Woden

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Checkpoint Surgical is a medical device company based in Cleveland, Ohio. Our devices are used intraoperatively by surgeons looking to locate, assess, and/or protect nerves. It’s used in complex procedures where nerves are at risk.

We have an outside sales team tasked with identifying surgeons that complete procedures within our space and getting them to try the product in an upcoming procedure.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woden?

We hired Woden to help us tell our story more effectively. Before Woden's enlistment, our focus had been more on factual or procedural based information about the devices. It was a very clinical approach to marketing and sales.

We wanted Woden to help us craft a story to invoke a more emotional response from our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We first worked with them to craft our story, which involved a one-day checkpoint on a more emotional level. We talked about the why behind the device and the background. One of the stigmas we deal with within our industry is the perception that nerves could be sacrificed in a procedure for a greater good, like saving someone’s life. The reality is that there doesn’t have to be a choice – nerves can be protected, and lives can be saved.

The story now explains that on a more personal level. The deliverables impact our organization internally and externally. Their team did a comprehensive review of all elements within our organization and told us where and how the story could be incorporated into these elements and how we could weave it into daily life.

They gave us around 40 specific suggestions – some were incredibly actionable, and others would take much longer to execute.

What is the team composition?

We had heavy contact with Ed (Partner), and we worked with support people who reviewed our collateral and provided insight.

How did you come to work with Woden?

Our CEO received their pitch piece. He came to me and asked me what I thought. We were looking for a more holistic marketing approach, and we were interviewing a myriad of traditional marketing firms. Woden seemed more out of the box, and we liked it.

We presented the various proposals from different firms to our executive team, and everybody liked Woden’s approach. We invited them to give an in-person presentation. After that, we decided to go with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback has been very positive. Our purpose was met; we received a checkpoint story and message that we could clearly articulate to our customers and internal team. Woden delivered many outstanding ideas that we probably should have thought of ourselves. They made those ideas into actionable projects for our organization.

Our need for them has reduced, but we still communicate with them periodically on a consulting basis.

How did Woden perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they’ve been excellent. We had no issues. If there were delays, they were likely on our side.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to come into an organization that they knew nothing about and diagnose opportunities quickly was extremely impressive. The team found ways to communicate our story, engage our customers, onboard employees, and present design ideas effectively.

Are there any areas they could improve?

This might’ve only been visible to me because I’m familiar with this type of work, but I would’ve liked a little bit more personalization. I could tell that they worked off a template.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We engaged with Woden. We pushed back on some of their ideas and edited their work. At the end of the day, it was a collaborative process that allowed us to come up with something very good.

The best way is to become extremely collaborative. If you don’t agree with something, then push back. If you have a better idea, present it and make them then defend their way. In that type of environment, you come up with something great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Nielsen-Kellerman Company. We design and manufacture niche electronics that are for consumers and professionals, predominately in the weather and environmental monitoring field, as well as sports performance measurement spaces.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woden?

We’d made two acquisitions of companies that made weather stations. One company imported stations at consumer price points, predominately from China, and the other made high-cost stations in Maine. We intended to market one of those from under our weather brand we already had in place. Neither of those companies had any marketing to speak of so we wanted to get our arms around the story for those two acquired companies. This would help us align our efforts as we started marketing and outreach. Quickly, we decided to include our own brand in this project to establish the key differences in the stories.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did a lot of research, which was tremendously valuable. They’re really good customer researchers and use a variety of techniques including direct outreach, web scanning, and search. They figured out what customers already perceived and believed about the three firms since all three had been around for a while. They also analyzed where there might be opportunities to capitalize on that existing thinking.

After presenting their research, they crafted all three brand stories. This took the form of long-form discussions of the role of the brand and the products in the “hero story.” They follow the “hero” model; it’s a customer-centric model where you talk about how the brand helps the customer succeed, rather than just talking about the brand.

We had meetings to tweak the stories, and focusing on the differentiators between the three brands. They also delivered slogans and keywords for each brand, as well as a roadmap for implementation, marketing, and customer outreach efforts.

What is the team composition?

I worked with 4-5 people on this. Hannah (Brand Storyteller) and Rachel (Creative Team Manager) acted as the lead researchers, and Ed (Partner) was on all the teams. There were two story people as well. They got impressively familiar with an area that they knew absolutely nothing about on the frontend. A couple of other people helped with research as well.

How did you come to work with Woden?

We’d previously worked with another firm on brand stories. I knew we needed to get these new brands off the ground quickly. I ran into them on LinkedIn, and, after viewing their website, I knew we would align. I reached out to them and we created a fixed-price deliverable. I preferred that over an open-ended retainer.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $65,000–$70,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from February until June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It would be challenging to track it statistically, as it’s being employed across a broad range of marketing activities. Anecdotally, it’s definitely helped my team get their feet under them in terms of messaging and differentiation, since they’d never done anything with weather stations before.

A lot of our focus has been on social media activity for the ambient product, as well as PPC on Amazon and the wider internet. In this year, they’re up over 10% YoY. I don’t know if I can directly attribute that to the story work but it for sure helped my team execute our plan.

We haven’t used the other brand much yet because we’re still finishing the product, but it will get used significantly. They’re producing launch materials right now.

How did Woden perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve had excellent communication and have stuck to their schedule. Working with three at once was a lot but they stuck to it. That’s the advantage of having a standardized process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We started at the front very well-aligned in how we thought about the project: it really matters what the customers think and how we’re going to help them. They were able to stay focused on that and what they heard from customers and turn it into actions and words, incorporating even the potential negatives. They were quite specific, which I find that younger marketers have a hard time doing. Woden dug in and really understood why weather stations were important by the end of the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think they’d ever done a project where they were working with three similar products before. Initially, all three story guides were kind of the same, but they took the input and participated in the discussions to learn how to differentiate the three brands. We didn’t know how we were going to do it either in the beginning, so it was a group discovery process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It would be somewhat challenging for an organization with no internal marketing team or marketing chops to take what they do and use their work effectively. If you need someone to take over your marketing and do I for you then they’re not the right choice. If you need exceptionally good customer research, customer insights, and story guide distillation, however, then they’re a great choice. They’re also very cost-effective compared to most outside marketing firms in my experience.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at Southco

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Industrial Access Hardware 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Help to update Vision
• Mission, Values
• And define a Brand promise

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

Other

Why did you select Woden over others?

Other

How many teammates from Woden were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

As stated: Values, Mission and Vision for the holding company and for Southco

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

None so far 

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

Yes

What was your primary form of communication with Woden?

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

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

I think they helped us think through the issues and broad different perspectives 

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

I think some of the team members are better than others. Anya is a supper star

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Wilbar Group, North America’s largest manufacturer of above ground pools. We offer a wide range of pool products and partner with dealers to provide families with customizable, high-quality backyard pool solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woden?

We needed help developing our brand strategy and creating a toolkit that could be used to execute the strategy both internally and externally.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Woden has delivered a story guide and story accelerator that define our brand and can be used to execute the strategy internally and externally with dealers and consumers. The deliverables include our brand positioning, messaging frameworks, and an AI-supported tool to apply the strategy in different situations for various teammates in our organization.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with 2–5 teammates from Woden.

How did you come to work with Woden?

Woden was referred to me, and I chose them because they had high ratings and offered good value for the cost.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2026, and the engagement is nearing its close.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Wilbar Group has accumulated over six decades of acquisitions and the broadest product portfolio in the above ground pool industry. However, we had a jumbled, dilutive approach to our brands with no coherent story. Woden has helped our team align on the best way to move forward with getting Wilbar’s story to the market through a branded house approach, with end buyers at the core of the story and dealers as an extension of Wilbar’s mentorship. Importantly, Woden has helped us define our brand position, develop our brand story, and provide tools to execute the strategy.We’ll assess the effectiveness of the strategy and tools over time. Currently, our brand awareness at the consumer level is extremely low. At the dealer level, our company and brand are well-known but have inconsistent positioning. It’ll take some time to address these issues, but I am confident in the strategy that Woden helped us craft.

How did Woden perform from a project management standpoint?

Woden’s project management has been excellent. They’re very good at keeping us on track during a busy time for our team. We communicate through in-person meetings, virtual meetings, and emails or messaging apps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Woden has a very engaging and creative team that has spent significant time understanding our business and organization. Then, they’ve worked together with us to develop the strategy in a comprehensive, iterative process that has flushed out nuances along the way to improve the end result.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve gone back and forth on the strategy as a house of brands or a branded house. I feel we could’ve gotten to the best answer quicker. However, we didn’t have internal consensus initially, and the approach we’ve taken has aligned our team and will likely create greater internal ownership of the strategy.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the COO and partner of a company that helps hospitals with Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woden?

We had already started a strategic planning process, and our key employee left, so we’d lost our main resource. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They uncovered our story in the form of the StoryKernel. We had a collaborative session at our office to align on mission, vision, and values. They created our three-year strategic plan.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–5 teammates from Woden.

How did you come to work with Woden?

Woden was recommended by our VP of strategy.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from September 2025–February 2026.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They helped connect our team and break down silos. People felt like they had their voice heard in a way that they hadn’t before. This increased rapport and gave everyone a shared vocabulary They aligned the team around needs at a deeper level. With everyone bought into the mission, vision, and values, it was easier to make decisions and have buy-in.

How did Woden perform from a project management standpoint?

Woden moved at a good pace, and communication was done well. They met all our expectations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Woden felt like a natural fit based on what we were trying to accomplish. We weren’t forced into a box, and Woden was able to meld our needs with their process

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Talentsky, Inc.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Social Network for Up-skilling

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Clear messaging for website
• Standard language
• simplify a complex narrative

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

Online Search

Why did you select Woden over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Woden were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Create StoryKernel

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

StoryKernel delivered

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

They had an organized plan and executed well.

What was your primary form of communication with Woden?

Virtual Meeting

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

Vision for the story is the strategy

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

no

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Summit Steel

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Steel Erection Company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Formulate a Story to tell Clients
• Talking points for internal discussion

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

Sure Steel was using them

Why did you select Woden over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Woden were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The team was tasked with developing a strategy on how to incorporate a Union arm into an existing steel erection company.  This is complex as the two entities must be distanced, but at the same time share commonality.  How do we share the story both externally as well as internally?  How do we minimize confusion and disruption in the marketplace?  These were the challenges that we tackled and needed Woodens expertise.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The team was able to take a bunch of random conversations by asking the right questions and formulate a strategy that was on point.  Honestly, I was surprised with the finished product.  It was well written and articulated the goals we needed accoplished

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

Very responsive. I had minimal changes, but they were quick to make the changes and update the material. Good to work with

What was your primary form of communication with Woden?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I had never heard of story is the strategy before Wooden.  Makes sense as from the dawn of time, information is passed down from generation to generation in the form of stories.  History is written by those who heard the stories.  That was unique to me

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

The ONLY thing I found odd - is often times when we would meet together the team would read the slide to me.  I find in presentations, it's often easier to follow along with precise information and if there is something for me to read...I can read it by my self :)

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President & CEO of The FSL Group

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

To help our clients simplify chains, enhance execution and reduce costs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• To establish a differentiated brand story
• Improve alignment with internal and external customers
• Support a go-to-market strategy in a commoditized market

SOLUTION

How did you find Woden?

Online Search

Why did you select Woden over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Woden were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The ultimate goal and work was to establish a differentiated brand story that aligns internal teams and articulates a compelling narrative to support a go-to-market strategy in a commoditized market.  Woden's approach consists of three key deliverables within the initial project phase -- the StoryKernal, the StorySeminar and the StoryGuide -- all of which stack upon each other thoughtfully and comprehensively to reach the ultimate goal.  Other key deliverables were:  brand pillars, mission statement, vision, positioning, brand personality and core values.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Value against cost and timeliness.

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

They were exceptional in every way and at every turn.

What was your primary form of communication with Woden?

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

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

How smart, talented, insightful, patient and customer-centric every single Woden team member have been.

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

None whatsoever

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and co-founder of Flip AI. We provide an observability intelligence platform to analyze and interpret observability data, helping organizations quickly diagnose and resolve critical software and system incidents.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woden?

We wanted to refresh our positioning, marketing, and digital presence so we could stand out in a crowded space of AI startups selling solutions to enterprises.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Woden led a multi-week engagement through which they conducted extensive market research and interviewed our employees, customers, and partners. The primary deliverable was a comprehensive market positioning recommendation document.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four teammates from Woden.

How did you come to work with Woden?

I met Woden through a referral. They had a great track record and an outstanding reputation. More importantly, Ed, the CEO, had a refreshing and personal approach to building a relationship with our company for a few years before our work together even started.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–July 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We met every week to review the project checklist and track progress for them to deliver the final market positioning recommendation document.

How did Woden perform from a project management standpoint?

Anya was a terrific project manager. She was very timely, responsive to our needs, and delivered everything on time. We communicated via Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The most impressive thing about Woden was the depth and speed with which they got familiar with our story, company, and overall space. They translated that knowledge into real, actionable recommendations for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I can come up with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing executive at AIIR Consulting, an executive coaching firm. We provide executive coaching, leadership development, team effectiveness, and executive assessment services to help organizations drive change and achieve superior performance through leadership excellence.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woden?

We needed help better defining our narrative.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Woden provided us with a story kernel, a story guide, and in-person delivery.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three teammates from Woden.

How did you come to work with Woden?

Woden cold outreached to our CEO.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent less than $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2024–June 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Woden’s deliverables were good, and they met our initial expectations. The story guide was really large, so only some parts were applicable to some teams. We plan to split up the story guide for each team through guided implementation sessions with leadership.

How did Woden perform from a project management standpoint?

Woden’s project management could have moved faster. We could have done less back and forth on drafts.

What did you find most impressive or unique about them?

The way Woden linked the story arc throughout the process gave a strong narrative.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The meetings leading up to the deliveries ended up being pretty repetitive. A way to streamline that would be great.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on 6/23/2025.

Head of Marketing, Global Consulting FirmConsulting

Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania

51-200

Jan 2025 - Jun 2025

$10,000 to $49,999

Project summary
Woden provided strategic narrative and messaging work for a global consulting firm. The team helped the client renew their strategic narrative.

Feedback summary
The client had an incredible overall experience with Woden. Moreover, the team delivered on time, responded well to the client's needs, and communicated effectively via email. Overall, the client praised the team's ability to draw clarity from complexity and tell a story.

Quote
"Woden's ability to draw clarity from complexity and tell a story was outstanding."

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of marketing at a global consulting firm. We help organizations drive change and achieve superior performance through leadership excellence.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Woden?

We needed help renewing our strategic narrative.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Woden provided strategic narrative and messaging work for us. The team helped us renew our strategic narrative.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four teammates from Woden.

How did you come to work with Woden?

Woden’s head reached out to us. We had worked with countless agencies, but this was the first time we saw the end work resonate with the market and our internal team.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–June 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had an incredible overall experience with Woden. The team’s ability to create clarity from complexity was outstanding.

How did Woden perform from a project management standpoint?

Woden delivered on time and responded well to our needs. We primarily communicated via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Woden's ability to draw clarity from complexity and tell a story was outstanding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any.

STAR RATINGS
Overall rating: 5

Quality: 5

Cost: 5

Schedule: 5   

Willing to refer: 5