The WHOA! Book by Verb Strategy & Creative

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A VERB MUST EXPRESS CLEAR INTENT AND PURPOSE. IS YOUR MARKETING PROGRAM A VERB ? ®

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We want to build a working relationship founded on transparency, honesty, professionalism and teamwork.

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Why We Created This Guide There is a point in a new client/agency relationship where the real business of advertising and marketing must begin. It is a very delicate time when almost anything likely to go wrong, usually does. Often, the problem stems from a lack of understanding of how agency and client(s) should conduct their relationship. The issues of marketing strategy, creative content, and industry knowledge are seldom in dispute. Some procedural issue like progress, or advance billing, or sign-offs, or sequential liability almost always brings on the misunderstandings. Nevertheless, any breach in the area of confidence is likely to end the honeymoon and begin to erode the relationship. There is a story of an agency principal several years ago who left a pitch for a new client as a conquering hero: ten days later the relationship between her client and the agency had “gone south” because of a misunderstanding over media billings. The point here: This didn’t have to happen. The agency and client were both made up of reasonable people. They simply did not verify the billing procedures the client preferred. The agency acquired a bad reputation, and everywhere they went as a company, they had to fight that image. Needless to say, the relationship did not last. Regardless of great creative and solid media buys, the agency was released within a year because of incompatibility. It is to avoid this type of miscommunication that we have assembled this “Working with our Agency” (WHOA!) Book. In this guide, we outline exactly how we operate, our policies, procedures, billing practices, proofreading standards, our creative process, our sign-off policy—virtually anything and everything our clients need to know about our agency operations. This accomplishes two things: 01. First, it lessens the chance for a dispute after the fact. By having this guide you can read about our methods of operation and can address a concern long before it becomes an issue. We are a flexible and reasonable organization, and most things can be changed or at least modified to achieve consensus between us.

and churning of hours. This new client notebook is meant to help solve many of these problems. We can be more productive by having the way we do business clearly understood at the beginning of our relationship. We will assist you in completing a few information forms we need to clarify preferred billing procedures, name the client contacts with whom we will be working, and obtain information on your products and services we can file for agency reference. We will then provide as many copies of this guide for distribution to your key personnel as you require. We recommend scheduling a meeting with all of your key personnel and our client service team, so we can review procedures with them and ensure everyone is operating on the same page. As you review this book, please make note of any concerns, forms or procedures that you’d like to have clarified. During our Project Kick-off meeting, or at any time that you have a need, let us know and we’ll be happy to address your questions. The more tightly we fine-tune our working procedures with you in these initial days of our relationship, the better we can avoid unnecessary confrontations and disagreements, as well as avert errors and financial problems down the line. We want to build a working relationship founded on transparency, honesty, professionalism and teamwork — we believe our “WHOA! Book” will help us to achieve that goal.

We thank you again for this opportunity to work with you! Sincerely, Dean Lloyd Principal, Marketing Director Verb Strategy & Creative Inc. Verbsc.com

02. Secondly, publishing the “WHOA! Book” enables us to guide you into a system of operation that is manageable and organized. Disorganized transfer of information and instructions between client and agency can cause mistakes, missteps,

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“At its very core, marketing is storytelling. The best advertising campaigns take us on an emotional journey — appealing to our wants, needs, and desires — while at the same time telling us about a product or service.” – Melinda Partin

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“WORKING WITH OUR AGENCY”

Why We Created This Guide

Section IV: Client Information About Client Products & Services

Contents Client Onboarding Things to consider about working with Verb

Verb Strategy & Creative Invoicing Policies

Section I: Our Agency A Brief History of Verb Strategy & Creative OUR CORE SERVICES INCLUDE

Section V: Invoicing Procedures & Fees

Marketing Strategy

Section VI: A few words about how we work Verb Strategy & Creative is Digital

Branding & Identity Trademark Registration Digital Marketing Pay Per Click Advertising

Social Media Advertising

Section VII: The Strategic Marketing Process The Creative Project Brief

Organic SEO Social Media, Content Marketing & Copywriting Email Marketing Video Marketing

Section VIII: Agency Workflow

Section IX: Referral Program

Experiential Events & Activations Mission, Vision & Values

Referral Program

Section II: Your Account Service team About Your Account Service Team Outsourcing to Strategic Partners

Section X: Agency Evaluation

Client Trade Secrets and Our Confidentiality Policy

Agency Evaluation

Spec Work

FAQ’s

Section III: Our Agreement Contract Language Media Procedures Public Relations Procedures

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Client Onboarding This guide is a critical facet of our overall client onboarding process. This process outlines how our agency plans to gather and share critical corporate and project details from the very start of our partnership. This data collection and analysis will ensure that we’re best positioned to produce the very best work for you based on research and insight. This guide will provide you with answers to questions related to our services, processes, billing policies, referral bonuses and other valuable details. The following are the steps of our onboarding process that you can expect: 01. 02. 03. 04. 05. 06. 07. 08.

Agreement Signed Non-Disclosure Agreement Onboarding Questionnaire Project Questionnaire Welcome Email WHOA! Book Delivery Project Kick-off Call/Meeting Development & Presentation of the Project Brief

Once a proposal for a project is accepted, we will immediately send over our standard agreement that outlines the project details, fees and policies. This is then followed up by a signed non-disclosure agreement (NDA). As your agency, we want it to be clear from the onset that our goals are aligned with yours. An NDA can give real peace of mind because you know your confidential information is safe. Since everyone knows that confidential information is being protected, and what the consequences are for breaching the agreement, misunderstandings that might otherwise quickly end a business relationship, may be avoided. Our client onboarding experience is a critical part of welcoming new clients to our agency. Collecting important information about your organization (i.e. day-to-day contact, sales processes, clients, goals, etc., is accomplished through our onboarding questionnaire, delivered electronically from our project management system. Specific questions related to your project will be collected through a project questionnaire. Our project questionnaires differ from one type of project to another. For instance, a branding questionnaire will include questions vastly different than that of a website development questionnaire.

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During our kick-off call/meeting, we will introduce you to any of our team members who will be working closely with you through the duration of the project, and at the very least the team will include your account manager and lead strategist. It would be great to have any key members of your team in attendance for that call as well. We will take the opportunity to dig deeper into both the onboarding questionnaire and the project questionnaire, ensuring that we have an accurate assessment of (for example): » Your current business challenges » Marketing metrics that your firm uses to measure success » Your sales processes » Your buyer personas » Your current marketing initiatives » Your approval processes through the project All of the information that we collect through the onboarding process, will go into drafting our creative/project brief. This distilled brief acts as our blueprint for the project. While this process does not take the place of conversations or meetings, it acts as our guide for the specific deliverable. At Verb Strategy & Creative, we break out our briefs into several different sections. Depending on the type of project, the section categories may change.

The following is a sample of what you might expect: Project Overview

Project Deliverables

This information is very straightforward and deals with the project management portion of the project: contact info, project type, due date, budget, etc.

This is where we will outline in detail what you’re looking for (the tangible goods) – number of variations, ad unit dimensions, etc.

Audience

We need to have a clear understanding of the ‘who’: who is your target audience, your buyer personas, the make-up of any buyer groups – the demographics and really any pertinent information about who your customer is (or who you’d like them to be). Any data that you have on your consumers and prospects become invaluable, i.e. buying patterns, trends, etc.

Competitive Overview

It’s also important that we understand your competitors. Insight on your competitors will allow us to better understand what’s happening in the space. It will allow us to identify opportunities to develop concepts and content that differentiates your brand from your competition. It’s at this point that market research really comes in handy.

Design & Creative Considerations

We will consider all of your requests and insights about what you are looking for from this project. This includes your brand/style guide. We’ll need these to ensure our designs are on brand and fit into your voice and style. We will also consider issues related to messaging, typography, colour theory, and photography.

Campaign Insights

We are now getting into the meat of the brief. This is where we learn about where/how the creative will be used, where it will be run, where the creative assets will land, e.g. your landing page, etc.

Our Catalytic Idea

This is our “Big Idea”.This is the one idea, concept or direction that we really believe in based on all of the research and insights that we’ve amassed. We present this idea to our clients for their consideration and sign-off at the very beginning of a project. Once approved, we work to bring it to life. The key here is that the Catalytic Idea is always firmly rooted in the research, never some spur of the moment, coffee-fuelled inspiration… Though to be honest, sometimes genius can be found at the bottom of a coffee pot.

Marketing is both science and art. It is a complex blending of psychology, creativity and analysis. The best marketers know that the value of collaboration and openness during the creative and ideation phases cannot be understated. Work with us, allow us to develop a true partnership, and together we will create really great

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» We want to do visionary work, with partners with vision. » If you follow the WHOA! Book, you’ll never end up with any unexpected billing surprises. » Enthusiasm - have a lot of it, share it, and infect us with it. » Be demanding - but fair. » Make us feel as though we are all on the same side / honest collaboration/trust and partnership. » Do not make us fear - fear can damage the working relationship. Have your marketing agency work WITH you, not for you – » In any business relationship, the flow of information is critical. You can’t just throw money at your agency and expect results. You provide us with the critical information that we need, and we’ll deliver results. The more you work with us, the better the marketing will be. » Have an open mind to new ideas and innovation; try to not be too fixated on a particular idea or direction. » Once you’ve agreed to a strategic direction, do not change the project brief (especially not after seeing creative work). Small changes can make a big difference. » Pay on time. You want us to present deliverables on time and on budget, and we will, but late-paying clients sap the motivation from any agency. » Have clear and realistic goals / focus objectives / defined challenges. Outline what success “looks like” at every stage as we develop your marketing solutions. Without clear goals, it is impossible to judge the effectiveness of ads, designs, slogans, or any part of your campaign. Be sure that we’re aware of what you hope to accomplish with your program and define a specific measurement of success; whether in terms of new customers, callbacks, sales or whatever is most important to you.

Things to consider about working with Verb.

» Be able to recognize a great idea even if the execution is not there yet. » Evaluate the results – not the process - of our work. Evaluation can’t happen beforehand, especially while we’re in the middle of the process. » Realize that there are deep strategies behind marketing – Some companies look at ads and think, “That looks pretty. That’s the ad for me!” No, it’s not. If it is the ad for you, it’s because the thought and strategy behind the ad make it the correct choice – not the “prettiness” factor. » Don’t assume you know your customers - If you have never done market research, then chances are you don’t know your customers very well. You know how you do business with them, but you don’t know their problemsolving processes or even their motivations for buying your product or service. The bottom line is: if we, your agency, feel that we need to do market research, let us! Even though you’re paying out more for your advertising, you’ll get better results and have a better understanding of your customer for the future.

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01 // SECTION 03

Our Agency

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A Brief History of Verb Strategy & Creative Our agency was born in December 2001. Two young advertising executives and their families drove from Montreal, Canada to Danville, Pennsylvania, to meet with Joe Schoppy of Joe & Jan’s Charters and Tours, who would turn out to be our very first client. Since that trip, we’ve grown our upstart team to an agency that includes copywriters, programmers, designers and marketing professionals with experience in over a dozen industries. We’ve worked with clients and brands from across Canada, the United States and the Caribbean, including; The George Washington University, Johnnie Walker, The United Nations, Health Canada, Honda, The New England Culinary Institute, Air Canada Tango, Eatwell’s Cookies, Liburdi Engineering, The University of Southern California and Imperial Oil, just to name a few. What we do

Verb Strategy & Creative does not try to be all things to our clients. Our services are limited to what we do best. Should a client require a service that we are not equipped to handle internally, we are

prepared to recommend a top-quality experienced professional to step into the ring and lend a hand. Verb Strategy & Creative is a marketing agency and we use an integrated, marketing-driven approach for every project and client program. Our proprietary Three Dimensional Branding™ process, is bespoke, not a cookie-cutter approach to marketing. Our services revolve around our Three-Dimensional Branding™ model and are meant to support the development of your brand. By employing our integrated marketing communications process, we ensure that your corporate marketing achieves its primary objective while continuing to build on your brand’s equity, increasing brand loyalty. Our Core Services include » » » » »

Marketing Strategy Development Branding & Identity Digital Marketing Content Marketing & Copywriting Experiential Events & Activations

FYI . The folks over at Verb Strategy & Creative are Sabbath keepers. That means we close our offices a little early on Fridays, are completely closed for business on Saturdays, but are completely available for our client partners on Sundays.

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Marketing Strategy » » » » » »

Developing a marketing strategy is vital for any business. Without one, your efforts to attract customers are likely to be haphazard and inefficient. The focus of your strategy should be making sure that your products and services meet customer needs and developing long-term and profitable relationships with those customers. To achieve this, you will need to create a flexible strategy that can respond to changes in customer perceptions and demand. It may also help you identify whole new markets that you can successfully target.

Strategy for Your Brand Product & Pricing Strategy Sales & Distribution Strategy Defining Marketing Tactics & Goals Creating Your Marketing Plan Budget Metrics & Monitoring

Bear in mind that each marketing initiative starts with a plan or set of guidelines that ultimately should be an extension of your overall marketing strategy. For instance, when the time comes for you to run a social media or digital marketing campaign, the research on your buyer personas has already been established in the marketing plan, as is your market positioning, value proposition and brand strategy. Because this work has already been solidified, it makes the task of rolling out a cohesive, integrated marketing communications program all the more efficient and streamlined.

The purpose of your marketing strategy should be to identify and then communicate the benefits of your business offering to your target market. Once you have created and implemented your strategy, monitor its effectiveness and make any adjustments required to maintain its success.

If you have questions about developing a marketing strategy for your organization, contact us today to see how a Verb strategic marketing plan can contribute to your company’s success.

Verb Strategy & Creative marketing plans include the following key elements: » » » »

Identifying Marketing Plan Objectives Positioning in the Marketplace Market Segments/Personas Identifying Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats » Developing a Value Proposition

Marketing Planning Process

STEP ONE

STEP TWO

Mission

STEP THREE

Situation Analysis

STEP FOUR

Marketing Strategy

Marketing Mix

STEP FOUR

Implementation & Control

Mission Statement

Identify Objectives

Define Your Target Audience

Product Development

Put Plan into Action

Corporate Objectives

5C Analysis

Set Measurable Goals

Pricing

Monitor Results

SWOT Analysis

Develop Budget

Promotion

PEST Analysis

Place and Distribution

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Branding & Identity

Branding is far more than a logo; it’s your organization’s entire visual identity – the persona your company portrays to the world. Your logo, graphics, colour schemes, design style, typefaces, and tone of voice all work in harmony to consistently reflect you as a business. Good branding paints a firm picture of who you are in your prospect’s mind. A logo, packaging, typography, and personality all represent a brand, along with customer service, price, product quality, and corporate responsibility, but a brand is a bit more intangible. It’s emotional, visual, historical, and human. It’s an experience that separates different products and services in a world where quality is often comparable or difficult to differentiate... What is brand identity? Brand identity is the face of a brand. As discussed above, a brand is an emotional and even philosophical concept, while brand identity is the visual component of a brand that represents those larger ideals.

attracts new customers to a brand while validating existing customers. It’s both outward- and inwardfacing. It’s vital that brand identity be consistent in all of its elements and at each point of consumer contact. That’s because it’s representing and reinforcing the emotions of a brand, the message portrayed by brand identity components needs to be clear, and it needs to be the same no matter where, or how it’s displayed. To manage brand identity, organizations should invest in a brand management system that helps them stay consistent while still having the flexibility and the speed necessary to succeed in today’s market. Components of this system might include brand guidelines, digital asset management appliances and employee training. From name creation to helping you to articulate your mission statement and developing your logo and visual identity, Verb Strategy & Creative can play a critical part in elevating your firm’s brand identity.

Brand identity includes logos, typography, tone & voice, colours, packaging and messaging, which all reinforce the reputation of a brand. Brand identity

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Trademark Registration During our association with your firm, we may be asked from time to time to develop logos, corporate marks, and slogans for your use. We recommend that careful thought be given on each of these occasions to whether the marks or slogans need to be registered as trademarks for your firm. It is an increasingly litigious business world, and it is all too likely that some agency or small company somewhere may apply to register a mark or slogan very similar to the one you use in marketing your products, services, or even your company as a whole. Conversely, you could invest in developing a mark for an important product, put it into use, then learn someone has taken it and made minor alterations to it for their own use, thus infringing on your rights to the words or design, or worse, doing

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actual harm to your product or company’s image. If your marks and slogans are not registered through the Federal Trademark and Patent Office/Canadian Intellectual Property Office, you will have very few legal rights in any court suit brought by or against you. Your marks must be registered to give you legal claim to them. If you develop a new name for a product or service, we offer a National Trademark Search service for the proposed name or names to see if they are in use, or reserved. We can also assist with the application process.

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Digital Marketing Soooo… Now that you’ve got a website, what do you do with it? Enter digital marketing. Think of digital marketing as an umbrella term for all marketing efforts that use an electronic device or the Internet. Businesses leverage digital channels such as search engines, social media, email, and other websites to connect with current and prospective customers. While traditional marketing might exist in print ads, at conferences & tradeshows, or on billboards, digital marketing occurs electronically. This means that there are far more possibilities for brands to reach customers, including through email, video, social media, content marketing and search engines. Digital marketing accounted for an estimated 53% of the total business ad spend in 2020. With the fact that Internet usage among adults has increased by 5% in the last three years, this 12.4% ad spend increase over 2019 numbers is why businesses, big and small, are moving towards larger digital marketing budgets. Benefits of Digital Marketing Digital marketing has become an exceedingly popular form of advertising. It has become a vital tactic for business growth and brand awareness. Today it seems like just about every brand has a website, and if they don’t they’re at least active on social media or are engaged in a digital ad strategy. Digital content marketing is so common that consumers now expect and rely on it as a way to learn about brands.

Digital marketing highlights: » Is the most powerful form of marketing. » Is the most measurable form of marketing. » Digital marketing can target your ideal audience easier than virtually any other marketing tactic. » Most people begin their buyer’s journey online. » Consumers are on social media and can be reached with digital marketing. » It can help you connect with mobile customers. » You can easily and quickly adapt your strategy for the best results. » It is the most cost-effective way to market a business. Perhaps one of the best benefits of digital marketing is that it is cost-effective. You spend less money and get better results. But, how much does digital marketing cost? There are different types of digital marketing techniques and each type has a different price range, including: » » » » » » »

Pay Per Click Management Social Media Advertising Organic SEO Content Creation Email Marketing Video Marketing Website Design

Digital Marketing

Branding

SEM Social Media

App Development SEO

Email Marketing Content Marketing

Web Design Video Production

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Keyword Research Ad Creation

Analysis and Feedback 8

PPC

Campaign Assessment

Pay Per Click

Monitor Perfomance

Landing Page Development

Campaign Launch

Tracking Installation and Testing

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Account Setup

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Pay Per Click Advertising PPC, also known as search engine marketing (SEM) is all about – you guessed it – using search engines to connect with your customers. When running a PPC campaign, we analyze Google data about users’ search queries (called ‘keywords’) to identify topics that your target audience is looking for. When we find significant search volume for relevant keywords, the next step is to ‘bid’ for your website to appear at the very top of Google’s search results pages for those keywords. Essentially, we’re bidding against your top competitors to be seen by your prospective customers. Naturally, with such a great prize on the line, auctions can get pretty competitive – the skill lies in knowing which keywords to bid on, and how much to bid. We work to strike this balance to keep your company’s margins intact. Pay per click (PPC) advertising includes a broad variety of tactics, but it mostly comes from Google text and display ads. Other PPC options include search ads, local search ads, display networks, preroll ads, retargeting, and paid social ads. When using the PPC strategy, you will pay Google an amount to have them list ads for your site at the top of the search listings. When the ad is clicked on, you will pay the Cost Per Click (CPC) from the budget. You can put however much you want into the budget and when it runs out, the ads won’t run until more money is added.

What we offer when running a PPC campaign: » » » » » » »

Keyword Research Copywriting Ad Creation Set up on Google & Bing Networks Bid Management A/B Conversion Testing Remarketing

The cost of pay per click management ranges depending on several factors. On PPC platforms, the more narrow your audience is, the more costly you can expect your CPC will be, i.e. targeting engineers working in the geophysics space will be more costly than targeting folks who love baking cupcakes. Keywords can cost as little as $0.05 per click or as much as $50 per click. On Google, most companies have an average CPC of $1 to $2. For Digital Marketing /PPC services, we charge a fee of $750 for client’s spending less than $4,500 monthly, or a fee of 20% of ad spend above the $5,000 a month mark. There is also a one-time setup fee associated with our pay-per-click management service. It includes setting you up in our analytics software and creating any necessary advertising accounts and social media pages.

Social Media Advertising Soooo… Now that you’ve got a Social media advertising is online advertising through social media channels. It includes social channels like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and others. Advertisers must “search” for users with this technique. What we offer when running a paid social campaign: » Brand Development » Identifying Target Customers » Setting Objectives

» Design and Content Strategy » Engagement Strategy » Conversion Strategy Much like PPC advertising with Google, social media channels also offer paid advertising opportunities on a per-click basis. Each social media network has a slightly different cost. The cost of social media advertising can be anywhere from $100 to infinity per month.

For paid social media advertising services, there is a monthly fee of $750 for client’s spending less than $4,500 monthly, or a fee of 20% of ad spend above the $5,000 mark. There is also a one-time setup fee associated with our social media advertising service. It includes setting you up in our analytics software, social media systems, and creating any necessary advertising accounts and social media pages.

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Organic SEO Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the process of ensuring that your website is optimized to draw visitors organically from Google searches and differs in that you aren’t bidding on keywords or writing ad copy, but ensuring that your website content includes the relevant keywords and content that your audience is looking for. Our SEO experts focus on beating your competitors to the top of Google’s organic search results (just below the paid results). It’s a vital function, given that your website’s ranking can have a huge impact on your bottom line. Investing in SEO expertise is key to making certain that your site and lead generation program gets the attention it deserves. Organic search engine optimization (SEO) optimizes

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website copy and HTML code to make your website rank higher on search engines. This allows consumers to find your business with ease and quickness. What we offer when managing an SEO project: » » » » » » »

Keyword Research Competitive Gap Analysis Content Creation and Optimization Link Building On-Page Optimization Off-Page Optimization Technical SEO Optimization

In 2020, most organic SEO fees range between $1,500 - $5,000 per month. The number will of course be dependant on how large your project is.

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Frequency

Frequency Relationship with influencers

Image sizes Semantic HTML review

Unique, relevant Meta Descriptions

Number of links on the page

Personal brands within the brand

Level of engagement

Image names

Complete and relevant Title Tags

Active channels

Social Media

User-generated content

Types of content

Quality

Uniqueness

Link building potential

Top pages

Review of internal link structure (including anchor text)

Page Structure 2

404

503

500

302

Content Analysis

List 25-50 influential industry sites

Industry blogs, publications, associations

Distribution channels

Ease of replication

Source of link generation

Quality of links

Link building content

Total number of linking domains

Total number of inbound links

Link Analysis

Semrush.com

Quantcast.com

Soolve

Ubersuggest

Research Tools

Semrush.com

Quantcast.com

Hitwise.com

Compete.com

Alexa.com

Grade Keywords

Discover where you should start for next step site iprovements. unleash the potential for a higher ranking in the SERPs.

Keyword Research

Understand why your competitors are out-perfoming you online. Get a grasp of what you should be doing to catch up.

Competitive Analysis

Find out what is preventing your site from ranking well in the search engines. Learn what requires your immediate attention.

On-Site Analysis

Listen on social channels via Social Mention or Topsy

(past/present)

Survey customers

Pull keywords currently driving traffic from analytics

Benefits

Features

Details

List 2-3 competitors that especialize in specific areasof your indutry

Service

Enter website and competitors sites/pages to Google Keyword tool

Creating the Keyword List

Product

Hitwise.com

Compete.com

Alexa.com

Traffic Analysis

Keyword Research

Niche competitors (secundary market)

List 3-5 leaders of industry and direct competitors

Industry competitors (primary market)

Search-friendly URLs

Page Structure 1

Quality/frequency of CTA

Keyword Focus

410

307

Home page layout

Landing interior pages

301

Site load time

Usability Review

Server Redirect/ Response Codes

Ease of read/use

Duplicate Content review

(www vs. non-www, etc)

Human or goal-focused

Length

Quality

Review the total pages indexed

(product/service name)

Perform brand searches

(”site:www.yourdomain.com”)

Perform a site search

Competitive Site List

Health Check

Content Review

Competitive Analysis

On-Site Analysis

SEO Audit Checklist

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200 Million

Research Product

Fans Share Information

Connect With Brands

Non Fans

Forbers “Your Business Needs to Get Social, Local and Mobile-fast” Linkedin Blog. “The evolution of Linkedin”.

MediaPost. “Online Radio reaches 86 Million Listeners Weekly” Street Fight. “Study: 82% of SMBs Use Facebook for Marketing, 25% Use Twitter” ZDNet. “Google+ Moves Up to Second Place on Social Networks”.

“Social Networking: 45% Check out Brands Pages”

“Social Takes up to 27% of time Spent Online”

A lot of options

Facebook fans tend to be super consumers: they spend 43% more than non-fans on average

“World Internet Stats: Websites, Email, Social Media, and More”

Linkedin has 225 million active users.

225 Million

35% of Americans check brand pages regularly as part of their social media activity.

35%

Social Habits of Facebook Brand Fans

“Average Value of a Facebook Brand fan Increases 28%”

1 Billion

Facebook boasts 1 billion active users.

All together social media takes up 27% of time spent online.

27%

27% of Americans check theirs social networks several times a day

27%

Customer Engagement

MarketingProfs.

Sources

Twiter has 200 million active users.

Google+ is gaining ground with 343 million active users.

61%

343 Million

of young people refer to social media to decide where to go when they go out

78%

Reach

of small businesses now get at least one quarter of new customers via social media

New Customers

What is the value of having a social presence online? Here are a few reasons small businesses should be part of the social media scene

Why go social?

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Social Media, Content Marketing & Copywriting Certainly, you’ve heard the adage “content is king”; so goes the thinking behind content marketing, a strategy for winning the trust of ad-weary web users by serving them content that’s timely, relevant, and valuable.

Due to the many varying factors related to copywriting & content creation, fees can range anywhere from $100 to infinity. Our fees typically include research, edits, feedback and implementation of feedback.

Content marketing is about earning your audience, not buying them. Earning them, one article and blog post at a time.

Some factors affecting the cost include how large the project is, what platforms the content is created for, the amount of time spent on it, etc.

The brands that are best at content marketing speak to this idea. Sure, Rolex sells watches; but that’s not what motivates its army of Instagram followers to fawn over beautiful photos of Rolexes with their friends (#goals). Nor would Apple be the musicstreaming giant it is today if not for the free music festivals and star-studded radio shows it’s been curating for years.

For social media management (i.e. someone to manage your social media channels and blog daily), we can offer customized solutions, based on your budget. Our typical solutions begin with an upfront fee to create a complete social media strategy and we strongly recommend an audit and then we charge on a per-month basis to manage each account.

Done properly, content marketing is a great way to get people thinking and talking about your company, without being self-promotional or ‘salesy’ about it. Unfortunately, many companies don’t do it properly, because they don’t have a documented content marketing strategy.

Small and medium-sized businesses should expect to pay a flat fee of anywhere between $500 to $3,500 monthly.

Content creation is most especially geared towards digital marketing. It is the contribution of information to digital media for an end-user/ audience in specific contexts. In fact, 84% of people expect brands to create content.

Social media audits which typically include, a complete review of your social media strategy, audience research, competitive research, analysis of accounts and suggestions for improvement, usually start at $2,500.

What we offer when developing content solutions: » » » » » » »

Content Marketing Strategy Copywriting Graphic Design, Infographics Blogging, Video, Email, E-Books, Photography, Etc. White Paper Marketing Article Writing Managing Social Media Channels (Content Creation, Posting & Monitoring) » Monthly Social Media Marketing Reporting

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Email Marketing Email marketing is when an email is used to promote products or services while developing relationships with potential customers or clients. It is essentially direct mail done electronically instead of through the postal service. A well-designed and well-executed email marketing message reminds prior and existing clients and potential customers to visit your website and gives them the incentive to do so. At the heart of any successful email marketing campaign is customer retention and relationship building, and we configure every email marketing campaign with that end goal in mind. In the age of social media, it’s tempting to write off email. However, there is statistical evidence that it remains an important aspect of marketing efforts. For instance: » Experts with the email marketing company Litmus estimate that email marketing returns an average of $42 for every $1 spent » One survey found that 59% of respondents were influenced by email when it came to purchasing decisions. » A study of more than 1 billion shopping sessions in 2019 found that email marketing has a conversion rate of 2.3%, compared to 1% for social media. Ideally, email marketing should go hand in hand with social media. Adding social media “Like” or “Share” buttons to your marketing emails gives an additional way for customers to connect with your brand. Snippets of positive reviews from social media fans can be included in emails, and social media posts can drive customers to your email newsletters. The types of emails you might send in an email marketing campaign include: » Blog Subscription Newsletters. » Follow-Up Emails to Website Visitors Who Down Loaded an Asset. » Customer Onboarding Emails. » Holiday Promotions to Loyalty Program Members. » Tips or Similar Series of Emails for Customer Nurturing.

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What we offer when managing email-marketing campaigns: » » » » » » » » » »

Email Marketing Strategy List Management Landing Page Creation Lead Magnets Website Call-To-Actions Copywriting Advertising Campaigns Email Newsletters Marketing Automation Email Marketing Reporting

Email marketers must abide by the law and adhere to the CAN-SPAM Act when emailing clients and prospects in the United States and the CASL regulations in Canada. While there are numerous differences and considerations between the two regulations, a key and important difference is that the American anti-spam law has adopted an optout model while Canada has adopted an opt-in model. Under an opt-out model, businesses can send promotional emails unless the recipient states otherwise or opt-out of receiving them with the famous unsubscribe link. Before undertaking any email-marketing program, be sure to speak to us to ensure that your following best practices because there are a lot of pitfalls and penalties that can range from major governmental fines to being black labelled by Internet service providers. In general, the service fees for email marketing will range between $500 to $5,000 per month (depending on the platform and number of subscribers).

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Video Marketing 82% of consumer Internet traffic will be video by 2021. This form of digital marketing is one that every business should be jumping on. Video has not only transformed how businesses market and consumers shop; it’s also revolutionized how salespeople connect with and convert prospects and how service teams support and delight customers. In short, video is incredibly useful throughout the entire sales cycle — not just to heighten brand awareness. Video is no longer just one piece of your overall marketing plan. It should be central to your outreach and campaign efforts… especially your social strategy because video has absolutely dominated social. Research shows that four of the top six channels on which global consumers watch video are social channels. Video marketing refers to the use of video to market or promote your brand or offering on digital channels. Moreover, research also indicates that more than 50% of consumers want to see videos from brands … more than any other type of content. As a result, businesses are developing a host of video content

including, onboarding videos, knowledge-based videos, meet the team videos, support video calls, and customer stories are just a few ways that video can create a more thorough, personalized customer support experience. What we offer video marketing service: » » » » » » » » » »

Video Marketing Strategy Casting Scriptwriting Storyboarding, Voiceover, Music, Sound Effects, & Animating On Location Shoots Studio Production Explainer Videos Video Testimonials Video Variations for Blogs, Social Media, Digital Marketing, etc. » Monthly Reporting on Video Traction Video marketing can be one of the more costefficient digital marketing strategies because videos can be made on just smartphones these days. In-house solutions can be less than $5,000, though usually, the cost depends on the time, the usage requirements and equipment used.

For brands, video content is preferred What kind of content do you want to see from a brand or business you support?

54% 46% 41% 34% 18%

Videos

Emails/ newsletters

Social images

Social videos

Blog articles

17%

Content in PDF form to download and read later

Base: 3,010 consumers in the US, Germany, Colombia, and Mexico Source: HubSpot Content Trends Survey, Q3 2017

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Experiential Events & Activations An experiential activation is known by many terms, including event marketing, live marketing, participation marketing, experiential marketing, brand activation and brand experience marketing. This specific type of marketing continues to rise in popularity, and for good reason! At its core, experiential marketing tactics are focused on creating meaningful connections to build longstanding relationships with customers. What could be more important than that for your brand? If you are looking to do any of the following, then your company will benefit from an experiential activation: » » » »

Launch a new product or service Build brand awareness Re-reignite customer interest Change an established customer perception

Experiential marketing events are valuable in helping others understand your brand/product and improving your social media following/engagement. Besides, these types of events allow a consumer to visualize how your brand will fit into their lifestyle. A recent study has shown 58% of industry experts have created an experiential activation with this goal in mind! What we offer for event marketing: » » » » » » » » » »

Strategy & Planning Execution Tactics and Logistics Location and Venue Sourcing Customer Engagement Platforms and Tools Social Media Integration Product Launches Event Staffing & Brand Ambassadors Exhibit marketing training Corporate Event Management and Production Exhibits, Displays & Environments

Oh, you need 4,000 square feet of a video wall showcasing your latest product launch, near the side of a ski lift, with a popular DJ spinning the latest jams, while synchronized snowboarders with smoke trailing behind them create your logo, and it’s all captured from drones above? Check. Next. Contact us about how we can help with your next product launch/corporate event.

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Our Three Dimensional Branding Approach The Verb Strategy & Creative Three Dimensional Branding approach to integrated marketing communications is founded on the following principles: » That the brand itself is the heart and soul of your company. » That brand is a promise to your consumers, and that your ability to meet that promise consistently is what separates you from your competition. » That the brand promise is reinforced at every point of consumer contact. While integrated marketing is not new, it still is important in today’s world. There are more marketing channels now than ever before, with different communication channels that can be led by different people or departments within an organization. Integrated marketing strategies help pull all of a brand’s message points together into one cohesive whole to ensure that the message is not disjointed and confusing. Especially today, when customers are bombarded right and left with news and information of every ilk, integrated marketing relays one clear message, regardless of the channel.

THREE DIMENSIONAL BRANDING ®

Strategy

PR/Social Media

Web/Online

Direct marketing

Identity

Sales

Advertising

Experiential Events Brand

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Partial Client List » Access Capital Corp.

» Liburdi Engineering Inc.

» Air Canada Tango

» Measurements International

» ASI- Aurora Scientific Inc.

» Medecare Healthcare Solutions

» Atreus Systems

» Midas Bottled Water

» ATS- Automotive Training Solutions

» New England Culinary Institute

» Bell Canada

» Plum Technologies

» Byte Size Solutions Inc.

» Raimas Café & Dejeuners

» Canadian Association of Black Journalists

» Royal Bank of Canada

» Canchilla Furs

» Scintrex Limited.

» Cansec Systems Limited

» Sickle Cell Association of Ontario

» Century 21 Realtors

» Sovereign Financial Services

» Edan Search Group

» Tadaa Wireless

» Envirotech Office Systems

» Tecmotive Automotive

» Health Canada

» TD Canada Trust

» ICC- Insurance Claims Collaborative Inc.

» The George Washington University

» Joe & Jan’s Charter & Tours

» Touchwood Custom Homes

» Johnnie Walker

» USC – University of Southern California

» JTC Security

» Visicom Media

» Les Creations Cheftech

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02 // SECTION 02

Your Account Service Team

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About your account service team Verb Strategy & Creative personnel are experienced advertising and marketing professionals who can plan, implement and analyze advertising and marketing plans for their many clients. We have assigned a handpicked team to service your account. Each brings a wealth of experience and varied skills to the team.

Your account service team consists of the following:

// Dean Lloyd

// Murali Murthy

Principal, Marketing Director

Senior Copywriter, Web Content-SEO Writer, Creative Strategist

A graduate of the Master’s program in Marketing Communications Management from Schulich at York University, Mr. Lloyd brings more than twenty years of experience as a marketing professional. As a professional marketer with client and agency experience in direct marketing, online marketing, exhibit marketing & B2B marketing pioneered the development of the 3-Dimensional Branding model. A founding partner of Verb Strategy & Creative, Dean has worked with brands such as Health Canada, Royal Bank, The University of Southern California, the New England Culinary Institute, The George Washington University & The United Nations.

With a Master’s Degree in Communications, Murali brings consummate copywriting-creative strategizing experience to the table. Agencies, where he has done time, include JWT, TMP, Bozell and Bates in diverse markets across North America, Europe and Asia. Client’s current and past include Pepsi, Rogers, Nestle, Audi, Heineken, Sony, Visa, KLM, Bell, Whirlpool, TD Canada Trust and TTC.

Among his awards is the Merit award from Security Distribution and Marketing Magazine for Best New Print Advertisement for his brand development work within the physical security industry.

Murali brings a proven ability to conceptualize the ‘big idea’, direct teams and manage projects from brief to completion. An accomplished web content writer, Murali has developed and directed award-winning websites and interactive projects for Scotia bank, Vale Inco, Rogers and RIM to name a few. Thanks to a strong grounding in multicultural marketing, he also specializes in diversity communications directed at the South Asian markets across Canada and the USA.

Mr. Lloyd is the author of the tradeshow companion book, Tradeshow Essentials and, as Executive Director of Cornucopia, oversees the daily operations, corporate sponsorship, strategic partnerships and brand development.

Other team members include:

// Tamara Jones

Client Service Associate Bahamas

// David Tatchell Sr. Art Director

// Gary Coleman

Web Programmer

// Steve Carty

Photographer / Videographer

// Rodrigo Castro Sr. Art Director

// Hannah Isah

Content Producer

// Lily Davies Social Media / SEO

// Peter Mahoney SEO Optimization

// Yogas Andrian Sr. Art Director

// Stephanie Benfield Content Producer

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Outsourcing to Strategic Partners Rather than fully staffing our agency with a roomful of competent professionals in service functions we use only occasionally, we form temporary professional alliances to provide these services. These “allies” essentially become a part of your client service team for a particular project. We call these ad hoc staff people strategic partners. By outsourcing these independent professional consultants, we can control costs and overhead while taking advantage of their specialized skills on your behalf. These partnerships allow us to continually customize your service team to provide optimal service at all times. Both strategic partners and staff sign confidentiality agreements binding them to hold in the strictest confidence all information imparted to them in the course of working on your account. A sample of our agreement follows.

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This Non-Disclosure Agreement, dated as of 12/02/2020 (the “Effective Date”) governs the disclosure of information by Verb Strategy & Creative (the “Company”) to sample Employee / Strategic Partner (the “Recipient”) for the purpose of exploring a potential business relationship (the “Purpose”). 1. Confidential Information. As used herein, “Confidential Information” shall mean any and all technical and non-technical information that Company provides Recipient, whether in graphic, electronic, written or oral form, and including but not limited to patent applications and other filings, trade secrets, and any other proprietary information, as well as any ideas, techniques, sketches, drawings, works of authorship, models, inventions, know-how, processes, algorithms, software programs, documents, and formulae related to the current, future, and proposed products and services of Company, and also any information concerning any research, experimental work, development, design details and specifications, engineering, financial information, purchasing, customer lists, investors, employees, business and contractual relationships, business forecasts, sales and merchandising, or marketing plans of Company and any information Company provides regarding third parties. 2. Non-Disclosure. Recipient agrees that at all times and notwithstanding any termination or expiration of this Agreement it will hold in strict confidence and not disclose to any third party any Confidential Information except as approved in writing in advance by Company, and will use the Confidential Information for no purpose other than the Purpose. Recipient shall only permit access to Confidential Information to those of its employees or authorized representatives having a need to know and who have signed confidentiality agreements or are otherwise bound by confidentiality obligations at least as restrictive as those contained herein. 3. Notice Of Disclosure. Recipient shall immediately notify Company upon discovery of any loss or unauthorized disclosure of the Confidential Information. 4. Use Of Confidential Information. All Confidential Information is provided “AS IS,” without any warranty of any kind. Recipient recognizes and agrees that nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as granting it any property rights, by license or otherwise, to any Confidential

Information, or to any invention or any patent, copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property right that has issued or that may issue, based on such Confidential Information. Recipient shall not make, have made, use or sell for any purpose any product or service or other item using, incorporating or derived from any Confidential Information, nor make any filings or registrations based on the receipt or use of the Confidential Information, absent separate written approval of Company. 5. No Reproduction Confidential Information shall not be reproduced in any form except as required to accomplish the intent of this Agreement. Any reproduction of any Confidential Information shall remain the property of Company and shall contain any and all confidential or proprietary notices or legends, which appear on the original. 6. Term. This Agreement shall terminate three (3) years after the Effective Date, or may be terminated by either party at any time upon thirty (30) days written notice to the other party; provided, however, Recipient’s obligations under this Agreement shall survive termination of the Agreement between the parties and shall be binding upon the Recipient’s heirs, successors and assigns. Upon termination or expiration of the Agreement, or upon written request of Company, Recipient shall promptly return to the Company all documents and other tangible materials representing the Confidential Information and all copies thereof. 7. Miscellaneous 7.1 Amendments and Waivers. Any term of this Agreement may be amended or waived only with the written consent of the Company. 7.2 Sole Agreement. The Agreement sets forth the complete, exclusive and final statement of the agreement between the parties as to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, understandings, negotiations and discussions, whether oral or written, between the parties regarding such subject matter. 7.3 Notices. Any notice required or permitted by this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed sufficient upon delivery, when delivered personally or by overnight courier or sent by email or fax (upon customary confirmation of receipt), or forty-eight (48) hours after being deposited in the mail as certified or registered

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Sample Employee & Strategic Partner Non-Disclosure Agreement

mail with postage prepaid, addressed to the party to be notified at such party’s address or fax number as set forth on the signature page or as subsequently modified by written notice. 7.4 Choice of Law. The validity, interpretation, construction and performance of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the province of Ontario, Canada without giving effect to the principles of conflict of laws. 7.5 Severability. If one or more provisions of this Agreement are held to be unenforceable under applicable law, the parties agree to renegotiate such provision in good faith. In the event that the parties cannot reach a mutually agreeable and enforceable replacement for such provision, then: (i) Such provision shall be excluded from this Agreement; (ii) The balance of the Agreement shall be interpreted as if such provision were so excluded and; (iii) The balance of the Agreement shall be enforceable in accordance with its terms. 7.6 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument. 7.7 Assignment. Recipient will not assign or transfer any rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of Company. Any such assignment without prior consent shall be null and void from the beginning. Recipient shall not export, directly or indirectly, any technical data acquired from Company pursuant to this Agreement or any product utilizing any such data to any country for which the Canadian Government or any agency thereof at the time of export requires an export license or other governmental approval without first obtaining such license or approval. 7.8 Dispute Resolution. Recipient agrees that upon Company’s request, all disputes arising hereunder shall be adjudicated in the state and federal courts having jurisdiction over disputes arising in Ontario, Canada and Recipient hereby agrees to consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts. 7.9 Advice of Counsel. EACH PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT, IN EXECUTING THIS AGREEMENT, SUCH PARTY HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK THE ADVICE OF INDEPENDENT LEGAL COUNSEL, AND HAS READ AND UNDERSTOOD ALL OF THE TERMS AND PROVISIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AGAINST ANY PARTY BY REASON OF THE DRAFTING OR PREPARATION HEREOF.

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Client Trade Secrets and Our Confidentiality Policy Verb Strategy & Creative understands that, as we become involved with our clients in marketing partnership situations, we may become privy to their trade secrets. Trade secrets are different from patents and copyrights, which are given for a limited time. Trade secrets can last forever—or should. As your agency, we pledge to protect all confidential information imparted to us by you and your assigns. To this end, we have instituted and enforced the following policies: 1. Visitor access is restricted to areas where work on client materials is being performed. Clients are not permitted to ramble unescorted through the agency offices. We recognize that even clients who don’t have trade secrets don’t want every visitor to see their latest campaign or newest product: 2. Verb Strategy & Creative identifies sensitive client documents and ensures that they are stored securely and accessible only to employees who need to use the documents. Today, the most successful companies deal with intellectual property. As your agency, we must protect your IP.

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Spec Work Spec (or speculative) work is defined in The Business of Graphic Design as: “Providing design services to develop creative concept work for free (or for a nominal fee) as part of a new business pitch.” While many may not be familiar with the term “spec”, the popularity of crowdsourcing in our industry has significantly increased the practice. For those unfamiliar with this plague, crowdsourcing design is where one goes to an online resource offering creative services for often ridiculously low prices by setting up a “bidding” or “contest” situation. It’s the latest form of working on spec, something no self-respecting professional designer or agency does, and this is not just a narrowminded internal position; among others, both the Registered Graphic Designer Association of Ontario (RGD) and The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) prohibit the practice and, as member of both associations, we uphold this position and will not engage in speculative competitions or any other forms of spec work. According to the RGD Ontario, a member may conduct, participate in, undertake or compete in any design competition for projects of general, community or public interest if they are of a nonprofit nature and if the rules of competition have been approved by the Board or conform to general competition rules approved by the Board. 99Designs and CrowdSpring are two of many design crowdsourcing sites. They broker thousands

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of creative projects and their process is fairly typical. Customers post projects and designers bid on them. Usually (but not always) the lowest price wins. They make money by treating the profession of design as a commodity. It’s a volume game – if they post enough jobs, the little they make from each one adds up. This is possible because the designers who create and work on any number of designs receive nothing for their efforts unless they win the contest. That happens far more often than getting an award . . . and is why crowdsourcing is considered by many to be exploitative. A consequence of crowdsourcing is that quality suffers, not only in the final deliverable but also in the thought that goes into it. If a designer’s odds of making any money are fairly low, there is little incentive to put much research, craft and originality into the entries. Besides, designers are often given as little as 7-days to conceive an idea and design it. For those who do not work in the world of design or copywriting, this may seem a tremendous amount of time, but really it isn’t, especially when one considers that these designers are often competing in multiple contests concurrently in the hopes of winning one and recouping something for their investment in time. It becomes a numbers game for the designer, too – many keep folders of different kinds of logos and use them repeatedly, changing small aspects

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to refresh the work. Some users will even scrape design content from the web, change a colour or a font, and put it up as an entry. There has been an increasing number of copyright infringements due to logos from crowdsourcing sites that were knock-offs of other people’s logos. In their Terms and Conditions many crowdsourcing sites make it very clear that they have no responsibility for that occurrence: (I.e. “ORIGINAL DESIGNS AND INFRINGEMENT ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS. (Crowdsourcing site) is not responsible for the Content of any Design and has no obligation to screen, edit or review Designs for patent, trademark, service or copyright infringement.” So, if someone claims that your design work infringes on theirs, you are on your own, and even though these crowdsourcing sites make a big point of saying that they require their designers to guarantee that their work is original. They have no means of ensuring compliance other than to ban an offending designer from their site. It also happens that many of the designer participants are from countries like Pakistan and Romania. In those economies where the cost of living is a lot lower than here, $100 is big money if they are lucky enough to win and so it is understandable for them to sell their services in such a manner. The reality is that globalization has come to the professional world. This isn’t just happening to designers – it is also happening to attorneys, psychologists, and various healthcare providers.

For example: suppose you’re a doctor, and I consulted with you on a medical issue, got some good advice, and then stumbled onto the same advice at webmd.com. I might feel as frustrated as a client of a creative agency – why invest time and money for the professional when it’s available somewhere else for free? Here’s why: you spent many years acquiring your degree and decades of experience in delivering quality professional services. When I get counselling from you, I am working with a known entity focused solely on me, who brings all her education and experience to bear on my problem. I am dealing with a person who is completely accountable for her work, and the fact that I could have dug up the information on the web is irrelevant. I could just as easily have dug up wrong information, but how would I know? The other reality is, when any service becomes commoditized, standards inevitably diminish. Spec work is universally condemned by design organizations around the world as harmful to both clients and designers alike.

Learn more at: » https://www.gdc.net/resources/what-is-speculative-work » www.aiga.org/content.cfm/position-spec-work » https://www.rgd.ca/resources/no-spec » https://www.ico-d.org/connect/features/post/250.php » http://www.nospec.com/no-speculative-presentations

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03 // SECTION 03

Our Agreement

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3 Contract Language

Here is a sample of our full contract and terms & conditions.

Sample Design & Development Contract

This Contract is between The Client (the “Client”) and Verb Strategy & Creative, an Ontario corporation (the “Contractor”). The Contract is dated [the date both parties sign]. 1. Work And Payment

1.1 Project. The Client is hiring the Contractor to do the following: Verb Strategy & Creative is being hired to design and develop a custom website that includes; » Home page » About page » Services page » Projects pages, including; » Twelve project pages, with explanatory text » Contact page including form » Blog » Design of Coming Soon page w/email capture field » Links to social media » Facebook » Instagram » LinkedIn » Pinterest

1.2 Schedule. The Contractor will begin work on December 11, 2020 and will continue until the work is completed. This Contract can be ended by either Client or Contractor at any time, pursuant to the terms of Section 6, Term and Termination.

1.3 Payment. The Client will pay the Contractor a flat fee of $7,070.50 (USD). Of this, the Client will pay the Contractor $3,535.25 (USD) before work begins. The balance will be paid in two instalments of 25%, the first at the start of the development process and the last upon completion of the project. The Client will also pay all applicable taxes, other than the Contractor’s income tax. 1.4 Expenses. The Client will reimburse the Contractor’s expenses. Expenses do not need to be pre-approved by the Client.

1.5 Invoices. The Contractor will invoice the Client at the end of the project. The Client agrees to pay the amount owed

within 15 days of receiving the invoice. Payment after that date will incur a late fee of 5.0% per month on the outstanding amount. 1.6 Support. The Contractor will not provide support for any deliverable once the Client accepts it, unless otherwise agreed in writing. 2. Ownership And Licenses. 2.1 Client Owns All Work Product. As part of this job, the Contractor is creating “work product” for the Client. To avoid confusion, work product is the finished product, as well as drafts, notes, materials, mock-ups, hardware, designs, inventions, patents, code, and anything else that the Contractor works on—that is, conceives, creates, designs, develops, invents, works on, or reduces to practice—as part of this project, whether before the date of this Contract or after. The Contractor hereby gives the Client this work product once the Client pays for it in full. This means the Contractor is giving the Client all of its rights, titles, and interests in and to the work product (including intellectual property rights), and the Client will be the sole owner of it. The Contractor also waives its moral right to the integrity of the work product. The Client can use the work product however it wants or it can decide not to use the work product at all. The Client, for example, can modify, destroy, or sell it, as it sees fit. 2.2 Contractor’s Use Of Work Product. Once the Contractor gives the work product to the Client, the Contractor does not have any rights to it, except those that the Client explicitly gives the Contractor here. The Client gives the Contractor permission to use the work product as part of the Contractor’s portfolio and websites, in galleries, and in other media, so long as it is to showcase the Contractor’s work and not for any other purpose. The Contractor is not allowed to sell or otherwise use the work product to make money or for any other commercial use. The Client is not allowed to take back this license, even after the Contract ends. 2.3 Contractor’s Help Securing Ownership. In the future, the Client may need the Contractor’s help to show that the Client owns the work product or to complete the transfer. The Contractor agrees to help with that. For example, the Contractor may have to sign a patent application. The Client will pay any required expenses for this. If the Client can’t find the Contractor, the Contractor agrees that the Client can act on the Contractor’s behalf to accomplish the same thing.

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The following language gives the Client that right: if the Client can’t find the Contractor after spending reasonable effort trying to do so, the Contractor hereby irrevocably designates and appoints the Client as the Contractor’s agent and attorney-in-fact, which appointment is coupled with an interest, to act for the Contractor and on the Contractor’s behalf to execute, verify, and file the required documents and to take any other legal action to accomplish the purposes of paragraph 2.1 (Client Owns All Work Product).

4. Non-Solicitation.

2.4 Contractor’s IP That Is Not Work Product. The Contractor might include intellectual property that the Contractor owns or has licensed from a third party in the deliverable(s), but because this intellectual property was not created for the Client, it does not qualify as “work product.” This is called “background IP.” Possible examples of background IP are preexisting code; type fonts, properly licensed stock photos, and web application tools. The Contractor is not giving the Client this background IP. But, as part of the contract, the Contractor is giving the Client a right to use and license (with the right to sublicense) the background IP as part of the deliverable(s) in which it is included. Once the Client pays the Contractor in full, the Client may use this background IP worldwide and free of charge, but it cannot transfer its rights to the background IP (except as allowed in Section 11.1 (Assignment)). The Client cannot sell or license the background IP separately from the deliverable(s) in which it is included. The Contractor cannot take back this grant, and this grant does not end when the contract is over.

The one exception is if the Contractor puts out a general ad and someone who happened to work for the Client responds. In that case, the Contractor may hire that candidate. The Contractor promises that it won’t do anything in this paragraph on behalf of itself or a third party.

2.5 Contractor’s Right To Use Client IP. The Contractor may need to use the Client’s intellectual property to do its job. For example, if the Client is hiring the Contractor to build a website, the Contractor may have to use the Client’s logo. The Client agrees to let the Contractor use the Client’s intellectual property and other intellectual property that the Client controls to the extent reasonably necessary to do the Contractor’s job. Beyond that, the Client is not giving the Contractor any intellectual property rights, unless specifically stated otherwise in this Contract. 3. Competitive Engagements. The Contractor won’t work for a competitor of the Client until this Contract ends. To avoid confusion, a competitor is any third party that develops, manufactures, promotes, sells, licenses, distributes, or provides products or services that are substantially similar to the Client’s products or services, within the territory in which the Client sells its products or services. A competitor is also a third party that plans to do any of those things. The one exception to this restriction is if the Contractor asks for permission beforehand and the Client agrees to it in writing. If the Contractor uses employees or subcontractors, the Contractor must make sure they follow the obligations in this paragraph, as well.

Until this Contract ends, the Contractor won’t: a. Encourage Client employees or service providers to stop working for the Client; b. Encourage Client customers or clients to stop doing business with the Client; or c. Hire anyone who worked for the Client over the 12-month period before the Contract ended.

5. Representations. 5.1 Overview. This section contains important promises between the parties. 5.2 Authority To Sign. Each party promises to the other party that it has the authority to enter into this Contract and to perform all of its obligations under this Contract. 5.3 Contractor Has Right To Give Client Work Product. The Contractor promises that it owns the work product, that the Contractor is able to give the work product to the Client, and that no other party will have a valid claim that it owns the work product. If the Contractor uses employees or subcontractors, the Contractor also promises that these employees and subcontractors have signed contracts with the Contractor giving the Contractor any rights that the employees or subcontractors have related to the Contractor’s background IP and work product. 5.4 Contractor Will Comply With Laws. The Contractor promises that the manner it does this job, its work product, and any background IP it uses comply with applicable Canadian and foreign laws and regulations. 5.5 Work Product Does Not Infringe. The Contractor promises that its work product does not and will not infringe on someone else’s intellectual property rights, that the Contractor has the right to let the Client use the background IP, and that this Contract does not and will not violate any contract that the Contractor has entered into or will enter into with someone else. 5.6 Client Will Review Work. The Client promises to review the work product, to be reasonably available to the Contractor if the Contractor has questions regarding this project, and to provide timely feedback and decisions. 5.7 Client-Supplied Material Does Not Infringe. If the Client provides the Contractor with material to incorporate into the work product, the Client promises

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5.8 Disclaimer. The Contractor disclaims all implied warranties, representations and conditions, including those that may be implied by statute, a course of dealing or a usage of trade. The only warranties, representations and conditions that the Contractor makes are those that are expressly set out in this Section 5 (Representations). 6. Term And Termination. This Contract is on going until the work is completed. Either party may end this Contract for any reason by sending an email or letter to the other party, informing the recipient that the sender is ending the Contract and that the ContZract will end in 7 days. The Contract officially ends once that time has passed. The party that is ending the Contract must provide notice by taking the steps explained in Section 11.4. The Contractor must immediately stop working as soon as it receives this notice, unless the notice says otherwise. The Client will pay the Contractor for the work done up until when the Contract ends and will reimburse the Contractor for any agreed-upon, noncancellable expenses. The following sections don’t end even after the Contract ends: 2 (Ownership and Licenses); 3 (Competitive Engagements); 4 (NonSolicitation); 5 (Representations); 8 (Confidential Information); 9 (Limitation of Liability); 10 (Indemnity); and 11 (General). 7. Independent Contractor The Client is hiring the Contractor as an independent contractor. The following statements accurately reflect their relationship: » The Contractor will use its own equipment, tools, and material to do the work. » The Client will not control how the job is performed on a day-to-day basis. Rather, the Contractor is responsible for determining when, where, and how it will carry out the work. » The Client will not provide the Contractor with any training. » The Client and the Contractor do not have a partnership or employer-employee relationship. » Neither the Contractor nor the Client can enter into contracts, make promises, or act on behalf of the other. » The Contractor is not entitled to the Client’s benefits (e.g., group insurance, retirement benefits, retirement plans, vacation days). » The Contractor is responsible for its own taxes. » The Client will not withhold income tax or make payments for unemployment insurance or workers compensation for the Contractor or any of the Contractor’s employees or subcontractors. 8. Confidential Information 8.1 Overview.

This Contract imposes special restrictions on how the Client and the Contractor must handle confidential information. These obligations are explained in this section. 8.2 The Client’s Confidential Information. While working for the Client, the Contractor may come across, or be given, Client information that is confidential. This is information like customer lists, business strategies, research & development notes, statistics about a website, and other information that a reasonable person would understand to be private. The Contractor promises to protect the confidentiality of this information as if it is the Contractor’s own confidential information. The Contractor may use this information to do its job under this contract, but not for anything else. For example, if the Client gives the Contractor a customer list to use in sending out a newsletter, the Contractor cannot use those addresses for any other purpose. The one exception to this is if the Client gives the Contractor written permission to use the information for another purpose, the Contractor may use the information for that purpose, as well. When this contract ends, the Contractor must give back or destroy all confidential information, and confirm that it has done so. The Contractor promises that it will not share confidential information with a third party, unless the Client gives the Contractor written permission first. The Contractor must continue to follow these obligations, even after the contract ends. The Contractor’s responsibilities only stop if the Contractor can show any of the following: (i) That the information was already public when the Contractor came across it; (ii) The information became public after the Contractor came across it, but not because of anything the Contractor did or didn’t do; (iii) The Contractor already knew the information when the Contractor came across it and the Contractor didn’t have any obligation to keep it secret; (iv) A third party provided the Contractor with the information without requiring that the Contractor keep it a secret; or (v)The Contractor created the information on its own, without using anything belonging to the Client. 8.3 Third-Party Confidential Information. It’s possible the Client and the Contractor each have access to confidential information that belongs to third parties. The Client and the Contractor each promise that it will not share with the other party confidential information that belongs to third parties, unless it is allowed to do so. If the Client or the Contractor is allowed to share confidential information with the other party and does so, the sharing party promises to tell the other party in writing of any special restrictions regarding that information. 9. Limitation Of Liability. Except for damages that result from a breach of Section 8 (Confidential Information), neither party is liable for the other party’s lost profits, lost savings or lost business, or for other breach-of-contract damages

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that this material does not infringe on someone else’s intellectual property rights.

that the breaching party could not reasonably have foreseen when it entered this contract. Except where a party breaches Section 8 (Confidential Information) or where a party indemnifies the other as described in Section 10 (Indemnity), neither party will be liable to the other, for breach of contract, negligence or otherwise, in an amount that is more than the Client is obligated to pay the Contractor under this contract. 10. Indemnity 10.1 Overview. This section transfers certain risks between the parties if a third party sues or goes after the Client or the Contractor or both. For example, if the Client gets sued for something that the Contractor did, then the Contractor may promise to come to the Client’s defence or to reimburse the Client for any losses. 10.2 Client Indemnity. In this Contract, the Contractor agrees to indemnify the Client (and its affiliates and their directors, officers, employees, and agents) from and against all liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) related to a third-party claim that the work product or background IP infringes the third party’s intellectual property rights. 10.3 Contractor Indemnity. In this Contract, the Client agrees to indemnify the Contractor (and its affiliates and their directors, officers, employees, and agents) from and against liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) related to a third-party claim that any material provided by the Client to incorporate into the work product infringes the third party’s intellectual property rights. 11. General 11.1 Assignment. This Contract applies only to the Client and the Contractor. The Contractor cannot assign its rights or delegate its obligations under this Contract to a third-party (other than by will or intestate), without first receiving the Client’s written permission. In contrast, the Client may assign its rights and delegate its obligations under this Contract without the Contractor’s permission. This is necessary in case, for example, another Client buys out the Client or if the Client decides to sell the work product that results from this Contract. 11.2 Arbitration. As the exclusive means of initiating adversarial proceedings to resolve any dispute arising under this contract, a party may demand that the dispute be resolved by alternative dispute resolution administered by the ADR Institute of Canada in accordance with the ADRIC Arbitration Rules. 11.3 Modification; Waiver. To change anything in this Contract, the Client and the Contractor must agree to that change in writing and sign a document showing their contract. Neither party can waive its rights under this Contract or release the

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other party from its obligations under this Contract, unless the waiving party acknowledges it is doing so in writing and signs a document that says so. 11.4 Notices. a. Over the course of this Contract, one party may need to send a notice to the other party. For the notice to be valid, it must be in writing and delivered in one of the following ways: personal delivery, email, or certified or registered mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested). The notice must be delivered to the party’s address listed at the end of this Contract or to another address that the party has provided in writing as an appropriate address to receive notice. b. The timing of when a notice is received can be very important. To avoid confusion, a valid notice is considered received as follows: (i) If delivered personally, it is considered received immediately; (ii) If delivered by email, it is considered received upon acknowledgement of receipt; (iii) If delivered by registered or certified mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested), it is considered received upon receipt as indicated by the date on the signed receipt. If a party refuses to accept notice or if notice cannot be delivered because of a change in address for which no notice was given, then it is considered received when the notice is rejected or unable to be delivered. If the notice is received after 5:00pm on a business day at the location specified in the address for that party, or on a day that is not a business day, then the notice is considered received at 9:00am on the next business day. 11.5 Severability. This section deals with what happens if a portion of the Contract is found to be unenforceable. If that’s the case, the unenforceable portion will be changed to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, unless that change is not permitted by law, in which case the portion will be disregarded. If any portion of the Contract is changed or disregarded because it is unenforceable, the rest of the Contract is still enforceable. 11.6 Signatures. The Client and the Contractor may sign this document using Bonsai’s e-signing system. These electronic signatures count as originals for all purposes. 11.7 Governing Law. The laws in force in the province of Ontario, Canada govern the rights and obligations of the Client and the Contractor under this Contract, without regard to conflict of law principles of that province. 11.8 Entire Contract. This Contract represents the parties’ final and complete understanding of this job and the subject matter discussed in this Contract. This Contract supersedes all other contracts (both written and oral) between the parties.

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Media Procedures Media Billing Procedures Unless specifically agreed otherwise, Verb Strategy & Creative is at all times acting as an agent for the Advertiser—that is, our clients. As a matter of policy, Verb Strategy & Creative shall finance its own services but shall not finance the costs of our clients’ marketing communications. For this reason, it is our policy to bill in advance for placement costs for all advertising media. We issue media invoices on or about the first of the month of the closing date for each publication, or at least ten (10) days before non-cancelable media contracts take effect. Enclosed with each invoice will be a copy of each insertion order or broadcast order relating to the invoice. Verb Strategy & Creative checks tear sheets of print advertisements before payment to media is approved. We will provide verification of all broadcast media after it is aired/printed. Payments shall be made on the invoice. Our terms are net ten (10) days. Interest at prevailing rates will be charged on accounts past due thirty (30) days. Media Planning As part of our integrated approach to marketing, we always involve our marketing director in the strategic planning process. By sitting in on the strategic process, our marketing director is better apprised of the creative strategy and able to prepare a media strategy, which reinforces and supports the creative. During the strategy session, the marketing director asks pertinent questions and prepares a Media Plan Worksheet (see Exhibit 16), which we then utilize to draw up as part of the project media proposal we present to you. The selection of media to target specific audiences or achieve particular objectives is critical to a marketing program’s success. Using this planning sheet also gives the marketing director a reference we can use to ensure the project media plan is in keeping with the overall marketing communications plan. Financial Obligations to Media and Suppliers To obtain the most beneficial rates and negotiate with the media on your behalf, we ask that you name us an Agent for purchasing media space and time for you and your assigns. Once payment for media space and time has been made to Verb Strategy & Creative, the agency assumes full financial responsibility for remitting payment to the media promptly. If, however, you fail to remit payment to Verb Strategy & Creative, financial responsibility for payment lies with you, the Client, and not with Verb Strategy & Creative. Our status as your Agent shall remain in effect until such time as you notify us, and the media, that the client/agency relationship has been discontinued. As our client, we ask that you do not require us to

undertake any action, which would be liable to breach existing contracts between Verb Strategy & Creative, the media and our suppliers. Verb Strategy & Creative shall not be held liable for the failure of the media or suppliers to meet their obligation. Agent for a Disclosed Principal It is the policy of Verb Strategy & Creative to take the traditional commission (15%) on media placed on behalf of all clients. Should this be unsatisfactory to you for any reason, be advised it is possible to negotiate other media payment terms. Please ask us about alternatives. An agency purchasing media on a client’s behalf is in the curious position of laying out agency funds to buy time or space for someone else. As wise business people, we believe you will agree this amounts to the agency making a loan to the client. There are obvious risks to such an arrangement, chiefly that any given client may default on payment at any given time— leaving the agency holding the bag (an empty one, too!) Verb Strategy & Creative asks that all clients agree to authorize us as their “agent for a disclosed principal,” which means that you attest to hiring us to place media for you; we bill you for the placement, and you remit payment to us. At that point, we assume the responsibility to pay the media. However, if you fail to pay our media bill, we disclaim all responsibility for paying the media, and the media must seek remittance directly from the client. All media insertion orders include a “sequential liability” clause, as detailed on page #35, spelling out this policy to the media. We also ask that you, our client, sign the agreement stating that you support this policy, and request the media to recognize our authority to purchase space or time on your behalf. This document will serve as legal protection should you as the client ever default on a media bill to our agency. It should be noted that many of today’s media organizations are refusing to accept this disclaimer, or to pay the agency commission for bringing the buyer (you, our client together with the seller (the media). The disclaimer is at issue largely because the media wishes to preserve the option of suing both the client and the agency should a defaulted payment occur. The commission issue is a reflection of the eroding relationship between the media and agencies, as the media increasingly encroaches on once agencyexclusive services, moving into direct competition with agencies. It is a dog-eat-dog world! In specific cases, Verb Strategy & Creative may need to negotiate custom terms with you and the involved media, in which case, we may ask that you sign an Agent for a Disclosed Principal form authorizing us to serve as your agent, but leaving out the sequential liability clause. Your account manager will inform you of any such situations.

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“Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.” – Seth Godin

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Public Relations Procedures Public Relations Planning As part of our integrated approach to marketing and when the opportunity allows, we always consider public relations as part of the strategic planning process and are prepared to deliver a PR strategy, meant to reinforce and support the marketing creative. Following the strategy session, we will prepare a Public Relations Plan Worksheet, which is then utilized in drawing up the project PR proposal we present to you. The selection of PR tactics to target specific audiences or achieve particular objectives is critical to a Three Dimensional branding program’s success. Using this planning sheet also gives us a reference useful in ensuring the project PR plan is in keeping with the overall marketing communications plan. As an integral component of an effective Three Dimensional marketing strategy, Public relations is responsible for the creation/engagement of the following PR vehicles: » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » »

Developing Press Kits (Print and Electronic) Developing Media Lists Drafting/ Distribute Press Releases Webinars/Webcasts Positioning Clients as a Media Source Op-Ed Articles Letters to the Editor Press conferences Press Clipping Services Special Events/Trade Shows Speech Writing Photography Internet Monitoring Developing Fact Sheets Drafting By-line Articles Social Media Strategies Content Marketing Social Media Influencer Out-reach Quarterly Newsletters Annual Reports Community Calendar Listings PR Campaign Measurement

Why Public Relations is Important » Media coverage increases credibility Paid advertising increases name recognition. Public relations increases credibility. When people read a story about the excellence of your product in a newspaper or see a story praising your company on television, they are much more likely to believe it and to have a favourable opinion of your organization. » Media coverage helps you attract “quality” prospects Because public relations increases credibility, it helps you attract those who want the best. When people have heard of you and have a favourable impression of you, it is easier to attract and hold their attention while you tell your story. » Media coverage makes you a player Coverage is important publications or on TV can make your organization look much larger than it is. » Public relations helps you avoid price competition If people believe that you are the best, they will understand why it is worth paying your price. » A public relations program stretches your marketing budget Because the media does not charge for news coverage, the relative cost of a good program is a lot less than for paid media or a direct mail campaign. » Best way to launch a brand Public relations is also considered by many as the best way to launch a brand or new product. When something is new the media often will write about it because of its news value.

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04 // SECTION 04

Client Information

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About Client Products & Services To better perform our strategic planning and marketing duties, we require in-depth access to information about your products, services, audience, sales, distribution channels and recent marketing efforts, successful or otherwise. To gain this information, we will send you a questionnaire for each product or service, that falls under our project parameters. Or, if available, you may provide product/service data sheets or other current documentation. We can review this material and determine if we need more information, in which case we’ll notify you. Each time a new product or service is introduced or added to our account responsibilities, we will provide a questionnaire for you to complete, or request your product documentation. You should keep file copies of any completed questionnaires for your own reference, and notify us whenever updates are needed. By maintaining current reference information for all products and services, we can ensure that marketing materials produced by Verb Strategy & Creative are correctly written, displayed, and are error-free.

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05 // SECTION 05

Invoicing Procedures & Fees

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Verb Strategy & Creative Invoicing Policies Of all the areas ripe for potential disagreement between clients and agencies, invoicing and billing policies are probably the ones most prone to create bad feeling and disrupt an otherwise happy working relationship. While we may prefer to bill every two weeks, your payables department may prefer invoices once a month. You like detailed invoices; we prefer an all-inclusive, one-line price. We say “ee-thur” and you say “eye-thur”… You get the picture... For this reason, Verb Strategy & Creative has chosen to address all policy and procedure issues before we actually create the first invoice. In this section, we review our billing and invoicing procedures, including sample invoices and excerpts from our client/agency contract relating to billing and invoicing. Your account manager will review these issues with you and discuss anything you feel needs adjustment. Should you be adamant about any point, we will strive to take whatever steps are necessary to help you achieve a comfort level with ongoing procedures. Ultimately, no policy is carved in stone, and we can, within reason, tailor our procedures to align with your preferred methods.

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“If you build it… you may still need Google AdWords.” – Jennifer Mesenbrink

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Invoicing Procedures

Fees

Advertising media are invoiced on or about the first of each month of the closing date for each publication or at least ten (10) days before non-cancellable media contracts take effect. The Agency checks tear sheets of print advertisements before payment to media is approved. The Agency will provide verification of all media after it is aired/printed/published/posted.

Fixed /Project Fees

Project billing is itemized (in terms of graphic design, copywriting, research, etc./presented as a multi-line project cost, all elements included), and billed by project. It is invoiced progressively as necessary but no more than twice monthly. Where a large project is required, an agreement may be sought to invoice as work-in-progress—for example, one-third of the estimated cost at commencement, one-third on approval of camera-ready art, and final detailed invoice on delivery.

Hourly /Time-Based Fees

Miscellaneous: Client will reimburse Agency, at cost, for all out-of-pocket expenses including but not limited to shipping, postage, long-distance telephone and fax, and travel expenses incurred on Client’s behalf, providing Agency obtains advance authorization from Client for such expenses. It is understood that the Agency will not charge nor bill for any expense in connection with normal local travel and communications between Agency and Client offices.

Verb Strategy & Creative, hourly fees1:

Payments shall be made on the invoice. Our terms are: » Net ten (10) days for print media (print, digital, outof-home, etc.). » Net fifteen (15) days for all other invoices. » Payments are to be made out to Verb Strategy & Creative Inc. Any non-disputed invoice not paid in accordance with these terms is subject to finance charges at the prime rate. Agency will bill such finance charges monthly. The client will notify the Agency in writing of any disputed items and any items in dispute will not be subject to a finance charge. The client agrees to pay all items not in dispute in accordance with the above schedule. It is essential that the Client pay promptly. This will enable Agency to pay the media and production vendors in accordance with their terms, thus ensuring Agency’s ability to procure media space and time as well as production services on a timely and cost-effective basis. Unless specifically agreed otherwise, the Agency is at all times acting as an Agent for the client. As a matter of policy, the Agency shall finance its own services but shall not finance the costs of your marketing communications.

Verb Strategy & Creative uses a number of different pricing structures depending on the project, task and circumstance. In all likelihood, your project will follow a fixed rate structure, where we agree to a set fee for a defined statement of work.

Time-based rates apply in 1. Those instances where a client change request may exceed the original statement of work and we may need to increase the number of resources to the project, i.e. rush jobs, additional rounds of edits, substantive changes, etc. 2. When working on a project that’s difficult to predict the time and scope due to the need for lots of edits/ revisions.

» » » » » » » » » » » » » »

Content Development $90/h Editing $90/h Graphic Design $95/h Marketing Strategy $125/h Meetings, Research & Project Management $65/h Research $65/h SEM/PPC Marketing $85/h SEO Optimization $85/h Social Media Management $85/h Translation – French $75/h Web development - Front-end programming $115/h Website Design $95/h UX Design $125/h Mileage 0.545 per km

Fees are subject to change without notice.

Retainer Fees Retainers are pre-negotiated and paid up-front for either a: » Specified time period, or a » Pre-defined number of deliverables. Consider the benefits of working with a time-based retainer. We both agree on a set number of hours to be worked each month, at a set agency fee, and at the end of every month you will receive work product that fits within those hours and you’ll know exactly how to budget each and every month. So for example, if we agreed to a 40-hour-per-month retainer at our blended agency rate of $85 per hour, the monthly retainer fee would = $3,400.

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Clients like working on retainers because it makes budgeting and accounting a breeze for them; they know exactly how much they need to pay you each month and when they need to pay it, so it makes the billing and payment portion of things easypeasy. Other Fees » We charge a 15% commission on all media buys, as calculated by $100 x 0.85 = $85. » We offer social media management on a fixed monthly plan. The rates depend on the scope of your plan, but most packages range between $500 to $2,500 per month. » For Digital Marketing /PPC services, we charge $750 for client’s spending less than $4,500 monthly, and charging 20% of ad spend above the $5,000 mark. » A 35% mark-up is added to all materials and out of pocket costs (i.e. web hosting, printing, proofs, binding, stock imagery, etc.). » We charge a +50% surcharge for rush job requests. Sample Invoice

Verb Strategy & Creative Inc. 647-779-0845 learnmore@verbsc.com | www.verbsc.com GST/HST: 824501318RT0001

Invoice #20190542

Visionary Marketing - These costs do not include production fees (printing, photography, fonts, website hosting, etc… ). We appreciate your business. www.verbsc.com

Bill To

Invoice Details

Payment

Visionary Test-Client Visionary Incorporated deangeorgelloyd@gmail.com 514-691-9894 1072 Harrison St. Suite #21 Lorraine, QC L4C 1M9

PDF created March 1, 2021 $16,379.35

Due March 8, 2021 $16,379.35

Item

Business Strategy & Plan

Quantity

Price

Amount

$6,500.00

$7,995.00

Strategic document includes; - Executive Summary - Business Overview - Ownership & Management Overview - Market Research - Competitive Analysis - Sales & Marketing Plan - Operations, Distribution, & Customer Retention Plan - Labour & HR Requirements - Financials & Budgeting - Appendices & Exhibits Custom Website Design & Development

Subtotal

$7,995.00

$14,495.00

HST

$1,884.35

Total Due

$16,379.35 Pay online

Page 1 of 1

To pay your invoice, go to https://gosq.me/u/ug2sm94E x Or open your camera on your mobile device and place the code on the left within the camera's view.

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06 // SECTION 06

A few words about how we work

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Verb Strategy & Creative is Digital It would be counterproductive in a millennium-era agency to have anything other than fully on-line, interconnected workflow systems. From accounting through creative, our staff is linked to one another and to all key elements of our agency management system. This allows all clients and service team members to stay abreast of estimates, production status, schedule changes, new projects—in fact, everything relating to your account is available to key client service personnel. Being “fully digital” also allows many of our agency functions traditionally performed in straight-line sequences to be executed simultaneously, helping us compress the number of days needed to complete certain projects or functions. Our interconnected client service team can remain in contact with one another throughout each workday, cutting down on the potential for errors through mislaid memos or misunderstood instructions. Everything is put down in writing, including production e-mails, change orders and client comments, saved on-line for quick reference. We also log all time expended on your account online, so production can keep a running tab on estimates, and accounting can accurately total each invoice. Retainers are also tracked on-line and reports are produced monthly. From the initial input logged in by the account manager, through the final sign-off before delivery to an outside vendor, we conduct all creative work in a digital environment. Account managers meet with the entire client service team without even having to walk away from their desks, taking instant meetings while never leaving their seats. Copywriters network with art directors to assemble layouts. Project management keeps track of deadlines and ensures all facets of a job move forward simultaneously. This further compresses the time needed to produce a finished project.

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07 // SECTION 07

The Strategic Marketing Process

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The Creative/ Project Brief A creative brief is the very foundation of any advertising or marketing campaign. Making a simple (but relatable) analogy, the briefing is the treasure map that creative people follow. The brief shows the creative professionals not only where to start digging to find golden ideas, but also how to open the treasure chest. It is a blueprint, a guide and even a source of inspiration for the development of great work. By definition, a creative brief is a document that establishes the defining aspects of a creative piece of work. The term is often heard in the advertising market, in which it represents the first step in the journey of producing all sorts of marketing communications materials.

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The Creative Project Brief prepared for our client projects address the following » Key problem/opportunity – The problem or need which our product or service satisfies. » Objective/Task – An articulated statement of work, defining the outcome and key deliverables of the project. » Advertising objective – What the marketing communication should do in relation to the consumer, in measurable terms, i.e.: » » » »

Encourage user engagement by x% Increase lead generation by x% Stimulate brand awareness by x% Increase thought leadership & brand credibility

» Target audience – A thorough definition of who are our best prospects for buying/using the product or service. Demographic, psychographic, lifestyle, perceptions, beliefs, etc.; primary (heavy) users and secondary users; » The Brand Promise – The single most important thing we can say to persuade them to act as we wish—the one benefit you are making to your prospects. » Positioning – A statement of how we want your prospects to perceive your product or service. This includes defining the key benefit(s) or feature(s) that differentiates your product or service in the marketplace. » Support – Why they should believe us; product attributes » Brand Personality – Tone, manner, style; define the product or service in terms of adjectives associated with the brand » Competitive frame – Other services, which closely parallel the services we offer. Also, those conditions existing in the marketplace that provide our prospects with an alternative to our product or service. » Design & Creative Considerations – Are there any particular colours, typefaces, images, slogans, text or other variables that the client has expressed particular interest in that we must consider.

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» Our Catalytic Idea - The goal of the Catalytic Idea, is to move consumers to take an action rather than contemplate a solution. Consider that catalytic ideas lie at the very heart of many changes in consumer behaviour in the recent past. » For example, few people bothered with deodorant until manufacturers introduced the catalytic idea that not using them was the main reason why many consumers couldn’t get a date. » Few People did anything about the smells that came out of their mouth until Listerine introduced the idea of bad breath. More recently, the rise of the electric toothbrush has been driven by a catalytic idea: » The electric toothbrush has been available in most countries since the 1950s. It has however always been a niche product. Many felt that “it may be convenient, but I’m not that lazy”.The electric toothbrush was considered the ultimate lazy man appliance. Then manufacturers introduced the idea…that whilst brushing would effectively remove food, only an electric toothbrush would remove plaque. The manufacturers even got dentists to offer a seal of approval. The result... Consumers stopped thinking of them as labour-saving devices and started seeing the healthcare benefits. This is the power of the catalytic idea. These ideas, well-executed, have the power to live in the mind of the consumer and in the consciousness of society, not just in words of a TV commercial or a print ad. They can be spread by each and every media channel and by every marketing activity. They are the ideas before the advertising. Catalytic ideas can build empires and change futures. These ideas are the holy grail of mar Finding that next great idea is the work that we pursue. Catalytic ideas are driven by the three areas that they challenge, the marketplace, the mind of the consumer and the brand, which communicates them. Throughout our discovery process, we repeatedly encourage our client partners to freely share all that they can about their market, brand and consumer. It is these insights that provide the raw materials that allow for true innovation in marketing. Once the “Creative Brief” has been drafted and each of our project stakeholders (as well as others with an interest) has had an opportunity to review it in detail, we convene an idea generation session that we call, Generator.

Verb Strategy & Creative develops strategic documents for each major campaign or project which includes program objectives, key strategies, KPI’s and details related to marketing approach(es), the marketing mix and the proposed budget. These documents vary depending on the project, and maybe developed for the following projects: » » » » » » »

Content marketing eCommerce Marketing communications Brand strategy Digital marketing Go-to-market strategies Social media

These documents serve as a beacon for all work related to the campaign or project. All creative strategies are reviewed against the client-approved plan to assure the creative “fits” the marketing goals and objectives.

» » » » » » » » » » »

Developing Market Segments & Buyer Personas Market Research Competitive Analysis Identifying Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats Developing a Value Proposition Strategy for Your Brand Product & Pricing Strategy Defining Marketing Tactics & Goals Sales & Distribution Strategy Creating Your Marketing Plan Budget Defining Marketing Metrics

Generator Verb Strategy & Creative regularly hold brainstorming and idea generating sessions that we call Generator. These internal ideation sessions allow us to consider our client’s communications/marketing issues and possible solutions from a number of different angles and perspectives in order to identify innovative and unique opportunities. Ideas that are shortlisted and come out of these Generator sessions move onto our Incubation period.

The Strategic Marketing Plan In the event that Verb Strategy & Creative is commissioned to develop a strategic marketing plan for your firm, please understand that our view of the plan is the single most important strategic document that involves your marketing and we take the drafting of such a document extremely seriously.

Incubator The Incubator is the next step in the process that we employ to develop ideas, concepts identified during our Generator sessions are nurtured and refined before for presentation to clients.

Our plans are thorough and consider long-term objectives for product lines, public relations, community sponsorships, corporate image, etc. This document will serve as an overview of all marketing work implemented throughout a calendar year if not longer. All creative strategies developed during the year will be reviewed with the client to affirm their fit within the strategic marketing plan. A copy of this document will be kept in our client files for reference by the client service team. Whenever a new project is developed or implemented, or a new portion of the plan is put into action, we can refer to the approved strategic plan to verify we are on track with your goals and objectives. Our plans often include content such as: » » » »

Executive Summary Business Overview Identifying Marketing Plan Objectives Identifying Market Positioning

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Strategic Plans

08 // SECTION 08

Agency Workflow

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8 Creative Development

Scheduling can mean headaches or peace of mind. We encourage the latter by providing clients with comprehensive timetables detailing the steps and necessary approvals to ensure that deadlines will be kept. Assigned responsibility (authorized sign-offs) for all tasks/checkpoints will illustrate our shared commitment to meeting the dates outlined, and underline our mutual objective of efficient and effective marketing programs.

Following is our creative development procedure: » Project Brief We conduct an interview/questionnaire with you the client to prepare a detailed design brief to ensure that we get the most information about your business, the goal of this project, the pain points associated with your existing visual identity, your core audience, and that we understand what their needs are. This brief helps us to focus attention on the areas that best serve the business in question, ensuring the final result is both relevant and effective; » Research To best equip ourselves with key insights, we conduct research focused on the industry, on the key market competitors, on global trends within the industry. We spend time considering the answers to questions like “what makes our client different/better?” and “why should a consumer consider their product?” If our client has not performed any market research, we will recommend the acquisition of a syndicated research report to inform us of critical trends and insights on the industry and competitors. » Sketching & Conceptualizing We develop design concept(s) around the creative/ project brief and research. Sketching ideas helps us to generate a large number of possible directions. Most of them will eventually be made redundant, but the point is to think laterally and not rule anything out to achieve the most effective design. » Rendering / Prototype design This stage involves taking ideas and transferring them into Adobe Illustrator. The number of design variations clients receive depends upon how many effective outcomes we believe there to be and on the amount of time available to us. » Presentations Here we choose to present select concepts for review, those we feel most strongly about based on the project brief and our Catalytic Idea. It is here that we measure your response and feelings towards one or more and if needed will refine concepts for the second round of presentation; » Revisions Once you select a concept to go forward we can then work on fine-tuning the concept. This could include font, layout and colour changes. » Finishing touches / Revisions Following client review, we’ll then either finalize the creative or make any revisions suggested and agreed upon.

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“Content marketing is really like a first date. If all you do is talk about yourself, there won’t be a second date.” – David Beebe

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Through experience and working with many clients, we have developed an orderly and efficient agency workflow system. To promote a better understanding of how we schedule, assemble and deliver all the programs and projects you request, this section of the “WHOA! Book” details our internal procedures and how they impact the flow of communications between client and agency. When you request creative from Verb Strategy & Creative, we develop a timetable detailing key dates for all steps from the project kick-off meeting through to delivery. This is called the “critical path”, and in an ongoing effort to deliver on time and on budget, we are committed to meeting critical path deadlines. However, we also look to you to ensure that key dates for asset delivery and approvals are met as well. We often work under very tight time frames to meet deadlines— as such, we must work together to ensure that important dates are respected and met on both sides. The following is a high-level sample of a critical path for developing a corporate identity project: A sample client has requested a delivery date of August 25th. » Project request arrives at agency » Project proposal is sent to client » Proposal is approved by client

6/01 6/03 6/04

Research Phase » » » » » » »

Client completes the project questionnaire Research report is acquired Agency drafts the project brief Agency develops project mood board Kick-off meeting with client Client approves the project brief Client approves the project schedule/final adjustments are made

6/08 6/08 6/14 6/14 6/15 6/15 6/15

Concept Development Phase » » » » » » » » » » »

Internal idea generation meeting is held Creative research & sketching is performed Internal review of initial concepts & direction Client-ready concepts are prepared Presentation of initial concepts Client approves of a conceptual direction & provides feedback Verb studio applies clients comments & further refines concepts Internal review of refined concepts Development of brand applications Presentation of refined concept & applications Client approves creative

6/16 6/25 7/02 7/07 7/08 7/09 7/14 7/15 7/22 7/23 7/23

Pre-Production Phase » Creative layouts are finalized

7/28

» Internal approval of creative designs & copy » Client approves creative layouts & copy » Creative is formatted for production (printing)

7/29 7/30 8/04

Production Phase » Production & Delivery » Project is delivered to client

8/20 8/23

The list of tasks identified in the sample project should provide you with a mile-high view of the steps that we take, to deliver a consistent quality output and though it does not do an accurate job of demonstrating how much effort and resources are involved in making a “logo” a reality. Even a two-day delay can place the project delivery in jeopardy. Design is subjective, and as a result, can fail to satisfy all of the participants involved in its creation at any point in the process. So while we might hit the ball out of the park on our very first try with one project, it may also take us 100-hundred hours to satisfy on the very next. Note that the workflow does not take into consideration the hours and sometimes days spent by our studio searching for the perfect image or creating a custom typeface; nor does it speak to the delays that often occur between client and agency when we are waiting for copy content or imagery. Thus, what the path outlines is perhaps an ideal execution. How You Can Help Us Work More Efficiently » To avoid surprises… Be present. Attend meetings, photoshoots, press runs, etc. » Provide directional comments—there is no need to write copy or re-design layouts—that is why you hired us! » Review copy/layout(s) to ensure that work is strategically on-target and that your facts and figures are accurately represented. » Provide your marketing and legal comments and approvals on schedule. Providing all copy and layout comments at once will save time and money, and avert errors that occur when information is transmitted to the agency piecemeal rather than in an organized, controlled fashion. Changes Cost Time and Money Changes occur, of course, they do. They are a fact of life in the advertising and marketing business, and we at Verb acknowledge this. However, when changes are permitted to flow in an uncontrolled manner through the progress of any given project, they can contribute to the propensity for “Murphy’s Law” to kick in: Anything that can go wrong, will. As your agency, now responsible for producing your advertising and marketing materials, we ask that you assist us in avoiding errors and mistakes by accepting

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Creative Development Critical Path Workflow

responsibility for changes requested after a project has moved into the pre-production phase. By this, we mean that you acknowledge in writing, that you have requested a change and that you recognize that additional fees—and time—may be incurred as a result of your request. In return, Verb Strategy & Creative undertakes to make such changes per your instructions only after you have been advised of the altered timing and costs involved. We use a Change Order Form for this purpose. Whenever you request a change, we will provide this form with the change information already entered and ask that an authorized member of your staff sign it and return it to us for our files. We will keep a file or notebook of all such documents for every project we undertake on your behalf. Not only does this procedure more tightly control the change process, but ensures more accurate billing and fewer questions about invoices. All invoices will be accompanied by copies of related authorized change order requests. Change orders also ensure that only authorized client personnel make changes on any given project, which allows you to more tightly control projects within your own organization. Approvals It is a policy for Verb Strategy & Creative to use a sequential sign-off procedure to ensure there is a traceable chain of decision-making on every project or program. This enables us to backtrack should a question about an authorized change be raised, and determine who gave authorization. It also enables us to track an error to its source and alter procedures to prevent any reoccurrence of that error. We ask our clients as well as our staff to share the responsibility of signing off on projects and programs at critical junctures. The following is an addendum to our contract, which serves as a reminder to our client counterparts that they also must carefully review every proof handed to them to ensure the quality, accuracy and completeness of the final product. Addendum: Client responsibilities The client acknowledges that they will be responsible for performing the following in a reasonable and timely manner: a) Providing feedback and approvals, allowing us to meet agreed-upon timelines; b) Provision of content in a form suitable for reproduction or incorporation into the deliverables without further preparation, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Proposal; and; c) Final proofreading and in the event, that client has approved deliverables but errors, such as, by way of example, not limitation, typographic errors or misspellings, remain in the finished product, Client shall incur the cost of correcting such errors.

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In Turn a) Verb will submit to the client for approval all layout, copy, artwork, storyboards and scripts. b) The client will designate in writing who within their organization may sign approvals and authorizations. c) Once an authorization has been signed, changes can be made, but the client will reimburse the agency for all time incurred and materials purchased in their name. Each proof we present to you will have a stamped sign-off block, or an attached sign-off form, which we ask your personnel to sign as authorized to indicate we may move on to the next step of the project’s critical path. Together, we will create effective marketing materials, which are error-free and cost-efficient. Rush Requests Verb Strategy & Creative is a professional organization dedicated to providing the best possible service and response to our clients. This means that we strive at all times to meet your budget and scheduling needs without assessing additional charges over and above our stated fees or retainer arrangements. However, on some occasions, it may be necessary to schedule extensive overtime hours and/or additional personnel to accomplish your scheduling requirements. On those occasions, additional charges will be passed on to you. When such a situation arises, we will draft an estimate of the additional costs we will incur to accomplish the project requirements and submit the estimate for your approval before proceeding. This policy was instituted because some clients tend to fall into the habit of requesting rush timing on every project. This creates a stressful and chaotic environment for our staff, as well it disrupts our preferred work method of well-planned, tightly timed creative development and production. We have found that schedules are often less critical than stated, and can be adjusted to reduce the need for over-hours and extra personnel. Even if a schedule is as critical as stated, you will always be informed in advance of extra costs and will always be asked to approve those charges before they are incurred. A Note About Production Phase More and more clients are becoming involved in the production of their projects beyond approvals. This can cause quality control problems of which we try to make all clients aware. For example, if a client decides to directly broker a printing job after having the agency design it and prep the digital files, Verb Strategy & Creative cannot assume responsibility for the quality of the completed job. Our people cannot

spot and correct vendor errors or quality control issues if we are not on-site, supervising the job at the press. Nor can we assume responsibility if the client chooses to take the job to a printer we did not recommend. Every job we broker to an outside vendor goes to the vendor who offers the best combination of price and capabilities to produce a high-quality cost-efficient finished piece. Clients often ignore the capabilities aspect and broker jobs based strictly on price, which all too often can result in a cheap but poorly produced finished item— one of which none of us can be proud. To ensure that it is clearly understood that we assume responsibility for producing a quality final product ONLY if we are in control of the final production process, we will ask that you sign the following transfer of responsibility agreement when you approve a pre-production proof. It attests both to our willingness to exert every effort to produce the best job possible at the best possible price and serves as a reminder to you that you must assume that same responsibility whenever you ask Verb Strategy & Creative to step aside. Pre-Production Phase This phase encompasses taking the creative idea to an implementable program, including working digital files or mechanicals, cleaning up mailing lists, preparing final copy, outside preparatory production including photography or illustration, etc. Copy, artwork, and program delivery details are developed, presented, and revised by the client service team. The client supplies input, direction, and final approval of program components. As strategic partners, we aim for efficiency in this phase. This can be achieved in many ways. Your client service team will detail the procedure for each project based on the approved critical path schedule. Agency and client should adhere to the timetable. It is our policy that the process is expedited whenever possible.

retouching will be done before the final production phase. » Illustrations are sketched, approved for final development, and created either traditionally or digitally. If created traditionally (hand-drawn), the illustration will be approved by the client before scanning into digital form for the final production phase. If digital, the client will see the illustration as part of the digital layout. Revisions can be requested at that time and made before the final production phase. » Word processed copy is spell-checked and proofread internally. A final client approval may be required. » Digital layouts are created and laser or color digital proofs are generated. Proofs are reviewed internally and corrected/adjusted where deemed necessary. 3. Final proofs are generated for presentation to the client’s authorized proofreaders. The client reviews the final layout proofs and requests final revisions changes. Verb Strategy & Creative makes final digital file corrections. The project moves into the production phase. Production Phase Production phase implementation is managed by Verb Strategy & Creative in coordination with the client, each bringing its expertise to the process. In the instance of a print run, Verb Strategy & Creative is responsible for selecting the most appropriate vendor and printing process for the project and budget, as well as press proofing. Our client is kept informed of the schedule and should be available to discuss any last-minute approvals or changes. Outside Production Digital files/artwork are released to our printing partners.

The following is a sampling of the range of activities that take place when creative moves from the concept phase to pre-production:

1. Four-colour (+) artwork goes to colour separation.

1. Full copy is written, reviewed internally, revised and presented to you for review. Your revisions are then incorporated into the final copy.

» Laser proofs. » Full-colour proofs. » On-press proofs

2. Artwork is begun:

3. Work may be approved and initialled at each stage.

» Photography is scheduled and propped if necessary. If traditional prints/transparencies are produced, the client is shown the photos and the best shots are selected. Photos are scanned into digital format and retouched for the final production phase. If digitally photographed, files are saved into desired formats/applications and saved onto data transfer cartridges for the final production phase. The client will review the photo as part of the digital layout;

4. Printed pieces are trimmed, folded, perforated, glued, etc. as required, at the bindery, and then shipped to the final delivery point. Samples are provided to Verb Strategy & Creative and to your designated personnel. Ad materials (colour separated negatives, colour proofs, digital prepress files) are proofed and shipped to publications Copies of the colour proof are supplied to Verb Strategy & Creative and to yourselves.

2. Proofing stages include:

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Sequential Sign-Off Verb Strategy & Creative has learned through experience that a key method for reducing errors to having everyone involved with a project takes responsibility for their part in it. When people are asked to attest they have reviewed and approved a project phase by affixing their signature to the sign-off sheet, they have a tendency to review more carefully and are more likely to double-check or question anything that seems “not quite right.” Here is how our sign-off system works: 1. As a new job enters the agency, it is opened and a critical path is established. The critical path means that there is a beginning date, a due date and several interim delivery dates established for the project. Interim dates may be, for example, when comp and copy are due when photography will be shot, etc. 2. For each step in the critical path, an appropriate agency employee or authorized client staff member will attest to the fact they have completed/reviewed the job at that point and agree it is ready to move to the next step; 3. These approvals are reviewed during the process of moving the job from one step to the next, by the marketing director and when required during the process, we will ask the client to review and approve tasks; 4.Should an error slip through despite our best efforts, we can utilize the sign-off records and proof filing system to trace the error back to its source and take steps to avoid any repetition of such an error in future projects. Your cooperation in providing names of client staff that are authorized to proof/sign-off on any given project, and signatures of approval when required, will help guarantee quality, error-free advertising and marketing materials.

Thi

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09 // SECTION 09

Referral Program

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Let’s go over how it works. 1. Refer – All we need to get started is your referral’s name, email address and phone number. Please also include any additional details that you may have about the opportunity. 2. Relax - A Verb team member will follow up with your referral, and you’ll get notified when your referral becomes a client! 3. Revel - Once your referral becomes a new Verb Strategy & Creative client engaging us in a major project, you’ll receive a shiny new $500 gift card that you can use whenever and however* you’d like.

Unlimited Rewards Potential.

Happy with our service? Refer Verb Strategy & Creative to your colleagues and earn a $500 gift card for future Verb services whenever* you need it when they engage us for any of the following services.

» » » »

Marketing Strategy Development Branding & Identity Digital Marketing Experiential Events & Activations

4. Repeat – Repeat this cycle as many times as you’d like and you can even hold onto your gift cards, saving avthem to apply to a major project of your own. *Now let’s cover some of the fine print. » The referral reward works only when you refer a new customer, not valid if a client is or has been a Verb Strategy & Creative client in the previous 24 months. » Referral bonus is applied only after a new client contract is activated and the deposit invoice due is settled in full. » Referral bonus can only be applied to Verb services and not towards media or third party billings. How does the referral program work? Simply visit our referrals page on our website www.verbsc.com/referrals, complete and submit the form. Our team will take it from there and once your referral becomes a client, we will happily have your gift card delivered to you. What can I use my gift card for? Gift card balances may be used for any Verb strategy or creative service. It may not however be used to pay for third-party services such as printing, media billings, stock photography, syndicated research, etc. May I use my gift card balance to pay outstanding invoices? Yes! We can apply your gift card funds towards any outstanding Verb fees. May I use my gift card balance to pay for multiple outstanding invoices? Yes! We can apply your gift card funds towards any outstanding Verb fees, across multiple invoices.

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10 // SECTION 10

Agency Evaluation

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Evaluating Our Performance/ Service We work to develop solid, stable, partnerships with each client that we service. As an ongoing measure of our overall service and client relations Verb Strategy & Creative requests, our clients complete an agency /project evaluation. We value the opinions and comments of all of our clients and hope you will find the evaluation procedure a useful tool benefiting our working relationship. If you have any questions, we will be happy to assist you in completing this review at the appropriate time. Throughout the year, you may of course address any problems or questions about service or performance to us (although we hope that there will never be an occasion to).

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faq // FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

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aq What happens if we are about to exceed our estimated hours on a project?

An “estimate” is exactly that - an estimate. We provide estimates based on experience, the information we have, and some assumptions that may or may not play out over time, but we don’t have a crystal ball (if we did, we’d be your stockbroker). If a project is headed for over-budgetland, we try to catch it early and contact you to discuss how best to proceed. We never charge above our original estimate without your prior approval. We log our hours daily into a database program that shows both estimated hours and actual hours worked. This makes it easy to see when a job is likely to go over budget. What happens if we miss a scheduled meeting?

getting to know you and your business personally to provide the best service we can to help meet your business goals.

What’s the difference between a logo and a brand?

Branding is the culmination of all things that represent your company, product or service. A logo is just one part of your overall brand identity. What is the difference between local SEO and just SEO?

Search engine optimization is a broad term that encompasses many facets that help your website rank higher in search engines. Local SEO narrows the focus to just your location, using tactics to show up for searches near you.

There are three ways a meeting may not happen it’s cancelled, rescheduled or it’s missed. If you call us 24hrs before a meeting to cancel or reschedule, you will not be charged. We understand that stuff happens day to day and sometimes meetings get cancelled. No problem. However, a missed meeting is a different kettle of fish. The old adage that says “time is money” is a regrettable reality, and it’s no fun sitting around the conference table waiting for clients to show and they don’t. We bill for missed meetings.

How does Verb vet new writers and designers?

What happens if we need something in an unreasonably short deadline?

Will Verb Strategy & Creative communicate directly with your clients?

Need it in a hurry? Anything is possible. We’ll recommend strategies that fit whatever constraints you present - time, money, whatever. But we won’t take on a project unless we’re convinced we can deliver. And guess what usually happens when clients go elsewhere because they’re promised faster service? Remember, you can buy a suit off the rack “right now”, but nothing feels as good as bespoke tailoring, which takes time and care.

That’s up to you! Through the course of our work with you, there may be an occasion for primary research whereby it may be beneficial to hear the voice of your consumer, be it to gain further insights for a strategy or to test new creative. Whatever the reason, we would only do so on your behalf, with your permission and we’ll customize our approach so that we provide your clients with the exact experience you envision.

What happens if we found a cheaper price than Verb quoted?

Does Verb Strategy & Creative work on retainer?

Go for it! If you’re certain that you are comparing apples to apples, then it’s a steal of a deal. But comparing a two-door econobox to a flagship luxury sedan on price alone is not an apples-toapples comparison. “You always get what you pay for” and there is always a trade-off when price upends value.

We pride ourselves on our effort, experience and the systems that we put in place to do the kind of good work for our clients that support trusting, long-term relationships with mutual accountability for each other’s success.

Many members of our team have been with us for years, so we know exactly what skills, interests, and strengths they bring to the table. When we do hire new writers and designers, we look for backgrounds in marketing, writing, graphic design, and other creative fields. We also have a trial period with each new team member, so we can see if their creative skills will be a good fit for our clients’ needs.

Yes. We can work on a per-project or hourly basis. We offer a retainer service, which dedicates a set amount of hours per month specifically for your business or organization. The more hours you purchase, the bigger the discount. This allows us to be your de facto creative team. Can’t I do all of this myself?

It’s really a question of evaluating what you do best and what an agency does best. After looking at core competencies, many businesses decide that it’s wisest and most cost-effective to form a relationship with a good agency.

What value does Verb Strategy & Creative business bring to my business?

We are a boutique agency with big business experience. We count our clients as brand partners;

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The WHOA! Book

Articles inside

Section VI: A few words about how we work

Section VIII: Agency Workflow

Section V: Invoicing Procedures & Fees

Section IX: Referral Program

Section X: Agency Evaluation