Kobe Digital

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the owner of Parsa Skincare, a male skincare company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kobe Digital?

I’m a newcomer in the IT area with social media. I’m picky and have dealt with so many people from outsourcing, in-house, and even local businesses. I was looking for someone who was young and hungry, but also professional.

I usually would get people that are older; they don’t want to do too much. Then there’s the young ones that don’t really know what they’re doing, but they want to get into a business. I needed website development and design and social media help.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They built my website on Drupal and still maintain it. I gave them an outline of what I was looking for and asked them for feedback. Arya [Manager, Kobe Digital] and his team emailed me back that same day, shared their ideas, and pulled it together themselves. They helped me brainstorm. It was really easy.

They’re very versatile. They also do my Facebook, posting almost every day, and we’re going to start doing Instagram and other avenues as well. We’re still working on it.

What is the team dynamic?

I’ve worked with 3-4 people, at least.

How did you come to work with Kobe Digital?

They were a referral from a friend. These guys are young and aggressive. They want to get things done. Their surge of energy attracted me to them, plus they were very professional. I was so excited to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

They gave me a pretty good discount because it was a referral. Other companies charge double what they charge.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in July 2016 and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I get great feedback on the website; it looks fantastic.

How did Kobe Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They were fantastic. I give them a 10 out of 10 for communication. It’s very easy to get a hold of them. I’ve dealt with other companies that are so hard to get a hold of, and the longest it ever takes Kobe Digital is the next day.

They’re super polite and respectful. We used Skype in the beginning because I wanted to make sure I correctly conveyed my vision, but I only felt the need to do that a few times because they’re really good at reading people and understanding what you want to convey.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re great with technology. The one thing that they’re amazing at is their customer service. They are above and beyond in that realm, and that’s what really matters to me. Anyone can punch in some codes, but not only do they make sure that you get what you want, they’ll also give you samples and give you their ideas. They’re not pushy; they’re really nice.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, they’re doing a great job. I have no complaints. I can call them any time of the day and they’ll take my change request and call me back in 30 minutes with it done.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive of TypeScience

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

TypeScience is a self-improvement website that helps you discover your hidden strengths and weaknesses so you can become the best version of yourself

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Kobe Digital to accomplish?

• SEO marketing and digital strategy

SOLUTION

How did you find Kobe Digital?

Referral

Why did you select Kobe Digital over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Kobe Digital were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Outlined specific SEO strategy and implementation plan. Consulted on best practices for advertising online to get new customers at scale. Reviewed improvements in objectives over time

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Based on user engagement, traffic and conversion rates over time

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

Very responsive and delivered on time. Kobe Digital over-delivered and exceeded expectations 

What was your primary form of communication with Kobe Digital?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Extremely knowledgeable and great strategic insights 

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

Could have had them do more of the hands on work, but we decided to take care of that ourselves to save some money

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Landgraf, an e-commerce company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kobe Digital?

We ran ads on Facebook and targeted applicants to come to the website. We realized it’d be better to run Google Ads because we could sell a lot more if we just showed pictures.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Kobe Digital helps us with Google Ads and scales up our campaigns. They also look at businesses to see if they use the right technique. They look at the scope of the business and their entire deal to structure it to our benefit.

What is the team composition?

We speak with Damien (VP of Client Success) and Juan (CEO). Additionally, Arya (Founder & CEO) is an advisor and owns a portion of Kobe Digital.

How did you come to work with Kobe Digital?

I met them through mutual friends.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in July 2023, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re happy with them. They’ve been extremely valuable in every area of our mergers and acquisitions space. Our revenue has increased dramatically, and our profitability has gone from $3,000 to $50,000 monthly. Moreover, profit margins are about 40%, so we’re talking about $20,000.

How did Kobe Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

The quality of their service is outstanding. They always meet the budget, but we always increase it because they’re incredibly profitable.

We usually communicate with them through Zoom and calls; we have their phone number and talk daily. The team answers all our questions, and we haven’t waited longer than an hour for a response.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Juan is a top-level guy. He owns multiple brands and knows the power of mergers and acquisitions. He could probably partner in my business because of how good he’s doing.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve brought on Arya, who is on the board of five different brands with 10% equity for each of them. He’s evaluated our business and shown us very specific knowledge of this business area. Arya is a hard guy to get in touch with because he knows his stuff.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The only thing they could improve is getting Arya on board, but it’s impossible. If you have someone valuable, they’re very wanted and busy; it comes with the trade. We understand there’s nothing they can do about it, so we’re fine meeting Arya once a week.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Juan really cares about sharing risk and dealing with clients for the long term. He likes one-year contracts and sharing equity, so I recommend going in there with a long-term perspective. Otherwise, Kobe Digital isn’t for you.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the marketing of an information technology company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Technology and innovation

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Kobe Digital to accomplish?

• marketing partner

SOLUTION

How did you find Kobe Digital?

• Online Search
• Other

Why did you select Kobe Digital over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Kobe Digital were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Kobe was supposed to oversee our paid channels, organic channels, content marketing, email marketing, b2b email nurture, e-commerce, and more.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

improvement in customers, lowering spend

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

Kobe was negligent and had a ton of oversights. We hired them to oversee our marketing channels and not only did they not deliver, but they went over budget without ever getting approval. When I questioned them on it, they refused to take accountability at all. What's even worse is that there were a lot of things on the contract that were never done at all and they refused to acknowledge that either. Honestly, they're as close to scam artists as it comes.

What was your primary form of communication with Kobe Digital?

Virtual Meeting

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

nothing

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

Yes, be more transparent, more proactive, and hire people with a marketing background

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am an executive at an advertising & marketing company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Marketing agency

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Kobe Digital to accomplish?

• Grow sales

SOLUTION

How did you find Kobe Digital?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Kobe Digital over others?

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

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

Ecommerce lead gen

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The US market had been a major challenge for us for some time. Kobe Digital were a passionate partner who took the time to understand our limitations. They patiently challenged our approach, and completely changed how we think about ecommerce lead generation via social media.

 They also showed us a new, more effective rhythm around approaching, tracking, and nurturing prospects. Our acquisition and retention numbers are continuing to improve every month.

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

NA

What was your primary form of communication with Kobe Digital?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Kobe Digital were a passionate partner who took the time to understand our limitations.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CMO of (a/an) Information technology

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We connect employers with freelancers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Kobe Digital to accomplish?

• I wanted to run some PPC ads

SOLUTION

How did you find Kobe Digital?

Referral

Why did you select Kobe Digital over others?

Referred to me

What was the size of Kobe Digital’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

I founded the business during late 2022 and wanted to run some ads to validate the offer. Kobe Digital helped me write 3 Google ads variations and also set them up, manage, optimize them in Google ads manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The ads got over 13% CTR which I believe is quite good compared to the industry average.

What was your primary form of communication with Kobe Digital?

Email or Messaging App

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

Yes, everything was delivered on time. Communication was great. They were patient and answered all my questions.

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

Always on time and overdeliver.

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

Nothing I can think of.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a company that sells domains and hosting.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kobe Digital?

I hired Kobe to write content for, redesign, and redevelop our ecommerce website.

SOLUTION

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

I chose Kobe based upon its online reviews, project size fit, past customer designs, and its Los Angeles location.

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

Kobe provided one, initial meeting with a few people who I did not work with again. Work was begun on the project by the content writer, who began describing the design in his content, which was posted page by page on Monday.com, which does not have revision or reviewing functionality. Kobe refused to begin the project with (industry-standard) wireframes, which would have provided a simple understanding of the two types of pages and messaging placement to both my team and theirs.

Kobe next provided designs, via pdfs in email (i.e. no easy reviewing capability), that looked like simple template websites with no brand feel, according to many laypersons and professional web designers (and me too of course). At this point, with less than half of the work done, I cancelled the project.

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

In total, we worked with three people, including a project manager, a content writer, and a web designer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We did use some of the content that Kobe created, albeit highly edited. Although less than half of the work was done, Kobe denied to refund any money.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was the weakest part of the whole, painful project. Their tools, including Monday.com for content review and emailed pdfs for design review, were woefully inadequate for the required tasks. I felt as if I was doing all the work, teaching Kobe's team in the process.

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

I did not find any redeeming features about this company.

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

They could have begun the project with wireframes, used Google docs or equivalent for content collaboration, and used InVision (or Sketch, or other online design collaboration tool) instead of email pdfs created by Illustrator for design review.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Head of marketing, construction company in Denver, Colorado.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kobe Digital, and what were your goals?

We needed an email list to add to our marketing channels.

SOLUTION

How did you select Kobe Digital and what were the deciding factors?

They have many positive reviews on Google.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

The main requirement was to bring in active audience in our niche.

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

A team of ad specialists working on our email list.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

20000 subscribers that already brought us some money back.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timelines.

The account manager did a great job keeping us in the loop with the project.

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

Their ad experience, we have never seen this level of performance before.

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

We love working with Kobe and will continue to do so in the future.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We promote a better way to get hydrated into the market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kobe Digital?

Brand package - logos, social media, banners.

What were your goals for this project?

Get brand guidance and assistance in creating a revolutionary brand.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them on a similar review platform.

Describe the project in detail.

Kobe Digital matched what we always wanted in our graphics, we just let them do what they are known for.

What was the team composition?

A project manager, graphic designers, and a copywriter.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Yeah, we are happy and can concentrate on other parts of the business.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have not experienced any hold ups. I would definitely mark it as effective.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

You can see they put a lot of effort into the project.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Sometimes I wished we could move faster as my executives had a very strict deadline, but overall the delivery time was reasonable and we were able to meet the deadlines even though sometimes only by the skin of our teeth!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We help companies better utilize their workforce.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kobe Digital?

Social Media Advertising.

What were your goals for this project?

The goal is to let more people know about the services we offer.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found this vendor on Clutch, and hired them based on their reviews and an RFP process.

Describe the project in detail.

We are fully satisfied with everything. The post proved to be engaging in what some would call a boring niche.

What was the team composition?

SMM department of Kobe Digital.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

More leads, more engagement.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was efficient, and simple. It was a pleasure to work together.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their consistent creative output impressed us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

The prices are a bit premium.