WANT

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. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Marketing of Prolink

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Prolink is a leading workforce solutions and staffing provider delivering top talent and solutions to various industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• We hired WANT Branding for a comprehensive rebrand, to create a corporate video and develop a new name and brand for a future project.

SOLUTION

How did you find WANT?

Referral

Why did you select WANT over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Staffing org experience

What was the size of WANT’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

Prolink hired WANT Branding for a comprehensive rebrand of Prolink, in addition to creating a corporate video and developing a new name and brand for a future project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Quality, timeliness, creativity, and a solution that evolved the brand but kept hints of it's equity and roots in tact.

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

The project began with the WANT team conducting more than 25 in-depth interviews with key members of the Prolink team, our clients, and external talent to understand our business and the issues we needed to address within the brand. After this, WANT worked with us to create a positioning idea and narrative for Prolink, while helping us streamline our brand architecture in a thoughtful and strategic way.

The WANT team then created a new brand identity for the company that not only reflected our company’s roots but also showed how far we had come as leaders in the industry. To cap off the project, WANT created a corporate video for the company, which debuted at our corporate retreat to great acclaim. They were always responsive, made the process simple to follow, and exercised patience when we needed more time.

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?

What I found most impressive about WANT Branding was their ability to understand our brand and translate it into a visual identity that captured its essence. Their team was professional, creative, and truly understood our needs and objectives. We felt like they were genuine partners during every step of the project.

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

Nothing - it was a pleasure to work with the team. We thought it was a very successful and fruitful partnership, and we'll continue to work together for other branding projects.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CMO of Trustwell

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

From food and supplement manufacturers to retail grocers and restaurant chains, food companies around the world use Trustwell software as their trusted source for compliance and quality solutions in the food industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Establish the Trustwell Brand

SOLUTION

How did you find WANT?

Referral

Why did you select WANT over others?

Referred to me

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

The project’s first stage involved conducting discovery interviews with over 25 key team members and customers to help WANT better understand our business and strategy. Based on their findings, WANT delivered a report on our existing brand and its architecture and provided recommendations on simplifying and optimizing it for the future.

Next, WANT presented a range of potential brand names to consider, and we worked together to select the most suitable name that would align best with our values and mission. We then collaborated on developing the brand identity, including creating a new logo, color scheme, and brand guidelines. Finally, WANT packaged up all the work into a comprehensive brand guidelines document that we could use to promote our new brand.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Brand and Branding Guidelines

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

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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?

Working with WANT to create our new brand name and brand identity was a huge success for Trustwell. Not only did we come away with a name and visual identity that truly reflects who we are and what we do, but the project also helped us align our messaging and marketing efforts. We've received positive feedback from our team and customers alike and are excited to continue building our brand with this new foundation in place.

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

We had a great experience working with WANT, and we don't have any areas of improvement to suggest. We were happy with their work and appreciated their ability to move quickly while still being thorough and thoughtful in their approach. We recommend WANT to anyone seeking help with branding or marketing strategy.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am responsible for the company's brand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were interested in taking a diluted brand, rebranding it and bringing it into the foreground as a recognizable consumer brand.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We interviewed multiple vendors and found the pure focus on branding WANT brought to the table along with their process and team to be a winning proposition.

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

We needed a new brand, an identity, and a manifesto. The WANT team's process was to focus on the identity, the manifesto, the brand and all the brand colors, etc afterwards. It made a ton of sense to me to help us avoid focusing on what was important about the brand itself and not the word used for it.

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

We were in regular contact with three people from the team. I know there were designers and others involved in the background but we didn't talk to them and I don't think we needed to.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to develop everything we needed nearly on the initial timeframe. We were the slow up as we spent more time discussing the identity and manifesto to make sure we were meeting the needs of the company.

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

We were kept to a timeline via regular communication, decks and not starting next steps without completing the predecessors.

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

That they only did Branding. Everyone else really wanted to sell launch plans to us with branding as the add on it seemed.

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

I was satisfied with the process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a full-service telecommunications company involved in broadband high-speed internet services. We also offer voice and video services to our customers in particular markets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT?

Our company used to be three separate companies that we pulled together under one corporate name. Our goal was to create a single national company, which started with using a new name and way to do business in our markets. We wanted to reposition ourselves as a new technology company under one brand umbrella.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WANT provided us with branding services. They started by doing desk research to understand who we were and review our competition in our local markets. At the time, we were in five states, and the team researched who our customers were in the cities and towns where we had a presence. They also did internal research and interviewed our senior teammates and customer-facing folks.

From there, WANT used that information to create the core building blocks of what they thought our brand represented regarding our desire as a company and how our markets and customers thought of us. We wanted to ensure we represented ourselves as a technology company while still standing out from our competitors. WANT advised us to keep it simple, be inclusive in our market, and stand out without straying far from who we were. 

They suggested several naming strategies like two names merged, a simple name, and using words that already existed in our vernacular. We gravitated towards a name representing pieces of who we were and combined that with what we deliver to our customers. 

WANT delivered a new brand name, logo, imagery, and color scheme. They also created our new tagline to help us establish our presence as a new brand. The team delivered our brand standards guideline to guide the usage of our brand and how we represent ourselves in our trucks, t-shirts, hats, and building. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with Jonathan (Founder); John (Director) acted as our account manager; Robert (Partner) was our strategy officer, and Nina (Analyst) helped make sure we got everything we needed. 

How did you come to work with WANT?

We found them on Google by doing some desk research. Jonathan’s name popped up under branding with a TED Talk, and I looked at some options on Clutch, which I put together with some of my other research; that became my starting point. From that search, I pinpointed WANT and 2–3 other agencies.

We’re a small company, so we couldn’t expect multinational branding agencies would have the window to help us. From early conversations, WANT stood out for their process and availability. They seemed like the right fit for what we were looking to do and the speed at which they needed to do it. While other folks we talked also had a good process and availability, Jonathan understood our challenges immediately. 

WANT also had an organized approach and was able to rally around what we were trying to achieve. Their comprehensive process helped us expand and contract ideas from very early on. Therefore, I reached out to Jonathan to start a statement of work, and after a selection process, we signed a contract. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2021–July 2022. After we established preliminary work, we picked up the project after the holidays in January 2022. We had a new name by the end of May 2022, a new logo by June 2022, and our brand standards guideline by mid-July 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

WANT did a great job. We officially launched our brand in August 2022 and collapsed our previous three websites into one national one. Since then, we’ve grown each month steadily in terms of viewership; we’ve at least doubled our traffic since we introduced our brand. We’re still in the nascent stages and entering new markets, so I plan to do a brand health study in 2023.

How did WANT perform from a project management standpoint?

They delivered on time and were very responsive to our needs. When we were sifting through ideas, we had many considerations, tweaked some things, and brought many opinions back to WANT, and they responded quickly. We were hand-in-glove, and they were very helpful. 

The first time they presented their process, they gave us the option to complete everything in 90–100 days. However, the process wound up taking a bit longer due to the holidays, internal projects taking priority, and our need to adjust other timelines. Despite this delay, it all worked out; we got everything we needed. 

We communicated via email and phone calls — primarily email since I travel quite a bit. The team presented the material in PowerPoint presentations and PDF Documents. We didn’t use any project management software, though they may have used one. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

WANT’s experience, creativity, responsiveness, and attention to our needs were terrific. They had a very robust and comprehensive process, and we were very happy with the outcome. Additionally, the team was very dialed into our challenges, and thanks to their expertise, they always knew exactly what to do next. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they needed to improve. Whenever we needed changes, they enacted them, so they did a great job. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I suggest having an open dialogue with WANT’s team. We talked straight and plain to each other, which helped make our relationship stronger. Since we shared what was on our minds, they provided potential solutions, and we sifted through them and found common ground. Staying connected and communicating with them is the key to a successful engagement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the Senior Executive that overseas all commercial and technology for a global contract manufacturer of medical devices

our company is US based and we have 300+ employees

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT?

We needed help with branding. We had recently created our new medical device organization as the non-automotive side of another company, and we wanted to shed our old name, brand, and look and feel into this new venture. Still, we wanted this new brand to represent our new organization and allow us to build our platform moving forward.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WANT helped us with everything necessary to create the branding surrounding our organization, including designing our logo and defining a name representing who we were and wanted to be. During this process, they also brought in a legal team that helped us run some trademark checks.

Initially, we provided WANT with what we called a brand heart document that included some concepts we had developed over the years regarding where we wanted to be. Using this document, they understood who we were, what our mission was, and where we wanted to go. Additionally, we provided them with our legacy information so that they could see where we were coming from. Once we finished with the branding process, WANT also put us in touch with website developers that could help us create a website moving forward.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 4–5 people throughout the project, including Jonathan (Founder), John (Director), and Cheina (Analyst).

How did you come to work with WANT?

Someone from our ownership already knew about WANT, and they referred us to Jonathan and his team.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with WANT from July–October 2022. It took us around 60 days to get everything done.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

WANT delivered a branding that tied our company together by making it representative of us and aspirational to internal and external groups. This branding was well-received by everyone on our staff, and we received great compliments from our customers and suppliers.

We recently launched our new name, and we’re yet to launch a marketing campaign around our new brand, so it is early to see tangible results. Still, everyone was very impressed with the work done by WANT.

How did WANT perform from a project management standpoint?

WANT’s project management was perfect; they were extremely professional and precise. Getting this project done was a team effort. John did a fantastic job leading the project, and Jonathan was also very helpful and involved. We communicated via email, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

WANT’s ability to listen and understand the brand we were creating was impressive. We had done a lot of work throughout the years to develop the brand heart document, so we appreciated that they took the time to understand what we wanted and our value proposition. They took our input and helped us bring our vision to life in a professional manner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would have been great if WANT had taken more time to research others in our industry to see how they compared to us. Still, we weren’t displeased with anything they did because everything was great; we had no complaints.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come to them with clear ideas because you have to put thought into your project to get the best results. Know who you are and who you want to be before starting a branding process.