Barbauld Agency

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of purchasing and marketing at Von Tobel. We’re a four-unit employee-owned lumber yard and home center. We support our customers from the lumber all the way through the completion of the house, selling product lines for flooring, kitchens, tools, and lawn work.

What challenge were you trying to address with Barbauld Agency?

When I took over my role two years ago, I saw that our previous agency was mostly an old-school print marketer. We didn’t have a good digital presence, the website wasn’t strong, and our general digital strategy was lacking. Barbauld Agency has helped us jumpstart our digital efforts through a crawl-walk-run approach.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

We’ve worked with Barbaul Agency for two years to build our online presence. They started with the website redesign and rebuild before quickly moving into social media support. At the time, we were still transitioning from our previous provider to Barbauld Agency, so they faced a bit of resistance.

Eventually, I took over the marketing role, so we got involved in SEO/PPC campaigns and continue to work on that today. We discuss the strategies while they implement the specifics (e.g., creative, copy, blog writing, ad placement) via their own plan.

One of our most successful items has been creating landing pages for specific product categories. These can be for our site or on behalf of our vendors. In both cases, Barbauld Agency manages our search terms, builds out engaging content, and seeks to increase our rates. The team proposes ideas that I wouldn’t even think of, and they’re all attractive and effective.

What is the team composition? 

My primary contacts are Molly (VP) and Sarah (Graphic Artist), but I’m sure that they have several other people working on our projects behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Barbauld Agency?

I wasn’t involved in the selection process, but I know that our executive staff had pulled together a nationwide search and found Barbauld Agency in our backyard.

How much have you invested with them?

At the beginning of the year, we give them a month-by-month budget to spend as they see fit. So long as they don’t go over significantly, they’re able to allocate those funds between months based on changes in strategy. 

Some of the projects that they put together are asks from our vendors — meaning a vendor is willing to commit additional dollars toward Barbauld Agency for landing pages or a PPC campaign. That money doesn’t count against the budget we’ve set for them, so their team has essentially found additional advertising funds through these programs without any extra cost on our side.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement started in September 2018, and we’re still currently working with them.

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

Overall, we’ve seen strong sales in the product categories that Barbauld Agency promotes. The website alone has gotten significant email sign-ups, and their marketing execution is quality work. Last holiday season, they did a PPC campaign for a German product line, which pushed our sales up by about 69%.

2020 is the first year we’re going with a new advertising approach. They’re supporting the design work on our spring/fall kitchen and bath campaign. While we handle the printing distribution in-house, they piggyback with the digital strategy (e.g., digital billboards, radio, TV, promotional financing program). 

So far, we’ve had fantastic results, but it’s hard to split out the COVID-19 effect on the remodeling market compared to their work. The results are positive either way. We’re probably up 35%–50% on our campaigns. Those are tremendous gains in our kitchen and bath results over previous years. 

How did Barbauld Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We have regular meetings each Wednesday to touch base as well as a monthly recap. Both reports give us a really clear idea of how they’re spending their time.

At this point, they’re able to complete our creative assets without too much input from me. I tend to preview a lot of their work before it goes live on our site, and I rarely have to suggest any substantive changes.

Sometimes, they might need additional information to understand the direction we’re going with a particular product line, but that’s because they’re not in the building industry. They’re effective at implementing my edits without going through multiple rounds of proofs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Barbauld Agency’s team shows a lot of integrity. There have been no surprises, and we don’t get the sense that they’re trying to bill us extra. Previously in print advertising, I used to follow the old rule, “You know you’re wasting half of your money on advertising. You just don’t know which half.” And, now, with our digital campaigns, I feel like we have a much better grip on our ROI.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind. They’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do in addition to suggesting good ideas. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just be clear with them about your goals and budget. They can make a lot of stuff work within your limits but are also tactful about letting you know how much something more ambitious will cost. On that front, they’ve been pretty accurate, so I haven’t had any surprises.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work at Porterfield Family Chiropractic.

What challenge were you trying to address with Barbauld Agency?

We needed help with our marketing.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Barbauld Agency has done a lot of projects for us with regards to brand improvement. They’ve changed up our logo, have done some flyers, postcards, and billboards, and they've helped us with social media. It’s been a wide scope so far. 

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with Chris (President & Idea Man) and Molly (VP).

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent less than $10,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since May 2020.

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

We’ve received positive feedback for the graphics that they’ve created for us, but since we’re opening a new location, it’s hard to know the numbers in terms of customers. 

How did Barbauld Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicate with Barbauld Agency via email, text, Zoom calls, and occasional phone calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Barbauld Agency seems genuinely interested in helping us grow our business.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I have no suggestions. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Go ahead and work with them because they’re awesome. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Serenity Springs. It’s a romantic couples getaway in Northwest Indiana; we’re open year-round.

What challenge were you trying to address with Barbauld Agency?

We wanted to reach new customers and guests. We were doing well as a family-owned small business but noticed that most of our guests were returned customers. This is a good thing, but it was getting harder and harder to reach new customers. Essentially, we knew we were ready to go to the next level, but didn’t know how to do it and knew we needed assistance.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’re doing Facebook and Google Ads, focused on target marketing areas. They provide a lot of graphs and reports to show us the results of the ads and are tracking which ads perform the best. There are between 6–8 ads running each month and their team handles all the photos and messaging. Their team always plans a month or two in advance so we have time to approve and move forward.

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with Chris (President) and Molly (Vice President) as well as 2–3 individuals working on the creative aspects

How did you come to work with Barbauld Agency?

One of my kids heard about them through word of mouth. We met with them and liked their personality and passion. Our team could tell they were excited to take on a hospitality partner. What’s more, we liked that they were located close to us, are a small business themselves, and only take on one partner from each industry. So, there wasn’t going to be a competition with another hospitality facility and us; and that meant a lot to us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’re on a retainer and invest about $1,500 directly to them and anywhere between $1,000–$2,000 in advertising every month.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in July 2018.

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

With the help of Barbauld Agency and circumstance of COVID-19, we are receiving a lot of calls. We’ve gone from 30% occupancy to 90%. They’ve become an extension of us. Their team has taken responsibility as well as has a high level of care and respect for our business. We appreciate them greatly and have been very happy.

Molly is very good, she’s the heartbeat of the company. I’m impressed with her knowledge and implementation as well as the way she explains what they’re doing. The individuals working on the creative side and putting the ads together are great also. They come up with really fun and interesting catchphrases.

We’ve been a very unique and challenging partner for them. Everything is going well. They’ve got a great team and are full of good ideas. We might butt heads on occasion, but we discuss and work it out. We’re teaching them about our business, and they’re bringing us to the next level. They’re targeting age groups and areas I want to focus on. We can see clear results with the phone ringing and reservations increasing. It’s been very good for us.

How did Barbauld Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve been pleased with their project management skills. We hold monthly meetings that are planned out six months in advance. If there’s a situation, I can text Chris and he always gets back to me. If it’s an issue he can resolve, he does, and if not, he brings in someone who can. They’re always accessible when needed. I’ve never had an issue.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Because they’re smaller, we feel close-knit to them and they operate very well as a unit.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything. We reached out to them because all of this was foreign to us, to begin with so we’re just happy we found them. Our teams have a good working relationship, and we’re happy with the results we’ve received.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Follow their direction. They have good ideas and know what they’re doing. Their team is always willing to try something and if it doesn’t work, we switch it up.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former director of finance for an optician group.

What challenge were you trying to address with Barbauld Agency?

We engaged Barbauld Agency for two main reasons: we needed a marketing partner to take over our campaigns, and we also needed to transition into a more digital world.

What was the scope of their involvement?

For the marketing side, Barbauld Agency provided guidance on where to spend our marketing budget, helping with paid and organic advertising. We did TV, radio, newspaper, and direct mail postcards and inserts. 

On the digital side, they gave us insight into Facebook, Google, and other digital marketing platforms. They also brought in some new technology for callback numbers, and they did all the graphic design work after building our website. 

What is the team composition?

We were working with Chris (President), Molly (Vice President), and Sarah (Graphic Artist).

How did you come to work with Barbauld Agency?

We did research on local agencies and interviewed several. After meeting with Chris and Molly, we knew they were the team that could help move us forward.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $5,500 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement took place from October 2017-May 2019.

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

We’re extremely satisfied. The team delivered on what they said they would, and our interactions with them were always positive.

In terms of numbers, we saw double-digit growth in our online exams, and new patient growth was in the 30% range, which is unheard of in our industry. Barbauld Agency met and exceeded our expectations by bringing us new customers and new platforms. 

How did Barbauld Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication was great. They delivered an extremely successful team effort.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Barbauld Agency really got to know our business. They take every client personally, and every client becomes their business. The team was always thinking of ways to improve not only the marketing strategies but also our own service offerings. We were definitely top of mind for them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the beginning, we found ourselves getting pigeonholes with certain images. Once we realized the bigger picture, everything worked out. Barbauld Agency was constantly making improvements and always looking for ways to change internally and externally.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and honest about everything. If you can be clear about your business, they can be clear about how to deliver you the right results.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and president of a cybersecurity consultancy. We run risk assessments and train employees on how to keep their organizations safe. Bush Communications is the public speaking side of the business.

What challenge were you trying to address with Barbauld Agency?

We hired Barbauld Agency to promote our services and explain their necessity to potential customers who might be in denial about their vulnerability.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Barbauld Agency developed a marketing and advertising strategy for my business. Instead of SEO, I try to get my clients through email blasts; I don’t want to attract the wrong eyes and leave myself vulnerable. Chris (President and Idea Man) works with me on the content and puts together PowerPoint presentations. The team has also designed our logos, print collateral, and even a microphone for further branding.

What is the team composition?

Chris is my primary point of contact, but I’ve worked with a lot of their team members. Sarah (Former Intern) is a fantastic graphic artist. Another person put together an interview that we use on the website for marketing purposes and went through my published Amazon book for me.

How did you come to work with Barbauld Agency?

Years ago, I attended an auction where Chris offered a free logo as a biddable item. I bid on that and met him that way.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together 5–6 years ago, and the partnership is ongoing.

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

I’m very satisfied with the campaigns that Barbauld Agency has assisted with. Chris understands people and knows his business. I use that branded microphone for podcasts and radio interviews as an extra level of branding outreach.

How did Barbauld Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

The entire team is extremely supportive. They understand what I do and can communicate it well. Barbauld Agency has one of the most available owners of a business that I’ve ever met. We always try to catch up once every week or two with phone calls. When I come to visit the area, I often visit Chris. He’s been a friend in need and deed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I appreciate Chris’s understanding of people, his talent for communicating, and his ability to appreciate everyone where they’re at. He’s open and welcoming rather than judgmental. He goes above and beyond in his delivery and is a great businessman for it.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I really can’t. I look forward to the relationship continuing. I sense he’ll continue to do an excellent job and help my business grow.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m in the sales for an asphalt and paving company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Barbauld Agency?

In the past, we hired an individual to create our site and make updates for us. It was a horrific process since he didn’t follow through and he wouldn’t make the simple changes to the site we asked for. It required too much babysitting on my part and we needed someone more professional.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They maintain and update our existing site. First, we met and talked about what we wanted. They did a 13-page website update, and now they do website performance reviews. They also have done two postcard designs. They also did a Google review card system for us, and we’ve just started with PPC.

What is the team composition?

We work with Chris (President) and Molly (Vice President).

How did you come to work with Barbauld Agency?

They were referred to me by someone in our chamber of commerce.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We met with them in January 2019, and we were live in March 2019.  Our work is still ongoing.

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

Their turnaround time is quick and we’ve seen more web inquiries too. We’re just starting to track where our inquiries are coming from. Our conversions are also up slightly.

In terms of the site, it’s easy to navigate, the information is clear, and there’s not too much unnecessary verbiage.

How did Barbauld Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re fantastic. I wish we dealt with them for everything. It’s a quick turnaround and I never have worry if they’re working or not.

When we first started, we met in person, which was great so they could get a feel for our culture. Now, things are conducted via email and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Once something’s been approved, they continue to check in. They’re very clear and concise. They do what they say they will.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’re incredibly happy.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to stay organized if you want a quick turnaround. Putting things in bullet points makes the process smoother for us.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a full-service interior design company, so we handle everything from kitchens and floor plans to furniture selection. I am one of the designers and a co-owner of the company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Barbauld Agency?

Before working with them, we had no form of internet presence or marketing whatsoever.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our partnership started with the design and development of our company website but went on to include an incredible variety of digital support tasks for us. Over the 4–5 years I’ve worked with him, Chris (Owner) has become both a friend and a confidant for any questions we have relating to marketing, SEO, and even hiring.

At one point, we found out that our SEO company wasn’t doing a great job with our site, and Chris took that over and helped us get everything fixed and back on track toward ranking for keywords. He also helped me hire local people for different tasks when we changed locations.

What was the team composition?

We work with everybody on their team. Molly (Vice President) has helped us with Instagram and Facebook, and Sarah (Graphic Artist) does a lot of stuff for our blog and was actually the one who built our website originally. Chris is someone that I lean on for just about any business or website related question that I might have.

How did you come to work with Barbauld Agency?

I was actually referred to them by a company that I used to work with. I noticed how good their website was and asked them about it, and they pointed me to Chris.

How much have you invested with them?

The total cost has been around $15,000–$20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together started in 2015 and continues to this day.

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

I can’t stress enough how much I truly lean on Chris for all of my marketing decisions. We’ve become friends because of how frequently we talk about everything, and I trust him for so many things related to my business. It’s incredibly hard to find people you can trust to that extent, so I really appreciate the relationship we’ve developed over time.

How did Barbauld Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a great handle on project management. Their style is very direct, organized, and focused on making the work easy for their clients to manage. Since we moved to South Carolina, they’ve adapted their system to us so that we can continue to communicate through email, phone calls, and virtual meetings, and we’ve been able to get everything done that way.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The whole team is just really incredible. Chris and Molly are obviously the face of the company, but they have an entire operation of people who are phenomenal to work with as well. It is incredible to know that I can pick up the phone any day of the week and they’ll take care of whatever I need.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think we could have done stuff better on our side of the engagement because we didn’t know almost anything about technology. I’m sure there are ways everyone can improve, but I definitely don’t see any specific things they should be doing differently.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Just do it. If you have any marketing needs as a business owner, this is the company to work with. If they don’t know the answer, they tell you, so you will never find yourself in a circumstance where they take on a project that they aren’t capable of delivering for you.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m in charge of recruiting and marketing at power only transportation system established in 1981.

What challenge were you trying to address with Barbauld Agency?

We needed more of an online presence to attract owner-operators to our business. Finding individuals who own their own trucks is a complicated process because there’s not that many of them.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They redesigned our website. We came to them with ideas and hey came up with a totally new design and managed Facebook, Google, and Bing PPC ads. They also created a commercial on SiriusXM Radio.

What is the team composition?

We work with Chris (President), Molly (Vice President), and Sarah (Graphic Artist).

How did you come to work with Barbauld Agency?

They had done our website before I even came on board. I reached out when I realized we didn’t have marketing on the recruiting side.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in August 2018 and we’re still working together.

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

We increased our hiring from October 2018 to January 2020 by at least 30%. The difference is day and night. The website is smoother than ever before.

How did Barbauld Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re only 15-20 mins from our office, so before COVID-19, we would have in-person meetings to go over our ads. They’re very easy to talk to.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really listen to what we have to say to take us in the best possible direction.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, everything we’ve done together has had no issues.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to trust them. They have a way of making your ideas a reality. Explain what you want to do and how you want to do it, they’re capable of making that happen.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Direct Mail ADvantage, a local cooperative mail advertising business. We’re an advertising booklet that has ads from local businesses with offers and coupons. I started it as a franchise and four years later I went independent when the franchise went out of business.

What challenge were you trying to address with Barbauld Agency?

When I went independent, I needed a new name, book, design, etc. I didn’t know Chris (President, Barbauld Agency) at the time, so I found a new supplier with a graphic artist that offered to do everything for free if I printed the book with him. After talking with Chris, I realized I needed a fresher, updated look.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Before they changed my whole brand, they redesigned a table display I used for a local trade show each year. It was a big improvement over me pasting coupons on a poster board. Then, we moved into advice to marketing the business. This advice came in the form of different industries and business segments I could approach to work with me.

In 2016, for the rebrand, we changed the logo and the look completely. In 2018, I changed my packaging from an envelope to a booklet and they designed the cover for that.

What is the team composition?

I mostly strategize with Chris, and then Sarah (Graphic Artist) does the designs. They have a team behind them as well.

How did you come to work with Barbauld Agency?

One of my clients used Chris for their marketing. I was worried that he would recommend that they stop using my services but he saw the value of direct mail and solidified my relationship with my client.

How much have you invested with them?

I’ve spent around $10,000 with them over the years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since August 2014.

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

They’ve been instrumental for the past five or six years in doing design and marketing pieces for my company. When we redesigned the envelope — before we went to the booklet — I got a lot of good feedback on that. The designer was cleaner and more attractive than the previous one. They’ve also helped my messaging and information be clearer on my materials for clients too.

One of the business areas Chris advised me to work with was the local fireworks companies. After investing about $1,000 with me, one company saw about $25,000 come back to them. It was just ridiculous. That company has become a repeat customer for me for the past five years.

How did Barbauld Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

We speak over the phone or email or in-person over lunch.

What did you find most impressive about them?

He really cares about results for his clients, not just what something looks like. He’s willing to think outside of the box and come up with really original ideas rather than just doing the same thing over and over again. He’s a very smart, creative person with a lot of good ideas.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind off the top of my head.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Listen to Chris and let him steer the ship. Trust his ideas and instincts. Sometimes clients want to micromanage, but he’s the marketing guy. He does an incredible amount of research to keep up with the field.