Brafton

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a community bank that services in three states and 11 locations. In addition to our commercial and retail banking services, we offer financial planning services, including insurance and healthcare equipment financing.

I’m a digital marketing manager with responsibility for communications, content, and user experience related to our website and other digital platforms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brafton?

We wanted to provide educational content for our customers and prospects, hoping to attract more engagement in our digital channels. We initially hired Brafton to provide blogs and other related assets which we could use for content marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve been working with Brafton for content marketing for around seven years. They worked solely on our content for the first two years. Then, we had a situation where we needed to change our website management agency. Brafton was able to take over and manage our website, using the existing WordPress content management solution.

Their technical team makes sure it remains up-to-date, and they're able to address any technical enhancements that we want to make to optimize our site.

After the website move, we expanded our relationship with Brafton to include HubSpot email marketing and consulting, as well as SEO development, while they continued with the site maintenance.

In 2019, they helped us redesign our website, and we launched it in 2020. Our relationship has grown over the years from a single service to a more overall digital engagement.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact from Brafton is Christina (Director of Customer Experience). We’ve also worked with Hannah (Director of Sales and Account Management), a project manager, a web person, and a content production manager.

How did you come to work with Brafton?

I don't actually remember how I learned about Brafton. I had been going to conferences and other events like that, so I assume I got on somebody's mailing list and, maybe, that's where I heard about them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $375,000 since we started working together.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2015, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our company doesn’t currently have the technical expertise in-house for website development or SEO, and we don't have the time to do a lot of content creation ourselves. For us, being able to rely on the expertise of a partner like Brafton is invaluable — they’ve become an extension of our team.

How did Brafton perform from a project management standpoint?

We meet with Brafton weekly and talk through all of the projects that we have on the table. I can ask them any questions and request them to make any changes to our website. If I have an SEO-related question, they do the research and get back to me with a recommendation — we really value that part.

Recently, Brafton launched their own private portal. Customers like myself can log in and look at the different projects that are in progress. I can download any previous work content items, whether it is a blog, an illustration, or an analytics report.

When they have something for me to approve, I get an alert by email saying that I need to log in and approve the requested change. It has been a very nice tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We like having Brafton's perspective outside of the financial industry. We work with a lot of financial-related vendors, so it’s nice when Brafton comes to the table with fresh ideas from their experience with clients in a variety of industries.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Early on in our engagement, there was a handful of account relationship turnovers, so it was hard to establish the solid relationship that we have now. After moving the website, to them and broadening our base of services, the team ended up being pretty solid, and I feel like they better understand our needs.

One area that I'm a bit concerned about is that the technical support for our website is limited to standard business hours. I know our IT team would sleep better if Brafton could provide 24/7 support in the event of an outage or issue that could develop overnight or during a weekend. However, they have been prompt and very helpful when we have brought issues to their attention. The limited support has not been a strong enough reason to leave their service since they are doing a great job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Develop a close relationship with your primary account representative, and make sure they really understand what your business is and what your goals are — that’s the biggest key to being successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing leader of the life sciences segment for a biotechnology company. We focus on multiple areas, including life sciences, fuel, applied genomics, and diagnosis. We also have services and informatics groups.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brafton?

A couple of years ago, we did a perpetual demand generation program where we needed to develop content for strategic engagement. We needed key opinion leadership, expert points of view, and topics at the level of solutions. We also wanted to take a lot of our instrumentation as solutions to our customers and develop content that addressed their pain points to help them navigate through a virtual funnel.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, another company helped us do some insight work collecting a lot of internal and external opinions from subject matter experts. We were able to coordinate the topics for discussion and content development.

Brafton helped us identify writers in their network, and they’ve been helping us develop that content. We’ve published the content on our site, as well as in third-party publications.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Tricia (Director of Customer Experience) and Chris (Project Manager), as well as with Shannon (Former Senior Project Manager). Chris and Shannon have moved to different projects, so we started working with other quite good people. Megan (Former Social Media Strategist) and Chris (Creative Director) have helped us manage all of our programmings, and they’ve done a really good job.

How did you come to work with Brafton?

We heard about Brafton through another company, and this company helped us get organized with them. However, I wasn’t part of the selection process, so I’m not sure how we decided that they were the best fit for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve used the content that Brafton creates for third-party promotions, and we’ve generated many marketing-qualified leads from there. Around 20% of our leads are generated from all the work that they’ve done. They’ve met our goals and done a great job.

How did Brafton perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is Brafton’s strength — they’re really good at that. We’re very clear about what our internal and external deadlines are, and they do their due diligence to make sure that those deadlines are met.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Brafton’s professionalism and flexibility are impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t know anything they can improve on. We’re constantly upping the ante for them, and they’ve done great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your expectations and provide them with examples of writing styles that you want to see. Don’t make the assumption that they’re going to provide you with content specifically made for you from the start. They’re not mind-readers, so you have to walk them through the process. It takes them a bit to find writers that fit your style, but once they do, the project runs pretty seamlessly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a boutique cost optimisation consultancy

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

The company was expanding and neeed a more professional image, website and supporting marketing material. We wanted our message to be clear and to have a strong process to support our marketing.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found four marketing agencies/individuals and had each pitch to us based on a set of pre-defined requirements. We selected Brafton as they had the strongest portfolio of past work in our space, had an up to date image and approach and ranked close to the top with their own website on Google. They were big enough to have a strong and varied team, whilst not charging the high prices of the biggest agencies.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

We agreed a detailed scope of work which covered creating a new logo/graphical imagery, redesign of the website, creating an eBook, a case study and a number of articles/content pieces. Each deliverable was assigned a number of units, which gave us flexibility to modify the brief part way through by switching units from one deliverable to a new one that became a higher priority.

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

We worked with five different people on the team, with a project manager assigned who ensured that work was pulled together and kept on track. Our account manager was excellent and helped by providing advice and positioning (which was outside the original brief) to ensure our messaging was on-point. We also worked with a designer and a copywriter and the head of the design team at times.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The project was 100% successful. We were very pleased with the deliverables and we now have an image that we are confident in and that projects our message. The new website is great and gets good feedback and we have a strong marketing process in place.

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

As soon as we signed up, we received a login to the project management portal, which clearly showed us the content, progress and contained all versions of the deliverables along with a clear approval/revision process. We also had regular video calls to work through the brief, stay updated on progress and provide feedback. There were some aspects of the design that we didn't like early on and they were happy to provide new ideas and revisions until we were delighted with the result.

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

The support and contribution we received from the team were outstanding - above and beyond the requirement.

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

No problems, it was a great experience working with Brafton.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the content and design manager of a technology and strategic consultations provider for parcel and LTL shippers. We work with some of the world's largest brands to help them manage their shipping spend from audit and pay, network optimization, opportunity modeling and more.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Brafton?

Content marketing is a critical component of our demand generation and growth strategy; however, Google loves consistency, and churning out quality and timely articles, infographics, case studies, white papers, videos, and more is no small feat. I started looking for the right partner to not only help me execute these important content pieces, but also a partner that understood the transportation industry (my readers) in a way that helped showcase my company's industry expertise.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

After speaking with roughly ten content marketing specialists across the U.S., I felt the most comfortable and confident with Brafton. Overall, they offered the exact content services I was looking for, I was able to speak with their team to understand their level of experience in my industry, and they were very realistic in laying out what they could and could not provide as a partner. They were also very clear about pricing, which was extremely fair compared to the other content providers I was exploring.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

During the initial exploration of what a Brafton partnership could look like, we had already settled on what types of content Brafton would assist me with, as well as what those subjects would be. We had a brief kick-off call to setup milestones and assess content/team needs, and then we established a weekly call where we could touchbase on where content was in the pipeline or any lingering questions.

Agencies like Brafton are true partnerships – you have to give as good as you get – so I've tried my hardest to collect as much info as possible upfront, as well as to provide clear instructions and outlines for content where possible.

I get excited about this partnership with each new draft, as Brafton has always brought me outstanding work. It's clear they do their own homework, and the team has been very clear about expectations, questions, or content/project improvement opportunities.

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

For this project, I work with a variety of Brafton's team members, including a helpful account manager and project manager (who are both clear about needs and often provide SEO suggestions/best practices), a stellar content writer that never misses the mark, and an equally stellar graphic designer that helps create visual documents that relate and match my company's brand image.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In addition to helping increase our content output by more than 50%, Brafton's quality writing and practices have helped me create more consistent content pieces.

In addition, it's clear Brafton has thought through these pieces from an SEO perspective, as they suggest the best keyword placement for content titles, a crosslink strategy for the main site when pieces are published, as well as strong research on their own end for the writing component. As someone that's worked as a content and digital marketing strategist in a marketing agency before, I know these are no small tasks.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Again, Brafton is very clear about needs and milestones. We have never been delayed or missed a deadline, even when I asked to add a project addendum and increase the content deliverables. Brafton is clear about when I will receive drafts, as well as when they require feedback to ensure any requested revisions are completed in a timely manner.

To date, I haven't had to request any content revisions, and I think that's largely due to the Brafton team's clear communication and execution. They obviously care about delivering quality components.

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

Overall, I'm impressed with the quality of their writing. I do my best to provide helpful insights, as well as clear instructions as far as what I would like to see in the articles/case studies/white papers, and Brafton listens to that feedback and delivers tenfold. I'm always impressed by their drafts, which are almost always the final documents.

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

No. This project is my company's first endeavor with Brafton, and because of that we've kept the project relatively focused on key content needs. That strategic focus combined with Brafton's best-in-class execution has lead to a very successful first project, and this is a partnership that I am returning to for continued content execution.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Senior Manager at JTB Corp. Global headquarter in Tokyo, Japan. Our company offers a wide variety of products, services, and solutions ranging from business travel, MICE, and employee benefits to publishing, merchandising, and digital solutions. Our company has about 20,000 employees in 30 countries, and we serve individual clients and B2B partners around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Brafton?

We have been working with BRAFTON to build content creation strategies to create the international identity for our Global Inbound and Outbound businesses. We rely on BRAFTON to be creative in content development.

What were your goals for this project?

We aim to increase and strengthen the awareness of our business segments. We were seeking to create a variety of content for our Global inbound & outbound business segments. We were seeking a partner who understands the needs of our global clients and connects the dots to help us create exciting content.

SOLUTION

How did you select Brafton?

Our team searched the number of companies in Japan and abroad. We started with a list of 7 companies based in Japan and the United States and narrowed it down to 2 after receiving their initial pitches. Being stationed in Japan and not knowing about this company, honestly, it was not an easy decision to select an unknown partner in the U.S for our project. Still, after having an e-meeting with BRAFTON, we felt a vital sign of willingness to work alongside our team made it easy for us to work with them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

After selecting BRAFTON as our business partner, we had a series of e-meetings explaining our businesses, goals, and JTB's company brand. Both sides were eager to know more about their ins and out of our work and our companies. After sharing the initial thoughts of our plan, they worked with us on creating the content strategies for our global inbound and outbound businesses. The understanding and teamwork brought us to this point, and today, we have gathered great content for our B2B clients.

What was the team composition?

We have worked closely with several team members in 4 different States, and I believe there were more than six members involved in our project and the size of their team remains the same till today.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the beginning of our partnership with BRAFTON we have experienced valuable content for our businesses. We have experienced tremendous traffic to our websites, social media sites.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Everyone assigned to our project is straightforward to communicate with, and we always exchange ideas regularly. We connected via e-meetings at least once a month. They met timelines swiftly. And they shared the final material via their internal portal system, a convenient and time-saving tool.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have an excellent knowledge of our industry and our market and we appreciate their cooperation and patience. I like their efforts to be flexible with us and loved the solutions offered during difficult times. We have worked with other companies in the United States, but this was an exemplary collaboration. Because of their tremendous help and support, we recently have extended our content creation contract with BRAFTON.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Of course, things can always be done differently, but we are satisfied with their understanding and exceptional support to our people under the circumstances. We prefer quality over speed, and I am proud to say that we have supported us and help to present great content to our business partners.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Quite simply, we are “all in” on client success. Allitix was founded in 2017 to focus on providing the best experience for all stakeholders: management teams, project teams, and employees.

Our focus is delivering high-value industry solutions through connected planning & analytics. The team has an average of 15 years of consultative experience and over 60 successful projects.

We bring data, people and plans together. I am the Marketing Manager at Allitix. I handle all things marketing: the website, social media, events, sales collateral, sales messaging, etc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Brafton?

My company hired Brafton to create the content we needed to elevate our consulting to the next level. We have so many brilliant people and ideas, but we don't always have the time to push those ideas out to prospects and clients.

Writing for internal business process and analytics can be tricky and it takes time and skill. With Brafton, I can utilize my brilliant consultants and their expertise to bring ideas to Brafton, and they will create content around their ideas.

They have the technical writing skill to write about difficult topics but make it interesting to read. Brafton has the marketing skill to make content that can be hard to portray very readable and interesting for clients and prospects.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals were to have content for our website and campaigns that were well written and got out message across. This would bring our campaigns to the next level, spread brand awareness and encourage new business.

SOLUTION

How did you select Brafton?

We selected Brafton after speaking with them and trusting them with the process. We are a smaller organization so we wanted to be sure we were spending our money with a company that understood our goals.

I can't remember now who else we considered or how many other vendors there were. During the decision making process I was involved, our Solution and Innovation Director was involved, and the CEO was involved.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The scope has remained mostly context creation and SEO work. Brafton has done a lot of creative work and some tracking and reporting. I have been involved in the process by providing materials, providing the guidelines of what we wanted, giving feedback, passing on new projects, etc.

Brafton has been responsible for taking our ideas and information, and creating blogs, videos, articles etc.

What was the team composition?

The people on the team have changed but normally there are 3 people working with us! There will be more working with us on our most recent project because we are doing an informational video and that is a new team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our SEO has boosted tremendously, our campaigns are more significant, our messaging is more impactful, we would have a much harder time marketing our services without Brafton.

Our software parter, Anaplan, has appreciated our content and it is always good to differentiate ourselves as a partner. The work Brafton does has continued to exceed our expectations and we will continue to use them moving forward as we continue to grow!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Normally, it is just me from the Allitix team. There may be the lead consultant on the call or someone that is helping with a current campaign on the calls. Brafton has been great about scheduling and keeping our projects on track.

Feedback has never been an issue, they just listen and adjust. We have never had a problem communicating.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They can take a base idea or topic and elevate it to the next level. Consulting in data analytics and planning processes can be hard to express to people that aren't in the industry. Brafton takes our outlines or slides, breaks them down and delivers exactly what we are looking for.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the communications manager of a marketing technology consultancy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brafton?

The business shifted focus in 2019, so our marketing efforts needed to change. Brafton was brought on board to fulfill our need for top-of-the-funnel content on our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

As we changed our brand messaging, we outlined how we wanted them to get our ideas across and provided some guidelines.

Brafton does keyword research and writes regular blog posts to help us become more visible. For the most part, they focus on marketing technology topics. For example, they’ve written blogs about “Modern Market for Traditional Financial Services” and “Marketing Automation is Transforming How We Reach People.”

What is the team composition?

We’re regularly in contact with four people, including one writer, a chief editor, a project manager, and a content strategist.

How did you come to work with Brafton?

Brafton was brought on board before I was hired.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $80,000 annually (approximately $160,000 in total), but we expect that to increase as we expand our engagement.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in September 2019 and the project is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Brafton has surpassed my expectations. They’ve done an incredible job at taking the information I gave them and owning the new brand messaging and voice. They’ve been able to emulate our style, while successfully putting their own spin on it.

Whenever we receive a new piece, I can’t wait to read the content that they write. I never have to change more than a word here or there. The research they do is on-point.

They develop content that is so valuable for our business. Not only can we post their articles to increase traffic, but we can also use their content for social media and sales enablement tools. As a result, they’re helping us establish our position in the market.

Now we’re looking to increase our investment in them because they’ve blown it out of the water. Our CEO thinks their work is amazing.

How did Brafton perform from a project management standpoint?

I look forward to every meeting with them. We communicate with them via email, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Hangouts.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They listen to our needs and work hard to create content that aligns with our brand messaging. When we shifted our brand messaging, they took the information I provided and adjusted as needed. They’re really good at what they do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I think the world of them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Gather all the information and guidelines that you want to share with them and be honest about whether or not you’re happy with their work. Do that, and you’ll be successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior content marketing manager for a sales enablement platform. We provide sellers with content training to help them provide an engaging buyer experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brafton?

We wanted to increase organic traffic and keyword rankings. To support those goals, we needed to create a significant amount of content but had a limited number of in-house resources to do so. We pursued a partnership with Brafton to help us create website content.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Brafton writes an agreed-upon number of words per year. Their team’s content creation ranges from writing new blog posts based on our keyword strategy to optimizing content that already lives on our website. Their team writes two blog posts a week ranging between 1,000–1,200 words. The bulk of their work’s content creation, but they also recommend keywords and report on organic traffic and keyword performance.

What is the team composition?

We work with Darla (Senior Content Marketing Strategist)  who’s our account executive and serves as a project manager. Brafton has an editorial team that guides how to write about our space. I’ve also worked with a more senior account person. On our regular content calls, there are about four people from Brafton.

How did you come to work with Brafton?

One of our investors recommended Brafton as a resource if we had any SEO content needs. Their team also worked in our building.

How much have you invested with them?

At this point, the total cost falls between $60,000–$70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our relationship with them around May 2019 and then renewed the contract for 2020. We’re currently evaluating whether or not we’ll continue working with them in 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our organic traffic has significantly increased. We’ve seen about a 140% increase year over year, which is fantastic.

Their team also understood our space very quickly. Unlike other content creators, Brafton quickly picked up our audience and product. They have a strong editorial team that can write about various topics well. They’re also receptive to feedback. Both quantitatively and qualitatively, I’ve had a good experience with them.

How did Brafton perform from a project management standpoint?

Our team takes on a lot of project management activities. We have to follow up on tasks and make certain requests for clarity purposes. Their project management’s average, so I wouldn’t say it’s a differentiator for them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team researched our products and our competitors. I’m impressed by their ability to write about our space in a way that matches our style and tone. It’s unique for content creators to be able to write relevant content that sounds like it was created in-house.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Based on the scope of our contract, Brafton has delivered.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come to the table with a strong keyword strategy. If you know that you need SEO content that can’t be done in-house, I definitely recommend partnering with Brafton. They’ll quickly ramp up and start delivering content to help impact your organic traffic.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CFO of a public insurance adjusting company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brafton?

We rebranded our company name and created a new website in support of that brand. However, we were at the point where we needed to do blogs, marketing, SEO, and Google Ads. They’ve been filling those needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re doing a wide range of work for our team. The least of their work is creating some print ads for us. They’re also writing bi-monthly blogs with our input. At this point, they’ve written about 40 of those blogs. They’re helping us edit our WordPress website for SEO best practices while also handling keyword research for our site. We also rely on them for managing our Google Ads account across 17 states, keeping track of their performance using Google Analytics. Lastly, they made some e-book and graphics for email campaigns. They’re particularly focused on vector graphics and cartoon-type graphics. We’re starting social media marketing on LinkedIn and Facebook with them in the near future. 

What is the team composition?

When we first started working with them, we had a large meeting with about 12 people. I enjoyed getting to meet everyone behind their work at the very beginning. Because of our broad range of requests, we’ve worked with about all 12 of them over the course of our relationship.  

How did you come to work with Brafton?

I was tasked with finding a company to handle this work after we put together our website. After finding around 50 possible providers, I narrowed my search down to about 10 main contenders. Based on my research and interviews, we selected them. They have a unique way of scoping work, using the idea of “units.” Each unit amounts to $100 and can be moved from one effort to another pretty freely. That keeps us from having to be re-quoted for work when we make slight adjustments. That really interested us in them.  

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent more than $50,000 on their services.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since around August 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s still too early to tell the direct results of their work because we’ve spent much of our time building up these marketing assets. Hurricane season is our peak season for business, so we’ll know by then how their work has affected our company. However, I’m very confident that we will see a good ROI from their work.

They’ve been easy to work with. With past providers, we’ve seen our projects become all about money to them. That hasn’t been the case with Brafton. It’s easy to shift our spending around using their unit system. It’s been a pleasant experience from the beginning.  

How did Brafton perform from a project management standpoint?

We avidly use Monday to manage their work and hold weekly meetings to get updates on progress. Between their scheduled deliverables and the information they need from our teammates, any hold-up has always been on our end.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

Even early on, their blogs were very well done. Our services and industry are pretty unique, so it was great to see them understand our business well from the start. Their early blogs may have needed a few more details and specifics, but they were very strong from the start.   

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re working with another company to design digital ads to attract clicks because they don’t specialize in that area. That’s been the only disappointment. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re not the least expensive, but their work and team are very good.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re an electronics company that focuses on microphones and headphones for consumers as well as professionals. Our business spans the world with locations in 65 countries. As for my role, I’m the market insight manager for education solutions. However, when I was working with Brafton, I was filling in as a marketing manager with a focus on our B2B segment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brafton?

Audio technology can be quite complex, especially in the B2B space, because there are several target groups involved in the decision-making process. As a result, it can be difficult to really pinpoint the main benefits that our product offers. We contacted Brafton to help raise awareness around that solution. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Brafton created white papers to generate awareness around one of our new audio products. After an initial consultation, they introduced me to my assigned team so that I could brief them on my project. I gave them our target market, explained the purpose of the paper, and suggested an initial structure. This made it really easy for me to ensure that everyone was on the same page. 

From there, Brafton took about a week to develop their own structure and content. They did a great job doing secondary research to develop a strong knowledge base. The team gained a good understanding of our product and its benefits, and they asked the right questions. The end result was a white paper that sounded like it was written by a professional within the audio industry.

What is the team composition? 

They provided a content writer, a data specialist, and a client support resource. Adam (Consultant) was my main point of contact. Having a go-to person throughout the project was helpful in ensuring that the entire process went smoothly. 

What made them unique was their working culture. They had resources across London, Boston, and Florida. However, I never felt like the team was disconnected from each other because they took a one-mission approach.

How did you come to work with Brafton?

I found them on Google. When I approached Brafton, I knew that I needed a white paper for our product. I immediately noticed that their website was really well laid out. The content explained their services well and helped me get a first-hand idea of their expertise. I could just tell that they had the right experience.

On the day I reached out, a person contacted me to walk through what my project was about. I liked that they were really interested in getting into the crux of my problem rather than focusing on the solution. That constative sales approach was the main reason I chose them and also why I ended up returning for a second project.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $7,000. I should add that they didn’t force a specific quote on me at the start. Instead, they offered a bouquet of solutions that allowed me to pick and choose what was best for me. The final cost was based on what I chose.

What is the status of this engagement?

The first project lasted from June–August 2020, and I returned to them again for a second project between October–December 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I initially had doubts if they could do it, but they did fantastically. We ran a typical B2B campaign for the white papers where readers could enter their contact details to download our content. Within two weeks, we saw over 800 downloads.

It was also a success from a business point of view because we tried a new marketing tactic and saw good results. Our sales team can now use those white papers as marketing tools to raise awareness about our product and convert leads.

How did Brafton perform from a project management standpoint?

They wrote the entire white paper on Google Docs, which allowed us to give feedback on specific points rather than going back and forth through emails. That was where we made last-minute corrections or checked if we were going in the right direction. If we needed to discuss any large changes, then we would have standing meetings. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Brafton is a professional agency that’s able to understand their customer needs well. They deliver the project in time, and can even work with very strict deadlines. For one of our projects, a colleague of theirs was willing to cut her holiday short so that she could complete our white paper. That was really commendable.

I’d highlight their attention to detail and customer-centric approach, too. For example, they’d send the link to the Google Doc with each email so that I wouldn’t have to hunt for it. It’s those small things that really matter.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything at the moment. They should continue doing what they’re doing now.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Businesses often have problems selecting the right marketing partner because many agencies are like Swiss Army knives — they’re able to do everything for you. You’re faced with a barrage of services, and you don’t end up choosing anything.

I’d suggest going to Brafton only if you have content marketing-related projects and know exactly what you’re looking for. You need to have a key focus first so that you know what you want from the engagement. Once you have that, you could line up at their doorstep and ask them to help you out, and I’m pretty sure they’d build a complete city for you.