300FeetOut

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing and PR for Stern Grove Festival. We’re a nonprofit located in San Francisco that holds a series of admission-free concerts every summer. We’ve been in business for about 80 years, and our shows span a variety of genres, featuring both local and international world-class performers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 300FeetOut?

Every year, we launch a marketing and outreach campaign for our San Francisco audience and the greater Bay Area. We have an established presence, but we decided to switch up our direction to appeal to newer members of our community. Our old message was largely focused on artwork and imaginative themes. We wanted our new strategies to show our audience what they could expect when attending one of our shows.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

300FeetOut provided a committee to work with our organization and our board of directors. First, we assessed our current position and discussed several new approaches. Once we landed on an idea, their team helped us create visual assets to drive our campaign. They created a collection of images for each social media platform, like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. We have 10 different shows every season, so each set of collateral had visuals that spoke to each event’s unique audience. 300FeetOut also helped us roll out a print marketing campaign. They created a suite of materials, including billboards, transit posters, shop posters, postcards, and brochures.

We have a small window of visibility each year, and we have to work on a limited budget. The 300FeetOut team has helped us put together a marketing strategy that allows us to efficiently customize our visual assets to promote different content while staying within our cost limits. We still look to their team for help with each year’s campaign.

What is the team composition?

Initially, I spoke with Barbara (Chief Experience Officer, 300FeetOut). She still sits in on our higher-level and administrative discussions, but I work closely with other staff for additional project needs. Paige (Project Manager, 300FeetOut), Greg (Art Director, 300FeetOut), and Bri (Designer, 300FeetOut) handle my day-to-day needs. I’ve also worked closely with Stephanie (Brand Director, 300FeetOut).

How did you come to work with 300FeetOut?

I first met Barbara when she worked at a different firm that we considered working with, but went in a different direction. Years later, we were looking for a partner to help with this project, and we asked around our network for recommendations. A colleague with the San Francisco Ballet referred us to 300FeetOut. We reached out, and I recognized Barabara’s name from our previous interactions. The company seemed like a good fit, so we decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We have a limited annual budget for these outreach efforts that ranges from $15,000–$25,000, but 300FeetOut also does about $10,000–$20,000 worth of work pro bono.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2016, and we work with them every year to coordinate our annual outreach campaign.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because we host a seasonal event series, we almost disappear during our off-season. 300FeetOut has helped us establish a sense of consistency in our messaging efforts, creating a through line from one year’s campaign to the following year’s. We’re more recognizable, which has improved attendance and increased interest in our shows. We’ve also experienced a positive shift in engagement levels through social media and other digital advertising channels. Users are sharing our information more frequently.

How did 300FeetOut perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall, I’m very happy with 300FeetOut. They’re clear about their processes, providing regular progress updates and alerting us to any challenges that arise. It’s been a very open engagement; there haven’t been any surprises. We use an online project management tool as our main communication repository so that we can store information on all of our work. For quick questions or concerns, I’ll just call their team or send an email.

Paige is a great project manager. She is highly communicative and transparent. She understands our budget and time restrictions, efficiently managing our expectations. Her dedicated work ethic keeps everyone involved on track.

Additionally, Barbara has been a valuable resource. It’s clear that she never stops thinking about her clients. She shows consistent interest in each project, always trying to find new solutions or strategies to improve the final results. Her ability to approach challenges from a variety of perspectives is one of her key strengths.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Because we’re working on a limited budget, there isn’t always enough time for extensive creative and strategic discussions. We wish we could dive deeper into our projects with 300FeetOut.

Any advice for potential customers?

The 300FeetOut team wants to not only understand project goals but fully grasp of their clients’ business processes. Clients should be prepared to provide data and statistics to help illustrate what a successful engagement would look like. 300FeetOut combines that information with their design expertise to push their clients towards their goals.