Ars X Machina (formerly Media Matters Worldwide)

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a manager at a SaaS technology company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

We hired them to help us with media strategy and implementation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Media Matters Worldwide provides media planning, strategy, and implementation services. First, we had a discovery phase where we looked at our performance with current vendors and audiences and reviewed the data. The team also reviewed our content as part of an audit. From there, they built us a custom dashboard that pulls our data.

Currently, the team helps us with content syndication, demand-based display, display retargeting, and LinkedIn advertising. They also help us with third-party association events or webinars. 

What is the team composition?

I estimate about 15 people from Media Matters Worldwide are on our team, including an account manager and individual channel experts for each campaign. We also have an account director who oversees the strategy globally and is a resource.

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

We found them through a formal RFP. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have an ROI of over 300% quarterly with the effort we put in across all channels.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very focused on project management. The team has developed processes we can use across markets, which helps us when we need to add a new market. This way, our approach is more consistent versus trying to reinvent ourselves; it's been a big benefit of working with the team. 

They perform well when it comes to meeting deadlines and staying on budget. As for tools, we use Smartsheet. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Media Matters Worldwide has a single team managing our global campaign. The team is also consistent across all of our markets, which is rare and a huge advantage. We also appreciate that they're a women-owned and women-operated company, another unique aspect of their business.

Moreover, they've been fully remote since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to their experience working remotely across different locations, we didn't miss a beat when businesses had to go remote. Media Matters Worldwide has expertise in building brand awareness and demand generation so they can think full funnel about our campaigns. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We have room to grow with our third-party associations and narrow down the partners that best fit our audiences.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communication is key. Media Matters Worldwide is very responsive, so you have to be responsive, not just hope they'll reach out to you — it's a partnership. I'd also advise you to set KPI expectations. They're very data-driven, so it's important that you be very upfront about your definition of success for a campaign before you strategize and implement it. 

Moreover, you should understand each team member's role and your own role in the project because you can't be completely hands-off. Be organized and give them the budgets well in advance so that they can explore the most available options to reach your goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at a cloud software company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

We had disparate media buying across our global offices, so we needed a strategic and streamlined plan for it.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Media Matters Worldwide is helping us plan our digital media and paid advertising buying. They started by having meetings with us to understand our challenges. Based on that, they made recommendations, met with the stakeholders, and reviewed and adjusted recommendations for best practices and optimal outcomes. Once we all agreed with their approach, they started to execute. 

In addition to that, they also do reporting and analytics for the program, so it’s an end-to-end project.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with around ten members from their team, including various experts that involve themselves depending on the project’s needs.

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

I met their owners throughout the various companies I’ve worked for in my career, so I chose them for this project too.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our engagement and leads have gone up thanks to their work. They also continue to adjust our programs to get the best engagement and click-through rates.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly meetings to answer any questions and keep our team updated. We also have a dashboard for metrics, so we can always check reports to see how things are going — we’re not shot in information by any means! 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

Their client services and support team are excellent; they commit to understanding our business, are very collaborative, and their strategic approach to media is top-notch.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — they’re our go-to partner, and we recommend them every time. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your business objectives; give them the background of your requirements, and they’ll come back with a plan for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Media Manager of the third-largest national craft beer brand in the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

We engaged with Media Matters Worldwide as our primary media agency.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They work side by side with myself and the communications team to develop the appropriate budget and channel strategy to meet our broader marketing needs. This includes sales lists and brand lift. They ingest data from our organization, such as sales reports and consumer insights, and work with us to optimize media campaigns to meet our holistic media goals.

What is the team composition?

There are 12 people who work directly on our account. Becky (Senior Media Strategist) is our primary media strategist and she oversees everything, assisted by Wendy (Media Strategist), Emilie (Senior Director of Analytics & Business Intelligence), Warren (Social Media Lead), Rachael (Programmatic Media Lead).

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

Someone on our leadership team worked with Media Matters Worldwide when they worked at a previous brand. Through their recommendation, we sent them an RFP. We decided to use their services because of their layered approach to media strategy and their ability to assess our strategy across our entire marketing department.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2020 and we continue to work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They helped us identify a media attribution partner. Part of our success with them is working with that partner to optimize our campaign based on our return on ad spend. We’ve been able to improve and learn campaign over campaign.

This year, we have a micro campaign structure because of the unique COVID-19 issues we’ve experienced. We were able to establish a foundation of key learnings to help us going into 2021.

They’ve also conducted brandless studies that they’ve helped negotiate with other campaign partners. We use at those to look at brand metrics that we don’t get through attribution modeling.  

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

They went above and beyond in terms of their project management and ability to meet deadlines. They exceed our expectations in terms of delivery. They’ve been super flexible. Due to COVID-19, we’re not in an ideal buying climate, so we’re facing challenges across the ball.

We’ve identified ways to strategize, communicate, and get budgets approved. They also help us identify unique partners and negotiate innovative strategies. For example, they were able to negotiate a comprehensive advertising campaign with Spotify. They pulled that together quickly and have that multilayered, both DMA target and national campaign.

We’ve had a lot of success with that and we’re excited to continue working with them as things go back to normal.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their teamwork is very impressive. There are at least a dozen people working on our account, and they’re able to provide best-in-class service to us. They’re super responsive and the quality of the information we get from them is exceptional.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Off the top of my head, we don’t have any issues with them in any area.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

This is true with any vendor you work with—the briefing process is super important. Clients should really think about their media briefs. Putting a lot of thought into those questions will help them provide you with a top of the line campaign that will meet your objectives. They’re very attentive to the details there.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m currently a marketing consultant. Prior to this role, I worked in B2B marketing in the tech space.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

I’ve worked with Media Matters Worldwide for more than twenty years, but I did a substantial amount of work with them when I was the director of demand generation at an enterprise-grade identity management company. We needed help with lead generation, market awareness, and campaigns.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Media Matters Worldwide provided content communication and digital marketing services. They helped me manage different lead generation initiatives, the larger of which were content syndication media programs. They negotiated great rates for media and white paper programs, lead generation, and webinars.

The team also oversaw search engine marketing (SEM), including as Google Ads, and social media marketing (SMM), such as campaigns on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. They helped create and lead in-person campaigns, one of which was an event. They procured all of the different pieces that were necessary to execute these campaigns.

What is the team composition?

I worked with various team members on different projects over the years. I most consistently engaged with Taji and Josy (Co-Founders & Managing Partners, Media Matters Worldwide). I also had contact with Melanie (Media Director, Media Matters Worldwide) and Maxine (Media Director & Client Partner, Media Matters Worldwide).

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

I met them a long time ago. I have continued to re-engage them at four different organizations because their services are so great. They get excellent results.

How much have you invested with them?

The enterprise-grade identity management company spent about $50,000–$100,000 per quarter, with overall costs ranging from $200,000–800,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I initially worked with Media Matters Worldwide in 2008. Their work for the enterprise-grade identity management company spanned 2015–2017, but I also worked with them in 2010, 2012–2014, and 2014­–2016. I haven’t yet worked with them in my current role.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

At the highest level, their recommendations were always really solid. The value that they provide as an agency lies in their ability to negotiate amazing rates.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very reliable. We communicated via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Something that stood out to me was the consistency that they brought to the partnership.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior digital marketing and media manager at a B2B communications company. We sell smart endpoint solutions, such as headsets, desk and conference phones, and video collaboration solutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

My company acquired another communications company about two years ago. As part of that integration, we needed to launch a new brand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Media Matters Worldwide launched our brand activation campaign to announce that these two companies were coming together as one brand. They began the campaign with a two-week saturation period, during which we did a lot of paid digital media and digital out-of-home advertising. After that, they led us into a sustaining period and used paid search, paid social, and programmatic display as our primary vehicles.

They continue to manage our brand activation campaign. We’re also running an additional global dimension program with them.

What is the team composition?

We work with 6–7 Media Matters Worldwide team members. Our primary contacts are Jennifer (Media Director and Client Partner, Media Matters Worldwide) and Jill (Project Management Lead, Media Matters Worldwide).

We also work with Lisa (Strategic Digital Account Director, Media Matters Worldwide) on analytics and Cheryl (Social Media Director, Media Matters Worldwide) on paid social. Although we may not be interfacing with them on a daily basis, various people work on the campaign in the background. They often join our weekly check-in calls.

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

We went through a robust RFP process and looked at 7­–8 brand-first agencies. Media Matters Worldwide won our vote based on their expertise, the previous work they shared with us, their metrics-driven approach, and the nice dashboarding that they offer.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Media Matters Worldwide in January 2019, and our work together is ongoing. The brand activation campaign began in mid-March, and it will run through the end of August.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our primary KPIs have been met and even exceeded. We surpassed our website traffic goals tenfold. We also beat our efficiency goals, measured by cost-per-engagement, by 6–8 times. The quality of their work exceeds that of any other agency I’ve worked with.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

I can’t say enough about them in this respect. Media Matters Worldwide has been awesome to work with. They have many team members representing various areas of expertise.

As a company that’s still integrating, we experience a lot of unexpected things and last-minute changes. Media Matters Worldwide has been very responsive and adaptive. They’ve knocked it out of the park as far as being a good partner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their adaptability and flexibility stand out. Other agencies I’ve worked with pushed back when I made last-minute change requests, whereas Media Matters Worldwide has been understanding and accommodating of the complex integration process we’re going through. As issues have come up, they’ve risen to the challenge and helped meet our needs without ever complaining. They handle pop-up requests with grace.

Media Matters Worldwide delivers concrete plans and ensures that we understand them and are in agreement. They make sure to understand our primary KPIs, expectations, and what we’re trying to achieve with paid media, so that the plan is informed by all of that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d say everybody has room for improvement, but compared to other agencies I’ve worked with, Media Matters Worldwide are rock stars.

Any advice for potential customers?

Hire them if you’re looking for a responsive, detail-oriented agency with a proven track record. They can handle any digital marketing challenges.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing and media for Visit Mendocino County, a destination marketing organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

We needed to get our branding and marketing messages out to our target markets.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Media Matters Worldwide delivered a media plan, which included a budget, goals, and expectations. Media Matters Worldwide also conducted a Nielsen survey to determine the effectiveness of our marketing efforts with the general public.

My company provided the deliverables, and they purchased advertising programmatically across various media channels. For instance, they purchased media web page takeovers in a programmatic fashion. Other channels included Spotify and Pandora, which we did A/B testing on. They serviced all of our social media channels.

What is the team composition?

We had regular contact with six team members, including Jennifer (Media Director, Client Partner, Media Matters Worldwide), Lisa (Account Director, Media Matters Worldwide), Emilie (Director of Analytics, Media Matters Worldwide), and Cheryl (Social Media Director, Media Matters Worldwide).

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

Our marketing consultant referred Media Matters Worldwide, and we were impressed by their credentials. They presented to our marketing committee, who then recommended to our board that we retain them.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together spanned December 2018–June 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Media Matters Worldwide more than fulfilled all of the goals and expectations within the media plan. Over six months, our campaign drew 35 million impressions. We’ve achieved an above-average click-through rate and have increased web traffic by 150%. We’re extremely pleased with Media Matters Worldwide’s performance.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they did excellent. Once we handed the deliverables off to them, they reported on their performance during the weekly reporting calls.  We also emailed back and forth depending on where we were in a particular project, but emails were generally limited to confirming the deliverables, messaging, and checking up on invoicing and payment. Media Matters Worldwide was very prompt, and they were communicative in their calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

My company doesn’t have a lot of experience in this type of advertising; in the past, we’ve just done more traditional advertising, like print. We found Media Matters Worldwide extremely easy to work with. They were clear in their communication, and they provided us with a set of goals that they were able to reach and even surpass. They were right on with their results.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any I can think of. If anything, my organization learned a lot about where engagement lies and how to market our business and county. We’ll take these lessons into our next contract with Media Matters Worldwide.  

Any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your internal goals, so that Media Matters Worldwide can devise a media plan that will accomplish these goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the former VP of marketing for one of California’s largest credit unions. I was responsible for all facets of marketing, advertising, communications, and PR.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

It was clear that we needed to elevate our digital presence so we were looking for a partner to help us with that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Media Matters Worldwide was a strategic partner supporting our entry into the digital media space. Their team tested a relatively small budget on ad retargeting and display ads. As this was proven successful, we shifted more of our traditional advertising budget to digital and their role expanded.

They offered insights into prospect search behavior and helped us pinpoint ways to grow our client base. hey provided us with creative resources we needed to supplement our lean team and enabled us to produce a higher volume of content.

What is the team composition?

We worked with several members of the Media Matters Worldwide team, including Taji (Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Media Matters Worldwide), a reporting analyst, and media buyers.

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

I found Media Matters Worldwide through an online search. It was important that they were local and accessible, but I also appreciated that it was a team led by women. I knew that they would give our team the attention we needed.

They were a growing company with tremendous individual expertise and an entrepreneurial spirit. On a personal level, they were great people to work with and they provided us with the expertise and intelligence we needed. And they continue to be a great professional and industry resource.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested in the range of $200,000–$500,000 a year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We continued to expand our digital advertising budget because it was working for us. It was clear that the influx of traffic was coming from digital advertising and that Media Matters Worldwide’s efforts brought new customers and site visitors. The service, reporting, and expertise they gave us were invaluable to our team.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was excellent. Our teams held weekly meetings in which we went over detailed metrics and trends, collaborating to shift our strategy as necessary. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their energy, industry knowledge and creative approach to problem-solving along with their service quality were very impressive. I’d hire them again if I were in a position to do so.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Because I was new to digital media, I was focused on learning as much as I could from them. It’s hard to say if there’s anything they could improve upon.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Avast is in the business to keep people safe online. As the global director of marketing at Avast, my role is to deliver our core brand message as efficiently as possible to as many consumers as possible while staying true to our brand. This means consistently growing our brand awareness and brand preference and staying one step ahead of our competition.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

With limited dollars and a crowed competitive landscape, we need to make every dollar work as hard as possible. This means using media strategically, surrounding our target audience at important moments throughout their day or during current events impacting their lives—whether they are commuting to work, browsing the web, banking online, shopping online, sharing on social media or when there is a cybersecurity attack.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Media Matters oversees and implements our media strategy and placements across all media channels.  They work closely with our creative partners to develop standout media campaigns that break through the competitive clutter and deliver results.

What is the team composition?

My team at Media Matters is comprised of between 5–8 people, each specializing in different disciplines from digital and OOH experts to Google Analytics and performance/optimization analysts. Account managers and agency principals oversee our business to be sure the team is on strategy, delivering on time and successfully against our KPIs.

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

My background is in media and account planning on the agency side and I have known of Media Matters and their principals for many years.  When we started searching for a new media partner, they were on my shortlist of companies to evaluate as our media partner.

What impressed me most about Media Matters is how they are structured.  Not too many companies can pull off a virtual working environment, however at Media Matters, their teams work seamlessly—when you are on a call with Media Matters, you wouldn’t know they weren’t all in the same room.  It’s extraordinary that all members of the team are aligned, offering a depth of knowledge in their area of expertise. I’m also impressed with their real-time dashboard, a tool that aggregates data across all media channels, displaying key performance metrics against a variety of campaign attributes. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Media Matters in January 2017 and are still working with them today.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When we first started working together, we established campaign KPIs based on industry benchmarks and Media Matter’s experience with past clients. After six months of working together, we had far exceeded our original goals.

After the conclusion of each campaign, we set new goals based on our previous successes. We continue to outpace our goals each year and I’m happy to report we are on track to eclipse our goals for this year as well.

Our success has come as a result of simultaneously fine-tuning our media strategy and creative approach and staying current with media and market trends.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

Media Matter’s project management and account service have been outstanding, especially in terms of their responsiveness and thoroughness.  I'll frequently inquire about new and different media approaches and they always come back with a thoughtful response that typically includes more detail than expected.

The team is well organized and informed.  We meet weekly (and more often if needed) to review a detailed status report, current activities, and campaign performance, leaving time to brainstorm on campaign optimizations and to discuss new media. They've far exceeded my expectations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m very impressed by their strategic thinking, specialization across multiple media channels and depth of analytics they bring to the planning process and optimization of campaigns. Collectively, this experience has continuously moved us toward meeting and going beyond our performance goals and core objectives.

The account management is also very strong. They pay special attention to details and are very insightful in discussions. They often present considerations and options from a new and useful point of view.

Are there any areas they could improve?

While there isn’t too much to improve on, I would highlight two possibilities.  Although they provide competitive spending data, I would like to see more insights on competitive spending – a look at the trends over time, challenges and opportunities we should consider as we budget for future quarters, an analysis of media usage and seasonal spend. The second is proactively starting a discussion on new and emerging media even before it becomes viable.  This is a personal interest – I like to keep up with what’s on the horizon even if it’s years away. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Most successful partnerships start with mutual request and great input. Sharing as much information as possible on the industry, competitors, business goals, product portfolio, brand positioning, target personas, the performance of past campaigns and performance goals, will guarantee a more fruitful agency/client relationship and yield successful campaign results.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I worked with Media Matters while at another firm. I was the director of media and home marketing at a brand management and licensing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

We brought on Media Matters to help us with our media planning and buying.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were essentially our agency of record. They worked on a variety of accounts—from men's athletic wear to home fashion to juniors’ brands—and were putting different targeting initiatives and strategies in place for each one.

They built customized dashboards for us that let us track media engagement and look at what was working and what wasn't. In some cases—specifically one of the brands that were sold exclusively on Amazon—they were able to develop attribution models for us.

What is the team composition?

We had one dedicated account lead. She brought all of the channel specialists' work together. We also had a project manager who worked on the account. She pulled other people onto projects as needed.

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

We went through an extensive review process. My CMO identified that we needed to find a more data-driven agency based on our consumer needs and the changing digital climate.

We hired an experienced consultant, and he identified six agencies for us. We set aside a day where they all came in, and Media Matters really shined. They were, by far, the best that we saw during that process.

How much have you invested with them?

Our budget was about $5.2 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

I worked with Media Matters for almost seven months. We started talking to them around November 2017 and officially began the partnership in January 2018. I left the company in November 2018, and they were still on board when I left.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The brands that were sold on Amazon were always a challenge for us, but Media Matters was able to quantify and grow our ROI for those accounts. Our ROI was up to 300% using the Amazon advertising platform.

Other aspects of the partnership weren’t as quantifiable or trackable because we were working with brick and mortar retail. They were helping us develop more attribution models for those pieces of the business. Our budgets were segmented by brand, and they were very attuned to that and able to help us build strategies.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

The dedicated account manager came into the office once a week—sometimes twice, if needed—which was very helpful. She was able to tap into the resources that we needed based on the different projects we were working on.

Everything was expertly managed in Trello. They're a digitally-based company, so they didn't have a home office. We were a little concerned about that when we hired them, but they were able to work well with each other and stay organized.

They were basically on-call whenever we needed them. Even the team members on the West Coast were able to adjust to our schedules easily. Working with them was a seamless experience.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were a very fast-paced company with many different objectives per brand, and some of the brands that we worked with had very small budgets. For example, one of our smallest accounts had a budget of around $200,000. This project was divided between six or seven brands, and Media Matters was able to dedicate time to each one.

It’s very hard to find vendors in the media space who pay equal attention to smaller accounts. This was one of the factors that drew us to them initially. Media Matters was always very receptive to our changing budgets and requirements, even for those smaller brands.

The team from Media Matters is also comprised of people who are extremely kind and supportive. They were always patient and willing to provide additional information. There were several members of our company—some on the executive team—who didn't quite understand digital media, and Media Matters was quick to stop and explain their processes even while they were executing them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think so. Our business experienced a rough couple of months towards the end of the project, but I wouldn't attribute any of that to Media Matters.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure—and I think they would suggest this too—that you're scheduling weekly calls with them. They also have a briefing template that you can fill out. If you give them plenty of information about your objectives, whether it be targeting, KPIs, or other goals, they’ll be able to do their jobs well.