WANT

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a partner at a venture studio that ideates, builds, and scales early-stage startups from the ground up.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

We were working on an innovative joint health center in partnership with a major health system, and we needed to form our brand manifesto related to mission, vision, and values. We also needed to name the initiative and develop a brand package.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WANT Branding began with a series of interviews. We had nine interviews with executives from our entity and our healthcare partner to understand what the initiative was doing, why we formed it, what we were seeking to achieve, and what we wanted in a brand package. The interviews also helped them determine the purpose of the project and our business goals.

From there, they came to us with a series of interim deliverables, including a brand manifesto. They went through their understanding of our initiative end-to-end, our motivation, mission and vision, values, and why our two organizations came together. The WANT Branding team also outlined where we’d be able to go in the following months and years. We then iterated on that manifesto together.

The team presented the iterations and some initial name candidates in a series of phone calls. We would give them feedback, and they made adjustments based on our comments. Once we selected the name, we progressed further with revisions of the manifesto, and the team presented concepts of the brand elements. 

WANT Branding showed us how we could bring the brand to life through a series of modalities. They presented visuals of how the name would look on business cards, a website, folders, a television screen, and any number of places. We decided on which brand package we wanted to go with from the different options.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four different team members, though I’m sure many people were working in the background. Jonathan (Founder) was the project leader. His number two was a director who was his right hand on all initiatives. He had two analysts involved in the delivery process, such as putting presentations together and more execution work versus high-level strategy.

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

We found them on Clutch, and their reviews were amazing. We were trying to find a firm that could deliver the quality that we would get from one of the major design firms while also getting a more personal touch and a more competitive price, given that we were building an early-stage company.

Although we’re not a Fortune 500 company looking to rebrand and spend seven figures, we were hoping to replicate the level of service and creativity offered by large firms. So, we looked for a boutique agency that could give us the best of both worlds and interviewed a significant number of firms. 

Ultimately, we were incredibly impressed with the WANT Branding team, their level of personal attention, and the fact that Jonathan would be personally overseeing our project. They were also reasonable on the price and understood that we would become a major customer over time. 

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from November 2021–February 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were delighted with the outcome of WANT Branding’s work. The challenge was taking something very abstract and making it real to try and demonstrate our initiative’s goals, and WANT Branding was extremely good at teasing out what everyone was hoping to get out of the process. The team was also very responsive to our feedback. We’re planning a major media campaign around the launch of this venture. Although it’s early days for us, we believe that the branding package will be extraordinarily powerful in preparation for a period of visibility and attention. 

Jonathan exercised extraordinary care and oversight on the project. We really felt like he gave us undivided attention; he was on every call, always available, and very responsive via email. He was also customer-centric and customer-first, which was extraordinary. We had a fantastic experience with every team member we dealt with; we loved working with them. 

It’s rare to come across a vendor that is more than just a one-off agreement. WANT Branding has become a partner we would go to for every single project within a certain scope of services. We’ll be working together for many years to come. We’ve just completed our first project with them, and we’re already working on four more for different initiatives. We’ve become a major customer quite quickly, so the relationship has turned into exactly what both sides were hoping for. I can’t say enough good things about WANT Branding — they were fantastic, and I’m so glad we found them.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

We were delighted with their project management skills. They were extremely responsive and always willing to schedule calls on short notice and to move as fast as we wanted them to.

The team understood when it took us a little bit more time to sign off on things on our side, given the number of stakeholders involved in our joint venture. They never pressured us and were always on time on their part. 

Our team wasn’t interested in using sophisticated software, and WANT Branding was very good at meeting us where we were. They understood we loved getting a fully-formed PowerPoint presentation, having them walk us through it, and delivering feedback verbally.

If there was any writing, they put it into a Google Doc so that we could directly make edits or provide comments. What we found most impressive was their end-to-end service; they did 95% of the project management work for us, which was exactly what we were looking for.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by WANT Branding's willingness to go above and beyond and provide exactly what we were looking for. I felt that customer satisfaction was very much in their DNA; it was what drove them and made them excited to get up every day. 

I also appreciated their creativity and willingness to think harder when we were hoping for other options or wanted to change direction slightly. They were responsive, nimble, and willing to go where we pointed to deliver an outcome that everyone was really proud and excited about.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there wasn’t anything they needed to improve, and I would always give critical feedback if I had any. WANT Branding was terrific.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

For anyone going into a branding project, it’s useful to understand who’ll be involved, how much time they have available, and the level of feedback you need to provide. WANT Branding makes it really easy for you; they clearly define the project beforehand, everyone’s requirements, and the timeline. They did well in understanding those elements upfront so that everybody could plan ahead. 

I would also advise going into the project with eyes wide open regarding what is needed from each stakeholder, the types of approvals required, and how much input different people want to have at each stage. This will make all stakeholders involved happy and excited. Executives with very busy schedules are often involved in this kind of project, making it challenging to coordinate. WANT Branding is excellent at scheduling calls in advance; they’re very flexible with timelines and willing to move things around if needed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Chief Marketing Officer for MakoRabco, a nation-wide award-winning self storage builder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We acquired another self-storage builder and desired to merge the two brands into one.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I selected several companies based on Clutch reviews and past experience. I request quotes and conducted interviews. Want came out on top based on their responsiveness, ease to communicate with, their experience and ability to handle a project of this scope.

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

To initiate the project, they interviewed and met several key team members and conducted market and competitor research. They then formulated the strategy around the whitespace they identified in market positioning and created the brand building blocks. From there, there were several rounds of logo iterations. Once the logo was settled work started on the brand guide. Several collateral templates, a website wireframe of the home page with a couple of internal pages and a general booth design direction and video were delivered.

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

I worked mostly with Jonathan, Founder and John, Director.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new brand was recently launched and all key elements - such as website, collateral, booth - activated. The response from the market is very positive - actually a raving success!

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

Both Jonathan and John are passionate about their work and are serious about giving the customer what they need. They've go the extra mile to ensure we had been happy with the result. I found their communication to be easy, effective and timely. They used the right communication tools at the right moment such as zoom, phone and email.

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

Their ease of collaboration. Their ability to listen to feedback and dig deeper. Their expertise. Their no-nonsense approach.

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

Nothing major that stands out.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO of a fintech startup app recently launched. We’re in hypergrowth mode, with more than 30 people working for us, of which about half are developers or technology-focused specialists.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

Our former brand’s name and visual identity were not relevant in the marketplace. Our brand looked professional, but it wasn’t resonating with our target audience. Thus, we hired WANT Branding to rename and rebrand our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

During the initial sales process, we provided WANT Branding with a basic overview of our company. From that process, they understood at a very high level who we were, what we were trying to do, and what we needed. Then, they produced a pitch explaining how they would help us and what we could expect from them.

Once we started the rebranding process, we provided them with a more in-depth overview of our company, which helped them execute their service better. As a result, we got our new name, a logo, a color palette, and some website and app mockup designs.

What is the team composition?

We worked with five people from WANT Branding, including the owner, the creative director, a branding strategist, a researcher, and a project manager.

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

We found WANT Branding through Clutch. We interviewed around six different companies, 2–3 of which we also found on Clutch. We went through the same sales process with all of the companies, but we chose WANT Branding due to their timeline projections, their level of expertise, and the quality of their previous work. They made us feel that they knew what they were doing, and they were able to work with us on a very constrained timeline.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $175,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–August 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone was very excited about our new branding, and they loved what WANT Branding did. Their service made a huge difference in our business, but we didn’t have any KPIs tied to it. Overall, they did a great job and delivered what they promised.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

WANT Branding’s project management was great. They were very punctual and thorough, and their work was always very clear and on time. Around 80% of the time, we communicated via Zoom meetings or phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

WANT Branding’s work speed and professionalism were impressive. They felt like a part of our team, and it was great to see how well they understood our business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would have been great if their services were less expensive. However, we paid for a high-quality service. Other than that, I don’t have any constructive feedback.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be ready to participate and have a lot of conversations. You should be involved in the decision-making process; the more time you’re willing to invest with them, the better the result will be.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of Financial Operations at a retail organization. I also help lead our brand marketing efforts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

We were planning on expanding across the country and needed someone to take a deep dive into our brand to help us understand how it resonates with customers, both new and old. 

Specifically, we wanted to know the driving force behind their shopping behavior regarding how frequently they visited our stores and the seasonality of their purchases.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WANT Branding helped us conduct a brand study. They first helped us validate existing customer data by looking at data regarding brand awareness, Net Promoter Score, reasons customers shopped, competitive analysis, and so on.

The team then gathered information regarding what people think and feel about our brand. They identified the top words that come to mind when customers hear our name and the reasons why they engage with us. Additionally, they looked for our audience's passion points.

Furthermore, WANT Branding looked into what was next for our brand. For example, they asked customers what they wanted to see from us and what we could do more of in terms of giving rewards and birthday discounts. 

We then used all this information as part of our brand development strategy. After ingesting all this data, our next step is to identify strategies that we can implement to grow our brand.

What is the team composition?

Three teammates were working on the project, including the owner and two data analysts. 

One of the analysts was in charge of crafting the surveys and conducting them, while the other helped us digest the results and gave us recommendations on what to do next.

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

We first reached out to them years ago when we were looking into changing our pricing strategy, but we ended up going with another vendor. However, we decided to keep WANT Branding’s contact information.

Eventually, we gave them a call to do the brand study for us. We chose them because they were agile and quick. Additionally, we wanted to get the perspective of an agency we hadn't worked with before.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from July–September 2021. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They delivered within a fast turnaround time at our request. After providing the data, WANT Branding was generous enough to give us their suggestions on how we could leverage the information they collected.

The data helped us understand how our customers perceived us and our products. We were able to identify some key takeaways from it to help us improve our messaging and our efforts.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

The WANT Branding team was very agile. They never missed any deadlines. In terms of communication, we used text messaging, phone calls, and email. We kept all channels open to ensure that no one would miss anything.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were extremely agile and responsive. We also appreciated that the team wasn't afraid to give their opinion on how we wanted to go about the data collection process. 

Overall, WANT Branding delivered the comprehensive data we needed and helped us understand their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could've given more recommendations on what to do next.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don't be afraid of challenging them by asking for complex deliverables. Additionally, get their recommendations on how to structure data.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Chief Marketing Officeer at SESAC Music Group, a global music rights management company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We had acquired a business from a company that required we change the name once the sale was complete. We needed to find a new name that would meet our creative criteria as well as be able to work around the world. We also then needed to execute a logo/brand once we decided on the name.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had worked previously with Jonathan B., the founder when I was consulting for another media business several years ago and I enjoyed the process of working with him.

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

They did an analysis of the competitive set and worked with us also on our legal requirements in tandem. They described the different types of naming structures and interviewed key stakeholders in order to get a sense of the vision of the business and leadership.

They then delivered two rounds of names - we selected several to 'clear' and went through the process to determine which name would be most appropriate. We also wanted a clean and simple URL we could acquire in conjunction with the new name which we were able to do.

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

I worked with Jonathan B., Bruno B., John D. and Julia I.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to successfully achieve all of our objectives on budget and on time. We selected a new name, which we were able to clear legally. We also secured a new URL in conjunction with that name for business and email. Lastly, we worked on a new logo/brand style guide and were able to deliver the assets to create a new name and brand within the required (and short turnaround) timeframe.

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

We had weekly calls and I was also able to check in with Jonathan high level about the project as often as needed. I never had any scheduling challenges on their end - and everything was easy and methodical and worked at the proper pace for us. If anything, they were patient with us to get approvals and feedback in order to meet our deadlines.

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

I liked their style and creativity. They kept it light but also brought gravitas and deep expertise to naming - which really is such a specialized process. Naming in particular is really a specific process.

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

I think they did a great job and I'm not sure I would say they could do something differently.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-CEO of a renewable natural gas production company. We produce, deliver, and market renewable gas as a transportation fuel.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

We needed help with rebranding our partner company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

WANT Branding first helped us create a new name for our partner company. Then, they designed a logo for it. We’ve recently merged with two other companies, and WANT Branding has helped us rename and rebrand ourselves again. The team is now designing a new logo, color palette, and various collaterals, including presentation materials.

What is the team composition?

We work with 4–5 teammates.

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

My wife used to be in the branding industry, so I had known WANT Branding for a long time. They had an excellent reputation, so I hired them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in April 2021 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone loves the name and logo they’ve created for us.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is excellent — they’ve been highly organized and kept everything moving smoothly. The team has stayed on time and within budget. In terms of communication, we’ve had weekly calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

WANT Branding possesses incredible creativity, which is what distinguishes them from its competitors. The team has a good sense of what looks good and is trending.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could’ve been more upfront about what they would do instead of just going with the direction we wanted to go on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that you’re clear about the deliverables you need, the time frames you want to hit, and the communication you require from them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the EVP of sales and marketing at MGM Hospitality when I worked with WANT Branding.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

We needed their team’s branding expertise.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I was onboarded in the company by our then president to reinvent our brand and reposition our business within the Las Vegas landscape. As we were researching and exploring our brand positioning strategies, we came up with the idea of bringing in an agency to help us pursue our rebranding goals.

WANT Branding initially helped us refine our target customer identification process by participating in our discovery phase. They then took over our branding pipeline to implement new solutions and provide naming services.

Once we were through with our internal rebranding process, WANT Branding helped us accomplish an international project, a lifestyle concept for one of our clients in the UAE. Their team delivered naming and design solutions to fulfill the branding needs of our client based on the project scope they relayed to us.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact was Jonathan (Founder).

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

I worked with them on a different branding project for another company I was part of — WANT branding delivered outstanding results for that project, so I didn’t hesitate to hire them again to head our rebranding efforts.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $150,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our collaboration ran from January 2005–January 2010.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

WANT Branding generated stellar branding concepts, which are still being used by my former company now. They were highly capable of producing work that reflected our brand and our vision. Additionally, they had top-notch naming solutions that successfully elevated our business — I honestly think the company doesn’t plan on changing that brand name.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via conference calls and in-person meetings. WANT Branding had a straightforward yet informative approach — we didn’t find the need to ask for explanations since they were always prepared with solutions that addressed any question we had in mind.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were particularly impressed with Jonathan’s credibility and thoroughness. My boss respected his concise opinions and proposed solutions because he always presented ideas with our needs in mind. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

WANT Branding was a responsive team with an orderly process — I couldn’t point out anything constructive about their work.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Understand your goals and requirements fully before outlining these to WANT Branding’s team. All final decisions will be from your end, so it will help to give their team a good deal of resources to start with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of global campaigns and brand for a cybersecurity company. We’ve recently launched our security analytics platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

Our legacy branding had gotten a little bit complex and confusing because we were using the same brand for both our older services and our newer software platform. Customers, prospects, and sellers were all very confused about the delineation between our old and new capabilities.

We needed a new branding for our security platform that helped carve out a definition on its own and separate it from our older legacy capabilities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

This project not only involved renaming our platform, but we also created a new architecture that worked within the platform’s name. WANT Branding came in and helped guide us through a very methodical process of how to evaluate names.

Projects like this have a high visibility and executive leadership team (ELT) involvement. A lot of people who had been with the company for a long time had previous ties to the old branding, so we had to walk through some sensitivities. Having a methodical process that we could apply was really helpful.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Jonathan (Founder & CEO) and Bruno (Director).

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

I was referred to WANT Branding by a colleague that’s part of our same technology family because they had worked with them before. The fact that they had used them previously meant a lot to us.

In early interviews with Jonathan and Bruno, it became clear that they had a very strong process that we could apply — there was science to it. Some people think that naming a brand or a platform is a creative piece of work, but there’s also some science behind it.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working in July 2020, and the project took 3–4 months to be completed. We’ve continued to look for additional ways to work with WANT Branding.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

WANT Branding was an absolute joy to work with. They gave us not only a methodology, but they were also great at what they did. They always stayed in contact and worked with a lot of people, including our ELT and board of directors, all the time. Their experience helped us navigate some of our challenges.

WANT Branding has helped name over 2,000 different products and companies, so they knew what they were doing and how to apply it.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

We worked very closely together, and we had weekly and bi-weekly sync meetings. In these meetings, we reviewed and talked about the plan of action and about how we were going to present it to our CEO and ELT.

WANT Branding knew when to give guidance and when to listen. They were able to help manage various stakeholders based on all their previous experience working with other people.

We had some challenges getting people to align because these projects are always a little bit emotional. However, we were able to fall back on the process and work through these challenges on each of the stages. WANT Branding was patient and adept at picking up the phone and talking to people to help us understand how to proceed and move forward.

What did you find most impressive about them?

WANT Branding’s customer service and experience distinguished them from other providers. I always felt like I was their more important client, and they gave us a high level of attention and assistance — they offered a white glove treatment.

We were able to rely on their experience to help guide us. Their work was exemplary, and the output was great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No — they were awesome to work with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clients should not have any qualms about hiring WANT Branding and working with them. They know what they’re doing, they have a methodology, and they know the challenges of going through the process of creating a recognizable brand. They’re personable, experienced, and great to work with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the marketing director at Inpel Corporation, an educational online platform. We’re a startup developing a new product in high education. We plan on launching our platform closer to the end of this year. Our business will be taking place in the US and will be nationwide.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?
We were looking for a partner to help us develop new naming, a brand identity, color palettes, iconography, typography, etc. Essentially, we needed someone to develop the brand guideline book for us. Our team was looking to make ourselves more market-friendly.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
The project was executed in four phases. The first phase was discovery. WANT Branding spent time learning about our product, industry, and competitors as well as gathering as many insights from our side as possible. That took about a week or two. The second phase was the naming phase. The first round was 20 names and the second was another 20 names. That stage took about 2–3 weeks. The third phase was to develop the brand identity. WANT Branding worked on the logo, and it was more design-oriented. They also did iconography. In phase four, they did the brand guideline book.

What is the team composition?
There were 4–5 people on the team.

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?
I scheduled an introductory call with about seven agencies. My main goal was to see if the agency was interested in our project because not everyone likes to work with startups. I also was looking for an agency that understood our brand, industry, and goals. It was important that they understood the timing. The chemistry was important as well. WANT Branding wasn’t the cheapest option for us regarding the estimated budget but it seemed they understood us better than the other potential vendors.

How much have you invested with them?
We invested $61,000 without trademark fees or legal fees.

What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from January–May 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We don’t know the public reaction yet because we haven’t launched. I can’t provide any statistics or metrics. WANT Branding provided the same quality of work as the top agencies that work within a more limited budget.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?
Project management was really good. WANT Branding stayed on track and followed up. They didn’t disappear, and there was never a time when we didn’t hear from them. Their team was consistently on time. However, in situations where they needed a little extra time, they always communicated it. The main communication was done via email, and it was always very clean and thorough. We had weekly calls with their team during the entire project.

What did you find most impressive about them?
The team was very involved. They carefully listened to our needs. We demand a lot of attention because we’re a new business. WANT Branding really tried to understand all our needs, to clarify and analyze what we needed, and to double-check on it. Communication, project management, and how they handled the project were impressive. 

Are there any areas they could improve?
We didn’t request the icon for the website itself. When we open the web page, we see it on the very top. Later on, when we tried the icons that we had, it didn’t work. When we addressed it with WANT Branding, they developed the icon even though it wasn’t included in our contract. It would’ve been nice if they’d have suggested it from the beginning. Overall, there’s nothing serious they can improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Develop an equal relationship with them, and be open with them upfront. Tell them what you really want. In our case, we also needed some legal support because our lawyer isn’t specialized in trademark law. We provided this information upfront. WANT Branding recommended their lawyer, and our team worked through them. It was very helpful. They will deliver great results for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Mavenir is a 5G network software provider. We supply to all the big communications providers worldwide and to other enterprises. I’m the CMO of the company, in addition to being an executive VP and part of the board.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with WANT Branding?

I joined the company in 2018 when we started positioning the company as being the only end-to-end cloud-native network software provider. That means that we’re positioning the company to be recognized as being a disruptor from a technology point of view. We’re competing with the big, well-known legacy vendors in the telecom world.

We started to be recognized as being a serious competitor, but the challenge became that some operators still relied on the partners they’d been using in the past. We started refreshing our brand, together with the messaging. We were going in the direction of trusting the future technology and offering strategic partnerships for transformation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had a three-month initial consultancy, which we expanded a bit. We asked WANT Branding to think a little about branding as an approach. They designed a project plan as well as reviewed the industry and wrote about competitors. We provided our own information and had a series of interviews with company execs and analysts. We also provided customer insights. WANT Branding pulled everything together, presented the resulting perception with our executives, and came up with some new thinking.

On top of that, they spent significant time redefining our logo and the messaging associated with it. The company name remained what it was, but we created names for some product families. We decided not to go down to each product because, in our industry, those are very much defined by the acronyms of their functions. WANT Branding made some clever proposals for the family names and worked on the wording in our messaging — how we explain our vision and so on.

We stopped the project there although we had another little piece of work related to digging into the graphic palette of the website. It looked like WANT Branding was less interested in or dedicated to this second part of the project. We outsourced the implementation of the graphics and suggestions to another company.

What is the team composition?

Robert (Director) did a lot of the work, with help from another team member. There was someone else doing research and analysis. Jonathan (Founder & CEO) was always in contact with us as well.

How did you come to work with WANT Branding?

My marketing VP had a list of companies she had worked with in the past. We shortlisted three and had interviews with them. WANT Branding not only had the expertise, but they were very decisive, and I could see how they’d fit in with us. Their team could drive us and consult us at the same time, making sure that things would move along.

Consulting agencies can stagnate sometimes if they don’t get enough feedback. WANT Branding pushed us to respond back and converge. We didn’t have a long selection process. We interviewed 3–4 companies and decided to go with WANT Branding within two weeks.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost was around $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with WANT Branding from November 2020–January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

WANT Branding did an excellent job. We were kept part of the thinking process, and they guided us through the process. We’re cowboys from Dallas, so it’s difficult to keep us on track. WANT Branding did a good job of keeping us involved and getting things done.

We’re very busy, so a lot of people will say yes then get on with other things. They managed us well and got a result. WANT Branding always consulted with us, and we made decisions together. We didn’t have branding expertise in-house, and this was an instructive exercise. I could see their way of thinking and really appreciate the way they did the job.

We needed to have new messaging and a new logo, and that’s what we got. We launched the new branding in April 2021. It’s cool, slick, and modern. Our new tagline is “Trust the future”, and we have three simple statements, namely “One network, any cloud, all software”. We expand on this a bit more with some wording. We had simple criteria and got really good deliverables for it. We’ve all been really enthusiastic about working with WANT Branding.

How did WANT Branding perform from a project management standpoint?

We had calls every 2–3 days, depending on the project phase. We had a project manager on our side as well. WANT Branding managed to keep us in check, and they were accurate with the implementation. We used Microsoft Teams for communication, and they were always on the calls. I can’t remember a case where they weren’t there or weren’t effective.

The only issue was at the very end. We felt that they were slowing down a bit when it came to the more practical work of implementing the branding. We agreed with them to not continue and took it further with people we were more familiar with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

WANT Branding is quite renowned in the US, and they’ve worked with a lot of people in our industry. They were one of our top three candidates, and we felt they presented themselves better than the others. They were cleaner and crisper as well as more determined and organized. Their team had the right level of being assertive, which we needed in order to make sure that things got done.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were a couple of times when we had reiterations, which were probably a necessity. That was part of the building-up phase. WANT Branding could’ve shown more eagerness to do the second part of the project, but maybe it wasn’t their expertise. I spoke with the CEO, and he said he was happy we were going with someone else. From my point of view, I was very happy with the job they did, and we wouldn’t have achieved a similar result with someone else.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

They need to be very clear on what they want. At the same time, WANT Branding is definitely the right choice for an organization that wants to be guided along the process. They’ll help the client get organized.

Their team is collaborative, which is very important for things like branding or the identity of a company. Even if the client doesn’t have the expertise, they still need to be involved because it’s their company. WANT Branding did a good job in pushing their expertise and showing us what was possible. At the same time, they worked closely with us to achieve it. If the client’s aim is to be involved and see how things are moving, then WANT Branding is a brilliant choice.