Disruptive Advertising

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a consultant at AllergyStore.com. We sell allergy and asthma control products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We chose to work with Disruptive Advertising because the paid advertising side of e-commerce is becoming very specialized, so it’s not cost-effective to try to do it in-house.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re responsible for handling all paid advertising through Google and AdRoll. They manage all aspects of that for us.

They do some market research and consider what’s going on with some of their other clients, who have been successful or not successful. I also work with them on selecting products, graphics, and things of that nature.

What is the team composition?

We work with two people from their team.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

We had been using another company and decided we wanted to switch vendors. We interviewed 3–4 companies. We liked Disruptive Advertising’s presentation, and they had good recommendations from other clients. They seemed to have a good, strong background.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend approximately $1,200 a month on their set fees, and then our ad spend is upward of $5,000 a month. The ad spend can vary.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership began in late 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work is very good. We monitor various aspects of it. Our return on ad spend has almost doubled from what it was last year.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

They meet all of their deadlines, and they’re very good in their communication. We use Google Analytics to track their progress, and then they also provide weekly reports to us. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The communication is very good with them. If there is an issue either on our end or theirs, they’re very quick to respond. They try to keep us up to date with what’s going on in the industry. It’s become a great back-and-forth relationship with very open communication.

Are there any areas they could improve?

At one point last year, we were going to switch services because they weren’t performing, but I’m extremely happy to say that they’ve done an outstanding job this year. When we were having issues, we talked with them on a weekly basis. We let them know what we saw that was going on and what wasn’t happening to our satisfaction. They let us know what action steps they were taking to correct the problem, and they never gave up. They continued to work at the problem until they solved it.

Any advice for potential customers?

Sit down and talk to them, and make sure you’re both clear on your goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We have a mid-market roofing and home exteriors business. I handle marketing and other responsibilities for the company. We have about 10 full-time employees.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We’re trying to make our ad spend work harder and smarter for us. For many years, our main area of business was residential roofing, primarily slopes – we don’t do much flat roofing in our market. We’ve always done gutters, but we didn’t market it. Recently, we’ve begun to do siding and window replacements. We’ve added those product lines into our digital advertising efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Disruptive Advertising does our Google Ads and Facebook Ads. They help to make sure that our spend is spread out across the entire month and that we're not spending our budget in three days. They've been very strategic and methodical about going through and making sure that we're showing up to the people that are actually shopping for the products that we offer at the time that they might be ready to make a purchase, so they’re handling targeted ads.

What is the team composition?

My two contacts are Bryan and his supervisor, Lui (Marketing Consultants). They have other people on their team that probably do peripheral stuff, but those are my main contacts.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

We've gone through working with other agencies that claim they do an awesome job across the marketing gamut, from building and maintaining the website to doing Facebook posts and Google Ads. Nobody we’ve worked with in the past can do it all, so the president of our company did research online to try to find a provider that just does Google Ads. I believe he found Disruptive online, and then he interviewed them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in November 2018, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've gotten a lot more leads — over 1,000 — generated from Google Ads. Our cost-per-lead is about $77, which is within the target of what we want to be spending per lead. Disruptive works closely with Google, and they are open and willing to trying new testing areas that Google wants to get data on. For some of those tests, the cost-per-lead lead is much lower, and then for other things that we're doing, it’s higher.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent. We have two meetings per month with them. They’re also very responsive when I have any questions or want to do a new product launch. They’re easy to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They specialize in Google and Facebooks Ads, and they do that very well. They know what they’re doing in that regard.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not a Google person, so I’m not sure how they could improve in terms of what they do. They don’t have any qualms about what they can’t do. It would be nice if they could do it all, but we knew going into our relationship with them that they don’t. They’re good; I just wish that all of our providers worked as well as Disruptive does.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be specific about what you’re looking to achieve, what kinds of customers you’re trying to target, and when you want those responses from prospects.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the operations manager of a cash advance company—Driver Loan USA. We decided to open our second product, which is a private investors club.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We wanted to promote our investors club as much as possible to have success with our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Disruptive helps us with our PPC campaigns. They manage our Google analytics and advertising on Google. We had an idea for our strategy, but they helped a lot with that too.

What is the team composition?

I work with Kyle (Marketing Consultant) and Glen (Marketing Consultant).

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

I’m not sure how we found Disruptive as my boss decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent more than $7,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our partnership in March 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s been a positive experience. In the past month, we’ve had 60 conversions. It’s gone well.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a call every two weeks via Google Meet when they explain their plans, which we discuss. We review our campaigns and decide on how to proceed.  If we need anything, we call them, and they answer immediately. Disruptive makes changes to campaigns necessary. Their team listens to us and executes our vision well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

When I worked with other agencies, it would take them days to answer my emails. Disruptive responds very fast.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’ve been great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to their suggestions. In the beginning, be clear about your goals.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am head of SEO/SEM marketing for LifeVantage. "Discover the innovative world of Nutrigenomics, and how LifeVantage is using nutrients to control specific genes associated with the major scientific theories of aging."

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed help separating the different markets in Google Analytics as well as getting support with Facebook pixel and GTM.

What were your goals for this project?

To finalize the above

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We went through 6 different vendors and we found that Disruptive was on the most recommended and professional vendors we came across. They did not disappoint with their hard work and dedication.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We needed help separating the different markets in Google Analytics as well as getting support with Facebook pixel and GTM.

What was the team composition?

I worked closely with Stefan our account manager and had weekly meetings and weekly updates.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Disruptive has seriously helped our company be able to dive deeper into our analytics and get a better understanding of how our customers interact with our site.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was amazing.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Disruptive Advertising has seriously helped our company be able to dive deeper into our analytics. As a result we get a better understanding of how our customers interact with our site.

Are there any areas for improvement?

none

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the founders of Pinch. We make Pinch Magic Fiber, which is an all-natural premium daily fiber supplement.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We previously partnered with a different advertising agency and results eventually stagnated.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially gave them the background of the company and talked about our unique voice. Their team listened and absorbed our brand nuances and goals. They then came up with a whole roadmap.

Disruptive audited our social account and looked at all of the existing content. Their team quickly identified deficiencies and then helped to build out campaigns. Their team retargeted and nurtured our strategy.

They identify audiences and run ad campaigns that target more than the of the funnel. Their team also helps with the creative side of campaigns, creating images and videos.

In addition, they developed a Google ad strategy and optimized our landing page. Their team set up structured tests for the landing pages to help us refine that content.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

We found Disruptive on Clutch and then reached out to a few of their previous clients who gave them phenomenal feedback. Also, their reviews on Clutch were great. We reached out to them and explained our situation.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $5,000 a month on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our engagement in January 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a baseline level of ad and business performance. Since we partnered with them, those quantitative measures are notably higher. They almost immediately made changes that provided a lift in our performance.

We’re also extremely impressed by their strategic thinking. They brought thoughtfulness and empathy to our brand. Their team truly feels like a part of our overall business. They’re genuinely interested in seeing us grow and make smart recommendations to help us do so.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

They keep my co-founder and me abreast of how different projects' performances. We constantly communicate with their team about campaigns. During meetings, we decide what changes to make and then discuss our longer-term strategy to keep energy in the ads. Their emails are organized, efficient, and informative. Their team’s organized and communicate clearly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re an extension of our team. Disruptive’s in tune with our projects and goals. We don't just assign them work to execute. Rather, it's truly a living relationship. They quickly proved themselves, and now have a lot of autonomy to make decisions. The disruptive creative team’s brilliant and detailed-oriented.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’ve exceeded our expectations.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be vulnerable. I was apprehensive about sharing the details of our overall business model because it seemed excessive given the initial scope. As they earned our trust, we shared more, which allowed them to think more strategically about our business and make recommendations for long-term growth.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner and co-founder of an audio software company based in Maryland. We create a range of tools for composers, producers, hobbyists, and professionals, and sell directly to customers through our web store.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were looking to expand our paid marketing efforts, after having built our brand name and catalog over a 10 year period. We wanted to pursue Facebook as a marketing channel after having dabbled in paid ads and boosts for about a year prior. We later added Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) and email marketing to the service mix.

What were your goals for this project?

For Facebook, we sought to increase sales on our web store, with a minimum of 2x return on ad spend (ROAS). For CRO and email marketing, we simply wanted more of a return than what we would spend on those services.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We first researched a number of agencies on Google. I evaluated candidates based on their websites, the language used, portfolio of clients, and services offered. Then I reached out to Disruptive to begin a conversation about our goals, our company, and what we wanted to see. I was impressed by their professionalism and understanding of what we do, and so we decided to move forwarded on a monthly basis.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

After we began working with Disruptive, we were assigned a specialist for our ad account. We spoke with this specialist quite a bit early on to describe our products, our brand, style of copy, etc. We also discussed our target audience and how we might expand that.

Then, they began setting up audiences on Facebook, creating high-level campaigns, ad sets, and individual ads. For CRO and email marketing, it was a similar situation, with a lot of initial communication about our business to lay the groundwork.

We communicate on a regular basis to discuss new sales and products, as well as performance of ads and other marketing. Graphic design and copy is sometimes done by our team, sometimes theirs. Disruptive takes care to keep our ROAS high by pouring more into high-performing campaigns, target audiences, regions (etc) and swapping or re-testing under-performing campaigns.

What was the team composition?

We work with one specialist for each of these three areas: Facebook, email marketing, CRO, and periodically check in with one higher-level manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

On the CRO side, we've seen consistently good performance with every test & initiative providing improved metrics: more add to carts, more checkouts, more revenue. We've seen upticks of 5-15% in at least one of these areas on every single test.

For email marketing, the automations Disruptive have created (and which continue to be expanded and refined) are providing an ROI (as of last month) of about 6.4x, which is superb. We expect this to increase further as we build out more automations and targeted campaigns. For Facebook, we went from spending less than $1000 a month (with middling results) to about $10k a month, with ROAS between 3-4x.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We've had an efficient workflow with Disruptive, working mainly via email on an 'as needed' basis to avoid lengthy or unnecessary meetings and discussions. We do have one brief call with all team members once a month to go over strategy, but otherwise, the workflow is streamlined and requires input from me only when necessary.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have delivered tangible and substantial returns for us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We often have to provide guidance for ad copy to best capture our brand's style, and the selling points of our products. However, given our fairly specific and technical market niche this isn't unexpected.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Decibullz. We manufacture custom-molded hearing protection, earphones, and some other accessories. We have a lot of different markets and customer groups. I’m the VP of business development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We sell in a multitude of different channels, including hunting and shooting, industrial, music, and general health and safety. Our website just wasn’t performing where we wanted it to be.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We just started off with our SEO and PPC. We started to see a return right away, within one month–six weeks max. Then, we brought on their CRO (conversion rate optimization) services to optimize our website. They’ve done quite a bit of A/B testing to optimize and test what types of imagery works, different layouts for our checkout pages, and things like that. They’ve done 3–4 pages so far. Just last week, we decided to bring on their email team. 

What is the team composition?

It started off with just two, and I think we’re up to eight team members.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

Our founder and CEO had been looking for a partner for quite some time. We came across Disruptive through a review platform. Although we had to put some things on hold due to COVID, we were able to get Disruptive up and running quickly at the beginning of the year. 

We talked to a few other companies, but our founder and CEO felt strongly about going with Disruptive, and it was a great call. We were impressed by the way that their SEO and PPC stood out with the other companies they’d worked with in the past. We also didn’t hear a bad review about them, which is impressive in this space.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together at the end of April or beginning of May 2020. Over the course of three months, we went from nothing to their full stack of services. We don’t know anything about their email services yet, but if it’s anything like the other sections of the business, it’ll be great.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's been phenomenal working with them so far. Our company has so many different channels, and it's tough to get somebody that can help with all of them, so we have sales teams on the industrial side and the health and safety side, as well as reps all over the country. What we've seen is that there seems to be a greater general awareness of Decibullz in these last three months of conversation.

We've also been able to track our customers. For instance, by knowing that a customer has seen a certain advertisement, we can follow up with them accordingly through email and see where they're getting stuck within the CRO platform. I think everybody that has worked on the marketing or sales side of Decibullz has seen an impact from this partnership already. 

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

It's been great. I can't say enough about their professionalism and the way that they've come to the table prepared. They've presented knowledgeable and helpful information at every meeting.

We have a bi-weekly phone call. We use the Google Suite to manage the project, including Meets, Sheets, and Slides. They've really felt like an extension of our team rather than a third party.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I think their knowledge in general sets them apart. They also took the time to learn about us before just jumping in with feedback; they wanted to test certain fundamentals of SEO, PPC, CRO, and email before just presenting the golden strategy, which doesn't really exist in marketing. They wanted to see where the data took us, such as where we were most vulnerable and needed to improve, and then come up with a strategy together.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I wouldn't normally say this, but I really don't have much right now. They've done a really good job on this, especially under the circumstances.

Any advice for potential customers?

Obviously, you have to do research when you're looking at one of these companies to find what's best for your business. However, if you're in the product business and are selling online, I don't think there's a better group in terms of being able to tailor something that works for you. I would just say to start right away.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Xtraining Equipment. We manufacture fitness equipment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

They handle our PPC advertising. 95% pf our business is online and we sell to people who are outfitting their garage gyms, as well as commercial and CrossFit gyms across North America.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They manage our Google Ad spend. That includes Google Shopping Ads, display ads, and targeting ads. About a year ago we had them assist with click rate optimization. They run tests on our website to determine if there are any ways to improve our checkout flow, home page, or product page.

What is the team composition?

We have one primary contact there. We’ve had one account manager over the last four years. That’s really nice because we’ve developed a good relationship with them and they take an active interest in our business. They know what we’re trying to do, so it’s a more collaborative relationship. From time to time, we’ve worked with other people as well.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

They’re well-respected in the industry. They’ve delivered good results for us. They’re responsive to our needs and available.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $10,000–$40,00 on ad spend each month (approximately $480,000–$1,920,000 in total).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them about four years ago, around January 2016, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We monitor performance. For click rate optimization, we were focused on driving revenue above all else. We’re trying to gain followers to feed into our funnel, but we emphasize the return on ad spend.

A large part of our business is commercial gyms, so trying to acquire those customers through display is a priority as well.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication and consistency is the most important thing. Having one person consistently on our account is very helpful. They’ve gotten to know us, we’ve gotten to know them, and they know our business. They’re always available. We have regular calls and we receive reports every week on account performance. Every other week we get a project plan for the month.

What did you find most impressive about them?

A lot of companies can manage ad spend, but Disruptive Advertising understands our business and takes the time to listen to what our goals are so they can move our business forward.

Our products and packages are pricier than something such as a pair of sneakers, so we need to have a different strategy or approach. They understand how we operate and who we need to target.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve worked on their creative work a bit. We’ve spent more money on our creative and photography in the past year or two because we want to elevate our brand and make it more consistent on the web page and on the ad. Part of that is on us, because we don’t give them our in-house creative, but we could communicate that better.  

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Spend the time to get to know who you’re going to be working with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a senior CRM analyst for a lawn and garden product company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

The main goal was to give them key oversight projects that we couldn’t handle internally. We initially started giving the one-off partners, eventually they became a third team member.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the most part, it’s email campaign development. They do everything from A to Z, from developing the strategy of the email, to copy and image assets. They have a design team that does the design work, and then Colton (Marketing Strategist) puts it into our email platform, schedules it, and emails for us.

When we launch a new brand, we have Disruptive Advertising kick it off. They develop the entire email strategy, calendar, and what the brand needs from the email program. They put together a deck and present it to the design team. They design everything on Adobe.

What is the team composition?

Every week we have a meeting with a team lead, a project manager, then we have Colton, and then another person just joined the team recently.

Colton, he is dedicated to all the things we do. He does almost the same thing I do.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

Our performance marketing team had been utilizing Disruptive Advertising for about a year. Then they started offering email marketing services and we brought them on board for that on our team.

How much have you invested with them?

It ranges between $30,000–$70,000 a month (approximately $600,000 in total).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2019 and our partnership is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The brand we worked most closely together on was losing money before we started working with Disruptive Advertising. They were able to automate our emails so we didn’t have to do more manual work. They also created a welcome series. Once it was launched, we subscribed a couple hundred people and earned $9,400. It was amazing how their strategies, and this series in particular, could take us to the next level.  

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

I have a weekly meeting with them and I chat with Colton every day . We use Jira for daily contact.

We give them a lot of work. They do a pretty great job of working sort of blindly because they don’t know the ins and outs of our business. We have some work to do to make the process more efficient. Communication with them in Jira is a little slow. We’re looking into other project management tools because it seems that there are too many projects on the board in Jira. They fall behind when our design team gets swamped. They’ve definitely gotten better, but it’s still a working point.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The strategy that they take with our emails. They don’t have direct contact with the brand team; we just give them a deck and they run with it. They’re professionals and can tell what a brand needs from the email marketing campaign. I’ve always been impressed by their ability to strategize.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Project management could be improved. Sometimes I think things could be done a bit faster. Some of that could be because we give them so much work to do.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give them as much onboarding information as possible. Once we started to involve them in our day-to-day, it was easier for them to understand our goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing manager for a community retailer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

When we brought on this team, we wanted to improve our site experience. We wanted to begin a testing program to streamline areas on our site where customers bounced.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Disruptive conducted a complete site audit, assessing everything from the analytics to the UX/UI. They came back with a detailed funnel that showed our key blockages. Their team assessed areas for optimization and created a testing strategy.

Then, they worked on testing scenarios, developing the tests’ hypothesis and strategies. Their team designs, develops, and implements the tests. They collect learnings from A/B and multi-variable tests to eliminate blockages on our site and increase conversions.

What is the team composition?

We’re primarily in contact with two individuals from Disruptive. In the beginning, we also worked with an account representative who focused on getting the contracts through.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

I worked with them as a paid search agency when I was with another company. As I had great success with them, I pushed for their team to come on board at this company. Disruptive pitched to our leadership team and knocked it out of the park.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $50,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

This relationship started in December 2019, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They helped us with yearly realized revenue from these tests. When we get results, we can estimate the potential impact of the full implementation of that solution.

It’s great that their team designs and develops the tests, so it’s a lighter lift for us. We don’t have to wait in our internal development queue. It’s easier and quicker to work with Disruptive, which our leadership appreciates.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

We created a pod that included a designer, a product owner, and a developer. I'm also in the pod as the person who manages the project. When we receive results, we review them and check the box.

We use JIRA and Microsoft Teams. To run the tests, they use VWO. We both use Adobe Analytics to work on our funnel.

Their communication’s great. When necessary, they’re available to talk on the weekends. Their team’s ready to go at the drop of a hat.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team can explain specific solutions to a variety of audiences, from the C-suite to the designers. They can speak in all of those languages, which is helpful. If any questions or issues pop up, I’m fully confident that Disruptive can speak to them no matter who asks the questions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing that comes to mind. To be honest, the blockages usually come from our end.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ensure that everyone signs off on the initial strategy of the future client roadmap. For their tests, be sure that they work towards the larger organizational goals.