True Impact Partners

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a director at a B2B company that sells school supplies, furniture, and curricula.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with True Impact Partners?

Our previous curriculum website was very outdated and unoptimized, and the curriculum is a big part of our company. We engaged True Impact Partners to help us create a more modern and optimal website experience for our customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

True Impact Partners completely redid and restructured our website from the ground up, creating a brand new site with a brand new domain. They helped us with site navigation, ease of use, and the overall look and feel, making sure that the site represented our brand. 

The team was in charge of creating the site’s overall brand experience. However, there were some product pages that they had to integrate from the old site into the new one. 

We have a very large number of products, and True Impact Partners helped us make sure it was as easy as possible for customers to navigate the site and find the right products, whatever their decision tree. 

The team also helped us tag pages appropriately and included the right language from an SEO perspective to maximize traffic. We collaborated with True Impact Partners to define keywords. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with a core group of six people from True Impact Partners. However, we sometimes called in more teammates, so our overall team was 6–10 people. 

How did you come to work with True Impact Partners?

Our SVP of marketing had worked with True Impact Partners in the past, and she reached out to them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent in the ballpark of $300,000–$500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from March–December 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of True Impact Partners’ work was high, and we’ve seen positive engagement on the website they created. Moreover, traffic to the site has increased, and the time users are spending on it and how deep they’re going has also improved.

Although we didn’t have specific KPIs, True Impact Partners was very good at ensuring they met the priorities we defined as the project was going. They would always have reference documents to demonstrate progress. Overall, they were very good partners; True Impact Partners was responsive and organized.

How did True Impact Partners perform from a project management standpoint?

They had a solid project management process in place; this was a very big project, and they kept us on track.

We used Google Drive and a live Google Sheets document that we reviewed every week and could always refer to. The site’s URL would be in that document with the project’s status, including what they’d already accomplished and what we were waiting on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by True Impact Partners’ strong customer service. They were very responsive and attentive partners. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything that they needed to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Clearly define the scope of work upfront and make sure you’re very clear on the services you need from True Impact Partners, the ones you’ll be providing, and shared services. 

In our collaboration, we had a small hiccup in figuring out the right process. True Impact Partners had initially accounted for creative and copywriting time, which wasn’t our expectation because we have our own copywriters. In the end, we did use folks from their team from a creative and copy perspective who collaborated with our team; we ended up sharing creative services with True Impact Partners.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Sr. Director of Marketing and Communications for JCFS Chicago, a non-profit social service agency. JCFS offers expert, individualized help to support people of all ages and abilities as they strive to live successfully in their community. Our services enhance emotional well-being for adults, children, teens, and families – regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, ability, gender or sexual orientation.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire True Impact Partners?

We needed True Impact to develop a strategy to launch a social media campaign aimed at raising awareness about JCFS. We knew we needed someone who could help us shed "the best kept secret" status" we had been dealing with when it came to building a donor pipeline.

SOLUTION

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

In early February 2020 JCFS sent an RFP to three firms with the expectation of proposals in early March. Each firm received information about JCFS, including details about our rebrand that launched in February 2019. A small subgroup was convened to review the proposals and interview each firm.

The group unanimously agreed that True Impact Partners would be the best fit for JCFS. Their connection to the Jewish community, obvious passion for our work and expertise made them the clear choice.

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

True Impact Partners focused on our business objectives by developing targeted campaigns ranging from creative to media to public relations. We began with stakeholder interviews, research, audits, and analysis. With that information in hand a marketing and media strategy and go-to-market plan was developed.

True Impact then worked on the messaging and master narrative, along with the creative ideation, concepting and development. Once all review and approvals were complete we moved on to media development. Once the campaign launched in April there was monthly reporting. Based on tracking several Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to determine success.

Metrics were measured using Google Analytics and Google Data as a guide by looking at impressions, engagement, and earned coverage in the media. Each month we looked at the digital metrics to continually optimize the campaign and tactics, further ensuring success. Both the text and visuals were adjusted based on what we learned and additional audiences added to increase reach.

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

• David Greenbaum
• principal
• Russin Royal
• PR Lead
• Wendy Gale
• Copywriter
• Elizabeth Kole
• Design
• Ben Swarz
• Media
• Morgan Oakes
• Paid Social Specialist

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Over the course of the campaign we saw over 2.4 million impressions with a 1.64% click through rate resulting in 99% of visitors to our website being new users. We also learned what audiences responded most to our ads and were able to identify the ad content that got the most clicks. We will use the information we learned to customize the next step in reaching a broader audience to build our donor base.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We met once a week to discuss any updates, concerns or new ideas. There was a monthly status meeting where we reviewed current data and brainstormed ideas to increase our engagement.

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

We were impressed by the creative content developed and the messaging really spoke to our mission and audience. We ended up using the messaging in other places to capitalize on the strong connection. In addition, the continuous review and refining of our ads really helped give a clear picture of who we should be focusing our efforts on.

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

Really nothing that could have been done better.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the EVP of Afirm. We’re a company that does loss control inspections and premium audits for insurance companies throughout North America.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with True Impact Partners?

We were trying to create a self-inspection app that we could send out to policyholders. Because of the pandemic, it was important that we create a tool where users could answer questions, capture photographs, and basically do information collection themselves to reduce the exposure that comes from face-to-face interactions. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After initial concept discussions and agreeing to what True Impact had to offer, we went into scoping the work and drafting a budget. This provided us with clarity in terms of what each of our responsibilities were and helped us identify any potential roadblocks in the project. 

True Impact developed the application to be iOS and Android-compatible. They also tied it in with our existing management platform. Aside from development services, their team also provided input on how we could best position the product and differentiate ourselves in the market. 

What is the team composition?

We consistently interacted with 3–4 people.

How did you come to work with True Impact Partners?

Our parent company already had a relationship with True Impact Partners. They were presented to us along with other firms, all of whom we held initial discussions with. We chose them based on how well they captured what we were looking for. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $275,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around May 2019. We’ve completed this particular project, but we continue to talk to them occasionally when there are issues with the app. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

What True Impact built for us works. It’s glitch and bug-free, functions as we intended, and is highly reliable and accurate. Their programming was very efficient. 

How did True Impact Partners perform from a project management standpoint?

This has definitely been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in dealing with any type of provider. True Impact did a phenomenal job of managing the project, delivering on schedule, and staying on top of everything. They delivered relatively within budget — and I say “relatively” because we had some change orders and modifications along the way.  

We met weekly or biweekly over Zoom, and the team did a great job of demarcating what portions of the project were up to us. They also clearly identified things that they needed our help with. Throughout the engagement, they used a management software where we could track our tasks, schedules, budget expenditure, and point people. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They had one of the best project management structures that I’ve ever dealt with. Everything was tight, and there were very few questions that went unanswered. I was pretty impressed with their performance in that regard. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing stands out to me. I do wish we had more projects to give them because we now have a high degree of confidence in using them again. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just sit down and really plan out the project, because True Impact does a good job of listening. Hold discussions with their team until you both get a clear idea of what the end product will be. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of brand development at H.W. Kaufman Group. We provide wholesale specialty insurance to independent insurance agents and brokers, and I handle our brand management and websites, with Burns & Wilcox being the largest of our brands.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with True Impact Partners?

We needed help to build a completely new website for burnsandwilcox.com and burnsandwilcox.ca, the Canadian version of the site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

True Impact Partners conducted stakeholder interviews and built a strategy before moving into our new website's design. They spent the necessary time to learn about our business and what we wanted to accomplish prior to building the site. Currently, True Impact Partners handles our site maintenance, making improvements, edits, and updates to it as needed.

How did you come to work with True Impact Partners?

We launched an RFP to several firms. True Impact Partners was a referral from another business that we’re associated with, so we included them in the RFP process. Three firms made it to the pitch stage, and we selected True Impact Partners out of those.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent close to $1 million, including the cost of the various projects we’ve worked on.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2019, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The biggest result of this project is that the time that an engaged visitor spends on our site has nearly doubled. Now, we have visitors spending almost four minutes on our website, engaging with our content, reading articles, visiting our expert pages, and learning more about us before contacting us to do business. Additionally, the meaningful engagements with visitors have increased by over 70%.

How did True Impact Partners perform from a project management standpoint?

True Impact Partners are very easy to get a hold of, and they’re very professional and available when I need them. They’ve also been able to keep everything on budget, so we haven’t had any issues there either. David (Founder) and I communicate on a daily basis. We use Jira to manage the project, and we communicate via email and phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

David’s level of customer service is impressive. He makes himself available whenever we need him, and he’s quick to respond. He also jumps on issues quickly and resolves them in a cooperative manner.

Additionally, True Impact Partners does a great job listening to their clients’ needs. They’re very understanding and willing to work collaboratively with us to accomplish our goals.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing of any significance.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Work with David to align your goals and work diligently to accomplish them. You’ll work directly with him, so you don’t have to worry about facing turnover instances. I’ve also worked with the same developer throughout our engagement, so that’s a big plus.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Chief Brand Officer at The Learning Experience. We are an academy of early education provider with 300+ locations across the United States and a recent launch in the United Kingdom. We provide services and care for children from 6 months to 6 years old through a proprietary curriculum and a unique, child-focused approach to learning and development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire True Impact Partners, and what were your goals?

I hired True Impact Partners to come in and assess the user experience of our previous brand website, provide a recommendation on adjustments and enhancements, and then to lead the process of developing the new site. Overall goals were to provide an industry leading user experience that aligned with our brand position while also having a positive impact on our website metrics.

SOLUTION

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

Overall knowledge and experience with website development projects was the key in selecting True Impact Partners, while also having a confidence that the integrity of the brand was safe and would not be questioned.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

Initial phase was to assess and evaluate the previous website using data and analytics to determine key areas of opportunity. Next phase was to meet with True Impact Partners to provide an overview of the brand positioning and goals with the user experience. The third phase was to present a recommendation on new site development opportunities followed by an agreement on the key deliverables. The final phase was to work with internal partners to execute the plan and get the site implemented.

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

There were several individuals involved in the project support led by David (Founder). The additional support varied from technical positions, to copywriting, to creative design.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Overall website load speed has improved considerably. Website conversion rates have improved and the influence on SEO has been very positive.

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

Project management style was one of the key reasons in selecting True Impact Partners as I had previously worked with David when he was with an advertising agency and showcased a strength with lead large projects for the client. The team was always great with communications, even when we internally were not the best at sticking to our timelines from the client side.

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

David's level of customer service was the most impressive element as he had an extreme challenge in taking an organization through a process that had typically been handled internally. David was always able to communicate with the group in a very customer service method while also keeping us progressing.

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

While a constant challenge with any site development, we did run into some bugs/glitches that made the launch more of a challenge than expected. David and his team were very quick to respond with all and get them fixed as quickly as possible.