Eden Agency - Out of Business

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the assistant marketing manager of Freshly Baked Limited. Our company is the master franchisor for Auntie Anne's in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Auntie Anne's is a retailer of soft, freshly baked pretzels. It's a global brand, but we have the franchise rights for the U.K. and Ireland. We have kiosks and shops in shopping centers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Eden Agency?

We wanted to update and modify our loyalty program. Before, we had a simple loyalty program where people would collect stamps. At the same time, we were thinking about developing an app, so they were able to do that for us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Eden Agency is our digital marketing agency. These days, they host our website and our app. They built our app from scratch, and they update it when required. They were involved in every step of that and gave us advice as they're experienced in the field. Just recently, I worked with Sophie [Hardbattle, new business and marketing manager] – who is my main point of contact at Eden Agency – on a two-year strategic plan for the app. We talked about how we can improve it, gain more registrations, and make a bigger impact in our market. Going forward, we'll probably have a complete update of the app's design to make it look more modern.

I believe Eden Agency developed our website and they look after our social media. If we need any changes to the website, they can do that for us. Eden Agency writes all of the content for our social media, with as much or as little input from us as we like. They come up with ideas and competitions, and they arrange the prizes for online contests. They also address the complaints that come through social media. They think of ways that we can improve and advance our social media platforms and advertising.

How did you come to work with Eden Agency?

Andy [Litherland, managing director of Eden Agency] and Craig [Gilchrist, commercial director of Eden Agency] used to be franchisees of ours, so we had a personal relationship with them. Before they started a marketing agency, they used to have a store up in Newcastle about five years ago [in 2011]. Our managing director made quite good friends with Andy and Craig and kept in contact. When they started Eden Agency, they decided to go and build the app and do digital marketing for us.

How much have you invested with Eden Agency?

We have spent $50,000 to $200,000 on our project with Eden Agency.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our relationship with Eden Agency is ongoing. The partnership started before I joined the company. The website was also developed before my time. They've been looking after the company's social media for about two years. They also built our app two years ago [in 2014].

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Since they've taken over our social media, there's been a steady increase in our followers. It's gaining momentum nicely. We probably do not have specific metrics yet on the website and the app. Generally, we have control of the content that goes out on our website and our app. We haven't made many changes to the website and to the app because of where we are with our budget. Any changes we're going to make to that will probably be done next year. But, I'm sure that when we do make those changes, we'll get good feedback.

How did Eden Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They're always very organized when it comes to meetings. They always have agendas. They would send follow-up notes afterward with timelines and deadlines. Eden Agency is always there at the end of the phone if we need anything. If we want any changes made, it's never a problem. If a company wants them to focus on social media or website hosting, they're happy to take a step back from the project management and guidance role.

What did you find most impressive about Eden Agency?

Eden Agency is very flexible. If you need much guidance and support, then they can do that for you. I would recommend them for businesses of different sizes, from startups to larger companies. Their team has the knowledge and the experience to guide a client and do the job well.

Are there any areas Eden Agency could improve?

I don't think there are any areas that they could improve. I think they've grown quite rapidly during the last couple of years. I'm sure there's going to be lots of new paths they can go down as digital marketing expands and advances. I'm sure they will keep up with that and grow as well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I'm the IT [information technology] administration manager at an airline and holidays company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Eden Agency?

We were looking to build a central application that worked with iBeacons, which was something that they were the leader in the United Kingdom at that time. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

They were part of the whole design phase and build. We came in and did a workshop around concept and design, and they built the end product for us. They worked with us on-site, and we went over to them as well. We did an in-resort visit because we were doing it overseas. We looked into location possibilities, how we could build in maps to guide people around, how iBeacons would trigger this, and how we could position them within resorts to get the best value. Eden Agency also gives it a user-friendly and simple UX [user experience] on the front of it.

How did you come to work with Eden Agency?

I'd met them at a technology fair some time ago. I'd seen some articles that they'd written online and some work that they've done. We just approached them and asked if it was something they could help us with.

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

We've spent $50,000 to $200,000

What is the status of this engagement?

The project was completed in December 2015. They're now working with the mobile marketing team at our company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Their work was very well received, which is why they've been engaged by other areas of the business. We're more than happy with the work Eden Agency has done for us. We're in the stages of figuring out how we want to expand our relationship. Their work was very good and delivered on time. They did everything that they said they would do.

How did Eden Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Perfect – they delivered everything they said they would. They used various tools to keep us informed and well aware of the progress in each stage. If there were any issues on their side or our side, they were in contact straightaway with not only the information, but a proposed solution. It worked well.

What distinguishes Eden Agency from other providers?

Their complete flexibility was differentiator. The team that they had was good and they're very adaptable to change. If we decided that things weren't going the way we wanted, there was no problem. Redesigns were done as quickly, and they had great ideas based on previous projects they had done. They've been very good to work with – very collaborative.

Is there anything Eden Agency could have improved or done differently?

No, I don't think so. They did everything that we asked of them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Curtis Furniture Ltd is a leading United Kingdom manufacturer of hotel furniture.

What is your role at the company?

I am the marketing manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Eden Agency?

We needed a new search-engine-optimized company website to replace a very old, static website.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Eden Agency provided us with a new website on Umbraco. They worked with us to determine our site strategy and larger SEO goals. Together, we figured out what terms we wanted to capture and what type of content we wanted to publicize in order to do so. They walked us through the SEO strategy and continue to provide SEO support.

How did you come to work with Eden Agency?

We began by searching for agencies online and held initial face-to-face meetings with the companies that we felt fit the bill. Three agencies in total pitched to us with written proposals and in-person presentations. Eden Agency won the pitch because they delivered the most comprehensive solution and demonstrated their collaborative approach to working with clients. We were very impressed.

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

Total cost was between $10,000 and $50,000

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted five months. It began in September of 2014 and the site was launched in February of 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Our site is in the top three search results for the top 10 search terms that we want to capture. Of those 10 terms, we capture the first spot for eight of them. We are very pleased.

How did Eden Agency perform from a project management perspective?

They were great. They were efficient, responsive, and keen to share their knowledge and expertise in order to teach us and make the project successful.

What distinguishes Eden Agency from other providers?

Eden Agency was eager to share their knowledge for the good of the project. They were more like a partner than a service provider. I have worked with agencies that are evasive so as to give the impression that things are more complex than they are. It was nice to work with an honest and genuine company.

In hindsight, are there areas in which they could improve or things you might do differently?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Fund Solutions is part of the Capita Asset Services business. We are a transfer agency and fund accounting business, currently looking after £60 billion [approximately $87 billion] worth of assets under management.

What is your position?

I am the IT [information technology] director.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Eden Agency?

We have a very high profile financial client that was looking to move one of their service channels into the digital space. They also needed some backend work done for a product that they were going to launch. It's quite a traditional company, and we needed to bring their business into the digital space and reduce some of that friction in the process.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

We have a very big internal development team that is focused on cloud-based services and integration, but we have not ever made traction on attractive CSS user journey, front-end HTML5 development. We employed Eden Agency to create a rich user experience that can be digested by front-end users easily. We also needed them to incorporate the back-end and integration services that we had written to create a holistic experience. They constructed the full user journey, the look, the feel and the structure of the product.

How did you come to work with Eden Agency?

I've used them in the past on previous projects with other companies. They are very trusted pairs of hands and were an obvious choice because they're very hard working and committed.

What is the status of this engagement?

We're about three weeks away from going live with our main delivery stage but, for now, we're working on some iterations. We're working very closely with this organization to make sure they're very happy, and Eden Agency has been a huge part in that process.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The main user is the corporate user, and they're very pleased with it. We've transformed a paper-based process into a digital process and have reduced the friction of the process considerably. We're now able to use advanced analytics to understand how the process is being used so we can hone it. It's good stuff.

How did Eden Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We actually managed the project because it was so large, and Eden Agency was a work stream within it. They were very tight with their management and worked in a very iterative, agile way. They were very engaged and hands-on, which helps avoid ambiguity and is what we wanted. They worked with our methodology and tools and provided us access to their tools so we could understand what they were doing.

What distinguishes Eden Agency from other providers?

They are very imaginative. My development team thinks in squares and in black and white, but Eden Agency brought in shape, color, and imagination. It's been a joy to watch them bring the UX [user experience] design to life. Eden Agency helped us re-imagine how we could present the product and helped us understand what would be best for the feel of the end user. They weren't just writing what we told them to write, they actually came in and contributed to the thinking and design process. That was a big differentiator.

Is there anything Eden Agency could have improved or done differently?

Not particularly. They've been pretty good. I'm sure there'll be some findings when we reflect on the project, but other than that, it's hard to fault them at the minute.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I work at an international fertilizer company.

What is your position?

I am the services manager of precision agriculture digital tools.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Eden Agency?

We wanted to provide apps for our end users on mobile and tablet devices. We needed developers for iOS, Android, and Windows platforms.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Eden Agency wrote the code for the applications and helped us launch them in their respective app stores. They also integrated the apps with our databases and the mobile web services that we provide to phones in the field. They've written five applications for us so far that are all mainstream within the app stores. We have also used them for some internal apps that we wanted developed.

How did you come to work with Eden Agency?

I started working with them when their company first started, and the founders had just finished university. I wanted to give them a chance, and I think I was their first customer back in 2011. They actually did a very good job on the first project so, the next year, we had them build two more apps, and the relationship went from there.

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

The cost was between $10,000 to $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We are not currently working on any projects with them because we are going through some internal changes. We're hanging back before we start more projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The five apps that they have worked on for us are all completed. Our most successful is the CheckIT app, which has been downloaded more than 70,000 times in multiple countries. Since our company is international, we are involved in many countries, and Eden Agency has spent a lot of time getting the user experience right in the native languages of the various countries that we operate in.

How did Eden Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They work on the agile methodology. They work very rapidly to produce the product rather than planning a long project. Initially, they didn't have graphic design and other folks in-house, but they've since grown and now have all the necessary resources on their team. Eden Agency's graphic design and UX [user experience] are really top-notch.

What distinguishes Eden Agency from other providers?

They're very responsive, and we have a great working relationship. If there are any issues or problems, I can get on the phone, and they'll fix it right away. They always get right on the case and allocate resources to fix any issues that have been identified very quickly.

Is there anything Eden Agency could have improved or done differently?

Not really. In the early days, some of the graphical UI [user interface] could have improved a little bit, but now, with the resources they've got in place, that side of it is much better now.