Muse Marketing Group

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and managing partner of InRoads Insurance Brokers Inc. We’re an independent insurance brokerage located in Milton, Canada, and we’ve been operating for about 10 years. We specialize in home, auto, and commercial insurance products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Muse Marketing Group?

Muse is helping us generate leads. They use Google Ads to help us fish for the right location and characteristics for clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’re on a monthly retainer with Muse, and they’re the marketing arm of our company. Our goal is to be the #1 independent brokerage in Milton. We’re doing a marketing campaign right now embracing the fact that we’re a licensed insurance brokerage run by real people. Muse has been working on that messaging through our social media.

Their team set up our website and MailChimp. They also do all of the blogs for our website. Another large effort is our Google Ads. Muse manages our monthly allowance and uses Google Ads to generate leads to contact our appropriate proprietors. They create our brand and vision.

What is the team composition?

We’ve been working with 4–5 people. Brandin (Digital Brand Strategist) handles creative. Judy (President) is our account manager and handles all our tasks. Mark (Creative Director) occasionally jumps in the calls and provides direction. There’s another individual who handles our Google Ads and keywords as well.

How did you come to work with Muse Marketing Group?

One of the insurance companies we deal with organized a day when they brought in four vendors they thought would be a good fit for our brokerage. We interviewed all four and ultimately selected Muse.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $30,000–$40,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in January 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In our initial interview, Muse said they’d make us bigger than we are, and they delivered on that. We now know we can get 100 leads a month by doing certain campaigns. Muse has created a way for us to turn our marketing on or off as we please. Right now, we’re scaling our staff so we’ve put our Google Ads on pause. However, we know the exact response we’ll get once we turn it back on.

How did Muse Marketing Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly calls on Fridays. They execute on the critical path and deliver. If anything, I hold them up; they’re on point with everything. We use CoSchedule and Zoom.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve created a professional look, feel, and logo that makes us stand out. Muse has brought us into the 21st century with everything, including our ability to connect with customers. The most impressive thing is that they’ve captured my vision and brought it to fruition. Where we are now is lightyears ahead of where we started.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I’m very pleased.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I’d strongly recommend them. They can capture what you want and put it out there in a marketing package.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager of Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada, it’s a not-for-profit organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Muse Marketing Group?

We were working with another marketing company that was failing us miserably. As a small not-for-profit, we expect a lot from our marketing company. Volunteers are visionaries and they expect to see their vision turned into something real. In our search for Muse, we were looked for a new company that’d actually do that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Essentially, Muse became a part of our in-house marketing team. With our former company, we had to continually poke and prod in order for them to take action. We were a very small fish in their very big sea. If we didn’t poke and give them what they needed to do, they wouldn’t get the job done. Muse picks up on very small cues and takes the reins of our marketing campaigns.

Here in Canada, May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. As our first large campaign, we wanted to focus on distracted driving. Distracted driving is a very hot issue here in our country that’s discussed in both provincial and federal government agencies. Muse ran our campaign with a play-on-words of popular movie titles. Their marketing efforts and ideas included titles like Fatal Attraction and Close Encounters to deliver key messages about how motorcyclists need space from automobile drivers.

This campaign is an annual effort, and we’ve done it for three years now. We lead up to and then kick off it off during the last few days of April. During this time, we get members of parliament or ministers to make statements in the House of Commons related to watching out for motorcyclists.

Then, throughout the month of May, our campaign is focused on targeting automobile drivers to be more aware of motorcyclists. We wrap up the campaign in the first week of June. During the rest of the year, Muse handles our social media marketing.

What is the team composition?

I work with a few people from their team. This includes Mark (Creative Director), Judy (President), and Joanna (Communication Strategist) who is my point of contact for daily social media posts.

How did you come to work with Muse Marketing Group?

We put out an RFP looking for companies. In addition to that, we received a list of several marketing firms from the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA); we work closely with them and value their recommendations. Muse was on that list and after seeing their application and presentation, we were impressed with their work. They rose to the top of our list very quickly, and we’re happy we ended up selecting them because they’re the exact fit for our needs.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $200,000 CAD (approximately $144,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership began in September 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our organization has gained recognition so a lot more people know who we are because of these campaigns. What’s more, the number of followers on our social media accounts has exponentially grown. It’s probably 20 times more than what it was before we brought Muse on board.

Their team does a really good job and continues to put out solid messages that make enthusiasts and road users want to hear what we have to say. They produce absolutely outstanding and brilliant marketing campaigns that are very well-received.

How did Muse Marketing Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management has been outstanding. Muse has truly become part of our marketing team. If we were all sitting in the same office, an outsider would think that they were employees rather than a contracted company.

We use different channels for communication including conference calls and emails. There are occasional opportunities where we see each other in person. Muse attends our annual meeting in the Fall. They also show up at several motorcycle-specific events, and we always make arrangements to meet over coffee.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Because we’re a small organization and we’re not-for-profit, we are very family-business-oriented. Muse treats our company as part of their company, as opposed to just another contract.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m very satisfied with their work, and they’ve never let me down on anything. Muse has gone above and beyond, and they’ve done many things they haven’t charged us enough for. There are absolutely no negatives at this point.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Try to treat them as a part of your team. If you treat them as an outside company then they will work professionally for you and do exactly that. However, if you want more of a collaborative atmosphere, let them in because they’re happy to help.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and executive director of Telling Tales.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Muse Marketing?

We hired Muse Marketing to expand our digital exposure and grow our attendance at events.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Muse completely rebranded Telling Tales by updating its website and redesigning its graphics. They are currently continuing to develop social media content through Twitter, Instagram, and a newsletter. Their team also creates video marketing strategies and click-based advertising to showcase our work to audiences.

What is the team composition?

We work primarily with the owner and project manager.

How did you come to work with Muse Marketing?

I was referred to them by a mutual friend.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in 2014 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They increased our website’s traffic by 50% and surge our engagement metrics. Our newsletter averages an open rate of 30%, impressions reached 1.5 million clicks, and our videos now have 60,000 views. They have helped double the size of our operation and continue to increase the interest of our donors and sponsors.

How did Muse Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Muse is not shy to identify unrealistic demands and expertly manage our marketing budget. They are proactive communicators and reply quickly to our questions. Their team meets all deadlines and dedicate themselves to work with us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their phenomenal methods thoroughly engage customers in our social media. They go above and beyond to deliver solid content and it is amazing how they invest in the growth of our brand. They are a self-motivated team and have an extraordinary relationship with us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of the RTA Corporation. We’re an advanced data analytics company that performs remote analysis on purchase-to-pay transactions by utilizing AI.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Muse Marketing Group?

We’re an analytics firm and lacked the brand identity to stand out in a saturated marketplace. As a result, we needed to create a recognizable brand that communicated our complex technical aspects to potential clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, Muse conducted in-depth interviews with our senior-level staff to gain an understanding of the purpose of our company. They tried to comprehend each person’s passion in regards to the business and weave those elements into compelling marketing materials. They called this process, “uncovering your greatness.” This was an effective way to brainstorm marketing initiatives and we looked at it as a team-building exercise as well. Then, they helped establish our brand by building our website and naming our AI instance, Clara ®. It’s a particularly sophisticated AI that performs computational mathematics. Muse was able to distill that concept and deliver a message that’s easily digested by the marketplace.

We then engaged Muse to assist with further rebranding. For this effort, they renamed the company and are set to provide digital marketing services. They provided wireframes of deliverables and I believe most of the work is complete. The rebranding will launch very soon.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with three people that lead their respective teams. This includes a creative director, a copyright director, and a director of web development.

How did you come to work with Muse Marketing Group?

We looked at several presentations from multiple vendors but ultimately selected Muse.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $23,000 on the initial branding effort.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2017 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Muse’s deliverables have surpassed expectations throughout both projects. Client feedback regarding the website and rebrand has been fantastic. Our sales team have seen a significant increase in first-time client contact.

How did Muse Marketing Group perform from a project management standpoint?

We have 24/7 access to their staff at the director level. They respond to emails or call request within an hour. They do their due diligence to work towards our goals and produce wireframes before any work is implemented. All three teams work well together and complete projects within the designated timelines. I appreciate how they took control of the project and continue to drive it forward. There’ve been occasions when we’ve forgotten to provide a necessary deliverable and they had to politely remind us. When this occurred, they offered to help us complete the deliverable. It’s been excellent experience from the beginning.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They got to know our business and creatively echoed that back into the marketplace. Their team consists of candid, open, and friendly people and those are refreshing characteristics in my industry. I’ve worked with in excess of 35–40 marketing firms and I’d rank Muse among the best.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Think of Muse as your company’s advisor, rather than solely service providers. They can adjust to technical information and understand it. Their approach can benefit large corporations or even startups who still need to find themselves. They’re excellent at what they do.