Clapp 360 Communications

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO for Guntry of Maryland, an indoor shooting range.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Clapp 360 Communications?

We wanted to get the word out. We were a brand-new company, and we wanted to use their marketing services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Clapp 360 Communications helps with social media, emails to potential customers, and through radio campaigns. The target audience for our campaigns is across the board. We’re getting the message out across all demographics for the shooting range itself, the classes, and safety.

What is the team composition?

The main point of contact would be Karen (Associate Director), and their team was made up of about seven.

How did you come to work with Clapp 360 Communications?

I met one of the owners, Mike (CEO), at the gun range. We began talking about marketing because that’s what I do for my company. Mike was interested in utilizing his company to get my message out there. I reached out to other companies for estimates, but Clapp 360 Communications was far above and beyond everybody else.

How much have you invested with them?

I believe it’s close to $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Clapp 360 Communications in September 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been very successful with them. Our membership has under 1,200 members, and we opened the doors in January 2020. But we shut down due to COVID-19 that March. We reopened two months later.

Our first open house was a success because of Clapp 360 Communications. We have roughly 900–1,000 people come through our doors that afternoon. They were a huge part of getting that message out there.

We attribute our membership numbers to everyone across the board, but it’s also due to Clapp 360 Communications. They deliver for us through their social media and email blasts. My entire team is happy with the results.

How did Clapp 360 Communications perform from a project management standpoint?

Before COVID-19, we would meet in person every couple of weeks to devise a plan for my company on how to get the word out. They go above and beyond to meet deadlines. They’re very attentive and receptive. They’re always an email or phone call away.

Erika (Digital Marketing Associate) and Michael (Growth Marketing Manager) handle my website and social media. I’m in touch with them literally every day for updates. Their team is readily available at all times.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their attentiveness. They were right on the spot with communicating with us. What their vision was for our business was also something that attracted me to them. The product and messaging that they came up with was perfect.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m very happy with everything. Right now, they’re top-notch with communication and attention to detail. Those are the two big things for me.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Take their advice. But also give them what you want. Let them mold your ideas, but use their expertise to formulate a plan. We’ll present them with what we want, they’ll formulate a plan, and then we’ll approve it. Once that’s done, they go out and push the plan out there.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m head of school at Jemicy School. We’re an independent private school that works with students who are twice-exceptional or what we call dyslexic. In 2004, we merged with Valley Academy and became the first 1–12 school in the Baltimore area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Clapp 360 Communications?

After merging with Valley Academy, we had three different constituencies we needed to put together a mission for. The goal was to present one voice. Our audiences were the Jemicy parents, Valley Academy parents, and the school board.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, Clapp 360 Communications worked on Jemicy’s marketing and branding. Every year after the admissions season, they sent out a survey to everyone who inquired about the school. Their team conducted targeted research on why people applied, if they ended up attending, and so on.

Nowadays, and in response to COVID-19, we’re focusing on our internal communication to parents and students so we can keep them connected while we’re virtual. We’re also looking at how we’re communicating to the outside community to ensure we’re making consistently branded messages. With our two campuses, we want to make sure things are very coordinated.

What is the team composition?

Their team is comprised of a PR expert, communications expert, social media expert, and so on. We find that very valuable. Initially, we’d have one main point of contact but when Mike (CEO & President) came on they changed the approach to what we currently have.

How did you come to work with Clapp 360 Communications?

We interviewed several PR firms and Clapp 360 Communications presented a solid plan. We liked that they were well-connected. They came on our campus to look around and become acquainted.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested between $500,000–$600,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in February 2005.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Clapp 360 Communications really put Jemicy on the map. We’ve enjoyed this collaborative approach, and our 15-year engagement is a testament to our satisfaction.

As a result of the initial surveys and research, we learned a lot of phenomenal information that helped us focus our admissions messaging. We now have waiting lists for both campuses. That research was invaluable.

When we started the engagement, out of a class of 30 eighth graders, maybe two came to the upper school. Today, 75% of our eighth graders come to the upper school. We’ve seen strong results.

We’re getting a lot of PR in comparison to what we previously had. I’ve been on television twice within two months about the opening of our school. The news media came out and covered our graduation. Now, we’re approached to present our opinion on educational questions for our local news channel. Not to mention, we’ve been in the newspaper numerous amounts of times.

Clapp 360 Communications knows how to position something simple and make us look really special. Just looking at what Mike’s team has done in the last few months — from the amount of news coverage we’ve had to the number of press calling us — everything has been absolutely positive; it’s incredible.

How did Clapp 360 Communications perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has gone very well. We’ve been impressed with what they’ve been producing. We maintain regular communication. Once a month we meet with the whole team. Our communications director talks to them every few days.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provide a real individualized and caring service. With some agencies, it’s common to feel like a small fish in a big pond. However, Clapp 360 Communications takes a very personalized approach. They’re interested in us and what we do. I’ve noticed that they don’t take on something they don’t believe in themselves.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Although I was anxious at first, I became impressed when we switched to a team approach. I like that everyone is an expert in an area that they give their opinion on. This works really well with decision-making.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Feed them information and details on a daily basis. They may come up with someone you don’t see from your point of view. The more you give them, the better results you’ll have.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of development at the SEED School of Maryland. It’s a public, tuition-free boarding school serving under-served kids in the state of Maryland. We’re not a charter school; instead, we’re our own local educational authority (LEA). Our mission is to successfully lead the kids to and through college.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Clapp 360 Communications?

We wanted to address the lack of awareness in Baltimore City and beyond. We serve kids from all over the state — pulling from all 14 counties of Maryland — but not enough people know about us.

It was affecting our fundraising and admission numbers, so we engaged Clapp 360 to handle our PR. It was the first time we’d ever worked with a PR company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

One of our goals were to increase social media followers. They took over our Twitter and LinkedIn accounts and have been managing these. They also worked to secure media mentions of our school.

We’d pivoted to a virtual model in March and had not been able to execute our annual gala, which is typically a huge fundraising opportunity. Instead, they helped us organize a virtual senior dinner. They produced strategic marketing videos and collateral pieces to encourage remote attendance. They spearheaded a huge promotional push on our social media, up until the night of the event.

What is the team composition?

We worked primarily with one point of contact, Carmel (Senior Account Director.) She brought in experts from her team when needed.

How did you come to work with Clapp 360 Communications?

I know the owner, because he and I did a yoga teacher training together. We’re good friends. He reached out to us because he was wondering why our model — which was so unique and valuable — wasn’t getting as much traction as it should’ve. As a nonprofit, we don’t have a big budget, but they were able to work with us at an acceptable cost.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in August 2019, and the work is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They successfully executed our senior dinner — a virtual version of our annual gala — and it successfully raised double the amount of our initial goal. Our goal was $100,000, but we raised $208,000. That would not have happened without them.

How did Clapp 360 Communications perform from a project management standpoint?

They used Agorapulse for social media scheduling. Carmel was always at my beck and call. I can call or text her at any time, and she’s always quick to give me a response. Email and phone calls were our main method of communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a boutique firm that has a tremendous amount of experience. While they’re seasoned in their industry, they’re also small enough to service their clients quickly and effectively. They also take relationship-building very seriously, so they now feel like a part of our own team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wish their pricing was lower, especially since we’re a nonprofit with a very limited budget. That’s not really a fair complaint, since they actually have given us discount pricing because of that fact.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure that they bring the right people to the table at the first meeting. Those teammates will be making the decisions around messaging and communications, and you’ll want to engage with them from very early on in your discussions.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing and communications manager at a manufacturer of industrial batteries for space, defense, and transportation, among other industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Clapp 360 Communications?

We hired Clapp 360 Communications to help us manage our PR, media relations, and crisis communications in the US. They’ve expanded their scope of offered services since we hired them, so we now utilize them for some digital marketing projects in addition to their PR work.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They help us secure article opportunities (mostly feature articles and interviews). They launch and distribute our press releases, and manage their resulting inquiries. They also assist in writing case studies and generate digital and print content.

As far as special projects go, they currently manage the messaging on our social media accounts. They’ve developed different posts for us and have spearheaded SEO initiatives for different products. They’re currently helping us host a webinar.

What is the team composition?

The team composition varies with the project, but I think we’ve worked with around 7 people in total.

How did you come to work with Clapp 360 Communications?

We’ve worked with different PR agencies in the past, but we wanted something different. We found Clapp 360 through an internet search. We had a vetting process with a couple of different agencies. After viewing their past work, interviewing them, and meeting in-person, we decided to go with them.

How much have you invested with them?

They charge us $60,000 annually for PR services, and the other projects have cost us around $15,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement kicked off in July of 2018, and it’s an ongoing partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’re great at writing press releases and distributing them in a timely manner. They know how to navigate the media, so they execute the different PR processes well.

We’ve only just begun our non-PR projects with them, so it’s still early to provide feedback on their SEO or marketing work. Having said that, I’ve been impressed with their deliverables for the SEO project. I’ve also appreciated the guidance they’ve provided in helping me understand the improvements they’re making to our website.

I’ve been pleased with their consulting and business directives so far. It’s a collaborative effort, and I’m looking forward to seeing more results from their work.

How did Clapp 360 Communications perform from a project management standpoint?

I’m pleased with how quickly they respond when I need a status update. Having said that, I do wish that they’d be a little more proactive about providing me with that information, so I don’t have to follow up with them. Despite that though, they’re great about providing me with measured results that I can present to management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provide an outside perspective that’s very valuable. It’s great to have someone consult with me and offer unique expertise that’s unfamiliar to me. They’ve helped me look at things differently and identity the goals we want to achieve.

Are there any areas they could improve?

When we first hired them, the company was under different management. When the owner sold the company, their personnel and culture shifted. During this turnover, our account was in a state of limbo, and since then, new people have jumped on our account. They could’ve done a better job of helping me understand who the players are and who I would contact for different things.

That being said, I understand that a business transition is a challenging time. It’s growing pains, and I’m growing with them and scaling their services as well. I’m sure our path together will become steadier as we continue moving forward.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clearly outline your expectations in advance. Communicate your deadlines to them, like when you want to receive status updates and reporting. That’ll help them meet your expectations without incurring any disappointment on the customer’s side.