Firebelly Marketing

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I worked with Firebelly Marketing while I was the director of marketing for a local franchise of a restaurant chain.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We needed additional support to manage our social media channels and make our brand more relevant in the minds of customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our goal with this engagement was to improve our online reputation since, as a restaurant franchise, we often saw customer complaints. Prior to hiring Firebelly Marketing, I’d been handling everything by myself, but we needed help to refocus our branding and spend our marketing dollars more effectively. Their team managed the year’s promotional posts on the Facebook pages for all 18 of our franchise locations and also ran the promotions on Twitter for us. In addition, they handled customer service requests and performed sentiment analysis of any replies that came through our social media channels.

What is the team composition?

We worked with their CEO initially, then with the senior social media director, who served as our project manager.

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

They were referred to me by our company’s president, who’d already met with them before I came on board. I met with their CEO again and found that their size and flexibility meshed well with our needs when it came to social media management. They also offered a reasonable cost.

How much have you invested with them?

The total fee cost over the three-year period was $43,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement took place from September 2009–August 2012.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When I first came in, we didn’t have many metrics in place for gauging our success in numerical terms. After hiring Firebelly Marketing, we saw increased visibility and engagement on our pages, as well as increased foot traffic in our restaurants. Managing the data became much easier. It’s still hard to determine the impact overall, but in looking at the results for each individual location, we can tell that the marketing work has had a positive impact.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

I had weekly and monthly calls with our project manager to make sure we stayed in sync and covered everything on our editorial calendar. The line of communication was always open since social media is highly reactive. They were constantly attentive to any changes to our accounts and reacting to customer behavior. When it came to content, their biggest challenge was learning how to understand the restaurant business. They were eager to learn and helped teach me more about social media management in return, which made for a solid collaborative relationship.

From a reporting standpoint, there was always fine-tuning. It wasn’t their fault; we needed to determine the right KPIs to measure, which is difficult within the restaurant space. It was relatively easy to see correlations between a digital media promo offer and increased sales, but it was harder to determine the effectiveness for more intangible qualities like customer satisfaction.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They understand the social media space and were able to effectively help us manage some very complex and difficult marketing. We had 18 locations that all needed to strike a balance between local authenticity and broader brand presence, and Firebelly Marketing handled the work admirably. They helped us identify the best structure for pushing brand communication through on a local level and kept an eye on local community events we could attend to maintain visibility.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Their team is highly knowledgeable, but it’s sometimes hard for them to showcase the value of that knowledge through reports. There are so many variables when it comes to social media marketing, many of which aren’t under our control, and it can be difficult to understand which data we need to consider when changing our strategy in response to customer actions. It’s really critical for a marketing agency to have the right tools to quickly showcase how they’re bringing value to a client.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I can’t think of anything else to add.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of corporate communications at a franchise of pizza restaurants.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We launched a new restaurant concept and we were looking for someone to help us manage our social media.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They collaborate with us in planning our social media postings, which usually go up three times per week. Our in-house graphics department will often supply food photography, for example, and they will incorporate that into the posts. Sometimes, they create content and do some graphics work for us. They also respond to questions and comments we receive via social media. We used Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram from the beginning and, later in the relationship, we added Snapchat and LinkedIn.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact with them is through our assigned social media manager.

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

I did an Internet search looking for a social media company and interviewed several companies. During our initial meeting, Firebelly offered a lot of fun ideas that felt the most in line with our brand.

How much have you invested with them?

We have probably invested right around $40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in February 2017 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our company has been around since 1972, but a while back we went away from what we call “quick-service restaurants.” This launch was all about bringing that back. We hadn’t been in the general sit-down dining restaurant public for a number of years and it was absolutely amazing to see the response we received over Facebook. We also advertise in the surrounding areas via Facebook and when we launched, we had people driving from fifty miles or more just to come to this restaurant. The reach of social media was pretty amazing to us.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve thought up some big ideas with crazy deadlines and we’ve never had any kind of issue with them in terms of remaining organized, staying on top of the work, and delivering the completed tasks on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been in this business a long time and I’ve noticed that a lot of companies are happy to take your ideas and run with them, but they aren’t willing to put ideas out there. Firebelly brings many fresh ideas to the table and we’ve experienced a lot of success with them. That impressed me the most when we first met.

Their availability also impressed me. Restaurants are open long hours and we’ve had issues come up on social media at 10 p.m. on a Saturday and they have made themselves available for that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have a good answer for that because we’ve got such a good fit with them right now.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be open to new ideas and someone bringing new things to your brand. This was important for us because we’ve been around for so long and had a fixed perception of ourselves. Having someone else see our brand in a new and exciting way has really helped us grow.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of Air-Tan. We offer an airbrush tan from a technician that actually applies their hand to the skin to create a natural looking tan.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

I've always been more focused on social media than traditional marketing, so I was interested in hiring a company with expertise in that area to help guide us with best practices.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We are on pretty much every social media platform, so they helped us create content and calendars geared towards awareness of the business. They also helped us promote things that our clients would be interested in, such as contests. They originally responded to any questions or comments that came in through social media as well (customer service) however, we are now handling that internally.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with their senior social media manager.

How did you come to work with Firebelly Marketing?

I reached out to three different companies that then submitted proposals. I felt like I got along with Firebelly best and they were in the right price range.

How much have you invested with them?

I have spent around $24,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

I worked with them from January 2014–December 2014, but I will engage with them every so often as new algorithms come up or if I have some questions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It's hard to quantify, but I feel that Firebelly really helped us grow awareness of our salon, especially as we have expanded to multiple locations. They didn’t just put content out there, they had a lot of strategies and ideas that I would never have known how to implement that really helped us expand our social media presence.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great and very easy to work with. They were very organized and if I ever had any questions I would get a response back right away. Timelines were always pretty tight, but everything seemed to be run very efficiently. We talked over phone and emailed, and even had in-person meetings as needed. They would also provide me with reports detailing social media engagements, which were very helpful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The knowledge that they have about placing ads, contests, and everything else was really impressive. I really enjoyed working with them because of their expertise, and it’s why I continue to engage them from time to time.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m sure everyone has something they could improve, but I can’t think of anything that stuck out about Firebelly that needs to be changed. They were very responsive and competent.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When you are organizing calendars it is helpful to have a strong knowledge about your business and give them feedback as they create content. I didn’t do that at first, but when I did I felt like the engagement improved all around.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m director of national sales for Upland Brewing Company. We’re a small craft brewery in Indiana and we sell beer predominantly in the Midwest. We’ve expanded distribution across the country over the past couple of years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Firebelly Marketing?

We initially hired them to do an audit of our social media channels. Our bigger challenge is that because we’re really small, we don't have representatives in each new market as we expand. We needed to create a program to engage key influencers through social media.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In terms of the audit, they went through all of our social media channels to determine what was and wasn’t working. They made some recommendations on how to better utilize our channels. The channels we use most are Twitter and Instagram, with some content on Facebook and Snapchat.

The main focus has been the influencer engagement. We gave them a list of our new markets: California, Texas, Colorado, NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Together we went through and identified the biggest influencers in craft beer, which they then separated out by the different channels. We focus on small batch, sour beers, so they were looking to pinpoint craft beer influencers who were talking about our specific style of beer. We had some connections to other breweries in each area but they really helped identify smaller ones within each region.

Firebelly developed an outreach program that they put in place before we launch in each market. They identify 10–15 influencers and 5–10 key social media accounts. They reach out to them on behalf of Upland and invite them to different launch events that we're hosting. The idea is for them to do the work in advance in order to have a good number of influencers actually show up at each event.

What is the team composition?

I work with Duncan (CEO, Firebelly Marketing).

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $75,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2016 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re definitely seeing more brand awareness. We actually see as many social posts coming out of California as we see in our home state of Indiana. There’s been an uptick in the online conversation about our brand in general, but we're also seeing an increase in those geographic regions where Firebelly focused their efforts.

It’s been great to see the response at our launch events in some of the best beer markets in the country. By engaging the influencers online in advance of the launch events, Firebelly gets them to not only attend the event but participate in interviews as well. Many of them also post on their own blogs or social networks, which then creates content for us as we’re building out in those markets. That’s exactly what we were hoping to get out of this engagement. In some of these markets, the sales have exceeded expectations. The return has been very worth the investment.

How did Firebelly Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Duncan's built a very good team. They're very responsive whenever we need something. They’re extraordinarily nimble. The beer industry is always changing and we made a lot of changes from our initial scope of work. We originally thought we would do more of the work in Indiana, but we realized those new markets were more important. They were very nimble and able to respond to what we needed. They’re so easy to work with. I can call Duncan and have a meeting within an hour. They do a great job of making sure the time spent working together is valuable for everybody.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve basically become an extension of our company. I have a great rapport with everybody at Firebelly. I've worked with other agencies where we end up butting heads, but working with them is very seamless. They deliver added value, not extra work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I always think agencies can improve their understanding of the craft beer industry. Obviously, it's tough for any agency to have as deep a knowledge of the industry as we do, so I definitely appreciate that Firebelly brought their staff down to the brewery for a tasting. The better they understand our industry, and how quickly it can change, is great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to their ideas. The ideas might feel a little bit uncomfortable at first, but trust that they know what they're doing. Allow them to lead the way because this is their area of expertise. As an outside agency, they can really help you see your brand in a new way.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CMO of a solar charging furniture manufacturer

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Manufactures solar charging furniture for outdoor classrooms and work spaces

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Firebelly Marketing to accomplish?

• Create more qualified leads
• Increase brand awareness

SOLUTION

How did you find Firebelly Marketing?

Worked in past

Why did you select Firebelly Marketing over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned
• Past performance and relationships

How many teammates from Firebelly Marketing were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Targeting specific audiences who have interests in sustainability, campus planning, landscape architecture, smart cities.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Increased quality leads while maintaining low CPL. Sales increased.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Best response rate, representation and knowledge of social media of any agency I've worked with.

What was your primary form of communication with Firebelly Marketing?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The entire team is extremely personable and check in with me.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Firebelly Marketing could have done differently?

No. The one thing I wanted improvement on was the report sent to me and it was immediately updated to fit our needs.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am our E-commerce content manager who also handles our social media presence.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Firebelly Marketing?

We hired Firebelly to help promote and manage our socail media ads and grow our audience. We have also used them to produce short video clips.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We decided on Firebelly as they were well reviewed, local to the midwest like us and had a competitive price point for their services.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After the initial meeting Firebelly helped us set a new plan for our social media ads. Each month they review and we asses the plan for the upcoming month.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We have worked with Samatha she is our point of contact. We also have worked with Bryce for our footage and Katie. Everyone is great!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are seeing growth year over year. We are super have with the results we are seeing.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Wonderful! They're the best company we deal with on a regular basis.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their creativity with our audience. Samantha always has great copy that ties in perfectly to our business. Ours is hard for many outsiders to grasp without the experience so this has been key in our success.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No, very happy.