Big Sea

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for a nonprofit in Tampa bay that serves poor and homeless families throughout the region. We’ve been doing this for about 48 years. I’m the VP of marketing here. My responsibilities involve brand building, site maintenance, and public relations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Sea?

The ways we raise money are changing. It used to be all about sending out direct mail fundraising asks and getting funds through relationships. That was before social media. Marketing is now becoming more complicated in the digital space. We partnered with them to focus on our digital brand awareness and digital fundraising.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In the process of building out our digital presence, they revamped the look and feel of our donation pages and cleaned up our backend code. This was incredibly important for us. It needed to be quick and easy to use on desktop and mobile. 

They also helped us with digital advertising, running our paid digital campaigns on Facebook. We also came up with a strategy and a general roadmap for the implementation of our budget. Recently, we reached out to boost our year-over-year donations. In the end, they had handled web design, digital strategy, SEO, and digital advertising for our organization.   

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact is Kristen (Account Manager, Big Sea), but there are about 4–5 direct points of contact. We have an account manager, a content creator, a web developer, and a digital marketing specialist. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $50,000 to date.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in July 2019, and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

By the end of our calendar year in 2019, we were up 20% in our digital giving online. That was fantastic to see that the work we were putting in was paying off. At this point, we’re trending to finish 2020 at least 10% up from the year before. 

The quality of our content with their team and their collaboration with our in-house storyteller are impressive. They’re collaborative, nimble, and smart. Their team was able to function as an extension of our marketing staff, which has worked very well. 

How did Big Sea perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly meetings and review our progress toward goals on a monthly basis. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They took the time to learn about our company, goals, and strategy before jumping in. The discovery phase took weeks but was worth it. They were willing to listen and collaborate. They’re smart and knowledgeable about the most effective, personal channels we can use to reach different audiences. The team helped us nimbly shift our budget in real-time to optimize our output in the digital ecosystem. Their industry knowledge is superior.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re an agile workforce that allows them to work remotely and mobile.  I can communicate with them from anyway. We’ve met several times in-person as well, which is positive. However, the agile, mobile workforce can sometimes be challenging. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be collaborative and trust the agency you hire. Their team can be trusted. It’s also important to allow time for discovery at the start of the engagement. That certainly gave them insight into how they could best help us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of Digital Women Leaders.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Sea?

I wanted to make a lot of improvements to the website I launched in 2018. I hired Big Sea to help me revamp the entire site, create a new logo, and add a search function tool to the website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They designed everything based on what I was looking for from our interviews. From that, they provided many color and font options, and we eventually landed on the website and logo. The search functionality tool is complex. It is essentially a filtering system for volunteers to use during phone calls. The filter allows the user to look through topic languages in different areas. 

What is the team composition?

I consistently worked with five people, including a product manager.

How much have you invested with them?

  I have spent about $25,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2019 and the project is currently ongoing but it is wrapping up soon.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within the first 48 hours of launching our site, we had more than 100 people sign up for mentoring sessions, which is amazing. I have also received a lot of great feedback about the website. Someone mentioned it was better than imagined.

How did Big Sea perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re great. With clear communication throughout the project, we used Asana and Teamwork. They were timely with deadlines minus a few that were pushed back, but they informed me in advance so it was fine.

What did you find most impressive about them?

This is unique to the project, but it was important to me to work with female designers. I know that can be hard to find, and it was great finding that in Big Sea. The team was also very diverse, which I thought was impressive. They were big enough to have the level of expertise needed but not so big that I felt lost in the number of clients.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Having done the site launch, I think the QA process at the end could have been a little more thorough. There were a few things that were caught after the launch that I think could’ve been caught ahead of time, but they were minor things.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a strong idea of what you want and spend the time to think about what design and feel you’re looking for. It really helps them create your vision.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a litigation management software company. We created a platform for insurance companies and their attorneys to manage cases and provide e-billing, matter management, and attorney score carding. I'm the vice president of marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Sea?

We wanted to redesign our website and increase leads in our marketing efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They worked with us through a few discovery sessions, and they walked us through the website process. We provided the overall version of what we wanted, and their designers, content writers, and marketing team laid out a formula to build out the website and attract leads through paid ads and outbound email engagement. They used Google Ads and LinkedIn targeted ads to attract specific individuals within the insurance agency. They designed a couple of layouts, but most of the content came from us.

How did you come to work with Big Sea?

We knew one of their former owners. Through that referral and other positive information we had about them, we decided to meet with them. We liked their professionalism and their ideas.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started on the website at the end of June 2019 and finished at the end of October 2019. The marketing piece started in July 2019, and that portion is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the site is so new, we don't have any major metrics as yet. Our old website wasn't particularly beneficial for us, but the new site answers all the user questions we saw in the past. When people come to our website, they immediately know what we're selling. We have a number of CTAs involved, so the site is very easy to navigate. They streamlined the whole process and made it much more user-friendly. They learned a lot about our process, which saved time.

How did Big Sea perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very good project managers. They keep us up-to-date, and they communicate clearly. They gave us a project plan early on, and they alerted us whenever they needed something. They assigned tasks to the right team members, and we got constant updates.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very professional, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. Even with minimal interaction, they execute the deliverables we need.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything they could improve or do differently.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Working with them is very straightforward. They offer multiple options, and they execute very well. I don't have any specific recommendations for potential clients.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm an executive at Centricity, which provides service contracts and structural home warranties.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Sea?

We engaged them for rebranding services, including help relaunching our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Big Sea designed and developed our website, providing some written content in the process. They've also helped with additional branding work, bringing our logo and color palette to life. From there, they've worked on our marketing strategy, conducting an onsite workshop with some of our management staff to create a plan of action and brand guidelines.

What is the team composition?

We work with an account manager, copywriter, and design team.

How did you come to work with Big Sea?

Our corporate marketing team selected them after one of our colleagues recommended them. They integrated very well into our team from the start. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested $75,000–$80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since around May 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Big Sea helped ground our brand, pulling our management team together to help us find our voice. Their work has helped us take our company to the next level.

How did Big Sea perform from a project management standpoint?

Big Sea feels like part of our own team. They've done a great job of immersing themselves into our work, learning our products, and studying our industry. Their communication is excellent; they're responsive through phone, email, and text, and also use another project management tool to keep tasks organized. They're always willing to come into our office and keep us up to date on everything they're working on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very responsive and receptive to our feedback. They're also good at connecting with the client's targeted audience and brand; they immerse themselves into their client's culture and products and have a strong passion for their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We haven't had any issues.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don't hold back when it comes to providing their team with information about your company, brand, and goals. The more details available to them, the better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-owner of Still Point Aromatics. My business partner and I import and sell almost 450 essential oils from across the world. Other products include carrier oils, aromatherapy products, and 70 hydrosols. The sister company, Still Point Studies, is a school for basic and advanced certification in energetics. We offer clients vibrational aromatic medicine and weekend workshops. Soon, we’ll start holding weekly Chakra cleansings for local tourists.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Sea?

As massage therapists, my co-owner and I noticed the poor quality of domestically available essential oils. We started importing alternatives to give our clients a better experience. After amassing a personal collection of 180 oils, we decided to sell them. We hired Big Sea to create our entire brand identity, marketing strategy, and e-commerce platform from scratch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Big Sea developed and optimized our e-commerce platform from scratch. They also built a complementary site from the ground up to showcase our aromatics school. The platform’s first iteration lasted six years after its initial launch, which is impressive staying power in the digital space. We just started a redesign to make it mobile responsive and refresh the look and feel. They make continuous updates and add-ons to both pages. Alongside the retail aspect, it also works as a research tool for interested potential clients.

The team also plans and runs our marketing strategy. They manage our Facebook account and item sales. We collaborate on the copywriting. I’m impressed by their ghostwritten content. It’s uncannily similar to my personal tone and style. Creative graphic design and blogging assets keep our brand visible. For special edition releases, they write press releases to generate interest in our new products.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with a team of 6-7 resources who manage all my projects. For business and technical concerns, I have four main points of contact.

How did you come to work with Big Sea?

A friend and colleague I’d studied with recommended using them. Big Sea built a comparable site for her aromatics company.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together consistently since 2010.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Big Sea is the absolute best partner I've ever worked with. They haven’t let us down once over our 10-year partnership. Monthly reports detail our inbound web traffic. Since we started working with Big Sea, this figure has increased annually by 10%-15%. Clients can test products at our storefront in Sedona, but sales come almost exclusively through our site. Our business couldn’t exist without them.

The quality of their work is the absolute best. On a scale from 1-10, I’d rate it a million. All our customers tell us we have the best essential oils website online. They’ve found it beautifully designed, precisely informative, easy to navigate. It's especially fantastic how each high-caliber page they design looks so distinct. Using an elegant, concise copywriting style, they perfectly encapsulated our brand's personality on both platforms.

How did Big Sea perform from a project management standpoint?

We use Basecamp to organize the project. They included each relevant party in email correspondence. The team attentive and accessible around the clock. We always get a response within five minutes. For urgent matters, they even work after business hours despite a three-hour time difference. I’ve never seen them act doubtful about fulfilling our requirements. Big Sea can overcome any challenge and won't stop trying until they succeed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Big Sea is dependable and creative. The team’s numerous resources each offers uniquely excellent ideas. Synergistically, this range of opinions and expertise helps us make the best choice every time. They've consistently shown tremendous integrity. As an online-only brand, their dependability and attentiveness are key to our success. The quality of their work is unsurpassable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, no.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My main tip is to be as open, honest, and forthcoming as possible. Clearly identifying your exact goals will help you succeed the first time around.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I co-founded The Greenhouse, an entrepreneurial collaboration between the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce and the City of St. Petersburg. I'm also the VP of Entrepreneurship and Community Development at the Chamber.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Big Sea?

The Greenhouse held classes, provided counseling, and hosted events. We needed a website to promote the organization, and display information and schedules.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the site to be responsive and user-friendly. As a tool, the site needed to serve as a meaningful space for new and growing businesses, particularly tech startups.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Five companies responded to our RFP. Our panel – comprising technology experts, entrepreneurs, and city officials – immediately eliminated two vendors from consideration. We chose Big Sea because they had a strong portfolio and reasonable prices. Importantly, they were already involved in the community.

Can you go into detail about the services they provided and the scope of the project?

Since we had no design or development experts on staff, they walked us through their process step-by-step. Big sea helped us think through UX design and messaging features to make sure they fit with our organization’s mission.

What was the team composition?

I served as the primary contact for our eight-person team. I interfaced with the project manager. Although we didn’t work directly with other team members, Big Sea’s leadership took part in some meetings.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Prior to the site’s launch, less than half our registrants joined via the internet. Currently, that number is over 95%.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

They were effective via email, phone, and one-on-meetings, which we preferred. The project manager was a great communicator.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They grasped our vision, as well as our clients’ needs, from the very beginning. The team translated concepts we couldn’t verbalize, and then leveraged them into tangible results.

Are there any areas where they can improve?

No, there were no significant issues.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a co-owner of a local member dining club platform. In addition to restaurants, we provide value to members for local businesses (i.e., shopping, travel, entertainment, pets, health, and beauty). When a member joins, they receive half-off an entree and an alcoholic beverage of their choice at one of the restaurants and bars on our platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Sea?

Before launching our platform, we were looking for a technology partner that could help us develop our brand, website, social media presence, and a marketing strategy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Big Sea initially helped us create our brand and imagery, along with a marketing strategy. They also designed and developed our mobile website, which acts and feels like an app.

What is the team composition?

I probably interacted with about 10 people in total, with two main points of contact: Dzuy (CTO and Managing Partner, Big Sea) oversaw the technology side of our work, while Andi (CMO and Managing Partner, Big Sea) helped us the most with our branding.

How did you come to work with Big Sea?

My business partner and I were researching local companies and interviewed a few different vendors. In addition to being recommended to us, Big Sea won us over with their strategic approach to our project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since August 2016 and continue to work with their team to upgrade and maintain some of the work they've done. As we grow, we anticipate continuing the relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Big Sea delivered out-of-the-box solutions, helping our company craft everything from the ground up. We're so proud of the brand and what they've helped us create. Over 2,000 people have signed up for our program thus far and not a single person has reported any issues. In the year that our platform has been live, it hasn't crashed a single time.

How did Big Sea perform from a project management standpoint?

Big Sea employed multiple members of their team to various pieces of our project, using a waterfall approach. It always felt as if they were working on our project and that we were prioritized. They continue to be extremely responsive and accommodating.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to problem solve and genuinely listen to their clients sets them apart from others. Their capacity to step out of creative comfort zones to help us come up with solutions and unique branding led to fantastic results.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. We were developing a new type of platform, so we were learning together. Had we done anything differently, we might not have ended up with as good of a product.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a good concept of who you are and what you want to accomplish. Be prepared with as much information and research as possible, but be open to feedback and new ideas from their team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and CEO of Pin Chasers, a bowling entertainment company serving the west coast of Florida.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Sea?

The initially rebuilt our website, but now they handle our entire digital footprint and marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built us a WordPress website that includes information about our business and where to contact us. The site also includes features like a form generator add-on from wufoo.com that allows customers to reserve lanes and facilities for events. There’s a page where our competitive community can see weekly standings and updates. The site also enables customers to view and download our food and drink menus.

Along with building our website, Big Sea handles the entirety of our digital and footprint and SEO marketing. They manage our HubSpot CRM platform, schedule social media posts, handle our advertising on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and maintain our Google AdWords account. They also create content for our blogs.

Currently, we’re working with them on a third upgrade for our website.

What is the team composition? 

We work with a client manager, as well as a developer, designer, and a content creator.

How did you come to work with Big Sea?

Big Sea acquired the company who built our first website, and we decided to continue partnering with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We have a budget of $2,500 per month with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve partnered with them since 2012.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve helped us grow our business annually for the last three years — upwards of 8 percent and above. 

How did Big Sea perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very good at keeping us apprised of our digital progress. They use an agile marketing system to manage everyone assigned to us. We meet monthly to go over the prior month’s performance. We meet four times a year to go over quarterly performances. Once a year, we’ll have an annual review of our progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Bowling is a very old industry, but not very well-known. They understand that in order to market for us, they have to get to know our business needs and our customers’ needs. Very few digital companies take the time to really study and listen to their client, but they’ve taken it upon themselves to do just that. That has allowed us to be on the forefront of digital marketing and set an example for the rest of the industry. Big Sea is a big piece of our success.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Set your own standards and expectations, regardless of who you work with, so they can best help you achieve that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for an institution of higher education.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Big Sea?

The software system that we'd been using was antiquated, and we wanted to move to an inbound marketing software. We didn’t want to just increase the volume of applications; our goal was to improve quality and diversity of applicants.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did a ton of background research on who we are, our strengths, and weaknesses. Big Sea helped us figure out our value proposition, and then articulate it to prospective students from different walks of life.

They oversee our entire inbound marketing strategy. They create content—including smart, or dynamic, content—for the website, blog, email, and social media. They also execute an SEO [search engine optimization] plan.

What is the team dynamic?

Our lead contact is Maria [Content Director, Big Sea]. We’ve also worked with several other copywriters and designers.

How did you come to work with Big Sea?

We found them through the HubSpot website for certified marketing agencies. They were one of several vendors we sent an RFP [request for proposal] to.

What stood out in the proposal was their expertise with the entire HubSpot software system. They also had knowledge and experience working with other institutions of higher education that we didn’t find in other vendors.

We brought 3 vendors to campus and selected Big Sea. We liked their familiarity with our location, and their ability to talk without using technical jargon.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work began in September 2015, and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen improvements in the metrics used to measure class quality and diversity, as well as an increase in the total number of applications. The HubSpot software allows us to track year-over-year click rates, opt-out rates, open rates, and SEO performance data.

Big Sea has done a great job figuring out who we are as an institution and targeting our message to attract the right applicants.

How did Big Sea perform from a project management standpoint?

They use an Agile method of working in sprints, which we’ve found very helpful. They send weekly reports, quarterly reports, and hold bi-weekly phone calls. Day to day correspondence is done through the product management software, Teamwork. It allows us to go in and see what's going on, to make edits, and to send emails. We also use Google Docs. If there’s an urgent issue, we can reach them on their cell phones.

Maria is very responsive and flexible. If we ever asked them to change direction, there’s no resistance. She’s always willing to talk about our deliverables, figure out how to meet our needs, and not need to charge us more.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The way they took time to learn about the institution and figure out our voice. They create content that speaks to prospective students using language we would normally use.

Everything they do is custom. Their corporate culture is very much aligned with ours.