WANT

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the EVP, Communications, Marketing and Brand of POLITICO

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

POLITICO is a global leader in political journalism, providing essential news and insights for people who have a professional interest in politics, policy, and power. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Create a unified global brand identity
• Establish a compelling employer brand
• Refresh our visual identity

SOLUTION

How did you find WANT?

Referral

Why did you select WANT over others?

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

How many teammates from WANT were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

WANT partnered with us to unify our U.S. and European operations under a singular brand identity following Axel Springer's acquisition of POLITICO. Their scope included extensive discovery interviews across our global offices, competitive landscape analysis, and development of both our corporate and employer brand positioning. They engaged several internal culture champion groups to ensure our employer brand would resonate with current and prospective talent. Key deliverables included our positioning, employer brand positioning, a refreshed logo, new and unified POLITICO red color, new typography, and comprehensive brand guidelines.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We successfully launched our unified visual identity across U.S. and European operations. Both regions now share the same logo, color scheme, and brand guidelines, which was critical during a tumultuous and challenging time for political journalism.  

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

WANT's team was responsive and maintained excellent communication throughout our project from summer 2023 through January 2024. They were flexible when our needs shifted and consistently delivered high-quality work on time. Media companies are chaotic by nature, and have many excellent word smith and self described experts in branding. WANT worked closely with us to navigate that terrain smoothly, and their ability to navigate the complexities of aligning two distinct regional operations was impressive.

What was your primary form of communication with WANT?

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

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

They have exceptional strategic thinking. WANT thoroughly analyzed the media landscape and identified the white space that made POLITICO unique. They were patient with us and savvy about gaining buy-in from leadership across both our U.S. and European teams. Their approach wasn't just about creating a new look - they really understood what makes POLITICO important and translated that into compelling positioning that resonated with both our journalistic mission and talent needs.

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

No, the delivered value. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Former Chief Marketing & Experience Officer of Starboard Group

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Starboard Group is a leader in vacation retail.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Create a new brand
• Define new brand positioning

SOLUTION

How did you find WANT?

Referral

Why did you select WANT over others?

• Referred to me
• previous successful work

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

Starboard Group was expanding into land based retail.  WANT was selected to create the land based reatil brand name and foundational retail brand positioning.  Additionally, WANT's scope included building the corporate brand strategy architecture to support the core as well as the newly expanded business units of the company. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We launched the corporate brand architecture that WANT developed for us.  We also finalized the retail brand name together and launched it as well.  Finally, we updated our corporate social media accounts with the corporate name WANT ideated for us.

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

WANT team was always on time, provided thoughtfully prepared content.  They were also super flexible as our direction changed during the time of our engagement.

What was your primary form of communication with WANT?

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

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

They were very strong in grounding the approach to the name in brand positioning strategy.  They provided options and helped us navigate making the best choice.  They were very savvy about gaining buy in from our Leadership team and did a great job facilitating discussion sessions.  

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

I don't see anything they could have done differently.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief Marketing Officer of a mortgage company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A startup consumer-direct mortgage company that is revolutionizing the way you shop for a mortgage.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Develop a memorable name to represent the new brand that can be trademarked.
• Create brand definition elements, brand positioning, mission and vision statements.
• Create logo design and visual identity system to activate the brand across mediums and channels.

SOLUTION

How did you find WANT?

Clutch Site

Why did you select WANT over others?

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Companies expertise and track record of success.

How many teammates from WANT were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

ASSIGNMENT & TIMING
Want Branding will create a new brand for this startup mortgage company in the following 4 phases of work:  
1. Discovery – Conduct desk research, stakeholder interviews and brand audits to understand  
the business, customer context and market space. 
2. Definition – Develop a unique & compelling brand definition, positioning, and  
mission/vision/values that determines who you are, what you stand for, and why you matter. 
3. Naming – Generate unique and memorable name options which have  
undergone basic TM checks. 
4. Identity & Activation – Create a new logo & prepare brand guidelines, visual identity system,  
tone of voice guidelines and social + PPT brand templates

Deliverables:

1. Summary presentation of discovery phase learning and four circles model.
2. Brand building blocks, brand positioning (3 options), brand positioning refinement, brand manifesto presentation, final Mission statement, and final Vision statement, final 4 – 8 Values.
3. First round naming presentation; Second round naming presentation; Summary report of legal findings and Executive leadership presentation.
4. Design brief of 5+ logo concepts, presentation with refined logo concepts, visual identity system draft (2 systems), visual identity system refined, website look & feel, final brand style guide, final brand activation templates, tone of voice guidelines and final digital design files. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Jonathan and his branding team provided tremndous insight and guidelines throughout the branding project. The branding guidelines and visual identity system will be critical for the development of the companies website and market entry. 

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

The Want team always provided deliverables on or ahead of milestone deadlines. Communiation were consistently thorough and extremely responsive to our every need and then some. 

What was your primary form of communication with WANT?

Virtual Meeting

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

The Want Branding team is unique in its depth of expertise and knowledge throughout its entire team - from senior leadership to managers and specialists. We were very impressed with the team's level of strategic understanding and timely execution of deliverables. We are extremely pleased with all deliverables and we would highly recommend the company to anyone looking for a strong branding partner. Fantastic job!

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

We were extremely pleased with the entire process and genuinely enjoyed working with the Want Branding team. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a branding partner and wouldn't hesitate to work with them again. Fantastic job!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Communications Senior Director of Temenos

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Temenos is the global leader in banking technology

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Brand refresh: mission, vision, tagline
• Messaging per audience
• Update Tone of Voice

SOLUTION

How did you find WANT?

Referral

Why did you select WANT over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from WANT were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

WANT helped us with our brand refresh including

• a solid discovery process to include interviews with clients, partners and internal stakeholders
• updated mission/ vision/ tagline 
• brand manifesto 
• topline messages per audience 
• Updated Tone of Voice 
• Review sessions with our leadership /Executive Committee

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We embarked on a project to update our brand in line with our new corporate strategy. 

WANT was an excellent partner to us in this project, which had particularly challenging timelines.

Bob and John were great in demostrating and following an established methodology to take us from a discovery phase where they interviewed customers, partners and senior internal stakeholders to helping us shape our updated mission, vision and new tagline.

WANT was great at presenting to our management and helping us achieve consensus. They were quick to grasp our industry's topics and terminology and come up with sharp, concise new messages.   

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

WANT delivered on time, great in turning things around at great speed and with very aggressive timelines. 

What was your primary form of communication with WANT?

Virtual Meeting

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

Senior and professional, capable at presenting in front of senior stakeholders and helping achieve consensus and move thigns along fast. 

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

Build out more their knowledge of their FS space. Equally the distance helped them produce messaging that was easily understood without jargon.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Program Manager of Trimble

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Trimble provides technology solutions to improve work processes for professionals and field mobile workers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Build, strengthen and maintain the Trimble brand.
• Ensure consistency and customer understanding.

SOLUTION

How did you find WANT?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select WANT over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Impressive Quoting & Pitch

How many teammates from WANT were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Creation of an optimized brand naming architecture. Completion of comprehensive discovery, recommendations and application of brand naming architecture via tools and guidelines. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Highly complex discovery completed flawlessly. In depth understanding of our needs and application of their expertize led to final branding naming architecture that worked across wide range of solutions and needs. Comprehensive and clear guidelines and tools supplied to facilitate application of the naming architecture after project completion. 

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

On time, super responsive, extremely professional and went above and beyond at all times to meet our needs. 

What was your primary form of communication with WANT?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Unique in that they were impressive in all areas from knowledge to professionalism of project management. They were highly skilled and informed in their field and their guidance through the complexities of the project was flawless. They made the complex, simple and the outputs completely met our needs. 

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

We were happy on all fronts. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP Marketing & Communications of POLITICO

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

POLITICO connects and empowers professionals through nonpartisan journalism and actionable intelligence about global politics and policy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Global Design system
• Employer Branding
• Global Brand Narrative

SOLUTION

How did you find WANT?

Referral

Why did you select WANT over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from WANT were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

1. PROJECT 1. CORPORATE BRAND DEFINITION that will create a common understanding of what the POLITICO brand stands for today and into the future through the lens of three components: 
   1. a bold, unique brand positioning idea (3-8 words in length) to clarify what POLITICO stands for and why it matters,
   2. 6-8 single word/adjective brand building blocks as a foundation for branding, and 
   3. a 600-words or less brand manifesto/narrative that will amplify the brand positioning and underscore POLITICO’s mission & vision. 
2. PROJECT 2. VISUAL BRANDING SYSTEM that will create a shared design system: a common logo, colors, fonts and recommendations on how the brand should manifest consistently across six (6) representative brand touchpoints (1 x web homepage layout, 1 x Twitter landing page, 1 x newsletter, 1 x event promo piece, 1 x podcast playback ‘bar’, 1 x print publication cover). The final recommended Visual Branding System will be presented in a guidelines document along with final master artwork files for each brand touchpoint. 
3. PROJECT 3. EMPLOYER BRAND that will clarify the organization’s promise and value proposition to existing employees/contractors, new employees and potential employees. The Employer Brand will be comprised of three main parts:
   1. a bold, unique employer brand positioning idea (to clarify what the organization stands for)
   2. 6-8 multi-word core principles as a foundation for the Employer Brand, and 
   3. a 600-words or less brand manifesto/narrative that will amplify the Employer Brand positioning and underscore why POLITICO is a great place to work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We reached our goal on time of defining our brand system, brand narrative, and employer branding for our global business.

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

Want was constantly amenable to our comments and feedback; they took our perspective forward while injecting their expertise into the project. Ollie was an impressive partner throughout. Bob is true wordsmith, and Jonathan's ability to reframe and phrase context is second to none. There were a couple of delays, but Want quickly reprioritised and caught up and we ended the project on time.

What was your primary form of communication with WANT?

Virtual Meeting

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

Want were very flexible to our needs. We're all communicators, and they embraced working with us in a very flexible way, taking our perspectives into account and threading them into their work.

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

Want could have been a little more assertive. We felt at times that we were driving the project more than them, they required to be somewhat remotivated at time. I put that down to us as much as to them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a managing partner at Arquest Partners, LLC, a consulting services company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with WANT?

We needed help with naming a company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WANT provided naming services for us. The team helped us figure out what we were trying to accomplish as a company and reflect it through our name. We had initial phone calls and Microsoft Teams meetings to review our goals, and based on that, they came up with ideas, concepts, trademark searches, and a final naming presentation.

What was the team composition? 

We mainly worked with two members of WANT’s team, including Jonathan (Owner).

How did you come to work with WANT?

I had worked with them on a previous naming project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2023–January 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

WANT’s work was of the highest quality and met my expectations. In addition, we needed branding and identity to engage with customers right away, and the team turnaround times were quick enough that I was able to present as a company to my first client. Consequently, thanks to their efficient and professional naming work, I credited WANT for my first customer.

How did WANT perform from a project management standpoint?

WANT delivered on time, stayed within budget, and was communicative throughout the process. Regarding tools, we used phone calls, Microsoft Teams, and email.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review? 

I want to thank Jonathan for his personal attention and high quality throughout the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

WANT’s biggest strengths were their professionalism and efficiency in quickly delivering a brand effective enough to attract new customers for us, which was exactly what we needed.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I didn’t think there was anything they could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The best thing you can do is tell your story in a conversational manner rather than just presenting PowerPoints or company documents. Having a conversation about your company’s spirit can be your best tool to let them understand your soul and intention and ultimately achieve your goals with the right branding, positioning, and naming for you.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the EVP Marketing of Olo

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Olo is a SaaS provider delivering digital solutions that enable Hospitality at Scale for enterprise restaurant brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Strategic positioning (business and brand)
• Brand Promise articulation
• Strategic message development

SOLUTION

How did you find WANT?

Online Search

Why did you select WANT over others?

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

How many teammates from WANT were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The team at Want functioned as a very smart extension of Olo's Marketing and Communications teams, delivering strategic planning architecture, company mission evolution, brand promise articulation, brand narrative language, and stakeholder-specific promise (reason to believe) language.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Internal alignment from the Founder/CEO and executive leadership team as well as a positive response from cross-function employee teams. We've launched a brand narrative video (delivered by our Founder/CEO) to internal and external stakeholders. We're currently updating our design language system, brand assets, and coaching teams to use the new positioning as a spark and filter for new ideas from product innovation to communications, etc.

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

Want is extremely proactive and responsive. I've never worked with an external agency that was so on top of it. They pushed us in all the right ways to ensure that the project was delivered on time and budget.

What was your primary form of communication with WANT?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

It was such exceptional output from such a small team. It's common to get the best work from large agencies, and the fastest work from small shops. Want delivered both, second to none.

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

No complaints.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Marketing of ES

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

For more than 40 years, ES has been a leading force in the design and manufacture of windows, facades, and architectural systems that incorporate aluminum and glass for the residential and commercial construction industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Rebranding
• Rebranding Action Plan
• Rebranding Strategy

SOLUTION

How did you find WANT?

Referral

Why did you select WANT over others?

• High ratings
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from WANT were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

The process initiated with WANT Branding undertaking comprehensive interviews with our stakeholders and clients. These sessions revealed that our brand had surpassed its original 'Windows' descriptor. Acting on this insight, WANT proposed a transition from "ES Windows" to the more encompassing "ES". This transition was beautifully mirrored in a modern, sleek logo that embraced the brand's extended capabilities.

To enrich the brand further, a detailed brand and style guide was developed. Alongside this, WANT was responsible for a variety of activation pieces, including a corporate video celebrating ES's legacy, a commercial, billboards, magazine ads, and corporate brochures.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The rebranding helmed by WANT Branding has truly transformed ES's brand identity. We successfully transitioned from a window-centric image to a recognized leader in glass and architectural solutions. This renewed brand has garnered appreciation from both our longstanding clients and potential customers, solidifying our commitment to unparalleled architectural innovations.

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

The collaboration with WANT Branding was seamless. Complemented by structured updates and prompt responses, regular communication made the rebranding journey efficient and productive.

What was your primary form of communication with WANT?

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

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

WANT Branding's deep-rooted understanding of brand narratives and exceptional ability to tailor their approach to our unique needs was remarkable. Their agility and creative prowess made them stand out. They have a knack for capturing the essence of a brand and amplifying it most authentically.

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

Our experience with WANT was immensely positive, and it's hard to pinpoint any areas that needed improvement. They were attentive and responsive, and their insights were invaluable. Their commitment to understanding our legacy and future aspirations made this partnership a rewarding experience.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the chief workforce solutions officer at Prolink, a leading workforce and staffing provider. We deliver top talent and solutions across various industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT?

We needed their team’s branding expertise.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired WANT to do a comprehensive rebrand of our company. They conducted 25 in-depth interviews with Prolink team members, clients, and talent to understand our business and the issues we wanted to address. After that, they created a positioning idea and a narrative for Prolink to streamline our brand architecture. They designed a new brand architecture, design, color scheme, and logo, as well as a new name and brand for a future project we’re working on.

They worked on our company strategy and positioning for future growth.

They also helped us create a corporate video.

What is the team composition?

We worked with Jonathan (Founder/CEO), Robert (Partner), Olee (Project Director), and Cheina (Creative). There were others that helped out, but I primarily interacted with these four.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first met with WANT on July 5, 2022. The rebrand project ended in January 2023, and our last project with them ended in April 2023.

How did you come to work with WANT?

We put out an RFP and evaluated multiple agencies. Our VP of Marketing brought WANT into that process. Once we read their reviews and met with them, we knew they were the right company. All of the references we talked to mentioned WANT’s outstanding work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re a results-driven organization, and the relaunch of our brand that WANT helped with generated new business and brought in new candidates. The new brand resonated with internal and external target audiences; it reflected our company’s roots and emphasizes how much we’d grown.

The corporate video was amazing. We used it in a number of company meetings, including our yearly company kickoff. WANT did amazing work for us, so we’ll continue to use them in the future.

How did WANT perform from a project management standpoint?

WANT kept the project within budget, which was important to us. They were very easy to work with; the workflow between their team and our team was seamless. 

They did a great job keeping us updated. We’d had projects with other agencies in the past, during which I wasn’t sure where we were. However, WANT was readily available and always kept us informed about the budget and progress. Anytime we had questions, they were more than willing to jump on a video call with us. We communicated via Zoom and email, and they came on-site twice throughout the project. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

WANT’s creativity and attention to detail were why we chose them. We were impressed with their willingness to travel to meet with us on Fourth of July weekend and give up their holiday fee. When we selected them, they’d already started to understand our market and clients. 

The team had fresh ideas and understood branding. I’d recommend WANT to any company looking to revitalize and rejuvenate their brand. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they did a really nice job. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

If you follow the roadmap that WANT lays out, they’ll help you create a world-class brand. WANT’s in-depth interviews are important. Jonathan understands how to take you through the process.