Idea Grove

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CMO at daVinci Payments. I led the IDEAS team (Insights, Engagement, and Agency Services) to grow awareness and engagement for the company's products and services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Idea Grove?

We rebranded Swift Prepaid Solutions to daVinci Payments and most recently through a merger became Onbe. Idea grove had the goals of building brand awareness and trust for daVinci, a fast-growing leader in a well-established market.

The Idea Grove team implemented a data and trends-driven PR program including management of email marketing and organic and paid social to amplify PR efforts. In the past 2+ years, Idea Grove has supported the company through two rebrands, one merger, 20+ survey campaigns and 10+ company-centered announcements.

What were your goals for this project?

Demonstrate the impact of engaging, branded and co-created payment experiences and drive dialogue within the industry. Increase awareness and build trust among prospective customers with compelling stories that highlight daVinci’s impact on large enterprises and their specific payment needs. Forge lasting relationships with media and industry analysts—especially among payments, fintech and top-tier business outlets—to position the brand as a go-to source and thought leader in the payments market.

SOLUTION

How did you select Idea Grove?

We found Idea Grove listed as a top PR agency on Clutch and included them in a review for our business.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Idea Grove implemented a data and trends-driven PR program to build brand awareness and authority in the fintech space. Idea Grove supported daVinci’s organic and paid social media focus to further elevate brand awareness. Additionally, Idea Grove provided strategy recommendations to improve platform utilization, followers, and social approach.

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with two points of contact but also had access to Idea Grove’s leadership and larger team of specialists..

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We grew our awareness, web traffic, leads to our website, social following and placement in leading news sources significantly.

Our media presence significantly increased, and the company began seeing coverage in core fintech, business and retail trades.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Idea Grove is a partner augmenting our staff. They are able to bring different agency experts when we need them for specific situations in planning, brainstorming and executing unique initiatives.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have the ability to quickly adjust to our needs and lend specialized expertise when we need it above and beyond our day to day initiatives.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a technology company that specializes in providing clients with digital signage solutions. That includes our primary offering, which is a software platform that powers those networks, as well as complimentary services: deployment, content strategy and development, and custom app development services. We provide those to a variety of markets, including retailers, health care providers, entertainment venues, and corporations for internal B2B communications tools. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Idea Grove?

The outcome we’re driving toward is more lead flow for the business, but there were a couple of things contributing to that. One is making certain that we had compelling thought leadership. It’s really important for us to have a certain voice in the marketplace so that we represent ourselves as being smart, helpful, and fun. We didn't want to do much self-promoting all the time, as that wouldn’t bring much value to people.
 
Beyond thought leadership, we needed help better leveraging tools. We had Salesforce and HubSpot, but we really weren't using those; we didn't have workflows, campaigns, or nurturing. We didn't have a good online presence, nor did we have the traffic or conversion rates we needed. We weren’t nurturing. We brought in Idea Grove to help elevate our marketing performance overall. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Idea Grove is the primary party responsible for developing our thought leadership, which is a really big deal at Reflect. I am the person responsible for reviewing all of that content and helping drive the content calendar, and I am notoriously difficult for copywriters. I’d rejected all of the content that a previous provider created, so it’s a huge hurdle. Idea Grove helps us identify the right content, writes the copy, and takes feedback.

They also help us manage HubSpot and the environment. They’re responsible for creating the workflows, campaigns, and all of the nurturing. They also handle all PR for us. How we communicate in the marketplace is so important to us, and we are very demanding about the quality of that. They also do the primary account management for us.

Idea Grove brought in another partner to help us with ad placement and discoverability, so actually driving the lead flow into the systems. 

What is the team composition?

What’s really great about Idea Grove is that they act as if they’re a part of the Reflect team. We have weekly team meetings that include Idea Grove, Reflect, and the other marketing partner; only a couple of internal resources are a part of that. Idea Grove always has at least three people on those calls, but there are several others that work on various parts of the project.

How did you come to work with Idea Grove?

I don’t remember how we found Idea Grove. The person who was running marketing at the time found them.

How much have you invested with them?

Over 18 months, I’d estimate around $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project is ongoing, and I’d estimate that it began around April–May 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve improved in all metrics across the board, from website traffic to conversion rates. We’ve seen an increase in leads created, both in terms of marketing-qualified and sales-qualified leads. Virtually every metric has improved.

How did Idea Grove perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re exceptional. We both use a similar operating system for how we run the companies, so they fit right in. They behave as an extension of the business. It’s been really great to have them on the team. I don’t feel like they’re outsiders; I feel like they’re a part of our internal marketing team, and they function really well in that role. We use a project management board for tracking purposes.

One of the really great things about them is that they know what they do well and where they can be helped, and they aren't afraid to bring in somebody to help round out their expertise. They've been a really good partner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re willing to take a position and even push back. I’m not the easiest person to work with because I have strong views, and they care enough to tell us what they believe we should do. They’re also confident enough to back that up with best practices and information. They don’t do it in a way that’s condescending. They’re courageous enough to let us know if our idea isn’t going to work and then explain why. That open and honest communication is really important to us. They excel at it.

The team is smart, and their copy is very good. I’ve also never had a copywriter that I didn’t fire, so it’s nice to work with them and have the quality of their work be so good.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It could always be less expensive, but other than that, I don’t think so. As I mentioned, when they felt like they needed additional expertise, they were the ones that suggested it. They weren’t afraid of bringing in another partner, even though that means the revenue gets split up more.

Any advice for potential customers?

First off, understand what you’re trying to accomplish and how you’re going to measure results over time. We were really clear about what we needed to accomplish in the relationship, and that really helped them understand what success looks like.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Esker is a worldwide leader in AI-driven process automation software, helping financial and customer service departments digitally transform their procure-to-pay (P2P) and order-to-cash (O2C) cycles. Used by more than 6,000 companies worldwide, Esker’s solutions incorporate technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) to drive increased productivity, enhanced visibility, reduced fraud risk, and improved collaboration with customers, suppliers and internally.

Esker operates in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia-Pacific with global headquarters in Lyon, France, and U.S. headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. As the Marketing Director for Esker, I’m responsible for determining and overseeing the execution of all marketing strategies within the US. The public relations program that we’ve partnered with Idea Grove on for the past several years is a significant part of that strategy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Idea Grove?

Esker first turned to Idea Grove in January 2016 for help with a media relations strategy that would increase awareness of Esker within our industry, as well as our customers’ specific industries.

These include fintech, supply chain management, manufacturing, food & beverage, life sciences and electronics, among others. Throughout our relationship, we’ve also tapped Idea Grove to help with content strategy and development, as well as social media support.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal continues to be increased awareness and brand recognition for Esker among its competitors. For this, we’ve been tracking share of voice and branded search referral traffic.

SOLUTION

How did you select Idea Grove?

We chose to work with Idea Grove because of their experience in the B2B tech space and clear understanding of Esker’s technology. That was something the other agencies we looked at couldn’t match.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

For nearly five years, we’ve worked with Idea Grove to effectively communicate the complex technology that Esker develops and the business challenges it helps overcome. Idea Grove has achieved this by tapping into Esker’s executive resources to create a thought leadership strategy for media coverage. They’ve secured a consistent cadence of contributed articles and original stories about the trends in our industry and the ways we help our customers.

They’ve also interviewed many of our customers directly in order to tell their stories, whether that’s in the form of a press release that highlights one of Esker’s new customer wins or a case study that demonstrates the results we’ve helped a customer achieve. Idea Grove has leveraged these customer stories to earn even more media recognition for Esker, both within our industry and in the industry publications our prospects are reading.

What was the team composition?

We’ve received support from all levels of the agency, including at the VP level. We receive regular updates from a single point of contact, which helps streamline communication. The team also includes a mid-level member dedicated to our account strategy and a member of Idea Grove’s PR team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Within the first year of engagement with Idea Grove, media coverage of Esker increased by 700%. We exceeded media coverage goals by 350% and this increase in coverage resulted in a 181% increase in direct traffic to Esker’s website. Over the past five years, Idea Grove has helped us steadily increase Esker’s share of voice among top competitors.

This metric has grown from 15% in Q1 2016 — at the start of our engagement — to 24% share of voice in Q1 2020. We’ve also seen a consistent increase in branded search referral traffic since partnering with Idea Grove, which indicates an increase in brand awareness. On average, branded search referral traffic has increased by 26% year-over-year since 2016.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our team at Idea Grove provides regular project status updates and quickly pivots to address any new and changing priorities. They act as an extension of our team and help drive strategies we need to achieve our marketing and business goals.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Idea Grove has a deep understanding of our business, technology and the industry. We’ve entrusted Idea Grove with our customer relationships to extract the information needed to tell compelling stories about the results Esker helps our customers achieve. They’ve also built strong relationships with the media who cover our industry, which helps yield consistent media results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing comes to mind!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of Marketing for a cybersecurity firm. We offer security assessment services.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Idea Grove?

Over the years, we redesigned the website several times. We wanted to create an engaging and visually pleasing website to attract our target audiences. We sought an agency to execute the entire project, from the technical aspects to the copy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After we gave them a detailed list of requirements and tasks, Idea Grove created the wireframes for the website’s design. Their team then built the architectural site map and developed the website on WordPress. During the development, they built SEO features into the platform.

Their team also pulled together the messaging throughout the site. After they wrote the copy, we reviewed and approved it.

Following the website’s launch, we collaborated on additional phases. They developed videos and other content that could extend beyond the website such as case studies.

What is the team composition?

Our point of contact was the project manager from Idea Grove. However, we interacted with several additional people from their team, which included copywriters, designers, developers, and SEO specialists. 

How did you come to work with Idea Grove?

I considered several firms and met with a few of them. Idea Grove was in close proximity and had more advanced digital experience than their competitors.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together between August 2019 – August 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw an increase in organic traffic, which resulted in an increase in quality conversions. Their team’s SEO efforts definitely improved our online presence.

How did Idea Grove perform from a project management standpoint?

We had weekly meetings with their project manager and monthly SEO meetings. Idea Grove created monthly reports based on tracked KPIs. Their team was organized and worked late hours when needed. The engagement went smoothly, with very few hiccups.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Idea Grove team was astute and experienced. They resolved unknown challenges that impacted our rankings such as broken links. I liked that they built a wholistic plan for our messaging; it was clean and required few edits.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I shared with them that when their lead designer went on vacation, the project would’ve run smoother if they assigned a replacement during that time.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Review their services and capabilities. Determine your highest level of need and do a phased-out plan to get the biggest return on your investment.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm VP of Corporate Communications at DreamHost, a global managed WordPress and cloud services company. I’m responsible for establishing, maintaining, and enforcing DreamHost's corporate voice and tone in all communications, both internal and external. I'm also our primary media contact and am responsible for determining and executing the communications strategy for our brand; one with over two decades of history and hundreds of thousands of users.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Idea Grove?

We hired Idea Grove to elevate the DreamHost brand to stand out in a commoditized space through a media relations program. We wanted targeted media outreach that would secure contributed thought leadership content in hosting and tech publications.

What were your goals for this project?

Our primary goal was to drive overall brand awareness among our target customers. IdeaGrove worked tirelessly to establish DreamHost as a well-known and trusted managed WordPress provider and web host.

We wanted to attract WordPress newcomers and professionals alike - from bloggers to design agencies. IdeaGrove was able to help us identify targeted messaging strategies and programs for nearly every segment.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Some intense Googling helped us narrow down a list of five potential agencies, all of which had the potential to be good partners for us. We conducted interviews with each agency to learn about their history, background, and areas of expertise.

From the start IdeaGrove asked smart questions about our business, made it clear that they understood our industry, and had even identified several potential messaging strategies by the end of our first exploratory call. In the end, the decision was an easy one to make. IdeaGrove was completely aligned with our goals. They understood what our brand stood for and knew how to take us to the next level.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

On a monthly basis Idea Grove executed a holistic public relations program to generate brand visibility and authority for us. Their team drove the overall strategy but utilized our team’s expertise to develop well thought out, comprehensive campaigns.

On a more granular level, the Idea Grove team built and managed media lists, built out brand and thought leadership messaging, wrote articles on behalf of DreamHost’s subject matter experts and secured media placement of these articles, developed and distributed press releases, as well as researched and managed an ongoing awards calendar.

However, their team has many capabilities outside of public relations and content work. They often presented opportunities to create interactive infographic content, videos, and website-related assets to support the larger PR program. We eventually went on to create an interactive infographic around the history of internet privacy and DreamHost’s influence on that history.

What was the team composition?

Day to day we worked closely with two main points of contact but also worked with Idea Grove’s larger team on occasion over the course of our relationship, including specialists in the areas where Idea Grove provided the most support.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of our primary goals at the beginning of the project was to secure coverage in top web hosting publications like Hosting Journalist. Idea Grove was able to meet this goal on a continued basis and also landed other top industry publications like Website Magazine and SiteProNews.

They also broadened our media relations horizons by expanding our efforts to numerous verticals where our customers lived. We saw great coverage in the small business and startup trades, WordPress specific trades and even retail.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our workflow with the Idea Grove team was great. They approached our relationship as a true partnership as opposed to the traditional client/agency dynamic that can often turn into staff augmentation. Planning, brainstorming and executing on bigger initiatives involved the larger Idea Grove team, which brought a lot of different experts to the table who made a positive impact on our program.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were very impressed with the way they treated our relationship as a strategic partnership. Idea Grove does more than just check the boxes to fulfill a contract. Their team brings their best minds, ideas and energy to the table every day to bring us the wins and successes we were looking for.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We were very happy with our relationship as a whole with the Idea Grove team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the vice president of marketing for a high-performance cloud computing platform company. We enable companies to access hundreds of workflows and applications on our platform called JARVICE. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Idea Grove?

We were looking for an agency of record to write for us because our case studies were stale. We wanted fresh content on our website. We wanted to form a relationship with an agency for them to really understand our business and write for us. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Idea Grove helped us write case studies with our customers. They put together a process that made it was easy for us to go to our customers and have them agree to talk to us about a project. Their team was able to help us execute seven case studies in about a nine-month time period. They interviewed our clients, wrote the copy, and solicited the imagery from the client. Then, they provided us with the final design.

What is the team composition?

We work with about three people from Idea Grove.

How did you come to work with Idea Grove?

We narrowed our search to three different agencies and Idea Grove came out on top. Their staff was more attune to technical acumen. It was easy to work with their project managers and writers because they have a greater knowledge of the tech space. For a company like ours, which can get into the weeds with technical jargon, it was hands down the right choice to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent between $25,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2019 and our engagement’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were able to bring a brand new web page with the content Idea Grove helped us create. That definitely helped increase traffic on our website. Our case studies and white paper content pages were fresh material, which helps with SEO and other website metrics.  

Our sales team uses these case studies as tools to reach out to prospects and existing clients. Time and time again, we’ve heard that the case studies are high-quality and that the information’s well presented.

The content’s clean and professional, which makes us look good. It’s easy to build out our social media messaging with a high-quality end piece. Internally, our company’s proud to put these case studies out.

How did Idea Grove perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management’s outstanding. We have one person who’s higher up and oversees our account, which I appreciate. She’s more on the strategy side of the project. We have more of a day to day contact. Both individuals are timely in their responses to questions and check-ins. They respond to me within 24 hours or less.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to interview our clients directly, get the information, and write quality pieces within a short amount of time is impressive. Their process from start to finish with each of these case studies is impressive. Their team was quick. Our clients who they interviewed gave them great feedback.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they handle this project well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They did a fantastic job.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of strategic communications at a higher education institution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Idea Grove?

I was new to the organization, and the team that had been there before me had been mostly doing reactive media relations. I wanted to start doing more proactive work and help tell some of our school’s stories.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In the beginning of our engagement, it was mostly strictly PR-related activities. Idea Grove reached out to the press, handled pitching, and worked on other logistical things. Over the years, however, the scope of the project has expanded. 

Now, they help with internal reactive responses, presentations, and communications for senior executives. Idea Grove provides a lot of writing and program planning resources. 

What is the team composition?

There’s been some turnover of the years, but right now I’m working with four main people day to day, as well as an account manager.

How did you come to work with Idea Grove?

I knew someone at Idea Grove who I’d worked with in the past. I knew her range of skills and that she could accomplish what I wanted, so I reached out to her to see if Idea Grove was willing to take us on as a client.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$200,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement began in June 2016 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve used Idea Grove for the majority of our PR outreach, and since working with them, we’ve grown the coverage of our institution by 300%. They’ve had a tremendous impact. 

How did Idea Grove perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication and ability to meet deadlines are both amazing. The team is always available whenever I need them—they’re incredibly responsive over both email and text. We use Google Docs to track and collaborate on projects.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really care about our organization, and they understand it as well. I consider them one of the team. They’re extremely creative and we’ve been really happy with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing really that comes to mind. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask them about their experience with the industry and company overall. Also, ask what makes them stand out from other agencies, and look for creative ideas they can come up with.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was working for a B2B software company at the time of the project.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Idea Grove?

We had gone through a large rebrand in 2015, and we wanted to get more results with our public relations efforts. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We needed a PR Agency of Record (AOR). They were on a monthly retainer, providing PR services, helping with blog content, social media, and event planning.

What is the team composition?

It was probably 5–10 people in total. We worked with a few executives, a few day-to-day contacts, and a content person. Some of their positions were titled account director, vice president, and content director.

How did you come to work with Idea Grove?

We did an RFP process for large and boutique agencies. They were well-known as a B2B agency, which is what we wanted. They were locally based in Dallas as well. 

How much have you invested with them?

The retainer was about $30,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2016, and the engagement finished in June of 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

After working with them, we saw a big shift from company mentions to features in guest articles. Compared to the previous year when we were working with a larger, worldwide agency, we more than doubled our media placements.

They also found ways for our company to get Tier 1 media coverage for the first time. They were able to leverage one of their partnerships to get some traction for us. We were getting covered in the Dallas Business Journal, TechCrunch, Silicon Valley Business Journal, and other big-name places that we hadn’t gotten before. 

How did Idea Grove perform from a project management standpoint?

They were an extension of our team. They were extremely responsive and available all the time. They exceeded expectations — getting us results and always very accommodating and professional

What did you find most impressive about them?

They felt like a part of the same team as us. They were very resourceful, sharp, and had a lot of industry knowledge. They’d worked with a lot of other tech clients and were able to share that knowledge with us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No; I don’t know what I would have done without them. They do more than just PR, but my experience with them for primarily PR was excellent.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You should go for it and include them in your RFP process. They really do their research on the company and try to understand their client. Bigger agencies don’t always have the time of day. Idea Grove, which is more of a boutique agency, was really able to dedicate a lot of time and energy to our account.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Pivot3. We’re a midsize high-tech company, and I’m the VP of communications and HR.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Idea Grove?

The company was in the period of significant growth, and we expanded their responsibilities quite a bit since then. Overall, they managed our entire communications program.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us manage a variety of things from pitching to thought leadership, article creation, award submissions, and speaking submissions. They helped bring Pivot3 to the forefront. We compete with some large tech companies, so having some mindshare in the media is very important, and they were able to help accomplish that.

They managed everything from writing press releases, to putting them out on the wire, to pitching articles and news to members of the media to generate articles about our business. They also helped us write byline articles. They researched and submitted speaking opportunities for us so we could get executives in front of our audiences at large trades shows. We wanted our technology to be recognized for various awards, and they handled that.

They also managed our social media program al the way through. They wrote all of our social media content and managed it entirely on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. We have an internal program for employees that share posts, and they shared that content on their social media networks, which extended our reach quite a bit.

What is the team composition?

It has fluctuated over the years, so we usually had three people dedicated to our account and they would bring in other people as needed. Our primary point of contact has been with us the entire time we’ve been working with them.

How did you come to work with Idea Grove?

They were doing some work for the company at a smaller capacity. Since then, our relationship has grown over time.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $1 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in November 2015 and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had very detailed KPIs and metrics, that we tracked each quarter. This included, share and engagement on social media, share of voice among competitors, opportunities to see, and I don’t have the exact numbers on me, but they’ve always achieved or exceeded the metrics we put forth each quarter. Even when our company wasn’t generating a lot of news, they found creative ways to keep our company at the forefront.

We would track our media mentions and compete them to the mentions from our major competitors, and we always had about the same. Considering that these competitors are more well-known than us, that was a huge indicator.

How did Idea Grove perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly meetings with them, just to touch base and track what’s going on. We didn’t use any tools, but they would prepare monthly reports, and a big quarterly wrap-up that included metrics, then they shared them on PowerPoint. They were always available whenever we emailed or called, even on weekends or holidays.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They can do a lot with a little. They had to be really creative on story ideas, and they did a great job. There were times when we didn’t have any press releases, and we weren’t generating a lot of content that they could pitch to the media.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would be nice to have a collaboration tool. We never had any issues, but that could help.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When working with any agency, it’s important to sit down and meet with them. It’s useful to work with people you like, who fit your culture, and understand what you’re trying to achieve. Ask about who is creating content, see some writing samples, examples of media pitches, really anything you would do in a normal review process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing for Compass Datacenters. As the name implies, we build data centers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Idea Grove?

We had been in business for eight years and were looking to reposition the company by revising our messaging and overall presentation to the marketplace.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Idea Grove conducted market research for us. Our team was very specific in the parameters of the engagement. We wanted Idea Grove to talk to existing personnel, customers, vendors, the media, and even prospective clients to get their thoughts on a range of things. This included our strengths and weaknesses, but a primary purpose was to identify attributes. Then from that, we wanted to craft our messaging strategy.

We had a statement of work that laid out specifications, and then we provided Idea Grove with names of individuals who’d agreed to speak with them. These people were from different aspects of the spectrum in terms of those who deal with or are part of the market we compete and exist in.

The engagement occurred in three stages. First was the preliminary finding phase where Idea Grove shared their overall discoveries with us. Then in the second phase, they gave a more-detail presentation of what they had found. Here is where they identified foundations they thought we could build upon. The last stage included their recommendations on how to go about our next steps in terms of revising our messaging.

What is the team composition?

We had one main point of contact, and there were 3–4 people on the team.

How did you come to work with Idea Grove?

Our team put together a request for information (RFI) and talked to different people in the marketing community and the Dallas area. We narrowed our findings to 3–4 finalists and then went through a process based on their responses. After meeting with each of them, we ultimately selected Idea Grove.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested around $70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement lasted from August–December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We found their findings to be very impactful. Idea Grove identified a few things that we had thought about but didn’t think were important. In fact, a couple of their recommendations wound up providing a good platform for other decisions and messaging strategies that we implemented.

How did Idea Grove perform from a project management standpoint?

We received regular status updates. Upon engagement, we laid out a master schedule and timeline and then worked from there. Built into that plan were regular updates along with incremental presentations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We chose Idea Grove to do the job and they did exactly what we asked; that’s indicative of how we perceive them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were some interviews where we felt they could’ve pressed a little harder on certain things. But in their defense, they’re not us; they’re not Compass Datacenters. Some things that would’ve been triggers for us weren’t necessarily things that would’ve caught their attention and led them to go down that path.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure to give specific instructions and have a very detailed scope of expectation upfront. My team didn’t want to sit in on the interview process because we didn’t want to bias the responses, even as a passive listener. However, if I had to do it over again, I would’ve sat in a couple of the early interviews so I could coach Idea Grove. This would’ve helped them understand our company a little better.

This is always hard, especially for one-off engagements because there isn’t the luxury of unlimited time. They couldn’t have deeply dived into the bowels of everything we do.