Group 8A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Chief marketing Officer of Valyou furniture

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Furniture ecommerce brand 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Group 8A to accomplish?

• Affiliate Management
• Public Relations
• Partner Management

SOLUTION

How did you find Group 8A?

Referral

Why did you select Group 8A over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Group 8A were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Our collaboration with Group 8A focused on expanding Valyou Furniture’s brand awareness, enhancing our SEO through strategic referral domains, and amplifying our media exposure. Group 8A was chosen for their competitive pricing, cultural alignment, and values that resonate with our strategic objectives, making them an ideal partner.

Group 8A is not just any affiliate management firm; they are strategic partners who are committed to our long-term success. Their comprehensive services include analyzing our media opportunities, enhancing domain authority, identifying relevant media outlets, developing tailored pitch strategies, managing media relations, coordinating product placements, and providing detailed reports with strategic recommendations for future actions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In addition to traditional PR and affiliate management, we employ a multichannel strategy that includes Google Ads, Facebook Ads, email marketing, and CTV, among others. For example, while Facebook ads convert at about 0.03%, and Google ads at 0.6%, the PR-driven traffic we’ve achieved through Group 8A’s efforts, tracked via Google Analytics, shows an impressive 2.3% conversion rate. This has become one of our main revenue drivers each month.

From our early days as a startup in a small store in Kapolei, Hawaii, with monthly earnings of $35K, we have grown into a nationwide online furniture retailer with 6 retail locations and a monthly revenue of $3.5 million. The PR and affiliate strategies managed by Group 8A contribute to more than a quarter of our revenue, underscoring the effectiveness of these approaches.

Their deep understanding of our scaling needs and their unique positioning make Group 8A indispensable to our team. For any company seeking a clear roadmap to data-driven results, strategic delivery, and substantial revenue growth, I highly recommend Group 8A’s services.

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

Group 8A has expertly automated our reporting processes on ShareASale, ensuring that we receive timely, detailed insights without manual intervention. This automation streamlines the monitoring of our affiliate performance, providing us with weekly updates that highlight key metrics and trends. Additionally, Group 8A maintains weekly touchpoints with our team, fostering clear and continuous communication. These sessions are crucial for aligning our strategies and making real-time adjustments to our campaigns. This blend of automated reporting and regular personal interactions ensures that our affiliate strategies are not only informed by the latest data but also meticulously tailored to meet our evolving business needs.

What was your primary form of communication with Group 8A?

Virtual Meeting

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

I was most impressed by Group 8A’s extensive network and their deep understanding of revenue generation. Their contacts within journalism and leading publications, paired with a robust rolodex of tech partners, position them uniquely in the industry. This network not only accelerates our media coverage and enhances our brand visibility but also optimizes our tech-driven marketing strategies. Their profound knowledge of revenue generation is evident in the way they seamlessly integrate affiliate management with PR, significantly boosting our profitability through strategic, data-driven approaches. This comprehensive expertise and connectivity make Group 8A a standout partner in driving business growth and operational success.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Group 8A could have done differently?

Everything they did was perfect 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at a SaaS Company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a Telecommunications Company 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Group 8A to accomplish?

• Grow Affiliate Marketing Sales

SOLUTION

How did you find Group 8A?

Email

Why did you select Group 8A over others?

Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from Group 8A were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Group8 was tasked with scaling and growing our Commission Junction affiliate marketing program. Their scope of work included implementing strategies to expand our affiliate network, optimizing campaign performance, and enhancing overall program efficiency. By leveraging their expertise, Group8 aimed to drive increased traffic, improve conversion rates, and strengthen partnerships within the affiliate ecosystem to maximize our program's reach and profitability.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Group8 was engaged to help scale and grow our Commission Junction affiliate marketing program, with the goal of expanding our affiliate network, optimizing campaign performance, and enhancing overall program efficiency. However, over the course of three months, no meaningful work was completed in our account. Only one affiliate was added, and two different account representatives were assigned to our account, resulting in a disorganized approach. Ultimately, the work performed provided no measurable value and fell far short of expectations.

As a small business, we had high hopes that Group8 would help us grow our Commission Junction affiliate marketing program. Unfortunately, they fell far short of expectations. I wouldn't recommend Group 8A to any Small Business. 

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

Over the course of four months, our account was managed by two different representatives, leading to a lack of continuity and focus. This frequent turnover resulted in disorganization and a failure to deliver any meaningful outcomes.

What was your primary form of communication with Group 8A?

Virtual Meeting

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

There was nothing impressive about the experience once the sales process concluded. We engaged them to scale and grow our Commission Junction affiliate marketing program, expecting professionalism and results. Instead, over four months, we saw no meaningful progress. The account was poorly managed, with two different representatives transitioning in and out, causing disorganization and a lack of continuity. Only one affiliate was added to our account during this time, and internal communication was clearly lacking. To make matters worse, they failed to deliver on their commitments but still expected payment for work that was not completed. Once the sales process was over, it became evident that there was little value or effort behind their services. We would not recommend their services to anyone seeking effective and reliable affiliate marketing support.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Group 8A could have done differently?

Effective communication is essential to keeping clients informed. However, with two different agents transitioning on our account and only one affiliate added to our CJ account, it was clear that internal communication broke down. Not only did they fail to deliver on commitments, but they also expected payment for work that was not completed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of an ecommerce company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Online e-commerce business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Group 8A to accomplish?

• Affiliate/Influencer Marketing
• PPC Articles

SOLUTION

How did you find Group 8A?

Cold Call

Why did you select Group 8A over others?

Slick Sales

How many teammates from Group 8A were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The goal was to bring in new revenue through influencers, primarily on an affiliate basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Absolute failure. In 6 months they failed to generate a single sale or increase in traffic or brand awareness. Their sales person pushed hard for a 12 month contract, stating that we would see "ROI within 5 weeks" yet after 6 months we had only three pieces of actual content generated, none of which were significant.

They took a shotgun approach of just reaching out to everyone and running with whoever responded, rather than being strategic. We did one of experiment with a PPC article placement, that ended up being published with a number of dead links and with a publication that doesn't align with our brand.

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

Things moved extremely slow. It was common to mean every two weeks and not have any meaningful updates, but a lot of "we think we have a good lead".

That expectation was absolutely not set by their sales person or initial project lead.

What was your primary form of communication with Group 8A?

Virtual Meeting

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

Nothing. I would not recommend them to anyone, particularly small businesses.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Group 8A could have done differently?

Set expectations appropriately, don't over promise or attempt to lock customers in for 12 months, put your money where your mouth is and lower the monthly fees and take a larger commission if you truly believe your team can generate revenue.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a marketing director at an in-home connected fitness equipment company that sells its products online, in addition to retail, wholesale, and commercial settings. We are an international company still in our startup years, and focused on building our D2C segment through efficient performance marketing efforts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Group 8A, and what were your goals?

We hired Group 8A on an ongoing basis to manage our digital marketing campaigns. This has evolved over the span of our partnership, but in general has touched content and ad creation; campaign setup, management, and optimization; web optimization consultation; aggregated business reporting; growth proposals.

SOLUTION

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

I wasn't with the company when Group 8A was selected.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

Group 8A generall provides a digital strategy on a quarterly basis focused on constant optimization to reach the business's efficiency requirements, but also proposing areas of growth. Their approach for growth into new channels is to research, conservatively test, optimize, and scale/pause depending on performance. We have seen stable and predictable performance through their program management.

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

We work consistently with two client-facing contacts and have periodic meetings with other managers that work with email/SMS, affiliate programs, etc.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Group 8A has done a great job managing to our business requirements, which is not an easy task given markets are always shifting.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have regular calls and email threads that are very productive in moving the business forward. We've moved and shifted schedules through the years to accomodate different economies and business requirements without issues.

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

We have a relationship with our partners at Group 8A that is really trusting and also feels like a friendship. The services are very personalized, with attention to detail.

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

n/a

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a leading apparel and fashion company and i am a partner and the COO of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Group 8A, and what were your goals?

We hired them to build and manage our performance marketing for our leading brand and the goal were to achieve fast and economic growth

SOLUTION

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

We asked people we know for recommendations, we interview few vendors asked for reference customers and proposals

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

The work was initially focused on performance marketing and gradually expand to a full service including influencer marketing, affiliate marketing, website design and development, email marketing, SMS marketing and they become a full and integral partner in any decision

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

The account manager, the affiliate /influencer manager, email/SMS manager and website design/development

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Generally speaking we experienced with their support exponential growth while watching very carefully the economic aspects and still being able to be profitable.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were integral part of our team, and in certain aspects they took a leading positions. Their communication and management skills are amazing.

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

Their ability to be an integral part of the project while taking initiatives and leads in key areas and be a true partner all the way.

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

i couldn't ask more !!!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of a children's literacy organization, and we produce educational letters and craft items for children on a weekly basis.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Group 8A?

We were looking to generate more awareness for our service and products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We engaged Group 8A to provide us with digital marketing. They managed our Google and Facebook ads, and identified the best target demographic to create branding messages that resonate well.

They also helped with our email and affiliate marketing efforts.

What is the team composition?

We came across Group 8A through a reference from another agency.

How did you come to work with Group 8A?

Our main contact points were the VP, account manager, Facebook Ads specialist, and Google Ads specialist.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in July 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I'm happy with all the upfront work they've devoted to the campaign and while it's too early to give any metrics, the team is trending in the right direction concerning the project.

How did Group 8A perform from a project management standpoint?

They provide great value with their organizational skills, but they could maybe they could speed up the process more.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very personable, and I like that they seem to care about me and the company's growth. They consistently reassure me that what they're providing me is the best fit so overall, my experience has been good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would like it if they provide a little more transparency when it comes to the project timelines.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President of Sales of 1822 Denim

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Women's wholesale apparel

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Group 8A to accomplish?

• Increase our social following
• Increase ecomm revenue

SOLUTION

How did you find Group 8A?

Online Search

Why did you select Group 8A over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Group 8A were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We used G8A for paid search and social.  Through a series of testing, G8A was quickly able to identify revenue opportunities. We had a small monthly budget which they closely monitored and adjusted to make sure it was used efficiently. They helped push monthly promotions we had on our ecommerce site and managed ads on our social channels.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had increased sales with our budgets for search and social.

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

 From our initial call, the entire team was very friendly and genuinely interested in learning about our business. The team was extremely responsive, collaborative, and creative.

What was your primary form of communication with Group 8A?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The entire team was a pleasure to work with.  We had a small monthly budget which they maximized.  I felt like they really understood the DNA of the brand.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Group 8A could have done differently?

No.  

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Vice President, Performance Marketing of an ecommerce company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We sell pajamas and sleepwear. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Group 8A to accomplish?

• Drive revenue
• Improve ROI

SOLUTION

How did you find Group 8A?

Referral

Why did you select Group 8A over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Group 8A were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We had recently been acquired and were transitioning ecommerce platforms. We had to rebuild our digital infrastructure and grow the business. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to improve our ROAS and increase our awareness.

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

We worked hand in hand with Group 8A. All parties understood the deadlines and needs, and they were very communicative during the process.

What was your primary form of communication with Group 8A?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They are nimble and think outside of their core areas. For example, they were hired to execute our paid media strategy, and we held long discussions about business strategies, challenges, and how to grow the business in channels they weren't responsible for. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Group 8A could have done differently?

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Business Development of Valley Forge Flag

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Manufacturer of American flags

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Group 8A to accomplish?

• Build and develop a Direct to Consumer website.
• Launch website
• Digital marketing, including paid search and social.

SOLUTION

How did you find Group 8A?

Referral

Why did you select Group 8A over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Group 8A were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Shopify theme selection

Full site build

Integration with Meta, Klayvio, Gorgias

Ad builds and testing

Growth strategies and guidance

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Met development budget.

Met launch schedule.

Meeting marketing goals.

ROAS based. Establishing KPI's with custom dashboard tracking.

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

Always on time and within budget.

Excellent communicators and collaborators.

What was your primary form of communication with Group 8A?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They always kept it professional while enjoying the development process.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Group 8A could have done differently?

If anything, more detail in the SOW that could be shared with those in our company that had limited knowledge of a website build and launch.