A Case Study: AcedMyInterview.com
First question people ask us is what do you do? The second question is often, “Who are some of your clients?” The reality is that we are a full service digital creative agency, but our niche (you should all have a niche) is the startup space. What does that mean? It has a lot to do with our company mission and slogan: We Launch Brands®.
This week we launched what could be the future of recruitment, job placement and the premiere tool for hiring millennials. We launched AcedMyInterview.com and it’s a great story that goes a little something like this:
A Landscaper with a Vision
About 6 months ago, local landscape business owner turned visionary Dan Thornberg came to our offices to discuss a ‘big idea’ that he had been working on. He was referred to us by his good friend, fellow entrepreneur and PD client, Jefferey Acevedo of Champagne Grooming fame. Dan had a front row seat and witnessed how the team at Peralta Design launched the Champagne Grooming brand with identity design, website development and even package design for this very successful line of high-end men’s hair grooming products. Dan was self-funding this project and knew he was onto something big. He just needed help bringing it to market.
Dan runs a successful landscaping business and came to us with a rough outline of what the product was and how he envisioned it would work: all in PowerPoint format. One NDA (non-disclosure agreement) later, we met, we listened, and we began to enhance the vision. It’s as though some startup clients come to us with a distant vision that we help bring into focus. They know what they want, they just don’t know exactly what needs to be done to get there. We sharpen the vision, we may help monetize it and we not only develop the custom-tailored brand identity and look & feel, but we also recommend the proper technology that will deliver the concept to the end user in a dynamic, cost effective way that will resonate with the target demographic.
So You have a Vision, Now What
Once we have a clear idea of what the business is, how it will work and who will want to pay for it, we begin to layout a roadmap in the form of a proposal complete with deliverables and milestones. For Dan’s concept, which was originally named “Interview You”, we began with naming. We searched for URLs that were available that aligned with his product and thus “AcedMyInterview.com” was born. Once we settled on a name, we began to develop the Corporate Identity package which includes the logo design, the color palette and the style guide used for all communication channels, in this case, the website, pitch deck and animated how it works video. All of which we produced in house here at Peralta Design.
Here’s How Aced My Interview (AMI) Works:
In a nutshell, users, primarily millennials, recent college graduates, or anyone in the market for a job, buy mock interview sessions at $29.99 with real-life HR professionals that will provide detailed feedback in the form of a report card. The sessions are held via Skype and last approximately 20 minutes. Family and friends can also purchase sessions for others, and package deals are being developed. As we write, we are beginning to integrate other product offerings and AMI has already begun to form strategic partnerships with companies offering services that align with AMI’s mission: to better prepare people to enter or re-enter the job market.
Projects such as this are exactly why Peralta Design exists. Sure, there is pleasure in watching ideas come to life, but there is also an innate satisfaction in helping another fellow business owner execute on a vision. You don’t get paid for coming up with ideas, you get paid for making them happen. Shortly after live launch, a strong social media campaign drove traffic beyond original estimates and we had to increase server capacity. Those are good problems. Next up is an Adwords campaign and an investment capital round that will catapult this concept into Phase 2, allowing for greater technology capability and expanded functionality. We were able to launch this brand in a lean manner, allowing for proof of concept, market testing and consumer feedback with minimal capital investment. So far, response has been tremendous.
Make sure you visit AcedMyInterview.com, tell us what you think and don’t forget to book your next session – you’re going to like the way you interview. 😉
Ramon has over 20 years of experience in award-winning, market-proven, print collateral, marketing material, iphone/ipad app and website design specializing in corporate identity and branding. Ramon’s passion for entrepreneurial design was borne out of 10 years as Creative Director for Jay Walker at Walker Digital, the Stamford based idea laboratory and business incubator holding over 300 US Patents. Ramon served as Senior Art Director on the start-up launch team behind Priceline.com, a Walker company and invention. Most recently, Ramon’s logo and identity work was selected to be published in “Typography and Enclosures” the fourth book in the Master Library series by LogoLounge.
Need help with your brand identity or want to overhaul your existing brand? Need a responsive cutting edge web development project completed? Contact: ramon@peraltadesign.com
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