CIRCA

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

When I worked with CIRCA on this project, I was the VP of marketing at YuMe. YuMe is a global advertising and marketing company that connects publishing houses to targeted consumer groups. I led global marketing efforts in 16 offices in five languages.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CIRCA?

We were looking for a company to help us communicate a message about complex technology in a very clear and yet fun and inviting way.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They did advertising work for us across different mediums, that included digital and print advertising as well as billboards. They also helped us with general branding campaigns. I'd explain to them what exactly I was looking to evoke and they implemented that in a creative and artistic way.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with 3–5 members of their team, including their creative staff and an account manager.

How did you come to work with them?

They were recommended to me.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between March 2014–December 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our digital advertising campaigns led to the greatest engagement and the increasing number of views. In terms of billboards, I got a very positive feedback directly from our customers.  

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

They exceeded my expectations. They stayed within our budget and delivered ahead of schedule, even when we had very tight deadlines. They understood our needs and were able to read my mind. When we had to make changes, they were able to create a clear path towards making those changes. Also, they were always enthusiastic about the process.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I liked their sense of fun in advertising. They were able to make the process enjoyable, while talking about complex technologies.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They delivered at 110% every time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them the creative freedom and let them do their job. I'd recommend them to the highest possible level.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Senior Marketing Manager for Microsoft. We’re one of the biggest tech companies in the world, spanning cloud, desktop, and everything in-between.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CIRCA?

I’ve used their team for a number of different projects, and for each one, we needed to find a way to creatively enhance a campaign to get the attention of software developers, and to get them to build on our platform. In order to do this, we wanted to start a creative process, whether it was in terms of language, visual, audio, or anything else that would help us break through the mold most developers put tech companies in. We needed new and interesting ways of getting their attention, so we wanted an agency that could help us identify those creative avenues for building out messaging and creative content.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CIRCA worked on various projects relating to our outreach efforts. They took our presentations and made them more visually impactful and revised their messaging. Generally, I’ll draft out any strategic messaging, and then I’ll engage someone like CIRCA to finish it up. Our most recent project involved taking a number of disparate PowerPoint decks from different speakers, and giving them a consistent look-and-feel, one that would be appropriate for Microsoft’s biggest developer conference, which runs annually.

CIRCA worked on graphic and layout design, language, and global awareness, ensuring that what we created would work across worldwide markets. They also produced creative to go along with strategic messaging, including both print and digital media, posters, stickers, PowerPoint decks, animated GIFs, animated videos, and postcards. They’ve also contributed to social media efforts.

What is the team composition?

I typically interface with two to three members of their team, including a main project manager and an account manager. They will then resource up and down accordingly, behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with CIRCA?

I received a recommendation from a colleague. Microsoft has a policy that requires the consideration of multiple companies, so I’ve talked to at least two or three companies for every project I’ve done. CIRCA was fantastic in terms of timing in the first project, and they really understood what I was driving for. They get it even more so now, given that they know how I think.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since 2012, and our most recent project ended in May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a project a few years ago and the creative CIRCA came up with was so good that it went viral, and was used worldwide. We originally intended to use it at a number of events over a short period of time, but the event attendees grabbed all of it to use on their own: web properties, stickers, and anything else they could make out of it. It was simply so impactful.

We ran another project around 18 months ago, where CIRCA heavily assisted with the creative redesign of our education website. It’s had a big impact for educators engaging with Microsoft.

How did CIRCA perform from a project management standpoint?

I wish that all my agencies worked the way they do. CIRCA is very good in terms of timing and scheduling. Very few projects have gone over deadline, and when it has happened, it was due to us, not them. They're fantastic in terms of communication and the different levels they provide. I appreciate the ability to be brief when it’s required, but at the same time, we can also dig in and spend a good amount of time on something, if it’s needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Some agencies like to talk through things to the nth degree when we really just need to get started and make things happen, and maybe iterate as we go. Other agencies are too brief, and don’t ask the questions they need to ask at the beginning of a project. CIRCA seems to have struck the right balance between those two.

I also appreciate being able to clearly articulate to them that something isn’t working. They can extract the right kind of information from my feedback, which allows them to course-correct. They usually only require one or two iterations in order to get to what I was envisioning in the first place.

They’re able to bring my crazy ideas to life. I know that other people haven’t had the same experience, but that’s because they weren’t able to articulate certain things. CIRCA and I have been on the same wavelength for every project we’ve had. I’ve had very little churn, I’ve been able to iterate quickly, and the output is of fantastic quality.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Sometimes, messaging has been a bit of a challenge. Creatively, they’re amazing, as they also are in terms of timelines and teamwork. The actual wording though has had to go through more iterations than needed. It hasn’t happened often with me, but I have had colleagues where it’s been an issue. It’s definitely something I would like them to continue working on, in order to round out their overall portfolio.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I advise clients to take advantage of the first meeting, where they can fully outline everything they want. CIRCA asks questions for a reason, so they should be allowed to do so, and be given the answers. Secondly, it’s important to be very clear with feedback. They work well when they hear exactly what you don’t like and why, along with a suggestion for something they should try next. It’s harder for a company like CIRCA, or any other agency, to work with clients who won’t give reasons for disliking something, or won’t even express that feeling at all.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former Vice President of marketing for L’Oréal. I was responsible for all the US marketing and advertising in the Clarisonic beauty device division.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with CIRCA?

We were launching a new men's product called Alpha Fit, and I wanted a unique marketing approach. We also had a women’s product that we needed strategic and creative support for.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

CIRCA helped us develop a digital marketing plan for Alpha Fit. It was in a new category (facial device for men), and while it was for men it needed to be advertised to women, so it was a complex project. They also helped us show women why their man needed our product and what the benefits were. Their work included strategic thinking and planning, creative development and concepting, and execution.

Their marketing materials covered magazines, all social media, digital, web design, and videos. Instead of approaching each medium individually, CIRCA integrated the marketing plan across all areas. In particular, they helped put together a brand new strategic and creative approach for Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. They developed the concepts and photographed and executed all the ads and posts.

What is the team composition?

We had anywhere from 3–5 people, depending on what we were working on.

How did you come to work with CIRCA?

I've worked with CIRCA in different positions for 16 years. When I choose an agency, I want a long-term partnership. Anyone can come up with an idea, but I wanted a firm that could ground ideas and creative in solid, smart, and strategic thinking. I’ve been with CIRCA so long because their work has longevity and resonates with our customers more than anything else another agency could do.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent up to $1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

This project lasted from July 2015—January 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The men’s launch was so successful that we were featured on the cover of AdAge, which is highly significant. The women’s launch was also extremely successful, highlighted as one of the best campaigns within L’Oréal.

How did CIRCA perform from a project management standpoint?

CIRCA is phenomenal. Even after 16 years, I have nothing but great things to say about them. They listen to your problems and enthusiastically take any feedback you offer. They aren’t defensive, unlike a lot of other agencies. They have systems in place and always deliver on time or have a good reason if something will be late.

What did you find most impressive about them?

CIRCA is mature and has a wealth of experience on a lot of different brands and clients. Most agencies are limited to digital talent, but the people at CIRCA have it all because they’ve been in the business so they can do digital but also print, TV, video production, etc. They're extremely strategic and creative, putting a lot of work into their approach. They always go above and beyond and are some of the hardest workers I know. They’re passionate about their work and want to do it well.

I recently had to use a few different agencies due to circumstances I had no control over, and it simply reinforced how amazing CIRCA is. These other firms delivered late, were overpriced, nickeled and dimed us, or didn’t know what they were talking about. In all my years of experience, CIRCA is by far the best agency I’ve ever worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not that I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Co-Founder & CEO of a financial services company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Embedded consumer lending marketplace

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire CIRCA to accomplish?

• Design and create a company website
• Design and implement email marketing content & strategy

SOLUTION

How did you find CIRCA?

Referral

Why did you select CIRCA over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from CIRCA were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We initially hired CIRCA to consult on a brand strategy and build our company website. After successful completion of the project, we engaged with them again to work on a comprehensive email marketing "playbook" for our affiliate partners to leverage. 

The playbook includes custom email templates and content, as well as suggestions for managing effective email campaigns.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website has been effective in driving interest and leads from prospects, and the email playbook that CIRCA created has been very well received and is constantly utilized by our affiliates.

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

The CIRCA team is great at gathering and understanding project requirements and objectives. All deliverables were delivered on-time and on-budget. All communication was professional and prompt.

What was your primary form of communication with CIRCA?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I enjoy working with CIRCA's team, their creativity, and their approach.

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

Nothing comes to mind.