SPG Media

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am one of the owners at Exotic Car Rentals Toronto, a car rental service specializing in cars such as Lamborghinis, Ferraris, McLarens, Bentleys, Rolls Royce, Etc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SPG Media?

We hired SPG Media to make a promo for us to send out to several private clubs to be used at various different events.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were referred over to SPG Media by one of our clients. She had done work with them before and spoke highly of them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We really wanted to focus on the experience of driving a supercar but without the typical 'race car' style shoot with cars going fast. We took the idea over to SPG Media and their team worked to help us shape how we wanted it to be.

What was the team composition?

The team composition was amazing. Their team knew exactly what beats to hit to get the commercial right. For example, instead of focusing on our fleet, which it what every car rental does, they helped us understand the importance of focusing on a single car.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The response has been great. We've done private club reach outs before but the video made a huge difference. We saw about a 300% increase in inquiries and a significant increase in car rentals.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow was fantastic. 10/10. They communicated well, delivered everything quickly and right in time for our reach outs for certain events.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their workflow was super impressive. Extremely professional. The equipment setup and the way they worked with it made the entire street think we were filming a TV show. It was awesome!

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

Not really. I think they did everything really well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive for a packaging company. We specialize in packaging for small items such as jewelry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SPG Media?

We were having issues sending our products via mail, so my business partner suggested we engage a partner to produce a video.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SPG Media helped us design four videos, each with a different style for our video and email marketing campaigns. After discussing our goals, the team shared various ideas for videos. Then, they conducted market testing to determine the type of content that would work best for our target audience.

SPG Media also handled all components of the video production process from beginning to end. They were responsible for filming video content using their own equipment, editing the videos, and mixing the audio. 

They filmed us packaging jewelry with our product and hired a model to be the subject of one of the videos. The video featuring the model shows her wearing jewelry and returning home to put the jewelry away in a drawer. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with 8–9 people from SPG Media, including the owner and CEO, who introduced us to his production and design teams. The production team consisted of a director, a camera person, and an audio person. 

How did you come to work with SPG Media?

A friend of mine referred them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent over $15,000 CAD (approximately $11,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from December 2022–January 2023. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SPG Media did a good job, and we want to do more projects together in the future. We used one of the videos for an email marketing campaign, and it generated higher views and open rates than we had before working with them. The video also took viewers to our website, which was good. We published one of the videos on our website, but we also have a hidden video that users can only access via our email campaign.

How did SPG Media perform from a project management standpoint?

SPG Media was an understanding, flexible partner who provided good services. In the beginning stages, we had big goals for the project that our budget didn’t allow for, so they worked with us to deliver on our needs while working within the budgetary constraints.

The team laid out their process clearly and provided us with various options, which was nice. When we asked them to make changes to the videos, they implemented our requests immediately. They were also very patient when we faced delays on our end. We used email and Google Meet to communicate. Additionally, they submitted videos via Vimeo, and we used another tool to share feedback and make notes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with their level of patience, transparency, and understanding. SPG Media took a very goal-oriented approach. They pushed back on our ideas and provided reasons for why different alternatives would help us accomplish our goals. They also delivered high-quality market research that proved effective.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing SPG Media could improve on; everything was perfect.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend utilizing SPG Media’s market evaluation to inform your campaigns. They conduct very effective research that will increase your chances of success.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m an executive at StubPanda, a ticket sales platform for sporting events and concerts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SPG Media?

We wanted to do a national TV ad campaign.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SPG Media did video production for us. We started by running a test ad, and after that, we completed a national TV campaign, which we’ll launch in about two months. Regarding the process, they came up with an idea and assigned creative and production teams to us that could help us throughout the process of bringing their proposal to life. They also did a lot of research to test the product before putting it out.

Regarding the end product, they created a live-action video using their own equipment and studios and edited and mixed the audio of the two versions of the footage.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 12–14 members of their team, including Safeer (CEO), Richard (Project Manager), a director of photography, a creative director, and other crew members.

How did you come to work with SPG Media?

We found them online, but we decided to work with them because someone referred them to us and their overall process seemed better than other providers. In addition, they did a lot of previous research and worked like a member of our team with good development techniques.

How much money have you invested in this partnership?

We spent around $100,000 CAD (approximately $73,000 USD) with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together throughout October 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had about 250,000 impressions on the video in only 48 hours, outperforming our previous numbers by at least three times. The content was instrumental in encouraging people to share the video.

How did SPG Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They were swift with their work. Additionally, whenever we didn’t know what to do, they provided a lot of insight and options based on every audience, letting us know the pros and cons of every alternative. Moreover, they delivered within or even before deadlines because they were very committed to us.

In terms of tools and communication, they used a project management tool with a board to organize every task, Google Meet, Zoom, phone calls, text messages, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were great at concept development and research, so they knew what would work and what wouldn’t, enabling them to hit the nail every time. Overall, they were great at creating a video that could fit the project’s goal.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to their options and suggestions; they’re great at helping their clients to reach their goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing at Limitless Tire, an auto service company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SPG Media?

We were looking for a vendor that can develop our unorthodox ideas into video content for marketing purposes.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

SPG Media provided us with video production services to deliver a TV commercial. Our creative process involved us brainstorming ideas and then going back and forth with our feedback to improve on them. They also helped us source our needs and presented us with cost-effective solutions.

They then developed the storyboard and once that was finalized, they moved to the actual production of the video — this included video editing, audio mixing, and revisions.

What is the team composition?

We worked with around 13 people during the creative process, and 25 people during the entire production phase.

How did you come to work with SPG Media?

We went through a lot of video production companies, but we decided to engage with SPG Media because of their enthusiasm and genuine interest in working with us on this project.

How much have you invested with them?

For this particular project, we spent about $80,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–August 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The video was positively received by the general public. We had a lot of people sharing the video and messaging us saying how much they loved it.

SPG Media was quick to respond and provide feedback and they never shut our ideas down, so working with them was a pleasant experience.

They really improved upon our ideas and gave us great insight into the market through their research, which ultimately led to the video’s success.

How did SPG Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They exceeded our expectations in terms of deadlines and their team was highly communicative.

At the beginning of our partnership, they used a discovery questionnaire to help them know more about our company, goals, and the industry so they can be more accurate with their deliverables.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were impressed with their research services. Our similar ideas took a turn in a different direction, but they ended up working in our favor in the end.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve worked with SPG Media on a lot of projects and every time we’ve given them feedback, they’ve consistently improved so I don’t have to worry about that aspect of the relationship.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The best results come from the most detailed answers, so I would advise you to pay close attention to their discovery questionnaire because they actually put a lot of time and effort to implement that in their research.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My name is Kashif Khan and I am the CEO of a functional genomics company called The DNA Co.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SPG Media, and what were your goals?

SPG Media was hired to create a series of video to educate clinicians on the importance of how our genetics impact our health.

SOLUTION

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

We were looking for video production company that was offering more than just 'shooting a video'. We required a creative input.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

We showed them a series of videos from MasterClass and asked them to create something similar. They walked us through the entire process and were able to script, film and produce exactly what was needed.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

We worked directly with the creative and production team. Feedback process was great. Everything was done to our expectations.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was great. The clinicians gave great feedback. It was an amazing success in the healthcare community.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Their management style and communication were on par with perfection.  We could not have asked for better.

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

The way they were able to work with us in helping us not only create the perfect product but also to understand it's process.

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

They're definitely not the cheapest, but you can't ask for greatness for cheap. The job they did was well worth the money.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a large marketing firm that operates all over Canada. We service over 5000 clients annually and are always looking for the best ways of getting clients to their goals as fast as possible.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SPG Media?

SPG Media was hired to make a television ad for one of our clients.

SOLUTION

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

We presented our client with several different companies and choices, but ultimately, SPG Media came out on top. Their presentation skills were phenomenal.

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

It was a very complicated project requiring multiple setups, edits, and crew members. SPG Media planned out every step of the way and made both us and our client feel extremely comfortable throughout the entire process. From storyboarding and auditioning to filming and editing, everything went really well.

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

We worked closely with the creative team which provided us with multiple concepts. Once confirmed, they drew up the final storyboard, and then the production team took it from there while keeping us involved with auditions, location scouting, and editing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The client was extremely satisfied. We've since worked on multiple projects with SPG Media, and all have gone really well.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was very synergetic. They took feedback really well and shaped the campaign around it.

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

The fact that they are researched-base. They base their concepts around the goal. All of our projects have produced great outcomes and conversions because of the research that goes into the work they do.

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

Client contracts are a tiny bit long and comprehensive but that's mainly because of the insurance coverage so, in the end, it's worth it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of a Modgarden. We have created a smart appliance that gives you the ability to grow an organic salad at home, at the touch of a button.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SPG Media, and what were your goals?

We hired SPG Media to do a multi-video campaign to get the attention of our target market and turn a ‘boring’ subject into something that would be entertaining to watch.

SOLUTION

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

The biggest deciding factor was how well they understood what we needed and worked with us to find the perfect solution rather than just give us what they think might work like the other companies we interviewed. Everyone else suggested things while SPG Media asked us discovery questions about our product, industry and target market. They went back and worked out a set of solutions with their team which were then presented to us. They were very good with receiving feedback and developed a good grasp at what was required to help get us to the final result.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

After coming up with the solution, the idea was scripted and storyboarded. Then a previsualization video was created. Once we approved the video, they presented us with a few location options and we sat in with them for auditions. The next steps were to go through the shot list and book a filming date. After that was the editing and colouring process and we had our first video completed in less than 2 weeks!

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

We worked with their creative team and production team. Feedback was received extremely well. Any time we needed something changed or modified, it was delivered as expected systematically and in organized fashion.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Everyone that has seen our videos absolutely loves them. The feedback we’ve received from our audience is ‘it was very entertaining. Did not feel like a boring educational video at all’!

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Management style was very clean and quick. Communication was constant and immediate. Everything was done on time.

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

How easy they made the entire process and how well they understood our company. It was like hiring a whole new department. They were extremely focused on our needs, values and requirements and helped us see a lot of things from a whole different perspective.

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

Surprisingly, they did everything way better than expected. Even helped us with our direction of marketing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Datafluent is a fairly new company that brings together senior executives from big tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Apple. Our goal is to bring the ability of these giants to smaller companies that can benefit from the resources and make large leaps.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SPG Media, and what were your goals?

When you have a company and service like ours, where the team members come from a much higher caliber, you need a website and video that reflects such. We contracted SPG Media to create an intro video that would introduce our company as we want it to be seen.

SOLUTION

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

We talked to a few companies which were decent but SPG Media saw our vision immediately. They knew what we wanted, scripted and storyboarded it perfectly and executed perfectly. (Link to final video: https://vimeo.com/660526775/8d22e867bb)

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

We initially met them VIA zoom, then met in person when I came to visit our Canadian office. The process was pretty straight forward. Once we agreed to what we needed, we signed a contract with them and were presented with a production timeline that included dates of finalizing the concept and when the video will be completed by. We were in a little bit of a rush because we wanted the video to be ready before CES 2022. They moved really quickly and completed everything right on time.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

We worked with a production manager, creative director and about a team of 12 other people. They exceeded our expectations pretty much every step of the way. Made the edits how we wanted them and delivered a perfect final product.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are going to be playing this at CES 2022, so far, the client feedback has been great. It's helped us drop a lot of barriers that clients usually have and has helped add further credibility to the company image, as it was intended.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

Project was managed very well. Everything was extremely organized in the way they planned it out. They responded to emails quick, we got everything done right in time with the schedule.

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

The fact that they understood exactly what we wanted right off the bat. We spoke to a few other companies that kept giving us various inputs to make our video more 'creative' and although many of the suggestions were not bad, it wasn't what we needed. SPG Media understood us, gave us the right input, and delivered the perfect video for us.

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

We were given a lot of production documents (Production schedule, call sheets, production outline, etc.) which created minor confusion at first but they had them nicely organized on a google drive for us so that helped.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Quickie Logistics helps deliver parcels from point A to point B. We partner with existing carriers as well as our own shippers and drivers. I have a mixed-bag role; I’m part of business development as well as marketing, so I help both sides. I look into how our customers experience parcel delivery and how we could better market that experience to have an edge against our competitors. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with SPG Media?

What we do is pretty straightforward, so we needed to differentiate ourselves against Amazon, UPS, or FedEx. We engaged SPG Media to help with our marketing and advertising efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We worked with SPG Media to identify ways in which we could distinguish ourselves from our competitors. We wanted a statement that encapsulated what Quickie does and what the advantages are for opting to deliver with us. We had a few meetings with their team to discuss our existing campaigns and how we could advertise that we deliver faster than our competitors, especially in local areas. 

SPG Media captured our ideas and made storyboards for them. We chose the kind of video advertisement we wanted from the options they presented, and they went on to generate a script and prep for the actual shoot. They invited a few of our colleagues for the actual filming, and we provided our feedback in real-time during production. 

In the end, they produced 3–4 videos for us that they chopped into varying lengths. They edited different versions of those videos for our various marketing campaigns. 

What is the team composition?

They had an in-house video production team, and Sayurran (VP of Strategic Partnerships) was our main point of contact. Other decision-makers from their company also came in.

How did you come to work with SPG Media?

SPG Media reached out to us through a cold email right around the time we were looking for help with our marketing campaigns. I did a ton of research into their team prior to connecting with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve set aside $40,000 CAD (approximately $31,000 USD) for this project. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started around June 2021, and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have yet to launch the videos on our public social media channels. We do, however, use them internally and send them to prospective clients who have requested quotations for our services. 

The videos are the talk of the company and everyone is excited about it. A lot of our colleagues are enthusiastic about sharing it not just with each other but with our customers as well. SPG Media’s work has definitely helped put us in a position where employees are eager to show the value proposition of our business. We’re very satisfied. 

How did SPG Media perform from a project management standpoint?

On top of doing everything within our allotted budget, SPG Media was also very transparent in terms of scheduling and logistics. They provided the production dates and clear-cut information about the activities, locations, or point people for those dates.  

They were very professional and kept us involved from start to finish. Other agencies we’ve worked with usually simply handed in the final product, but SPG Media really took us through the whole process. Members from our team who were invited for the shoot really enjoyed being part of it, too. 

We had our meetings over Zoom, and I also gave them my personal number. They’re very open and responsive, communication-wise. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really did their research on what we wanted to do for our company and how we could differentiate ourselves. I believe it was above and beyond their responsibilities to look into our competitors as well, but they did it anyway to be able to pitch different ideas to us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything was on point.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Definitely check them out. Take that call and start that conversation with them. They may seem a little pricey at first, but the quality of what they deliver is worth the price you’ll pay.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Women’s health education made simple (WHEMS) was created to help to empower women in understanding more about their mind, body and wellbeing. Having started during a global pandemic, we hope to generate conversations, alleviate stigma and provide tools to help you learn and advocate for your health.

By presenting easily accessible, evidence based infographics and videos, our aim is to increase health literacy and advocacy in women across Canada, and around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire SPG Media, and what were your goals?

SPG Media was hired to create an educational video about Women's health. The issue we were facing was that we had a lot of Zoom videos and self-made videos, but nothing professionally done.

SOLUTION

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

We were looking for a company that understands the material quickly and is able to help us get the message across in the simplest way possible.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

We met with several different companies, SPG Media seemed to have grasped out vision best. They also offered the most unique solution. We were intrigued and gave it a shot.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

We worked with a team who helped guide us on the best way to format the information we had. Although we wanted to go our usual route of animation, the team suggested doing it as a 'TV style' interview. Our audience loved it!

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our audience loved the video. It was shared across multiple platforms and became our highest organically shared video quickly.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

The project was managed extremely professionally. The quality to this date is unbelievable.

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

Fast turn around, constant communication, the smooth and painless process.

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

A little more flexibility on dates would've been nice but it's understandable as our project was quiet last minute and they are busy. But we were given multiple dates to choose from which was nice.