45RPM

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of Contraqer. We offer procurement as a service. We have a SaaS website and two products: one of which is used by federal contractors and the other by dairy manufacturers.

What challenge were you trying to address with 45RPM?

We had a website, but it wasn’t doing a good job of communicating the value that we provide. It also didn’t put our best brand foot forward, so we needed something that was a little more polished and professional.

What was the scope of their involvement?

45RPM did a rebrand. They took our brand kit and made it a little more professional by refining the logo, fonts, and colors. They also did interviews with us about what we do and who we’re trying to reach, and they changed the brand kit to reflect that.

The second part of the project was a website. The team did content editing and helped to make it flow better. They redesigned the website and added videos and other media. They used AWS and Craft CMS.

What is the team composition?

Tim (Founder & Managing Partner) was very involved in the project. We also had a project manager, a tech team, a videographer, and a UI development team. 

How did you come to work with 45RPM?

We were looking for a company that understood SaaS. We interviewed several companies, and it was our interview with Tim that solidified our decision. He understood our business immediately and told us the problems with our website and what they would do to fix them. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in about October 2016, and we launched in January 2017.

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

Their video work has been memorable and incredibly popular, and we’ve received a lot of positive feedback on that. The team’s editing was good. In terms of metrics, we’ve been seeing an increase in traffic, but since we’re not B2C, we’re not too focused on the numbers. 

We also saw an increase in time spent on the site – more pages viewed and more time spent on them. What’s most important to us is the unsolicited positive feedback we’ve received from other people about the website. 

How did 45RPM perform from a project management standpoint?

The project manager mapped everything out and kept everyone on track. We communicated via email, and they were great at sending updates. 45RPM was professional but insistent. For example, when I was running late on tasks, they would ping me on Skype.

The only time where deadlines slipped was when I was slacking. There was also one time where they came back and asked for some more time, which was fine because it wasn’t a critical task. Their communication was really good. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their desire to understand my business distinguished them from other service providers. In our first few meetings, they didn’t even talk about web presence. They started by discussing the business. Tim also has a team of senior-level folks, which I appreciate. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They shouldn’t have been as gentle with me about meeting my deadlines.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Something that we did right was deferring to them. I am very opinionated when it comes to web development, but I let them run with it. So, I would advise customers to be open to giving 45RPM plenty of room to do their work. 

Trust them, and don’t try to drive the process. Letting them develop the ideas and guide the process worked out very well for us.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Our company is  Torchlyte and I’m the VP of marketing

What challenge were you trying to address with 45RPM?

We needed to elevate our website visually. That was the primary purpose of our engagement with 45RPM.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had another UI/UX firm create the layout and wireframes, so when we engaged with 45 RPM, they took that starting point, elevated it . They designed all the graphics, created the CSS style sheets, and delivered all of that, so our developers could take that and lay it into the site.

We wanted a consistent brand impression across all of our assets. They developed all the designs for our investor presentations.

There is a ticket functionality on the platform, and we had this idea that people could get tickets for referring friends, and their were some challenges with embedding referral codes into social media, and they investigated that and were able to come up with a solution.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three people over the course of our engagement.

How did you come to work with 45RPM?

I heard about them through my network, and somebody introduced us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $35,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in December 2019 and it wrapped up in March 2020.

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

 Mission accomplished. The visuals on the site really pop. We’re really happy with the work they did. We’ve launched the site to a group of beta customers, and the feedback has been very positive. The tone of the website has been very positive, the visuals, everything we would hope to get from that feedback, we got. The feedback from our potential investors has been great as well.

How did 45RPM perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management was fantastic. There were some challenges on our end, but they were always super flexible and available. It didn’t matter what time it was, they always rallied to get it done.

We gave them access to Jira and our Google Docs. Other than that, we primarily emailed or used Google Hangouts.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Beyond the quality of the branding and the imagery, I can’t say enough about how responsive they are. They’re truly a great partner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Get the same team as me—they’re great.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m one of the co-founders of Nebia. We’re an e-commerce company.

What challenge were you trying to address with 45RPM?

We were looking for a streamlined way to manage our website and content in a way that’s nimble, up to par with the quality we want, and cost-effective.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We asked for a new website design. They took the content we have and transformed it into a web design. Once they got our feedback, the completely rebuilt the site. Along the way, they provided wireframes. They cover the full landscape. They do everything from content creation, which in our case was more like content adaptation. They’re really strong in visual and graphic design, and can do everything in web creation as well.

What is the team composition?

I interfaced with four people, but there were probably 1–2 people who worked with us as well.

How did you come to work with 45RPM?

It was a reference from one of our co-founder’s friends. We talked to 3–4 agencies and evaluated with agencies we’ve worked with in the past before selecting 45RPM. We had the best connection with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2019 and we continue to work together.  

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

They’ve been able to resolve each problem we’ve faced. It’s the best experience I’ve had with a web designer. Our website is much more adaptive, it was totally rebuilt from scratch. Before this, we had a hard time finding an agency that we meshed with and their strengths matched our needs.

How did 45RPM perform from a project management standpoint?

They were super easy to get ahold of and they were very organized. It was awesome. They were adaptable and fast. They did the entire development very quickly. They even worked during holidays.

We used lack and both of our project managers used Trello to keep track of tasks.

What did you find most impressive about them?

It’s easy to work with them. We gave them a few ideas, and they got it and were able to turn it into a reality. We went back and forth on ideas, and it turned out well. That’s not always easy to come by.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be slightly more proactive in terms of telling us where they stand on the project. There was a project scope, and they could tell us where we were relative to the projected timeline.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your expectations. The more information and detail you can provide them, the more likely you are to get what you want.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m part of a unit called brand elevation within the marketing team of Danone, which is the parent company of about 20 food brands including Danone yogurt and Oikos.

What challenge were you trying to address with 45RPM?

We’ve hired 45RPM twice. For the first project, we wanted to create content to help sell the value of one of our brands at a trade show. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

45RPM created video content for a unit in our company to exhibit at a tradeshow to get people to come to our booth and talk to us. Their team was responsible for conceptualizing, scripting, and casting for the video. They also created graphics for the content. Their team made a live-action video, so they filmed people in real situations. They’re currently creating a video for one of our brands.

What is the team composition?

There was a lead assigned to our project but 2–3 other people from their organization joined our calls.

How did you come to work with 45RPM?

I worked in television for many years and knew one of their associates at that point in my career. I chose them because I knew their work previously.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $75,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started our work with 45RPM in January 2020 and it’s ongoing.

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

One project's still in production but our brand's extremely happy with 45RPM's progress. The project has gone well. We had to put certain projects on pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but our brand was impressed.

On the first project, their team created the content for a tradeshow, which went well. It got a positive response from the team who was at the booth and the people who interacted with that team.

How did 45RPM perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via phone calls, texts, and e-mails. We’re in different locations but have web access. Their team’s organized and the schedule’s regimented, which is what I like about them. They tell us what they’re going to deliver, and they deliver on time. They adjust well to curveballs, which get thrown into projects all of that time. Their team's excellent and makes sure that nothing gets dropped. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The authenticity of their content sets them apart from the competition. In marketing, we try to achieve content that exudes authenticity, not something that feels like a commercial. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

There aren’t any issues that stand out to me at this stage. I like what they do.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Most large corporations have an old school marketing philosophy and may approach a company like 45RPM with a traditional idea for their content. 45RPM can deliver on those ideas but allow 45RPM to guide content according to current best practices. Keep an open mind and let their team develop content based on their knowledge of what's successful now.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

My company is Binvault, LLC, an on-demand valet storage company that provides a convenient storage service. The older storage model involves people driving to the storage closet, picking up what they need, and then bringing it back home. Our business consists of a full-service storage option for consumers and businesses. Our valets bring the storage coset to the customers in the form of special roundtrip plastic bins. Once customers pack the bins, we collect them and warehouse them using our proprietary inventory system. Our technology includes an online photo library that allows customers to select what items they want to be returned back to them. We then provide a 24-hour delivery window for those items.

What challenge were you trying to address with 45RPM?

We’re a complete startup, so we engaged with 45RPM initially for brand development. From there, we started working on a comprehensive marketing plan that included a website and market awareness.

What was the scope of their involvement?

While we’re technically a storage company, it’s all about service and technology. 45RPM crafted a brand and marketing strategy for us. Along with building a web platform, their team performs SEO services. We have a two-pronged approach that uses traditional mailers & billboards as well as our web presence to drive traffic and get more sign-ups. Along with general web development, we’re using our own custom images. 45RPM performed a photoshoot for our social media platforms so they cover a lot of ground for us.

What is the team composition?

During the brand development, we have an average of three to four people on a team. For the website, we work with 3–4 people. When we had the photoshoot, it was all hands on deck. Along with the team that worked behind-the-scenes, we had a production crew of six.

How did you come to work with 45RPM?

I received a referral from a contact at another company. They used 45RPM for a new platform launch and had a great experience. I had used a couple of other firms in the past. After interviewing Tim (Founder, 45RPM) about their capabilities, I found that they weren’t the classic advertising agency. Their team focuses on what happens after development, what it takes to capture customers, and how to measure success.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $175,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement with 45RPM started in June 2019 and is ongoing.

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

We’re about ready to launch, with a majority of the work concluded. Right now, our primary metric is accomplishing our major goals and milestones to launch. Our next phase will be to focus on conversion rates per dollar of investment.

How did 45RPM perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve been great. If I had to do this all over, I would select 45RPM again.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with other firms, but one of the things that make 45RPM stand out is their understanding of the startup environment. The team understands how to put forth a project scope that meets the goals within budget requirements to achieve the project. There have been no time delays or changes that need extra funding. 45RPM does what they say they’re going to do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s always room for improvement, but I think from where we started to where we are now, we’re in a great spot with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

The team at 45RPM is collaborative and thoughtful. Customers are looking for a firm that goes beyond work output; they want someone to partner with and who will understand what they’re trying to achieve. 45RPM should be considered as a top choice.

Introduce your business and what you do there. 

I’m the chairman of a Mexican firm called Miles for Retirement. We offer a service that attaches our customers’ savings to their daily expenses and Social Security accounts.

What challenge were you trying to address with 45RPM?

We’re trying to improve our customer acquisition processes. We hired 45RPM to help us with several initiatives by leveraging their knowledge of communication and social networks. Our goal is to multiply and diversify our new client pool.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We began with a Facebook marketing idea. Using analytics from Facebook, Tim (Founder, 45RPM) convinced us to shift to Google. He used various tools and analytics to evaluate the effectiveness of our click-earning strategies.

We focused on Google for the first few weeks. Since then, Tim has offered fantastic ideas for changing how we manage our social networks. We’ve been experimenting with all kinds of hypotheses. He’s also given us specific strategies for improving the content that we produce.

We’re still using Facebook, and our team is constantly improving our approach. We’re working with Tim to enhance our website as well. He has complete visibility of all of our digital content.

What is the team composition?

We have three people from my team and three people from 45RPM. Noriko (Senior Digital Producer, 45RPM) is our account manager. She’s based in Mexico.

How did you come to work with 45RPM?

I’ve known Tim for years. I reached out to him because he’s proficient in social network marketing and entrepreneurship. Initially, I was only asking for advice, and he told me that he had recently opened a shop in Mexico and was open to exploring my idea.

We exchanged some plans and proposals, and Tim convinced me that his experience and client base fit with what I was trying to accomplish. We eventually decided to begin a partnership with 45RPM.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested about $8,000 in their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2018. The partnership is ongoing.

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

We’re still working with them because we’re really happy with their services. Tim was right about Google being a more efficient way of acquiring clients than Facebook. We’ve been tracking downloads, likes, registrations on the app, and the number of clients that complete the enrollment process. The numbers have skyrocketed. We measure these KPIs every week and have been completely satisfied with these numbers.

Due to the visibility that Tim has of our services, he’s able to understand how and why different strategies work. That has been very useful.

How did 45RPM perform from a project management standpoint?

Noriko has been excellent. My team has always expressed to me that she’s been an excellent partner. I’m not involved on a day-to-day basis, but they’ve told me that she is always available and solves problems quickly. My team has complained to me about other providers, and I know that it’s not easy to make them happy.

Also, I appreciate how Tim always attends our monthly meetings. I know that we’re a small client, but Tim is still willing to give a couple of hours every month to go deep into the analysis and insights of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with similar companies in Mexico, and the majority of these firms have a limited, national view. 45RPM brings multinational experience to the table, which sets them apart.

Secondly, 45RPM is open to having success fees attached to their work. They believe in their work so much that they’re willing to stake their fees on it. This differentiates them as well.

Lastly, Tim is extremely knowledgeable and can understand our project from a design point of view and a technical point of view.

Are there any areas they could improve?

This is a minor thing, but there has been a bit of a language barrier. Our project manager speaks perfect Spanish, and we’ve benefitted from that day-to-day relationship. The problem is that Tim has many insights and ideas but isn’t completely fluent in Spanish. This tends to break up the energy and synergy of the group during meetings. Overall though, everything is working out very well.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice would be that, if they’re based in Mexico, they should connect directly with Tim and Noriko at the same time. If you have someone who’s fluent in English, that will make discussions easier.

Aside from that, let 45RPM do their work. Make sure that they understand what they’re doing, but also give them the freedom to explore their ideas. Don’t try to control everything, because that will stifle creativity, which is embedded in these services. Keep track of the numbers, but don’t forget to provide room for innovation.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of sales and marketing at HTWO Beverage Company. We manufacture products at a facility in Memphis, Tennessee and sell them.

What challenge were you trying to address with 45RPM?

We needed to rebrand our e-commerce platform.

What was the scope of their involvement?

45RPM rebranded our existing products, narrowing the focus and better defining our messaging. They also revamped our Amazon site. Now, they’re helping us to launch new products. The team leads our social media marketing campaigns, primarily on Facebook and Instagram. They create digital content.

What is the team composition?

My team works with 4–5 people at 45RPM. We have a project manager.

How did you come to work with 45RPM?

A mutual contact referred my company to 45RPM. When we looked at prospective vendors, 45RPM had the best understanding of the direction in which we wanted to go.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with 45RPM in June 2018, and we continue to engage them.

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

Because of 45RPM’s involvement, our online sales grew by 50%. Their work has been well-received by my internal team.

How did 45RPM perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve done excellent from a project management standpoint. They always meet deadlines, and their first attempt at any task is thorough and creative. The team is very responsive and readily available after hours and on weekends.

What did you find most impressive about them?

45RPM has done an excellent job understanding our brand. They’re a true partner that takes the long view. They feel like a part of our team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t.

Any advice for potential customers?

I would definitely recommend them. They’re a great partner.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CTO at a digital publisher of tax information. I’m responsible for delivering our electronic content to our customers.

What challenge were you trying to address with 45RPM?

Our web platform hadn’t been updated in about fifteen years, and the website was text-heavy. We hired 45RPM to redevelop our platform and provide both strategic analysis and web development work.

What was the scope of their involvement?

45RPM completed an initial brand analysis around the names of our company and products, and they made recommendations for platform adjustments. Then, they developed a website on a Drupal web content delivery platform. 45RPM did backend and systems development, and most of the coding was in PHP. They added many new features, creating an entirely new site experience.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 6–7 team members. Our project manager was Tim (Founder and Managing Partner, 45RPM).

How did you come to work with 45RPM?

I have known Tim in a professional capacity for many years. When we put a bid out for the website work, I asked him to submit a proposal.

How much have you invested with them?

My company has spent over $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began our work with 45RPM in June 2015, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

The biggest impact has been the success of the site. 45RPM implemented features when they said they would, and they have always hit the target. We still rely on them for different development tasks; they’re convenient and easy to work with.

How did 45RPM perform from a project management standpoint?

They assign resources effectively and complete work on time. Information about the work they’re doing is readily available.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The combination of skill sets within the organization sets 45RPM apart. They are client-oriented and brand-focused with great technical capabilities.

Are there any areas they could improve?

This was a long time ago, but we experienced some challenges in a project that we did with 45RPM and a design firm. Although I’m not sure this is attributable to 45RPM, we had issues assigning ownership to various elements of the project.

Any advice for potential customers?

I don’t have any specific advice, but they’re a great team that is easy to work with.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing and communications for Student Transportation of America, a North American provider of school bus transportation services. We operate 14,500 school buses and transport millions of school children each day. We have several technology products, platforms, and services.

What challenge were you trying to address with 45RPM?

My company had never engaged in digital marketing activities like PPC or SEO. We wanted to increase general awareness about what we deliver. In particular, we needed to market our new bus leasing product offerings and build prospects quickly. We also wanted to bring attention to our digital channels.

What was the scope of their involvement?

45RPM provides digital marketing services. They worked with my team to build our marketing strategies from scratch. Their team reviewed our Google Analytics and set up Google Tag Manager. They designed and developed landing pages and set up the Google PPC infrastructure. Now, they monitor our PPC campaigns and deliver reports. 

45RPM also provides SEO. They’ve updated our website and created web copy. The team has also helped us with various one-off content development projects, such as producing videos for our products and services.

What is the team composition?

My team engages with 5–7 people on any given project, including a project manager.

How did you come to work with 45RPM?

I’d worked with 45RPM when I was at another company, so I knew what they were capable of. I was pleased with their work the first time I worked with them, and I’m pleased the second time around. If I ever move to a new company, I’d probably bring them on in some capacity.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in January 2017, and it is ongoing.

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

The Google PPC campaigns that we’ve run with 45RPM have delivered hundreds of thousands of dollars to our new bus leasing business unit. If we didn’t work with 45RPM, we wouldn’t have been able to capture that business. My company is very pleased with these results.

The videos that 45RPM produced have been well-received, and they've become one of our most utilized content assets. We use the videos across our business units to support different campaigns.

How did 45RPM perform from a project management standpoint?

They perform very well in this area. An idea is only as good as its execution, and 45RPM not only proposes creative ideas but also understands marketing and positioning. They’re great communicators and provide frequent progress updates. They also hold us accountable if there are things my team needs to do. When 45RPM encounters a challenge, they quickly find a solution or, if necessary, correct the course of the project. They’re very effective at managing small, medium, and large projects.

What did you find most impressive about them?

45RPM’s founder is involved and hands-on. As the company has grown, he’s remained on the creative and development side and has hired great people to manage the projects. 45RPM is also very strong in digital.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It could be helpful to have more of their team understand the client business, such as by interacting with client stakeholders. However, in terms of the project’s delivery, we’re very pleased.

Any advice for potential customers?

This is advice for any client-agency engagement, but there should be an in-depth fact find at the start of the project. Clients should know what the goals of the project are, what company executives want to see, whether there are any potential roadblocks, and what the budget is. An agency is only as good as what they can deliver, and they need information in order to do so.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and founder of FifteenSixty, a boutique marketing agency in the D.C. area. One of our primary services is CMO on demand, where companies can hire us to act as their senior marketing leadership on a fractional basis.

What challenge were you trying to address with 45RPM?

Because I act as the CMO for my clients, I need support on several different tasks. I hired 45RPM to be my service provider.

What was the scope of their involvement?

I receive project requirements from my clients, and then I hire 45RPM to complete different jobs. Their work has spanned all marketing-related activities, including building websites, developing advertising campaigns, building out brand materials, rebranding, and video production.

45RPM has provided support to a few of FifteenSixty’s client engagements, including our largest one with a cybersecurity firm in Washington, D.C. For this client, 45RPM has helped create a full marketing program. We did all of the preparatory work for them to enter funding rounds, such as branding and creating the marketing deck materials. 45RPM also developed all of the marketing materials for a FinTech program in New York.

I’ve worked with several other companies, but 45RPM has become my go-to agency for all web, video, brand, messaging, content, and advertising services.

What is the team composition?

I work with Tim (Founder, 45RPM). I also work with Patrick (Partner and Producer, 45RPM), who does all of the video work, and Noriko (Producer, 45RPM), who is the project manager. 

How did you come to work with 45RPM?

I’d worked with Tim when he was at a previous agency. I compared 45RPM with another web design provider, and it was clear that 45RPM produced better work. They were also cost-effective and could work quickly.

How much have you invested with them?

Overall, I’ve spent around $300,000. We use a retainer model, and our run rate is about $13,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

I began working with 45RPM in May 2017, and our work together is ongoing.

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

Because of the work that 45RPM did for our cybersecurity client, they’ve successfully raised capital in two rounds of financing. They have six new sales opportunities because of a recent marketing and advertising campaign that 45RPM did. Also, the FinTech program whose marketing materials 45RPM developed won a prestigious competition. We’ve had no negative metrics.

How did 45RPM perform from a project management standpoint?

45RPM adheres to our quick turnaround times. Their team, especially Noriko, is exceptionally detail-oriented. We have an open and direct relationship. They’re honest if they don’t think they’re the right fit for a project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In my past engagements with other companies, I often began the project working with the company’s leadership, but then got passed down to less experienced account managers and team members as the work progressed. This has never been the case with 45RPM; I continue to work directly with Tim and Patrick. The entire team’s attention to detail, up to the executive level, is incredible. Their expertise makes them invaluable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Any three-year partnership is going to encounter some challenges, but for every problem we’ve had, 45RPM has worked with me to overcome and solve it.

Any advice for potential customers?

You should be straightforward with them. 45RPM’s team is full of creatives, from web and graphic designers to videographers. They’re problem solvers for people like myself who aren’t creative. If they can’t solve your problem, they will tell you.