Blockchain Advertising & Mktg for Fan Engagement Platform
- Advertising Blockchain Marketing Social Media Marketing
- $10,000 to $49,999
- Dec. 2023 - Feb. 2024
- Quality
- 0.5
- Schedule
- 0.5
- Cost
- 0.5
- Willing to Refer
- 0.5
"Our experience with them has been profoundly disappointing and unprofessional."
- Software
- Zug, Switzerland
- 11-50 Employees
- Online Review
- Verified
A fan engagement platform hired ADS CONTROL to create ads and a marketing plan. They aimed to acquire BSPT token retail investors by selecting channels and running campaigns on X and other media platforms.
While the ADS CONTROL project manager was responsive, the team launched ineffective ads. The conversions didn't reach 5% of the desired results, the ROI was negative, and the budget was ill-spent. Moreover, the team's work led to the permanent blocking of the client's ads account and financial loss.
This review includes the vendor’s response.
The client submitted this review online.
BACKGROUND
Please describe your company and position.
I am the CMO of Blocksport
Describe what your company does in a single sentence.
Complete Web3-based white-labeled SaaS fan engagement platform for professional sports, which unlocks new revenue streams from Day 1.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What specific goals or objectives did you hire ADS CONTROL to accomplish?
- Increase the sales of BSPT token
- Increase the amount of retail investors in the BSPT token
- Acquire high-quality and convertable traffic for our project
SOLUTION
How did you find ADS CONTROL?
CEO reached out to us
Why did you select ADS CONTROL over others?
- Pricing fit our budget
- Good value for cost
- clear KPI's
How many teammates from ADS CONTROL were assigned to this project?
2-5 Employees
Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.
Project Summary: Blocksport partnered with Ads Control for advertising to acquire BSPT token retail investors through X and other media platforms. We trusted them with our marketing plan and channel selection, expecting to calculate the ROI of these campaigns based on the clear amount of investors and sales indicated in their invoices.
Project Details
Marketing Services: Creation of a marketing plan, selection of channels, execution of ad campaigns
Campaigns: 3 sprints (1 not evaluated due to our issues, 2 unprofessional)
Budget: $11,810 (total), $520 (non-spent budget)
Review: We strongly advise against partnering with Ads Control. Our experience with them has been profoundly disappointing and unprofessional. Here are the key issues we encountered.
Account Mismanagement:
- Ads Control failed to check the status of our X account. Our official ads account was blocked permanently due to their negligence.
- They launched ads that they knew could lead to account blocking and proceeded regardless.
- They failed to stop campaigns when requested, and achieved less than 5% of the desired conversions.
Poor Performance:
- Conversions from their campaigns did not even reach 5% of the desired results.
- The ROI was absolutely negative, showing no beneficial returns on our investment, and resulting in unnecessary financial losses.
Unspent budget and refund refusal:
After deciding to end the partnership, we asked Ads Control to refund the unspent media budget of $520. Serhii, the CEO, claimed that the budget had been spent despite our request to stop all campaigns and calculate the non-spent budget.
Our legal notice for a partial refund (for unprofessionally spent media budget or services not provided as agreed) was ignored, showing unprofessional budget handling.
Even after two months, Serhii refused to return the non-spent budget, stating it had already been spent.
These significant shortcomings resulted in a negative ROI and unprofessional financial handling.
In summary, the budget you invest with Ads Control will vanish, you risk losing your ad accounts due to their unprofessional behavior, and if you are unhappy with the results, the CEO will ghost you and refuse to refund any unspent budget. We do not recommend working with Ads Control under any circumstances.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
The main measurable outcome was token purchases
Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?
Project Management:
While Ads Control's project manager was responsive throughout our engagement, we faced several critical issues that undermined the effectiveness of their project management approach, which included permanently blocking our ads account and failing to execute requested campaign stops:
Account Mismanagement:
The Ads Control team failed to check the status of our X account before launching campaigns. As a result, our official ads account was permanently blocked. Despite knowing that certain ads could lead to blocking, they proceeded to launch them anyway.
Communication and Implementation Issues:
Although the project manager was prompt and responsive in communication, there were significant lapses in implementing the actions discussed.
Their inability to act promptly and adhere to agreed-upon timelines caused significant delays and project inefficiencies. This lack of adherence to deadlines severely impacted our overall experience and project outcomes.
For instance, even after we communicated the need to stop all ongoing campaigns and calculate the non-spent budget, Ads Control did not halt the campaigns as requested. This led to the entire budget being spent unprofessionally.
Inadequate Performance Monitoring:
The project management team did not effectively monitor and optimize the campaigns. The conversions did not even reach 5% of the desired results, indicating a lack of proactive management and adjustment based on performance metrics.
Refund and Budget Issues:
Post-project, our request for a partial refund due to unprofessionally spent media budget and services not provided as agreed was ignored. Despite a total budget of $11,810, the conversions were below 5% of the target, and the unspent budget of $520 was not refunded. This led to substantial financial losses and poor value for the money invested.
Despite our marketing team’s repeated requests to calculate and return the unspent budget of $520, Ads Control claimed that the budget had already been spent, even after we ended the partnership.
Overall Impact:
The project management issues led to a completely negative ROI and significant frustration. The unresponsiveness to crucial implementation details, such as stopping campaigns on time and checking account statuses, resulted in substantial financial and operational setbacks for our company.
Their campaigns performed poorly, resulting in a negative ROI and substantial financial loss, while their refusal to refund the unspent budget reflects a lack of professionalism and accountability.These critical issues, combined with unfulfilled commitments and poor customer service, lead us to strongly advise against partnering with Ads Control.
Their unprofessionalism included mismanaging our ads account, failing to stop campaigns when requested, and refusing to refund the unspent budget. Their poor campaign performance and lack of transparency led to significant financial losses and a deeply unsatisfactory partnership. We strongly advise against working with Ads Control.
In summary, while the responsiveness of Ads Control’s project manager was appreciated, the failure to implement crucial actions, manage accounts properly, and adhere to communicated requests significantly impacted the project's success and our overall experience.
What was your primary form of communication with ADS CONTROL?
- Virtual Meeting
- Email or Messaging App
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
We partnered with them because they provided clear expected results on key KPI's.
Are there any areas for improvement or something ADS CONTROL could have done differently?
Areas of Improvement for Ads Control:
Account Management:
Pre-Launch Checks: Ensure thorough checks on the status and compliance of clients' ad accounts before launching any campaigns. This includes verifying that the accounts are in good standing to avoid permanent blocks.
Compliance Adherence: Strictly adhere to platform guidelines to prevent account blocks. Avoid launching ads that risk violating platform policies.
Communication and Implementation:
Follow-Through on Actions: Improve the implementation of actions discussed with clients. If a campaign needs to be stopped or adjusted, ensure that these instructions are promptly and accurately executed.
Transparent Updates: Provide regular and transparent updates on campaign statuses and any actions taken. Ensure clients are informed immediately about any issues or changes.
Performance Monitoring and Optimization:
Active Monitoring: Implement robust performance monitoring to track and optimize campaigns in real-time. Adjust strategies promptly based on performance data to achieve better results.
Conversion Tracking: Enhance tracking mechanisms to ensure accurate measurement of conversion rates and other key performance indicators (KPIs). Aim to meet or exceed the desired conversion goals.
Budget Management:
Accurate Budget Tracking: Maintain accurate records of budget allocation and spending. Ensure that unspent budgets are clearly identified and refunded promptly if requested by the client.
Financial Transparency: Be transparent about how the budget is being spent and provide detailed breakdowns of expenditures. This helps build trust and ensures clients are aware of where their investments are going.
Refund and Dispute Resolution:
Responsive Refund Policy: Develop and implement a fair and responsive refund policy for unspent budgets or services not delivered as agreed. Address client concerns promptly to avoid disputes.
Effective Dispute Resolution: Establish a clear process for resolving disputes and handling complaints. Ensure that client grievances are addressed in a timely and professional manner.
Project Management:
Proactive Project Management: Enhance project management practices to ensure that all client instructions are followed precisely and that campaigns are managed proactively to achieve the desired outcomes.
Client Feedback Integration:
Actively seek and integrate client feedback into ongoing and future projects. Use this feedback to continuously improve service quality and client satisfaction.
By addressing these areas, Ads Control can improve its service delivery, build stronger client relationships, and achieve better campaign outcomes.
Company Responses
The vendor responded on September 4, 2024.
Hi!
Thank you for your feedback. We understand your dissatisfaction, but we’d like to clarify a few points:
- Community and ROI Issues
- At the start of our cooperation, we noted that your company had ongoing community issues and had not seen positive ROI prior to our involvement.
- Terms of Cooperation
- From the beginning, we made it clear that we could not guarantee positive ROI or refunds, as our responsibility was limited to managing ads and media. Additionally, the conversion rate of users on the product was your responsibility.
- Approval Process
- All actions taken during the campaign were done with your prior approval.
- Campaign Delays
- Each time we launched a new campaign, you requested to stop it due to issues with the product. You acknowledged that the negative ROI was due to the product's poor conversion rate, not the marketing efforts. We have screenshots from our chat as proof.
- Unspent Budget
- An unspent budget of $520 was attempted to be refunded at the end of our cooperation. However, since you did not provide the necessary details for the refund, our team spent the funds on the product. You contacted us three months later, after the funds had already been spent. We have evidence to support this.
- Contractual Issues
- The main issue seems to be the absence of a signed contract and threats of legal action. This situation has complicated our ability to address the review effectively.
We are always open to constructive dialogue and are committed to resolving any issues. If you have further questions or need additional clarification, please let us know.
Thank you for your understanding.
Best regards,
The ADS CONTROL Team
RATINGS
-
Quality
0.5Service & Deliverables
"The 0.5 rating for Quality of Service & Deliverables is due to Ads Control's severe mismanagement, including permanently blocking our ads account."
-
Schedule
0.5On time / deadlines
"The 0.5 rating for Timelines and Meeting Deadlines is due to Ads Control's failure to stop campaigns as requested."
-
Cost
0.5Value / within estimates
"The 0.5 rating for Cost and Value for Money reflects the negative ROI from Ads Control's poorly performing campaigns."
-
Willing to Refer
0.5NPS
"We are highly unlikely to recommend Ads Control due to their severe mismanagement of our account.