ANTI AGENCY GROUP (AACG)

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the VP of platforms for a global location technology company.

What challenge were you trying to address with AACG?

We built a new business unit of the platforms division from the bottom up. We collected initial tests and case studies from beta clients. We were a lean team, so we had to rely on a partner to help augment our resources and act as our marketing arm.

What was the scope of their involvement?

AACG helped us to craft our messaging and positioning. Their team went through value proposition discussions with us. They founded the internal structures around communications, messaging, and language. Their team structured a communication plan to go to market.

We had overall company branding and positioning, but AACG reviewed copyrights and supported our paid marketing efforts. They took a multi-pronged approach including social media marketing with Facebook as our primary driver. We had email addresses of existing customers as well as a list of small to medium-sized businesses and agencies that we were trying to target using our location-based platform. AACG helped us structure not only the strategy around reaching people across different platforms but also helping to execute against that strategy.

What is the team composition?

I worked primarily with Amir (CEO).

How did you come to work with AACG?

I worked with AACG in the past. Amir was actually a client of mine when I was in a prior job and we stayed in touch. I also knew about his work at Amazon. We had a chance to connect and it sounded like a good opportunity to leverage his skillset.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $30,000 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project started in July 2018 and went until September.

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

Ultimately, he delivered against the goals that we set. Amir laid the groundwork for the business unit to perform from a marketing and lead generation perspective. Ultimately, we exceeded our revenue targets the first year that AACG was involved. Now, the business unit is one of the company’s primary revenue drivers.

How did AACG perform from a project management standpoint?

Overall, project management was excellent. AACG's on the west coast, so we communicated via Zoom mostly. Amir also came to New York to sit down with us in person.

Before he started the project, he interviewed teammates across the company to understand the lay of the land. He did a great job of understanding peoples’ needs and making sure that people felt comfortable with his work.

Amir was organized and on top of responsibilities. He provided a detailed outline of the scope of work, so it was extremely structured. He made sure that we were comfortable with the deliverables, timeline, and costs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Amir had good inputs to help us operate across the board from sales efficiencies to tracking lead conversions. They understood how a business should operate from the top down. Their team provided guidance to leave a positive impact on our entire organization.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Now that Amir has more folks on his team, he can be more balanced and tackle more projects. When we worked with him, we were one of his first clients, so it was a lot to tackle early on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be upfront with AACG. Don’t be afraid to be direct with Amir because he’s someone who has his client’s best interests in mind. Transparency will help create the best outcomes.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director for Leafly, a cannabis website that publishes news and product information. 

What challenge were you trying to address with AACG?

Cannabis is blocked on social media, so we can’t put paid media behind it. This meant we needed a lot of content direction and regular posting from AACG.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They created and maintained the organic social calendar for Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. They also offered strategic direction in terms of content, type of posts, timing, and how to best engage influencers. I sent them catalogs of assets that Leafly owned, and their team would curate content for us to repost based on that. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with one person full-time, and two others supported the strategic direction. 

How did you come to work with AACG?

I knew my main point of contact from a former position, so I knew they’d be a fit. 

How much have you invested with them?

We worked together from August–December 2019. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We spent around $40,000. 

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

We had an 11% engagement rate on Instagram, which can be attributed to the copy they wrote, their engagement with followers, and the choice of assets that resonated with our community. 

How did AACG perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. Everything was on time, easy to read and understand. There were regular QA tests and checks and balances, remaining responsive to all my questions. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really know the cannabis space, so they understood what content wouldn’t be censored on social media. Knowing how to navigate our space was a huge plus since that’s a very time-consuming effort. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have definite objectives and goals for the company. Interview them to understand their strengths so you’re getting the best scope of work for your business needs. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director for a mindfulness platform. We have a podcast and a mobile app, and we’re also in the process of launching events.

What challenge were you trying to address with AACG?

We were looking to clarify our brand mission. We’d struggled with the question by ourselves and had come up with separate ideas and components. We engaged AACG to help us consolidate and condense into the right messaging.

What was the scope of their involvement?

When we brought in Amir (Founder, AACG), our primary point of contact, we gave him all the individual components of our brand manifesto. He refined those ideas, from deciding on our tagline and creating custom content for each of our platforms. He ensured that our messaging was consistent across all of our offerings.

He also spearheaded social media planning, which included the launch of newsletters and various campaign ideas.

What is the team composition?

We worked primarily with Amir, but we also worked with Amanda (Chief Client Officer, AACG) on one of the campaigns.

How did you come to work with AACG?

We’d initially engaged a friend to help us with branding, but she found herself too busy. So instead, she vetted providers in her network to find someone who was on the same wavelength as us. We connected very well with Amir because he’s extremely service-driven in addition to having the marketing tools and mindset.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted between July­–December of 2019.

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

We have a loyal fanbase, and we’ve found that our new messaging have really resonated with people. We’ve seen a positive response across our platforms. While we’re currently self-funded and have only gained organic traffic, we’re looking to engage AACG again for paid advertising.

How did AACG perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was a highlight of the collaboration. We use Microsoft Teams and SharePoint, and Amir was always available to us. He never takes longer than half a day to respond. They were skilled at leveraging PM tools to make the project seamless.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very professional. They say what they’re going to do—they don’t overpromise and are very transparent, which is hard to find. Amir has been a true asset in his ability to condense our messaging into something articulate and powerful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’re an unconventional company, in that we’re focused on guerrilla-style marketing. I’d say their marketing tactics are more standard.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be a part of the journey with them. You should definitely look at it as a partnership.