Disruptive Advertising

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I founded a subscription-based "fun pass" that partners with local entertainment venues to offer free entry to customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Disruptive Advertising?

We wanted to grow quickly, build our brand, and sell passes locally. We hired Disruptive Advertising to handle our paid social media ads on Facebook and Instagram.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to experiment with advertising types, target audiences, and get an idea for the ideal spend to hit a target customer acquisition cost.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

One of their marketing consultants, who was a customer, talked to us about how great it would be to work together on such a cool, unique idea. We were talking to another digital agency, but loved his enthusiasm for our company and decided they would be a great fit.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Disruptive Advertising developed an advertising funnel, created content, and began pushing ads. They've created some videos as well. They closely monitor our ad spend and results, fine-tuning our audience and costs to achieve our targets.

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with two marketing consultants to create the groundwork and strategy. We've tested other services along the way, but mainly work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've been able to lower our customer acquisition cost dramatically and adjust our spending with the seasons. Customer awareness of our services has certainly grown.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It's highly effective. They're great communicators, keeping us in the loop and frequently conveying updates about changes and results. We love meeting in person every other week.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They're personable; they make us feel like their best and only client. They take a major interest in what's best for our company and treat it like their own.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Some of the other services we've tested didn't garner the results we expected, but we're still trying to achieve a clear, significant ROI from them. We would love to see a results-based compensation plan, or even a short trial period before committing to a new service.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing associate at a counseling company for small colleges. We have between 70–80 employees, counting both in-office and remote staff.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

In terms of outreach strategy, our company mainly relied on community grassroots efforts stemming from our various office locations. Looking to build some online visibility, we decided to implement several SEO and PPC campaigns, and we needed help managing them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Disruptive Advertising primarily works on optimizing our digital advertising and marketing efforts, using programs like Google AdWords, Google Analytics, and Bing Ads. They did some social media work, but it wasn’t very successful. Additionally, they conducted A/B testing on our new website.

So far, we’ve planned both national and local marketing campaigns that target students searching for college admission counseling services. The country-wide strategies cast a wide net, while the local approaches target specific audiences according to each of our unique office locations. We’re trying to determine the most profitable strategies­—it’s a trial-and-error process.

What is the team composition?

We work with a digital marketing specialist, who handles all of our advertising efforts. Previously, we had another resource who managed the A/B testing initiative.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

Our chief marketing officer hired them before I joined the full-time team, so I wasn’t part of the decision-making process.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in July 2017, and it’s an ongoing partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re impressed with the ROI we’ve experienced so far. Based on our success, we’ve been able to better prioritize our funding, allocating more resources to the most profitable campaigns. We continue to see great results. The team was able to decrease our cost of acquisition, and our volume of leads has skyrocketed.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

They are excellent in terms of project management, specifically regarding response time. I work with quite a few teams, and Disruptive Advertising is one of the most responsive. When I reach out with a question or comment, I can expect an answer within a couple of hours. We have a scheduled weekly call to dive into the project, discuss our progress, and make important decisions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very receptive to feedback. Because digital marketing is new for our company, we have to be careful when communicating internally because a majority of our staff isn’t familiar with the new processes. They realize this and alter their language to better accommodate our needs while still suggesting great ideas.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything right now. They’ve been a very easy team to work with.

Any advice for potential customers?

Set clear expectations for communication and scope from the beginning. By establishing these metrics, Disruptive Advertising will be able to complete the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the social media marketing manager at a mortgage and real estate company based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We wanted to create a video marketing campaign to broaden our reach in the Salt Lake Valley and generate interest for our services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Disruptive Advertising created a video campaign, which we released on all of our social media channels. We were so pleased with their work that we also asked them to redesign aspects of our website. They conducted A/B testing and redesigned our mobile platform and desktop site. This included mostly minor tasks such as changing colors or locations for certain buttons and information.

What is the team composition?

We work with a digital marketing specialist and a project manager.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

Our CFO introduced us to Disruptive Advertising. I am not fully aware of the selection process, however.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $75,000 to this point.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in October 2017 and have ongoing work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We experienced a significant increase in the click-through rate on our website, and on the video has over 1 million impressions on social media. We remarketed the video to those who had seen it, and that’s when we started generating leads. These leads are generally more expensive than our regular leads, but they were of a much higher quality.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is an area where our side really struggles, but Disruptive Advertising makes sure we have a steady workflow. They keep the project on track when we cannot. Because we’re both based in the same area, that affords us the luxury of meeting in person at times. Otherwise, we receive weekly email updates on conversions and progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their accessibility and willingness to help whenever necessary are always much appreciated. They even assist with smaller tasks outside of the regular project scope. Also, they are transparent when we're not seeing conversions and explain the reasons, but they always work to change that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I cannot think of anything that I haven't been pleased with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president of Jazz Heating & Air. We work with residential and commercial equipment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We wanted to increase the number of leads and grow our online presence. We were paying about $350 per lead when we were doing it on our own, so we started looking for a company to help us with client acquisition.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re currently managing Google AdWords for us and we're planning to add Facebook and Instagram. They've also helped us set up Google Analytics, so we can track everything properly.

The type of a campaign we're doing depends on the weather. Currently, our focus is on air conditioning insulation and repair. We also have promotions and specials. For example, one of our manufacturers is providing cash rebates for a full system insulation, so we worked out some campaigns with them to feature them online consistently and be able to grow business for our company. We're updating campaigns and keywords every week. Right now, as the weather is getting colder, we're starting to do advertising on the furnace side.

What is the team composition?

We mostly work through a project manager.

How did you come to work with them?

We did a lot of online research and met with a few different companies. We liked the team at Disruptive as well as their ideas and their attitude, so we chose them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend $20,000–$25,000 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2018 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our cost of acquisition per lead used to be $300–$350, but it went down to about $150. We also get about 60-70 phone calls that come from advertising per month. We have online submission forms that people can fill out and a lot of those leads have been generated by advertising as well.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

We've had a wonderful experience. We have weekly phone calls and they send us regular reports. They're very responsive and make themselves available when we need them. It never takes them more than 24 hours to implement our requests.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're great communicators, but their biggest strength is the work they do behind the scenes to make us stand out. Some of the ads are so good that our competitors are calling us and asking how we're making it happen.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They're knowledgeable and do a great job explaining everything to me in a way I can understand. We worked with other advertising companies, but all of them fell short of our expectations. Disruptive is the first company we are truly happy with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a clear idea of what you'd like them to accomplish and let them do their work. I usually like to control every situation I'm involved in, but I've given up some of my control to them. They've done an amazing job.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm marketing manager at an e-commerce business that sells office products. We are dedicated to providing the cheapest price and the best quality. I primarily deal with large sales channels.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Disruptive Advertising?

We hired Disruptive Advertising to handle our Google Shopping campaign. 

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to boost traffic to our main website, increase our conversion rate, and reduce our advertisement spending. 

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched online and found Disruptive Advertising. After a phone interview, we were impressed with their experience and confidence. We felt they would be easy to communicate with and that they could personalize advertising to our needs. I managed the selection process, but my supervisor made the final choice.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We discussed a lot of the work before agreeing to deal with them. We had multiple phone conferences to clarify our goals and needs. They gave us a quote and we agreed.

Disruptive Advertising mainly manages Google Shopping campaigns. They compile great weekly reports with helpful, important advertising data. They also schedule monthly conference calls to answer questions and continually discuss whether to modify our goals or plans. 

What was the team composition?

We primarily deal with one consultant. His team shares ideas that have succeeded in the past. Sometimes the monthly meeting includes our consultant's team leader, who is extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Due to their smart bidding strategy, we've dropped advertising costs significantly while raising our click-through rate. We're happy with the results and look forward to further improvements.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

When they identify useful key trends, they always communicate or schedule a meeting. After analyzing their progress, we agree on our next steps and focus. That's how we manage the workflow. Even if we give them no direction, they still meet our expectations.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The greatest thing about this company is their communication, which is key in any business relationship. We're glad that we can count on a quick reply to any concern or question.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would like discounts for letting Disruptive manage multiple platforms.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the administrator and one of the owners of a private duty in-home care agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We did PPC advertising through Google AdWords and other self-managed options for several months. We understood the principals of paid advertising but felt we could be more efficient with the money we spent if we worked with a specialist company. We looked at other firms but wanted someone who could explain their methods and be effective.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They do PPC work for us and some retargeting. We wanted to increase our revenue and our client base. The goal is to find as many appropriate clients and potential caregivers as we can to get the most out of our advertising budget. We also wanted measurable results. We used Google Analytics when we did this ourselves, but transferred to Disruptive’s reports.

They set up a system that improves the quality of our leads. We’ve reduced the number of generic search terms we use, which limits the mistake calls we get. They’re generating more meaningful inquiries through different landing pages and better marketing.

What is the team composition?

We have a dedicated account manager.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

We did an online search. They partnered with another company we’d worked with and explored them through that connection.

How much have you invested with them?

We started working together around February 2018. We’re working on ongoing campaigns with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We pay them about $1,000 each month for their services and spend about $4,000 for monthly campaign expenses.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We measure our work in hours per week. When we started working with them, we did about 900 hours per week and are currently doing around 1,800 per week. Not all of that can be attributed to them, but they helped us double our revenue. It certainly helps to have them on our side.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

They do a fantastic job. They clearly explain spending and our expectations. If we make any changes, they are quick and responsive. They send weekly reports and answer our emails in the same day, sometimes within a couple of hours. If our account manager is ever away, they let us know and set up an alternative point of contact. It’s very well organized.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re strong in communication and understand what we want in our PPC campaigns. They show me where my money is going and help me refine my spending each month to make it more worthwhile. They show us their results each week, analyze incoming phone calls, and give us more quality leads. It’s the ideal experience. They break down a complex system and make it understandable and manageable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they should change. I’m very pleased with their work in the last six or seven months and am happy to work with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have a plan for what you want to spend and what you want to accomplish. They will help you shape your ideas and will work within your budget.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a sales manager for a construction company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We needed help managing our paid advertising campaigns, and understanding what direction to take or how to monitor and adjust our approach based on performance.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Disruptive Advertising helped us first understand the type of customers we wanted to target to help guide their advertising strategy. They oversee all of our paid advertising campaigns, including Google AdWords, and monitor our Google Analytics.

What is the team composition?

We mostly work with a marketing consultant and an analytics product manager.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

I searched online for some vendors with good reviews and decided to work with Disruptive Advertising based on what others had to say about their work.

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested $8,000–$10,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together since May 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Disruptive Advertising has helped double the number of visitors we receive on our ads. We're seeing consistent growth each month, so we've been very happy with their results.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

We only need to meet once or twice a month, but they're very responsive whenever I need to reach them otherwise. I typically get responses back to my emails within five minutes. If I decide to change the direction on an ad, they're flexible and willing to adjust it at the last minute if necessary.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to understand that the relationship is a partnership and requires some of your time and willingness to collaborate with their team for the best results. Be open to feedback and possibly changing the direction of a project—they're the experts, so it's worth taking their advice to heart.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of sales and marketing for Lifestyles Unlimited. We’re an education and mentoring group for real estate investors, empowering people to buy and hold single/multi-family properties to create passive income. We believe that we have a strong message and methodology that makes retirement more accessible to people regardless of age.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We were looking to open additional marketing streams to increase our outreach. At the time, we had a strong radio presence but realized that we needed to expand into more online strategies. Disruptive Advertising was able to amplify our message and grow our digital footprint.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our initial goal was to set up our Google AdWords, refine our keywords list, and track our metrics more efficiently. We were also creating our first landing pages at the time and had Disruptive Advertising take over all of our AdWords purchasing. It was really a question of seeing what worked or didn’t work.

As we continued to expand as a business, we started to target new cities and markets and had to consider more of a national strategy. They established our social media platforms across multiple channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Not only did they use those platforms to find new audiences, we’re now able to register people directly to our events through social media. Customers no longer have to learn about an event on one site and register on another.

At each phase of our growth, they’ve consistently implemented new strategies and campaigns to support our offline efforts. We’ve been able to launch a national radio program, and they’re working on deploying video content in the near future.

Currently, they continue to nurture our social media marketing while preparing to introduce SEO tactics. For the last few months, they’ve led the development and testing for our site redesign. We’re trying to figure out where the optimal placement for our messaging would be on the new WordPress site. In addition to managing our landing pages and looking at effective placements, they work closely with our Infusionsoft consultant to work out bugs and make routine site changes.

What is the team composition?

We originally had a single account manager who’s taken excellent care of us. As our companies mutually grew, they’ve assigned additional representatives for each service line we’ve added. We now work with a dedicated account manager for social media and another for site testing, but our first manager is still the overarching account lead.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

They actually reached out to us with a proposal. They were also a growing company at the time and have been gaining traction ever since. We consider ourselves lucky to be able to evolve with them as they developed their business.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work started in September 2014 and is ongoing. We launched our first set of landing pages in October 2014 and are currently working on a site redesign.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s just been a progression of growth and change. When we first started the engagement, we had about 1,000 likes on social media and now boast over 8,000. They’ve also helped us expand our market from an exclusive audience in Texas to a national stage. Our click-through and engagement rates have increased substantially, resulting in a higher conversion rate. Moreover, the cost-per-click has decreased. I appreciate that they’re conscientious of our budget and ensure that we get the most out of our investment.

In terms of our working relationship, we always consult their expertise whenever we need to add something new. They’re available to meet to talk things through and patiently teach us about different approaches. If we can dream it up, they’ll do it for us.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

Once every other year, we meet in person to discuss any changes to our strategy and plan for the future. Beyond that, they communicate fairly consistently, sending emails, updates, and even packages during milestones in the relationship. They also keep us up to speed with new opportunities that we might not have considered before.

Furthermore, they’ve cultivated several strong business habits that make us feel heard and understood. For example, they send notes after every meeting to summarize our key points and actions. If they don’t understand something, we’ll explain it to them, and they’ll repeat it to confirm. As for scheduling, they realize that we often have to focus on other initiatives, so they respect our time. However, they always make sure to follow up and remind of us our goals, which helps keep us accountable.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Unlike other vendors who are more focused on metrics rather than understanding the client’s business, Disruptive Advertising took the time to learn about us. We felt like we could share anything with them, and they’re happy to review our work and give suggestions. Their service level is exceptional, and they respond quickly to our inquiries.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind regarding their performance. They’re actually working to improve the interface on their reporting tools to facilitate our tracking process. This way, even though we’re not physically tracking everything ourselves, we still have an idea of what’s going on. This has been particularly helpful so far.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It depends on the type of customer. The dynamics for a client with a lot of digital marketing experience who just needs a service provider will be different compared with a client who doesn’t know anything.

Either way, Disruptive Advertising can help people at any level of expertise, so don’t be intimidated. There’s a lot to learn, and you can ask as many questions as you need. They’re happy to slow down and explain their insights.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of a van rental service.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We needed an experienced marketing firm to run a PPC campaign for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Disruptive Advertising manages our PPC campaign using Google AdWords. They track our progress using Google Analytics and keep us up-to-date on the results as much as our schedule allows. We’re a seasonal business and just wrapped up some of our more hectic months of the year. Therefore, I haven’t been as engaged in their efforts as I should be other than occasionally checking the AdWords tool. We’re about to enter our slow season, so their real test will be generating business during the upcoming fiscal quarter. However, they’ve communicated to me a number of things they have in place to ensure that happens.

What is the team composition?

Kevin (Marketing Consultant, Disruptive Advertising) is our primary point of content.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

We initially used the firm that designed our website to provide marketing services. Unfortunately, they weren’t delivering the results we wanted. I conducted a lot of online research to find reputable vendors and Disruptive Advertising had positive reviews from previous clients. As a result, they were at the top of my list for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

In addition to the AdWords themselves, we pay Disruptive Advertising $1,500 a month for their services. Our total advertising budget comes to about $3,500 a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We hired them in January 2018 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I don’t have meaningful metrics available because we started working with them at the time of year when our services are naturally in high demand. A large part of Kevin’s current participation with the project involves establishing reliable metrics and analytics. He’s implementing a tag manager to all the ads, so we can better track the amount of traffic their efforts are generating. Anecdotally, we’ve seen an increase in sales as a result of their work. The AdWords campaign is staying relevant alongside the efforts of our competitors.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

They offer enough contact and availability to serve us as a customer. In terms of communication, clients will get as much out of the engagement as they put in. We’re supposed to have a weekly call with them to go over results and brainstorm how further refine the campaign, but we’ve had to deprioritize that due to frequent business. They took control of the project during that time and haven’t let us down. Whenever I voice concerns, Kevin quickly responds and does everything within his power to resolve the issue.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They proactively reach out to us and are straightforward communicators. The information they provide is top-notch and I only wish I had the time to work closely with them. I also appreciate their accessible pricing model. Other companies incentivize their clients to spend more by charging a percentage based on the number of ads purchased through Google. Disruptive Advertising charges a flat fee regardless of how much we spend on ads. I find this approach to be more honest. Overall, they’re doing the best they can to manage our campaign and find new ways for our ads to remain relevant.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Become familiar with AdWords before starting a project like this one. That way, you’ll know what to do with all the information they provide. Conversely, being able to speak their language while pitching ideas of your own will only improve the collaboration process.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

As the strategic account manager, I ensure the efficacy and productivity of all client digital marketing campaigns 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Disruptive Advertising?

We hired them for PPC, Google, and Facebook advertising services. 

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to produce professional ads that mirrored our company branding and reached our target clients.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our firm spent a good deal of time interviewing and courting multiple PPC firms. Disruptive had both the technical knowledge and the customer service we wanted to manage our accounts.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We met immediately upon contracting to review the goals of the agency and of our individual accounts. They then developed an updated advertising campaign. 

What was the team composition?

We work directly with an account manager, but we also communicate regularly with the management and owners. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their remarketing campaign consistently produces results well above established goals. If they notice unfavorable trends in the accounts, they adjust and recover before the client even notices. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our workflow is flawless. We meet via conference call for weekly reports and the email communication is fast and efficient. Always eager to help with any internal training, Disruptive definitely employs an engaged team approach. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We measure success by results. Not only does Disruptive produce them, but they take great care throughout the process to make sure we feel important.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They quickly resolved the singular issue with email reporting.