BKM Marketing Associates, Inc.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I'm a team lead at Lawn Doctor of Dover-Middletown & Sussex County

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Providing annual lawn care programs and services (fertilization, weed control, seeding) to much of Delaware.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire BKM Marketing Associates, Inc. to accomplish?

• Acquire new leads during a busy spring lawn care sign-up season (March & April)

SOLUTION

How did you find BKM Marketing Associates, Inc.?

Corporate Partner

Why did you select BKM Marketing Associates, Inc. over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from BKM Marketing Associates, Inc. were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Developing 2-sided color letter for new leads, with customized pricing based on lawn sizes from our CRM.
• Developing 2-sided color oversized postcard for the same purpose.
• Mailing these print pieces to our list in 4 waves.
• Run IP-targeted banners to the list at the same time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Very strong volume of spring leads and program sales from the direct mail lists, 5x the campaign cost.

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

BKM Marketing has been an excellent partner for our direct mail and IP targeting campaigns for many years. Courtney, Tina, and Sam are a pleasure to work with, and always immediately responsive. They consistently do a great job with our creative and data while providing valuable ideas during campaign planning. The ROI from our marketing with BKM is always exceptional—and it was even stronger this year than last. Highly recommend!

What was your primary form of communication with BKM Marketing Associates, Inc.?

Email or Messaging App

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

We're very impressed by the people we've interacted with; their attention and responsiveness stood out.

Are there any areas for improvement or something BKM Marketing Associates, Inc. could have done differently?

Our experience has been excellent.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior consultant in Capital Performance Group, a management consulting firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BKM Marketing Associates, Inc.?

We were working with a bank, and we wanted to help them design and implement an integrated marketing campaign to grow high-net-worth households.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BKM Marketing Associates, Inc. did marketing services for our client. We pulled in a couple of partners from their team for data analytics, digital media planning and buying, and determining the specific target customer and its worth to the bank. BKM Marketing Associates, Inc. helped us size the project by looking at the geographic region and identifying how many households were in that net worth range to establish a budget for the program.

After that, we collaboratively developed a compelling offer and campaign for the program. Then BKM Marketing Associates, Inc.’s team worked with the digital media agency to create specific targeting strategies and deploy the process with weekly optimizations and final learning and assessment once we completed the campaign.

What is the team composition?

We worked with three members of their team, including Bruce (Owner), a data analytics person, and an account manager.

How did you come to work with BKM Marketing Associates, Inc.?

A business partner referred them to me, and after having a personal experience with them, we decided to give them our project.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent around $150,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January–December 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to their work, we achieved three times the level of household growth that we had in the previous campaign, so we’re delighted with their involvement.

How did BKM Marketing Associates, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was great; they communicated frequently and worked after hours when it was necessary. Also, they delivered before deadlines and on budget. In terms of tools, we used email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their data analytics team in terms of targeting was outstanding compared to our previous work. They also did a great job in the engagement's creative and backend response analysis parts.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could be more regular with their communication throughout the process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Have regular meetings and collaborate with all the parts involved in the process.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Old Sod Travel. We’re destination specialists.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BKM Marketing?

We wanted a marketing presence and to clarify our messaging. We also wanted to do some online advertising.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

BKM Marketing mainly did PPC on Google with some social media marketing. They built our website on HubSpot and helped fine-tune our messaging on our website, social media, and ads.

What is the team composition?

I primarily worked with one teammate, and we also interacted with the owner.

How did you come to work with BKM Marketing?

I already knew their owner.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them three years ago, and we finished working with them about a year and a half ago.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were doing well with Google Ads when we were working with BKM Marketing and we had a lot of sales. Once we stopped working with them, the number of our leads went down.

How did BKM Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

They performed very well. They always delivered on time and kept us on time. They were great at keeping us on track and not losing sight of what we were trying to accomplish.

What did you find most impressive about them?

BKM Marketing was able to point out some misconceptions that I had about my website and marketing. There were some things that I thought were factual in terms of how we promoted ourselves, but the team was able to point out the flaws.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of. We had a great relationship, and we will probably work with them again in the future.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Remember that you’re working with them because you trust them. Let go of your preconceived notions and let them do their work because they know what they’re doing. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m VP director of grants and sponsorships at an investment bank with branches in New York and New Jersey. We have over 150 branches in our footprint, serving the commercial and consumer spaces.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BKM Marketing Associates, Inc.?

They helped us with the communications surrounding the acquisition of a bank in Long Island.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us devise a communication plan aimed at retaining customers from the acquired back. The strategy involved getting them familiar with our bank while making sure we met all regulatory requirements.

To handle this, they created a hub site to serve as a central location for information about the merger as well as a mail campaign. They managed the site and were responsible for all of the content.

What is the team composition?

We worked with about three people directly: an account manager, a data specialist, and a production director. 

How did you come to work with BKM Marketing Associates, Inc.?

They worked with the bank on a previous series of mergers before I started here. We did an RFP and included them because of their past successes with us. Our team ended up selecting them because they were familiar with us and brought a lot of merger communications knowledge to the table. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2019, and the work wrapped up in March 2020.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They did an exceptional job getting communications out and meeting regulatory requirements. We relied on them for insights in managing data and translating information to communications content. They were patient and responsive in that process, rolling with every punch. 

How did BKM Marketing Associates, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They were proactive and insightful, guiding us along the way. There were many moving parts that they kept track of without letting anything fall through the cracks. They were on top of the schedule. We communicated through routine weekly status calls, email, and tracking progress through spreadsheets.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really understood our industry, so they were able to lend good insights. It felt like they had a stake in the outcome. They were true partners and showed a lot of proactivity. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We have a good relationship, and they were always reachable. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Involve them with the rest of the team because they’re very good partners that know how to manage difficult situations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Respondent 1: I’m the marketing communications coordinator for Lawn Doctor Hanson. We have been in business over 30 years and have six locations. We’re a local, family-owned franchise that does lawncare, including fertilizing, weed control, and pest control.

Respondent 2: I’m the general manager, in charge of sales and marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with BKM Marketing Associates, Inc.?

R1: We needed help with our direct marketing campaigns

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

R2: They help us find our targeted audience—single-family homeowners—and estimate the size of their lawns in order to market with accurate pricing. 
This year, they tested different strategies, such as postcards, letters, and content, to determine the best avenue to market to our consumers. They separated data and provided feedback on which letter packages, and timing of mailing, were best.

R1: They advise and help us with the copy, pre-printing, envelopes, stationary, and more. They also help with data. Once the data is organized, they print it. We provide the list of dates for mailing, along with any specific areas we want to target, and then they handle the mail out our collateral. 

What is the team composition?

R2: We interact primarily with Sam (Managing Director), and Tina (Direct Marketing Account Manager), who is the data expert.

How did you come to work with BKM Marketing Associates, Inc.?

R2: Our owner’s son had worked with Sam at a different company.

How much have you invested with them?

R2: We spend up to $250,000 annually (approximately $4.5 million in total).

What is the status of this engagement?

R2: We began working together around January 2002, and it is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

R2: In 2009, they pushed us to make a more compelling offer by giving away a free service. Our sales increased by 40–50% in one year. This year, they took things to a new level with their analytical feedback on the testing they did. Overall, it has been very successful.

How did BKM Marketing Associates, Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

R2: Sam builds a schedule for the project and walks through each step of the process with us. He pushes us to turn things in on time to ensure mail dates are met. They’re flexible, handling the pressure we put on them to make changes, sometimes at the last minute. Between fall and spring when the campaign takes place, we are in constant communication via email and phone. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

R1: Their knowledge about direct marketing in our specific industry makes me think that no other partner could compare.

Are there any areas they could improve?

R2: Not really. We would always like more ways to measure data, whether it’s geographical or demographical, for even more effective campaigns in the future.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

R2: Draw from their experience. Nobody knows your business better than you, but they have solid ideas that can be applied.