About Futurpruf
Futurpruf Marketing is a full-service marketing “non-agency” offering strategic, sustainable marketing to clients in the legal, insurance, HR and tech fields. We are a federally-registered, Ontario-based corporation.
Why a “non-agency”? Unlike a typical marketing agency, our aim is to truly partner with our clients, such that we become seamless with your internal team and are aligned to common goals: setting you up for marketing success and ultimately reducing your need for external marketing support. We also guide you to make future-proofed decisions, such that you’re achieving lasting innovation without falling prey to short-term trends.
So, if we’re not like anyone else, who are we?
A Canadian-based women-owned business
As a women-owned, values-based organization, we leverage decades of experience in corporate and not-for-profit marketing and business development to help businesses achieve their growth goals through exceptional quality sustainable marketing.
Full-stack marketing and user experience experts
We take pride in delivering end-to-end marketing consulting and projects, because it allows us to see how our work will impact the business as a whole – not just in a vacuum. For example, when doing a website redesign, we prefer to also support branding and marketing so that we can ensure that all areas of the marketing stack are working in harmony.
Steeped in knowledge of the employee benefits and human resources field
With a great deal of in-house and consulting/project experience at top human resources consulting firms (e.g., Aon, People Corporation, PLATFORM Benefits, Actuarial Analytics), insurance and network solutions (e.g., FCB Health Network and Living As Planned), law firms, financial institutions, and recruiting companies, we bring a deep understanding of employee benefits and the wider human resources environment to the CUPE EWBT. Our marketing and design work has encompassed both corporate and industry, including employee benefits, employee/internal communications, human rights training, employment law, and workplace investigations.
Union advocates
Several of our team members and/or their spouses and families have benefited from union membership. We support the right to form a union and the right of a union to advocate for its members. We will not cross picket lines. We also understand that our work completed for a union or union-affiliated organization is funded in part or whole by members and we take pride in good stewardship of that spend.
Functionally multi-lingual
We support clients with marketing and design projects in English, French, Chinese, Arabic, ASL (American Sign Language), and other languages.
Smart project managers
With a team that includes a certified scrum master (CSM) and an agile approach to our marketing projects, we deliver results efficiently, with minimal disruptions to our client’s day-to-day.
What We Stand For
Our Values
Holistic Strategy
Working with us? Get ready for a partner who never ‘stays in their lane’. We view our work as an integral part of your organization’s growth and success strategy. We’re all about connecting the dots to discern the best ways to achieve your goals, whether through marketing or another way.
Human Centric
Our commitment to working with integrity shows up in how we treat people and projects. Our work is not about quick fixes or ‘hacking’ growth. We guide you to make informed decisions that lead to sustainable returns in both the short and long-term. We lead with an understanding of the human condition and expect the same from our clients.
Systems Thinking
Being measured on a target means thinking about hitting that goal, not what happens afterwards — a temporary achievement focus. Whereas a system is a real asset to the business that provides long term value. With this in mind, all our work is designed with a systems-first guiding principle. We deliver projects with
Diversity and Inclusion
As a women-owned business and a diverse team, we are inherently sensitive to issues of inequality, as we have lived experience of misogyny and sexism. Our company’s founder, Melanie Crutchley, is a first generation immigrant, coming to Canada from South Africa when the country was still in the grip of Apartheid. It’s from this lens that we do business: embracing diversity, lifting others up, and conducting business ethically.
Our background and approach as marketing professionals includes a steadfast commitment to diversity; embracing diversity of thought, acknowledging the diversity of the audiences of our marketing content, and incorporating diversity into our designs. Many marketers don’t always remember to include less salient elements of human diversity, such as meeting accessibility standards and inclusion of body size diversity in imagery selection.
We have also been fortunate to work closely with many legal and HR professionals who are on the frontlines of advancing DEI in the workplace. Through those partnerships, we’ve come to recognize situations of power imbalance and discrimination and how they may affect the way individuals and organizations communicate with their employees, members or other stakeholders.
Our Unique Approach
We dig deep to be strategic
Getting to know your business well ensures that the services and deliverables we provide are valuable and strategic. Expect us to ask important questions about your business, members, services, and more.
You’ll get more than requested
You have a specific need in mind, but there may be other needs inherent to it. We aim to meet all your needs (those you’re aware of and those you’re not) and find ways to surpass your expectations in every project.
We’re template-obsessed
If it’s possible and practical to work from a master template, we do. This means we either ask for your templates or we create one for you. We also provide original editable files with the final delivered assets whenever we can. This is how we future-proof your assets and our services for you.
Your single point for marketing
We’re happy to work with your in‑house specialists or other external providers, and we’re also equally happy to handle all the technical elements ourselves: copy/content, design, and execution. We have broad marketing and business development expertise.
Project Team
The primary team proposed to deliver on this project consists of:
Melanie Crutchley, M.Sc., MBA
Founder, Futurpruf Marketing & Marketing Consultant
Following a Masters in Neuroscience, Melanie spent a few years in healthcare and academia, teaching at Fanshawe College by day and conducting sleep studies at a sleep clinic by night. Then, a long-distance move prompted a career change into marketing, and she’s never looked back. Now with 13 years of marketing experience and an MBA, Melanie specializes in guiding organizations to establish effective marketing strategies and smart, sustainable marketing tactics. Melanie is a first-principles thinker, and is also a bit obsessed with creating efficiency and reducing confusion through standardized processes and templates. Melanie’s breadth of marketing expertise makes her a “generalized specialist” able to guide and support on every aspect of a marketing project.
Brand Experience: Aon; People Corporation; Actuarial Analytics; PLATFORM Benefits; FCB Health Network; Living As Planned; Employee Assistance Society of North America (EASNA); McMillan LLP; Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP; Persaud Employment Law; First Aid 4U; StackedSP; MindFit Health; Cambridge Brain Sciences (now Creyos)
Areas of Expertise: Branding, content, design, user experience, employee benefits communications, project management
Role for the CUPE EWBT Project: Relationship lead (main point of contact), project manager, strategy lead, user experience advisor, copywriter, QA
Valerie Travis
Founder & Principal Consultant
Bespoke Benefit Solutions
For nearly 30 years, Valerie has guided Canadian employers to sustainable benefits strategies that align with who they are—or aspire to be—in supporting employee well-being. In launching Bespoke, Valerie’s vision is a return to client-centered service and creative solutions, leaving behind cookie-cutter consulting that’s become too common. Bespoke specializes in strategic employee benefits design; and member communication that drives awareness, appreciation, and action. Valerie regularly contributes to articles on benefits management; leads roundtables on mental health, benefit trends and innovative design; has been a keynote speaker on building resilience; and regularly presents for CPBI, the IFEBP, ISCEBS, and employer conferences.
Brand Experience: Aon; Maple Leaf Foods; Shopify; Jim Pattison Group
Areas of Expertise: Employee surveys, benefits communication and education, benefit trends, benefits management
Role for the CUPE EWBT Project: Member communication expert consultant
Jillian Caulcutt, RGD, CSM
Lead Graphic & Web Designer
Jillian is a digital professional with specialized skills in design, development, and scrum. With over 15 years of experience, she brings a wealth of cross-functional knowledge and expertise spanning across Agile Delivery, Customer-Centric Design, Digital Experience and Client Communication Management (CCM). As a talented graphic, web, and UX/UI designer, Jillian is both keenly aware of how the end user engages with her designs, as well as how that design is technically perfected. As an added bonus, Jillian has a certificate in French language and can design in French. All this to say: Jillian delivers a fine balance of strong technical knowledge and solid business understanding.
Brand Experience: Actuarial Analytics; FCB Health Network; PLATFORM Benefits; McMillan LLP; Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP; CIBC; BMO; Think Ahead Financial; Synchroni; Wellington Dufferin Women’s Association
Areas of Expertise: Branding, graphic design, web design, UX/UI design, web development, project management
Role for the CUPE EWBT Project: Primary graphic and web designer, front-end web development, scrum master project management
Mohamed Kassem
Full-stack WordPress Developer & Devops Lead
Mohamed provides essential behind-the-scenes web development expertise, applying a DevOps approach to ensure effective build and testing of the most complex parts of the websites we develop. Mohamed also oversees our website hosting and migrations to ensure top speed and security, with minimal downtime. During high-stakes, high-volume projects, Mohamed taps into his network team of external developers to lend extra coding hands when needed.
Brand Experience: University of Toronto; Newscorp; Islamic Relief Canada; Synchroni; Tommy Guns Barbershops
Areas of Expertise: WordPress front-end and back-end development, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure, web hosting, DNS
Role for the CUPE EWBT Project: Lead back-end website developer, website migration lead
Amy Vowels
Digital Marketing Specialist
After a career in pharmacy management, Amy got into social media management early in the pandemic. Since then, Amy has overseen social media management, email marketing, and website work for several top brands. She has successfully leveraged her customer-centric and administration background to provide broad marketing support to many of Futurpruf’s clients, as well as keeping the Futurpruf team organized. As an added bonus, Amy is fluent in ASL (American Sign Language) as it is her first language. Amy is a marketing chameleon, lending enthusiastic and talented hands to wherever she’s needed most.
Brand Experience: FCB Health Network; First Aid 4U; Persaud Employment Law; Synchroni; Think Ahead Financial; Love Child Organics; Nature’s Path Organics
Areas of Expertise: Social media and community management, email marketing, branding, SEO, web development, marketing operations
Role for the CUPE EWBT Project: Campaign development, SEO, ad hoc branding and web development support; project administration and management
Joe Verdugo
Digital Marketing Specialist
Early in his career, Joe followed his passion for music and spent several years in Hollywood, writing songs, performing, and producing music and music videos. Later, he returned to Canada, where he’s since developed skill in copywriting, branding, websites, social media and overall company operations. Joe has a unique way with words and is the Futurpruf team’s pick to win against ChatGPT for content any day of the week (actually, that’s a pretty low bar… but he does write exceptional and engaging content).
Brand Experience: McMillan LLP; StackedSP; Unstacked Startups; Synchroni; Cabano’s Comfort Foods
Areas of Expertise: Copywriting, video and audio production (including podcasting), web development, social media
Role for the CUPE EWBT Project: Primary copywriter, secondary web development
Experience
ReBrand & Website Redesign
Actuarial Analytics
Our client’s original website didn’t do justice to their high-quality services and impressive clientele. They hired a web agency to redesign their site but never launched it because they weren’t happy with the new site. While we were initially tasked with just a redesign, we identified deeper brand issues affecting the site’s potential. With our client’s nod, we embarked on a rebranding journey first, leading to a vastly improved and more reflective website and brand identity.
Live Website
ReBrand & Website Redesign
Actuarial Analytics
Our client’s original website didn’t do justice to their high-quality services and impressive clientele. They hired a web agency to redesign their site but never launched it because they weren’t happy with the new site. While we were initially tasked with just a redesign, we identified deeper brand issues affecting the site’s potential. With our client’s nod, we embarked on a rebranding journey first, leading to a vastly improved and more reflective website and brand identity.
Live Website
Rebrand & Content Marketing
FCB Health Network
FCB had been operating for several years in the B2C market, but hired Futurpruf to support expansion into the B2B market. We subsequently identified several gaps in branding and supported in refining and defining updated branding that captured the new target audience. We also created several landing page websites, pitch decks, brochures, and manage their social media LinkedIn account.
Live Website
Branding Support & Website
Living as Planned
Our client, a long-time business owner and entrepreneur in the Health & Benefits field, is now looking to establish an industry mold-breaking life insurance company. We supported with branding by guiding their brand development. They then hired us to design and develop a landing page website for early launch, while we work on designing a full website for launch in April 2024.
Live Website
Branding Support & Website
Living as Planned
Our client, a long-time business owner and entrepreneur in the Health & Benefits field, is now looking to establish an industry mold-breaking life insurance company. We supported with branding by guiding their brand development. They then hired us to design and develop a landing page website for early launch, while we work on designing a full website for launch in April 2024.
Live Website
Full Startup Marketing
Think Ahead Financial
When our client bought a book of business to quickly grow their business, they knew they wanted to take the opportunity to establish a distinct brand. After a collaborative branding discovery session – where it was discovered that Brandi Carlisle, City and Colour, and Brene Brown were favourites – we were off to the races creating a website, business card, and email templates.
Live Website
Rebrand & Content Marketing
StackedSP
One of our longest client relationships started as a request for support with pitch decks. That led to an invite to rebrand the company and support with its website redesign. Now, Futurpruf has helped establish this founder’s community brand, including a video podcast, monthly Substack newsletter, blog articles, live events, near-daily social media posts, and more.
Live Website
Rebrand & Content Marketing
StackedSP
One of our longest client relationships started as a request for support with pitch decks. That led to an invite to rebrand the company and support with its website redesign. Now, Futurpruf has helped establish this founder’s community brand, including a video podcast, monthly Substack newsletter, blog articles, live events, near-daily social media posts, and more.
Live Website
Branding & Website Design
Synchroni
Our client, a successful global company in the bioprosthetics field, approached us to support them with the establishment of a new business in Canada. They had a very tight timeline for which they needed branding and a website. Futurpruf was able to conduct the branding workshop, produce the brand assets, and launch their single-page website in under two weeks.
Live Website
References
Actuarial Analytics
Reference Contact Information
Kyle McWhinnie, FCIA, FSA, CERA, CFA
Principal
Kyle.McWhinnie@actuarialanalytics.com
613-854-1363
Company Profile
Actuarial Analytics is an Ottawa-based full-service group benefits brokerage and consulting company supporting businesses across Canada in building attractive and sustainable employee benefits plans. Actuarial Analytics makes the complex simple with respect to employee benefits. With sophisticated actuarial techniques and tools to manage complex risks, Actuarial Analytics helps HR leaders build benefits plans that employees love.
Project Profile
Futurpruf was engaged by Actuarial Analytics to redesign their website. However, after reviewing the website, it became evident that the overall brand was not clear or optimized toward their target market. Although there was general consistency in how the brand was applied across marketing channels and collateral, the brand was generally forgettable.
With that in mind, we proposed to first complete a brand audit and up-level the brand prior to beginning on the website. We subsequently completed a brand strategy workshop, a brand vision, and a new, comprehensive brand guidelines document that laid the foundation for a successful website redesign. For the new website, we proposed new architecture, presented wireframes, wrote all the copy (including four blogs) and built the site on the WordPress platform. We continue to host the site long-term. Finally, we were also engaged to create document templates and digitize client onboarding and service templates.
Actuarial Analytics
Reference Contact Information
Kyle McWhinnie, FCIA, FSA, CERA, CFA
Principal
Kyle.McWhinnie@actuarialanalytics.com
613-854-1363
Company Profile
Actuarial Analytics is an Ottawa-based full-service group benefits brokerage and consulting company supporting businesses across Canada in building attractive and sustainable employee benefits plans. Actuarial Analytics makes the complex simple with respect to employee benefits. With sophisticated actuarial techniques and tools to manage complex risks, Actuarial Analytics helps HR leaders build benefits plans that employees love.
Project Profile
Futurpruf was engaged by Actuarial Analytics to redesign their website. However, after reviewing the website, it became evident that the overall brand was not clear or optimized toward their target market. Although there was general consistency in how the brand was applied across marketing channels and collateral, the brand was generally forgettable.
With that in mind, we proposed to first complete a brand audit and up-level the brand prior to beginning on the website. We subsequently completed a brand strategy workshop, a brand vision, and a new, comprehensive brand guidelines document that laid the foundation for a successful website redesign. For the new website, we proposed new architecture, presented wireframes, wrote all the copy (including four blogs) and built the site on the WordPress platform. We continue to host the site long-term. Finally, we were also engaged to create document templates and digitize client onboarding and service templates.
Living As Planned
Reference Contact Information
Jordan Rinaldo
Advisor to CEO Darwyne Lang
jordan@livingasplanned.com
905-251-5448
Company Profile
For individuals and families seeking financial security and guidance, Living As Planned redefines insurance. Their vision is to be more than coverage; to a trusted partner to Canadians in making insurance a working asset during their lifetime, safeguarding their living future, protecting their portfolio, and even mitigating tax implications to secure their legacy.
Project Profile
Jordan, a former colleague of our founder, Melanie, first introduced us to Living as Planned’s founder, a long-time business owner and entrepreneur in the Health & Benefits field. We were pleased to be able to step in midway into the branding process, supporting its completion by guiding their brand development. They were pleased with our deep industry knowledge and approach, so then hired us to design and develop a landing page website for quick launch, while we work together on designing a full website for launch in April 2024.
Living As Planned
Reference Contact Information
Jordan Rinaldo
Advisor to CEO Darwyne Lang
jordan@livingasplanned.com
905-251-5448
Company Profile
For individuals and families seeking financial security and guidance, Living As Planned redefines insurance. Their vision is to be more than coverage; to a trusted partner to Canadians in making insurance a working asset during their lifetime, safeguarding their living future, protecting their portfolio, and even mitigating tax implications to secure their legacy.
Project Profile
Jordan, a former colleague of our founder, Melanie, first introduced us to Living as Planned’s founder, a long-time business owner and entrepreneur in the Health & Benefits field. We were pleased to be able to step in midway into the branding process, supporting its completion by guiding their brand development. They were pleased with our deep industry knowledge and approach, so then hired us to design and develop a landing page website for quick launch, while we work together on designing a full website for launch in April 2024.
StackedSP
Reference Contact Information
Ilan Saks
Founder & CEO
ilan@stackedsp.com
647-991-9471
Company Profile
StackedSP builds high performance leadership and core teams for tech startups. StackedSP helps visionary tech companies by placing extraordinary talent in critical roles.
Project Profile
Futurpruf was first engaged by StackedHR in 2016 to create pitch decks and other sales collateral. Later, in 2021, StackedHR re-engaged for a rebrand – including a name change to StackedSP – and support on the redesign of their website. Following the rebrand, Futurpruf worked with StackedSP to digitize client documents, including fillable onboarding and project management templates. Recently, StackedSP has signed on for a content and social media marketing retainer.
With that in mind, we proposed to first complete a brand audit and up-level the brand prior to beginning on the website. We subsequently completed a brand strategy workshop, a brand vision, and recently delivered a new, comprehensive brand guidelines document that lays the foundation for a successful website redesign. We’ve also been engaged to create document templates and digitize client onboarding and service templates.
StackedSP
Reference Contact Information
Ilan Saks
Founder & CEO
ilan@stackedsp.com
647-991-9471
Company Profile
StackedSP builds high performance leadership and core teams for tech startups. StackedSP helps visionary tech companies by placing extraordinary talent in critical roles.
Project Profile
Futurpruf was first engaged by StackedHR in 2016 to create pitch decks and other sales collateral. Later, in 2021, StackedHR re-engaged for a rebrand – including a name change to StackedSP – and support on the redesign of their website. Following the rebrand, Futurpruf worked with StackedSP to digitize client documents, including fillable onboarding and project management templates. Recently, StackedSP has signed on for a content and social media marketing retainer.
With that in mind, we proposed to first complete a brand audit and up-level the brand prior to beginning on the website. We subsequently completed a brand strategy workshop, a brand vision, and recently delivered a new, comprehensive brand guidelines document that lays the foundation for a successful website redesign. We’ve also been engaged to create document templates and digitize client onboarding and service templates.
Synchroni Scientific Instruments
Reference Contact Information
Alex Ni
CEO, Divergence Neuro & Board Advisor to Synchroni
alex@divergenceneuro.com
647-633-3458
Company Profile
Synchroni produces top-quality single and multi-channel EEG and EKG dry sensor systems, creating powerful devices designed to give users high-quality, comprehensive biofeedback outside of a medical environment. Through Bluetooth mobile connection, Synchroni’s wearable neurotech can be paired with any smartphone through their biofeedback mobile application.
Project Profile
Alex, a successful business owner in his own right, introduced us to the founders of a successful global company in the bioprosthetics field, who needed support with the establishment of a new business in Canada. They had a very tight timeline for which they needed branding and a website. Futurpruf was able to conduct the branding workshop, produce the brand assets, and launch their single-page website in under two weeks. We are currently supporting Synchroni with adding ecommerce capability to their site and will soon be crafting and implementing a full marketing strategy.
Thank you for reading through our proposal!
We would be honoured to partner with the CUPE EWBT to recreate the brand and website to better support your goals and your members’ needs.
Please let us know if you have any questions.