Next/Now

I'm the creative technology manager at a multinational full-service agency.

NEXT/NOW assisted us in developing an AR app, using Unity 3D and Maya. The app demonstrates the safety and parking assistance features of our client's vehicles that can't be tested in real life. It uses SLAM tracking to position holographic elements in real-world spaces as seen through the camera feed on mobile devices.

We work with the director of technology, a developer, project manager, UX designer, three 3D artists, and a general manager.

I've known Stuart (Director of Technology, NEXT/NOW) for some time and happened to meet Mark (Marketing, NEXT/NOW) at a local VR/AR meetup we both attend. After going over some ideas with them, it was obvious that their team would be a good fit for the project, because they were enthusiastic and willing to work collaboratively with us on the technology.

We've been working with them since February 2018 and are in the process of working on the second phase of the project.

NEXT/NOW's efforts helped us effectively portray our client as a leader in tech within the automotive industry. The technology was very well received at a recent promotional event, giving us a lot of visibility with a major client.

We've been very pleased with their approach to managing projects and meeting deadlines. Tasks and communications are organized effectively through Basecamp and we hold weekly standup meetings.

Their willingness to collaborate with us a team on the technology sets them apart. We wanted to be very involved from start to finish, and they've been great about looping us in on every step of the way.

No. Since completing the first phase, they've become a lot more familiar with our industry and we've become a lot more familiar with their technology, so the working relationship continues to improve.

I'm the account marketing manager at a sporting goods company.

We engaged NEXT/NOW to develop an augmented reality experience to be used as a retail display in our sporting goods stores.

NEXT/NOW developed an AR app to be used in stores by potential customers that incorporates 3D face-mapping technology, allowing them to take a photo with a famous athlete. They're able to change some of the AR environments as needed on an ongoing basis and are in the process of creating a video for us.

We have one main point of contact, but work with a few others on their team as well.

They were recommended to me by a fellow employee who had worked with them before.

The initial R&D and cost of producing the display was a little over $70,000. We're also working with them to produce a video for about $5,000.

We've been working with them since June 2018.

We've received positive feedback across the board since launching the technology in our stores, registering almost 200 individuals within the first month. 90% of users have rated the experience as being highly positive, so it's performing well overall.

They're very responsive, efficient, and proactive in their communications. We use an online project management tool to track documents, tasks, and timelines.

Their professionalism and responsiveness is second to none.

Honestly, no. They've been great partners.

I’m the principal at an experiential design and branding firm.

We needed help creating an immersive experience for a client.

NEXTNOW provided design and development coordination, as well as technology specification, for a digital experience. We were hired to create a flagship showroom space for a product line of faucets and other fixtures in Chicago. Our team came up with the idea for an experience that digitally created the sense of water throughout the showroom. They implemented our idea by incorporating digital projection onto multiple surfaces in the space. They created digital graphics that projected onto different surfaces. The graphics reacted to people moving through this space for an interactive experience.

We worked with 3–4 team members.

I met NEXTNOW at a couple of networking events. We had a few meetings to get to learn about each other. I chose them for the project based partly on them being based in Chicago, but also because of their deep skill set. I liked that they’d done some similar experiences.

We spent between $200,000–$250,000.

We worked together from August 2017–February 2018.

NEXTNOW took our creative vision to the next level. They were able to actually implement it and bring it to life. As a result, we've gotten positive media attention. A couple of blogs and publications are interested in the project. We've also been invited as panelists at a couple of events to talk about the project and the experience of working together.

They’re easy to work with and approachable. I was pleased with their communication. We had several in-person meetings to test the prototype. They set up a couple of different scenarios for us to see how the experience would work. They used a project management tool. It wasn't something I typically use, but it worked perfectly fine to manage the project.

They worked well in collaborating with us instead of just taking over the project. They were open to receiving feedback from our team and from the client. They stayed on schedule. They were really excellent with the implementation aspects. They worked onsite for an extensive amount of time, getting everything installed and running tests. They've also been great about checking in now that it is up and running. If there's any kind of issue, they fix it pretty rapidly.

There were a couple of times when the presentation was a bit buggy.

I’m the senior director of a marketing agency that specializes in consumer engagement. We put together marketing-based experiential events, guest management strategies, and hospitality plans for our clients.

One of our clients has partnerships with three NFL teams. We wanted to implement a digital promotional campaign for each team with a centralized consumer engagement strategy. Ultimately, we hope to elevate and strengthen the partnerships for our client.

NEXTNOW helped us create a promotional campaign to help our client promote their partnerships with three NFL teams. The full project includes both digital and on-site interactive experiences.

We worked with several people from NEXTNOW. Two team members handle our day-today-day needs. There’s an additional resource to help us conceptualize the project agreements. We speak with a different specialist for the microsites. Those core people communicate with a larger background team.

In our initial interaction, they were very eager to get started on the project. From our first impression, it seemed that we’d be able to effectively collaborate with their team. They offered up unique ideas tailored to the type of project we’d described. Based on that, we decided to partner with them.

We’ve spent around $500,000.

We started the project in April 2018. We’ve completed the bulk of the work, but NEXTNOW will continue to support us through the duration of the 2018–2019 NFL season.

We analyze our success based on consumer reactions. I don’t have any hard numbers, but football fans are attracted to the campaign. It’s incredibly interactive, and each experience is very easy to use. NEXTNOW did exactly what we asked them to do. During this project, our client got a feel for engagement-based marketing. It’s set a good foundation for future interactive campaigns with them.

Overall, they’re great. We were delayed a bit in the beginning because we had to wait for our client’s approval, so the deadlines for the rest of the engagement were pretty tight. NEXTNOW did a great job of keeping us on track to finish on time.

Their biggest strength is their staff. We treated them as part of our internal team, openly collaborating to find the best approach to the project. Every person is proactive, which blended nicely with our own work ethic.

Nothing really comes to mind. We had some trouble getting into a rhythm at the start of the project, but once we established a standard for tracking and prioritizing it was a smooth relationship.

In the beginning, clients should make sure everyone is on the same page in terms of expectations and processes. Then, provide NEXTNOW with specific ideas and listen to their input.