Drummond St. Strategy

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder of See Rose Go, an online store for premium plus-sized women’s fashion. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Drummond St. Strategy?

We weren’t cost-effective or optimizing our exposure through our social media, live events, and Youtube videos. We needed to build brand awareness and eventually increase our conversions through digital marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In the beginning, Drummond St. Strategy developed three live events for us and taught us how to better manage our digital content. During the events, their team set up the digital feed and managed the live content to be interactive with our audience. They organized and executed the productions to run smoothly.

Then, Drummond analyzed our site and implemented SEO best practices. They made sure our keywords/content was relevant and aligned them to search engines’ algorithms. We also worked together to create ad campaigns that targeted certain online audiences through Facebook.

Currently, they are conducting follow-up meetings to train us through our site’s analytics to understand where referrals and conversions were coming from.

What is the team composition?

Our primary contact is their principal. They also have a technology specialist who works in the background with him. 

How did you come to work with Drummond St. Strategy?

We were recommended to Drummond St. Strategy by their previous clients.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested $20,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in October 2017 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We integrated our live events as a part of our digital content, and they continue to bolster our brand identity. Drummond's SEO implementation and refinement of our content increased our traffic significantly. Currently, their web analytical training allows us to realign our marketing to the optimal audiences—further increasing our traffic and sales.

How did Drummond St. Strategy perform from a project management standpoint?

We mostly use email to communicate and meet in-person regularly to review analytics. Their team never misses deadlines and are constantly providing support. Drummond always shows up early, stays late, and goes above and beyond to help us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We appreciate Drummond’s thorough knowledge and use of analytical analysis to amplify our brand. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything right now.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have a plan and have an initial conversation to understand what you need. Have an open mind to learn and teach them about your business. It’ll help you cohesively build a plan.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work for a four-year private research university with more than 5,000 students.

What is your position?

I'm the assistant vice president of communications and marketing. I am responsible for all the external manifestations as a brand, web projects, and print projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Drummond St. Strategy?

We are undergoing a relaunch of the entire university website. Higher education websites tend to be extremely complicated, and they're not the same as consumer brand sites. We needed to bring in a partner to help us manage the process and zero in on what our opportunities were going to be. We also needed a partner that would help us manage relationships with an external vendor who is doing the lion's share of the work, but maybe didn't understand us as much. Drummond St. has come in to manage that project.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

The scope of their work is very wide, depending on what the project requires at any given point. It includes anything from managing the relationship with our external vendor, doing project schedules and timelines, and identifying areas of need and pulling people together to resolve questions and give direction back to the vendor to make sure the project stays on time and on budget.

How did you come to work with Drummond St. Strategy?

I had worked with the principal [Drummond St. Strategy owner James Runkle] in a couple of different scenarios in the past. Many years ago, we had crossed paths as colleagues. Then, he went on to work for an agency. I was aware of some of his involvement in higher education. When we knew that we needed someone to help us with our public face and help manage what we needed to do to get through this complete reorganization of our web presence. I went to Drummond because I knew that they were able to not just understand higher ed, but also look at it from a consumer brand perspective.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The current project costs between $10,000 and $50,000. I also have worked with Drummond on some smaller creative executions that have been less than $10,000. All of our projects combined have cost between $50,000 and $200,000 for everything.

What is the status of this engagement?

I brought them in first about a year ago on one specific project and that led to discussions about other ways that they could support the university. That was a small multi-part project. We brought them in on another one that was specifically web landing page content strategy and content marketing project that was maybe a six-week iteration and that was last spring. At the same time, this large project started in April of last year [2015] and is continuing into the fall and into next winter.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I don't have specific metrics because we're still in a prelaunch phase. What I can say is that what they've brought to the project is the organization to be able to explain everything in stakeholder meetings with senior executives. Once a week, we are able to come in and say this is where the project stands. This is what we need to resolve today. That moves it along and that's key. Those senior executives don't want to be bogged down with all the details. Drummond St. has been able to help us with that.

What distinguishes Drummond St. Strategy from other providers?

There isn't a lot of ego or push back. Sometimes, you work with people who are married to their ideas and aren't really interested in having a dialogue. That's not the case with Drummond St. There is no ego involved. Drummond St. Strategy is very client oriented, and they want to understand what your rationale and objectives are. It's always a very rational and respectful conversation about our objectives.

Is there anything Drummond St. Strategy could have improved or done differently?

At this point, I don't have anything that they need to improve on. They're very responsive. That's just what I need – they're responsive, they deliver, and everything goes very smoothly. That's all I can ask for.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We're a community college located in northern New Jersey.

What are your position and responsibilities?

I am the executive director of enrollment management. I am in charge of admissions, financial aid, registration, and college communication.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Drummond St. Strategy?

We were looking to improve our social media campaigns and get more engagement from our community.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

First, Drummond St. looked at the demographic that we were looking to target to determine the best social channels to use. Then James [Runkle, owner of Drummond St. Strategy] worked with us for several months, posting, monitoring, and managing our social media campaigns for us. They also manage our Google Ads campaigns, researching keywords, putting up campaigns, and monitoring campaigns. I gave him a budget, and then he'd manage the budget for me.

How did you come to work with Drummond St. Strategy?

Several years before finding them, I was looking for a marketing company to work with the college. James was part of the marketing company I hired, and I specifically hired them because of James and his background. While we were working together, he called me one day and said that the company was starting to dissolve. It was right at the point we were starting to do the online advertising, and James started his own firm. Choosing him was the obvious decision for us. 

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The cost of the project was in the $10,000 to $15,000 price range.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together for a few years, up to 2014. We haven't worked together since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did Drummond St. Strategy perform from a project management standpoint?

Drummond St. Strategy did an excellent job. The quality of the work was good and drove great results for us. I have total faith in them.

What distinguishes Drummond St. Strategy from other providers?

Drummond St. was very receptive to our needs, and very forthcoming with information. They were fantastic at identifying things that were not successful and adjusting accordingly. We are confident that they're the best out there.

Is there anything Drummond St. Strategy could have improved or done differently?

No. If anything, I wish I had known more. I was so naive to online advertising, I had no choice but to trust him. With another person, I could have been taken advantage of greatly, and I wasn't.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work for a small, private liberal arts college.

What are your position and responsibilities?

I am the director of marketing and operations for enrollment. I am in charge of enrollment management and market research.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Drummond St. Strategy?

We've worked with them on various projects. For the first project, we asked them to help us set up focus groups and then do an analysis after the fact with our prospective and admitted students onsite during some events. The second project was research targeting the members of the guidance counseling community.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

On the first project on campus, Drummond St. conducted focus group research with our prospective visitors and admitted student visitors. We provided the people, but they did work with us beforehand to develop the plan, the timeline, questions, and analysis.

They conducted all of the focus groups themselves, they wrote up the results, and presented an analysis and recommendations for next steps. They did it swiftly and professionally. The information they provided to us was actionable, so we were able to change some of our communications and strategic planning as a result of that.

The second project, a year later, consisted of both an email online survey, as well as in-person focus groups in a couple of different markets with guidance counselors. We provided them with the email lists, and they put together the plan and the timeline. They helped us create the survey. They implemented it, computed the results, came to campus, and gave a presentation with actionable next steps, which we again incorporated.

How did you come to work with Drummond St. Strategy?

Drummond St. is a local business with good references, and they were very competitively priced. The Drummond St. team came to campus numerous times, and they struck us as very capable, trustworthy people. They understood what we were trying to achieve. That's why we chose them.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The two projects combined cost more than $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Both projects have wrapped. The first one was in 2013, and the second one was in 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Based on the results that were presented for the guidance counselor research, we did alter our communications stream to that population. Based on their preferences, we were able to save money. There were direct savings to our budget as a result of our partnership, which more than paid for Drummond St.'s fee. In terms of anecdotal feedback, we got nothing but positive commentary from the guidance community as a result of those changes.

How did Drummond St. Strategy perform from a project management standpoint?

I would say they were superior to others that I've worked with. They're very prompt and have great customer service. We appreciated how they not only turned out the results quickly, but they were thoughtfully done, and they were presented in a way that was very easy to digest for this audience. They actually translated the findings so they became actionable in a very convenient and efficient way.

What distinguishes Drummond St. Strategy from other providers?

I have nothing but positive things to say about our partnership with Drummond St. Strategy. They were extremely dedicated to our projects and very responsive as well. They even worked weekends to guarantee the success of the project.

Is there anything Drummond St. Strategy could have improved or done differently?

Not really.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

In the time that I've collaborated with Drummond St. Strategy, I have worked at a medical college and an arts and science college.

What is your position?

I was an associate dean at both institutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Drummond St. Strategy?

I was looking to increase the number of students interested in our health degree programs. The challenge was to increase the number of applicants to the program.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

For the medical college, Drummond St. Strategy did some market analysis to understand who we were and seeing the advantages that could be leveraged in the marketplace. They also ran a Google AdWords campaign for us and did some web development work as well. They were responsible for strategy, types of audience, geo-demographics, and other features of the ad campaign.

At the arts and science college, Drummond St. Strategy helped us develop our marketing and communication strategy around getting students interested in our college. They did competitive analysis and came up with leveraging strategies, talking with key stakeholders at the college, and then looking at our position within the marketplace. Then they would come up with some suggested strategies and a tagline that we could use. We had budgets to work with, so they gave us a few different option scenarios.

How did you come to work with Drummond St. Strategy?

I knew the principal of Drummond St. Strategy. I worked with him years back, and we always stayed in touch. I knew that our partnership would work, so I asked them to help us out.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The size of the first project was in the $40,000 range. At the arts and science college, the size of the project was around $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The first project was from November 2013 until September 2014. The second project was from October 2014 until April 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The biggest result that I can share is that our enrollments went up by 22 percent in one year in the medical college. That's a huge increase for us. We were very pleased with that.

How did Drummond St. Strategy perform from a project management standpoint?

I'm always in a place where the staff is generally on the smaller side, so if I use a vendor, one of the hardest things is vendor management. Drummond St. Strategy was great with project management, and I could easily follow the progress of various projects. I was looped in weekly or even more frequently if I wanted to be. They were very accessible, so I always felt like everything was moving along quite nicely with various projects. They were always up to date and well organized.

We had certain benchmarks, and they always hit those marks. I was very pleased with that. Drummond St. Strategy is a very creative and attentive group. One of their strengths is that they listen really well, so they're able to really understand the challenge and goal of the project. It feels like they are employees of our company, given the way they acclimate and understand the ethos or culture of the institution that I worked at. People quickly feel comfortable with them, and I think that goes a long way in helping them to understand who we are.

What distinguishes Drummond St. Strategy from other providers?

Drummond St. was great because they weren't trying to push a product or a way of doing business. They looked at our project with the fresh approach that we had to take because it was a new set of problems and challenges. No two colleges are the same, so you have to weave those differences into your plan. I was very pleased with the way they handled things.

Is there anything Drummond St. Strategy could have improved or done differently?

No. If I was displeased with them the first time, I wouldn't use them again. I'm very impatient with vendors. Once you misstep, I don't hire you back. That's my way of doing business.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the owner of Digitalux, a digital marketing agency based out of Hoboken, New Jersey.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Drummond St. Strategy?

We work with them on an ongoing basis whenever we need help with overall strategy/branding for big projects.

What were your goals for this project?

We aim to build out successful marketing strategies with them that grow along with each business.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They have an incredible amount of experience in the industries we work with, they’re always on the cutting edge in terms of knowledge, and they're all very personable, which is why we chose them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We work with them in a variety of ways, but they mainly come in and assist our team in developing strategies based on any given number of research processes.

In this instance, they handled the website rebuild for a university as well as SEO, keyword research, and more, implementing their knowledge into the content. Drummond also assisted with the overall strategy of the website, creating a very comprehensive, step-by-step guide for everyone to follow based on their research, their focus group data, and their conversations with students and faculty members.

It was a massive project that was nearly made from scratch because the university had such an old website. They made everything work seamlessly together, though, which is the beauty of their service. James [Owner & Principal, Drummond St. Strategy] and his team are angels; they’ve worked miracles on some of our projects.

What was the team composition?

I've worked with everyone from their owner all the way to his head designer. They feel so much like a part of our business because they’re basically the core strategy partner. They do everything from strategy to branding and some social media as well. They’ve been able to get everyone to work synergistically.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our combined efforts have led to higher conversions on the university’s website. A large part of this is due to them. Every project we involve Drummond in has been a success and I can’t say enough good things about them.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They’re highly effective in this regard. If we’re tackling a smaller project and the client isn’t familiar with Basecamp or Slack, we use email. If it’s a larger project, it gets broken down into what the client is familiar with. We try to integrate that as seamlessly and efficiently as possible so that everyone knows how it’s organized and how they’re communicating. James will customize a tool based on the client’s current knowledge and needs.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their willingness to see us succeed is remarkable. This isn’t just another agency that wants to collect a check and leave. They're genuinely concerned with helping clients grow to their fullest extent.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None.