Van Deusen & Levitt Associates

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Leigh Overland Architect LLC. It is a boutique architectural firm. We’ve been in business for about 40 years.

What challenge were you trying to address with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

We’ve been developing a new type of design with a specific material that’s making homes and buildings more efficient, safer, healthier, fire-resistant, and more.

We wanted someone with marketing expertise to help us get our process out to other architects, builders, and the public. We understand that trying to change something is difficult and slow. But we didn’t want it to be too slow so we figured we would hire Van Deusen & Levitt Associates to speed it up.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Van Deusen & Levitt Associates helped us by creating a branding methodology for our architectural plans in order to attain a unique differentiation from the competition in the architectural field.

They worked with the marketing team. They created new logos and other marketing collaterals. They spearheaded the creative processes in the marketing department to get the website done, get the branding, and getting the verbiage from the writer so they can really define the company. 

Apart from the creative and marketing work, they also helped in designing the website and acted as my consultant.

What is the team composition?

I was working with Justin (Principal) and Glenn (Brand Strategist). But my contact was with Glenn himself. 

How did you come to work with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

I heard Van Deusen & Levitt Associates giving a lecture and I believe that is how I met them and then I approached them after that.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent at least several thousand dollars.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2019–April 2020. I still occasionally reach out to Glenn for his opinions, which I highly value.

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

The actual quality of Van Deusen & Levitt Associates’ work is above and beyond my expectations. What I really found helpful and important is that they provide great services for small firms. We know that they do much larger projects, but they made me feel very important.

I remember that with every question and meeting, the team was always on top of it all. Their responsiveness was also far beyond my expectations.

How did Van Deusen & Levitt Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

The team conducted meetings with us. They were also able to respond quickly using email or a phone call. Their replies were instantaneous. I never felt like I had wasted a lot of time with them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with their creativity. They evaluated what I was trying to do and they did their research right from the start. They had a very large pool of consultants that made us feel very comfortable with the services they provided. 

They left no stone unturned. Looking at the website, the logo, and the sayings—I was more than satisfied with those and I also felt like they were legally watching my back. I felt like not just another small company that they would fit somewhere, they made me feel like I was important to them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them as much of your feedback and then sit back and listen to them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager of the global safety division at HOYA, one of the worldwide leaders in eyewear. My job is to provide eyewear for manufacturing companies. Workers in industrial plants are often subject to dangerous conditions, so their eyewear has to adhere to certain safety requirements.

What challenge were you trying to address with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

We needed help rebranding our company. We recently underwent an acquisition and changed our name, so we were in a transitional state.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The key deliverables consisted of a new logo, tagline, and a few ancillary items like letterheads, envelopes, business cards, and a PowerPoint deck.

They helped us establish our name and identity by redesigning the look and feel of our division. Through a new style and color scheme, they expressed our brand identity and vision.

We knew exactly what we wanted, so we gave them pretty specific requirements and requests. While they did a great job of making sure we knew what their other services were, we stuck with just a visual brand refresh.

What is the team composition?

We worked with the owner and one of his graphic design employees.

How did you come to work with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

They had a great working relationship with our VP of marketing, who recommended them. I met with the owner, and I felt comfortable in moving forward with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2019, and we have an ongoing engagement.

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

The work is 95% done, but they’ve done a great job. From the very beginning, we’ve loved their product and recommendations. They really took the work from our plate, because we’ve only had to provide a few tweaks. I’m very happy with them.

They excelled at understanding our industry and who our customers are. They were also great listeners and communicators.

How did Van Deusen & Levitt Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication skills are absolutely fabulous. They carefully listened to our requests so that they could fulfill them to the best of their ability. They understood our goals, and delivered. We communicated through email and on the phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their experience and expertise in branding and identity creation are very impressive. Their input was apt and valuable; by responding to our questions, they successfully oriented us in the right direction. They also did a great job of helping us understand why we should or shouldn’t do some of the things we were requesting.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wouldn’t change anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very transparent about what you’re striving to do. That is the only way you’re going to truly leverage their breadth of knowledge. Use them for everything that they’re worth, and that means being very clear about what you’re trying to do.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing at Heartland Credit Union. We serve a few large corporations in our areas as well as numerous nearby counties.

What challenge were you trying to address with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

We have lots of competition, so we needed to get our name out there and make sure we had a firm brand that resonated with the communities we serve. We needed a partner to help us stand out among the other financial institutions we’re surrounded by.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Van Deusen & Levitt Associates conducted numerous interviews to determine the level of our brand awareness across numerous groups. They interviewed our upper management, branch members, potential members, and employees. We collaborated on the questions, with them building the survey and us providing feedback and tweaking questions as necessary. From these surveys, they determined our brand awareness in the market and how to use the data to build a firm brand position and identity. The responses helped us see what people are saying about us, what differentiates us from other financial institutions in the market, and how to train our staff to maximize our brand impact.

Their role wasn’t to help with our branch strategy, but they did identify what our brand and culture are so that we can be more cohesive as we built our own strategy. Once the data was all compiled, they did a complete analysis and reviewed the findings with our senior management team.

What is the team composition?

We had one main point of contact, but there was a whole team of people in the background.

How did you come to work with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

I looked online and through a marketing and dev listserv. We found about five companies and interviewed them, but Van Deusen & Levitt Associates had the most experience in various industries. They were enthusiastic about the work and promised to deliver concrete data, so we hired them.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership lasted form January–May 2019.

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

They gave us exactly what we needed, and now it’s up to us to develop our strategy and how to implement the findings. We have a firm brand position, story to tell, and everything we need to continue this process.

How did Van Deusen & Levitt Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

I never felt rushed or that I couldn’t contact them. We talked multiple times a week, if not more. We mainly communicated over the phone, but we also used email and had in-person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provided well-researched data that outlined exactly what we needed to do to enhance our brand image and identity. They never rushed their work but took time at each of the interviews to make sure they got good information.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything for them to do better.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Ask lots of questions. They’re happy to share their knowledge about all the different work they’ve done in different industries.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the senior VP of Bethpage Federal Credit Union.

What challenge were you trying to address with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates, Inc.?

We engaged Van Deusen for branding and messaging services after acquiring a new charter that allowed our business to operate nationwide.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Following a discovery phase in collaboration with our team, Van Deusen created a number of new branding elements including a new tagline. They conducted focus groups, quantitative research, and performed market and competitor analysis in the process.

What is the team composition?

We primarily work with Glenn (President, Van Deusen Levitt Associates, Inc.).

How did you come to work with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates, Inc.?

We considered Van Deusen during our RFP process. We had previously worked with a larger branding company but liked that Van Deusen is local, more affordable, and has a better sense of who we are.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since the Fall of 2016 and completed the majority of the work within a year, but continue to work with them on other branding elements as needed.

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

Van Deusen significantly increased awareness of our brand in the marketplace. Our employers have been a lot more receptive to the tag line they came up with compared to what we had previously.

How did Van Deusen & Levitt Associates, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Van Deusen is very timely, responsive, and clear in their approach to project management. They present their findings thoroughly and regularly (every few weeks).

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate the balance of their data-driven approach to branding that also takes our employees into account. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything I would've had them do differently given our budget.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager for the Reservoir Run. The foundation, which is part of Kiwanis, raises money for children who have disabilities or face economic challenges. 

What challenge were you trying to address with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

We first put on a charity race eight years ago, and we needed someone to do branding design and logo creation. They were also in charge of gathering runners and sponsors. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

In our first year, the challenge was to have our names stick in runners’ heads so they would return the following year. The vendor developed and handed out literature at the races and even put some on car windshields. Since then, we’ve been using social media more to promote the race. Van Deusen & Levitt Associates work with PDS video files and JPEGS to create Facebook posts and emails that I can send out. They’ve also expanded to provide the materials we hand out as prizes.

Regarding specific initiatives, Van Deusen & Levitt Associates modified the logo they created initially to better reflect our runner demographic. We use the updated logo in all our branding materials.

What is the team composition?

My primary contact is Glenn (President & Founder, Van Deusen & Levitt Associates). There are various people with different talents that work on the project too, however.

How did you come to work with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

I met Glenn when he was elected to the Kiwanis Board of Trustees. When we started developing the race’s marketing plan, I talked with him since he’s an expert in the field.

How much have you invested with them?

He’s very economical regarding billing relative to the amount of work he does.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since 2010.

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

The race has been profitable every year, so we’ve contributed to both children and military service members. We’ve built playgrounds and provided food and backpacks for children and modified veterans houses to make them more accessible.

We’ve been able to expand the race to a wider part of the state and attract a more diverse group of runners. Our next goal is to double our size in 3–4 years, and we’ll be working with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates in that effort.

How did Van Deusen & Levitt Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re highly responsive, flexible, and creative. If we aren’t moving in the correct direction, they’ll let us know and provide us with whatever information we need to course correct. They work quickly and put us on the fast track every year as the race comes closer.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They listen to what we say and take seriously what we’re trying to do, whereas many companies try to sell you on their own ideas. They also study the market to ensure our strategies will be effective. They’ve been a great partner.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

For the duration of this collaboration, I was the CEO of a regional, mall-based food concept.

What challenge were you trying to address with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

The brand was 65 years old and had accumulated a hodgepodge of brand messaging. We wanted to bring the whole brand together under one cohesive brand identity and update an image for the future.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did a series of interviews of the executive team, management teams at the unit level, and customers to get a sense of how to proceed. It was an extensive process of gathering information, reviewing it, and making refinements to the new brand image.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with the two principals.

How did you come to work with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

A former business partner recommended them to me. I interviewed several agencies, and they seemed like the best fit for us. The principals were very involved and hands-on.

How much have you invested with them?

I don’t remember the exact cost, but it was definitely a six-figure project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from 2011–2014.

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

The project engaged 45–50 people. We were an employee-owned company, and everyone was very involved and passionate about the brand and the company itself. Feedback about their work and methodology was universally positive.

How did Van Deusen & Levitt Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

They exceeded all our expectations and were user-friendly, responsive, and engaged throughout the process. The owners handled everything themselves in a professional and forthright manner, and I was always very pleased with their work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I am still impressed by the two principals. Their passion for the work and continued enthusiasm for the people and missions they work with are top-notch.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any areas I could point to directly, we enjoyed our experience with them.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Immunocologie, a cosmetics brand. I work on formulations, marketing strategies, distribution, creative, packaging, and messaging.

What challenge were you trying to address with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

We needed branding and strategy services.

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, Van Deusen & Levitt Associates assessed and evaluated our business strategy. They then presented the scope and executed the strategy to go to market. Branding deliverables included packaging for primary boxes—bottles and jars—and secondary boxes—the actual product.

What is the team composition?

I worked with the founders and their management team.

How did you come to work with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

A colleague recommended the team based on their branding experience.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2014 and the partnership ended in May 2015.

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

The team’s targeted strategy resulted in high-quality deliverables. They were responsive and executed the project well. We couldn’t have asked for a better design team.

How did Van Deusen & Levitt Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

They had a great project management system. Strengths included final deliverables and timing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They collaborated with our team and genuinely cared about the design implementation. They went above the call of duty, such as driving materials to our New York office from Connecticut.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always room for improvement, but we don’t have any specific suggestions for Van Deusen & Levitt Associates. They were client-oriented and had a great ethic around scheduling, planning, and delivery.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the former president and CEO of HOYA Surgical Optics, a medical devices company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

HOYA Surgical Optics was very much a Japan-centric business. We engaged with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates to orchestrate our globalization and branding efforts as we planned to enter selected markets around the world.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Van Deusen & Levitt Associates conducted a survey of customers in Japan and potential customers in key markets in Western Europe, Asia Pacific, and the United States. That created a baseline for how people perceived our brand. The brand was something of an unknown outside of Japan. After analyzing how people responded, Van Deusen & Levitt Associates developed a series of messaging collateral and returned to specific markets to test it. Once those elements were was tested and approved by our team, we began the launch of a major initiative to build the brand equity. Van Deusen & Levitt Associates took control of all business-related messaging materials and platforms—the websites, the literature, the business cards, the elements needed at major trade shows. It was a comprehensive approach from that day forward to present the brand in a unified way all across the world.

What is the team composition?

I interacted with Glenn and Roy, the two founders.

How did you come to work with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

I worked with each of the founders before my position at HOYA. I knew them both before they started working together. Once they set up their own business, it was an easy decision for me to engage them. I didn’t spend much time looking for alternative partners. Because I was living in Singapore at the time, I did interview a few local firms, but I ultimately decided Van Deusen & Levitt Associates was the best fit. I believed the value they were creating was far greater than the time zone challenges.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from 2010–2014.

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

We considered our globalization efforts incredibly successful. We were able to build a brand across the world and carve out a significant piece of the market from other players. That branding effort has stood the test of time, as that infrastructure and platform they developed still exists for the company today.

How did Van Deusen & Levitt Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

They did exceptionally well. I had my concerns with the time zone challenges, but they worked in a way that did not exacerbate the time differences.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s notable that they made the effort of understanding the business. Glenn and Roy immersed themselves in the company, in the customer relationships, and in the perceptions of the company. They became a terrific partner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was a perception at HOYA that the services came at a greater cost than others in the space, but I don’t believe there was any room to improve from a quality or process perspective.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a managing director at a private equity firm. We work in partnership with management teams to help optimize the performance of the portfolio companies in which we have invested.

What challenge were you trying to address with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

We had identified a specific niche within the facilities services sector as attractive and had invested behind a platform company in order to pursue a consolidation of that space. Ultimately, the goal was to expand geographically and integrate the network of businesses that we had acquired. At the time, we had four leading businesses within the platform with different brands and operations in different locations. We needed help to create a brand and associated marketing collateral for the holding company that would convey the cohesive and integrated nature of the platform, which had become the largest of its kind in the sector.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Van Deusen & Levitt Associates’ job was to give us alternatives for how to structure and market the holding company and the various brands that comprised it. Before presenting, we had several multi-hour meetings so they could understand the nuances of the assignment. Their team interviewed our ownership group as well as the senior management team executives to understand the core identity of our business, what we were trying to accomplish, and what we wanted to convey with the branding exercise. This process took around six weeks and, after some iterating, we ended up with a name and go-to-market strategy that we really liked. Their team also brainstormed several logo ideas and marketing collateral. The company still uses those materials.  

What is the team composition?

We primarily worked with Roy (Co-Founder, Van Deusen & Levitt Associates), Glenn (President & Co-Founder, Van Deusen & Levitt Associates), and Dennis.

How did you come to work with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

One of our employees had worked with them previously. We decided to use Van Deusen & Levitt Associates because of their approach, previous work, and affordable cost. If we didn’t like what we heard from them, we were prepared to go with another agency.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates from June to December 2016.

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

They educated us on different alternatives, and we were able to select and apply the one that best-suited our objectives. That created a lot of value given that their assignment and its ultimate implementation were central to our investment thesis.

How did Van Deusen & Levitt Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

They were thorough and showed a lot of attention to detail. I was more involved on the front end and less so on the actual implementation of some of the marketing initiatives, but the ultimate result was very good. They were easy and flexible to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team was very thoughtful. The process took a bit longer than we had expected, but that was a function of the extra attention and detail that they paid to their work. We could tell that they really valued the assignment, and we were happy with the end result.

Additionally, Van Deusen & Levitt Associates had great balance within its team members. Certain members were more creative and design-focused while others were more business-oriented. That balance made them effective in the assignment.

Lastly, they weren’t overly dogmatic with their ideas, which I appreciated. While we rejected some of their first ideas, their team took that in stride and worked with our team to produce secondary and tertiary ideas that ultimately proved to be the best ones. They didn’t get wed to their ideas and were there to help our team find the best outcome. Ultimately, they were good listeners who tried to understand the core of our business and our goals.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The project took a bit longer than we expected, but, again, I think that was a byproduct of their thorough approach.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former CMO at a marketing consultancy. Our group of 60 CMOs works across a variety of industries nationwide. We partner with small to mid-range companies for specific assignments on a fractional basis.

What challenge were you trying to address with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

We needed to reverse negative trends for a well-established and market-leading brand.

What was the scope of their involvement?

The process focused on getting more insights. We learned quite a bit from speaking with consumers and healthcare professionals. Based on this research, we developed a strategy to reach and influence healthcare professionals.

 Our comprehensive approach sought to build awareness, shape attitudes, and secure endorsements and support for our product. Simultaneously, we provided support for healthcare professionals that the marketplace was lacking.

What is the team composition? 

I worked with Glen (President & Founder, Van Deusen & Levitt Associates).

How did you come to work with Van Deusen & Levitt Associates?

We found Van Deusen & Levitt Associates through networking. After talking to several potential providers, we selected them based on their depth of healthcare experience and caliber of team they could assign. Specifically, the president and founder worked directly on our project. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $100,000-$150,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together several years ago and have an ongoing partnership.

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

Direct mail was one of the key elements in our campaign for healthcare professionals. This particular facet of our efforts had a response rate of more than 20%, which is unheard of. Now, we can develop long-lasting relationships with the healthcare professionals who decided to enroll in our program.

Turning our business around involved several components beyond this effort. From a marketing perspective, we made significant changes and improvements to our products. 

How did Van Deusen & Levitt Associates perform from a project management standpoint?

Van Deusen & Levitt Associates performed excellently from a project management perspective.  They were right on top of every aspect of the project. The team took the lead when needed and never missed a due date.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Van Deusen Levitt & Associate’s breadth of experience and caliber of resources were significant factors in our hiring decision. We got excellent results from our partnership.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.