FAQ | Infusion: Alignment for Mission-Driven Organizations and For-Benefit Enterprises

How we work

Understanding our approach and how we work is essential when establishing a new working relationship. We’ve compiled these frequently asked questions to help give prospective clients a comprehensive look at what working with Infusion will be like. Feel free to ask for any clarifications by contacting us.

What types of organizations do you work with?

We work exclusively with mission-driven and non-profit organizations. The core of our expertise is centered here and we have a passion to help them. Read a definition of the “mission-driven organization”.

I’m not sure if we are a mission-driven organization. How do I know?

A mission-driven organization can be a for-profit or non-profit, public or private, governmental or non-governmental, philanthropic or faith-based organization. In short, the mission-driven organization is formed and/or managed to accomplish a goal (or multiple goals) that extend beyond the profits of the stakeholders and include an individual, group, or societal benefit. Read a definition of the “mission-driven organization” here.

We’re not a “mission-driven” organization. Can you help us?

We could, but there are probably other firms that can do a better job for you than us. We are so focused on the mission-driven sector that we would likely not be as effective as others in similar creative fields.

What size are the firms that you work with?

Most organizations we work with have operating budgets (or gross revenue) that exceed one million dollars annually and existing communications budgets in the range of five to six figures. However, we frequently work with smaller organizations when there is a good fit and the mission is something we’re passionate about.

Who at Infusion will be working with us?

Our team is comprised of designers, developers and client relationship managers that help ensure that the work moves along without any glitches. Meet our team here. Matt Simpson does our brand strategy work and oversees creative direction. More about his background here.

Do you have some references we could contact?

Absolutely! We can supply references for most services including our brand development programs and creative implementation services.

Who owns the creative work that is produced?

We’ve always believed that it is unfair to hold creative work hostage. Once you have paid for the work it’s yours. You can do as you like with it after the project. All our implementation contracts include a transfer of creative rights upon receipt of final payment for the work produced.

What are typical payment terms?

All consulting and strategy services require pre-payment and there are no refunds. We bill for implementation (creative execution) work in phases as dictated by the scope of the project, typically with 50% down (per project).

How do you help us solve our problems?

To be an effective catalyst for your organization, we will not do everything we are told. We make it our responsibility to bring you ideas you didn't ask for, and to keep solving problems in new and different ways. We will listen intently to you and provide thoughtful responses, based in fact and backed up by strategy. We’ll tell you our opinion and make a case for it. We never make a prescription without a diagnostic, and we always base our recommendations on solid research and facts.

We have an RFP for this project. Can you complete it so we can determine if working together is a good fit?

We do not give away our best thinking, nor do we believe in the speculative RFP process. It diminishes the value of our industry and it takes away precious time from working with our clients. We believe that the creative process is most productive as a two-way collaboration within the scope of a defined engagement. Working in an isolated and competitive situation produces poor solutions without the benefit of strategic research.

Can you throw some ideas together on where we might go creatively to make sure this is a good fit before proceeding?

Unfortunately, no. For us to be effective, we need to follow a process. Throwing out ideas or creating spec work prior to an engagement only ensures a poor working relationship in the future and usually weak creative.

Can we get together and meet first? This is a big decision and I’d like to get a feel for how we’d work together.

Depending on the scope of your needs, an initial meeting is likely appropriate. Regardless, we'll spend as much time as you like answering questions by phone or email to give you a comfort level with how we’ll approach working for you. We’ll also supply lots of references (once we know you are seriously interested).

What really sets you apart from the other firms that specialize in serving this field?

Unlike development organizations, generalist creative firms, and other consultants, we are specialized brand strategists laser-focused on the mission-driven model. Our strategy, implementation and output are executed within our organization by practitioners who intimately understand mission-driven organizations and their target audiences. Our experience in serving mission-driven organizations includes a client list of dozens of organizations who impact an audience of millions (you can review our experience here). Additionally, our staff has extensive real-world experience working in, with, and along side mission-driven organizations and helping craft their missions and communication objectives. Our “best practices” and programs are targeted towards the unique needs of mission-driven organizations and backed up with the experience and expertise to implement the solutions we develop.

What's the culture like at Infusion?

At Infusion, we believe there is more to life than just a paycheck. We make a conscious effort to encourage a culture of creativity, thoughtful self-discovery, and a commitment to our friends and families. We encourage everyone at Infusion to live life well. We work hard, but we also think that life's too short to drive to the office every day and not have a little fun together. We encourage our team to find their passion and engage it, give back to the community, live out their faith, and serve our clients with a smile. We love what we do and we have a blast doing it!

Should I be concerned about sharing confidential information?

Any information or materials that are provided to us during the course of our work together will be kept in the strictest confidence. We take all reasonable efforts to safeguard your information and ensure that it is secured. If it is appropriate, we are happy to provide you with an executed nondisclosure agreement to that effect.

What does it cost?

We charge a fair price for the services we provide. Before we get started on anything, we provide a formal contract and we require signed approvals to get started. There are no hidden charges or game playing. We believe in open communication in everything we do. Our fees are based on the time it takes to complete the scope of work plus the cost of the materials used to produce that project. We adhere to our estimates unless project specifications change (you will approve scope changes that effect the project price in writing before engagement). We frequently work on a retainer or project-fee basis.

What should our expectations be after engaging you?

We have defined processes for all our engagements. We can provide you with a detailed outline of how we'll work on your specific project. That said, since every situation is unique, we first want to establish a baseline for our work together. After engagement we provide you with a request for materials and schedule information gathering meetings between our team and your key staff. This process helps to sharpen your focus and objectives, and it helps us ensure that what we provide you the deliverables you require.

How can we be sure you’ll “get it” when developing creative for us?

We’re experts at what we do and we do it every day (some of us have even done if for over two decades). We’ve built a series of solid processes that shape and inform our creative development, all anchored in strategy and research. This research includes your brand, it’s history, your target audience, your goals, your competition, and external influences to name but a few. When we present something to you, it has been tested and proven based on the requirements of your specific project objectives.

How long does a creative project take to complete?

Every project and scope is different so we refrain from quoting standard times without having all the facts and background on a particular project. We’ll provide you with an estimated time up front based on what we think the project will take. After engagement, we provide you with targeted milestones based on what we’ve discovered in our initial planning meeting(s). Of course, if you have a rush or deadline pressure, we can adjust our workflow and timing accordingly. Naturally, an additional fee is required when this is necessary because it forces our schedule into overflow. The need to schedule our workflow in a businesslike fashion, means that we normally ask for up to two to three weeks of production time, depending on the job’s complexity, before we submit our rough approaches (concepts) for your review.

Who do you work with at our organization?

We work with the key stakeholders, often director and c-level decision makers, who are responsible to setting the strategic and creative direction of your organization’s brand. We have found that it is best to appoint one member of your team to be the point person for interaction with us. When presenting recommendations, concepts, and other creative we require that the entire team of stakeholders is in the room to ensure that we communicate the vision clearly and are able to address questions and inquiries at that time.

What about scope change or budget alterations?

Activities that will affect the schedule or budget are identified in writing. Our goal is to keep your project moving ahead quickly, smoothly, and cost-effectively and to make sure that we produce the very best results possible.

How long does it take to develop a brand identity?

Every brand is different but most implementation can be completed in 90-120 days. We have done it faster and some projects take longer depending on the elements involved. We have several programs that relate to the branding process, you can view them here.

We don’t have much of a budget. What’s the best way to proceed?

Raise your money first or outline a budget. If you don’t have enough to develop your brand at this point, implementing it properly will likely be a stretch. Go ahead and contact us and we can help you identify a budget that will set you up for success. The fee for this service is minimal and often free.

How would you describe the ideal Infusion client?

Our ideal client:

Is a leader and has decision making authority regarding the organization’s brand.
Believes that marketing and communications strategy are essential to the mission of their organization.
Desires a unified brand experience for the organization’s clients, donors, staff, and stakeholders.
Has no hesitation about our fees and is willing to allow us to do the diagnostic work necessary to properly position their brand for the future.
Is engaged in the process and is timely in their responses so that we can accomplish more together.
Is open to a different perspective, but tests each piece of advice we provide rather than accepting it blindly.
Wants to reach and inform the right audiences for their organization.
Desires to create, update, or refine their brand to reflect the organization they are today.
Wants to leverage technology and new media to communicate more effectively.

We are grateful to have a number of ideal clients at Infusion, and serving them brings our team great joy and satisfaction.