Event Design | Visual Identity | Digital Campaign | Marketing Assets | Website Support

Driving the Delivery of Dynamic Visuals and Seamless Website Support to Engage 1.5 Million Visitors

Celebrating Spring with the National Cherry Blossom Festival

Account & Project Manager: Jo Zhou / Creative Director: Kat Scott / Art Director: Bethany Whitlock/ Designer: Gayle Villacruz / Developer: Marc Pitre

Fathom Creative | Case Study

Project Overview

We partnered with the National Cherry Blossom Festival to craft the branding for #LetsSpringTogether, the theme for the 2024 festival. As the designer and developer of the NCBF website, We also provide maintenance support to NCBF all year round.
The National Cherry Blossom Festival is a significant event in Washington, D.C., which draws over 1.5 million visitors annually. During the peak season, which spans from late March to mid-April, the festival's website experiences a substantial increase in traffic as visitors seek information on event schedules, locations, and activities.
Event Design, Logo, Visual Identity, Digital Campaign, Marketing Assets, Website Support

My Contribution

Collaborated closely with the client and our team to craft Statements of Work (SOWs) that precisely fit the client’s needs.

Created timelines and milestones, allowing for the efficient allocation of resources and timely delivery of all branding materials.

Anticipated potential challenges and developed contingency plans to address any issues while maintaining clear and consistent communication with all stakeholders to ensure alignment and transparency throughout the project lifecycle.

Coordinated with developers to create a service agreement addressing peak traffic periods, ensuring the website could handle the surge in visitors.

“Thank you all so much for sending this over in such a timely manner and also crushing it!
These all look fantastic. ”

— Communications Manager

Key Challenge

Situation

Due to the increase in traffic, our clients need urgent support during the peak season.

Task

I was tasked with developing a service agreement within 24 hours that addressed the client's needs while aligning with our team's capacity.

Action

I collaborated with our team to develop a service agreement that aligns with the client's requirements and negotiated a response time that matches our team's capabilities.

Result

The website operated flawlessly throughout the festival, meeting the client's needs and maintaining smooth operations.

Key Actions

I promptly engaged with our team to relay the urgency of the situation and ensure everyone was aligned.
I consulted with a subject matter expert to estimate the workload and create a budget that met the client's needs without compromising our resources.
As this was a Time and Materials (T&M) project, I established a weekly reporting system to keep the client informed about progress and budget usage.
The client anticipated 24/7 support, which was beyond our standard offering. I successfully negotiated a more reasonable response time to protect our team while still addressing the client's expectations.

Key Skills

Clear Communication, Change Management, Budget Management, Project Tracking, Client Management, Negotiation, Urgent Support, Statement of Work (SOW) Development, Team Alignment, Weekly Reporting System