Pound & Grain

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Agency Acquisitions, a business services company. We help agencies overcome operational challenges and improve efficiency using a proven four-step process. We address issues like overstaffing, profit sustainability, and workload prediction to support agency growth.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pound & Grain?

We’d grown fast on the strength of the content and the community, but the brand hadn’t caught up. There was no clear identity, and the way we talked about ourselves was inconsistent depending on where you found us. There was also a real question about how much of the brand was me personally versus the business itself. Our website was a bigger problem. It didn’t explain what we actually did, didn’t do anything with our results or client stories, and wasn’t set up to capture leads or book calls. We needed a site that could carry the sales conversation on its own.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pound & Grain did two projects for us back-to-back. The first was our brand. They handled strategy and positioning, competitive research, audience personas, a tone and messaging framework, a full visual identity, and a brand style guide. They also helped us sort out the relationship between my personal brand and the Agency Acquisitions brand, which turned out to be one of the more valuable parts.For the second project, they built our website. They ran discovery, built the site strategy and information architecture, presented creative directions, and designed every page for desktop and mobile in Figma. They wrote the surrounding site copy, handled SEO structure, and built the site in WordPress on a modular system so we could spin up new pages ourselves.Moreover, they integrated Calendly, Google Tag Manager, YouTube, our social feed, GHL, Hyros, and Beehiiv. Then, they ran QA, walked us through two rounds of user testing, and deployed the site.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–5 teammates from Pound & Grain.

How did you come to work with Pound & Grain?

They were referred to me. I chose them over other options because they had high ratings, a great culture fit, and aligned company values.

How much have you invested with them?

$10,000 to $49,999

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from May2025–January 2026.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our conversion rates on the website went up, and we got more leads. Pound & Grain made us look more professional. Quantitatively, we saw around a 200% increase in conversion rates from the launch date to today. Qualitatively, I asked our clients what they thought. They liked the website and brand. They said it was overdue and looked great.

How did Pound & Grain perform from a project management standpoint?

Our project was slightly delayed, but it was well-run. Neil (Senior Project Manager) kept a clear tracker through testing, so we always knew what was outstanding and who owned it. Dana (CEO) was straightforward about timing and budget rather than telling us what we wanted to hear.Moreover, we had several partners involved on our side, and Pound & Grain coordinated all of them without me having to project manage it myself. We communicated via virtual meetings and emails.

What did you find most impressive or unique about them?

They pushed back. We came in with opinions about what the site should be, and they took the time to understand the business well enough to disagree with some of them. The brand positioning work, in particular, went deeper than I expected from a website project. That’s what made the site work, not the design.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The middle stretch took longer than either of us planned. Content and approvals were the bottleneck, and a good chunk of that was on us. We’d go quiet for a couple of weeks, and things would stall. If I did it again, I’d lock in a standing weekly check-in from day one instead of working through email.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Director of Marketing & Communications of Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We work to connect and protect habitat from Yellowstone to Yukon so that people and nature can thrive.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Pound & Grain to accomplish?

• Provide ongoing strategic marketing advice.
• Drive new donor acquisition (via paid social campaigns).
• Improve website usability and content flow.
• Develop out of the box advocacy campaign for a contentious issue.

SOLUTION

How did you find Pound & Grain?

Previously worked with agency managing partner.

Why did you select Pound & Grain over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• 100% trust the managing partner.

How many teammates from Pound & Grain were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

For new donor acquisition:

• Review web and develop and implement strategy to make user journey make more sense, especially for donors. 
• Develop campaign ideas for two social media campaigns and produce and traffic related ad assets. 
• Support media buying strategy. 
• Support campaign performance reporting. 
• Provide web visitation analysis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For the new donor acquisition campaigns: 

• number of new donors
• campaign revenue

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

Project management of all project is some of the best I've experienced in my 30 years marketing career. Clear, concise, responsive, flexible, congenial, fun, enthusiastic. Everything has been delivered on time and within tight timelines.

What was your primary form of communication with Pound & Grain?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The ease with which we work together. No interactions are 'hard work,' and the campaign results have been tremendous, exceeding expectations.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Pound & Grain could have done differently?

This is not an area needing improvement but it's worth mentioning - this team works well together and fast. We need to be more prepared to keep up with them! 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Communications Manager of BC Doctors of Optometry

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a member-based organisation that supports optometrists based in BC, Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Pound & Grain to accomplish?

• Design assets for a summer public education campaign across multiple platforms
• Generate assets needed for an ad campaign
• Support media monitoring

SOLUTION

How did you find Pound & Grain?

Online Search

Why did you select Pound & Grain over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Willing to work within our short timeline

How many teammates from Pound & Grain were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Concepting, production, and campaign management for a public education marketing campaign in 2025. 

Deliverables:

• project management support
• creative brief
• creative concept
• assets across multiple formats - out of home, print and digital
• recommendations for optimizing ad spend across platforms
• wrap report at the end of the campaign

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• 44.3 million impressions across paid media in 2 month (in British Columbia)
• 99.5K clicks through to website
• 96K landing site views
• 195% increase in website views 

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

• Incredibly responsive and proactive. Were quick to set up meetings to discuss, and we always moving towards the next deadline. Always willing to help where needed, including setting up out-of-hours meetings at short notice.
• Cool under pressure. We had a short turnaround time and they never seemed stressed! Felt like we were in safe hands.
• Worked to deadlines. Had a clear plan for the project and deadlines that they both worked towards and communicated to us. Tried to get things to us at an incredibly quick time (even though they weren't always able to achieve it).
• Asked the important questions. Were always seeking to understand better, learn about us. 

What was your primary form of communication with Pound & Grain?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They were all so clearly passionate and enthusiastic about the work they were doing. It's always fun to talk to them and make plans.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Pound & Grain could have done differently?

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP Marketing of MR MIKES SteakhouseCasual

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Multi-unit restaurant franchisor

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Pound & Grain to accomplish?

• Grow Canadian Brand Awareness for MR MIKES
• Express MR MIKES brand values through advertising
• Reach new audience of Canadians

SOLUTION

How did you find Pound & Grain?

Already familiar with their work from past interactions

Why did you select Pound & Grain over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Like creative approach

How many teammates from Pound & Grain were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Guest count has not yet recovered to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels – that is the main problem we are trying to solve. To support this, we believe that MR MIKES needs to be better known in the Canadian casual dining landscape. Due to the mostly rural physical locations, a broad awareness has always been a challenge. And in markets where our brand is known, we wish to have a stronger presence and be seen as distinct/unique in the brand voice we project so that we can be top of the consideration set for dining out decisions. We set out to expand our channels for ad distribution. Beyond Facebook​, Instagram​, TikTok​, Google display / search / maps​ - we added:Spotify​YouTube​Podcast Exchange​Apex MobileVenatus

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Awareness was our bigges goal at 6 million impressions over the campaign. However, we hit over 16 million. Engagement across most channels exceeded our expectations and industry benchmarks

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

Team was very engaged with us, amazingly enthusiastic about our brand and the campaign and brought awesome creativity to the project. Meetings were efficient and engaging and responses were quick. Our needs were met each time.

What was your primary form of communication with Pound & Grain?

Virtual Meeting

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

The depth of creativity was great. When the project was nearing the finish line, Pound & Grain proactively, and unprompted by us, approached us with a fresh batch of ideas to explore in the future. This was a nice touch that felt like the team was showing genuine care for our brand and the relationship we built over the previous months.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Pound & Grain could have done differently?

There were a couple of account manager changes during the project which was a bit disruptive. As those things can happen unplanned, I'm not sure if they could have done anything differently, but it stands out as the one thing we would have wished didn't occur.  Having said that, the rest of the team was great at managing the change with us and ensuring consitency.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the co-founder of Lupe, a ready-to-drink, mezcal-based canned cocktail company based in Vancouver.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Pound & Grain?

We needed support for our product launch.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Pound & Grain has provided branding and marketing services for our product launch. They've created our logo and branding guidelines, and they've also designed our cans and boxes. The brand development process has included creating a color palette, selecting fonts, designing a bespoke pattern, and establishing our brand language.

What is the team composition?

We've worked with five teammates from Pound & Grain.

How did you come to work with Pound & Grain?

I had already worked as a consultant with Pound & Grain for over five years. I had a strong working relationship with them, so I was well aware of the high quality of their creative work. I found them through a referral, and I chose them for this project because everyone on the team believed in our product and what we were trying to achieve.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2025, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've received incredible feedback on the design of our cans and packaging from friends, family, and potential customers. Our product hasn't launched yet, but we've received feedback that our design looks incredibly beautiful, unique, and high-quality.

How did Pound & Grain perform from a project management standpoint?

Pound & Grain's project management has been excellent. They've delivered everything we asked for on time and have been incredibly flexible with issues we've had regarding our product's dimensions. We communicate via email, online meetings, and in-person meetings.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Pound & Grain's ability to take our vision and turn it into a brand is impressive. The team has really listened to what we're trying to achieve and how we want to position ourselves within the market.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren't any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a Communications Specialist at the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association (OECTA) represents the 45,000 passionate and qualified teachers in Ontario’s publicly funded English Catholic schools, from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Pound & Grain to accomplish?

• To raise awareness about the value of publicly funded education in Ontario, build public support and momentum, and engage and mobilize Ontarians in new and innovative ways.
• To leverage public support and encourage government decision-makers to properly invest in the resources and supports that students, teachers, and educators need.
• To ensure all campaigns are in keeping with the Association’s commitment to supporting publicly funded education in Ontario, advocacy on behalf of teachers and students, and commitment to championing equity and social justice.

SOLUTION

How did you find Pound & Grain?

Past work

Why did you select Pound & Grain over others?

Creative Ideas

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

To develop an Ontario-wide advertising, engagement, and mobilization campaign to advocate on behalf of students, teachers, and publicly funded education, providing a platform for the Association to engage all Ontarians – to communicate information about the critical issues facing our schools and the need for real investment.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

To deliver a province-wide advertising campaign across numerous mediums, including social media, digital, out-of-home, connected tv, radio, etc., as part of an integrated strategy to engage parents, families, teachers, students, other educators, and all Ontarians to raise awareness about the value of publicly funded education.

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

Pound & Grain was highly responsive and proactive in its efforts to meet our needs, and went above and beyond to ensure projects were delivered on time and on budget.

What was your primary form of communication with Pound & Grain?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Pound & Grain has a unique ability to develop, craft, and execute compelling and engaging creatives, and to implement fulsome strategies for media buy plans to reach and engage key audiences. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Pound & Grain could have done differently?

Pound & Grain is reflective, honest, and proactive in its work. When there are issues – which are few and far between – they identify them, quickly work to resolve them, and put in place a plan to ensure that they are addressed in the future.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Director of BigSteelBox

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide moving and storage services to residential and business customers across Western Canada and Ontario

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Pound & Grain to accomplish?

• Develop a new brand positioning and creative platform
• Design, develop and launch a new website
• Manage digital media platforms and increase lead generation

SOLUTION

How did you find Pound & Grain?

Online Search

Why did you select Pound & Grain over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from Pound & Grain were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

The primary deliverable were an updated brand positioning, a new website and ongoing media management (primary paid search). The initial work include research and planning, development of a new tagline and creative platform. The next stage was a full website design and the subsequent development and launch of a new website. They also comppletely restructured our Google Ads platform and continued to manage that for the past 6 years.

The new creative platform also included design, writing and production of a number of assets, which included photography, video and finished digital ads. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The new website was an immediate improvement from a lead capture and branding perspective. Our conversion rates from sessions to form completions improve by about 50% almost immediately after launch, and continue to improve for the first few years while the site was further optimized. 

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

The website was launched on schedule and they are ecellent at managing clearly defined projects.

What was your primary form of communication with Pound & Grain?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their strategy, creativity, and web development were all top-notch.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Pound & Grain could have done differently?

We were unable to find ways to evolve the brand and creative platform in an affordable or more agile way. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing of Nevro Corp

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We help patients suffering from chronic pain achieve lasting relief.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Pound & Grain to accomplish?

• Design and Build New Website Features and Content
• Design Digital Content
• Manage and Execute Our Paid Media Strategy

SOLUTION

How did you find Pound & Grain?

Online Search

Why did you select Pound & Grain over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Pound & Grain were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

I've partnered with P&G for the last six years as our primary agency for all digital marketing and advertising services. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Throughout our partnership, P&G has delivered exceptional digital content including digital guides, marketing videos, social media graphics, web designs, emails, and advertisements.

They've also managed our paid media strategy including optimizations and media buying. 

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

I highly recommend working with P&G - they are a true partner to your project. They've always delivered high-quality projects on time and have strong communication with their clients. 

What was your primary form of communication with Pound & Grain?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Each individual at the company adds value to our projects - whether that is design work, project management, strategy, or functionality input. Each team member is well-versed and experienced in their area of expertise. P&G brings a well-rounded team to the table. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Pound & Grain could have done differently?

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Director of Communications & Marketing of a pathway college. 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are Canada's premier pathways college.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Pound & Grain to accomplish?

• Increase awareness of Langara
• Support increased student recruitment

SOLUTION

How did you find Pound & Grain?

RFP Process

Why did you select Pound & Grain over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Good value for cost

How many teammates from Pound & Grain were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

Pound & Grain created a full international and domestic digital and out-of-home advertising campaign, brand design, and our first ever open house. They also designed an experiential campaign where we got our brand out there with a branded food truck serving mango bubble tea, in our brand colour. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

At the conclusion of the campaing we held our first ever college open house. Our goal was 1,000 guests. We surpassed 2,500.

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

They delivered exceptional results on a tight timeline.

What was your primary form of communication with Pound & Grain?

Virtual Meeting

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

Their creative concepts are next level. Stuff we'd never dream of. High, high calibre thinking.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Pound & Grain could have done differently?

N/A