The Yard Creative

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director for a retail development and regeneration project in Edinburgh.

What challenge were you trying to address with The Yard Creative?

We were looking for a creative and digital solution for mall retail.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We issued a brief in a tender environment. After embarking on the project, they subsequently interviewed and researched all key stakeholders. Then, they assumed the brief, and it was a three-pronged tender process. They made creative changes to our design guide and mall retail kiosk designs.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with around seven people.

How did you come to work with The Yard Creative?

I’ve worked with The Yard Creative before. They were asked to tender along with two other design agencies, which they won based on their creative proposition and financial submission.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested in excess of £200,000 (approximately $275,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement started in October 2020. They’re currently working on the third stream of the project.

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

The main project doesn’t open until the summer.

How did The Yard Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they were exceptional. Their team exhibits clear and frequent communication. We largely communicate through Teams and Zoom, but we also use email and phone calls. They’re a great cultural fit.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team does their research very well. Their futuristic approach is very customer-focused. They don’t spend too much time looking in the rearview mirror. They work as if they’re part of the team as opposed to a third-party agency.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re very happy with the output and ongoing relationship. There’s nothing we would change about the relationship thus far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Look beyond the key principals. They have a very talented team beyond their head designer and CEO. Clients should do a deep dive into their whole organizational structure.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a desserts business; we also make milkshakes, smoothies, and waffles. 

What challenge were you trying to address with The Yard Creative?

We hired The Yard Creative to help us with a rebrand. We’d like to move to a franchise model, so we felt that we needed to rebrand ourselves. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we had an insight day so they could find out what I liked and wanted from them. I let them know the type of look I was going for and what I envisioned.

From there, they worked on that and came back with a few branding options for me to choose from. When we picked the direction we wanted to go in, they created a final concept for it. They’ve built the new logo, uniforms, color scheme, and other branded files and pieces. 

What is the team composition?

Four people have worked with us. There is one lead designer, two other designers, and Amanda (Creative Director). 

How did you come to work with The Yard Creative?

I found a design for another company and really liked it. I found that The Yard Creative had done that design, so I went with them based on that.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around £22,000 (approximately $30,400 USD)

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2020 and we’re still doing some work with them. The majority of the project was done in about two months, but we’re still working on the third premises. 

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

The shops aren’t ready yet, so we haven’t used the design. However, I’m really happy with the designs and they’ve gone above and beyond. I really feel like each of them is invested in the project. I genuinely feel like I have a long-term relationship with them. 

How did The Yard Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re really good at project management. We use WhatsApp to communicate, even if it’s the middle of the night. They’re very open. Amanda is really great to work with, along with the rest of the team. They’re so professional in dealing with the project, which can be quite difficult, and they’re very understanding.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their skills and designs they’ve provided, along with their attention to detail, are very impressive. The people themselves are great, too — they’re all so nice. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Looking at it now, it may have been my mistake, but I should have thought more about how much I wanted the final concept to cost. I don’t want to limit their creativity, though. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go for it. Know what you want, research it, and be clear about whether it’s a vanity project or for commercial viability. I’d 100% recommend working with them; you’ll be in great hands. They give great links afterward and they check in on you, so it’s like you are part of the family. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an advisor to the co-founders of the fintech startup that hired The Yard Creative.

What challenge were you trying to address with The Yard Creative?

The startup was exploring an environmentally friendly banking offering. We wanted The Yard Creative to advise us on brand identity and help us create brand guidelines.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We were doing a series of workshops and interviews to get their team to understand the nature of the proposition and the problem we were trying to solve in the market. After they put that together, they developed a series of brand paths that we could explore.

In another workshop, they came with a list of 200 potential names. We had a workshop around that selection process. In finalizing the project, they put together an investment document with all of our branding guidelines and information.

What is the team composition?

I dealt with five or six people.

How did you come to work with The Yard Creative?

One member of our team had done a lot of branding work in London. His friends had worked with The Yard Creative previously. After many initial discussions, the main reason we chose them was how their value point of view aligned with our thinking. Social impact is at the center of what they do, which is aligned with what our startup was doing.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2020–February 2021.

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

The Yard Creative is fantastic. Their creativity throughout the brand naming process was amazing. We were struggling in that area, but they had no problem. All of the deliverables were fresh and creative. We’re standing out from others in the financial services space. I couldn’t recommend them enough.

How did The Yard Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

The team was structured but also very flexible. They gave us plenty of time to think and reflect but kept a good momentum.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with the freshness of their thinking. They’re on the pulse of what people are interested in.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As you can tell, I like them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to give them the freedom to be as creative as possible. Try not to constrain their thinking.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager of the Derby Centre at Savills, which is a shopping center. We have two hundred stores in the shopping center and are one of the top 10 shopping centers in the country.

What challenge were you trying to address with The Yard Creative?

The challenge was to rebrand the shopping center. We were part of a group that had 15 different shopping centers under one brand that went into administration last year. We approached The Yard to create a new brand for the shopping center because it didn’t have a name or a unique identity.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We asked The Yard to critically think about our business and its strategic direction rather than focus on collateral. Their team undertook research with key stakeholders in our city and our business, including customers. They looked into growth opportunities and worked to understand our DNA to come up with a unique position.

The Yard crafted our story around the city’s history. Their team then worked on a name and brand guidelines, which they’re applying to different elements in the business. They’re designing our website with our web provider so that our website fits the guidelines.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with 5–6 people from The Yard.

How did you come to work with The Yard Creative?

One of our consultants recommended The Yard. We invited them to tender alongside four other agencies. We checked their credentials and previous work. They had great experience in our industry.

What is the status of this engagement?

We appointed The Yard around September 2020, and they’ll finish the contract in June 2021.

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

We’re really, really pleased with the position The Yard made for us, which is unique. Their team’s facilitating customer testing, and we’re pleased with the results. Their stakeholder management is also excellent, helping us manage our stakeholders and owners. Their team presents their work to them and received excellent feedback on their creative route.

How did The Yard Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

When we first conversed with them, I was pleased that they included their thoughts for our direction. The Yard took a methodological approach to the project and presented a project plan that their team follows. Their team was quite agile when we told them that we needed to deliver certain elements early such as uniforms. They were able to accommodate and achieve that.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m most impressed by their enthusiasm. They got behind the project and put a great team on it. The Yard made a great effort to understand our city and immersed themselves in it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would absolutely recommend them. I would encourage any city center, shopping center, or destination to check out the yard.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director and a co-founder of Black + Blanc. We’re a real estate company that specializes in sales, lettings, land, and new homes.

What challenge were you trying to address with The Yard Creative?

We were looking for a full scope offline to online coverage of our brand to launch into the market. We wanted to be perceived as a change to what the reputation the public has of realtors or estate agents in this country.

We wanted to work with a brand that would be able to articulate and demonstrate that.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Yard Creative was commissioned on everything from branding to retail design space of our offices. They’ve now designed our third office. Initially, they designed our two offices for the first six months of launch and focused on marketing collateral and brand identities.

They held a creative day with us twice. They asked a lot of questions, which was something I hadn’t experienced before. The reason we commissioned them to work on our brand, and our business was because of the way they pitched their service. We gave them our brief, but they expanded on it a lot more.

What is the team composition?

We had a team of four or five individuals. We had someone working on the retail experience, someone working on the branding, someone working on the copy and communication, and another individual working on other creative elements that we wanted to implement.

How did you come to work with The Yard Creative?

We actually met five or six creative agencies. We’ve had a relationship with them since we launched this business in January 2017.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent £110,000 (approximately $141,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2017. We’ve recently commissioned them on our third office.

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

The Yard Creative put a lot of hard work into defining what our brand looks like today. We are quite a tech-friendly individuals here, and we have had a lot of direct mail campaigns that are analyzed, and we had a lot of creative elements distributed through Facebook marketing and PPC adverts.

We analyze the performance by the reaction of the public and demographic and how they have received our brand, and it has been positive. We have been able to keep a good eye on which metrics work for us and the type of stuff that their team first provided us with and how it has evolved because the brand has evolved quite a bit since its inception.

How did The Yard Creative perform from a project management standpoint?                      

It has been exceptional. I wouldn’t have a bad word to say about them. We see them as almost our founding partners, and they are like a family to us now. My business partner and I have worked very closely with them.

Steve (Founder) is one of the main reasons we use The Yard Creative because of his passion, drive, commitment, and his opportunity to assist startup businesses. We are no longer a startup, but when we commissioned them, we were a startup, and we were relatively young guys, and I would say it has been exceptional from a project management standpoint.

They always deliver, they take amendments on board, and they have a positive outlook. They won’t just listen to you; they will give you their opinion on their ideas and give you an opportunity to find the perfect mix.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think that they genuinely take their research and their project profiling very seriously. I think they focus on what we are looking for as a client. They will effectively not give you one or two bits of work, but they will provide you with three variable options on where the market sits. They will always position your brand and see where it fits from an offline to an online trajectory, and I think they are very forward-thinking.

They keep you updated on where your brand should be going or where the retail experience is developing. Overall, they seem to be ahead of the curve. I tried to use other creative agencies in between, but I see the difference in caliber and the difference in sticking to timelines and delivering. They will always deliver, and if there is any form of delay, it will be for the best of your business. It won’t be from their side; it will be to work on your brand more effectively.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be good to see them work with even more startups. I think they are trying their best, but I think it would be nice to see them work with a few more startups and get their name out there a bit more if you are someone with a bit of passion and are looking to create a good brand and have it articulated to the public. It would be nice to see them push themselves a bit more for startups because I think they can help a lot of people.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Something that Steve told me when I first started my journey in launching my business, is that you have to be willing to do anything.

My advice to anyone that is going to be working with The Yard Creative is, to be honest with them and be transparent. They will deliver what you need, but you should be transparent with them from the beginning so that they can deliver what you want. They will always exceed what your expectations are of your brand.

 How I envisioned this brand initially looks completely different and, in the end, I would say it is for the better. I would say that as long as you put the effort in, and you put the conviction to articulate your brand and where you want it to sit, as well as what your needs are and if you are ethically or morally inclined to go in a certain way or portray your business in a certain way, articulate that to their team because they will put their spin on it and get you out there in a different and better way.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work on a digital team that focuses on product delivery and new innovation areas relating to how we take products to market.

What challenge were you trying to address with The Yard Creative?

We wanted to develop a go-to-market strategy for a new digital product.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ideally, they would provide us with a customer perspective on the appetite for the product and what the UX could look like within a mobile channel. We gave them a brief of the product, which communicated the overall strategy that we were trying to achieve. From there, they created and walked us through their branding strategy and proposition. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with about 4–6 people, including designers, a researcher, a creative director, and Steve (Co-Founder) himself. 

How did you come to work with The Yard Creative?

I’d done work with them before, so I approached them when this project popped up.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in the fall of 2019, and the engagement wrapped up in May 2020.

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

They’ve wrapped up their work and made recommendations that should allow us to go to market successfully. However, it’s too early to provide metrics. Anecdotally, we’re totally satisfied and see the value they bring with their work.  

How did The Yard Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re exception project managers. In fact, I’d be happy to use them again when another opportunity arises. They managed expectations, so we always knew what was coming next. The rigor and dedication to the requirements were quite impressive.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their recommendations are always sensible and aligned with our overall business thinking. The quality of their work was also very impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Spend plenty of time evaluating the brief to ensuring that your expectations are aligned with what you’ve communicated.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Travelex is the largest non-bank foreign exchange provider in the world. We focus on retail foreign exchange and wholesale banknotes, and we have some space in the digital realm as well with e-commerce payments.

I’m the global retail and performance innovation director. I’ve been at Travelex for 14 years, and I’ve held several positions there.

What challenge were you trying to address with The Yard Creative?

In my new role as performance innovation director, I was predominantly focused on the retail agenda of the organization. Part of my brief was to bring together the top 700 leaders across our business, and, equally, our network brands. The event was called LIVE, an acronym for “Leadership, Innovation, Values, and Execution”. I wanted to do something different, and not have it be just another off-site event at a hotel with some pullup banners and an overhead projector. I wanted it to be a much more immersive experience to help people to understand the intent of our acronym long after the even happened.

It was about maintaining a level of engagement with that population after they’d gone back to their 9–5 jobs on Monday and maintaining that commitment and vested interest in what we talked about. I wanted visitors to integrate it into daily duties and conversations with their teams and I picked up the phone to Steve (Co-Founder) knowing what they do. I briefed him on the project and asked for some outside thinking. Steve was up for the challenge. The Yard Creative listened and took down scrupulous notes to then provide a response.

I had a little less to do with the second job, but I was still involved with it in my retail director role. We’d recently won a contract at one of our major airports in the UK, and we had an in-house team but we wanted a sparring partner that could challenge us and stretch our imagination on what the future of foreign exchange retail looked and felt like, in terms of engaging experience, technology, and everything else in-between. The Yard Creative worked with our in-house team to envision the new era of foreign exchange retail and put some serious space between us and our competitors.

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the LIVE event, there were some suggestions around trying to do away with paper agendas, PDFs, and emails, and bringing an app into the mix. We did that, along with a couple of other things. It was a leading off-site, and people hadn’t seen anything like it before. They raved about it, and they were engaged all the way through.

In both cases, they did market research and came back with proven industry methods and really out-there thinking that had been qualified by other markets and industries. They advocated almost a holistic view of who they thought our target customers were, ratified by the research they did.

They presented what other retailers were considering based on the problems they were trying to solve. They anticipated what problems we were trying to solve, and equally asked us about those. There were considerations, suggestions, and strong recommendations put in front of us. Equally, they respected that we had some brand guidelines, and fused those with their expertise.

They also produced some design pieces for us for the second project.

What is the team composition?

I dealt with Steve directly in the first instance, with the LIVE off-site piece. I know that other people were engaged as part of that as well. For the second project, I worked with another individual from The Yard Creative.

How did you come to work with The Yard Creative?

I was introduced to Steve through a professional contact. I met Steve at an event, and we chatted for ages, sharing our love for engagement, innovation, performance, and doing things differently. We were kindred spirits as such, and that’s how I knew he was the person I should speak to. This was underpinned by his extensive relationships and success with some very big international brands. He was coming from a place of experience and had some really good credentials.

How much have you invested with them?

The first project had cost under £10,000 ($12,500 USD). The second piece cost over £10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with The Yard Creative in September or October 2018. The second project took place in mid-2019. Things have very much changed now, with COVID-19; we had a partnership in early-2020, but we’ve reduced external partnerships.

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

The Yard Creative produced a lot of suggestions for the first project, and I adopted some of those. The feedback from colleagues was that there was a level of professionalism that we hadn’t experienced with those types of events. The immersion and innovation we brought to those events were brilliant.

From a content, execution, and aesthetic detail perspective, I give them 10/10. They were able to turn complex information into clearly articulated messages, which helped me provide a level of clarity to other teams around what we needed to produce, whether it was for an organization or for an airport partner.

How did The Yard Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re good, humble people, on top of their game. If I’m going to spend my organization’s money, I need to bring a return on that investment. In that regard, I knew that they were always going to bring some really good returns on our investment. They were professional, quick, and slick. What I also liked about The Yard Creative is that they had skin in the game. It’s almost as though they took each project or job personally and tried to impart some of their DNA into it. Essentially, that sets them up for their next client and next round.

They were always there, even though it was a short collaboration. Steve always touched base asking how it was all going and whether we wanted them to look at anything. He wasn’t looking to invoice, but just generally wanted to know how I was getting on. That didn’t go unnoticed, and the empathy they had in putting the customer at the core of their innovation was exceptional. It was the same with their aftercare. That’s a little detail that echoes very loudly in their character as an organization.

What did you find most impressive about them?

When I briefed Steve, I told him that we wanted a sparring partner. He told me that they were willing to be that, but that they wouldn’t just be putting out a million things for us to hopefully pick one. They were going to put some good thoughts in front of us, and they were going to really push a couple of them, because they’d done their research and believed in those. That’s what we look for in a partner: we want someone to provide strong recommendations and back those up with facts, research, and resource.

We sometimes need someone to come in and play an impartial role, someone who didn’t have emotional ties to the organization and its people and could objectively push us through a sticking point. That’s what The Yard Creative did, and they did it very well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

This is a tough one. Nothing springs to mind, and it probably shouldn’t because The Yard Creative has dealt with some significant heavy-hitters, ranging from small boutiques to global corporations. Their ability to flex and bend their support and persona to the company is a credit to them.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients need to be clear, admit when they don’t know something, and make sure the parameters are set with the team. I needed a sparring partner, meaning someone in the ring who’s able to throw shots and make us a better version of ourselves. If a company is a bit loose or ambiguous, The Yard Creative can also bring the rules of engagement to the table, but it’s always better for the client to do that.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Benjamin Fitzmaurice: Our organization is a sports apparel company. We were the creators of the sports compression sector, which we’ve been the leaders of for over 20 years.

What challenge were you trying to address with The Yard Creative?

BF: We brought them on both for our brand relaunch as well as market research.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Simon Goodfellow:  We worked on a six-stage process with them. We thought we knew what our brand was, but without market research, we didn’t really understand who our customers were and what they reacted to. 

The beginning of the six-stage process was an introductory period. We wanted to get everyone on board and increase your market research efforts. Then, we had a day of collaboration. We went through all the aspects of our brand, from packaging to products, as well as through previous campaigns. 

The Yard Creative then conducted research by speaking to customers, distributors, and anyone that had been involved with the brand and was still involved with the brand. 

Based on that research, we then started putting together the brand strategy and brand positioning, and the final stage was the brand concept.

What is the team composition?

SG:  We worked at all levels. Our general touchpoints were with Steve (Founder) and Laurence (Director of Interiors). They also brought in people responsible for different phases of the project, whether it was designers or researchers. We worked with about six to eight different people in total.

BF: The good thing was that all the touchpoints were involved in the presentation of the end result with us, so we could hear directly from everyone who had a hand in the project.

How did you come to work with The Yard Creative?

BF: I found them on Clutch which was the starting point. I was struck by their reviews and the quality of the work, so I told Simon about them. It just went from there.

SG: I think we got the list down to about four different agencies. One was an agency I had worked with previously. We reviewed them all and took it down to two, one being The Yard Creative and the other the one I’d worked with before. 

The Yard completely shone because their approach is unique and very refreshing, whereas the other one is more traditional.

How much have you invested in them?

BF: We spent just shy of £97,000 (approximately $118,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing collaboration began in January 2020.

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

SG: The distributors the brand has been engaged with for a long period of time were blown away by the level of research. I think everyone has remarked on the amount of work that was presented to us. It’s very comprehensive.

There were some surprises, but there were also some nice confirmations that we were on the right track in certain areas. 

BF: The process with them has been sophisticated, clean, and clear, and it produced the results. The Yard is bringing the brand back on a really clear track, and we now understand what our company is and where it’s going. Ultimately, that’s exactly what we wanted to achieve from this partnership: not just to research and brand, but to help us gain confidence in the market.

How did The Yard Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

BF: Everything was driven in a way to get a result, and from the initial brief, they kept us informed and we knew where they were going, they hit their timelines and hit all the gateways. 

With other agencies, sometimes the chaos of a lack of project management skills can leave you feeling stressed. With The Yard, they put us in a level of comfort; we don’t have to micromanage the team through the project. 

We can tell them the inputs we need, and the team produces a result. We can properly discuss our objectives, which inspires confidence in all of our partners and distributors.

What did you find most impressive about them?

BF: Their sophistication and voice make them stand out. They’re never overbearing; rather, they provide an environment that’s balanced in its tone of voice. The Yard is able to take a step back and get introspective about what they’re doing. They didn’t just fit us into a mold that other brands might have also created. 

They’re not an agency that steals ideas. They self reflect, they research, and they apply new thinking. 

SG: Everything they have presented to us is based on facts, not opinions. They put the time into understanding who we are, whereas a lot of agencies I’ve worked with in the past just tell you what they think you want to hear or what they believe is right. That was the refreshing thing with these guys.

Are there any areas they could improve?

BF: For me, no. I think they did an excellent job. It would be hard to be critical of them. It’s been a very seamless process — we’ve both been surprised about what we have been given. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

BF: Be willing to be open and to really self reflect on your brand and what you want to get out of the engagement. Don’t go in there with preconceptions because you might get a nice healthy surprise about where you end up.

SG: You have to go in and lay it all out for them and let them sift through it. You will get a much better result than going in there with an idea and asking them to refine it.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the head of global retail for Lindt & Sprungli Chocolate. We are a chocolate producer and retailer. I'm leading the global department for the retail stores.

What challenge were you trying to address with The Yard Creative?

I was holding an international meeting with my colleagues from 10 different markets. We were thinking about how we can innovate our sector.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They facilitated the workshops with our 10 global affiliates in order to ensure we understand key market trends. Their team also allowed participants to come up with great innovative ideas to prepare for the future. As of now, we're are in the process of doing another project with them.

What is the team composition?

I worked with the CEO and the creative director. They had another creative resource on board as well.

How did you come to work with The Yard Creative?

I asked another agency in the United Kingdom market for a recommendation based on my exact needs. They pointed me toward The Yard Creative.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began in February 2020, and the project ongoing.

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

We had a very good response from the participants, who thought the presentations were really relevant. They triggered the right thought process, and the documents that we received afterward had some strong, actionable ideas.

How did The Yard Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very informal, fast, and reactive. We could always reach them very quickly via the phone or email for more formal matters. Our frequency of communication depends on the project plan and our agreed-upon deliverables. They've always been very reliable.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I've worked with many creative agencies, but their knowledge of the retail market separates them from the rest. They communicate and translate their knowledge profoundly well to meet customer needs. That's really helpful.

For example, there are tons of trends they could have delivered and discussed. However, picking the ones that really resonate with the business model is what makes the difference. That's what they did.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It took them a while to get to know our business in the onboarding phase, but they definitely had an excellent grasp of our needs and offerings by the time the project was underway. So, I can't think of anything they should do differently. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It was really helpful to have a personal briefing session with the CEO and creative director. There, I really took the time to bring them up to speed on our business to ensure they could help. If you start working with them, give them proper access to your issues so they can play a role in addressing them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of an innovative beauty brand.

What challenge were you trying to address with The Yard Creative?

I needed strategy and branding work done so I hired The Yard Creative.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I started by presenting my ideas to them. From there, they helped me strategize, interviewing me to get a grasp on who I was and my goals and vision. They also did some market research.

For example, they checked out competitors to see what they were doing and if there were any points we wanted to use. Overall, their team came up with a brand to represent the company. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with three people to start. As the creative process continued, I worked with just one person, and they fed information to the team.

How did you come to work with The Yard Creative?

I looked on Google and Clutch to find a branding specialist and read reviews. When I pitched the idea to this team, I felt they were the most enthusiastic, and had creative ideas that grasped my vision more than other agencies I spoke with. They also had great reviews and specialized in branding.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around £23,000 (approximately $29,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January – April 2020.

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

They were able to bring my personality and the authenticity I desired into the brand. The brand now represents the company well. I couldn’t feel better about the positive experience I had; I loved working with them. 

How did The Yard Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They were incredibly organized and structured, which is very important going through the process. They gave a clear timeline of when I should expect deliverables, and they met them. If there was ever any delay, they were very communicative.

We had about four meetings, but there were weekly conference calls. We also used emails and phone calls almost daily to discuss any ideas or concepts we wanted to toss around.

The way they handled the process never made me feel overwhelmed or pressured to come up with concepts and ideas. Rather, it felt organic, allowing me to stay relaxed and feel more creative.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by their fresh approach and how they thought of things in a completely different way. They really spent the time getting to know me and what my company was all about. They cared about the project being a success. For example, they still call to check on its progress even though they have finished their part.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear about your mission and why you’re there. Don’t be afraid to push back and challenge throughout the process.