From partnering with Headlight to provide innovative solutions to TxDOT during their systems outage, to volunteering at various events throughout the communities we serve, to consistently seeking out new opportunities across Texas and Oklahoma, Aguirre & Fields appreciates and prioritizes the partnerships we forge and the relationships we build.
Such appreciation reaches an even deeper level when we ourselves are the client, as we gain a greater understanding of what constitutes valuable business partnerships.
Pioneer IQ and Arsenal Advertising are two such partners of ours, both playing critical roles in the launch of our recently redesigned website.
In 2016, Aguirre & Fields experienced an explosive growth, especially with the addition of our CEI group.
“The support services team determined that we really needed to take a strategic approach in scaling our business,” says Aguirre & Fields Chief Marketing Officer Mark Gribble. “We needed to do this to not only ensure our continued success, but also make sure we had the organizational structure, messaging, and brand positioning necessary to attract new clients, partners, and talent.”
In March of the same year, Pioneer IQ Founder and President DeWayne Ables delivered a powerful presentation on strategic growth at the ACEC annual meeting in San Antonio.
“What struck me about DeWayne’s presentation is that he’s a strategic consultant for purpose-driven companies, which is exactly what we are,” says Aguirre & Fields President Dave Lubitz. “He spoke about service, engagement, and purpose, which all resonated with me. That’s when I knew he could help us more clearly communicate the Aguirre & Fields story—help us communicate why we exist.”
“I liken DeWayne to an archaeologist,” says Gribble. “He dusted away the dust from our dinosaur bones to help us uncover who we really are. Only after doing this, could we effectively articulate our message and begin the rebranding process in earnest.”
The next step in the process was to update our logo and website. Ables provided us with a list of potential creative houses to partner with, and after that came an extensive interview process.
“I did a lot of pre-interviews and reviewed several proposals,” recalls Aguirre & Fields Director of Marketing Jane Ellen Carter. “Arsenal really struck a chord when they said they were looking for partners as opposed to just clients because it showed that they value relationships and collaboration as much as we do.”
After several meetings throughout 2018, Arsenal helped us hone our messaging. They presented us our new logo that November.
“There was a bit of pageantry on the day they presented us our options,” says Gribble. “First they brought the mockups into the room in a sealed briefcase. Then they laid out each one face down and flipped them over one at a time.”
After hours of collaboration and deliberation, the Aguirre & Fields team narrowed it down to two options.
“We figured it was only right for Oscar to make the final call, since he designed the original logo,” recalls Gribble.
The logo was presented to the company at our annual event in January 2019. That April, Arsenal submitted cost estimates for the new website. In July, our marketing team met with Arsenal to hash out the finer details.
“It was fun to be part of such an interesting project, especially because I may never get to do anything like this again,” recalls Aguirre & Fields Proposal Coordinator Dillon Anderson. “We looked at so many websites to find features we liked and didn’t like, which resulted in countless in-depth discussions about what features would best serve our purpose. I’m proud to have contributed to the awesome outcome of this huge undertaking.”
“When I discovered that one of the first big projects I’d be working on was the launch of our new website, I was pretty excited,” adds Aguirre & Fields Communications Specialist Dwight Henson. “Of course none of us knew just what effect COVID-19 would have on the relaunch. That’s why I was really impressed by how Aguirre & Fields employees, from across all offices and groups came together to provide us with the photos we needed to make the website launch a success.”
The new website was finished in just under a year, launching in July of 2020.
“Though I’ve been pushing for a new website since I joined Aguirre & Fields, I’m really glad we took the time to find a partner who helped us deliver one that more effectively showcases the innovative company that we are,” says Carter. “I would recommend Arsenal to any company looking for a full-service branding and advertising agency— and I would work with Arsenal anytime because they are so much like us: respectful, supportive, consistent, and focused on long-term success.”
