Venthio

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We’re a 501(c)(3) non-profit called the Obria Foundation. We’re based in Southern California and have a number of medical clinics around the country providing healthcare to women.

What is your position?

I’m the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Venthio?

We had a name that was 38 years old, and it didn’t match how we had grown into a national medical provider. It was an old-fashioned name that targeted the donor instead of the patients that we want to serve. It soon evolved into a total rebrand, but it started with the naming project.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

In addition to coming up with a new name, Venthio also helped us redesign our website. Venthio managed the onboarding of a SEO specialist to handle digital marketing. For the rebrand, it was a complete overhaul of our color scheme, marketing materials, everything.

Venthio brought in a video team that made two branding and marketing videos for us. They presented one of them at the ADDY Awards, and it did really well. Venthio also wrote and designed our year-end report, which was a major undertaking. Lastly, I had brought in a Public Relations company, and Venthio came in and worked with them to help define media releases, op-eds, press releases, and what is the messaging and what does it look like. Dean consulted on just about every outside facing aspect of this organization, and he played a huge part in the national exposure we’ve received over the last few years.

How did you come to work with Venthio?

I met Dean years ago at a local Christian business leaders breakfast. We hit it off, and we asked him to do some pro-bono consulting for us. Several years later, when the opportunity for this rebrand came up, I reached out to Dean along with a few other agencies, and it was just a no-brainer that we should go with Venthio.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

It was in excess of $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in mid-2013, and launched the new brand on February 1, 2015. It was really almost a two-year project, starting from scratch, sitting down and defining the scope of the project.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

On February 1, 2015, we actually put the Obria signs up on our clinics outside. By that time, we had created the new website, and we launched the website at the same time. We replaced the old collateral pieces with all the new design. Then we actually did a hard launch in November at our big gala. There were 600 of our donors there, and everyone loved the new design.

The results are that from our initial launch in February to our year-end in 2015, our number of patients served went up 42%. That is huge. Second, we created the national brand. It’s trademarked nationally. Then Dean said to trademark it internationally, and now we’re working with a ministry that is in 18 countries around the world from Colombia, to China, to England. He will be taking the Obria Medical model brand into those countries.

Our goal from November 1, 2015 was to have 200 Obria Medical clinics up and running around the country by 2020. We wouldn’t have dreamed of such an ambitious plan under our old brand.

What distinguishes Venthio from other providers?

None of our success would’ve happened if Dean hadn’t made the whole process so great with the wonderful name he came up with for us and in building something we could trademark and own. If Dean hadn’t walked us through every single step of the rebrand, we never could have gotten to where we are today.

He is a man of integrity. He is a joy to work with. His professionalism is top-notch. His response to us was always immediate, and he was always there if I felt lost. He always was sitting across from my desk saying, “We can do this,” and we did. After going through a process that is very scary, to let go and let someone redefine you, at the end of it he’s become a dear friend. If he sees anything out there just through the media, he immediately contacts me and says, “Great job, Kathleen. This is so exciting.”

Is there anything Venthio could have improved or done differently?

No. I just have to tell you it’s been great. I’m so thankful that we found Dean.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Private Capital Network is a large network of angel investors from around the country that has a small presence in Europe as well. We invest in early-stage companies, and startups.

What is your position?

I'm president of the organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Venthio?

Our brand is around six years old, and has been in need of a refresh for a while. When we first started the company we didn't put time into getting a professional brand done, and we felt like it was time to get organized because people from around the world were starting to notice us, and we wanted to be sure we put our best foot forward.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

First, we needed a logo, and we needed a logo that had a little bit of cleverness and creativity to it because that's one of the main ways we're trying to differentiate ourselves from other angel investment firms. Then, we needed a website refresh, and we needed some fresh copywriting and brand positioning. I think those were the key areas.

How did you come to work with Venthio?

I met Dean [Del Sesto, principal at Venthio] years ago but, at that time, we didn't do any business. When I started looking around for different branding companies, we looked at a couple of local companies and a couple of companies back east. We decided we wanted local, and we wanted somebody who had some pedigree, meaning they had worked with premier companies in the past. Process was also very important to us, somebody who had a simple, very easy to understand process as to how they would go about creating to our brand. With that in mind, Dean rose to the top.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We probably spent in the $50,000 range.

What is the timeline of this engagement?

In total, it was around a four-month process. If anything, Dean was ahead of schedule.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The quality of work was very good, clean, and organized. We're very satisfied with Venthio's work. Since the rebrand, we've doubled the traffic to our website, and we've doubled the number of startups finding us and seeking our investment. Lastly, we've increased the number of investors in our network by 25 percent.

What distinguishes Venthio from other providers?

I've been involved in at least 10 branding projects in my career, and Venthio was the calmest, easiest, and most flexible team I've worked with. I never felt worried or stressed during the project. I had total confidence in Dean.

The other thing I liked about working with Venthio was it wasn't all about them. With most branding companies, it's always about their ideas, their designs, their look, and so on. I never got that sense with Venthio – they would always listen to us. They understand what I needed to do, they would make those changes, or they'd make multiple recommendations instead of just their preferred way.

Is there anything Venthio could have improved or done differently?

Overall, I thought the experience was one of the best business partnerships I've ever had. I've had some rough experiences with branding companies, and I've been through the wringer with them. Given the opportunity, I would absolutely work with Venthio again.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization, and your role there.

Sunset Lighting is a national provider of lighting, electrical, and sign repair and maintenance services to high-end retailers. I'm the operations manager, and work closely with our president to oversee our marketing and sales efforts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Venthio?

We had recently lost a major account, and were looking to revitalize our sales and marketing efforts. We got in touch with Venthio to help us with a brand refresh as well as develop a new overall sales and marketing strategy because we had neither.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

There was a brand audit, and we found that there wasn't much that needed to be done in that regard, in terms of positioning and strategy. They did, however, help us with a redesign of our website as well as developing a new set of marketing materials, including some video production work.

How did you come to work with Venthio?

Dean [Del Sesto, president of Venthio] spoke at a business group that I'm a part of, and I was very impressed with him. I remember thinking, years ago, how it would be amazing to work with Venthio someday, but there's no way that we'd be able to afford that. Then, when we had these serious sales and marketing challenges, someone suggested that I reach out to him. Dean was able to put us at ease immediately. His price was extremely competitive, and what I liked most about Dean was that I had interviewed probably four or five other agencies who were giving me quotes or strategies that were so complex and convoluted, and I didn't think got to the heart of any of our issues, Dean was straight to the point. It was such a clear and crisp strategy it was really a no-brainer to go with Venthio.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

In total, we've spent in the $100,000 to $200,000 range. That's on a number of different projects, though.

What is the timeline of this engagement?

We started in early July, and we were done probably around November [2015].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We are, by our choice, delaying many of the strategies that Dean and Venthio gave us as we're focused on some hiring objectives. I can tell you that we've experienced a 66 percent increase in web traffic. Sales are up 20 percent from when we started working with Dean. I don't think you could attribute all of that to Venthio's work, but they certainly played a key role in that growth.

What distinguishes Venthio from other providers?

Venthio became a partner in the truest sense of the word. Dean's not just a vendor or an agency that we worked with. He became an extension of Sunset and our team. Also, to reiterate what I said earlier, his plans and strategies were so succinct compared to the other four or five agencies that I spoke with. He just got to the heart of the matter, which I loved. While we have seen increases in web traffic and sales in the short term, I'm confident that we'll be reaping the benefits of Venthio's work for years to come.

Is there anything Venthio could have improved or done differently?

No. Not at all.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a commercial insurance brokerage, specializing in construction projects.

What is your position?

I'm the CEO [Chief Executive Officer] of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Venthio?

We’ve specialized in construction for a long time, and that's what we're really known for. We're in a place now where we’re looking to diversify, and offer products in other industries, but in a way that won’t alienate our core client-base in construction.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Venthio led us through a rebrand with a full vision, mission, and values statement overhaul. From an identity standpoint, they also created a new website, logo, and marketing collateral. Basically, all the things that go with a new brand.

How did you come to work with Venthio?

I've known Dean [Del Sesto, CEO of Venthio] for a number of years through my father-in-law. We talked about doing a rebrand with him about seven or eight years ago and right as we were going to do it in 2008, the construction market collapsed due to the recession. We didn't have any free capital to do a rebrand at the time. As we've gotten back on our feet over the past few years, we reached back out to him, and talked to a few other branding agencies as well, and decided we wanted to move forward.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I'd say it’s been around $50,000.

What was the timeline of this engagement?

I'm not positive. I think it started in February [2015] and then we finished in March or April, but we kept iterating even after that point.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What have been the results of this project, and are there any statistics or metrics you could share?

We've just started rolling it out so we really don’t have anything yet. Venthio finished their work before we were ready to fully deploy the new brand. However, subjectively speaking we’re really happy with the work. Everyone likes the new look of the company, and people have a clearer vision of what our purpose is and who we’re trying to serve in the market.

What distinguishes Venthio from other providers?

I think it was very evident from the beginning that with Dean and Venthio, it wasn't just about getting the job done. He cared more about getting it done right than just getting it done. Throughout the process, even though we totally trusted him, he made sure to walk us through why he was doing things a particular way, which really helped us feel more comfortable with the creative process that was going on behind the scenes.

It was ultimately our decision regarding which direction we went, but he pushed us where we needed to be pushed, and he cared that we understood the vision and that we were happy. I think the biggest takeaway that set him apart from the other agencies we looked at, is the strategy and the unique outlook he brings to the project. We never felt like we were getting a one-size fits all approach to the rebrand, which I think is something you see a lot in that industry.

Is there anything Venthio could have improved or done differently?

Yes, and we've indicated this to Dean already. We wish he had been a little clearer about the exact services that were going to be included in the price he initially quoted us. There was a little miscommunication there, but we ended up clearing everything up with no problem. I don’t fault Dean for it; it was as much our fault as it was his.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company is Insurance Thought Leadership. We're a digital content curation platform aggregating thought leaders from around the world in the area of insurance and risk management. 

What is your position?

I'm founder and chairman of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Venthio?

We were looking to improve our company's brand positioning. We know that we offer unique content to our customers, and we needed a platform and a brand that would not only make us stand out from other content providers, but also stand the test of time and be something we could build on. If you want a unique brand, then you need to work with a unique branding agency. We certainly feel that we found that in Dean [Del Sesto, Venthio's principal] and Venthio. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

It was a comprehensive branding process. They started out taking several days to assess our company formally so they could gain a strong understanding of who we are and what we are trying to achieve. They did a great job of listening to us and what we told them about the company to infer both are pain points and strongest attributes. After that, they began to work on overhauling our customer-facing collateral and website as well coming up with a cohesive brand strategy that we could unite our team around.

How did you come to work with Venthio?

We needed someone who was highly creative and could act very quickly. We interviewed several firms, and all of them just seemed to come back with a one-size-fits-all process. The reason we chose Dean is because he's a very unique individual. He is extremely creative and won't pigeonhole you into anything. We were looking for something that was very nontraditional, and we were looking for a chemistry fit as well. He was able to endear himself to our team because personal relationships are a big part of what we do. There's got to be an understanding of who we are and what we're about. Dean seemed to get it better than anybody.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

In total, we've spent around $200,000. But, that's including several projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

The formal branding process took place almost two years ago, and lasted around 45 days. However, we've done other work with Dean since then.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Before our work with Dean, we had around 150,000 users in 50 countries, and about 60 or 70 companies working with us to provide content at that time. Today, our readership is in 144 countries. We've got a C-Suite-specific user base of a half million and 308 companies are now working with us and 500 of the smartest people with the best ideas. We give direct attribution back to Dean because, while our content is good, people wouldn't come back if the site wasn't aesthetically pleasing or easy to navigate. It's very pleasing to the user experience, and we're on a significant growth ramp right now. Two years later, we have no intention of changing the look and feel of the site because what Dean did is still working well.

What distinguishes Venthio from other providers?

The personal relationship is big. I just can't emphasize enough that Venthio and Dean are a purple cow in the market place – a total anomaly. We feel very fortunate to have found them. Their work is simply the best, and the company name says it all. In this world of headlines, snippets, and one-liners in order to garner people's attention, brevity is huge.

Is there anything Venthio could have improved or done differently?

I don't have anything to say on that topic at all.