasoning behind each concept and why they believed it would suit our company. My business partner and I chose one that coincidentally was the same one their team preferred, and from there, they went on to build our branding.

After looking into different manufacturers, the team sourced the bottles and the paper for the labels. They managed everything so that we could focus on producing gin and getting customers. Valiant Design created the POS leaflets that go along with the gin as well.

Apart from that, Valiant Design also put together a bespoke Shopify website for us. They conducted market research to see what theme was best to go with and took note of what information we needed to present on the platform. They then came up with all of the imagery and managed the copyrighting for everything that they had produced for us. 

We’re now in the process of creating Christmas gift boxes that would contain two glasses and two bottles of our gin. Valiant Design has already finished the photoshoot and uploaded the product pictures onto our e-commerce website.

What is the team composition?

I had the initial calls with Tina (Founder & Director) to strike up a deal for the engagement. She went on to manage the project and liaise with the different suppliers. Adam (Creative Director) and Anneli (Account Director) joined her in coming up with ideas as well. 

How did you come to work with Valiant Design?

I found them through 99designs. I chose them out of all the other designers because I just fell in love with their gin bottle design. When I gave them a call, they were really helpful and engaged in the project. Their quote shocked me initially, but we arrived at a deal that suited us both. 

How much have you invested with them?

We pay a monthly retainer fee. At this point, we’ve paid up to £15,000 (approximately $20,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in September 2020 and it is still ongoing.

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

We’re talking to businesses all the time and people say that they love the design of our bottles. It comes across as simple and elegant, and customers buy our products not just for the taste but for the amazing design as well.

The website itself is also very simple and gives an overview of all the essential information about our business and our products. Valiant Design has taken a huge weight off our shoulders since they’ve provided a turnkey solution and saved us from having to outsource the website work to a different company.

How did Valiant Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Valiant Design is outstanding on this front. Whenever we need something, they get back to us straight away and inform us when they can provide us with a solution. They’re really good in terms of communicating and giving us realistic timeframes. 

We generally correspond through email and phone calls, but they conduct some presentations over Microsoft Teams. It's amazing how, even though we've never met them personally due to COVID-19 restrictions, we feel that we know them intimately. They’re like a part of our business already.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They genuinely want our products to do well in the market and put a lot of care into their designs. They’re very upfront, transparent, honest, and realistic. It doesn’t feel like a customer-supplier relationship; what we have is really more of a partnership. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that they can improve on, to be honest. They’re a very well-rounded, professional company.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be sure to communicate and work with Valiant Design. Some people may be put off by how honest and abrupt they are, but allow yourself to see the bigger picture and share their vision.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the strategic sales and marketing director for a technology solution provider called Box Technologies. We provide technology solutions in the retail, hospitality, gaming, and medical markets for some of the world’s largest brands.

What challenge were you trying to address with Valiant Design?

We had a couple of strategic business objectives to address with Valiant Design. The first was that we were looking to position ourselves into new growth target markets and needed marketing campaigns and activities to support that venture. We were also going through a rebrand of our company to support the positioning of our business in the marketplace. Valiant helped with both those efforts.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Valiant Design completely overhauled our brand. We presented what our challenges were, what we wanted, and what we didn’t want. Since we’re a 30-year established business, we didn’t want to totally change our name and image. Valiant updated our logo and delivered new brand guidelines, including a new color scheme and all. We provided some of our market research at the outset. 

This week, we’re launching the total rebrand, and it will utilize all of our social channels, including campaign landing pages. As part of the rebrand, we’re also relaunching our website, which Valiant created for us. This will serve as the foundation that allows us to do a lot of outbound and inbound marketing for the rest of 2021 to drive our business objectives.

The social platforms that we’re leveraging for our rebrand include LinkedIn, Twitter, and Vimeo. Some of those were recommended by Valiant. We have a very strong following on LinkedIn — it’s our most successful business platform.

Valiant has also helped us craft a new website in a 50–50 collaboration. We know our business better than anyone, but they’ve supported us with their experience in new, emerging marketplaces. The website needs to be internationally supported because we have offices in the Nordic region and the UK, and we also needed an easy-to-use CMS, as we’re going to take over its day-to-day management. Additionally, we had to be able to create designated campaign landing pages to support future marketing activities. We also want it to be content-rich and concise. 

Valiant has come up with the concepts for the website, and we went through a refinement process to reach a design that we were ultimately happy with. Valiant is responsible for a lot of the site’s creative elements, and they’ve looked at the different marketplaces we’ve targeted before. This has produced a lot of marketing assets that we can leverage. 

The website is built on WordPress, and this is actually our second website refresh with Valiant Design. We used WordPress before too. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with 3–5 people on this particular project, including an account manager and other resources in charge of graphic design, SEO, and web development. The account manager has run the project day to day, from initial scoping through to delivery.

How did you come to work with Valiant Design?

I’ve worked with them personally for over 10 years. Originally, they were recommended to us when we first engaged with them. 

We have a long-standing partnership, a testament to what they’ve delivered for us over the years. They continue to evolve and make sure that they’re at the forefront of agency engagement.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve probably spent over £85,000 (approximately $100,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

This project kicked off in January 2021. Valiant did the rebrand from scratch. It’s been a five-month project from start to finish, and phase one is 95% complete and ready for launch. Phase two will launch in August

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

Our objectives as a business over the next 12–36 months include going into new and diverse markets, and Valiant Design has 100% hit the brief in helping position us outside of our traditional marketplaces. 

Another point that Valiant Design has 100% delivered on is that we’re now positioned as a true technology solution provider, whereas previously we seemed more like a hardware and services provider.

Everyone here at Box, including the board — who signed off on Valiant’s work — wholeheartedly believes in the work they’ve done and that it will help us deliver on our key business objectives.

How did Valiant Design perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve collaborated very closely, which is something I requested from them. I think these projects are best delivered when the agency and the business work in perfect harmony, and I can’t question how Valiant has performed from a project management point of view.

We’ve been lucky enough to have face-to-face meetings in recent weeks, which have been very beneficial. We also use WhatsApp and Zoom and many other forms of communication to ensure that tasks are delivered on time and within budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Valiant’s can-do and collaborative approach to the partnership stands out. The reason we continue to work with Valiant is that their people care about our business and about supporting us in reaching our objectives. It’s a true partnership, rather than being a supplier-vendor interaction. They go the extra mile for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t ask any more of them as a partner, so it’s quite hard to say exactly what they could do better. They’ve taken us on a journey and provided the tools that we need to bring our vision to life. 

Their account and budget management have been very strong, as well as their creative work. We’ve worked with them for so long that all possible pain points were ironed out early on. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

To get the best out of Valiant Design’s team, you need to enter the relationship very open and willing to collaborate with them as a partner, rather than just as a supplier. Their managing director works very closely with the team and is very involved and active with the accounts they take on.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the CEO of Cultura Group, a landscape conduction group based in the UK. We are responsible for commercial landscape construction around new buildings and parks.

What challenge were you trying to address with Valiant Design?

We were looking to rename our business. Our company had been in existence for 26 years and wanted to refresh our name and branding.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Valiant Design provided branding and naming services for us. They were tasked with running a number of workshops with our senior management team to get to know our business.

The team understood what we were trying to achieve in terms of reputation, growth, and market sector. From there, they came up with suggestions for names, logos, and designs, which we iterated on until coming to a conclusion.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was Tina (Strategy Director), but we also worked with four other members of the team, three designers and one individual who worked on the finance side of things. 

How did you come to work with Valiant Design?

We received a referral for Valiant Design from someone we had worked with in the past. We looked at a number of design agencies, but they were by far the best. They clearly took a personal approach. It was clear from their proposal that Tina had done her homework on us, which made a huge difference. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invested about £20,000 (approximately $28,000).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement ran from November 2019–April 2020.

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

We were very happy with the initial outcome. It was key that we were able to sell the new name and branding to our staff, which was easy since Valiant Design did such a good job. We received an incredibly positive response from our customers and the rest of the industry. We believe the change helped us win more business.

How did Valiant Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Valiant Design’s team is very professional and lovely to deal with. They always made sure we met deadlines and guided us through the process. They are a very good team to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They take a real ownership over the project. It was like they were working on branding for their own business. They cared about getting things right for us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they do all the right things. I’m completely satisfied.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Engage with them at a personal level. That’s the best way to utilize their talents and capabilities.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager at Alrec, a pan-European company with a global reach working with innovative retail solutions.

What challenge were you trying to address with Valiant Design?

We were going through repositioning and rebranding exercises, so we onboarded them to help us with that process. We wanted them to work on strategy and branding communications.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Originally, Valiant Design started with a complete strategic rebrand of our company, which involved the logo, color palette, and other elements that had to do with the brand. They also delivered assets, brand books, and communication tools across the business. 

The team has also developed and designed a WordPress website, including the UX, and they’ve supported us with our industry trade event, for which they did the communication and design work.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 5–6 teammates, including an account director, an account manager, a creative director, a graphic designer, and a web team. The managing director was also involved in the initial strategy. 

How did you come to work with Valiant Design?

They do quantitative and qualitative consumer testing, so we had worked with them on that side. We knew how great their work was, and they had a good understanding of our business, which made them a good fit. 

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent over $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Valiant Design in November 2018, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

Valiant Design is a very good agency in terms of getting to the crux of what the strategy needs to be and how to execute that. They provided us with assets that make a difference in how we’re perceived by our clients and how we reach and talk to our market. 

We’ve seen an uptick in followers on our website and LinkedIn profile, which is directly attributed to the work they do. They were able to take their understanding of our business and deliver a great brand look, feel, and voice, as well as a stream of assets to support that. 

How did Valiant Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They are excellent across all aspects of the project management process. They managed expectations and timelines very well, and they have a fast turnaround of information.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Valiant Design’s dynamic response to everything and their flexibility set them apart. They have the ability to provide creative work that matches the brief. They did the branding work right the first time; we didn’t need to go back and make changes. 

That was helpful because we were on a tight timeline with the changes that were happening in our business, so we were able to meet our timeliness across the board.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions. They are very good at having their own continuous learning process. The team is proactive in coming back with things we can try and what changes we can make.

Valiant Design puts us at the forefront of their insights and thinking; they don’t just consider the brief. They work as a strategic partner, keeping our interests in mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would recommend them unequivocally for any type of business, whether you’re just starting out or if you’re a seasoned, long-standing business. They can help you with all stages of the project because they have great thinking and challenging approaches to everything. From a cost perspective, they offer great value for money.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of a print business that provides a range of products from printed materials to packaged goods. We also offer online web2print, finished goods stock management, packaging, and fulfilment services. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Valiant Design?

We initially hired them to redeveloped our outdated website that was created by our team. It was time for a refresh.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Valiant Design used WordPress to redesign the website. We wanted to be able to make content changes ourselves.

During the web build, it became clear that our branding and name were a bit confusing. After some analysis, we concluded that we needed to revisit our brand, so the project almost doubled in its capacity.

We stripped everything back and had a meeting with all of the stakeholders where we went over our brand and business values. We also discussed our customer base. After that initial meeting, we came back with a few ideas and started talking about names that would reflect our business.

After that, the team created several logo designs, and then we approved a new brand and name. The team created our brand identity and a range of products like workwear and stationary items with our brand on it. After that was signed off, we went back to the web build.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact was Tina (Founder & Director). One of our managers worked with two or three others from their team.

When we had meetings, there would be a designer, a web creator, and a marketer involved. Overall, we were in direct contact with three to four people.

How did you come to work with Valiant Design?

After some research, we went to three different companies, and then had conversations. Valiant Design understood us from the start.

Through that initial contact, we started to trust them and their ideas. Eventually, after a few internal conversations, we selected Valiant Design.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around £38,000 (approximately $47,600 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking to Valiant Design in July 2019, and we had a soft launch for the website in December 2019.

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

After the launch, we were tracking traffic, but as we were ramping up, we had to deal with COVID-19. As for the brand, everything has been well-received by our top customers.

How did Valiant Design perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, their team was well-organized. Everything was documented before meetings and during meetings. They kept us up-to-date and dealt well with a tight schedule and changing scope.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One thing that impressed me was that their team wrote copy for a brochure that went with our website launch. We didn’t change one word of copy. That showcased their understanding of our business and market.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think I would go about the project any differently, so no.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you tell them about you and your product. You’ll get the best out of them if they know your values. I wholeheartedly recommend Valiant Design. They’ll do an excellent job.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of a manufacturer of specialized composite materials which are predominantly related to various forms of defense or protection. These materials end up in military vehicles, racing cars, and are used by clients like the National Health Service. We’ve been in business for 50 years and have around 100 employees.

What challenge were you trying to address with Valiant Design?

We relied on Valiant Design to build a new website for us. Our previous one was old and outdated. This was part of a wider marketing initiative to improve the company’s digital presence and build our lead generation capabilities.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Valiant Design redeveloped a WordPress website from scratch. They made the platform SEO-sensitive to support us in our inbound marketing efforts. Now that the platform’s done, we’re currently adding content, like case studies, to promote our work.

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked between 3–4 people. That included Tina (CEO) and a few designers.

How did you come to work with Valiant Design?

I’d worked with Valiant at another business about two years ago. We’d been quite happy with their work, so we gave them the opportunity to pitch for this project. They ended up securing the contract.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly $45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project began in March 2020, and the website went live in June.

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

We’re very pleased with the outcome —the quality of the solution and the experience were both very good. The site is aesthetically very pleasing; it leaves a strong visual impression. According to feedback from clients, it conveys information more effectively and is a lot easier to navigate than our previous site.

We don’t have any strict KPIs since the site just went live, but we’ll be tracking web traffic, lead generation, and site performance.

How did Valiant Design perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well. They were quite supportive in the process They held productive meetings on a weekly basis. They were pretty close to hitting our costs and timeline targets — the delays were due to our need to eliminate pesky technical errors.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’d highlight their creative vision. I had a very clear view of how I wanted to site to look. They listened to my desire, and delivered a solution that’s innovative in its use of color and imagery. They’re really able to take your vision and materialize it into a working solution.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not particularly. I’d be nitpicking at something minor, but there were certain things that we didn’t budget for.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to give them as much information as you can about what your expectations are and what you want to achieve. Share any specific requirements early on, because they’re very good at turning your ideas into reality.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a search marketing agency and I am the Managing Director.

For what projects/services did your company hire Valiant Design, and what were your goals?

Brand refresh with supporting marketing collateral

How did you select this vendor?

After meeting the team at Valiant, we spent some time talking through our challenges. The initial feedback, passion and clarity we were given gave us the confidence to really push on with elevating the business to the next level.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Our business had grown and our brand no longer reflected who we were and who we wanted to be. Valiant took the time to bring to life their approach, understand our business and then undertake a massive research project. From this came a suite of designs that we iterated on and got a brand look and feel that will help us on the next stage of our growth.

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

Three, the owner, a branding specialist and a project / account manager

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

We have a brand which will stand alone in our marketplace and position us well to attract the customers we really seek.

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

Project management was excellent, everything was on point and managed perfectly

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

Each of the team members we spoke to was empathetic. They each had their own gift that they brought to the project : from enthusiasm, to astute insight to provoking some soul searching as well as listening to our thoughts.

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

Hard to think about things that could have been done better, the project was undertaken during the 2021 pandemic and everything was handled superbly.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Director of a software company that provides low-bandwidth streaming and AI-driven video analytics to businesses in over 50 countries.

For what projects/services did your company hire Valiant Design, and what were your goals?

We hired Valiant Design to help build the brand identity for a new product and start-up business. Our goal was to develop a brand with real purpose; one that represents the product and people behind it, whilst creatively articulating our point of differentiation.

How did you select this vendor?

We found 5 vendors online and spoke with them in each in great detail. We also reviewed their body of work to help manage expectations. Price was an important factor but more importantly it was about finding a vendor that understood the product, business direction and heavily focussed on building a strong and distinctive brand.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

To start they met with, and interviewed key members of the team through various workshops to help identify our business objectives, values, expertise, audiences, target market, differentiators and competitors/brands that inspire us. Deliverables at the end of the discovery and design phases include branding guidelines and assets such as the logo in various fonts, colour palette, use of imagery and style, tone of voice and key messaging.

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

I had interactions with most members of the team from the owner right through to the Digital and Creative Directors. On a day-to-day basis I worked closely with a dedicated Account Director who really immersed herself in the project.

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

Valiant Design have helped create a vibrant, bold and fearless brand. As a start-up business this has really helped jump start our engagements with customers as well as leading integrators and world renowned business to help build long term global partnerships.

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

We put in place weekly meetings via Zoom as well as regular and consistent communication over email and telephone. We also used a range of collaboration tools such as Asana and InVision to help bring some of the more visual elements to life.

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

Their commitment to learning and understanding the business is impressive. But also the ongoing support for me as the only Marketing person within the business exceeded my expectations. The team at Valiant Design have now become extended members of the Marketing function and a vital resource I can really rely on.

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

N/A

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Yotes Court, a 70-acre vineyard where we grow about 300 tons of grapes for winemaking.

What challenge were you trying to address with Valiant Design?

We needed to develop our brand and create labels for our product line, so I hired Valiant Design.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Valiant Design worked on creating our branding and brand positioning. We have four different wines for which their team designed the labels. They also created our logo and several other brand assets such as our business cards, menus, technical sheets for the wines, and marketing collateral.

Valiant Design also did some work on our website’s frontend, guiding our developers to ensure that all elements were on-brand.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Tina (Founder & Director) who was the project manager and one of their principal designers.

How did you come to work with Valiant Design?

My web developer recommended Valiant Design, so we talked to them along with two other agencies. I felt that I clicked best with Valiant Design and I liked how they presented themselves. They were very keen on getting to know our business, so we hired them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around £20,000 (approximately $28,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2020, and the partnership is ongoing.

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

There aren’t any metrics that I can point to but in general, the branding is very good and has received positive feedback. Valiant Design’s work has delivered on everything that I wanted. Sales have been good and people have commented on how lovely the labels are. Overall, I’m really pleased with the results.

How did Valiant Design perform from a project management standpoint?

Valiant Design’s project management was exceptional. They’re very organized and clear on what the deliverables are going to be. They used a timetable for the work and delivered according to it. We mainly communicated through Zoom and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Valiant Design is attentive, creative, and organized. They tell you what they’re going to deliver and they deliver it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. I was pleased with their whole service.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Definitely go with Valiant Design. They listen carefully to what you want and take the time to go through the creative process. They deliver what they promised, when they promised it. The ideas that they generate are all good, and anybody that engages them for a branding or design project will not be disappointed.