id8

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of PointeNorth Insurance Group

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide insurance solutions to individual and businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire id8 to accomplish?

• Creation of various agency websites, sales and marketing materials that would elevate the PointeNorth Insurance Group brand image and create brand consistency across various materials.

SOLUTION

How did you find id8?

Referral

Why did you select id8 over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from id8 were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We engaged id8 initially to help our sales team enhance their personal brands.  Once we saw how the approached the projeect and listened we partnered with them to re-launch the PointeNorth brand by revamping our website and updating our sales materials.  We also begin to use id8 for PR related projects centered around acquistions and growth.  Each project was approached with a level of empathy to try to understand personality behind to achive the goal of the project.  All prjects were deleiverd on time and we were always well informed of progress.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Increased M&A activity, clear calls to action, and brand consistency to support continued growth and positive brand equity.

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

id8 was always very responsive and met the needs that were asked of them.  The communication is always clear and follow is consistent.  

What was your primary form of communication with id8?

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

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

The willinging to listen and deliver a prodect that we wanted not something canned or impersonal.  

Are there any areas for improvement or something id8 could have done differently?

none that I can think of

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of business development for a construction company. We provide commercial construction, design-build, and renovation services, specializing in mission-critical projects with tight deadlines for demanding clients across the nation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with id8?

We needed help with our rebranding, communication, collateral, go-to-market strategy, positioning, messaging, and social media messaging.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

id8 provided us with a full digital and print deliverable package, including brand guidelines, business cards, icons, infographics, letterhead, LinkedIn graphics, logos, and polo embroidery. They also helped us with our go-to-market strategy messaging, external and internal messaging, and brand positioning. Additionally, id8 designed and developed our new website.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–5 teammates from id8.

How did you come to work with id8?

We met id8 through a Cobb Chamber CEO Roundtable. We chose them over other options because they had high ratings, a great culture fit, and their company values aligned with ours.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May 2024–June 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

id8's work increased our brand awareness, innovation, and growth. We saw an increase in our branded search volume, direct website traffic, industry share of voice, social media engagement rate, and viewable impression.

How did id8 perform from a project management standpoint?

We stuck to the schedule as best as we could. We tended to get in our own way more than sitting back and waiting for id8. We experienced some confusion with outside consultants fully understanding our business, but we worked through those issues with Lindsey, Kriston, and Jess, who were always accessible and easy to communicate with. We mainly communicated through virtual meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Kriston knows her business! Her legacy staff is approachable and easy to work with. The id8 team is highly creative and professional. They're responsive, creative, modern, and forward-thinking. They took the time to understand our brand's story and translated it into a visual identity that resonates with our audience. I highly recommend them for anyone looking for fresh, innovative branding.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some outside consultants didn't fully understand some of our objectives.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of USA Home Listings

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide custom marketing solutions for moving companies.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire id8 to accomplish?

• Rebrand Look and Feel of Website
• Have Brand Guidelines created
• Gave better collateral for marketing brochures

SOLUTION

How did you find id8?

Referral

Why did you select id8 over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from id8 were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We needed a complete rebranding after being business for six years.  IDA crated brand guidelines created our logo, created our marketing strategy and input for all our marketing collateral.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A more professional online presence overall.  And now we have deliverables to clients and have brand guidelines to create future, marketing materials quickly and synchronicity with all our other materials.  

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

Everything was delivered on time, and they responded to every single question that we asked in a timely manner.   

What was your primary form of communication with id8?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They do in deep and took a look at what we do as a business and took it on as their own and made it very personal. At first, I wasn't sure if the investment was worth it. But in hindsight, it was the biggest no-brainer. It's always easy to look back and say that, but I was a hard sell. I am so thankful that my team made me commit to this process and do this, because it was very eye-opening.  
For other people that aren't sure that are reading this, please do yourself and your business and your pocketbook a favor and hire iD8 to create a new presence for you, I promise you'll be happy you did even if you're a little skeptical at the beginning like I was. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something id8 could have done differently?

We are satisfied with all areas of our experience with them. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO/President of WestPac

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

WestPac is an independent wholesale insurance broker/MGA.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire id8 to accomplish?

• Western Pacific Insurance and Virtus were operating as two separate entities under one umbrella. The overarching goal, based on the client's business objective, was to sunset the Virtus brand, absorbing it into WestPac, and introduce the rebranded company to the industry.

SOLUTION

How did you find id8?

Referral

Why did you select id8 over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me

How many teammates from id8 were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

id8 started with market research to discover our brand perception, position, and messaging. From there, they identified our brand identity and architecture, including new logos, color schemes, etc. Once all of our messaging and architecture were identified, we then launched a change communications plan that clearly outlined step by step tasks/objectives leading to the final brand launch.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Clear positioning and messaging to employees and customers of WestPac was essential. It was vital that they understood the "why" behind the rebrand and how it would positively impact them.

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

Project Management overall was excellent. The project did take longer than anticipated, but this was in large part due to WestPac. id8 ultimately kept us on track. They also were open to feedback on all items along the way; they allowed greater collaboration to eventually create a brand that we were happy with.

What was your primary form of communication with id8?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Eric seemed to really take the time to understand who we are and how our business operates. This was refreshing because our business model is complex. Overall though, their entire team was wonderful to work with.

Are there any areas for improvement or something id8 could have done differently?

Not really. The project did take longer than anticipated so we could have kept on schedule a bit better, but ultimately not rushing the project likely yielded better results regardless.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Reflective Apparel. We manufacture and sell ANSI high-sensibility safety apparel.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with id8?

Originally, we needed help with branding consulting.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We first hired id8 for branding consulting, but after that process and our discussions with them, we decided to extend our collaboration and make them our marketing arm. Now, id8 works seamlessly with us as an extension of our internal team. They continuously help us with any type of marketing literature, and they’re in charge of our new product lines’ branding, logo design, and marketing communications as we launch them. Their marketing efforts also include advertising strategies, such as Google Ads and email blast campaigns.

What is the team composition?

Lindsay (Senior Project Manager) and Hannah (Project Manager) are our main points of contact.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $200,000–$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We measure the success of id8’s work by seeing our revenue growth. Whenever we launch a new campaign, we tend to see our sales increase; that’s how we know that what we’re doing together is working.

How did id8 perform from a project management standpoint?

id8’s project management is great. My VP of sales and marketing and myself work closely with them and communicate with them multiple times per day. We have a weekly Microsoft Teams meeting for updates so that everyone is in line with the project, and we communicate via email back and forth constantly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

One of the aspects we like the most about id8 is that they’ve learned our business and understood what we’re trying to accomplish. They’ve been working for us for so long that they know what we’re going for and what we want. Thus, as they continue to build out new communication, it is very easy for us to collaborate without explaining our goals every time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. I can’t think of anything that id8 could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Lay out your goals from the beginning, tell id8 what you want to accomplish, and don’t be afraid to tell them no. They have a lot of different resources, but you’re free to use them as you please. As long as you’re clear on what you want from them, they’ll work right on that lane very well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing communications manager at Builders (formerly known as Builders Insurance Group), a property and casualty insurance carrier. We serve 17 states and are quickly growing. Our core product is the worker's compensation and general liability, while other of our products include package, umbrella, and builder’s risk.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with id8?

When I was hired in 2020, my boss was looking for some versatile communications talent. However, we hadn’t formally had any in-house communications team. Thus, we were looking for a broad skillset of external talent to assist us with branding, document design, content creation, social media management, and more — the full gamut of communication services.

The first key initiative that my boss wanted me to spearhead was the rebranding of our company, so we set out to find some candidates that could help us with this endeavor.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

id8 helped us with our rebranding project. In the beginning, we had an extensive research process, which id8 managed brilliantly. It involved market research and interviews with our key customers because we wanted data to support our branding strategy and brand identity development.

Then, we moved into the actual brand strategy development process. For the brand strategy, we identified who we were, who our buyer personas were, what our positioning was, what the augmentation behind our positioning was, and which data supported that.

We also created a very extensive brand platform deck, and we used the data from our research to inform it. It contains all of our findings and conclusions, as well as the strategy around our brand.

After that process, id8 used that deck to build our brand identity. This next phase included a name change, a new logo design, the development of our first-ever extensive brand guidelines, and a wealth of new logos, assets, and templates to support our daily branding across our different departments.

Following our brand identity development, id8 helped us develop a brand launch plan, for which they provided us with a lot of strategic guidance for launching the brand internally and externally. Additionally, they developed all of the assets needed to support that launch as well. We’ve already launched our new brand, and id8 is now our general branding partner.

What is the team composition?

id8’s core team has five people, including Kriston (President), who was very involved in the early stages, Eric (Brand Strategist), and Morgan (Graphic Designer), who is our lead designer. We’ve also worked with Lindsay and Hannah (Project Managers). Additionally, we’ve worked with other people in supporting roles.

How did you come to work with id8?

I have a very strong bias toward local branding partners. Thus, I searched the Atlanta area to find the right partner for us. After interviewing a number of agencies, we narrowed them down to two, one of which was id8. I found id8 specifically on a site that had done a compilation of the best branding agencies in Atlanta.

When I found them, I really liked their website, so I reached out to them. They developed a very extensive proposal for our rebrand, outworking the other agencies tenfold before even signing the contract.

Ultimately, they were chosen by our board of directors to work on our rebranding project. One of the reasons we chose them was because they showed the capabilities to handle the rebranding project from beginning to end.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2020 and launched our new brand internally and externally in October 2021. The project would normally have taken about 12 months, but it was extended due to the pandemic. Still, our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since launching our new brand, our issued insurance policies have increased by 20% and our submissions by 6% compared to the previous year. The great thing about those increases is that the majority of the newly issued policies have been for other industries.

In the past, we worked predominantly for construction companies, but our rebrand objective was to show that we did more than construction insurance. These early results are very promising, and they’ve shown us that the rebranding was successful.

How did id8 perform from a project management standpoint?

id8’s project management is excellent — they’re very strong in that regard. They have very sophisticated and talented project managers capable of keeping everything on track.

What did you find most impressive about them?

id8’s versatility and agility are outstanding; they have a great research arm, impressive strategic excellence, and great creativity in designing branding assets. A lot of other agencies don’t have the research abilities and competencies that they have.

id8’s strategic excellence is worth mentioning by itself. Eric’s strategic guidance has been priceless throughout our engagement, and we rely heavily on him. On top of that, their consistent quality work sets them apart from other agencies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

For me, the biggest area in which id8 has room for improvement is in their content creation, but this issue is rather specific to my own skillset. I’m a writer, so I’ve noticed that they don’t have resources necessarily better than me at content writing. However, I have very high standards in that regard, and those issues might not be present when working with other clients. Still, it would be good if they grew their network of writers and content professionals to improve in that area. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be as involved in the project as you can. They’re great at what they do, but our combined expertise has helped us a lot. Thus, my best advice would be to facilitate a synergy between id8 and you to get the best possible outcome.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the assistant city administrator and chief public information officer at the City of Alpharetta, a municipal organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with id8?

We're a fairly old organization, and we've enjoyed great success over the years in recruiting business and the industry to our community. However, as times change, positions and markets change as well. We found ourselves in a spot where we needed to reinvent and reintroduce ourselves to better fit our emerging role as a technology center.

We needed a company that could help us re-envision our site to help us appeal to a younger market and help us focus more on quality-of-life type of issues that are driving business location decisions today.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially approached id8 to create a new brand identity for the city and redefine our story for economic development. They helped us identify and define our brand position and message, including the logo marks and colors that help communicate that message and that voice.

They did all the work for us, including developing the initial concepts in market strategy to defining the brand and then creating the tools to implement the brand from the logo marks and colors through to advertising.

The scope then rolled from brand development to the implementation of that new brand through things like advertising, development, and the launch of a new website. They built a new WordPress site for us, which is our economic development site. They will be handling the site’s maintenance, and we also plan to engage them for various other marketing and positioning needs.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Lindsay (Senior Project Manager), Eric (Brand Strategist), a couple of graphic designers, a web designer, and some developers.

How did you come to work with id8?

We were out in the market trying to find a smaller boutique firm. Metro Atlanta has a lot of marketing firms of all sizes, and finding one that was a perfect fit for us in terms of size, approach and general culture was important to us.

id8 had done some work for a couple of other communities that caught our eye, and we did have a referral from somebody who had worked in one of those communities and had spent time working with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $55,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.
 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new position is just really starting to roll out, but already we're already seeing very positive responses from the local business market and our residents. We're also gaining attention and traction from the types of new market economy businesses that we were really hoping to attract. 

The smaller and midsized startups and innovation-type companies, which were our target for this, are also responding to our new positioning very well. Our calls and interest are up in location and investment within the community. And this is coming at a time when, coming out of the pandemic, it's very competitive to try to get business investment because companies are in an age where remote work is more prevalent than ever. 

Their investments are fewer and farther between, and what they are looking for in locations is very specific and very limited in where you're going to be able to find it. This new campaign has definitely helped us draw the attention we needed to overcome this problem.

How did id8 perform from a project management standpoint?

Id8 has been outstanding in terms of project management. Their ability to coordinate with their team effectively was absolutely second to none. 

We typically communicate through the phone, email, and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

id8’s attention to detail and to our relationship and needs keep us coming back to them. We’re also really impressed with their ability to listen, understand who we were, and help us capture and communicate it. We were having a hard time defining who it was we were based on our persona, and they were able to successfully capture that and put it into a story that was not only understandable but also appealing. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The one thing that I would say is maybe they could have pushed us harder. I think they could have pushed us a little more in terms of stepping outside the box a little more.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very open with them in terms of telling them what it is that you're trying to achieve and really spending the time to reveal your culture to them.

Share with them what is important in terms of your values and who you are. Listen a lot because they are incredibly talented. We were blown away by the talent that they brought, so listen and follow their direction because you're going to get outstanding results.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m responsible for the business development area of an industrial firm. We do surface engineering and equipment rebuilds. We also sell polyurethane wheels manufactured by Raeder Vogel.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with id8?

We hired id8 to develop our marketing and branding strategy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

id8 is responsible for our marketing strategy and implementation. We had conversations with them to figure out what wanted to accomplish. They then reached out to some of our customers to better understand our business. Since then, they’ve designed a marketing strategy and helped us implement it.

They’ve developed five different industry landing pages for our website. In addition, they’ve built mailers and five different blogs that we post on LinkedIn and our website. Their team also helps with SEO.

What is the team composition?

Eric (Brand Strategist) and Jess (Senior Graphic Designer) are the ones most involved in our projects. Kriston (President) coordinates all of the efforts.

How did you come to work with id8?

They were referred to the head of our organization. We looked at their capabilities, and after interviewing them, we decided they were the firm to go with.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $23,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started conversations with them in September 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s too early to see tangible results. However, we expect to start getting results in about 90–120 days. We’ll measure the success of this engagement based on how many people reach out to us and how much ROI and revenue we generate. In terms of working with id8, they’ve been great, and their work is high quality. Eric and Jess have leaned in well and listened to us.

How did id8 perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate through email and phone. They coordinate everything so well. I’m not certain about the tool they use, but I’m very pleased with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The creativity they bring to the engagement is high quality, and their project organization is solid.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some members of our team thought that things were bumpy at first. However, everything started running smoothly as we went along.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The best thing somebody could do to equip id8 is to have a good understanding of their business and communicate their ideas as soon as possible. The more raw material you give them, the better they are at putting their creativity into it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a Commercial Low Voltage company. We design and install access control, security systems, structured cabling, A/V, and life safety systems for commercial construction projects, including multi-family housing and apartment complexes. I’m the office manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with id8?

We’ve grown quickly — going from 5–6 employees to 20–25 over the course of a few years — and we’re beginning to work with bigger and bigger general contractors. Our website was basic, and we wanted to update it to reflect our growth. Also, there’s a new technology that fire codes require in buildings (known as ERRC or DAS) that not many companies are installing — it’s extra wiring and technology for radio communication during emergencies — so we wanted to rebuild our website to spotlight this new technology.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The project included messaging work that helped us to describe what we do and position ourselves positively in the industry. The first deliverable is a brand blueprint.

Another part of the project is a logo refresh for us. We asked id8 to come up with some ideas after they got to know us and did some interviews, and then they delivered a new logo design we are very happy with.

They’re also doing our website, which is being finalized right now. This includes professional copywriting.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with around seven people in total, including the owner, a project manager, and Julie, the creative director. Julie took on the project manager role when our first resource changed positions. There have also been two different copywriters throughout our engagement, as well as a web designer or two.

How did you come to work with id8?

I researched 4–5 different companies and chose id8. On our phone call, the owner was friendly and knowledgeable and immediately assessed my needs, responding with a ballpark quote on the call. This was important, as we didn’t have any idea how much a project like this would cost. id8 kept in touch, and I introduced them to my boss and our management team, and everyone was comfortable with them. Their professionalism stood out — they had enough people to get everything done that we needed. Other companies I talked to would have had to outsource to other companies, and we wanted a package deal in-house.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $20,000–$25,000 so far. We will engage them for ongoing maintenance as well.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since August 2020. We’re in the final stretch, and actually we had to delay the finalization of the website because we’re transitioning our web hosting provider from one company to another. A second vendor is handling that piece and id8 is working closely with them to minimize the delay.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We received valuable feedback from both customers and employees as a result of the deep dive interview process id8 ran. Our employees found id8 professional in that setting as well.

They have always delivered what they said they would on time.

How did id8 perform from a project management standpoint?

They sent an outline at the beginning that showed us what the project would be like and have since kept me informed about upcoming meetings. They set up all our conference calls and even come to our office when we need to meet in-person. Primarily, we communicate over the phone and text. They are quick with callbacks. I give them an A+ for communication.

Our work is very technical, so we ended up having to do a lot of copywriting ourselves to ensure things were described accurately.

The project managers keep things on track.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are experienced and professional. Kriston (President) has been in the marketing industry for a long time — maybe 20 years — and she’s put together a team that does a great job. They learned about us from the bottom to the top before making their suggestions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

During the copywriting phase, we realized the copywriter didn’t grasp our tone and word choice as well as we thought they did when we were interviewed on the phone, so we made a lot of edits to the copy. This delayed the project, at our request, but id8 was very flexible.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You will be in good hands. id8 is going to guide you through the process and project manage it. Kriston knew right away what deliverables we needed, and they’ve been true to their word. They haven’t tried to upsell us, either.