Matchstic

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner and founder of Surcheros Fresh Grill, a Tex-Mex restaurant chain with six locations and a seventh under construction. We are a franchise restaurant chain, and I'm the franchiser.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Matchstic?

When I set out to franchise the business we had a name that hit a snag during the trademarking process, so we needed to create a new name, a new image, and an overall new brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We discussed doing our new name with them, but in the end, I did that on my own. When we rolled out the new name, they created a brand brief covering who we are, what we sound and look like, and how we should present our new brand to the public. They reassured me that we would likely gain customers instead of losing them.

On a more tactical level, they designed our logo, the interior of our restaurant, our uniforms, and our pocket guide to our service standards. They also helped with the content of the pocket guide. They also did a lot of food photography, worked on some of our billboards, and did our website.

What is the team dynamic?

We worked primarily with Craig Johnson [President and Co-Founder, Matchstic], Blake Howard [Creative Director and Co-Founder, Matchstic], and Maggie, our day-to-day project manager. We also worked with several designers, photographers, and web designers.

How did you come to work with Matchstic?

About three months previous, we worked briefly with another branding agency. It was more of a one-man show, and he knew that he was in over his head, so he introduced me to Matchstic. Before hiring them, however, I interviewed three other firms.

How much have you invested with them?

Between $50,000-$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement lasted from August 2016 until May 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have statistics, but people love our new website. It’s a more modern, clean, fresh and friendly take on our brand. Plus, it’s more thought out than most of our competitors’ branding.

How did Matchstic perform from a project management standpoint?

They couldn’t have performed any better. They were very organized, and kept in communication so we knew what was coming up and had ample time to prepare. Plus, they always recapped recent work so we always knew where we stood.

Since this was such a visual project, we interacted mainly through video or web conferences. Other than that, we communicated through email and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

As a larger firm, they have more support than a lot of boutique designers. I like that because there are more heads to think about the project. They have a lot of young, but well-trained, designers with fresh ideas, and they’ve done projects for national brands as well as smaller businesses. That allows them to not only understand trends, but work together on a final product that’s far more thought out than one person would have come up with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They might think more about the actual marketplace performance of their designs. For example, on the initial billboards we put up, the design was beautiful, but the messaging was large and the logo small. Despite the fact that we already had national recognition, we missed an opportunity to brand ourselves a little better. I signed off on it, so it's my fault too.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a three-person real estate development company, of which I am a managing partner. We are located in Atlanta, GA, and are primarily engaged in mixed-use development in the Southeast U.S.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Matchstic?

Matchstic was engaged to develop an overall brand and visual identity for a $45 million mixed-use, adaptive reuse project in Atlanta. The development is unique to Atlanta, and required a non-standard approach to brand communication. We sought to formulate an identity that was focused less on the real estate and more on the lifestyle and culture of the area and the community we are trying to create.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Matchstic led and in-depth exploration of the project, its goals and audience, and various potential brand positionings. Deliverables were brand assets, along with standards and guidelines for use, vision book development and other marketing materials, including leasing signs and other swag.

How did you come to work with Matchstic?

We wanted to use an Atlanta-based agency that was focused on branding and not advertising. We also wanted a company that had experience working in upper-tier markets. Matchstic fit the bill.

How much have you invested with Matchstic?

The project was between $10,000 and $50,000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Matchstic did an excellent job of conveying the lifestyle of the property instead of focusing on the real estate aspects. We have just begun to show the property to potential customers, but we feel great about where our branding and marketing efforts are.

What did you find most impressive about Matchstic?

Matchstic has a very in-depth branding process that they go through, which gave us a lot of comfort throughout the project. I also appreciated the strong follow up from Matchstic. They were very personable and relatable throughout the project, and that made them a pleasure to work with.

Is there anything Matchstic could have improved or done differently?

In retrospect, the process and the associated cost of the work was probably more extensive than needed to achieve our goals. Matchstic does not do a lot of real estate branding, which is one of the primary reasons we chose them for this particular project, so they likely did not have a great frame of reference for pricing and scoping the work. In addition, we could have been clearer up front about the real estate-specific deliverables that would be required, so that we could target those items from the outset and not require add-services on the back end. I would absolutely use Matchstic again, but would lean toward larger projects where their horsepower and depth is particularly beneficial and cost effective.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Mosaic is a training consulting company. We do field operations training and enterprise application training in the utility, oil, and gas industries.

What is your position?

I am the marketing manager. I'm responsible for all of our marketing, brand collateral, and events.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Matchstic?

Our first project with them was a complete rebrand of our company. We kept our name, but we completely changed our logo, colors, brand, key messaging, and all of that.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They handled everything except for the coding and development of the website at the end. However, they did all the wireframes, design, copy, and all of that for the website. We worked with a vendor they recommended to actually code it and get it all up and running.

We're actually just now starting a new project with them. Last time we worked with them, we took all of the foundational stuff they created and executed it on our own. We've felt that we got a little bit misaligned with the brand in doing that. We kind of wanted to come back and do a mini refresh. We're actually in the process of updating our website again, simplifying it, and redoing some of the content with them right now. They've also helped us strategize some of our business philosophy, our approach and kind of define that at a higher level and give us some more foundation for our verbal identity.

How did you come to work with Matchstic?

They were actually a referral from one of our employees who lived in Atlanta at the time and knew them personally. He knew about their company. We went through an interview process with about three or four branding agencies before we chose them.

What is the status of this engagement?

I believe the initial project was six to nine months back in 2013. We launched the new brand at the beginning of 2014. We've begun the latest refresh process in just the past few months [2016].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

One thing they've helped us with this go-around is getting internal alignment on who we are and the value we bring to our market segment. That's been big for us this year, just within our internal leadership teams and employees.

A specific example of that is we were struggling a bit in one of our business units. Matchstic helped us redefine our approach and simplified it back to its essence. I don't have tangible outcomes for that effort, but I can tell you we've felt much more confident in conversations with prospects and clients, and know that the changes are ringing true and providing more value.

What distinguishes Matchstic from other providers?

I feel like they listen well. Matchstic is great at figuring out who your company is and working with you to draw out your strengths versus bringing in who they are and imposing that on you. I feel like we've gotten to the true essence of who are. They've helped us uncover that without then trying to change anything about us. They figured us out well and understood us, which has been great.

Is there anything Matchstic could have improved or done differently?

The only thing I can think of is that sometimes we are ready to move a little faster than them. I assume that's because they're still small and don't have a ton of resources. I think sometimes we're ready to move faster than they are onto the next steps. But, ultimately, we're always happy with the output, and so it's been worth it for us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

The name of our organization is Adanu. We're a Ghanaian NGO [nongovernmental organization] and American 501(c)(3). Adanu was established 14 years ago by a group of Ghanaian people that wanted to go back to overlooked communities in their country and help communities build their education infrastructure through sustainable development.

What is your position?

I'm the director of development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Matchstic?

We wanted to keep the Ghanaian identity of our organization, but we also needed name, brand, and website that could attract Western fundraisers and volunteers.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

The most important thing they did was to transform our brand. We spent a day with them in Atlanta, with members of our United States-based organization and our Ghanaian counterparts. It was after that session that they suggested we rename the organization, which before was "DIVOG," a Ghanaian word, Adanu. They helped us figure out all of that with great coaching and their expertise. After that, they came up with a few different directions the brand could go, and we selected one, they built the website and brand identity materials out of that discussion.

How did you come to work with Matchstic?

I own a consulting company in Seattle, and we had used them previously to help us do some branding work for that company. We were happy with them, so when I took this position with Adanu, I thought we could benefit from starting over with our brand.

Obviously, our consulting firm had a completely different budget, but they were able to work with our budget.

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

It was $10,000 to $50,000 range.

What is the status of this engagement?

I think from beginning to end, it was around six months.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We've had nothing but positive feedback with our stakeholders. When your organization is located in another part of the world, in a country few people have been to, you have to do something to engender confidence. For example, we'll often work with the study abroad programs of universities to provide volunteer opportunities for their students, and I think those relationships have only improved since the rebrand.

I think with the website they did a great job of incorporating Ghanaian themes and colors while still making it navigable for a Western audience.

What distinguishes Matchstic from other providers?

They're good listeners and have great energy for their work. It was fun working with them. They're very creative. It was amazing in a day's time to be able to sit down with Matchstic and get to where we got in eight hours. It was amazing that we got to Adanu, coming with DIVOG, which was completely not what it should've been. To get there in a one-day period was shocking. I think one of Matchstic's true strengths is pushing the client to think outside the box, but in a way that allows the client to maintain control.

Is there anything Matchstic could have improved or done differently?

The only thing I could say is that they were expensive, and we are a nonprofit. However, with that being said, I feel like we got great value for our money, and I would do everything the same if I could do it again.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a quick-service restaurant chain with locations throughout the United States. At present, we have approximately 2,000 restaurants.

What is your position?

I am the senior director of design. My team is in charge of designing our new restaurants and the remodels of our outdated locations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you facing, when you first began working with Matchstic?

As the company has grown, the pace of our design output has increased. In the past, we could design a restaurant and then just go around the U.S. finding two-acre parcels in open space and just keep building that same restaurant. However, with people moving back into urban environments, we found that we were having to do more and more custom projects, so we needed to up the creativity and volume of our design. To help facilitate this, we decided to build a massive innovation and design center, where we could pull all our people under one roof, and do what other innovation groups do, which is prototype. The only challenge is, all our prototypes are about 5,000 square feet, so it had to be a huge space.

Since this was going to be a new flagship building, we wanted it to be the best representation of the company in general, and our division of the company, in particular. This included giving the building a name that would set the tone for our employees as well as creating a culture that encouraged creative design-based thinking.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Matchstic's work included coming up with a name for the building as well as building a brand-within-a-brand that could represent the division of the company that was going to be based in this building.

How did you come to work with Matchstic?

I spend a lot of time in the Atlanta design community, and I'd been hearing about this little branding company, Matchstic for a while. I have a bias for wanting to work, when possible, with agencies that are in the Atlanta area because we're an Atlanta-based company. I first reached out to them to set up a meeting just to hear a little more about what they did and told them that I would be on the lookout for a project that might fit their skill set. When this came up, and we were trying out this novel idea of branding a building, I thought it sounded like a great fit for them.

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

It was around $50,000 – maybe a little above. We ended up asking for a few things that went outside the initial scope of the project.

What is the status of this engagement?

It's hard to remember back exactly. I would probably put it at three to six months, something like that. We weren't under a huge time crunch because we had the brand and the name in place long before we were ready to cut the ribbon on the place.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any results from this engagement?

From beginning to end, Matchstic's work on this project surpassed expectations. To start out, their discovery and design process was incredibly thorough. At the end of it, I was confident that we had left no stone unturned, and I think that showed in the results of the project. I actually have shamelessly stolen aspects of their design process and have used them in our own projects. They ended up coming up with several names, but the one we ended up choosing was far ahead of the others. As soon as we heard it, we knew it was perfect, and it has received universally accepted across the company.

The identity system that they created was playful, but it was also effective and sticky. Here we are now, three years later, and as we talk about innovation or design anywhere across the company, I am 90 percent positive that anybody could jump up and start drawing on a whiteboard how we think about design, and they would use the same kind of iconography that was originally put forward by Matchstic. Three years later, the legacy of their work is still very much felt around here.

When given the opportunity, I've always told people I don't know how this could've gone any better. We're delighted with the output. Sometimes, you work with people and the output is good, but you didn't like the process or the people, and you just don't work with them again. That hasn't been the case with Matchstic. We've worked with them again. They've created relationships within our company, and they're doing much bigger projects than Hatch.

What distinguishes Matchstic from other providers?

I can't speak highly enough about the quality of their work and how satisfied we are with it. Another thing that impressed me, though, was their integrity. After the success of the naming project, we engaged them on a few other projects and, after getting started on the work, they came back to us and put us on to another agency that they felt was more appropriate for the work. They could have done the work easily and gotten paid for it, but they knew it wasn't in their sweet spot, and they wanted to give to an agency that was a better fit. I think that showed incredible integrity and only made me want to work with them more.

Is there anything Matchstic could have improved or done differently?

No. I think it's a very well-run company. If I could offer any advice, it would be what I was speaking to in your last question. Their work is so good. I would love to see it expand and see them add more capabilities.

BACKGROUND

Please provide a description of your company. 

Suddath is a global transportation and logistics company. We employ more than 2,000 people worldwide and operate in more than 150 countries.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the vice president of marketing communications and business development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Matchstic?

We hired Matchstic to help take us through an entire brand and digital strategy project. We’ve recently gone through an extremely heavy acquisitional period, acquiring seven companies in the last four years. Our identity both internally and externally was extremely muddy, and we needed to reestablish our identity and what our priorities are as well as figure out how to externalize that in the marketplace.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

Our brand identity was very disjointed, so in the first six months of the project they had to take us through an extremely exhaustive discovery process. We needed to clean everything up in a very short time span, and that’s where I want to give them the highest level of accolades. They came into a difficult situation where there were a lot of stakeholders, who did not always have the same agenda, and found a way to make it work. Matchstic's research process was phenomenal, their quantitative and qualitative audit of our customers and employees yielded a number of actionable insights for us.

In the second six months, we've worked with Matchstic to determine the brand strategy. We're in the process of determining the personality and tone of the brand as well as the external reflectors of the brand. 

I should mention that sometimes their insights bleed outside of traditional brand strategy. Sometimes, I feel like I'm working with management consultants. It's fantastic.

What was your process for selecting Matchstic with which to work?

I initially heard of them because I used to work at the PGA Tour, and one of our sponsors referred them to me. At Suddath, we went through a very exhaustive selection process and talked to about 17 different companies. They were the smallest and were not local to us, so they had some things stacked against them. However, in the RFP [request for proposal] process, their content, and prior experience to back it up, stole the show.

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

The overall project has been in the range of $300,000.

What was the timeline of the project?

We started the selection process in February 2014 and awarded them the business in August. The work still ongoing [April 2015].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics, metrics, or general feedback from the project?

Initially, I was a little worried about their size and capacity due to the fast-paced timeline we set, but that has not been an issue. For a team their size, they’re a well-oiled machine. They have stayed on schedule, and I give them a lot of credit for that because we’re messy, but they always keep us within scope and cost.

Their approach for us, culturally, has been very consultative, and very unselfish. Everyone on their team is smart, knows their role, and does it. What they produce, for the amount of time and money invested, is very impressive. 

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

I think what they're able to get done, given the size of their team and what they charge, makes them stand out. 

I just got the feeling that they were very honest. They’re not trying to trick you or your customer. They’re literally being their own personal brand every day, and they live up to it. They’ve been one of the best partners I’ve had in 20 years of doing this.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

They’re very laid back, and that’s an approach that works for them, and that has made my group comfortable. However, sometimes I had to ask them to be a little more assertive, firm, in what they were telling our leadership should be the future of our company.

BACKGROUND

Please provide a description of your organization. 

Located in Atlanta, Georgia, we are a leading research university committed to improving the human condition through advanced science and technology. We provide a focused, technologically based education to more than 21,500 undergraduate and graduate students.

Matchstic was working specifically with the Innovation and Design Collaborative, a multi-disciplinary design center based in the university's main library. 

What is your role at the company?

I'm a chaired professor, holding appointments in both industrial design and mechanical engineering. I also serve as the director for the Innovation and Design Collaborative.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was the business challenge that you were trying to address when you approached Matchstic?

We needed to set up a compelling brand strategy and communications plan for the fledgling design center. We were looking to differentiate the design center from its comparators, both internal and external. 

What was the scope of the project, and can you describe the specific services provided by Matchstic?

In addition to all the research and strategy work they did, Matchstic delivered a new website design, a corporate identity system, and a brand strategy deck.

SOLUTION

What was your process for selecting Matchstic with which to work?

Initially, Matchstic was referred to me by a mutual friend in the UI/UX [user interface/user experience] space. After reading through their brochures, website, and portfolio, I really connected with their past work. We have an internal bidding system that they went through with several other vendors. They were the best choice.

Can you give us a general estimate of the size of the project in dollar terms or personnel work hours? 

It was between $45,000 and $50,000.

When did the project begin, and when was it completed?

The brand strategy began in summer of 2014, followed by the website design work; we just completed the visual identity portion in March 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the results of the project, and are there any metrics you can share?

The results have been fantastic, and we are very pleased with the final product. We don’t have any hard number metrics but, anecdotally, we have gotten many compliments on the visual identity and website design.

When working with them, was there anything unique or special about them compared to other partners with which you may have worked?

It's a little difficult to say, as this is the first brand strategy project I have been a part of. But, it was a pleasure working with them. They did a great job capturing the essence of who we are, and translating that into a visually appealing story on our website and marketing materials. 

Looking back on the project do you have any constructive criticism? Is there any area that they could improve or you would do differently?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please provide a description of your company.

I work for a nonprofit that provides critical resources to people with arthritis and conducts scientific research for finding a permanent cure.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I’m the senior vice president of marketing and communications. I oversee all marketing communications our organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Matchstic?

When I started with the organization, we were really struggling to tell our story. When you asked 10 different people who we are and what we do, you’d probably get 10 different answers. We wanted to unify our message and reposition ourselves as the core leader for attacking arthritis and its effects.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

There were two phases to Matchstic's work. Phase one involved brand research, and defining a strategy for how we move forward to reposition the organization. This included building a messaging platform and establishing a brand philosophy that would be broad enough to represent our constituents, staff, and volunteers as they think and talk about our role in establishing a leadership position in the health advocacy space.

Phase two  focused on implementation, and really honed in on the visual aspects of the brand. Matchstic designed a new visual identity for the organization that we plan to implement companywide in the coming months.

What was your process for selecting Matchstic with which to work?

I had worked with Matchstic before at a previous organization, so I knew the kind of work they were capable of. I included them in the RFP [request for proposal] process, which involved at least 10 firms. We narrowed it down to three and chose Matchstic based on their previous work and the insights they gave us even in the RFP process. 

Can you provide a ballpark dollar figure for the size of the work that they’ve done for you?

Those figures are confidential.

What was the timeline for the project?

We initially engaged Matchstic in July of last year. The wrap up of phase one was complete by November, in time for our board's annual meetings. Phase two is wrapping up now, and we plan to launch the new visual identity soon [2015].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you provide feedback regarding the results of the project? 

From the beginning, the approach that Matchstic used truly built collaboration along the way. Their project was very labor- and time-intensive, and one of the things that I highly commend Matchstic for is their ability to keep us all bought into the process. They listened to many different perspectives from a number of stakeholders and had to balance that feedback in ways that would not hold up the process but actually advance it.

At the same time, they challenged us in a lot of different areas. There were many processes and areas of our business, we felt were aligned until we started discussing things and realized that they weren’t. Matchstic provided tough feedback that we needed to hear in a way that didn't alienate anyone. That is a tough thing to do in an organization as large as ours.

All of these things allowed us to get strong leadership buy-in from the very beginning, which was critical to the success of the project.

Is there anything unique about them that really makes them stand out, compared to other companies?

Outside of their outstanding creative and design work, one thing that makes them stand out was their ability to come in and train our marketing team. It's the old adage, "You can give a man a fish, or you can teach him to fish."

I’ve worked with many branding firms throughout my career, and most want to ensure their future revenue stream, so they’re reluctant to share too much of their secret sauce. It makes us much more reliant upon them to build and develop our brand going forward. Matchstic wasn’t that way, and I was appreciative of what they did for us.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or something that you might do differently?

They're a smaller firm, and their account management is not what you'd get at one of the big New York agencies, but that's to be expected and was never a major issue.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Communications & Brand of Every Home

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Every Home is a global network of local Christ-carriers whose mission is to share Jesus's love with everyone, everywhere, in every generation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Evaluate our existing brand to include name and visual identity system.
• Research existing brand and propose recommendations.
• Deliver updated visual and messaging brand system.

SOLUTION

How did you find Matchstic?

Online Search

Why did you select Matchstic over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from Matchstic were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

There were five phases in the scope of work provided by Matchstic.
• Discovery (research)
• Strategy
• Naming
• Logo & Visual Identity
• Messaging

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Matchstic walked through every step of the rebranding process with us. They guided us in strategic thinking based on research they had conducted and ultimately delivered a new set of brand guidelines for our organization to implement globally.

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

Yes, the Matchstick team was very communicative and was always on time. If there were ever any hold ups, it was from our internal team. 

What was your primary form of communication with Matchstic?

Virtual Meeting

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

Matchstic was very thorough, intelligent, and empathetic. They are best-in-class experts in this field.  

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

No, I can't imagine the process going any better.