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    Denver, CO
    719.287.8945

Social Media Marketing for CPG & Restaurant Brands

4.9
4 reviews

Blue Bear Creative is a Denver-based social media agency focused on increasing revenue for food and beverage brands looking to sell to millennials.

 
$10,000+
 
$150 - $199 / hr
 
10 - 49
 Founded
2014
Show all +
Denver, CO
headquarters
  • 1221 Auraria Pkwy
    Denver, CO 80204
    United States
    719.287.8945

Reviews

4.9
4 reviews
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Social Media Management For Resturant Chain

“Their ability to collaborate is incredible. They come in often and are willing to get their hands dirty.”

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4.5

Quality: 
4.5
Schedule: 
4.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
4.5
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Apr. 2017 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Blue Bear Creative manages paid social media and creates online content to engage patrons. Their strategies help organic reach and increase interaction with followers.

The Reviewer
 
10,001+ Employees
 
Broomfield, Colorado
Hayley Hinz
Social Media Specialist, Noodles & Company
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Comments and likes have doubled on Instagram and Facebook. Blue Bear acts an extension of the internal team, and are currently strengthening their project management abilities.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the social media specialist at Noodles & Company, a fast, casual restaurant brand with expertise in global flavors.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blue Bear Creative?

We chose to back away from social media as just another channel to advertise. We wanted a more engaging way to communicate with guests outside of our restaurants.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They co-create content for our social media channels, predominantly Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We build monthly content that resonates with people in a funny, relatable way to improve reactions, likes, and shares. They also help manage our paid social media and determine strategies to meet our targets for any given asset. They help us choose content and copy to increase awareness—and drive sales and online interaction.

How did you come to work with Blue Bear Creative?

A team member worked with them at a different brand in our verticals and recommended them for the project. We looked at their channels and saw potential.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $150,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

They took over our social media strategy in April 2017, and our relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our primary KPI [Key Performance Indicator] is engagement with our followers. We see growth in our organic reach, which has more than doubled on Facebook and Instagram. We’ve gone from an average of 10 comments to 31 comments per post on Instagram, and from 190 likes to 308 likes per average Facebook post. Since we’ve put paper support behind these areas, we’ve seen them flourish.

How did Blue Bear Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

This is an area of opportunity for them. They are an amazing collaborator—and a great creative partner—but project management is something they’re growing into. They’re extremely responsive and are happy to help wherever they can. Sometimes, we have to encourage them to be timely, but this hasn’t been a huge detriment.

We handle about 99% of our customer service in-house. We occasionally call on them to boost our personal bandwidth, but that’s rare.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to collaborate is incredible. They're an extension of our team and don’t feel like a distant, far away agency. They come in often and are willing to get their hands dirty with us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The project management piece is something I know they’re working on.

4.5
Overall Score
  • 4.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 4.5 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 4.5 NPS
    Willing to refer

Web Dev & Social Media Marketing for Food Manufacturer

“They put a lot of pride and thought into everything they produce.”

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
4.5
The Project
 
$10,000 to $49,999
 
Late 2014 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Blue Bear overhauled brand messaging via a website redesign and shifting the focus to a younger demographic. Now, beyond website support, they lead social media efforts and supplement marketing campaigns.

The Reviewer
 
1-10 Employees
 
Austin, Texas
Mark Pettyjohn
Founder & CEO, Chinook Seedery
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

A singular expertise in targeting and reaching a millennial audience and the re-imagined site contribute to consistent double-digit increases in sales month over month. They turn both inquiries and deliverables around quickly, and always communicate clearly what they’re working on and when.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and Founder of Chinook Seedery, a food manufacturing company and purveyor of all-natural premium sunflower seeds.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blue Bear Creative?

As a startup brand, our biggest challenge is that no one’s heard of us before. We needed to build brand awareness by getting the message out about what we do, what we stand for, and why we are unique to as many people as possible.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They completely rebuilt the web site and transferred everything over to Shopify as e-commerce is an underutilized tool for us. Working with our existing logo and packaging, they developed a site that is visually appealing, functionally strong, and encapsulates the feel of a clean, “better-for-you” product.

They also worked extensively to refine our social media presence and messaging, and outline the differentiation of our products. They helped define our brand voice and explored how we could provide value to different types of consumers. Through these discussions, we identified the millennial consumer as one of our primary marketing targets, which further honed our messaging and brand image.

Now, they handle our website and social media, and pitch in on projects outside their initial scope, such as integrating apps with Shopify and online contests and promotions.

What is the team dynamic?

We worked most closely with Alex [Founder and CEO, Blue Bear Creative], but also with two others on his team.

How did you come to work with Blue Bear Creative?

We interviewed several companies, but landed on Blue Bear after seeing their innovative past work. They have a deep understanding of millennial consumers, what they’re interested in, what they want to see on social media. They also have a niche focus on CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) companies and food companies specifically, which was very important to us. They know how to market to buyers and stores that may want to put our products on their shelves.

How much have you invested with them?

On average, we spend $3,000–$4,000 per month for social media management and other digital marketing initiatives. Building the website was a higher-cost project—roughly $12,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Blue Bear in late 2014, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the first month after the new site launched, sales increased 35% over the previous month. Since then, we’ve averaged a 10%–15% increase every month. The new site is great at filtering potential consumers through the process of identifying what makes us different and leading them to the checkout page.  

How did Blue Bear Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve always been very responsive. I’ll email them an idea and usually will hear back within the hour. They get projects done quickly and hit deadlines. They are small enough to truly make their clients a priority.

We’ve used Google Drive extensively, as well as Asana for organizing tasks like social media scheduling and other critical, time-sensitive initiatives.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their understanding of visual elements presence in social media is their strongest suit. We always get positive feedback on how visually appealing our Instagram and Facebook ads are. We've got a really cool-looking page with engaging photos and Blue Bear is behind all of that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They don't have some of the benefits of a large marketing agency. For example, they can’t provide the viewpoints of 20 people on a project, which can be valuable. That's just a limitation of company size.

Advice for potential customers?

Make sure you have the right product for them. They are an innovative agency with a focus on millennials, so if you want to reach them, they’re absolutely the company for you. If you're looking to expand in a different demographic, however, another digital marketing agency may be a better fit.

5.0
Overall Score Developed a good relationship and will continue to use them.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    Never missed a deadline.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 4.5 NPS
    Willing to refer

SMM for Burger Chain

"Within the first year, we had over 200% growth on our Instagram channel."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Dec. 2015 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Blue Bear Creative was hired to provide social media management and content creation.

The Reviewer
 
1001-5000 Employees
 
Denver, Colorado
Hailey Stratton
Social Media & Marketing Coordinator, Smashburger
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

The client has seen an impressive uptick in engagement on its social media channels. Their Instagram has grown over 200%, their Snapchat reached 10,000 followers, and one of their hashtag campaigns had 9,000 submissions. They were happy with the agency's ability to make changes if needed.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Smashburger is a fast-casual burger chain with 350 locations. I was the social media coordinator when I worked there.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Blue Bear Creative?

We wanted to target millennials in our social media efforts and we knew that Blue Bear Creative had a specialty in that area.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Blue Bear Creative helped with everything, from brainstorming campaigns to content creation. They were responsible for shooting videos, taking pictures, editing pictures, creative graphics, writing copy, launching campaigns, building websites, etc. They’re a well-rounded social media company that can do a little bit of everything. They helped us with Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat. We had everything outlined in our initial contract that included how many pictures they would provide each month, how many Snapchat stories, and how often they would need to review our copy.

For Snapchat, we would brainstorm together and then they would build it out. After we approve it, they would shoot and then make it live. For the other platforms, they would send me all the copy and creative elements, then and I would post content online. The videos started out with Snapchat, then they moved to 30-second videos that were used on Instagram. We also did some animated and live videos that were 1 minute long; we used those for YouTube. We gave them direction on the videos. Blue Bear would write the storyboard, we would approve it, and then they shot the video. They were great at GIF-style videos.

How did you come to work with Blue Bear Creative?

We connected with them because they were an agency out of Colorado. We talked to a lot of social media companies.

How much have you invested with Blue Bear Creative?

We spent under $60,000 per year on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

The work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Within the first year, we had over 200% growth on our Instagram channel. We launched with them on Snapchat and did a couple of campaigns that helped us get over 10,000 followers. Our hashtag campaign had over 9,000 submissions. It was neat to see the transformation of our photos, copy, and videos and having a more cohesive social media across all channels. I was very happy working with them.

How did Blue Bear Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

I was in charge of project management and they followed the agenda I created. They were good at meeting deadlines without us having to push them. We had a short turnaround time, which Blue Bear was able to meet. If there was something we didn’t like about their work, they were always good at taking feedback and fixing it.

What did you find most impressive about Blue Bear Creative?

If there’s something that’s not in their wheelhouse, they find a way to make it happen. There’s nothing they can’t do from a social media and digital standpoint. They have a great background in PR and can help with fresh, millennial-focused ideas. We had a great experience working with them. I would love to work with them where I’m currently employed.

Are there any areas Friendemic could improve?

No.

5.0
Overall Score They are awesome.
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
    They always executed our goals in a timely manner.
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
    It was excellent.
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
    It was excellent.
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer
    I would definitely do so.

Marketing Strategy and Branding for Restaurant Chain

"Blue Bear Creative have truly been an extra arm of our marketing department."

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5.0

Quality: 
5.0
Schedule: 
5.0
Cost: 
5.0
Willing to refer: 
5.0
The Project
 
$50,000 to $199,999
 
Oct. 2016 - Ongoing
Project summary: 

Blue Bear Creative developed a marketing strategy to consolidate the brand messaging throughout various restaurant franchise locations. 

The Reviewer
 
51-200 Employees
 
Denver, Colorado
Jodi Boyce
VP of Marketing, Teriyaki Madness
 
Verified
The Review
Feedback summary: 

Blue Bear Creative's work has been well received by all franchises, and it has helped to increase their email databases by up to 20% in certain locations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Teriyaki Madness is a franchise. We have about 37 open locations with a fast casual Asian fusion concept stemming from Seattle-style teriyaki. I’m VP of Marketing here.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Blue Bear Creative?

We’re pretty small. Our main strategy, not having a very large budget, is to use digital and social to help build our email and text databases so that we can not only grow awareness but talk directly to the customers.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Basically, I went to them just for overall help on the strategy and consolidating. They were one of the first ones I called to help with overall strategy knowing I don’t have a very large budget to work with and consolidating what’s out there for 37 locations which have been doing this on their own. There is not a very consistent brand message, there is not consistent posting, replying to comments, and we didn’t have a very good corporate Facebook and Instagram presence. One of the main things that they did was help with the structure on the back end and get everything under one corporate umbrella, change some of the settings so that franchisees can still supplement content and they can still post, but they’re not the admin of their sites anymore. They are helping us with the social strategy, content, and overall structure of how we implement our social policies.

We are doing photography with them for content. Blue Bear is also posting content. They’re monitoring the page. They’re also doing a bunch of paid promotions as well. Very specifically, we’re trying to push messages like gluten-free in certain markets where we’ve launched it. We’re also trying to build our email database; they have strategies on how to go about instead of just offering a coupon, getting someone to do a quick entry of their email to capture that to get the coupon.

How did you come to work with Blue Bear Creative?

I just started here a couple of months ago. I’ve worked with Blue Bear at Smashburger as well, so I’ve already known their work a little bit.

How much have you invested with Blue Bear Creative?

We’ve spent $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working since October 2016 and its ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Not only are we getting really positive feedback from the franchisees, which is really important, but a lot of them are just happy that we took it off their plate. Even though some are really active and can still supplement the content and post themselves to make it local, a lot of them are relieved. Then as far as the tests that we’ve done in growing our emails, in Austin we grew our email database by 20% already. That’s going to continue to grow obviously, but so far we’re seeing some really positive quick results, which is great.

How did Blue Bear Creative perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re awesome. They’re easy to get a hold of. They send over the calendar for approval, I give my input, and then they are really quick to respond to anything

What distinguishes Blue Bear Creative from other providers?

They are millennials talking to millennials. That’s their motto, too, but they just get it whereas some other agencies I have worked with are trying to go back and learn it since social and digital is still fairly new in the world of marketing. It’s just nice because they just live it every day. I feel like Alex, the owner, is always learning. He’s always out finding out what the latest things are on the way that Facebook targets or posts or whatever, so he’s always suggesting new things that we can try and test for a really low cost

Is there anything Blue Bear Creative could have improved or done differently?

Not yet. I have no negative comments to say about them. Blue Bear Creative have truly been an extra arm of our marketing department. We’re really small, so I lean on them a lot, and they definitely have gone above and beyond as far as just helping beyond what we’re paying them. They know the situation we’re in.

5.0
Overall Score
  • 5.0 Scheduling
    ON TIME / DEADLINES
  • 5.0 Cost
    Value / within estimates
  • 5.0 Quality
    Service & deliverables
  • 5.0 NPS
    Willing to refer