Brafton

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Campaigns Manager of an ed-tech company based in Barcelona. We create data driven content pieces for PR and SEO purposes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Brafton?

Our design team were working hard with Product to get a rebrand over the line in a short timeframe. We desperately needed help with creating visual assets for our data led campaigns and we turned to Brafton for help with it.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Brafton were a natural choice. First thing that struck me was that they, like us, were data driven in their content style. Secondly, their visual assets were stunning. Alongside the content, their communication was spot on.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The project involved: - In house research (completed on our end and converted into a table)] - Design of a map of the world with all the countries included - Manually inserting the results we collected to the correct country - Having the file prepared for translation into other languages

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked with 4. - Stacey -Natalie -Josh -Tim

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The outcome of this project is huge. We can conservatively estimate we brought in around $60'000 of links including syndication and coverage from top British newspapers. After going viral in Spain, we also then secured 20 placements last month in France, a notoriously hard market. The campaign has been such a success I've seen randoms on my Twitter and Linkedin sharing the map. It's sparked up plenty of conversation.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Superb. Natalie and Josh are superstars, and while we have often given tight deadlines and last minute briefs, they have always delivered before or on time.

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

With all big projects you encounter roadblocks and troubles, of course, we encountered a couple - but with the support from Natalie and Josh we (they) smashed right through the barricades. Brafton has been super helpful when we faced a couple of issues with content, and we sorted it out in no time. Also, the quality of the design is brilliant. Results speak for itself, and this is one of the most successful campaigns I've ever seen!

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Spot on guys! Keep it up

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a partner and VP at Phone Ninjas. We help improve the phone processes of various customers and companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brafton?

We needed to achieve more reach and site traffic, so we turned to Brafton. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, Brafton audited our website and our LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google My Business accounts. They then took over the creation of creative assets for our PPC ad campaigns. The team is currently driving content that we actively help improve.

What is the team composition?

There’s a team of six that consists of the account manager, a coordinator, and different specialists for Google, social media, content, PPC, and web design. The account manager and coordinator are my go-to people and they tap the necessary resource based on what we’re working on. 

How did you come to work with Brafton?

I found and interviewed five agencies over the course of a month. We saw that Brafton was working with one of the largest automotive vendors on the planet and considered it a big plus in their favor since they would already be familiar with our industry. We also liked their logical approach and how they had different specialists, as opposed to having only a few people juggling everything, so we brought them in.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $45,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2021 and the project is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google allow us to see how many people have looked at and clicked through our posts. Based on the data we’ve received, we’ve gotten a 50%–200% increase in the number of people who’ve filled out a form from the content. We’ve received more impressions and requests for information. It’s also evident that our audiences have stayed on our articles for a longer period of time. 

How did Brafton perform from a project management standpoint?

Brafton is very methodical; their processes and timelines for the project are really easy to understand. Everything is done logically and efficiently. We communicate via phone, email, and webinars. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

What stands out about Brafton is the efficiency with which they communicate. They never miss deadlines and always keep us in the loop when it comes to updates. I love that we’re able to know where we’re at with the project. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there isn’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Provide your input but follow Brafton’s process. You might think that you know better, but their specialists are still more technically capable. Have faith in their skills and policies because you can definitely trust their team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a community bank that services in three states and 11 locations. In addition to our commercial and retail banking services, we offer financial planning services, including insurance and healthcare equipment financing.

I’m a digital marketing manager with responsibility for communications, content, and user experience related to our website and other digital platforms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brafton?

We wanted to provide educational content for our customers and prospects, hoping to attract more engagement in our digital channels. We initially hired Brafton to provide blogs and other related assets which we could use for content marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve been working with Brafton for content marketing for around seven years. They worked solely on our content for the first two years. Then, we had a situation where we needed to change our website management agency. Brafton was able to take over and manage our website, using the existing WordPress content management solution.

Their technical team makes sure it remains up-to-date, and they're able to address any technical enhancements that we want to make to optimize our site.

After the website move, we expanded our relationship with Brafton to include HubSpot email marketing and consulting, as well as SEO development, while they continued with the site maintenance.

In 2019, they helped us redesign our website, and we launched it in 2020. Our relationship has grown over the years from a single service to a more overall digital engagement.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact from Brafton is Christina (Director of Customer Experience). We’ve also worked with Hannah (Director of Sales and Account Management), a project manager, a web person, and a content production manager.

How did you come to work with Brafton?

I don't actually remember how I learned about Brafton. I had been going to conferences and other events like that, so I assume I got on somebody's mailing list and, maybe, that's where I heard about them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $375,000 since we started working together.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2015, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our company doesn’t currently have the technical expertise in-house for website development or SEO, and we don't have the time to do a lot of content creation ourselves. For us, being able to rely on the expertise of a partner like Brafton is invaluable — they’ve become an extension of our team.

How did Brafton perform from a project management standpoint?

We meet with Brafton weekly and talk through all of the projects that we have on the table. I can ask them any questions and request them to make any changes to our website. If I have an SEO-related question, they do the research and get back to me with a recommendation — we really value that part.

Recently, Brafton launched their own private portal. Customers like myself can log in and look at the different projects that are in progress. I can download any previous work content items, whether it is a blog, an illustration, or an analytics report.

When they have something for me to approve, I get an alert by email saying that I need to log in and approve the requested change. It has been a very nice tool.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We like having Brafton's perspective outside of the financial industry. We work with a lot of financial-related vendors, so it’s nice when Brafton comes to the table with fresh ideas from their experience with clients in a variety of industries.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Early on in our engagement, there was a handful of account relationship turnovers, so it was hard to establish the solid relationship that we have now. After moving the website, to them and broadening our base of services, the team ended up being pretty solid, and I feel like they better understand our needs.

One area that I'm a bit concerned about is that the technical support for our website is limited to standard business hours. I know our IT team would sleep better if Brafton could provide 24/7 support in the event of an outage or issue that could develop overnight or during a weekend. However, they have been prompt and very helpful when we have brought issues to their attention. The limited support has not been a strong enough reason to leave their service since they are doing a great job.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Develop a close relationship with your primary account representative, and make sure they really understand what your business is and what your goals are — that’s the biggest key to being successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing leader of the life sciences segment for a biotechnology company. We focus on multiple areas, including life sciences, fuel, applied genomics, and diagnosis. We also have services and informatics groups.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brafton?

A couple of years ago, we did a perpetual demand generation program where we needed to develop content for strategic engagement. We needed key opinion leadership, expert points of view, and topics at the level of solutions. We also wanted to take a lot of our instrumentation as solutions to our customers and develop content that addressed their pain points to help them navigate through a virtual funnel.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

First, another company helped us do some insight work collecting a lot of internal and external opinions from subject matter experts. We were able to coordinate the topics for discussion and content development.

Brafton helped us identify writers in their network, and they’ve been helping us develop that content. We’ve published the content on our site, as well as in third-party publications.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with Tricia (Director of Customer Experience) and Chris (Project Manager), as well as with Shannon (Former Senior Project Manager). Chris and Shannon have moved to different projects, so we started working with other quite good people. Megan (Former Social Media Strategist) and Chris (Creative Director) have helped us manage all of our programmings, and they’ve done a really good job.

How did you come to work with Brafton?

We heard about Brafton through another company, and this company helped us get organized with them. However, I wasn’t part of the selection process, so I’m not sure how we decided that they were the best fit for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in early 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve used the content that Brafton creates for third-party promotions, and we’ve generated many marketing-qualified leads from there. Around 20% of our leads are generated from all the work that they’ve done. They’ve met our goals and done a great job.

How did Brafton perform from a project management standpoint?

Project management is Brafton’s strength — they’re really good at that. We’re very clear about what our internal and external deadlines are, and they do their due diligence to make sure that those deadlines are met.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Brafton’s professionalism and flexibility are impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t know anything they can improve on. We’re constantly upping the ante for them, and they’ve done great.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your expectations and provide them with examples of writing styles that you want to see. Don’t make the assumption that they’re going to provide you with content specifically made for you from the start. They’re not mind-readers, so you have to walk them through the process. It takes them a bit to find writers that fit your style, but once they do, the project runs pretty seamlessly.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a boutique cost optimisation consultancy

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Brafton, and what were your goals?

The company was expanding and neeed a more professional image, website and supporting marketing material. We wanted our message to be clear and to have a strong process to support our marketing.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found four marketing agencies/individuals and had each pitch to us based on a set of pre-defined requirements. We selected Brafton as they had the strongest portfolio of past work in our space, had an up to date image and approach and ranked close to the top with their own website on Google. They were big enough to have a strong and varied team, whilst not charging the high prices of the biggest agencies.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

We agreed a detailed scope of work which covered creating a new logo/graphical imagery, redesign of the website, creating an eBook, a case study and a number of articles/content pieces. Each deliverable was assigned a number of units, which gave us flexibility to modify the brief part way through by switching units from one deliverable to a new one that became a higher priority.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with five different people on the team, with a project manager assigned who ensured that work was pulled together and kept on track. Our account manager was excellent and helped by providing advice and positioning (which was outside the original brief) to ensure our messaging was on-point. We also worked with a designer and a copywriter and the head of the design team at times.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The project was 100% successful. We were very pleased with the deliverables and we now have an image that we are confident in and that projects our message. The new website is great and gets good feedback and we have a strong marketing process in place.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

As soon as we signed up, we received a login to the project management portal, which clearly showed us the content, progress and contained all versions of the deliverables along with a clear approval/revision process. We also had regular video calls to work through the brief, stay updated on progress and provide feedback. There were some aspects of the design that we didn't like early on and they were happy to provide new ideas and revisions until we were delighted with the result.

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

The support and contribution we received from the team were outstanding - above and beyond the requirement.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No problems, it was a great experience working with Brafton.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the content and design manager of a technology and strategic consultations provider for parcel and LTL shippers. We work with some of the world's largest brands to help them manage their shipping spend from audit and pay, network optimization, opportunity modeling and more.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Brafton?

Content marketing is a critical component of our demand generation and growth strategy; however, Google loves consistency, and churning out quality and timely articles, infographics, case studies, white papers, videos, and more is no small feat. I started looking for the right partner to not only help me execute these important content pieces, but also a partner that understood the transportation industry (my readers) in a way that helped showcase my company's industry expertise.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

After speaking with roughly ten content marketing specialists across the U.S., I felt the most comfortable and confident with Brafton. Overall, they offered the exact content services I was looking for, I was able to speak with their team to understand their level of experience in my industry, and they were very realistic in laying out what they could and could not provide as a partner. They were also very clear about pricing, which was extremely fair compared to the other content providers I was exploring.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

During the initial exploration of what a Brafton partnership could look like, we had already settled on what types of content Brafton would assist me with, as well as what those subjects would be. We had a brief kick-off call to setup milestones and assess content/team needs, and then we established a weekly call where we could touchbase on where content was in the pipeline or any lingering questions.

Agencies like Brafton are true partnerships – you have to give as good as you get – so I've tried my hardest to collect as much info as possible upfront, as well as to provide clear instructions and outlines for content where possible.

I get excited about this partnership with each new draft, as Brafton has always brought me outstanding work. It's clear they do their own homework, and the team has been very clear about expectations, questions, or content/project improvement opportunities.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

For this project, I work with a variety of Brafton's team members, including a helpful account manager and project manager (who are both clear about needs and often provide SEO suggestions/best practices), a stellar content writer that never misses the mark, and an equally stellar graphic designer that helps create visual documents that relate and match my company's brand image.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

In addition to helping increase our content output by more than 50%, Brafton's quality writing and practices have helped me create more consistent content pieces.

In addition, it's clear Brafton has thought through these pieces from an SEO perspective, as they suggest the best keyword placement for content titles, a crosslink strategy for the main site when pieces are published, as well as strong research on their own end for the writing component. As someone that's worked as a content and digital marketing strategist in a marketing agency before, I know these are no small tasks.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Again, Brafton is very clear about needs and milestones. We have never been delayed or missed a deadline, even when I asked to add a project addendum and increase the content deliverables. Brafton is clear about when I will receive drafts, as well as when they require feedback to ensure any requested revisions are completed in a timely manner.

To date, I haven't had to request any content revisions, and I think that's largely due to the Brafton team's clear communication and execution. They obviously care about delivering quality components.

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

Overall, I'm impressed with the quality of their writing. I do my best to provide helpful insights, as well as clear instructions as far as what I would like to see in the articles/case studies/white papers, and Brafton listens to that feedback and delivers tenfold. I'm always impressed by their drafts, which are almost always the final documents.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

No. This project is my company's first endeavor with Brafton, and because of that we've kept the project relatively focused on key content needs. That strategic focus combined with Brafton's best-in-class execution has lead to a very successful first project, and this is a partnership that I am returning to for continued content execution.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Senior Manager at JTB Corp. Global headquarter in Tokyo, Japan. Our company offers a wide variety of products, services, and solutions ranging from business travel, MICE, and employee benefits to publishing, merchandising, and digital solutions. Our company has about 20,000 employees in 30 countries, and we serve individual clients and B2B partners around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Brafton?

We have been working with BRAFTON to build content creation strategies to create the international identity for our Global Inbound and Outbound businesses. We rely on BRAFTON to be creative in content development.

What were your goals for this project?

We aim to increase and strengthen the awareness of our business segments. We were seeking to create a variety of content for our Global inbound & outbound business segments. We were seeking a partner who understands the needs of our global clients and connects the dots to help us create exciting content.

SOLUTION

How did you select Brafton?

Our team searched the number of companies in Japan and abroad. We started with a list of 7 companies based in Japan and the United States and narrowed it down to 2 after receiving their initial pitches. Being stationed in Japan and not knowing about this company, honestly, it was not an easy decision to select an unknown partner in the U.S for our project. Still, after having an e-meeting with BRAFTON, we felt a vital sign of willingness to work alongside our team made it easy for us to work with them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

After selecting BRAFTON as our business partner, we had a series of e-meetings explaining our businesses, goals, and JTB's company brand. Both sides were eager to know more about their ins and out of our work and our companies. After sharing the initial thoughts of our plan, they worked with us on creating the content strategies for our global inbound and outbound businesses. The understanding and teamwork brought us to this point, and today, we have gathered great content for our B2B clients.

What was the team composition?

We have worked closely with several team members in 4 different States, and I believe there were more than six members involved in our project and the size of their team remains the same till today.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Since the beginning of our partnership with BRAFTON we have experienced valuable content for our businesses. We have experienced tremendous traffic to our websites, social media sites.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Everyone assigned to our project is straightforward to communicate with, and we always exchange ideas regularly. We connected via e-meetings at least once a month. They met timelines swiftly. And they shared the final material via their internal portal system, a convenient and time-saving tool.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have an excellent knowledge of our industry and our market and we appreciate their cooperation and patience. I like their efforts to be flexible with us and loved the solutions offered during difficult times. We have worked with other companies in the United States, but this was an exemplary collaboration. Because of their tremendous help and support, we recently have extended our content creation contract with BRAFTON.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Of course, things can always be done differently, but we are satisfied with their understanding and exceptional support to our people under the circumstances. We prefer quality over speed, and I am proud to say that we have supported us and help to present great content to our business partners.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Quite simply, we are “all in” on client success. Allitix was founded in 2017 to focus on providing the best experience for all stakeholders: management teams, project teams, and employees.

Our focus is delivering high-value industry solutions through connected planning & analytics. The team has an average of 15 years of consultative experience and over 60 successful projects.

We bring data, people and plans together. I am the Marketing Manager at Allitix. I handle all things marketing: the website, social media, events, sales collateral, sales messaging, etc.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Brafton?

My company hired Brafton to create the content we needed to elevate our consulting to the next level. We have so many brilliant people and ideas, but we don't always have the time to push those ideas out to prospects and clients.

Writing for internal business process and analytics can be tricky and it takes time and skill. With Brafton, I can utilize my brilliant consultants and their expertise to bring ideas to Brafton, and they will create content around their ideas.

They have the technical writing skill to write about difficult topics but make it interesting to read. Brafton has the marketing skill to make content that can be hard to portray very readable and interesting for clients and prospects.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals were to have content for our website and campaigns that were well written and got out message across. This would bring our campaigns to the next level, spread brand awareness and encourage new business.

SOLUTION

How did you select Brafton?

We selected Brafton after speaking with them and trusting them with the process. We are a smaller organization so we wanted to be sure we were spending our money with a company that understood our goals.

I can't remember now who else we considered or how many other vendors there were. During the decision making process I was involved, our Solution and Innovation Director was involved, and the CEO was involved.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The scope has remained mostly context creation and SEO work. Brafton has done a lot of creative work and some tracking and reporting. I have been involved in the process by providing materials, providing the guidelines of what we wanted, giving feedback, passing on new projects, etc.

Brafton has been responsible for taking our ideas and information, and creating blogs, videos, articles etc.

What was the team composition?

The people on the team have changed but normally there are 3 people working with us! There will be more working with us on our most recent project because we are doing an informational video and that is a new team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Our SEO has boosted tremendously, our campaigns are more significant, our messaging is more impactful, we would have a much harder time marketing our services without Brafton.

Our software parter, Anaplan, has appreciated our content and it is always good to differentiate ourselves as a partner. The work Brafton does has continued to exceed our expectations and we will continue to use them moving forward as we continue to grow!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Normally, it is just me from the Allitix team. There may be the lead consultant on the call or someone that is helping with a current campaign on the calls. Brafton has been great about scheduling and keeping our projects on track.

Feedback has never been an issue, they just listen and adjust. We have never had a problem communicating.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They can take a base idea or topic and elevate it to the next level. Consulting in data analytics and planning processes can be hard to express to people that aren't in the industry. Brafton takes our outlines or slides, breaks them down and delivers exactly what we are looking for.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the communications manager of a marketing technology consultancy.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Brafton?

The business shifted focus in 2019, so our marketing efforts needed to change. Brafton was brought on board to fulfill our need for top-of-the-funnel content on our website.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

As we changed our brand messaging, we outlined how we wanted them to get our ideas across and provided some guidelines.

Brafton does keyword research and writes regular blog posts to help us become more visible. For the most part, they focus on marketing technology topics. For example, they’ve written blogs about “Modern Market for Traditional Financial Services” and “Marketing Automation is Transforming How We Reach People.”

What is the team composition?

We’re regularly in contact with four people, including one writer, a chief editor, a project manager, and a content strategist.

How did you come to work with Brafton?

Brafton was brought on board before I was hired.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $80,000 annually (approximately $160,000 in total), but we expect that to increase as we expand our engagement.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in September 2019 and the project is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Brafton has surpassed my expectations. They’ve done an incredible job at taking the information I gave them and owning the new brand messaging and voice. They’ve been able to emulate our style, while successfully putting their own spin on it.

Whenever we receive a new piece, I can’t wait to read the content that they write. I never have to change more than a word here or there. The research they do is on-point.

They develop content that is so valuable for our business. Not only can we post their articles to increase traffic, but we can also use their content for social media and sales enablement tools. As a result, they’re helping us establish our position in the market.

Now we’re looking to increase our investment in them because they’ve blown it out of the water. Our CEO thinks their work is amazing.

How did Brafton perform from a project management standpoint?

I look forward to every meeting with them. We communicate with them via email, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Hangouts.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They listen to our needs and work hard to create content that aligns with our brand messaging. When we shifted our brand messaging, they took the information I provided and adjusted as needed. They’re really good at what they do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I think the world of them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Gather all the information and guidelines that you want to share with them and be honest about whether or not you’re happy with their work. Do that, and you’ll be successful.