Art & Science

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The Gay Men's Sexual Health Alliance of Ontario is a network organization funded by the Ministry of Health. We work with 30 other groups around the province to develop social marketing campaigns, generally related to sexual health. We develop programs and services, participate in research projects, and do a lot of training around the province on topics relevant to gay men's health. I am the acting director of the organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Art & Science?

The project involved a website which had been launched in 2011. We needed to reinvent it. The page was old, outdated, and not user-friendly or adaptable.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Art & Science redeveloped our campaign, including all aspects of production, marketing, and creative assets. Working with 30 organizations and trying to reach a consensus can be difficult. There were many moving pieces in our project, but Art & Science was very accommodating and put up with a lot from us.

How did you come to work with Art & Science?

We put forth an RFP [request for proposal], interviewed three agencies, and went with Art & Science. They came in with a good understanding of who we were and what we were looking for, which resonated with our group. We were impressed with the work examples from Art & Science, and they were able to sell us on what was being offered. At the end of the day, it was a combination of things which led to our decision. Art & Science laid out a proposal of how they would be working and what our involvement would be in the process, which didn't leave us with many questions. We've been happy with the decision.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Art & Science in the spring of 2015. The campaign launched on January 23rd. We continue building out our campaign with Art & Science. We develop a new one every two years, so I anticipate that we will continue to work with Art & Science in the foreseeable future.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

The quality of Art & Science's work was top-notch. Their group gets it right the first time in most cases, and they've done an incredible amount of research on their own. They became informed about the various topics they were speaking to and designing assets for. I feel that this is not typical when working with agencies like Art & Science. Their work is innovative and unlike anything else produced in Canada, not just in Ontario. I don't have enough good things to say about Art & Science.

How did Art & Science perform from a project management standpoint?

Art & Science's performance was not outstanding, but they certainly handled project management well. Considering what we were asking for, and the number of moving parts, the project was handled well. There are things which could have been done better to have a smoother process. Any time an element was served off base, all it required was an additional conversation to get it fixed.

What did you find most impressive about Art & Science?

Art & Science is a creative group. They not only come up with good ideas but also provide the execution for those elements. Art & Science can deliver big-picture thinking, and they also got us to think outside of the box, which resulted in a more impactful campaign which generated attention all over the world.

Are there any areas Art & Science could improve?

Apart from a couple of project management pieces, Art & Science has been a solid, open and easy-to-work-with company. They always kept in mind the goals and scope of the project, bringing us back into that space as well, whenever we deviated into places which we weren't able to achieve. We wouldn't hesitate to work with Art & Science again and have referred other people to Art & Science.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a producer of luxury goods and jewelry. The company is a family-owned business started over two centuries ago, and I am the e-commerce director of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Art & Science?

We needed to improve our traffic and conversions through search engine marketing [SEM].

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Art & Science is our agency of record for digital media work. They've also provided social aggregation and search engine marketing work. Art & Science has run an analysis of our SEM performance, providing recommendations as a component of that. This is a typical part of the process.

How did you come to work with Art & Science?

I have worked with Art & Science for three consecutive companies in total, the first one being a Canadian retailer for which I was the digital marketing manager. Followed by that was a company where I was the director of digital marketing. There was a request for proposal process for my first two employers, but not for the current one.

How much have you invested with Art & Science?

This is confidential. [The cost of Art & Science's work will be between $250,000 and $300,000 in 2017.]

What is the status of this engagement?

My current company started working with Art & Science six months ago. The relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

We have been very pleased with Art & Science's work. Since they took over, Art & Science has turned our paid marketing channel into the highest source of traffic for the website. Our conversions are up, and sales are healthy through that channel. We've grown substantially during the six months in which Art & Science has worked with us, and I attribute this to the attention they've paid to our account.

How did Art & Science perform from a project management standpoint?

Art & Science is always on time. They go above and beyond when we make requests for additional insights or analyses for a particular month.

What did you find most impressive about Art & Science?

Art & Science pays a lot of attention to the accounts, becoming invested in the business. This is the reason we continue to hire them. In addition, Art & Science's team is good at what they do. Previously, we've worked with larger agencies and became lost in the shuffle. For a company of our size, Art & Science is a fantastic option. They give us all the attention we need.

Are there any areas Art & Science could improve?

No. I've been pleased with what Art & Science has done. They're always proactive in suggesting new things that we can do to grow our business.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP Marketing of The Fertility Partners

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Fertility Partners owns and operates fertility and IVF clinics across Canada coast-to-coast plus the northeastern USA.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Art & Science to accomplish?

• Customer lifetime value
• Digital advertising strategy and execution
• New patient acquisition

SOLUTION

How did you find Art & Science?

Agency direct outreach

Why did you select Art & Science over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Art & Science were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Management and optimization of digital performance campaigns - Google and Meta - for 8 Canadian fertility clinic brands including:

• campaign strategy development
• campaign set-up
• creative development
• performance monitoring and optimization
• reporting and analysis

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Lead volumes
• Lead value/conversion to customers/patients

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

Highly responsive

What was your primary form of communication with Art & Science?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I appreciate their agility in continuously evolving smart digital campaigns that expertly target our audiences and deliver results even as competitive dynamics shift.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a wholesale distributor of home decor items in Ontario, Canada. My company services customers in the design trade. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what reason(s) did your company hire Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc.?

At the time, our customers had to call to determine which items were in stock, and our old system made finding canceled SKUs difficult due to the big sample libraries and massive showrooms. 

SOLUTION

Describe the project in detail.

They created a mobile app in 3 months to allow our customers to access stock information, pricing, and current and canceled SKU information quickly. This gave our customers more confidence in quoting prices and suggesting products to their end customers and let us keep our libraries up to date.

What was the team composition?

The process was collaborative and seamless. They mostly managed the project, but our programmers did some of the API development. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The app has just launched on time and within budget, and we are pleased with the results so far.