Search + Gather

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director at an education company. We provide high-stakes English language testing used for applying to higher education, professional certification, and migration.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Search + Gather to accomplish for your company?

We needed support with acquisition through online digital advertising.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Search + Gather manages the day-to-day of our SEM and paid social media advertising. In addition, they provide critical feedback that helps guide our paid and integrated marketing strategy. Finally, their design team produces our ads based on the briefs we provide.They primarily work within the Google advertising environment and on Meta. They also support us when we trial and scale new channels. Examples of additional channels they've worked with us on include TikTok, Reddit, and native display ad networks.

What is the team composition?

We work with 2–5 teammates from Search + Gather.

How did you come to work with Search + Gather?

We found them through an online search. We chose them because they were close to our geographic location, their pricing fit our budget, they offered good value for the cost, and they had an impressive proposal.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen growth in our total volume, revenue, and market share. We’ve also launched three new product lines, and our total revenue has more than doubled over the course of the engagement.

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

Search + Gather has never missed a deadline. They're incredible at staying on target. We communicate via virtual meetings, emails, and messaging apps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're highly collaborative and truly care about client outcomes. Several times, I've challenged them with an incredibly tight deadline, and they've always risen to the challenge. They're data-driven and focused on continual improvement.

Are there any areas they could improve?

On occasion, their creative work hasn't been to the standard I expect. When that has happened, my team and I have provided feedback, and they've done a superb job of integrating our feedback and have come back with something that stands out, feels fresh, and is a credit to our brand.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Digital Cloud Canada, a CRM and marketing agency. We design, implement, and optimize CRM and marketing solutions to streamline operations, enhance customer engagement, and drive business growth for organizations.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Search + Gather to accomplish for your CRM and marketing agency?

We wanted to implement a digital marketing strategy to better understand the market and generate leads.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Search + Gather conducted market research, designed content, and implemented and managed Google Ads and LinkedIn campaigns. The team handled everything, including creating ad copy, setting budgets, and reporting results.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 2–5 teammates from Search + Gather.

How did you come to work with Search + Gather?

We found them through an online search. We chose them over other options because they had high ratings, their pricing fit our budget, they were a great culture fit, and their company values aligned with ours.

How much have you invested with them?

--

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June 2025 to November 2025.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Search + Gather's work resulted in engagement with the ads and conversions.

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

They delivered on time and had great project management. We primarily communicated through virtual meetings, emails, and messaging apps.

What did you find most impressive or unique about them?

They managed the entire process end-to-end from market research to developing ad copy, creative design, and full implementation. Our role was limited to QA and ensuring the messaging stayed aligned with our brand. Their communication was exceptional, with frequent updates supported by clear metrics and dashboards. They proactively monitored performance and made informed decisions to pause or reallocate budget based on what was working and what wasn’t. Overall, the experience was smooth, transparent, and results-driven.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren't any.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing at ShipHero, a company that provides warehouse management software. We have a sister company that offers outsourced fulfillment services. Together, we help e-commerce brands and third-party logistics companies automate, manage, and scale direct-to-consumer shipping through integrated technology and a network of US warehouses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed to make our spending more efficient and increase our top-of-funnel and brand awareness.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Search + Gather handles our landing page creative, including all A/B testing for the campaigns. They own the keyword research, bidding, and reporting. Additionally, they provide insight and guidance on strategy for paid media in general.

What is the team composition?

We work with three teammates from Search + Gather.

How did you come to work with Search + Gather?

Search + Gather’s relationship predates my time in this role at ShipHero. I didn’t choose them, but I continued to work with them because I was impressed with their approach and level of detail.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our relationship with Search + Gather started around January 2023, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been able to reduce our spending by more than 50% while maintaining the same amount of marketing-qualified leads, which is extremely impressive.

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

Search + Gather is very responsive and delivers high-quality work in a timely manner. We communicate via Slack, email, and biweekly Google Meet calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Search + Gather truly feels like a part of our internal team. They own the reporting, the wins, and the mistakes together with us as a team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Director of a broadcasting company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Canadian Broadacaster with 4 unique and diverse channels as well as an DTC App. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Search + Gather to accomplish?

• Subscriber Growth
• Raise Engagement
• Brand Awareness

SOLUTION

How did you find Search + Gather?

Referral

Why did you select Search + Gather over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Search + Gather were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Ultimately, we wanted to elevate our brand awareness and increase our subscriber growth. We hired S+G to assist with our digital markeitng and paid ad campaigns to increase our goals and spread our audience awareness past our already exisiting base.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

During our campaign wtih S+G when did acquire over 400 new subscribers to our app and met some wonderfully talented people along the way!

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

Very detail-oriented and worked well with our entire team. They had valuable insights and were never late with due dates or timelines. They were kind, informative and easy to work with!

What was your primary form of communication with Search + Gather?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Small, but mighty team. Vey impressed with work ethic and how they all composed themselves. Insights into ROI and conversions were in real time and we were always happy to get on a call and iron out details. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Search + Gather could have done differently?

It was a pleasure working with the whole team.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Corporate Planning and Product Manager of an insurance company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

As one of Canada’s leading life insurers, the company takes great pride in being the most trusted brand by Canadian consumers, offering exceptional coverage tailored to protect them and their families. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Search + Gather to accomplish?

• Digital Marketing
• Creative Design
• Channel Growth

SOLUTION

How did you find Search + Gather?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Search + Gather over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Search + Gather were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope of work was to provide digital marketing and advertising professional services. They ket deliverable were planning and preparation for launch, infrastucture and systems development, drafting the creative and messaging and finally continous scaling and optimization.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Traffic, engagement and conversion metrics
• Ad and customer performance metrics

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

The Search +Gather team has consistently exhibited outstanding project management and responsiveness throughout our partnership. They have reliably delivered items on time, remained readily available to address our needs, and consistently exceeded our expectations. Their commitment and exceptional delivery have been integral to the success of our collaboration and the achievement of our project goals.

What was your primary form of communication with Search + Gather?

Virtual Meeting

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

What impressed us most about Search and Gather was its people and culture. While their strategic services were valuable, it was the exceptional individuals, welcoming environment, and high-performing culture that truly stood out. These qualities significantly contributed to a positive and productive working relationship.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Search + Gather could have done differently?

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Director of Marketing of Elevate

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Elevate is a Canadian non-profit that unites innovators to solve society's greatest challenges. Through the annual Elevate Festival and diversity-driven programs for startup founders, the organization spotlights Canadian innovation while bringing about meaningful change at home and on the global stage.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Search & Gather to accomplish?

• Drive Recruitment for Elevate's Innovation/Accelerator programs for startups
• Drive Recruitment for Elevate's Innovation/Incubator program for women-identified startups
• Drive ticket sales for Elevate Festival

SOLUTION

How did you find Search & Gather?

• Online Search
• Clutch Site

Why did you select Search & Gather over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit

How many teammates from Search & Gather were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Elevate was looking for a reputable agency to run a number of campaigns over the course of the year, in order to gain applications to Elevate program and registrants for Elevate's annual tech + innovation Festival. Elevate was looking for an agency that could develop a digital strategy for these campaigns and execute the campaigns, as well as provide ongoing reporting.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For each program that Search & Gather was asked to deliver on, they exceeded every goal:

• Innovation/Accelerator Programs for Startups - Goal was about 100 applications per program. Search and Gather continually tested creative, audiences, and checked in on the quality of applications to help us reach 150 applications per program!
• Innovation/Incubator program for women-identified startup founders, Goal was about 100 applications but with very specific goals to reach specific demographics and regions across Canada. Search and Gather was able to continually test and update their criteria to ensure we had the exact number of qualified applications across Canada as per the requirements to meet 100 applications!
• Elevate Festival - Elevate had the goal of reaching 10,000 registrants. Search & Gather was able to help us exceed our sales goal by driving significant demand and then converting audiences to help us exceed our sales goal!

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

Search & Gather was exceptionally organized and kept a comprehensive document that included all campaign timelines, meeting notes, creative, etc so that there was one central source of truth. They delivered all programs on time. Many times their timelines were shrunk due to changes on the Elevate side, but they often caught up or set expectations early if anything would have to be pushed due to our changing timelines/scope.

What was your primary form of communication with Search & Gather?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What I found most impressive was how knowledgeable of digital marketing and detail oriented the Search & Gather team was, particularly Natalie, the Director of Strategy who was our key account contact. Natalie not only supported Elevate in the development of strategy but also was extremely technical. She could problem solve and help us find solutions to complex problems that required technical knowledge.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Search & Gather could have done differently?

None

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO of a digital health platform.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed a partner to manage some of our digital marketing channels.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Search + Gather's first step was to get a comprehensive understanding of our market. We discussed our local competitors and the global landscape to call attention to successes we might be able to leverage in our geography.

Then, they conducted a deep dive into our marketing accounts to identify wins and efficiencies. Once we were satisfied with their findings, we brought them on as a marketing partner.

They ran PPC campaigns on search engines. They managed our Google Ads account and other tertiary digital marketing channels, including Microsoft Bing. They created text, taglines, and headlines and identified solutions that we hadn’t leveraged. Most of the ads were text-based, but they designed ads for StackAdapt.

What is the team composition?

In total, we worked with four people from their team. Doug (Co-Founder) was our initial point of contact. Day-to-day, Rebecca (Digital Strategist) and Amy (Director of Operations & Analytics) managed our account. Another teammate did some of the creative work at the beginning.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $80,000–$90,000 CAD (approximately $60,000–$67,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership lasted from July 2022–May 2023. We just made the business decision to bring the digital advertising function in-house.

How did you come to work with Search + Gather?

We met Doug at an in-person conference when we were looking for a new agency. We really appreciated Search + Gather’s approach and trusted them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We ultimately hit our goals. Search + Gather brought the cost per lead down to our target, and we saw an increase in ad performance month-over-month. I don’t want to share exact numbers publicly, but we were happy with their work. 

The team was great; Search + Gather was the best agency we’ve worked with. Their holistic approach to our account and the restructuring of our campaigns was comprehensive and well-thought-out. 

How did the company perform from a project management standpoint?

Search + Gather was super professional; I’d give them a ten out of ten. They were quick to adjust to feedback and problems that came up; they put in extra time to look into issues. We could reach out to them by email anytime, and we also held weekly and then biweekly touchpoint meetings. They provided very comprehensive reports and would let us know if there were issues throughout the week; they had a dashboard that honed into problem points and potential changes week-over-week.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Search + Gather was understanding of and empathetic toward entrepreneurs and startups, so they were always willing to adapt to meet our business needs; we changed our package with them at one point.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t think so. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

If you have any concerns, just address them with the team; they’re definitely willing to engage and adapt.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP for Gopuff Kitchens at Gopuff, an e-commerce platform that delivers everyday needs to customers in minutes. My unit prepares hot food for customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

My business unit was starting to ramp up its growth at the end of Q1 2022, and one of our big opportunities was launching our in-house pizza brand. We had done an internal paid media campaign which wasn’t working because our marketing team was focused on other business units and didn’t have the bandwidth or the resources. We reached out to Search & Gather for help building our brand awareness and attracting new customers to try our pizza.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Search & Gather provides us with digital strategy and social media marketing (SMM) services. First, we shared the paid media that didn’t work as a benchmark. They’ve partnered with our performance marketing team to leverage our tools, platforms, and software and provide insight. 

The team has handled all our advertising on Facebook Ads and Google Ads. As part of our digital strategy, they’ve also created a landing page where customers go once they click on social media ads. The landing page triggers the download of our apps and tracks the user flow to the purchase of our product. Currently, we’re transitioning tasks to our internal team, and Search & Gather remains involved in a strategic capacity.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Doug (Co-Founder). Additionally, Amanda (Managing Director) is our account manager, we have a programmer and analyst, and we work with one other person. 

How did you come to work with Search & Gather?

I reached out to a former colleague from a previous company looking for a small agency that was hungry to grow and could help us out. She shared a few options in a list with the top boutique agencies of 2022, and that’s how we came across Search & Gather.

We gave several agencies the same brief and challenge and heard pitches from them. After reviewing the different options, we chose Search & Gather because they were the best in how they presented themselves and the business case. More importantly, they had the best connection within the team. Our rapport was immediate, so we felt we could have a good partnership. I also liked how they proposed to carry out the paid media plan and their data-driven approach. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $20,000 on their fees. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2022, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Search & Gather has set up all the tools to help us know how many app downloads and product purchases we’re getting, and we’ve seen a continuous improvement week over week in both metrics. Doug and his team are amazing; they’ve gone far beyond the scope of work. They’re always on top of all the details and make sure we stay connected, get all the updates we need, and that we approve everything. I appreciate how well we connect as a team — it’s a great partnership. 

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

They deliver on time and are responsive to our needs. We’ve created a Slack channel where they ensure we cover everything that needs to be covered. We also have a biweekly connection. All our communication is virtual. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Search & Gather’s speed distinguishes them from together providers. Additionally, they take full ownership of the project and work as if our business were theirs; we haven’t seen that in other partners we’ve worked with. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there isn’t anything they need to do differently. On the contrary, we should have been able to give them more tools initially, but we had internal roadblocks that didn’t allow them to move as fast as we wanted. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t think twice about hiring them — Search & Gather is absolutely amazing! They’re a true partner that cares, so go with them. Moreover, they’re very open to trying things out without ties or commitment, so they’ll put everything on the table to make it easy for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

When this project took place, I was working with Top Hat, an education tech company. I was the senior manager of demand generation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were short-staffed and having challenges with hiring new people, so we brought in Search & Gather to scale our marketing team and run the bulk of our paid programs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Search & Gather exclusively worked on paid social. They managed our LinkedIn and Facebook ads daily. Every couple of weeks, when we needed to promote a new asset or an upcoming webinar, their team worked with me to define the target audience and determine what type of ads we should run. After those discussions, we would give them the content and they would take over the task. 

What is the team composition?

Michael (Director of Operations, former Digital Strategy Lead) was our account manager and our go-to for day-to-day operations. Doug (Co-Founder) and Drew (Co-Founder) also joined in during our quarterly brainstorming sessions and in-person visits. 

How did you come to work with Search & Gather?

Search & Gather was already with the company when I joined in.

How much have you invested with them?

I’m not aware of the running total, but we did pay them around $3,000 a month. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I joined in around June 2018, and Search & Gather had been working with the company for at least a year at that point. The partnership was still ongoing when I left.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our main metric was our cost per lead, and we were able to work with Search & Gather to bring that down month-over-month. 

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

They were also very organized. It helped a lot that they had already ironed out some project management stuff before I joined in. We mostly used ShareDocs and Slack.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciate how they acted like they were a part of our team as opposed to being just an external agency to whom we assign things. They constantly came to me with updates and suggestions for our paid ads strategy. We could rely on them to tell us if there are new targeting features or topics we should build our ads around. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think it would help if they had a more formal project management tool in place. It worked for me to just use ShareDocs, but I know some people would really prefer to have a more established process or platform to collaborate on. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We often forgot to share customer and audience insight with their team, so it will be to your benefit to share those details right off the bat and make it a part of your regular conversations. I think that could go a long way. 

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.