Ad Advance

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the CEO of a consumer products company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We manufacture and sell supplements

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ad Advance to accomplish?

• Improve Amazon Ad Performance

SOLUTION

How did you find Ad Advance?

Online Search

Why did you select Ad Advance over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Ad Advance were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

They managed our Amazon Ads account and controlled all spending in the account.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The main measure of success was ROAS. In the first few months of the project, the ROAS went over 2.0. Then, it continually declined, dropping to 0.5, well below the level it was at when we managed our own Amazon ads (with zero experience in running Amazon ads).

At the beginning, they told us that one of the main opportunities for growth was in removing under-performing search terms.  They highlighted that 49% of our spend was going towards search terms with zero sales. In the final 30 days with Ad Advance, that number soared to 70% -- i.e. more than two thirds of our spend was on search terms with zero sales.  This was much worse than it had ever been without Ad Advance.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

There was no project management.  They simply managed the ad account. In terms of responding to our needs -  When we contacted the CEO, Joe, about the poor performance, he was extremely unresponsive and made it clear that he had little to no concern about the financial loss we had experienced because of their mismanagement of the ad account.

What was your primary form of communication with Ad Advance?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

Are there any areas for improvement or something Ad Advance could have done differently?

There's a great deal of room for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a company that creates inspirational, motivational, and educational content for teachers and children.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ad Advance?

I brought them on board to manage all of my Amazon campaigns. I was initially doing all of that on my own, but I needed expertise that was well beyond my skill set.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ad Advance sets up, manages, and creates all of my campaigns on Amazon’s ad platform. They manage the whole campaign, including PPC and sponsored brands. 

What is the team composition?

In the beginning, I worked with Joe (Co-Founder & CEO) and Matt (Co-Founder & COO). Now, I work with Jeremy (Amazon PPC Manager), who serves as my account manager. 

How did you come to work with Ad Advance?

I found them on Upwork. I narrowed it down based on ongoing work because a relationship with a  marketing agency is only good if they’re producing consistent, long-term results. Ad Advance had a lot of relationships that were over a year long. 

They’re also based here in the US, which I prefer. I looked at their website, and everything looked good. I had a call with Joe, and he didn’t over-promise; he was very straightforward about what Ad Advance could do in terms of growing the business with ads.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $30,000 now.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in August 2018, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We achieved well over $1 million in sales from advertising, and Ad Advance had some great strategies that contributed to that. My product line is unique compared to the average product line on Amazon, so the team had some good marketing strategies. 

They’ve been able to achieve results that are much better than what I’ve been able to achieve on my own. We’ve had a lot of success this past year with their help on the advertising side.

How did Ad Advance perform from a project management standpoint?

Everyone I’ve worked with has been really good. In the beginning, I was talking to them once a month just to get things rolling and to understand the specifics of how they were going to manage the project.

Now, I talk to them every couple of months because they deliver weekly reports. They offered to have monthly meetings, but I have a lot going on already.

They are detail-oriented, so I usually don’t have a lot of questions. My busiest season is the back to school season, so when that happens, I talk to Jeremy a lot more just to go over the details and campaigns.

Once that’s done, they manage it from the backend and I monitor it on a weekly basis. I’m a pretty low maintenance client. Whenever I put out new SKUs, they get the campaigns up and live within 3–4 days. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Ad Advance has done a really good job on my campaigns, which are more complex due to the number of SKUs I have. They’ve done a great job of getting more impressions on my products on Amazon.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, it’s been a simple relationship. They do everything that I need them to do, and I attribute a lot of this years’ success to their marketing strategy to keep customers within my ecosphere. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You need to have good products. It doesn’t matter how great the marketing strategy is if you don’t have a product that people want to buy. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a detergent company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ad Advance?

We needed help with our Amazon marketing. There’s a lot of competition now compared to five years ago when I first started advertising on Amazon. There are a lot of new ways and it’s very difficult for me as a single person to keep up. As time went on there have been more and more competitors entering my space, and I needed to keep up.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They help improve my paid online advertising on Amazon. The team optimizes where links to my product page appear and how much we bid for them.

What is the team composition?

I work with one person from their team.

How did you come to work with Ad Advance?

When I spoke to them, I got a good sense that they knew what they were talking about and had a plan.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in September 2018, our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

My main success metric is the average cost of sale, which is how much money we’re spending versus how much product we sell. When I was doing this all myself, my numbers were atrocious. Their numbers are dramatically better, and they continuously do a good job of keeping the sales steady.

How did Ad Advance perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a dashboard that I check periodically. They also send me a weekly update of how things are doing. Whenever I need them, I just send an email, and they respond right away.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re the true experts with Amazon that a lot of firms claim to be. They work with a lot of firms that are bigger and some that are smaller, and they have a knowledge base that’s hard to find in anyone else.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not sure if they offer the same services for Google, but if so, I’d like to use them there too.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to hire them right now. They’re very good at what they do.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an e-commerce marketplace manager for a pet health and wellness company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ad Advance?

We wanted to outsource our sponsored product advertising on Amazon.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They handled everything from PPC and sponsored products as well as sponsored brand creative. We continue to work with them for strategic guidance on new Amazon releases and beta programs. They’re also responsible for sponsored display, which is another type of Amazon advertising. We have them covering just about all aspects of our Amazon presence. 

What is the team composition?

I work with two people on a weekly basis, a co-founder and an account manager.

How did you come to work with Ad Advance?

Another Amazon seller referred us to them. Compared to the other companies we interviewed, they seemed like the right fit. They produced great results in the past and shared them through case studies, so we decided to go with them.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent roughly $37,000 for their services. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since August 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve done a terrific job so far and continue to keep pushing the limits of what our ads can do. The quality is tremendous, and their service is very tailored to our company. Their skills are incredible, providing us with a strong level of value.   

How did Ad Advance perform from a project management standpoint?

I have an hour-long call with them every week that keeps us aligned on strategy and branding updates on our side. There, they also provide us the strategic direction behind our sponsored ad choices. We’re able to contact them at any time of day to tweak and adjust the process. We communicate through email and Slack. They also provide us with a weekly report on an ongoing basis. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really value our weekly one-on-one sessions. We’re able to collaborate and brainstorm new ideas and directions for our ads. They offer a detailed analysis of what we should expect moving forward, which I really appreciate. It’s fun to work with them, and we’ve created a good relationship.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re very proactive but can’t see everything that the brand sees. If a company didn’t have a strong working relationship with them, I can see there being lags in changing up strategy. However, only the company itself can provide information on external factors outside of their advertising work. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be sure to set up weekly calls with them. That’s been the most valuable part of our relationship for me. It’ll help you tailor the ads to your brand.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of a financial firm. We build in-house from scratch and acquire brands that reach closer to consumers online. We do this by building our extraordinary team, utilizing flexible capital, and maximizing technology to scale brands and develop products that solve real problems.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ad Advance?

• Paid advertising
• Strategy and execution of all different paid advertising channels on the platform.

What were your goals for this project?

• Take the most advantage of every paid channel
• Increase revenue while keeping ACOS constant
• Execute perpetual A/B testing and always stay data-driven

SOLUTION

How did you select Ad Advance?

We were attracted by their scientific, data-driven approach. We interviewed over 50 candidates -- and continue to do so to stay competitive. They are by far the most rational, data-driven we have come across.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

• Strategy definition
• Campaign creation
• Bid adjustment
• AB testing across 5+ advertising platforms are just some things they do for us on a day to day basis

What was the team composition?

The founders are always around for a quick chat when needed and input on strategy. We have an account rep who leads the efforts, deploys the strategy, and handles the daily tasks. The leverage their inhouse digital products to execute efficiently.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Over 4x revenue increase
• Over 10x profitability increase (lower ACOS) on paid conversions over the past 2 years

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They have a workflow that has always been smooth.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were truly data-driven. They fit in very well with our vision.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We have several brands, across several marketplaces. The reporting can sometimes be overwhelming. Having simpler, higher-level KPIs can help when we don't have time to dive deep into the numbers. We are working to improve this with our rep.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

TrailHeads manufactures and sells active wear accessories, primarily geared toward cold weather. Our styles include hats, headbands, and gloves. I manage our Amazon account and other ecommerce efforts. My responsibilities encompass inventory, sales, and advertising.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ad Advance?

We hired Ad Advance to manage our Amazon PPC advertising campaigns.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to grow profitably, which meant Ad Advance has to advertise effectively and not waste money or opportunity. We are highly seasonal, so Ad Advance had to learn our product line and adapt quickly with changing sales volume.

We set a goal of 20% ACoS and 10% TACoS. We expected 10-20% growth in sales during our peak season from Nov-Dec.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

One of the TrailHeads co-owners and I researched freelance sites and interviewed potential partners. Joe & Matt at Ad Advance very quickly grasped our needs. They also didn't make changes just to make changes.

They reviewed existing campaigns and kept them active if that made sense in terms of our goals. Their proprietary automation system works well and their knowledge of data and how to use it is impressive.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

As mentioned we set ACoS and TACoS goals with Ad Advance and structured our campaigns in a way that segmented our business logically. They created campaigns that allow us to manage styles individually, which is very beneficial when dealing with seasonal changes and inventory challenges.

Initially, I was checking their work pretty closely and advising on what styles should be more important than others. I continue to work closely with our account manager, but Erik has a solid understanding of our account at this point. We had a very successful new product launch in March that required our advertising piece to closely match other efforts.

We were extremely pleased with how the launch went and with Ad Advance's assistance on the advertising front.

What was the team composition?

Our team consisted of 4 key people on the TrailHeads side (product development, listing creation, inventory management, etc.) and 1 person from Ad Advance.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Brand awareness has increased during the time we've been working with Ad Advance. They have perfected brand advertising in such a way that they occupy competitors' spaces with TrailHeads ads with very strong results. Also, they're quick to adopt new Amazon advertising tools and utilize them effectively and profitably.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We communicate primarily through email and have a bi-weekly call to discuss our account. Our account manager, Erik is very responsive.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their handling of data is pretty astonishing. They also really understand the dynamics of Amazon PPC advertising.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We can always improve on making our seasonal switches to fully maximize our advertising dollars. We can't afford to waste money advertising out of season styles.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Marketing & Communications of SBM Life Science.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

SBM Life Science produces lawn and garden products. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ad Advance to accomplish?

• Drive incremental new-to-brand traffic and sales through Amazon DSP by leveraging Amazon Marketing Cloud insights to inform a full-funnel strategy.

SOLUTION

How did you find Ad Advance?

Referral

Why did you select Ad Advance over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Ad Advance were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Alec at AdAdvance manages our DSP program on Amazon. He has shown us how to get the most from AMC and optimize for new-to-brand shoppers. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Success was measured through increases in new-to-brand sales, reach, and ROAS, along with improved efficiency across the funnel as informed by AMC analysis.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They are always available for our requested meetings and excellent project managers. 

What was your primary form of communication with Ad Advance?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their in-depth knowledge and transparency into AMC. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Ad Advance could have done differently?

No. They’ve been wonderful.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Amazon Seller

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ad Advance, and what were your goals?

Amazon PPC, lowering A-cost While increasing Sales

SOLUTION

How did you select Ad Advance and what were the deciding factors?

Matt and Jeremy are Very knowledgeable, in an industry that every day counts in being profitable or not, they are Hands-on, understand your Project, and act in a timely fashion, have a long and short term goal

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

IN PPC, it's all about Data, , knowledge, projection and following a Plan

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

4, Everyone on their team has the qualifications needed

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Great results

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

Hand-on

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They're friendly, direct, and on target.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

I would really need to scratch my head and search anything they can improve on, ill go do some research and see if I can find anything if I do ill come back and update this review

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the CEO of Franklin's Gourmet Popcorn.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Ad Advance?

I hired Ad Advance to oversee search campaigns on Amazon.

What were your goals for this project?

• Increase ROAS

SOLUTION

How did you select Ad Advance?

They got referred by a colleague. I interviewed a few agencies and decided to go with Ad Advance after a series of calls. It was clear to me they knew what they were doing in this space.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

• Running Amazon ads

What was the team composition?

A team was assigned to our account.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

There was a noticeable increase in ROAS and an effective build-out of new campaigns.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They had a very effective workflow.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were diligent, great at reporting, and executed well on everything that was promised.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.