Group 8A

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

Introduce your business and your position there.:
I represent a consumer brand and oversee marketing and growth initiatives, including digital advertising and agency partnerships.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with the vendor?
We were looking for external support to assist with paid media management and campaign optimization across our advertising channels.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of the vendor's involvement?
Their work included managing advertising campaigns, reviewing performance, and supporting testing initiatives across the platforms we were using.

What was the team composition?
We primarily interacted with an account lead along with members of their paid media team who were involved in campaign management and reporting.

How did you come to work with this vendor?
 We were introduced through the agency search process and engaged them after discussions around their approach and capabilities.

How much have you invested in them?
The engagement involved agency service fees along with the associated advertising spend during the campaign period.

What is the status of this engagement?
The engagement has concluded.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Campaigns were launched and testing was conducted during the engagement. Performance metrics were monitored throughout the period to evaluate campaign activity and efficiency.

How did their team perform from a project management standpoint?
The team maintained a regular communication cadence with updates and discussions around campaign activity and performance.

What did you find most impressive about this company?
They presented a structured approach to managing paid media campaigns and demonstrated familiarity with the advertising platforms.

Are there any areas for improvement?
Clear alignment on expectations, timelines, and optimization processes can always help ensure smoother collaboration during engagements.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
It’s helpful to define goals, reporting expectations, and communication cadence early in the engagement to ensure alignment throughout the project.

UPDATED REVIEW

Eddie Castillo
CMO, Furniture RetailerRetail

West Hollywood, California

11-50

Jan 2026 - Jan 2026

$10,000 to $49,999

Verified

Project summary
Group 8A provided paid media services for a furniture retailer. The team handled the budget and spend controls, active monitoring and intervention, testing rigor, strategic allocation, and loss mitigation.

Feedback summary
Group 8A's mismanagement of the paid media account resulted in lost revenue. The team failed to implement the proposed disciplined testing structure, resulting in excessive spending on underperforming ads. Moreover, they didn't reallocate the budget as instructed, causing further losses.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CMO of a furniture retailer offering premium modular sofas, sectional couches, and loveseats. We have collections for home, living room, bedroom, and office, available online and in-store.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Group 8A for paid media.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Group 8A was responsible for budget discipline and spend controls, ensuring ads didn't run unchecked into significant spending without return. They also handled active monitoring and intervention, identifying clear underperformance and taking action promptly. Their team was responsible for testing rigor, running controlled tests, pausing losers, rotating variants, and scaling winners with intent. 
Group 8A also handled strategic allocation, reallocating spending away from failing structures and toward the best-performing channels and setups. Lastly, they were responsible for loss mitigation, protecting client capital when performance signals showed waste.

What is the team composition?

We worked with one teammate from Group 8A.

How did you come to work with Group 8A?

Group 8A was referred to me.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $ 6,500 with hidden fees 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in January 2026.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We lost revenue due to overspending and mismanagement of the paid media account. We were proposed a disciplined testing structure where ads would be evaluated quickly, and non-performers would be rotated out early. The explicit concept was that roughly $100 would be sufficient to determine whether an ad structure was viable before scaling. 
That safeguard never occurred.Instead, multiple ads ran for extended periods with zero conversions while spending far beyond the proposed testing range — in several cases reaching approximately $500–$800 and, in some instances, exceeding $1,000 per ad. When these ads failed to convert, they weren't paused within a reasonable test window. 
Rather than reallocating away from the failing structures, the budget was adjusted to place more money into the same low-performing structures, compounding the loss.These issues were raised multiple times during the engagement and weren't corrected. 
The outcome was measurable harm: Meta ROAS declined from approximately 5.0 to 2.3 in under a month, and Google spend remained misaligned despite explicit prior alignment that this channel imbalance was inefficient and financially harmful.

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

Group 8A had horrible communication and management.

What did you find most impressive or unique about them?

I was impressed by their ability to propose and sell a service to brands that are small retailers or stores.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were too many things to count.

Overall rating:    1.0
Overspent Budget & Collapsed Sales

Quality:    1.0

Cost:    1.0
Not worth it!

Schedule:    1.0

Willing to refer:    1.0
Never will refer them

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner of an online gun store based in Lincoln, Nebraska. We offer a wide selection of firearms and accessories for hunting and shooting enthusiasts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed help increasing our sales.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Group 8A provided affiliate marketing services for us.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–5 teammates from Group 8A.

How did you come to work with Group 8A?

We received a spam email from them and decided to give them a chance.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–December 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Group 8A only sold loss leader products in small quantities, so we didn't make any profit working with them. It was a total loss.

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

Group 8A's project management was terrible and dishonest.

What did you find most impressive or unique about them?

In hindsight, I should've ended the engagement in the first three months.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Group 8A shouldn't have tried to charge me for an extra month after they canceled the service.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and your position there.:
 I’m an employee at a digital marketing company. We provide services including photography, web design, video production, advertising, 3D design, animation, sound, social media, SEO, and graphic design to support product and service marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with the vendor?
They compared a previous paid media agency with what they could offer for paid search and paid social.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of the vendor's involvement?
They managed paid search and paid social using our existing creative assets.

What was the team composition?
We worked with a small team of 2–5 members.

How did you come to work with this vendor?
We selected them after discussions about their paid media approach.

What is the status of this engagement?
 The engagement ran from January–February 2026 and is now concluded.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The results were mixed and led to follow-up discussions regarding expectations.

How did their team perform from a project management standpoint?
 Communication was consistent; expectations required clarification.

What did you find most impressive about this company?
They presented a paid media framework during onboarding.

Are there any areas for improvement?
 Earlier alignment on pacing, benchmarks, and execution standards.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
 Establish clear performance metrics and governance upfront.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on Feb 12, 2026.

Altered State Productions
Employee, Digital Marketing Agency
Retail
Garland, Texas
11-50
Jan 2026 - Feb 2026
Less than $10,000
Verified

Project summary
Group 8A was hired by a digital marketing company to manage their paid search and social campaigns. They used the client's existing creatives to set up and manage their paid campaigns.

Feedback summary
As a result of Group 8A's mishandling of the paid campaigns, the client's Meta ROAS fell from around six to two within weeks, with an estimated $50,000 in ad spend lost. Multiple ads surpassed $500 in spend with no conversions, and channel allocation remained misaligned with historical performance.

Quote
"In short, deliverables were delayed, optimization lacked urgency, and performance safeguards weren't enforced."

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm an employee for a digital marketing company that offers services such as photography, web design, video, advertising, 3D design, animation, sound, social media, SEO, and graphic design to help market products and services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

They compared a previous paid media agency with what they could offer for paid search and paid social.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Group 8A took our existing creatives and set up the campaigns, to make sure ads didn't run unchecked into significant spending without a return.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–5 teammates from Group 8A.

How did you come to work with Group 8A?

We chose them because they proposed a paid media type of service (controlled micro-testing, minimal waste, rapid optimization, real-time intervention) and told us they could do paid media better than our previous agency.

How much have you invested with them?

The project cost is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–February 2026.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a measurable harm to our brand's paid acquisition performance and financial position. Group 8A wasted so much money on underperforming ads and was very harmful to our brand. Our Meta ROAS declined from ~6.0 to 2 within weeks. We lost approximately $50,000 in ad spend due to inefficient testing structures. Multiple ads exceeded $500 in spending without conversions. Our channel allocation remained misaligned despite prior performance data.

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

Group 8A's project management was disorganized and lacked accountability. They didn't meet the deadlines outlined during onboarding. The campaign adjustments we discussed in meetings weren't executed within the agreed timeframes. The strategic pivots they promised were delayed or not implemented at all. Beyond timing issues, they shifted explanations when we raised performance concerns. Instead of acknowledging execution gaps, they frequently reframed responsibility as “normal testing variance,” even when ads had spent hundreds to over a thousand dollars without a single conversion. We didn't experience proactive ownership of performance or deadlines. The commitments they made during the proposal phase — particularly around micro-testing discipline, rapid optimization, and real-time oversight — weren't reflected in execution. In short, deliverables were delayed, optimization lacked urgency, and performance safeguards weren't enforced.

What did you find most impressive or unique about them?

There was nothing impressive or unique about working with Group 8A. It was a deceptive practice.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There was nothing they could improve. It was a deceptive practice.

Overall rating: 0.5
Deceptive Practice

Quality: 0.5

Cost: 0.5

Schedule: 0.5

Willing to refer: 0.5

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.