Agreeing to work with an agency on your branding project, website, or otherwise, is a daunting first step. But odds are if you’re reading this post, you did it! You chose to work with us, and we couldn’t be more excited. If you’re still on the fence, feel free to learn more about what to expect when working with us. We’d love to have ya!
But if we’ve agreed to work with each other, how do we get from the handshake to the start of the work?
Hello. Hi. Welcome to AOR! We are people-first in everything. That means we value strong relationships, mutual respect, and dedication to each other above all else. It’s our mission to create an environment that fosters trust and transparency. After all, we are going to be spending a lot of time together over the next few months or even years. So before anything, we say hello, and then we start your onboarding.
AOR Value: “Believe in We”
Success comes from us working together, understanding each other, and working toward the same common goals.
As we enter our partnership, the agreements are signed, and onboarding begins, transparency is of utmost importance. (And this goes both ways.) Our onboarding process is based on collaboration and discovery and is meant for us to find out as much as we need to know about each other. Some agencies do this in a very transactional way, we try to keep it light-hearted. Marketing, branding, web design — all these things are meant to be fun! But with fun comes work, so while we try to keep things engaging, at this stage we’ll also ask you to do some housekeeping and homework. This will allow us to receive high-level information, readying us to kick off with the working team internally.
AOR Value: “Dare To”
We are here to push you in all the best ways. We’re all about taking chances and thinking boldly, and we want to inspire you to do the same.
Teaming up feels a lot better when it’s not with strangers. Thankfully, we’ve spent some time getting to know each other at this point, but in order to solidify our partnership we hold a meet and greet. Our rockstar working team and your rockstar working team, together in one room (or Zoom). This is the best way for us to learn who you are, for you to learn who we are, and for all of us to really feel like we’re part of a team. Our meet and greet is also where you’ll be introduced to your main point of contact. We are so close to kicking off!
AOR Value: “Keep it Real”
We believe in honest conversations. No BS. It’s important that we all bring our best selves to the table when we meet to discuss projects. And we strive to have each other’s back, no matter what.
We are a naturally curious group. Our enthusiasm is contagious and we find great joy in championing ideas and individuals. Our Discovery phase is one of our favorites. It’s a time for us to really get to know your project, your vision, and what you value. This is the point where we really dig in. Taking what we learn in the Discovery Workshop, soon you and your team will be well on your way to seeing results.
AOR Value: “Own It”
We’ll take what you give us in the Discovery Workshop and make it beautiful. That’s the promise we make. If we say we can do it, and that we will do it, then we do it.
Good work starts with understanding. Onboarding is the first and most important step for us to understand you as an organization. It can be easy to cut corners in this part of the process, but we don’t.
The process can look different for different clients, but typically the onboarding timeline looks like this:
The keys to great creative and strong relationships are transparency and collaboration. At AOR, we believe that starts with onboarding. Setting out on the right foot means everything in this business. We couldn’t be more excited that you’ve joined us on this journey, and before you know it, your project will be in your lap and it’s our goal that it exceeds your expectations.
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or if you haven’t partnered with us yet and want to learn more about AOR.