Art & Science

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are the world’s largest e-commerce investor. By providing fair and fast capital, a trusted network of founders and the insights needed to scale your business, our mission is to remove the barriers between brilliant ideas, and brilliant businesses. I am the Senior Director of Marketing and I lead all acquisition, brand awareness, and retention marketing initiatives.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

Our challenge was primarily on the performance marketing side. B2B lead generation is always a challenge and as we started to scale it became imperative to have a partner who could test methodologies and really create efficiencies in all of our channels.

What were your goals for this project?

Overall goal was to clean up our accounts, create efficiencies to scale globally and reduce our CPC/CAC for our digital streams.

SOLUTION

How did you select Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

The selection process was based on more than just their skills on the performance marketing side but also what they could bring to the table in terms of broader media buying and brand/creative support.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

A&S manages all of our B2B inbound marketing channels at Clearbanc. They create our channel mix, allocate budget accordingly and focus on google and facebook primarily. They also provide monthly reports to showcase our efficiencies.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the biggest impacts we have seen so far has been the efficiencies they have created within google. Prior to using A&S our lead quality or MQL percentage hovered around 20% and within 3 months we brought that up to 40%. This is a huge win for us, as it means we are bringing in highly qualified leads and more of them.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We meet weekly to review results for the month to date and every end-of-month meeting we go through budgets for the next month and prepared a plan together based on our company objectives and priorities. We rely on slack for daily communication with the team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are super detail-oriented and they really rally around our company's monthly targets. This is huge because it means they are truly an extension of our business unit as opposed to agencies who just go ahead and make decisions outside of our objectives. They also come forward with many ideas and truly want to understand how our business works, why we make certain decisions internally and even started to bring forward thoughts on brand momentum, as we are going through a redesign.

Are there any areas for improvement?

On the SEO side, we did review how they could help us but the follow up and plan has been slow to come to fruition. This is not our main objective with them but its a value add for us that we could consolidate within one team and I just didn't see a ton of follow through here to win more of our business. They are also quite expensive and when we did have additional work come through in month they almost immediately requested an adjustment to monthly retainer. We worked through it but sometimes these conversations can be a bit more thoughtful in future.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of e-commerce for a luxury beauty company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

We’d gone through some challenges, specifically with paid advertising from Google. Google had always been productive for us when it came to branded searches. Outside of that, though, we weren’t able to make the other Google products work for us. On Google Shopping, for instance, we found that we couldn’t compete with larger retailers that had more equity and better Google rankings than us. It was a constant struggle for us. We worked with various agencies over the years to try to alleviate these issues. However, we had a hard time finding a partner that could understand the unique aspects of our business and customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us demystify the challenges surrounding our Google Shopping woes. As a part of this process, they worked to improve our traditional branded and non-branded Google search statistics. By looking at all our keywords across branded and non-branded searches, they’re ensuring that our company has visibility in all necessary areas. 

Google was one of our primary focuses initially, but their broad range of services has caused the scope of our engagement to evolved. They still manage our Google and Bing search tactics. However, they now also manage programmatic display ads, remarketing ads, and Amazon search marketing. They also manage streaming advertising for us, on services like Hulu. We’ve ventured into Pinterest, and we’re looking at dabbling in TikTok and other new platforms. They also provide on-site performance analysis and A/B testing.

What is the team composition?

We’re engaging directly with 6–7 members of their team on various parts of the project scope.

How did you come to work with Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

We were referred to them by an external e-commerce consultant, who’s a valuable part of our team. He had worked with them closely in the past. We had a couple of phone calls and met a lot of the experts on their team. They came back to us with a proposal, and, after 2–3 conversations, we felt really confident in their capabilities and what they were projecting that they could do for us. We decided to bite the bullet and give them a shot.

How much have you invested with them?

We’re spending an average of $18,000 per month with them. That covers a wide range of services, and the cost has evolved since the beginning, along with the scope.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since September 2020. We have an annual contract with them, which we’ll probably renew in September 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re really satisfied with the performance we’ve seen in the areas they’re managing for us, as well as with the partnership itself. With their strategy in place, we’re reaching a much broader audience than we were previously. They’re getting more traffic to our site, which ultimately leads to more sales.

The productivity of our media spend, which we measure through return on our ad spend, has improved dramatically since engaging with them. If we’re going to spend a certain amount on advertisements, we want to get a certian amount in sales. Especially on the Google side, we were generally seeing twice the amount we spent on ads in revenue. On Google Shopping, we were seeing even less return. Now, we’re seeing a 400% return on Google Shopping. Branded and nonbranded search returns can be anywhere from 400–500%. If we have a promo running, those figures will increase pretty drastically, sometimes reaching 800–900%. Their team has essentially made our investment much more productive.

How did Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re super organized. I don’t know if I’ve worked with another agency that’s as organized as them. They're a very good partner. They listen to our needs and concerns, and I don’t think there was ever a time when we didn’t hear back from them within a day or two.

In addition, we appreciate the knowledge and expertise that they have in-house and how proactive they are in bringing ideas and opportunities to us. There’s no shortage of ideas from them on how to improve our online presence. Their team is much more hands-on and is always looking to make improvements to the channels they’re managing. In the past, we were struggling to get that from other agencies. They would simply do the bare minimum to get by.

We have weekly calls with them where they’ll present their points of view on our strategy and next steps. We communicate ad-hoc things through email, we have weekly conference calls, and we have a monthly regroup. We’re in constant communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They actually care about our success, unlike previous agencies we've worked with. It’s almost as if they're an extension of our internal team. They’re really dedicated partners who are clearly invested in our growth. Because of that, I feel that they go above and beyond. They’re constantly trying to bring more to the table, and they’ll do anything they can to help our business grow.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of one. The people on their team that we’ve been working with on a daily basis are all rock stars.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

You should be clear about the unique characteristics of your business as well as the specificities of the challenge you're facing. Their team spent a lot of time looking at our Google Analytics profile before engaging with us. They also did some research about how we manage the backend of some of our accounts before they came to us with a proposal. The research they put in was really helpful, and the information we provided enabled them to best support us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a co-ed K-8 independent school in Toronto’s West End. Currently, we’re opening a senior school that will serve students in grades 9-12. Because of that, we’ll become a K-12 school in September 2022. I’m the director of advancements, overseeing fundraising, marketing, and communications. I function as a parent liaison, alumni relations representative, and strategic management support for the board.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

Because our school is becoming a K-12 school, we needed a brand extension and to revamp our entire marketing portfolio to encompass a K-12 voice. We needed their work to touch everything from admissions, enrollment, fundraising, website, alumni relations, and more.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were hired to review our entire school marketing portfolio and present a manifesto for a K-12 brand extension. Along with the new marketing manifesto, they made a presentation to our board, worked on signage for our new site, delivered our last annual report, and are now handling several website initiatives in the background. 

In the next year, we’ll be developing an entirely new frontend to our website that reflects Art & Science Digital Experience Design’s vision. Much of their visual and digital branding work will be featured on the new site. However, they’re working on a few pages on our current site to help us promote a program within the new senior school. Because of that, we’ve seen some early examples of that website work they can provide. However, we’ll have to wait on implementing their designs until we have a new and improved website.

In addition to building our marketing K-12 vision, they’ve been working on several tactical documents to support the head of the senior school to build up a learning partner and recruit effectively. They’re providing an overall strategic vision as well as a number of tactical activities for us.      

What is the team composition?

I work with Dave (EVP of Client Success). He’s my main point of contact with their team and my go-to for anything to do with marketing and communication. I also work closely with Elli (Account Coordinator). We work with Rachelle (Junior Designer) and Kirk (Chief Creative Officer) as well.

How did you come to work with Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

They were recommended to us by parents and board members at our school. They worked in the marketing world and had used Art & Science Digital Experience Design’s services in the past, confident their services would align with our needs. We’d worked with another marketing company in the past that we weren’t happy with, so we wanted to pivot to an effective organization that could meet our needs.  

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $75,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since fall 2019.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

From a metrics perspective, they delivered the products as planned and made sure our leadership was satisfied with the deliverables. They listen to and respond to our needs well, understanding the important nuances of our multi-faceted organization. We’ve benefited from their help with tactical and strategic items as well as assistance understanding relationship management when it comes to marketing in the education space. 

They’ve been great at guiding our academic organization through a process that allows us to get a strong marketing message out while making the academic leaders feel like they’re being heard and valued.   

To put together their deliverables, they did a lot of interviewing with the community to better understand how to serve us. People they interviewed got back to us with praise for their team. Parents, board members, staff, and faculty alike believe that their team understood us well. That was very important to us. 

How did Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve met all their deadlines and are very responsive. We’ve worked with a number of other third-party vendors with them as well, and they’ve been great at collaborating with those external teams. 

For instance, we had to get our signage ready for the school pretty last-minute with their team on graphic design and another vendor handling printing and instillations. We loved that they took responsibility for the relationship with the other vendor, allowing the school to step back. They recognized that we have a limited staff and fill in the gaps when they see them. That proactive behavior allows us to get time back. We can trust their team to complete projects like this on our behalf without oversight.  

Dave is client-focused and understands our organization. He’s a great person to bounce ideas off. Timelines can be very short for us, so it’s great to have a trusted partner that can help us get things done.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

When they first presented their first idea of the direction they wanted to go, it was clear they did their homework with our organization, competitors, the marketplace, and more. They put a presentation together that showed us that they understood us and could bring a lot to the table through a partnership. Since then, they’ve kept it up all the way through the project.

They listen well and actively respond to what we ask of them. Some marketing companies take information and decide to act based on the way the marketplace wants it. They focus on both the market and our individual needs. There’s a true partnership between our organizations. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have much criticism for their team. They’ve even helped me out when staff members at the school don’t understand what we’re trying to accomplish in marketing. More than other vendors I’ve worked with, they’ve helped me navigate through internal marketing issues with staff members. They stand out in how they respond to clients. If I had to say something, it would be great for them to expand their service offerings.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of marketing and communications for Knowledge First Financial. Our organization is an asset management and advisory firm that specializes in registered education savings plans (RESPs).

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

The main challenge was getting more efficacy out of our SEO/PPC digital presence in the market. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Art & Science is working with us to reassess how we’re approaching SEO and PPC. Their goal is to find ways for us to leverage our digital spend effectively. 

They started with an analysis of our current system to identify any low-hanging fruit that we could address quickly. The result was a 30-60-90 day plan that prioritized actions for our SEO optimization, PPC buying to stem competitor conquests, and keyword research to take ownership of certain areas. 

Next, they helped us strategize on how to keep on top of our online reputation management (ORM) across our nationwide branches. That involved looking at the reviews that each location received and attributing the positive ones appropriately.

They’re now focusing on executing the plan to raise our SEO in tandem with our ORM.

What is the team composition? 

Our core team consists of four people with an extended team of eight. Adam (Partner) heads the overall digital media, Aurora (Senior SEO Strategist) is our SEO specialist, and then there’s a PPC media buyer. We also have an account manager and a social media specialist.

How did you come to work with Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

I came across Art & Science while serving on the board of directors for an organization. I had some really good feedback and great initial interactions, so I thought that they would be a good fit for our Knowledge First Financial.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, it’s in the ballpark of $150,000–$180,000 CAD (approximately $114,000–$137,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2020, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the things that I love about working with Art & Science is that they’re specific about measurements. The team really makes sure that they’re tracking and reporting back on results, both from a year-over-year basis as well as comparisons to the period before. 

For example, looking at our organic traffic from May–August, we’ve seen a 40% increase in the number of users and a 34% increase in the number of new users compared to last year. It’s been a month-over-month increase. 

In terms of PPC, we’ve seen an incredible fivefold increase to our paid traffic as well as a 60% reduction to cost-efficiencies. That’s because they’ve mitigated some of the conquests that our competitors were doing. A focus on longer tail search terms and an evergreen strategy have helped us maintain our strong position, too. 

We’ve also had a better sightline of our incoming reviews thanks to some ORM tracking tools that they’ve implemented. This has been great in helping us understand where we need to do more work, not to mention it boosts our responsiveness.  

How did Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve been really impressed with the service overall. We have biweekly meetings where they report our results, though they’re prompt in reaching out to us if there’s an issue or a change recommendation. 

The data comes from Google Analytics, which we can access through a cloud-based dashboard. It’s great that we can access our data at any time to gain insights. The rest of our communication is mostly through phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Beyond the results, I’m most impressed with their willingness to work with our business as true partners in every sense of the word. They’re receptive to our ideas and questions, which makes it feel like they’re a part of our team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not at this stage.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be transparent about what your business challenges are because they have a great brain trust on their team that can strategically figure our problems. The more information you get to them, the more they have to work with when coming up with effective solutions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the communications and digital media lead for The Robert McLaughlin Gallery. We’re the largest public art gallery in the Durham region of Ontario, Canada. We exhibit modern and contemporary art, and our permanent collection is primarily known for housing the largest collection of Painters Eleven works. They were the Canadian abstract expressionist side of the Group of Seven. Given how famous the Group of Seven is, Painters Eleven would be the equivalent, but for abstract expressionism.

We have a historical collection of photographs as well called The Thomas Bouckley Collection. We exhibit current artists annually. We have a robust schedule for works from our permanent collection and contemporary exhibitions. We’re also a community hub for arts and culture in the region.

We host a lot of community events, and, during non-pandemic times, we offer on-site art classes and workshops for children and adults. We run school programming for educators and children, and we also do programming related to our exhibitions. Most importantly, admission to our galleries is always free, and we’ve recently launched a new membership program.

Relating to COVID, the gallery was closed to the public from mid-March to late-July 2020. We created a virtual alternative during that time, trying to maintain a connection to our audience online through visual engagement. We’re still carrying that forward as a priority, but we’ve reopened to the public.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

We’d applied for and received a $50,000 CAD (approximately $37,900 USD) grant from the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Strategy Fund, which was specifically designed to help art institutions go through digital transformations. There were a few funding streams, and the one we applied for was for building a digital strategy for the gallery.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Art & Science was hired to build a comprehensive digital strategy for the gallery. The process involved an initial research phase, during which they got to know our staff, what the gallery was about, and the community we serve. They did interviews with our staff and key stakeholders, after which we had a back and forth process with multiple check-ins and meetings with our team so that they could understand what our needs were. We worked throughout the summer to refine the strategy.

What is the team composition?

There were 6–7 people involved at different stages of the project. I met most of them during calls. Art & Science had a dedicated team for the project, with each member specializing in a different area. We had someone focused on UI/UX research and design, and someone else focused on SEO and the website. Spence (President) and Dave (Executive Vice President, Client Success) worked on the overall strategy, and there were some consultants for the art museum strategy part.

How did you come to work with Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

We’d already started on the path of digital transformation when I came onboard, pre-COVID. I looked at a few agencies, and we had a few of them pitch to us. Art & Science seemed to be the best one for this job.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $45,000 CAD (approximately $34,000 USD) in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project in January 2020, and most of the work ended up happening during COVID, after we closed in March. Everything was wrapped up in August 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Art & Science put together a digital strategy that was far more comprehensive and detailed than we’d expected. It was a great experience working with them. Some consultants will deliver barebones strategy documents, but what Art & Science did spoke to our needs as a gallery. They also had a good understanding of our limited resources and capacity, and they worked around some of those things.

The quality of the work was excellent, and they were very supportive throughout the process. Art & Science really took the time to understand our needs as an institution, and that’s something we really valued. Not everyone in an art or cultural institution will have the background to understand the digital space, so working with consultants can be daunting. Art & Science was amazing in being able to understand the needs of an art gallery. They’ve worked with multiple art organizations in the past, so they understood our needs very well and listened to the feedback we provided. There were multiple opportunities for us to give feedback to them and for them to adapt the strategy according to that feedback. That was an excellent process, and it was a good experience working with them overall.

We were really happy with the final outcome. It was detailed, not just an overview document. The higher-level strategy was there, but it also contained detailed suggestions on what we could actually implement. It was a nice balance between an overall strategy and a practical one. We’ve been implementing some of those suggestions and strategies for the last two months, and it’s going really well.

How did Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

We had some delays on our end, but Art & Science was great in accommodating that and working through some of the challenges we faced during COVID. Everything was well-organized, and Art & Science was client-focused. They adapted to our schedule, and everything was well-managed and done in a timely manner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There were many great things about working with Art & Science, but the highlight is how passionate they were about the art, rather than just being focused on marketing, communication, or web design. They have a holistic understanding of working in the arts, and that was ideal for us as an art museum. The research Art & Science put into the strategy and the examples they came up with were impressive. 

They shared a lot of material from other art organizations that they found inspiring. The highlight was how dedicated to the project and passionate Art & Science was. In some ways, that was unexpected to see coming from a digital agency. They were just fun to work with as well.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients should engage in the feedback process and not be afraid to really work with them. Some of us were a bit hesitant in the beginning because we weren’t sure how Art & Science would be received when we started working with them as a new partner. It became obvious that they were responsive to feedback and even open to us critiquing them on occasion or asking them to go deeper on something. They really delivered on that end, and it was a great experience for us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Travelex is a 42 year old internationally renowned foreign exchange business. I am an executive director and lead the B2B P/L.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

We hired A&S to build out and execute an ongoing plan to build brand awareness and drive customer acquisition across Canada and the United States.

What were your goals for this project?

Twofold: 1) To generate brand awareness and salience around Travelex's products 2) To drive customer acquisition

SOLUTION

How did you select Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

We selected A&S through a small bidding process, and they needed to compete against our incumbant

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

A&S was retained to build the brand and acquisition strategy and execute on it. The project entailed research and data mining to present the best market segments to penetrate. A&S was also used to manage our GA account and manage our monthly spend. A&S also provided our in-house marketing with advisory services.

What was the team composition?

A&S's team was led by Adam Green, one of the principals at the business. They had an RM for our account and a marketing specialist for our account.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw immediate results within the digital acquisition plan. Top of funnel acquisition immediately tripled. A&S provided dashboards of detailed information for Travelex to digest. In addition, they provided many recommendations about our own platform and site in order to help with conversions. Travelex was unable to deliver timely changes to their site, which muted the performance somewhat, not to the fault of A&S.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. We were given more-than-deserved attention given the scope and size of our budget. A&S went above and beyond in this regard. We used Email and teleconference mostly with A&S.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most impressive thing about A&S is their realism when it came to outcomes and expectations. In addition, we were impressed with their commitment to the project, even in spite of some frustrations with technology from our side. A key differentiator was their ability to work within budget confines and still deliver a lot of value to us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Farsedakis Beauty Brands. We have two beauty brands called Pretty Vulgar and Blinc. They're both color cosmetics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

Internally, we don’t have anyone who knows PPC. We were doing it internally and could only get so far. Realizing how complicated and in-depth this particular space has become, we decided to outsource this process.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired them specifically for PPC and paid search, but they’ve gone outside of that to help our digital strategy. For example, we had a video on our home page which we thought was essential to our brand because we have special technology in our mascara. Art & Science discovered that it created a really slow loading time which meant we were losing a lot of people. They even AB test content and write new content without us asking them to.

Every once in a while, I ask them to test different strategies knowing that we could lose money, but am hoping to find something that we could successfully scale.

What is the team composition?

Philip is our main contact (Digital Marketing Manager), and then I work with Adam (VP & Partner).

How did you come to work with Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

We wanted a partner that could be better, faster and cheaper than us. We worked with several other vendors and learned something in each of those engagements. For example, we worked with a large company, thinking it would help us get attention, but it didn’t work out We learned that we didn’t have the same budget as their other clients, so we didn’t get the same attention and we didn’t have the best people on our account.

Learning from that, we were able to dial in on specific details in our interviews. I wanted to know who specifically was going to be on our account, what their background was, and how they worked. I really liked that Art & Sciences has a team approach. They battle internally and that helps prevent problems in the campaign.

How much have you invested with them?

Their fees are about $500,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around September 2019 and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They really excelled in my eyes. Other agencies that I worked with solely did PPC, but Art & Science understood that we were looking to grow our business. Every time they found something we could improve, even if it was outside of their scope, they would come to me.

Early on, they got me excited about the partnership by providing these really valuable insights. They clearly cared about building our business.

This is a crazy year, and so I don’t care that much about top of funnel activities. I only care about how much money they can generate for me. They’re doing a great job following that.

They’re great at executing the plan, finding obstacles, and overcoming them.

How did Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They changed their reporting so it was more meaningful for me. I only care about my bottom line. Google Analytics can be a little vague, so Art & Sciences included everything from their fees to how the ads performed. Then they calculated a net positive or net negative.

Taking it a step further, their reporting is more than I could expect. Every month, they provide a phenomenal presentation to show me all of the tests they’ve done.

They’re great communicators. Their reports explain what they’re doing and why they’re doing it. On top of that, they’re great at sticking to budget and listening to what we needed.

When COVID-19 hit and I had to call and tell them to pause the project, they were very understanding and paused their fees. Before anything, they’re amazing people and they’re highly competent. I can’t speak highly enough about them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re honest and have told us what our issues are, what they can do, where they’re limited, and if they haven’t figured something out yet. I’ve been in this industry for a long time, and the last thing I want is a dishonest partner. Art & Science is aligned with our goals and are trying their best to help us find success. That makes them good partners because they’re very transparent about the pros and cons of the journey.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m happy with our partnership. I have zero complaints.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It would really depend on who the client is. I would tell a smaller business owner to do exactly what I’m doing. Don’t worry about how many links and clicks you have; focus on the revenue it generates for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing communications for a public company in the insurance sector.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

We were part of a US company but were purchased by a Canadian company. It was time to change, and we wanted a fresh name going forward.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Although we changed our name, the business remained the same. We had a long history of name changes, and Art Science’s job was to create a fresh name that reflected us.

Their team listened and came to understand the business. While they took a lot of direction, it was an open process. They brought new ideas to the table. Their team worked on our website, collateral, and media buys. They created a name to bring high awareness of our position in the marketplace, which was quite special.

What is the team composition?

In the beginning, I worked directly with the president who’s strategic. My main day to day contact was the EVP of customer success. I worked a lot with the creative director and a multitude of people on their creative team.

How did you come to work with Art Science Digital Experience Design Inc?

We did an RFP and wanted an agency that would think strategically about the business. A lot of companies spend so much time on design and don’t think about the business. Art Science was incredibly strategic and listened to understand what we wanted. Their team understood our drivers as well as the B2B and B2C nature of our business.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in October 2019, and it will run until the end of the year. We’ll then renew our contract with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They understood our customers and were able to interpret how the customer saw us. Although it wasn’t anything that we didn’t know, they effectively presented that image. When we went through the brand journey with our senior management, Art Science made it an exceptional experience.

Their team was also able to push back on ideas and argue for what they believed. They explained the science behind marketing exceptionally well. Their team spoke openly and respectfully. Their work generated an opportunity for them to work with us not just on a brand level but on an operational level too.

How did Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They had one project manager who was on top of the project. She’s also a master of spreadsheets and doesn’t miss anything. She briefs her team and keeps everyone on track. They have deep project management skill sets that I appreciate. Their team’s great about following up too.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their customer client experience EVP’s understated but also brilliant in how he works with the client. He brings up concerns that we might not have because he wants to make sure that every base is covered.

Their team’s constructive and thoughtful during discussions. They have thorough premises, arguments, and support. Their team spends a lot of time thinking, which results in great tact. That makes the process flow well.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think that there’s an area for improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When you’re working with that partnership, it’s important to know what you want. Art Science asks intelligent questions, so if you’re going to have an internal representative for the partnership, it should be someone with an incredible depth of knowledge. Also, make sure that you have a fair budget. Their team will work within that budget. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Digital Marketing Manager at Tafelmusik, a world-renowned baroque orchestra and chamber choir located in Toronto.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

We hired Art & Science to inform and implement our paid digital campaigns for our 2019/2020 concert season. We were looking for external expertise in best practices and new trends in digital advertising, as well as time savings in implementing these campaigns.

What were your goals for this project?

Our main goal was to increase ROI on our paid Google and Facebook ads, by enlisting the support of experts who handled this as a primary function. Our secondary goal was to save our team some time, by letting an external firm implement and deploy our digital campaigns and their respective content, optimizing for various platforms.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had had a long standing and positive relationship with A&S, who had helped us over the years with various digital consulting projects.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We hired A&S to oversee our 2019/2020 season, which was intended to run from September 2019 through 2020. The scope of work entailed monthly larger check ins on strategy, objectives, and outcomes, as well as weekly shorter check ins regarding immediate changes or needs necessary (from both parties).

A&S was responsible for deploying new campaigns across our channels, and providing suggestions on how to optimize these campaigns, with content provided by Tafelmusik.

What was the team composition?

As a new hire in January, I inherited the relationship from my predecessor. I worked closely with Vice President Adam Green, and even more closely with Digital Marketing Coordinator Erin Oh, to touch base on deliverables, status, and outcomes.

While we did have monthly and weekly check ins structured and timed, I was grateful that both Adam and Erin were available outside of these times, in times of need: as an example, as a performing orchestra, our social media is often active outside of normal working hours (evenings and weekends), and both Adam and Erin were prompt, helpful, and reliable if and when emergencies came up.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working with A&S allowed our marketing team to save valuable time in implementation of paid digital campaigns. They also provided invaluable insight, such as A/B testing campaign strategy, and suggesting multi-faceted ways of targeting potential buyers: such as utilizing a "reach" approach in the early days of our campaign to get the word out, and then pivoting to a "conversion" approach closer to the key buying dates.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Adam and Erin were lovely to work with, and I very much appreciated their promptness in replies. They made any necessary changes we asked for.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I found their insight into how to optimize a Facebook campaign strategy extremely valuable.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the commercial director for a custom-made travel company. We send clients all over the world on complex, multi-destination trips for private clients all over the globe.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

Our website and ad copy aren’t as Canadian-friendly and we didn’t have much of a brand presence. We hired them to perform a digital audit of our website and customer journey to evaluate areas for improvement as it relates to our Canadian audience. We also engaged them as our digital marketing agency. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To start, they looked at everything within our digital customer journey, including site performance metrics, conversion rates between pages, keyword analysis leading to the website, and ad locations. They wrote about a 70-page report and presented their findings and recommendations to us. 

Based on that, they now handle our paid search and paid social media campaigns, too. They’re also responsible for our display advertising. 

What is the team composition?

Roughly five people worked on the initial phase. A client lead, client manager, and execution team consisting of a VP of performance marketing and a performance marketing manager work with us. A digital customer journey executive was involved only in the first stage of the project. 

How did you come to work with Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

We were introduced by a colleague in the Canadian market. We put out a tender and looked at 3–4 agencies within that market. We chose this team because they were incredibly approachable and clearly understood our challenges.

They also presented very compelling ideas before our engagement even began. The cultural fit felt right, too—they’re entrepreneurial and collaborative. 

How much have you invested with them?

Our project has cost between $50,000–$100,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen a 30% improvement in our cost-per-lead (CPL) and have delivered a 50% growth in our Canadian sales within the first month of executing the project. We’ve seen a 100% year-over-year (YoY) growth since then without spending a single dollar more than in prior years. Using the same spend in our paid search and channels, we saw those substantial returns. 

How did Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done very well—they’re very communicative and organized about what they’re doing. Also, they’re willing to take feedback and make changes if there are clear opportunities to improve the service. Their outline for each approach has been clear and they report back in an organized way. We mostly use Slack as our main tool. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their down-to-earth nature and collaborative approach are the main things I’ve appreciated. Some agencies are stuck with their own expert opinions, but this team trusts our instincts and likes to have discussions together to find the best way forward.

They also have a willingness to bend over backward and do whatever is needed to keep us happy, which is not always the case with some partners. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have anything negative here. I’m very pleased with their services. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keeping an honest and open line of communication about your objectives will help. With agency partners, briefs are very important and need to be crystal clear upfront. Inevitably, if they evolve, be upfront so the team can be a part of the solution.