FastRock

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former marketing director of TeamRock, an international media company that owned print publications, websites, and radio stations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FastRock?

We were launching a new product and focusing on driving our digital subscribers to online content. We had quite an established list already, but we wanted to take our subscribers on a new journey by releasing this product. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to run a marketing campaign across all channels and with some of our partners. We shared our requirements with FastRock and explained our audience demographic and goals as far as KPIs [key performance indicators]. They did everything, coming up with the concepts and multiple versions of creatives for the campaign. They helped with copywriting and translating content across all the different channels and platforms, including coming into pitch to myself and other members of the board so that we could look at the options. They helped with art direction, handled issues on-site, and made sure everything ran smoothly throughout the whole process.

What is the team dynamic?

Chris [Creative Director and Co-Founder, FastRock] and Ian [Creative Director and Co-Founder, FastRock] managed the campaigns and delivery. They came up with all the concepts and design work for the hundreds of assets that we needed. Once the campaign finished, we did a second around the promotion of the radio station. We worked with Chris and Ian on that too because the board was so impressed with the first project.

How did you come to work with FastRock?

Chris and Ian previously worked on some media film titles we were associated with, and they’d both won awards for their work. I knew of their reputation and approached them about this project for TeamRock. Some of the brands they worked on were Empire Magazine, Q Magazine, Kerrang!, etc. They have lots of experience working with media and film, and that’s why we wanted to use them for this project. We looked at a couple of marketing agencies but didn’t feel that any of them had the required experience. Some of FastRock’s previous work stood out way above the other agencies.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $40,000 and $50,000 a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2015, and the work was completed in June 2015. Aside from the campaign, they handled the design for marketing assets from April 2013 to July 2015.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had KPIs around customer acquisition, and we set conversion rates against that. Everything they completed for us went way above the KPIs we set. Their work exceeded all the expectations we had. They also went above and beyond by doing split testing for us. When we thought a page ad or online ad could be improved, we wanted to do copy testing or testing with different photographs. They completed all of that work for us and increased the conversion rates even further. According to our festival partner with whom we ran the on-site ad campaign, when we got the posts and tests for analysis from the audience, we were the second most memorable brand.

How did FastRock perform from a project management standpoint?

They were fantastic with communication and hitting deadlines. Because we have so many different media outlets—radio stations, online sites, and magazines—we had multiple deadlines on a weekly basis. Chris and Ian consistently ensured we hit those deadlines, working late and getting up early.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We had a lot of art directors within the business already, so we had some concern around making sure personalities could work together. FastRock integrated easily with our business. They worked seamlessly with our art directors and made them excited about their concepts. That was a big consideration for me. I absolutely trusted them to present to our clients and attend meetings we had with our partners. Their personalities meant that we could rely on them to build a rapport with the people we wanted to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work in the brand and design department for a part of a global conservation organization. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FastRock?

We were looking to do some generic brand advertising, which we hadn’t done in quite some time in the U.K. We wanted to create something that would encourage people to find out more about us, but we didn’t have a specific call to action. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FastRock presented a whole range of ideas and really challenged our traditional thinking about what the advertising should look like. From there, we ran a campaign for which they did all the creatives. They turned the campaign around within days, and we managed to get it on about 50,000 sites across London. We got great value out of the initial piece of creative and have repurposed it for other things as well.

We work with Ian [Creative Director and Co-Founder, FastRock] and Chris [Creative Director and Co-Founder, FastRock], who are both super creative and challenging in the right way. A lot of the stuff that we do is last minute, and their turnaround time is incredibly fast. They are always happy to produce ideas and are great guys to work with.

How did you come to work with­ FastRock?

At the time, we were looking at a lot of agencies. FastRock was introduced to us by a new colleague who had worked extensively with them and had a great experience. FastRock shared some great ideas, and we started working with them from there. The difference with FastRock was that they could show us their abilities and deliver reliably as well.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with FastRock in late 2015. Our relationship is ongoing, and we are very happy with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We didn’t have any negative responses to the campaign, and we really liked the work FastRock did for us. We received good feedback on it, particularly when we ran it in a competition.

How did FastRock perform from a project management standpoint?

FastRock was absolutely awesome, particularly since they have moved to the U.S. Generally, we struggle to get things done in the mornings here, but we can ship stuff over to them late in the day and get it back first thing in the morning. Even when they were in the U.K., their turnaround time was quick. They are nimble and really accommodating in terms of meeting our deadlines.

What did you find the most impressive about them?

I really appreciate their creativity, ability to think outside of the box, and understanding of where our organization is coming from. They showed us such a wide range of creatives; we had a bit of a struggle to make a selection, which is something we rarely have to do.

Because we are in the charity sector, we are quite complicated in the sense that we are a scientific organization trying to share difficult messaging. Sometimes, as an organization, we struggle to work out the best way to explain this information to the general public. Our messaging is complicated, but FastRock just got us. Ian and Chris went the extra mile to make sure that the work was pristine and met our needs and budget.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I and others who've worked with FastRock absolutely love them. We really enjoy working with them.