Schaefer

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of a Wholesale Coffee Supplier

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We sell wholesale coffee to amazing cafe partners.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Schaefer to accomplish?

• Market Research

SOLUTION

How did you find Schaefer?

Online Search

Why did you select Schaefer over others?

• High ratings
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Schaefer were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We engaged Schaefer for market research to quantify the U.S. demand for our product. Their scope included designing and executing a detailed survey, conducting qualitative interviews, and analyzing the data. They presented the findings in a succinct, strategic deck, highlighting key metrics crucial for our go-to-market strategy. 
Deliverables included a comprehensive report with data visualizations, demographic insights, and market size estimations. Schaefer’s work provided valuable insights, guiding our strategic planning and ensuring an informed product launch in the U.S. market.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Schaefer delivered all requested metrics and identified additional key insights, greatly exceeding our expectations. Their findings included detailed demographic data, market demand, consumer preferences, and barriers to entry, all critical for refining our U.S. market strategy. These outcomes have directly shaped our product positioning and marketing approaches, ensuring a strong launch.

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

Schaefer's project management was highly structured and procedural, ensuring a seamless and efficient workflow. They consistently delivered all items on schedule and maintained excellent communication throughout the project. They also aligned with our needs by asking the right questions, tailoring their approach to ensure the project outcomes met our expectations.

What was your primary form of communication with Schaefer?

• In-Person Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What impressed us most about Schaefer was their meticulous attention to detail and their deep understanding of our needs. They not only met but exceeded our expectations, delivering comprehensive and valuable insights within an exceptionally tight timeframe.

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

Schaefer exceeded our expectations in all aspects of the project, leaving no areas in need of improvement. We are thoroughly satisfied with their performance and look forward to collaborating with them again in the future.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a manager at Meatworks

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Direct to consumer meat processing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Schaefer to accomplish?

• Run online platform
• Marketing our products

SOLUTION

How did you find Schaefer?

Referral

Why did you select Schaefer over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Schaefer were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Ads - Strategy, Copy, Testing, Optimization, Reporting:

• Strategic marketing recommendations
• Campaign and ad set optimization
• Performance monitoring
• Ad copy
• Landing page creation and testing (working with Jacobs & Co. on creative)
• Conversion recommendations/monitoring/testing
• Reporting and analyzing weekly metrics for weekly meetings
• Larger performance reports as needed
• Ad creative guidance to Jacobs & Co.

Organic Social Media Community & Influencer Management:

• Creating a social calendar and scheduling posts
• Monitoring Facebook and Instagram as well as responding to comments/messages on the page and from ads
• Escalating questions, concerns, and comments
• Sweepstakes and engagement campaigns
• Posting, engaging with followers, reposting

Email:

• 1-2 emails per week (4-8 emails per month depending on time of year)
• Copywriting
• Email prep
• Scheduling
• Analytics

Marketing Strategy and Planning:

• Campaign Planning and Execution (1 medium campaign per quarter or 2 smaller campaigns per quarter)
• Influencer Marketing Strategy
• Channel Strategy

Customer Experience And Positioning Strategy:

• Strategic Recommendations
• New Product Recommendations
• Messaging Strategy
• Brand Strategy

Affiliate Marketing Program:

• Setup and management of program
• Reaching out to affiliates and supplying materials
• Monitoring success

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Launched the brand
• significant brand growth year over year
• Launched new products and add ons
• Expande shipping locations
• streamlined ordering process
• grew email list

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

There have been some delays but overall timelines have been met. They are quick to respond to needs and have weekly meetings to discuss updates.

What was your primary form of communication with Schaefer?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Small business and woman owned business

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

They had a partner in building out our Shopify that should have been let go quicker. They built in complexity that we did not need and it created issues. Much smoother now!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Client Engagement of SPLYCEHOUSE

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We make videos that help marketers drive brand awareness, consideration, sales revenue & loyalty.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Schaefer to accomplish?

• Consult on choosing CRM & Lead Generation platforms
• Train our team to effectively use our chosen CRM & Lead Generation platforms
• Help elevate our own brand awareness along with prospect consideration, conversation and client loyalty

SOLUTION

How did you find Schaefer?

• Referral
• Previous Collaboration

Why did you select Schaefer over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Respect & Trust

How many teammates from Schaefer were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

SPLYCEHOUSE, a fast-growing video production company, was in need of a new CRM and lead generation platforms. We reached out to Schaefer who we knew had tremendous insight and expertise on the various platform options. We leaned on Schaefer to guide us through the vetting and selection process, so as to ensure we made the right choice for our business. 
Key deliverables included identifying and selecting the most appropriate platforms, training our team on how to effectively use the platforms and, ultimately, elevating our outbound target marketing to drive sales.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We chose two platforms (a CRM and a Lead Gen platform) thanks to Schaefer's guidance. We're in process of integrating older legacy systems into our new platforms. We're in process of learning how to utilize / optimize each platform to streamline / improve business operations and management. We're in process of learning how to utilize / optimize each platform to elevate outbound marketing and sales.

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

The Schaefer team took ownership of this project with the same degree of care and attention as if the work related to their own business success. The team has been extremely responsive - and patient with us as necessary. Their expertise in their field is second to none.

What was your primary form of communication with Schaefer?

Virtual Meeting

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

Schaefer has a unique ability to combine their skills and expertise with a genuine care about the companies (and people) they serve.

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

I only wish we would have hired Schaefer sooner than we did.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the COO of Equilibrium Foods Inc; we’re a food manufacturing and marketing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Schaefer Digital?

We operate under a traditional food distribution model, so we sell our products through major retailers in Canada. We wanted to expand our online presence in the US, so we hired Schaefer Digital to help us market and advertise our bone broth product online.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, we met with the Schaefer Digital team to discuss our project goals. Then, they drafted a proposal, which we reviewed before kicking off the project. Once we provided the team with photographs and other digital assets, they started working on increasing our online presence. 

The Schaefer Digital team has been responsible for developing creative assets and writing copy for our Facebook and Google Ads, which they’ve purchased. They’ve also analyzed our website to uncover why visitors add items to their baskets without checking out and made recommendations to redesign our website to address our problem areas. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Sidnee (CEO), Alex (Digital Marketing Strategist), and another team member. 

How did you come to work with Schaefer Digital?

We found Schaefer Digital through a referral from a friend. 

How much have you invested with them?

We invest roughly $10,000 CAD (approximately $7,000 USD) monthly with Schaefer Digital, which includes the ad buys. Overall, we’ve invested about $60,000 (approximately $43,00 USD) in the partnership.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked with Schaefer Digital since April 2022, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Schaefer Digital has made valuable suggestions and helped us make more effective ad buys on Facebook and Google. We started investing in social media ads in the summer and didn’t expect to significantly increase sales because our bone broth product is seasonal. However, our sales have increased progressively week over week, which has been great.

We’ve really appreciated Schaefer Digital’s commitment to understanding our consumers, which has informed their recommendations for our website. Since implementing their suggestions, our customers have shared positive feedback regarding the changes. 

How did Schaefer Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

Schaefer Digital has collaborated with us and maintained an open line of communication throughout the project. They’ve been approachable and responsive via email and phone, and we’ve met weekly via Microsoft Teams. 

During our meetings, the team has made recommendations to improve our digital marketing efforts and effectively answered our questions. We’ve had ongoing discussions about our ad spend, which the team has tweaked according to performance. When we’ve faced problems or confusion, they’ve quickly identified solutions. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

This project has been our first venture into digital marketing and social media advertising, and it’s taken us some time to grasp some of the concepts. Schaefer Digital has communicated clearly, patiently addressed our questions, and explained concepts in detail, which we’ve appreciated. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Schaefer Digital could improve by expanding their focus areas. We’d like to maximize our opportunity to increase online sales through various channels such as TikTok and Instagram, but I’m not sure they have those capabilities. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I advise approaching the project with a clear understanding of your needs and expectations so that you can communicate them to Schaefer Digital. Since this is all new to me, my expectations didn’t align with their capabilities, which was on me. As long as you’re clear about the project scope, they will deliver on it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the president of an organization that manufactures and sells mattresses to retailers who then sell them to consumers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Schaefer Digital ?

We needed them to help us update and revise our website in order to be more relevant in the digital space and find new people to carry our brand. We also wanted to attract paid traffic to the website to get wholesale clients.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Schaefer Digital created a couple of landing pages, which they migrated from Unbounce to our own website, using Shopify. One of these landing pages is visible to the public. Whenever a user lands on this page, we retarget that traffic with Google and Facebook ads to the second landing page, which is more of a secret page. Users are then taken further down the funnel to another contact page that they can use to get in touch with us about our mattresses.  
 
Schaefer Digital also handles all of the paid digital activity, for which they do keyword research and offsite SEO. 
 
What is the team composition?

We work directly with Sidnee (Founder & CEO). She handles everything from strategy to organizing campaigns and directing traffic. We also work with someone who’s more of an administrative role. 
 
How did you come to work with Schaefer Digital?

We discovered them through word of mouth.
 
How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $20,000–$25,000.
 
What is the status of this engagement?

We began our partnership in October 2020, and it is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re generating quicker rates, between 6%–8% on our ads, which is a great number for us.

The way we measure success is not by any hard number measure but by establishing a baseline for our brand in the digital space. We’re trying to exceed the industry’s best practices and standard for impressions and click rates, and we’re massively exceeding in all of these aspects by leaps and bounds.
 
How did Schaefer Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

We don’t use any special management tool. Everything is handled by either phone, Zoom, or email. 
 
What did you find most impressive about them?

Communication is key and Schaefer Digital is world-class. They’re very good at explaining things so that we can all be on board on the project. They are joyful, really positive, and fun to be around. Moreover, they don’t try to do any activity that is too far outside of their competency. Instead, they bring in the right people for the jobs that may not be part of their core team on the development side. We really respect this mindset. 
 
Are there any areas they could improve?

I believe there are some changes underway in some platforms, for example Linkedln. Other companies might be a little ahead of what’s happening with those platforms. Therefore, Schaefer Digital could benefit from innovating their service offerings.
 
Any advice for potential customers?

We had a little snag when we first started because we failed to clarify what was going on, but we figured it out. Therefore, I recommend that prospective clients make sure to be clear on the flow of the funnel, if they’re doing something in the marketing space that is funnel related.  
 
 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of Family Works. We’re an online web app, and moving toward a mobile app, that helps families to be more intentional.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Schaefer Digital?

They were brought in from ideation. We had to find that there was a problem and thus a need. They’ve been involved from the very first stages of product validation. From ideation, we moved onto concepting to launch to testing. Now we have a product, and they’re helping with iterating that project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re a member of our growth leadership team. Schaefer Digital has been instrumental in the process of us validating our ideas with a go-to-market strategy. We had the idea and some hi-fi concepts. Instead of building something, we asked Schaefer Digital to market it and put up a splash page in an effort to see if anyone would find this to be interesting.

They ran a campaign and led us through a workshop to see if there was a niche in the market that our product could fill. Schaefer Digital helped us define our market, create a value proposition, and put it in a way that still resonates with people.

Additionally, they established all of our social platforms and helped with our brand identity on the creative side. Their team has managed all of our ad campaigns, primarily conversion campaigns. They’ve optimized those campaigns, tracked metrics, handled Google Analytics, monitored performance, and put our Facebook Pixel on so we know how far people are going through our app experience.

Our app is content-heavy so they’ve helped us with content strategy. They sit in on our cross-functional team workshops and handle our email marketing strategy. We do a lot of product and offerings validation, and they come up with the tests for our A/B testing efforts.

What is the team composition?

We work with Sidnee (Founder & CEO) as well as two other individuals.

How did you come to work with Schaefer Digital?

We came to find them through an agency that recommended Schaefer Digital. Our team gave them one assignment. We instantly clicked and felt they could help us achieve our goals.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in May 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The parameters and goals we set for our first months were reached within the first week. We immediately knew we had scratched an itch. We’ve consistently outperformed cost per acquisition metrics in our industry. We haven’t had any trouble gaining new customers. That’s been our greatest success so far; especially considering we started with zero.

How did Schaefer Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They manage our assets, campaigns, and timely feedback. They’re a highly data-driven organization that can instantly translate data into product updates and reviews. That’s a value add that I hadn’t anticipated, but has been really helpful.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Because of her background and experience, Sidnee brings a unique perspective on what it takes to validate and get a product from concept to market. Sidnee’s an expert. We’ve saved time and money as well as look better to the external world because of their performance.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have clear expectations for the outcomes and way you want to work with Schaefer Digital. They’re excellent at back-and-forth communication. Define the parameters and expectations around your budget. They see themselves as business partners so treating them as such will give you the best results.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the creative director and co-founder of Shake Collaboration, a branding and product development outfit. We have a consumer-facing product that we’ve brought to the market called CBD & ME.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Schaefer Digital?

We hired them to scale our digital growth including our e-commerce platform, brand awareness, and sales. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Schaefer Digital team provides SEO for us. At first, they analyzed our site before mapping out a plan on how to optimize it. Then, they conducted on- and off-site SEO for us. 

They also helped with our programmatic ad campaign where they developed ads for us to try and attract engagement on our site. Programmatic ads help to identify the best channels to place our ads by being able to identify the specific consumers we want to target.

In our case, our first round targeted people who needed self-care, such as athletic people, anxious people, pet owners, and people who lack sleep. All of those were based on the team's research. We basically tested our audience in order to identify what demographics would best respond to our product. In the end, we learned that targeting those who had sleeping anxiety was more successful than marketing to athletic people. After that, we are now on our way to our campaign's phase two.

However, along the way, we discovered some limitations and problems with our site. As a result, we decided to switch platforms and because of that, we haven't been able to proceed to phase two yet. Despite that, Schaefer Digital made some site recommendations while waiting for us.

What is the team composition?

We work with Sidnee (Owner), and other people from their team.

How did you come to work with Schaefer Digital?

We had a personal connection. One of my friends and colleagues in the design referred me to them. At that time, we also interviewed other similar agencies and we ultimately went with Schaefer Digital because they were willing to work with a startup and within our budget.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $5,000–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working in August 2020, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It’s hard to gauge the impact because we didn’t convert as many sales as we hoped to, but at the same time, our number of visitors increased which means that our brand awareness has improved. Furthermore, they've been good strategic partners to us.

How did Schaefer Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

We have been doing everything through Slack, which makes things really easy. I run two companies, and it helps me to keep everything on track. In addition, their reports have been detailed.

They have been very communicative despite our two-hour time difference. Overall, they respond quickly and their work ethic has been exemplary. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They've shown that they want to be partners with us and that they care about our business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think they have any areas they could improve. I’m really happy with their service.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them walk you through their process and make sure you understand it. Spend some time knowing what they're diving into on your behalf.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m the CMO at School of Rock. We’re the world’s largest performance-based music education company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Kingfish Digital?

Our head of digital left the company and we needed to keep our digital programs going while we found a replacement. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Sidnee (CEO & Founder) managed our SEO, including paid and organic search. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with Sidnee.

How did you come to work with Kingfish Digital?

I’d worked with Sidnee in the past at previous agencies. When I found out she had started an agency, I was excited to have the opportunity to work with her again.

How much have you invested in them?

We invested around $15,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from November 2019–February 2020. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had record paid search performance and strong SEO performance. Though it can take a while to see results for organic search performance, things moved smoothly throughout the engagement. 

How did Kingfish Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very strong and understand how to deliver on schedule. Sidnee is a great communicator who manages expectations correctly and identified potential roadblocks early in the process. We mostly communicated via video calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Sidnee is a strong marketer and a good person.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything went really well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

As a young agency, they’re working hard to make a name for themselves.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president and CEO of Handled, and we are one of the fastest-growing moving and home service companies in the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kingfish Digital?

From a marketing standpoint, we have needed a pretty versatile, flexible partner that can help us not only kick-off and generate new business, but also grow with us and expand according to our needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve worked with Kingfish Digital in a variety of aspects. The first of those is the paid experience, which encompasses everything from setting up all of our initial PPC ads on Google to social media promotions on Facebook, Instagram, and even platforms like Yelp and Thumbtack. Their team has been critical in getting those off the ground and then optimizing them to increase brand awareness while lowering the cost of our leads.

Further into the engagement, our company realized that it was growing fast enough to require more services than just the paid side of the business. At that point, we expanded their engagement to include marketing strategy and coordination. Those services range from tweaking landing pages to optimize conversion flows to providing some of the tools we need in our review system in order to drive more social credibility.

What is the team composition?

The primary person I interact with is Sidnee (CEO, Kingfish Digital), and she has really led a lot of our in-depth strategy work in particular. There are two other people from her team working on the project as well.

How did you come to work with Kingfish Digital?

I knew Sidnee at a previous employer and was always impressed with the work that she did. When I heard that she was starting Kingfish, I reached out to her because I knew that she would be a good fit for the relationship.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent just under $100,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project began in August 2019 and is still ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the beginning of the project, we have seen an almost 60% reduction in the cost per lead that we receive. That level of cost savings has been massively helpful in helping us to grow and expand our operations as a business.

The entire partnership has been a really positive experience so far. We feel like we are constantly receiving their best work, which is really important to us and one of the main reasons we’ve expanded our work with them so significantly. Our team has been so impressed with their leadership that we regularly make them a part of our strategic conversations and grant them the same level of authority as any of our internal hires.

How did Kingfish Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

Sidnee is the kind of person that really takes the lead in project management, so we get high-quality documentation along with their delivery and amazing monthly and quarterly reports. She has worked with us to build out incredibly detailed attribution tracking so that there’s complete transparency around the performance of their work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their whole team operates with a level of strategy and accountability that you rarely find among marketing firms. Kingfish Digital Has the ability to look at the long term and build systems that are not only going to be successful today but are going to get you to your long-term goals. They aren’t afraid to ask really difficult questions about why the work is being done and how it could be done differently or better.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We provided feedback early in the process, and they always responded incredibly quickly and well. It’s led to an even better working relationship, so I don’t have any suggestions for improvement at this point.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Integrate Kingfish Digital at the very start of your work. They are good at execution, but if you want to take advantage of their most unique attributes and strengths, then you should bring them in at the very beginning of the problem so they can help architect the solution.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the CEO of a supply chain, logistics, and transport company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are building B2B software for the Supply Chain

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Schaefer to accomplish?

• Set up our Marketing Tech Stack
• Set up Marketing Strategy and Launch Plan

SOLUTION

How did you find Schaefer?

Online Search

Why did you select Schaefer over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Schaefer were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

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

When we started the project, we sought a firm to partner with us in marketing. We were pre-launch and looking to build a robust marketing infrastructure and have the partner guide us to make informed marketing and strategy decisions for a startup. With Schaefer, they have delivered on setting up our marketing tech stack, and we are working on launching our ad and email campaigns, which will be ready as soon as we launch publicly. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Meetings Booked will be our metric for project success. They completed our Martech stack set up, which was a huge lift. 

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

They always delivered and gave very precise timelines. 

What was your primary form of communication with Schaefer?

Virtual Meeting

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

They have a wide breadth of knowledge over a couple of different industries. We really wanted a partner that knew our industry well, and they had direct experience from a past company in the same industry, but we knew they also had experience with many other industries after that. 

The other thing is their approach is not just marketing. They are helping with sales, marketing and product. They beleive if the product or the sales cycle is bad, then marketing isn't going to magically fix the company. They have been every step of the way as we prepare to launch. 

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

They have been extremely patient with me and my questions. I would say that there is nothing that I would recommend for them.