S&G Content Marketing

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the communications director at a manufacturer of flat-rolled aluminum products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with S&G?

We were launching a new mobile app that would give our customers access to getting quotes on their orders within seconds on their phone. It was taking a process that used to take hours, sometimes even days, and allowing customers to self-serve on the mobile app and get a quote in a matter of minutes. We were trying to build awareness around the app with existing customers, and the value that we were bringing to them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Lauren came in and interviewed several of our internal stakeholders to learn about the company. We also took her on a plant tour. She immersed herself in our business and created a white paper. One of the things that really impressed me about S&G was their out-of-the-box thinking when it came to the white paper.

A knee-jerk reaction would be to do a white paper on technology and mobile applications. Lauren steered us away from that because it was so common and not something that would get to the problem that we were solving for customers. Her white paper was based more on supply chain and some of the challenges, talking about how the app puts the power in the customer's hands. It was an interesting and effective approach. They strategically distributed the white paper to different media outlets and got coverage for us.

How did you come to work with S&G?

Lauren reached out on Facebook. She was local to the area at the time, and I really adored their agency's name, so I started the conversation from there. I didn't seek out or interview any other social media companies at the time. I don't feel like the ones that I had spoken to in the past had the same strategic chops or B2B experience that S&G does.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent less than $10,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them from January 2015 to October 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

S&G got us covered on a division of Forbes.com, and that was very powerful for us. All the feedback that we had on the white paper was very positive and that it was a valuable resource of information. That's something that I really wanted. My fear with other companies was that it was going to be full of content that was more inwardly focused about the company and not of value to the reader. S&G is very adamant about making sure that the content is valuable to the target audience.

How did S&G perform from a project management standpoint?

I've been in marketing communications my entire career going on 30 years. I've been on both sides of the fence, both client-side and agency services-side. I set a very high bar for my vendors because I expect to be serviced the same way I would serve a client. Lauren and the team at S&G are excellent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciated their strategic chops and the B2B experience. This was not a fluff piece by any stretch of the imagination. This was not a flash in the pan.

Lauren spent a lot of time learning about the company and our business, she was able to take that and very quickly on her own, and understood on a macro level the entire landscape of the industry, which isn't easy to understand when you're coming in without any experience in it. She took the micro and macro approach and immersed herself in our business to create solid content for our customers.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I'm sorry that I didn't have a chance to work with them more because of my budget limitations. I would like to have had the chance to experience their full suite of services.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

OUTshine Film Festival does 2 film festivals per year. We’re an LGBTQ festival. I’m executive director. We have 3 full-time staff, but during each festival, we ramp up with a temporary staff.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with S&G?

We had to expand our regular base of media contacts that we were traditionally getting from our previous public relations company. We needed a little more national coverage.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

S&G provided standard PR service, focusing primarily on national coverage. They provided contacts by bringing more celebrities into the festival, and they had national press come in for both of our events.

S&G was also able to get the Visitor Convention Bureaus of both Miami-Dade County and Broward County to pay for the media to come in. At no expense to the festival, we had really good media coverage for the entire length of both festivals. That was a bonus. They brought us additional video coverage, more radio interviews in the local market, and some additional TV interviews we didn't have before. We had a broader reach into another demographic on college campuses as well.

They also helped bring in a smaller financial sponsor during our Fort Lauderdale festival.

How did you come to work with S&G?

They were recommended to me from a colleague who knows Lauren [Founder, S&G Content Marketing] well. We were in the process of interviewing several PR companies, and S&G was 1 of 3 finalists. We really connected. The package they were offering was the best for what we were looking for. Everyone else was more of the “same old same old” that we had already experienced. S&G had a nice, fresher take on things that definitely paid off.

How much have you invested with them?

We paid $2,000 per month out of pocket and $3,500 in kind. The total value of the engagement was $5,500 per month that we worked together.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2017, and the work is ongoing. For our Miami Festival, it was completed at the end of May 2017. They started again in August 2017 for Fort Lauderdale and they’re ongoing until the rest of the year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We gained national media coverage in national publications, and that has helped get the word out there about our festivals. Thanks to S&G, we had Gloria and Emilio Estefan at our festival to present awards in Miami. We had Tommy Dorfman during our Fort Lauderdale festival. We had an increase in caliber of talent that we haven’t had in years. We have the actual national coverage in The Advocate, Out Traveler, as well as other syndicated LGBT publications that we haven’t had in years, besides the typical coverage that we traditionally had locally.

How did S&G perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very good. Lauren [Founder, S&G Content Marketing] is on top of everything. She’s quick to reply to emails. She always has good ideas. She’s an overall team player. When she takes ownership of something, you don’t have to worry about it.

What did you find most impressive about them?

S&G is a fresh pair of eyes rather than someone saying, “This is the way we’ve always done it.” I love their “go-getter” attitude. I would never have thought that the Visitor Convention Bureaus would have paid for the press that came in. They were able to get them to flip the bill for them to come into town. That was above and beyond.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Any advice for someone considering working with S&G?

They’re definitely worth it. Engage them as early as you possibly can because they start working from the get-go. Some things do take time to come to fruition. The more time they have, the better results you’re going to get. Don’t bring them on a month before an event. If you can, bring them on 3-4 months before because it’ll pay off in the longer term.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We’re a children’s clothing company that sells online to customers across the southeast predominantly. We have trunk shows where our sales reps sell using our website.

What is your role and responsibilities?

I am the financial officer. I’m doing the books and I help with shipment management.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Stunt & Gimmicks?

We needed to create a website that was responsive and we needed help with social media, content creation, and our Google Ads campaign.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

We’ve partnered with Stunt & Gimmicks for quite a few tasks. They helped with our website to make it possible to use no matter what device was being used. We also used them to up our game in social media with Facebook and Pinterest. The list goes on and on and includes blogs and having freelance writers write for us. 

What was your process for selecting Stunt & Gimmicks with which to work?

They work in our neighborhood right near where our warehouse is located. We saw them at an event and starting talking there. I wouldn’t say we were really in the market at the time, but were really impressed by what they had to say.

When was the work completed?

It’s ongoing work.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

Our numbers have gone up quite a bit since we started partnering with Stunt & Gimmicks. I would say there’s a 40 percent increase in gross quantity sold just from the website.

Is there anything unique or special about Stunt & Gimmicks that really makes them stand out compared to other online marketing companies?

They make the effort to be available always.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

Not really. We are new to social media and it would be nice to have a shared online calendar so we know when they’re going to post events.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the COO of a CPG food start up in the US and UK

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire S&G Content Marketing?

We wanted a refresh of our Amazon content that was both true to our brand and product reasons to believe, but that was also done by someone who understands the platform and the A9 algorithm

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

They were recommended via our ad partner, and were very clear in what they would deliver and how they would do it

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The project covered 2 phases, Discovery which was a very well executed data deep dive. Followed by the generation of content against those recommendations which we were really happy with

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Account Management Head of copy Data analyst

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We are currently monitoring results but were happy with the work

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communications and scope was clear

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

I think the clarity of what would be delivered and then the actual results of the work. Their process was very clear and smooth.

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

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Digital Marketing Agency - Owner

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire S&G Content Marketing?

Content marketing to explain best tactics, strategies & information for potential clients

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Great Clutch reviews, lovely and prompt staff

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

Very attentive kick off meeting, learnt brand voice, had strong suggestions for what would give us the best returns for our content marketing

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

3 people, lead content, owner, sales

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Too early to tell.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They were very prompt and open to work around the timezone

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

They have a great sales process and they were very attentive throughout the engagement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

JotForm has pretty substantial content marketing needs. S&G has been a great partner in helping us scale our content and reach new audiences. We recommend!

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire S&G Content Marketing?

Long-form pillar pages.

What were your goals for this project?

Lots of words, needed to be well researched, and most of all it needed to show up in search engines.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Can't remember.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We've assigned a myriad of projects to S&G, and they've been able to deliver on all of them. We publish posts that target high search volume keywords in different verticals.

What was the team composition?

Account rep, writer, and project manager? I don't really know.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We've published several of their written pillar pages and have been incredibly satisfied with their quality.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Writing quality, communication, and flexibility. We also loved their ability to scale their production.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None come to mind.