Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder, Director & Therapist of Help Clinic Canada

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Online therapy across Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing to accomplish?

• Digital Marketing

SOLUTION

How did you find Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

Referral

Why did you select Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We were introduced to Apples and Oranges and they took on a trackling our digital marketing inlcuding; Website optimization, SEO, Meta and Google ads with our cross Canada organization. They collaborated with us to develeop brand awareness and targeted ads to grow certian pieces of the business. Apples and Oranges worked with us to hit our objectives. The data analytics Apples and Oranges provided helped immensely with understanding the targets and wins along the way. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Increased sales, increased traffic, increased engagement, increased repeat customers, increased positive reviews, increased content creation, increased SEO.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They were timely, responsive, supportive and always patient and supportive. I really valued their transparent team apporach that allowed for shared undrestanding while delivering results.

What was your primary form of communication with Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They are so relatable, down-to-earth, yet skilled and knowledgeable. They value quality, kind and collaborative communication.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing could have done differently?

NO! They delvered and pivoted as needed. I truly value regular updates and support and they did all of the work well.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Operations of Dalina

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We bring specialty coffee and baked from scratch goods to your neighbourhood with intuitive and friendly service. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing to accomplish?

• Build Loyalty
• Increase brand awareness

SOLUTION

How did you find Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

Referral

Why did you select Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We approached Apples and Oranges with a complex set of needs. Website optimization, building customer loyalty, SEO, Mobile ordering app optimization. Together we developed a SMS campaign, email marketing, brand awareness and targeted ads to grow certian pieces of the business. Apples and Oranges worked with our existing partners to meet with us weekly to hit our objectives. The data analytics Apples and Oranges provided helped immensely with understanding the targets and wins along the way. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Grew our customer base on the online ordering app from $1000-$6000 monthly. 

Increased customer awareness around our Catering Program, we have seen an increase in inquiries from customers that have not previously ordered

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Apples and Oranges was very adaptable to our asks and needs. Restaurants are complex with a lot of moving parts, they were in constant contact with us about promotions we were running, email campaigns were set out weekly and they were always available if we needed to pivot or add on the fly. 

What was your primary form of communication with Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The people at Apples and Oranges is what makes this company so special. You are well taken care of and listened to about business concerns and areas for focused growth. Michael and his team are always happy to adjust to your needs and present comprehensive plans to get you to your goals. Personal attention and service were an important piece for us when bringing on a marketing partner and Apples and Oranges delivered. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing could have done differently?

Restaurants and Cafe's have very limited budgets so adding ad spend onto the retainer can be difficult to maintain. Larger businesses (4 locations or more) could better absorb this cost but for a 2 unit business its difficult to maintain. 

Building out a basic support plan with ad spend for a lower fee would help support business in this catagory but perhaps its not a good long term strategy for Apples and Oranges, it might make sense to work with larger business or businesses with more locations. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder & CEO of Noorish Foods

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We sell superfood cocoa and honey drink blends. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing to accomplish?

• Professionalizing our online presence
• Unifying our content

SOLUTION

How did you find Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

Referral

Why did you select Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We hired A&O to help us revamp our website and manage a new digital marketing campaign. This included switching to a new online platform, getting a new email marketing provider, setting up an influencer campaign, ad campaign and social media content management. They have done a great job so far. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Increased sales, increased traffic, increased engagement, increased repeat customers, increased positive reviews, increased content creation, increased SEO

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes they were timely, responsive, supportive and always patient with my slower response times to complete tasks. 

What was your primary form of communication with Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They have a unique ability to adapt to your needs as they change from moment to moment. And the value for what they offer in terms of overall support and content management is impressive. They have multiple people on their team working on your project and you feel like their only priority. Whenever changes needed to be made, they were quick to address them. They are also very flexible as different months require different levels of commitment and energy and they were able to support my greater goals to get into Faire, start understanding how to build an influencer campaign and so many other things. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing could have done differently?

I have been really pleased with their services and can't think of any ways they could improve at this point. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Owner of BrickShell Cases

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We manufacture the highest-quality display cases for LEGO® collectibles. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing to accomplish?

• Increase email subscribers
• Launch VIP/rewards program on Shopify
• Rank for product-related keywords

SOLUTION

How did you find Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

Referral

Why did you select Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Increase ranking in search engines via proper SEO management and Keyword content.. 
• Increase retail revenue through marketing campaign such as email and Instagram. 
• Launch VIP/rewards program as venue to increase revenue and margin. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Gained thousands of keywords in initial months of launch. 
• Steady increase in Search Engine ranking throughout the months (for relevant keywords). 
• Several successful email campaigns.
• Gained thousands of email subscribers in initial months of launch

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

AxO is very reponsive at every level. They communicate regularly and ensure I alway know where projects stand. 

What was your primary form of communication with Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

It's impressive how they're always thinking outside the box and really striving to understand my niche product. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing could have done differently?

None!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Principal of Karen Gilchrist & Associates

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Communications and PR consulting.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing to accomplish?

• Provide digital marketing advice and services.
• SEO review and update to client website.
• Improve organic SEO for client.

SOLUTION

How did you find Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

Online Search

Why did you select Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

A&O provides digital marketing advice, and implements plans according to that strategy. They support the client in content generation of blogs and social media posts to help improve organic SEO. They also manage all digital marketing platforms (Meta, Google), develop and monitor ads, and provide data updates to us on a quarterly basis. 

They are currently engaged in a website SEO project, doing a deep dive on the website content and keywords, with the intent of improving searchability and search engine rankings.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Increase in visits to the client's service; data showing increase in website traffic and search results.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They are always on time and responsive to our needs. They keep detailed notes and agendas, as well as weekly meetings and emails to make sure we are getting what we need.

What was your primary form of communication with Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

Virtual Meeting

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

This group is especially good at interpreting and explaining the complex world of digital marketing in an easily understandable way, without making us feel as though they are spinning a tale or that is it somehow a magic and secret code that only they can understand. So many digital marketers do that. Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing are very good at showing the data and explaining it in lay terms. 

And they are also the first to be frank about the art and science of this business - sometimes you just have to try something to find out if it will work. They are excellent at testing something with a bit of money first, bringing back the data, and working with us to make a decision about more (or less!) spending. They are flexible, personable, and reasonable - they are "real" people with a collaborative and practical approach.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing could have done differently?

no.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Founder of Home Island Coffee Partners

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Contract manufacturing of roasted coffee products

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing to accomplish?

• Migrate our website and ecommerce to Shopify

SOLUTION

How did you find Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

Referral

Why did you select Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing over others?

• Pricing fits our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

We needed to shift our consumer facing ecommerce platform to Shopify to better align with the logistics of our wholesale and private-label clients. A&O migrated everythign over and optimized the layout and content. They gave us a full rundown of how to manage products and payments going forward, as well as providing us a full go-to-market strategy for our fledgling B2C brand. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Getting our shopify website up before our previous one was due for renewal and maintaining continuity for our existing customers. Working within a specified budget. We have had zero technical issues since switching over, and we've had very positive feedback from customers on the layout and UI elements. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Communciation was at the perfect cadence to keep us up to date on progress while not requiring constant input from us. Everything was effectively roadmapped, and we always knew that we were going to get exactly what we needed.  

What was your primary form of communication with Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

Virtual Meeting

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

Incredible depth of expertise in ecommerce platforms which was paired with a willingness to educate us to enable us to get the most out of our website without needing ongoing work. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing could have done differently?

Not especially. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Coordinator of Susgrainable

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Susgrainable rescues spent grains from craft brewers to create nutritious, delicious, and easy-to-make upcycled barley flour and baking mixes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing to accomplish?

• Website Functionality
• Website Refresh
• SEO

SOLUTION

How did you find Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

Referral

Why did you select Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Previous experience working with similar local brands

How many teammates from Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Scope of Work:

1. Website Development: Migrating our Shopify theme and removing custom coding where possible to make the website easier to edit and customize using Design Packs.
2. SEO Services: Redesign the website with best in class SEO practices in mind to improve our online presence.

Key Deliverables:

• Revamp the homepage, spotlighting Susgrainable's identity and brand through character-driven storytelling, updated branding, and copywriting.
• Optimize the retailer showcase for increased in-store traffic.
• Refresh product photography to showcase new packaging and baked goods.
• Hide unwanted pages, refine the website footer, and optimize plugins.
• Implement valuable website schemas, such as for automated product reviews.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Website Metrics: Increased traffic, reduced bounce rate, faster load times, and improved online and offline conversion rates.
• SEO Performance: Higher search rankings, increased organic traffic, and improved SERP CTR.
• Data Analysis: Enhanced data tracking for informed decision-making.
• User Feedback: Positive reviews, improved user satisfaction.
• Website Functionality: Ability to edit and customize with the use of custom coding.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Apple & Oranges consistently delivered project items on time, ensuring our timelines were met without any delays. Their responsiveness to our needs was impressive, as they demonstrated a proactive approach to addressing any concerns or adjustments required during the project.

Their commitment to effective communication and a well-structured project management process greatly contributed to the success of our partnership. Overall, their reliability and responsiveness made them a valuable and dependable partner in achieving our project goals.

What was your primary form of communication with Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their expertise in SEO and digital marketing, particularly their depth of knowledge and innovative strategies set them apart from the competition. They didn't just implement standard solutions but tailored their approach to our unique needs, consistently delivering outstanding results.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing could have done differently?

One area for potential improvement could be in providing clearer guidance to their clients on their suggested project scope and capacity for flexible projects they take on.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Engagement of Kinbrace Community Society

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The Kinbrace community is a registered charity that welcomes refugee claimants with housing, education, and support.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing to accomplish?

• Search engine optimization - Make the new public legal education and information website www.myrefugeeclaim.ca discoverable in Canada via google ads and other
• Marketing - get the news of www.myrefugeeclaim.ca out to refugee claimants, service providers, and the public via social media
• Analytics - understand how www.myrefugeeclaim.ca is gaining reach across demographics of importance

SOLUTION

How did you find Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

personal network

Why did you select Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

A & O is providing

• SEO/Online Discoverability
• MOM growth in organic traffic
• MOM growth in keyword quantity & ranking
• MOM growth in backlinks and authority score
• Social Media MOM growth in reach
• MOM growth in followers
• MOM growth in key metric, ex. saves Google Ads
• Continuous ad traffic to website

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• increasing # of - new and returning users to website
• clicks
• overall use of site
• Effectiveness of Google Ads and Google Search Console
• Increasing # of social media followers (Facebook and Instagram)
• Increasing # of hotjar reviews collected

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

A & O Analytics and Marketing

• deliver monthly reports
• take initiative to set up the next meeting
• have the social media posts available to approve in the month prior
• are responsive to email and sms messaging queries
• have a clear and professional communications protocol

What was your primary form of communication with Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

A & O are personable, attentive, and understand how to listen. Their team is patient, and take the time to explain what is mysterious and unfathomable to most of us. They also get the work done on time and according to the agreed timeline. They're open to change and learning, particularly about social media; they're willing to match our voice.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing could have done differently?

When they took on creating social media marketing content, they used their own voice and mood, which didn't match the public legal information space My Refugee Claim inhabits. They took developmental feedback seriously and worked hard to create posts that were legally accurate and carried the mood and values of www.myrefugeeclaim.ca.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-founder and CEO of AIMA

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Develop period relief solutions for menstruators.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing to accomplish?

• Build our SEO
• Manage our website
• Blogging

SOLUTION

How did you find Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

Referral

Why did you select Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing’s team?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Blogging for SEO 
• Building SEO 
• Building and managing Shopify site 
• Managing policies on site 
• Developing key partnerships and relationships with copywriters 
• Weekly meetings and updates 
• Working with Marketing Manager to grow customers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Weekly updates Monthly presenations on growth and what is working, not working, and progressing

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes, they've been amazing at being very flexible and open with our budget and time. They've delivered their projects on time and even ahead of schedule.

What was your primary form of communication with Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The human aspect. Everyone is kind, hard-working, and willing to help. They want you to succeed, and so they do everything they can to make it happen. Communicating with them is easy and they aren't afraid to challenege your thinking in order to provide the best results.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing could have done differently?

Right now they're expanding and bringing more talented people onto the team. I'm looking forward to working with them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the operations manager at Clapham's Beeswax Products. We manufacture beeswax products, including food-safe wax products for wood, furniture polish, hand cream, lip balms, salves, and tinctures.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

We were approved for a grant by the government of Canada through the Canadian Digital Adoption Program, whose goal is to improve the digital score of small businesses like hours. Although we didn’t have any issues we were trying to resolve, we got access to funding and chose A & O to help us improve our digital score.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

A & O mainly worked on improving our SEO. We worked with them on keyword research by bouncing the options back and forth. They used a software product to find the best keyword options, passed them to us, and we made some changes. 

They also provided updates to our website by upgrading existing product pages. The team also created 5–6 blog posts for us. 

What is the team composition?

We worked with at least three teammates from A & O, and they hired a copywriter for the blog. Our main point of contact was Noor (Co-Director). 

How did you come to work with Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing?

The government of Canada gave us a list of 70 companies we could work with. We wanted a local company, so we narrowed the list to 5–6 candidates. I called the candidates’ clients and asked about their experience. At the end of that process, I chose A & O based on the positive reviews they received from some of their clients. 

How much have you invested with them?

Their invoice was for $17,000–$18,000 CAD (approximately $12,000–$13,000 USD). The federal government paid 90% of the price, so we invested around $2,000 CAD (approximately $1,500 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–October 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The feedback from our internal team has been very positive; everyone here is happy with the work A & O has done. Our updated website went live the last weekend, so we haven't had any customer feedback.

How did Apples & Oranges Analytics and Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything went fine regarding project management. We had a pre-set budget, and although I'm unsure if their hours exceeded the agreement, they stuck to the initial budget. They also met their deadlines for the most part; they had to take a week away from work due to a personal emergency, but we understand that life happens. 

We communicated back and forth through email and used Zoom. They were very responsive to requests, easy to communicate with, and quick in their email responses.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed with A & O's ability to take feedback, whether it be positive or negative, and work it into their preexisting knowledge of SEO. Our company's leaders are in their 80s, and SEO is very new to them. They're also very knowledgeable about our company's industry, and during the blog post writing process, they rejected the first draft of a blog post. 

A & O took the time to explain why the blog had to be a certain way and what SEO is. They worked to ensure that the blog posts made them happy regarding SEO, and our leadership was comfortable with them being on our website. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We gave them constructive feedback in the blog-writing process. In one of the posts, their copywriter missed the assignment by almost 100% — they didn't understand the language they had to use. A & O took full responsibility; not only did they review that post and improve it by the fourth draft, but they also offered to write us another post for free, which was great. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don't be afraid to ask questions and tell them what you want. A & O is very responsive, so you shouldn't shy away from making your requests known and clear.