The Hot Plate

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a brand manager at a wine company called Freixenet USA.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with THP?

The wine brand I'm responsible for is new to the U.S., so we didn't have a digital presence. We were looking for a company to help us establish a social media presence, reach out to consumers, and, ultimately, build a distribution channel for our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First of all, we had a brainstorming session, discussing the look and feel of our brand with them. They helped us develop a strategy and launch our Facebook and Instagram pages. They also do community management, so they respond to comments and questions we receive from our customers on all platforms.

After that, they've been creating custom content for us, including video and photography. They bring us about 10 shots a month and we work collaboratively to discuss any changes or how to respond to requests from our customers. In addition, they've done a special photo shoot for us and created shelf talkers, which we can put out in the market to help us promote the product.

What is the team composition?

We work with four of their team members, including our account manager, different production managers, and a community manager.

How did you come to work with them?

I received a cold email from them. They also specialize in creating recipes and making cocktails in their test kitchen, which they later take photos of. I was looking for a similar service for my brand, so I scheduled a phone call with them. They were very pleasant to talk to, asked me about my needs, and offered to build up more programs for us. That sounded very appealing to me, so I gave them a chance.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $50,000–$70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2017 and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've received a lot of positive feedback internally. Our team loves the look and feel of our brand as well as the exciting posts THP creates. They helped us elevate our business and our brand, making it look fun and fresh, which is exactly what we were hoping to achieve.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

I've been very pleased with their performance. At the beginning of every week, they send me the goals for that week as well as a specific report or plan. They usually overdeliver in terms of expectations. Besides, they're very flexible and open to our ideas. I'm based in New York and they're in Toronto, so we usually communicate via email or phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their time management skills are excellent. Also, they're a fun group of people to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate clearly about what you're looking for, but be open to changing your plans along the way.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a marketing coordinator for a foodservice company that manufactures various food and beverage products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with THP?

We initiated a marketing campaign to promote one of our pastry products. We reached out to THP to help develop recipes and assist with producing instructional videos and stylized photos to promote the various ways in which our products can be used.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their first task was identifying consumer groups that purchase our pastries regularly, as well as consumer groups that have unfavorable views on fast-pastry products. Our targeted consumer groups inspired the imaginative recipes that they crafted. We gave them feedback during taste-testing meetings and moved on to content production once the recipes were perfected.

Using our company’s brand guidelines as a reference, they had total jurisdiction over the creative process for the instructional videos and food photo shoots. Their work was used in the product’s promotional and sales sheets.

What is the team composition?

Project management is handled by our main point of contact and their assistant developer. The recipes are crafted by four individuals on their kitchen staff, and THP assigns a photographer, a videographer, and a product stylist during the video shoots.

How did you come to work with THP?

We heard great things about THP from one of their former clients, and we based our hiring decision on that glowing recommendation.  

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent between $40,000-$60,000 CAD, ($31,172.80-$46,759.20 USD), with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with THP in March 2017 and continue to collaborate with them on our marketing projects.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their content was integral to the success of our marketing campaign, which has proven to be a positive influence on our sales.

How did THP perform from a project management standpoint?

They provided a timeline at the beginning of the project, and their project manager made sure that both of our teams complied with the deadlines. We communicated by phone, email, and regularly held in-person meetings. Most of the meetings involved taste-testing their recipes and providing feedback.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

We love working with them because they don’t force their clients into large contracts, which is great for our budget. Their à la carte approach also gives us the flexibility to work on a variety of projects, as opposed to completing work for the sake of meeting contract requirements.  In regard to their work, their greatest strength is their ability to embody their client’s brand in all of their content.

Are there any areas they could improve?

A foodservice company has different marketing needs than a retail company, which can be a difficult concept for industry outsiders. Expanding their clientele beyond the retail industry could help their team hone their storytelling skills for companies such as ours.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We haven’t had any issues working with them, and we credit our open-mindedness and flexibility for our success.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the Brand Packaging Coordinator for the Canadian Side of our Food Distribution Business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with THP?

We wanted to find a photographer in Canada. Previously, we would have to send samples from Canada to our headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan to be shot by our photographer there. Finding a local photographer would make the process easier and allow us to get shots done faster.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

THP produces all of our packaging and marketing photography for our point of sale sheets on the Canadian side of the business. They also work with us to develop ideas for the photography shoots. 

As for the process, I send them a list of what images need to be shot. We then schedule getting the samples over from the vendor and different divisions to THP. The third part of the process is that THP creates a style guide that we go over and discuss prior to the shoot. Once the Style Guide is approved they send me a final copy.  THP and I take and review shots over a google hangout. I then approve and or make revisions and they change remotely while we are on the Hangout session. 

What is the team composition?

I work with mainly two people at a time, but it varies over time.

How did you come to work with THP?

THP was referred to us by another one of our vendors.

How much have you invested with them?

We have invested approximately $60,000-$75,000 in total so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with THP in December 2016 and the engagement is currently ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It has been great that they contact our vendors to make sure the samples will get there on time. We previously had to store the samples in freezers and schedule a pickup, but THP's localized facilitation of samples makes storing them easier and more efficient.

We work collaboratively on the creative process. They take into consideration my ideas and their own for the shots, which is helpful and lessens the amount of work we have to do.

How did THP perform from a project management standpoint?

I would give them a 10 out of 10. They work with the vendors to make sure they get the samples in time for the shoot, so we no longer have to babysit. We communicate through the phone, email, Google Hangouts and sometimes even texting. They are flexible and always respond right away.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are willing to go above and beyond. They feel like partners on a community project instead of a third-party service because of the way we brainstorm and work together. They even itemize invoices when we ask for it, which may or may not be part of their normal routine. They're more than happy to accommodate what we ask for and deliver high-quality products.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I often need to communicate through video calls and use a microphone to approve photos and relay feedback, but this is not conducive to our office space— especially when I have to step away from the computer. They could offer an alternative option to communicate during a photo shoot such as a text link.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They will implement changes on the fly so don’t be afraid to give input during a shoot. THP also will work with you on scheduling so make sure to talk to them and decide the best times for both of you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Vice President of Marketing at Filippo Berio, an international company that just celebrated its 150th anniversary, and is headquartered in Lucca, Italy. Our brand is sold in about 75 countries worldwide, and we are the subsidiary located in New Jersey. I’ve been working here for 17 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with THP Agency?

We were changing our marketing tactics to showcase the versatility of olive oil. We wanted to focus on more contemporary uses, be that through including meal occasion, ethnicities, cooking method, and time of day. We needed to branch out from the traditional Italian cooking our social and digital spheres revolved around.

THP helped us create a progressive look with recipe conception, development, testing, photography, videography, and auditing. They have also done this for some of our newer products, including pestos, vinegars, and glazes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

THP Agency has been extremely creative, efficient, timely, and thorough on all 6 projects we’ve worked with them on throughout the past 3 years. We’re lucky to have found a company so intuitive to our vision. After we detail our strategy, they orchestrate everything from pre-production meetings, to working on-site, and even follow-ups beautifully.

We’ve used their videos for our website, Facebook, Instagram, at trade and consumer shows, and on YouTube. Based on the nature of the sales call, our sales people will even show them to buyers and category managers.

We've considered letting THP manage our social media because they’re capable of so much more than what we’ve used them for. They don’t require oversight on projects, and they are passionate about their work.

I’ve visited Toronto a couple times and saw them in action, and the operation is a well oiled machine. I’ve been recommending them to many people, including our UK subsidiary, because THP recently opened an operation in London.

How did you come to work with THP Agency?

We use Colangelo Synergy Marketing in Darien, Connecticut, for our strategy, packaging, market research, and in-store POS material design. They recommended THP to us because they don’t have media planning, buying, public relations, or content development services in-house. We have been dependent on THP as our main content source for the last few years.

How much have you invested with THP Agency?

About $200,000-$250,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with them since January 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our engagement rates have increased, and we are regularly complimented on our photography, uniqueness, and simplicity of the recipes. The photos are distributed in almost all of our efforts, including print, digital, social media, as well as event and experiential marketing. Our sales team lets retailers borrow our social and digital efforts, and since we’ve already paid for it, we’re proud to loan it out. THP’s work has reached great lengths throughout our organization.

How did THP Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We always have a lead contact at THP, and they are extremely professional regarding agendas for conference calls, pre-production meetings, and email follow-ups. They are proactive on new capabilities, and I get a weekly newsletter entitled The Weekly Dish that showcases internal progress and news. Their customizable formula is incredibly effective.

Our agency, Colangelo, and THP communicate by conference calls when events are approaching, and by email the rest of the time.

What did you find most impressive about THP Agency?

THP is an amazing partner. I wish all of Berio’s partners were this amazing. My only regret is not being able to increase the budget so we can do more with them.

Are there any areas THP Agency could improve?

Although THP is based in Toronto and we are in New York, this hasn’t caused an issue because we can do everything remotely. They’ve recently moved to a larger space because of their rapid growth. They consistently add capabilities through their fun and vibrant atmosphere, and I expect our partnership to grow over the years.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

‎Trans-Ocean Products is a surimi seafood processor based in Bellingham, Washington. We work predominantly with supermarket chains and retail outlets in North America. I am the VP of sales and marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with THP?

We needed help with a couple of things, including social media, where we didn’t have a presence. We also wanted to streamline our recipe development and food photography.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

THP pretty much started from scratch. We had a Facebook page that was being managed part-time by my daughter. It hadn’t been done professionally, and we didn’t have enough media content to keep it fresh. THP laid out a plan for it. They added Instagram and Pinterest, which they update 3 times per week. They have been in charge of recipe development and visual content creation, including instructional videos. They also organize contests and anything else that could generate more likes for us.

We’ve launched a new brand called Simply Surimi, an all-natural product. We’re making the same effort for it, and THP is doing a great job. We used another firm for branding and package design.

How did you come to work with THP?

I believe I received a cold call from Julie Cromwell, their principal. Her timing was perfect — I was just starting to look for help after I realized that our current firm didn’t have the capacity for the work. I picked up the call, and she explained the offer to me. THP was just getting started, and I liked their vibe and energy.

How much have you invested with THP?

The total cost of their work has been around $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with THP around January 2014. The engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The engagement is successful. Everything they’ve touched has been professional, and we’ve been pleased. THP has provided metrics services, and they’ve set goals for each period. We’ve reached 15,000 likes. About 2 ½ years ago, we only had 300.

We needed to hire a food stylist, a photographer, and a recipe developer. But, with THP, we could go to a single location and receive everything. This saved us money as well. We used to have a hands-on approach to the food photography, but THP has come to know our product well enough that the process goes smoothly.

Our product is primarily an ingredient, and, based on Google Analytics data, we’ve seen that customers go to our website looking for recipes. We’ve done advertisements with Weight Watchers and create newsletters internally for their members. Every time we send one of those, we see a significant bump in our site’s traffic, with people landing on the recipe page. There was a desire and need, and this was where THP started and where they did the best job for us.

How did THP perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve changed a couple of account managers with THP, and both have been wonderful. They receive feedback well and are open to it. It is a well-managed process. THP ensures that I would provide the feedback they need on what they could and couldn’t put up. This is what I really want since I am doing a number of different things. I need someone to stay with me and make sure I’m on track.

THP’s team has been tireless; they’re quick to respond and very professional. They’re on top of the work and very structured in terms of reporting, metrics, and follow-through. The communication is done through email, phone, and text.

What did you find most impressive about THP?

What sets THP apart is their skillset — food photography, recipe development, and design, all under one roof. This is their forte, and their people are very good at what they do. Many companies say this, but THP’s team is truly energetic, professional, and on top of trends. Putting all of these together makes for a good combination. Other companies have come to me, but I haven’t found one that comes close to THP.

Are there any areas THP could improve?

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business or organization and what you do there.
I am in the Food Service Marketing Management Department for Tata Global Beverages – Tetley Tea, and I also manage the social media. Tata Global Beverages specializes in natural beverage nutrition through tea, coffee, and water. We’re a large organization, but the Canadian office is small. We have a small marketing department of only 4.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with THP?
A small amount of our content was being produced expensively at a large agency, and we wanted to transition it to a company that would produce a large amount of content within a reasonable budget. We also started to feel like the large agency wasn’t giving the attention to our social media that the community deserved.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.
Being that we’re a small team, we depend on our partnerships outside the office. THP has become one of those important partners, especially when it comes to content, development, and social media. We started working with THP to develop recipes using our teas and then also shooting images of the recipes. At one point we were looking at social media as a separate thing, but THP said they could do that for us, too. We felt like our community was being neglected and so THP produced a lot more engaging content, and we saw our social media metrics improve.

After recipes, we went on to content and social media management for Facebook. We planned out the year and the pillars on which the social content would be based. We worked together on APIs and tracking in terms of success measurements. We continued to track in a positive direction, and we’re constantly evolving and improving the process.

Now THP is doing photography, lifestyle, videos, stop motion, short cinematographs, boomerangs, and all types of different content. For a short time, they managed our Pinterest account, and we expanded to include Instagram. We found that we’re reaching a younger demographic, which has been really important for our tea business.

One of our campaigns was to emphasize that we have 45 different tea varieties. It was important to get this information out to our community that loves our black tea – especially boomers, millennials, and Gen Xers –, but may not experiment much within our specialty varieties. THP helped us continue highlighting our range of herbals.

THP is also integrated into an interagency network where the agencies work together so that TV, PR, digital, and social media are aligned to create a fully integrated campaign. They’ve been good partners with the other agencies to make sure that the social side is getting the same look and feel and is consistent in terms of targeting the consumer in a 360-degree manner.

How did you come to work with THP?
They reached out to us on a cold call about recipe development. There were about 16 recipes they developed and shot. We went in for a tasting, and we tweaked the recipes as needed. The whole process was organized and streamlined. We felt like they [THP] had the ability to produce efficiently. As time went on, and we became dissatisfied with our current social media provider, we decided the price was right to give them a shot in that area as well.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?
Over $100,000 annually.

What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them April 2014 and have been working together since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?
The total number of Canadians reached increased about 343% from September 2015–September 2016. The total Canadians engaged increased to an even greater percentage, and the number of people commenting, sharing, and liking increased 1600% or more. We were promoting increased consumption to our consumers through contests we ran through social channels. We showed little DIY projects, continued with the recipes, highlighted videos, shared coupons, and really focused on general new product awareness.

How did THP perform from a project management standpoint?
They performed really well and were on the ball. They’re great at finding new concepts and creating content calendars well in advance so we can review and provide feedback and they can then incorporate that feedback. They do that most willingly. THP has been very open to our consumer approach. We just ask, and they make suggestions to tweak and improve. Generally they’re super accommodating, and we don’t get the pushback that we get from a lot of other agencies. It’s a collaborative approach.

Typically we communicate through email, and we have calls as well. At one point, we had weekly interagency calls, and they [THP] would participate in those with all the other agencies to stay on top of that larger project, determine how it gets coordinated within the agencies, and how they play into that from a social and content development perspective. THP has been the most receptive agency I have ever worked with.

What distinguishes THP from other providers?
THP is still one of the more cost effective solutions we’ve come across. They are great collaborators in terms of being really willing to try new things. I have access to the Facebook backend, which a lot of agencies would not provide, so I can see exactly what they’re doing, see the exact metrics, and can call them out on anything. Because they have no way to shield themselves, we’ve been able to work really collaboratively. Sometimes there can be tension in terms of what the client wants and what the agency can provide, but they’ve been most accommodating.

Is there anything THP could have improved or done differently?
I want to know exactly how each ad performed on Facebook and Instagram and how much was spent and sometimes we’ve had a few hiccups on some of the metric tracking where I’ll find a small formula error in the monthly reports they provide.

If something is performing really well and they increase the budget, they still work flexibly within that monthly budget. Plus they provide overall key learning each month that help us understand what we can do to improve on the following month.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I’m a Marketing Officer with Egg Farmers of Canada. We represent over 1,000 egg farming families across the country and promote the consumption of eggs to Canadians.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with THP?

We needed help with social media strategy, social media community management, writing for our website, and content development. 

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

When we first started working with THP, we needed full-scale recipe development, and they were a one stop shop. We decided we wanted to invest a little bit more time and energy in thinking about social media strategy. THP has helped us with the pre-existing Facebook and Pinterest pages we had, and with the help of them last year, we launched on Instagram. They also did a soft launch and a hard launch campaign around that.

They consistently manage and produce content for our social media platforms. They do full-scale community management and create content calendars. We also meet a few times a year to talk about strategy and to review what we’ve been doing, thinking about all of our different content pillars, and who we’re trying to target. They took us into a whole new realm of social media and we’re seeing great results because of that. We’re creating a lot of recipe content like images, stock images, videos, cinemagraphs, gifs, so that we have content to use on social, but then all of that does get used on our website and on YouTube and other ways. The content development strategy is around what we need to push out on social. THP is always involved in our campaigns that have a social component and are a part of our strategy sessions throughout the year when we gather our agency partners together to talk about the year ahead.

How did you come to work with THP?

My colleague found them. I later took over her job and the working relationship with THP. THP was very small at the time and they’ve grown significantly. My understanding from my colleague is that she was really trying to search for a place that could do everything in one spot and THP offers a la carte pricing, which most agencies don’t. They were unique at the time with competitive pricing. It was a huge undertaking when we wanted to get recipes developed for our website. That’s really how the relationship with THP started and it’s grown significantly since then. When we had to have multiple players to get the work done, the cost was astronomical. Being able to do this with THP has allowed us to create a lot more content.

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

About a half a million dollars.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them January 2014 and have been working together since. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We have seen a significant increase in engagement since we started working with THP on our social strategy and content calendars, ranging from 4-7% each quarter. One of the things they’ve really helped us with is determining what success looks like and determining our KPIs from there.

How did THP perform from a project management standpoint?

I’ve been really impressed with THP’s ability to handle both planned and unplanned and last minute work. We work across many of their teams in the office including social and partner development teams. They always complete things on time and within budget. They respond really well to a lot of the consumer research that we do and ensure the learnings are implemented within our social and content strategy. They pivot and learn and adapt really well.

We do the strategy meetings with them a few times a year. We have quarterly calls with our entire team there to review social media on a quarterly basis. We do one big strategy session with all of our agencies, and we bring THP generally here to Ottawa to do that. Mostly it is us going to their offices because we have production days with them. We oversee the videos and photos that are being done. Otherwise, we communicate via phone and email.

What distinguishes THP from other providers?

Certainly what makes them stand out is that they are a one stop shop, and have continued to add additional services throughout the years that we’ve taken advantage of. Efficiency wise, that has been really great for us. Before they existed, we would have to gather a photographer, a food stylist, a prop stylist, etc. It would be a ton of different people and we’d have to figure out where we’re going to shoot. THP does all of that in one place, recipe development, nutritionals, recipe testing, propping, and editing. They do this for a really competitive price, which is why so many North American companies choose to work with them, despite being headquartered in Toronto. Social media is changing constantly so it is really critical for us to have them to keep us up to speed and ensure we are staying relevant. 

When I witness the culture, when I’m there, it’s pretty amazing. Everybody that works there seems to have a passion and excitement for what they do and it’s evident in every employee. That reflects positively on THP as an agency. They’re extremely creative and reliable.

Is there anything THP could have improved or done differently?

Any issues we may have had at any point in time had always been discussed immediately and rectified.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the marketing manager of Joekels Tea that works across a range of tea brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire THP?

We hired THP to edit a social media video for Tetley Canada.

What were your goals for this project?

The video needed to be a strong piece of visual content that showcased our range. It also needed to drive brand awareness in the social media space.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The team at Tetley Canada found them.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

THP was hired to edit a stop-motion video for Tetley Canada that would include packs and content from our South African branch.

What was your vendors’ project management or feedback process?

It was a structured process that allotted for a quick turnaround and excellent end product.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video hasn’t launched yet.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow between our teams was slick and effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I appreciated THP’s excellent communication skills and fast turnaround.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No, there are none that I can think of.