Search + Gather

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a digital growth strategist for Safi Media, a media leadership company. We produce a lot of content, and there’s another side where women can enter into incubator programs to enroll in coaching. Our goal is to double the number of female founders and entrepreneurs who make over a billion dollars in annual recurring revenue by 2030.

My job is to take all the content and optimize it across our key channels, including SEO, organic optimization, and ad spend across Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, referral partnerships, and so on. In general, I have to increase the number of leads that come in through the funnel to grow over the years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Search & Gather?

Initially, I worked with them at a smaller startup for business software; I was doing the ads promotions internally, but I also had to oversee a ton of other stuff on the marketing team. We hired them to run some ads for us, primarily on Facebook.

From there, I moved on to a bigger company that also sold B2B software. Again, the work became too much because we were growing quickly, so we hired Search & Gather as a contractor to run all of our ads.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When they initially came on board, Search & Gather’s role was to create, launch, and optimize ads on Facebook for our audience. On the second company, they ran Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google Ads. They oversaw those platforms and optimized ads for us. The team set up our Google Analytics and Google Data Studio reports, so they pulled the right data and made sure that we’d integrated them with all of our systems in the backend. Additionally, they designed landing pages and did the ad design and copywriting. They had designers on staff who helped us and used Unbounce.

In the beginning, they were thorough in their research to get to know our company, product, and audience. We sent preliminary information, such as ideal customer profiles. They usually took part in the product demo and were interested in getting to know the product. Overall, they threw themselves to understanding our company.

What is the team composition?

We initially reached out to Doug (Co-Founder) and worked with him to finalize the proposal and get the invoice. After that, we were set up with two people — one strategist in charge of the accounts and one person in charge of the analytics and reports. Towards the end of our engagement, there was an intern, but they just brought her for extra support.

How did you come to work with Search & Gather?

When we initially hired Search & Gather, another local company recommended them. I had an excellent relationship with them, and I found out they were thorough and great at communicating. They wanted to learn more about the business, optimize it, and continuously experiment, so they were really hands-on. When I entered the second company and needed somebody willing to work on the ground with us, I brought them in again to figure out how to get more leads.

How much have you invested with them?

We were spending between $50,000–$100,000 on our monthly budget, and we paid around $9,000–$10,000 for Search & Gather’s support. When we fluctuated the budget, it went down to $4,000–$5,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

I worked with Search & Gather for over three years between two different companies. We started our partnership in September 2018, and it ended in December 2019. Since we were a small startup, we had to pull back on some funding. Ultimately, we had to do everything in-house.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were skeptical about Facebook before they joined us because we didn’t think it’d be the best tool. However, we started running the ads, and they were state-of-the-industry reports. We noticed that we got probably twice the amount of leads we would’ve gotten on LinkedIn because Search & Gather targeted a good audience. They brought in quality results, and the Facebook ads helped us bring in quality leads.

When they were onboarded, we sent them all of our brand guidelines. They were good at staying within them and doing the branding, landing pages, and creative work according to what we wanted to showcase. In general, we always found that they were upbeat and excited about strategizing, optimizing, and continuing with the project, which made a difference in their quality of work. We could tell the company had a good culture because the team seemed happy.

Finally, Search & Gather made sure that they attended the demos and received the proper onboarding materials, and they were very thorough in that regard.

How did Search & Gather perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very organized. I can’t recall any time where the project changed and we were unaware of it. We had biweekly meetings, and they were available on Slack 24/7, which was helpful because we could easily communicate about what was happening. If anything changed, we were always in the loop, and we’d strategize it together.

The team had a spreadsheet where we could view updates. They just used Google Sheets, and it worked pretty well. When we needed to approve things internally, it was easy to go into it and see the designs they’d done for the week. Search & Gather was also good at communicating when things were ready to go or when we’d hit a snag.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They had that extra layer of offering landing page support, ad design, and copywriting, which is what we needed. Search & Gather provided support beyond just optimizing ads.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They handled so many different channels that some didn’t perform as well as others. Maybe they could pick a sweet spot of channels to focus on because it’s unrealistic to manage all of them due to their team size.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open to sharing everything that you have internally going on. They’ll gladly take it to ensure that their results are consistent with what you’ve worked on. We found it extremely helpful — if there was a product update or an update with sales across departments, it was useful information to share down funnel results.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for a startup that focuses on medical devices and connectivity solutions, specifically around senior medication adherence.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Search & Gather?

We specifically contacted Search & Gather to help us gain further insights into who searches for our type of solution, how they search, what terminology they use, and what platforms are viable strategies for us to get to as part of that effort. Also, we recognized that we were in the early stages of clarifying our go-to market strategy. As a startup, there was little digital marketing infrastructure in place.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Search & Gather guided us around SEO, website landing pages, and keyword searches. Our initial effort was focused on developing a campaign to engage prospects on the consumer side and using paid search and Facebook as the two biggest platforms in terms of spending. We had regular discovery processes. They leveraged our subject matter expertise and brought their digital marketing subject to the table.

What is the team composition?

At the start of the process, we had contact with the owner, but we predominantly worked with two people: a buyer and a strategist.

How did you come to work with Search & Gather?

The relationship preexisted me. I assume they approached my former CEO and engaged with him. They were about to sign a services agreement when I was onboarded, and I was given the option to walk away from the contract or use Search & Gather. In the end, I opted to use them because I was impressed with what they could bring to the table.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent under $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in January 2021, and the campaign ran from March–December 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to their search efforts, we generated under 38,000 impressions, 2,500 click-throughs, and 500 conversions. Moreover, we made extensive changes to one of our websites, which were significantly driven by their campaigns' insights throughout the contract period.

However, the most considerable value wasn’t the conversions but the keyword and SEO in place. Throughout the engagement, we could dial in on who was searching, how they were searching, and what lexicon they were using. It was invaluable to our work revamping the core website, and it resulted in a significant SEO bump when we launched it. We happily spent those $60,000 to get to that level of data.

How did Search & Gather perform from a project management standpoint?

They were professional. We had a regular cadence, and they made excellent recommendations in terms of adjustments to the campaign. Search & Gather challenged our assumptions constructively and provided sound advice — their suggestions came from a deep subject matter expertise.

We’d agreed on the KPIs upfront as part of the campaign, and they used Google Data Studio to report them. The team updated it as part of the weekly cadence, and we adjusted it as required. They were very timely and responsible about all the information. Every month, they also updated the keyword information sot we could mine our insights and look at behaviors over a significant period to be statistically relevant.

We never met them in person; the entire engagement was virtual. We made key decisions through videoconference meetings, and documentation reporting was via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They knew what they were good at and did it right. Search & Gather was very clear on their competencies. Some agencies say they can do everything when they only have expertise in 1–2 areas. We valued that Search & Gather were clear about what they could do and stuck to it. Overall, they had deep subject matter expertise in campaign planning, strategy management, and execution. 

Also, they were cost-effective and delivered value for what they did.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any feedback for them on that. We ended our relationship because we concluded that our methodology had reached a point of diminishing returns. We got all the information we needed from the campaign, so we shut it down. It’s unlikely we’ll run a similar campaign in the future because our go-to market strategy evolved — we initially focused on B2C marketing, and the campaigns taught us that our business methodology to reach out should be moved to B2B.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You need to work in their wheelhouse. If you’re looking to run a digital campaign and leverage their expertise on best practices for digital search, advertising, and paid search display, that’s where they’ll deliver value. However, you need to articulate your go-to-market so they can help you dial that in.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager of Kritik, an e-learning company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Search & Gather?

We engaged Search & Gather to manage our paid ads.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our target audience are higher education professors such as university and college professors. In connection with that, Search & Gather essentially runs online campaigns on social media and search engines on how to connect with our audience, how to book them into meetings, and how to share some content, pieces, or workshops with them. They manage everything from content creation, ad copywriting, reporting of the campaigns’ optimization, and more. They come up with ideas and strategies for all of our campaigns.

Their work is primarily focused on social media platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn as well as search engines like Google. We also conduct test campaigns on Bing and YouTube.

What is the team composition?

They have a senior digital marketing specialist in charge of managing our account. They also have an ad specialist who manages our Facebook and LinkedIn channels. We’re also in touch with their management who are helping us in our project’s direction and strategy on a quarterly basis.

How did you come to work with Search & Gather?

We were affiliated with another company, and Search & Gather managed their campaigns for multiple years. As a result, we knew the team was already an expert in our industry, prompting us to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend an average of $3,000 CAD (approximately $2,300 USD) a month.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing partnership started in June 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our industry is very seasonal, but with Search & Gather’s ad campaigns, we get at least 20% ROI in terms of net new revenue. Our ROI is good considering the usual net new revenue in our sector. Overall, I’m very satisfied with our partnership.

How did Search & Gather perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly review meetings where they report about their progress. Overall, we haven’t had a single meeting where we got delayed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very punctual, and they’re very hands-on. In addition, there have been months when we increased our ad spend, but they didn’t increase their charge. We appreciate that they understand that we’re working with little ROI, and they empathize with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Search & Gather is doing pretty well. However, they have to be constantly creative, especially in the ad industry. They’ve been able to bring in some creative ideas and campaigns, but there’s always so much more we can do in this space.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You should propose a few ideas to Search & Gather and trust that the agency will take those ideas and work them into a format that can achieve your results. Allow the team to bring in a new perspective and learning that they can integrate with your ideas.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a partner at Corporate Plus Card. We do client loyalty for professionals and small to midsize businesses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Search & Gather?

Our challenges commenced with the COVID-19 pandemic. We typically make our sales face-to-face at trade shows and through word of mouth. But trade shows have been shut down, and we needed to increase our digital presence in terms of marketing. We reached out to Search & Gather to help us do that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They do our PPC efforts as well as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram ads. Additionally, they created a landing page. Our objective with it is to get as many leads as possible. The landing page is a completely different URL and allows leads to book a demo to speak with us. The page collects the lead’s contact information and sends them to a page where they can book a time to do the demo.

Additionally, Search & Gather did some aesthetic upgrades to our post-lead mail drips. Our leads are connected to our MailChimp. If they didn’t come through and book a demo, we send them a few emails to try and get them to book a demo. Search & Gather upgraded the look of those emails.

What is the team composition?

We work directly with Amanda (Director of Strategy) and Michael (Digital Designer), but Amanda is our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Search & Gather?

We found them online through some research. We found and narrowed down three companies and then ultimately picked Search & Gather. They weren’t the least expensive or the most expensive, they were in the middle. Also, we clicked with them the most so we wanted to give it a shot.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $10,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in August 2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re very happy with the results. The LinkedIn ads weren’t performing well so we stopped those, however, we’re still doing Facebook ads. We had no expectations because we had never done this before. The ads and landing pages they created were excellent.

We saw results right away, much sooner than what Search & Gather expected us to get. Our hope was to get 10 demos booked in a week. It only took us 2–3 weeks to get 10 demos a week. At one point, we were booking 10 demos a day. The results have definitely exceeded our expectations because we didn’t have any.

How did Search & Gather perform from a project management standpoint?

They do a great job with project management and meet deadlines. Amanda is driving the whole thing. She has a lot of experience and is very knowledgeable. Our team is happy with the way they move because they set their own deadlines and are self-motivated.

They’re always motivated to get the numbers higher and higher, which is great; that’s everything we’d hope for in a marketing partner. We trust them and go with whatever they say. Everything’s been great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

When they say they’re going to do something, they do a really great job of it. We feel lucky that the ads are working at this time that we’re in a pandemic because we can’t sell any other way. We’re fortunate to work with a company like Search & Gather that has the right ideas and knows the direction to take them in. They talk about what they want to do and then do it within hours.

Also, I like that they act and produce like a big company but we talk to them like they’re a small company. The design is awesome and the numbers are great. It’s hard to imagine something better than what we have with them right now.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind. They’re performing way above our expectations and are everything we hoped they’d be.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of The Island Jar. We’re a whole food market and café located on Manitoulin Island. Our business does in-store and online sales for local food and groceries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Search & Gather?

A year ago, we’d launched an e-commerce shop but hadn’t done a lot of promotion around it. We hired Search & Gather to help us improve our online presence through a host of digital marketing strategies.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Search & Gather helped us start social media campaigns, mostly through Instagram and Facebook. After setting up the campaign management platform, they trained us on how to manage our social ads on our own as well as how to optimize our spend.

What is the team composition? 

I worked with Doug (Co-Founder) and Amanda (Project Manager & Digital Strategist). Amanda set up the campaigns for us and led the training afterward. She also put together analytics reports to show our campaign progress.

How did you come to work with Search & Gather?

One of my husband’s clients had worked with Search & Gather to do some marketing campaigns, so they came highly recommended.

How much have you invested with them?

It was between $7,500–$10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between March–October 2020. Our most recent project wrapped up about a week ago, but, if we have more projects down the road, we’ll definitely use them again. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were quite successful, all in all. With our analytics, we could see the engagement we were getting on different posts as well as the ROI, which were the sales we made that were directly attributed to the campaigns. 

I’d also say that we definitely heard a lot of people mentioning our social campaigns. In the past, we hadn’t done much advertising — it was more just posting organically on social media. We’re a small business in a small town, so it was pretty easy to tell that we saw new customers coming through. And, having a growing online presence was especially helpful during the pandemic.

How did Search & Gather perform from a project management standpoint?

We were very pleased with their project management. They did weekly touchpoints via Zoom where they would check in and give us updates on their plans for the week. I found that they were really good at managing timelines and keeping us looped in on what they were doing on their end.

The communication speed was great, too. Anytime I had a quick question, they would respond to my call or email within the same day. They were also good at showing me how to set up campaigns. To me, that showed that they were invested in setting us up for continued success. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Again, communication was huge. I’m pretty new to the whole social media marketing side of things, so I appreciated that they educated us to the extent that they did.

I can’t imagine any other agency that would focus so much effort on making sure we were primed for success since they wouldn’t be paid after the project ends. They wanted to make sure that we knew what we were doing and could manage on our own.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of an area that I wished they’d done better.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

You’ve got to have a clear idea of the results you want to achieve with each campaign to understand if they’re successful. For us, those definitions evolved as we went through the process, and Search & Gather was helpful in guiding us to find the right targets.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m part of RBC Ventures, one of the digital innovation hubs of Royal Bank of Canada, which is the country’s largest bank by market capitalization. I’m the senior manager of growth for one of the ventures within RBC Ventures. I manage growth for Garbage Day, which is one of the ventures at RBC.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Search & Gather?

They’re our performance marketing agency, and I work with them to run our paid marketing strategy.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve been working with Search & Gather hand in hand on PPC and paid social. They’ve been helping me a lot with click-through rate optimization on the ads, and this played a key role during the early months of the pandemic.

We needed to quickly test various messages while expanding our reach across Canada at the same time. Search & Gather played a key role in that, providing me really good recommendations for messaging. 

What is the team composition?

I’m mainly working with Amanda (Digital Strategist), who’s our account executive. Michael (Digital Designer) is also on the team, and he’s been working on some of the graphics. I talk to them on a daily basis.

How did you come to work with Search & Gather?

They were there since before my time with the company. My company chose Search & Gather because of their reputation and existing relationships.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Search & Gather in May 2018, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The success of the collaboration depends on the metrics, namely click-through rates, conversion rates, and cost per acquisition, and this is also how I measure Search & Gather.

They were very thoughtful in terms of structuring the accounts, particularly Facebook Ads. They were looking at the numbers on a daily basis, sometimes multiple times per day, and working to optimize our messages and improve our click-through rate. Ultimately, that drove our cost per acquisition down.

How did Search & Gather perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re amazing. I personally love Amanda. She’s always open to communication and collaboration. They always meet their deadlines, work late, and go above and beyond to meet some tight schedules.

They’ve done a magnificent job. We have weekly meetings via Google Hangouts, and we chat almost daily via Slack. I have a Slack channel just for them.  They give me weekly and monthly reports.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s their passion for making this project successful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They can always improve their creative asset design. Search & Gather has an amazing performance marketing team, and they know their marketing channels well from a technical standpoint, but they could improve the graphic design aspect of things. I’ve personally seen an improvement here over the past 14 months, but there’s still more room for improvement.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to have weekly meetings. Clients should also leverage a communication platform that gives them easy access to Search & Gather's work. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a manufacturer of organic food products. We based in Canada and distribute products in both the US and Canada, as well as some international markets. I’m a co-owner and the director of sales and marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Search & Gather?

We had been working with a US-based agency providing similar services, and we just weren’t getting the results that we were looking for. We also wanted to bring the supply of this service to Canada, versus having it in the US. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Search & Gather provides us with continuous management of our online advertisement services, so PPC and paid social initiatives. They also do some monthly SEO maintenance and overview for us.

They assist us in a number of facets, and they provide a lot of general consulting and advisement on what we should be looking at or considering. They’re always willing to point us in the right direction if we ask questions. 

What is the team composition?

I’d say there are 2–4 people involved. Our primary contact is Amanda (Digital Strategist), and then Michael (Digital Designer) does a lot of the design work. We have frequent contact with Doug (Co-Founder & Creative Director).

How did you come to work with Search & Gather?

I looked at local options through online search and reached out to a few different firms. I had a good feeling about Search & Gather after talking to some references and seeing how they had their company displayed online.

How much have you invested with them?

We have a monthly retainer with them that comes in at about $5,300 CAD (approximately $4,000 USD). We’ve been working with them for about eight months, so the total would be around $40,000 (approximately $30,200 USD). That doesn’t include our media budget.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in quarter one of 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a harder time measuring direct impact because we don’t sell online. However, what I can say is that our web traffic has increased significantly since we switched from the previous agency. Additionally, the optimization of our paid campaigns online has improved, so we’re seeing better cost-per-clicks as well as retention of visitors with remarketing initiatives. We’re really pleased with the strategy that they’ve brought to the table. 

How did Search & Gather perform from a project management standpoint?

I’d give them an excellent rating there. Amanda is the spearhead of it all, and she’s really on the ball. She’s very good at taking notes and following up on conversations, so I never feel like I have to scramble to get things together. We primarily communicate via email, but we do have biweekly progress and update calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their outside-of-the-box, strategic approach to utilizing funds is impressive. We spend roughly $10,000–$12,000 CAD (approximately $7,500–9,000 USD) a month on PPC, and they look at that and really try to make every penny work. They don’t go with the standard approach that a lot of other agencies take. They’re really creative individuals who are focused on driving every penny of spend to some value. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Honestly, I’d have a hard time criticizing anything right now. We’ve had really good success with the program. The fees are reasonable, and the people are good. 

Any advice for potential customers?

Definitely leverage their expertise and their outside-of-the-box, creative approach to doing things. They bring a lot of New Age knowledge of how things are changing in the digital world. They’re a younger organization with individuals on the younger side running it, so they bring a lot to the table as far as knowing what’s changing in the digital world and how to leverage these things best. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of an online home decor business. I also lead marketing for the organization.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Search & Gather?

We needed to launch our brand, so we started working with them from the organization's early stages.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Search & Gather helped us to build and launch our digital marketing campaigns from scratch. They worked with us to determine how our brand collateral would translate best into the digital space. Their team created our keyword strategy. They work on PPC and paid social ad campaigns for platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

They also did a bit of print creative design work for us. Their team created a print brochure. It’s hard to have a digital representation of colors created and they helped us develop a brochure with print accurate colors. Their team worked with a printing partner to make sure that the digital/printed colors matched the actual color the customer would receive.

What is the team composition?

We have three primary contacts: Kristian (Senior Digital Strategist), Michael (Designer & CRO Specialist), and Doug (Co-Founder).

How did you come to work with Search & Gather?

One of their clients provided a referral and said that Search & Gather would find a way to make digital marketing work for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$100,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started with them in October 2019, and the partnership’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They focus on hitting our ROAS (return on ad spend) and revenue goals.  Their team’s transparent about campaign outcomes, which makes the relationship strong. We have also received a ton of great feedback on the brochure.

How did Search & Gather perform from a project management standpoint?

They set up accounts that provide me with full insights into the backend of social + search ads. Their team also gives weekly high-level reports. They’re very responsive in their communications. If their team needs to look into a question, they will tell us an appropriate timeframe of when they’ll get back to us. They don’t avoid any questions. Search & Gather's also proactive about trying new strategies and making recommendations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve been working with the same team members since the beginning of our relationship with Search & Gather, which has been great.

They’re ready for anything. Their team takes on projects based on what they think will be best for us. They’re with us every step of the way in terms of our growth. Their insights into digital marketing trends are very helpful. I can’t say enough good things about working with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t say there’s anything for them to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Treat them like a partner. Give them as much information as possible. Be direct about the results you want, and they’ll readily answer them with a plan.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a smart home company. We make smart thermostats and home monitoring products. I’m the digital marketing manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Search & Gather?

Before working with them, we were spending a lot of money on driving traffic, but it wasn’t effective and our cost per acquisition was very high.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

 I work with Search & Gather to run all of our paid digital campaigns and a slew of different channels, with the objective of driving e-commerce sales. They’ve been able to make tweaks based on data, and it has had an impact over time.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Amanda (Digital Strategist), Michael (Operations Director), Kristian (Senior Digital Strategist), and a designer named Michael (Designer & CRO Strategist).

How did you come to work with Search & Gather?

I was brought on after Search & Gather started on the project. My understanding is that there was an RFP process and we considered several different agencies. Search & Gather stood out because we wanted to work with a small agency that felt like an extension of our team. We didn’t want to feel like just another client. We wanted a partner that was very hands-on.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $100,000 in agency fees.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2020 and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve reduced our cost per acquisition from $700 to $40–$50, so it’s more affordable. Just about every metric we track has been improved, such as cost per impression (CPM), cost per click (CPC), cost per rating point (CPR), and return on ad spend. Month over month, year over year, we’re doing better and they made me look good.  

How did Search & Gather perform from a project management standpoint?

I feel as though I don’t need to micromanage them. They’re easy to get ahold of. The main day-to-day takes place over Slack. Any other objective-based thing is usually sent via email. We touch base weekly to go over how things are going. It’s uncommon that I don’t hear from them at least once a day.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They know their strengths and they’re true to that. They’re a true partner. It doesn’t feel like I’m working with a paid agency; it feels like I’m working with teammates, and that makes a huge difference.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I would like to work with them in more ways in addition to paid digital. They’re a small agency, and there’s definitely an opportunity to grow in the scope and channels we use. I believe in their work culture, so more opportunities to work with them would be great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Early in, I came in ready to take the reins. I was very eager, but the best thing I could have done was to trust them in what they do and give them the power to do it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We’re a marketing research and consulting firm. We use consumer data to help clients make decisions on product launches, advertising campaigns, pricing, and customer satisfaction.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Search & Gather?

We had difficulty finding the right people to talk to for our surveys. This was especially difficult when the surveys involved hard to reach populations. Some of our clients specialize in niche products and finding people who buy those products was a big challenge. We had run out of runway with our other partners.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Search & Gather helps us to reach more of our clients' niche consumers. Their team reaches target audiences that are ideal consumers for our clients. They also help us convert consumers into survey respondents.

Their team leverages their knowledge of how to seek out audiences and refine the background to find the optimal consumer. Once they have a process, they scale it up. Now, their team’s built into almost all of our proposals.

What is the team composition?

Typically, we communicate with 2–3 people from Search & Gather.

How did you come to work with Search & Gather?

We found them through our network. We both operate in Toronto. We approached Search & Gather because they’re experts at targeting and audience building and optimization. We approached them with a beta test and it was an exceptional experience.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in December 2018, and it’s an ongoing engagement.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Search & Gather essentially makes each project easier. Whereas before we might’ve struggled to hit our targets using the sources we had, they’ve helped us to meet our targets quicker. Their team also helps us to reduce costs.

How did Search & Gather perform from a project management standpoint?

Search & Gather leans into an iterative approach in managing a project. Their team’s thoughtful along the way. They don’t come to the table and push a standard approach.

They’re responsive and keep to deadlines. Their team’s rational in their recommendations for spending our budget. They help us to best spend our budget on targeting an audience.

They’re true partners, so we don’t see them as a vendor. It’s easy and enjoyable to work with their team. Search & Gather goes the extra step on almost every project with us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their work ethic stands out to us. They also care about doing good work. It’s hard to find people who are passionate like them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing stands out. For an agency like them, it’s important to stay up to date on the latest methods, which they do.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

First and foremost, give them a try. I understand that new approaches can be difficult to sell to clients, but I advise you to give them a try at least once.

This isn't an issue with them but be clear with your expectations. Be as detailed as possible because the more details you give them, the more creative they can be in their process.