Coast Digital

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-owner, co-founder, and CEO of Olive My Pickle. We make fermented products like pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, olives, and pickle juice and sell them online.

What challenge were you trying to address with Coast Digital?

Our challenge was to be as efficient as possible with our online marketing, specifically purchasing ads on Facebook and Google. We were looking for an agency to help us do that and hired Coast Digital.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Coast Digital provides us with digital marketing services. They handle media buying for us on Facebook and Google. First, we had a discovery phone call, and Coast Digital provided an in-depth audit of our digital marketing platform to see how things were performing. They made several recommendations about improving our platforms and gave us a list of services they could offer us.

Currently, we have a monthly engagement with Coast Digital. They focus on the creative media required for online ads and are involved from A to Z. The team creates the content themselves based on their strategy. They write scripts, hire actors for the ads, and oversee their production. Then, they place and manage the ad campaigns. 

What is the team composition?

We have an account manager and a team of 4–5 core teammates from Coast Digital who have their eyes on our project. 

How did you come to work with Coast Digital?

A growth representative from Coast Digital reached out to us through a cold email. I get about 20 daily emails from companies soliciting us, so I don’t read them all. However, Coast Digital’s email was perfectly timed because we had a need for their services at the time. We set up a call, and I was really impressed with how Coast Digital was represented. 

How much have you invested with them?

Coast Digital is on retainer; we pay them $8,000 monthly for their service. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

Our ad performance has significantly improved. Coast Digital has reduced our budget, and the metrics are better than before. Therefore, we’re spending less money for better results. Overall, everything is heading in the right direction and continues to improve. 

Coast Digital gets smarter as they go because they use a data-driven approach. Moreover, they emphasize the creative process as much as the campaign, which is rare because most clients provide the content to their agencies. Since Coast Digital is involved in the creative process, they do a better job of managing the ads and the media they buy. 

How did Coast Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

Everything with project management has been on track. The team provides high-quality thoughtful communication and fast responses through Zoom calls. Whenever I have questions, Coast Digital answers them really quickly with sensitivity and care. 

Last month, I had some questions about when to expect certain deliverables. Coast Digital responded quickly and has now updated their dashboards to improve transparency and clarity around deliverables. 

We use Loom to screen record and share information. With this tool, we can speak directly to teammates and share videos back and forth. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

My favorite thing about Coast Digital is that I no longer have to be the smartest person in the room regarding media buying. Finding experts is hard, and since we hired Coast Digital, I finally feel I’m in good hands. 

Coast Digital has an extremely high-quality team, including the leadership. Everyone on their team is smart, seasoned, and experienced, so they provide a premium service. Although they’re not cheap, we get a high-quality product with excellent communication. Coast Digital has a lot of respect for our business growth and budget; they take really good care of us. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t have any constructive criticism for Coast Digital at this point.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend Coast Digital and advise you to take a phone call, get an audit, and ask questions to challenge the team.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the growth marketing and eCommerce director at Parks Project, a national park outdoor apparel and gear brand.

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

We were looking to diversify the makers of our performance marketing creative with the goal of unlocking an x-factor whilst maintaining our brand voice and the characteristics of our high LTV customer profile.

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

I was referred to Coast Digital and ended up going with them as I saw the potential upside in:

• The team's rather deep understanding of performance creative
• Fair pricing
• Passion

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

I gave them a box of product, filled them in on the brand mission and goals of the creative, and they just ran with it.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

I agreed to review the initial concepts from the one day shoot in the desert and I was honestly very impressed with the direction they went and the energy captured of our brand they were able to capture on their first ever day of shooting with us. From this point on, I entrusted them to bring the initial concepts to life which they did.

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

The video shorts produced were some of our stronger pieces to-date.

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

Alignment. They really did ensure we both understood the target market and how to motivate them.

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

Their creative department is small, but mighty. For that, they have my respect.

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

Not that comes to mind!

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work for a merch company that services artists and bands. I'm the eComm Manager so own everything that has to do with the bands webstore.

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

We hired Coast for merch unboxing videos. Our goal was to showcase merch inside box sets we created.

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

We selected Coast because of previous merch videos they did. Super professional, just what we were looking for.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail, including the project steps and all stages of production.

One of the videos was a stop-motion video that revealed the merch that was inside the box. The other was an animated video showing what was inside. Both of them were insane good. We jumped on a call at the beginning of each explaining the project. Then Coast came back with ideas to get approved. Once approved they created a video and sent it to us for notes. We only had one round of notes and then it was done! The guys were super quick and super easy to work with.

Who did you work with and what was the feedback process like?

Worked with Scott and Chris. When they got feedback they understood and addressed very quickly!

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

These projects were a huge success! The artists loved them and posted them on their official social channels.

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

Communication was super easy with these guys. Mainly through email and text which worked great for us. They gave us a clear timeline of when we'd see the other revisions and were on time for every one.

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

I thought the guys were sooo easy to work with and super creative. They completely came in with their own ideas, both videos were so different even though they were essentially doing the same thing. They just got it!

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

Nope, they were great

Please describe your company and your position there.

I manage our sales and marketing team. We offer a suite of software products in the e-commerce and last mile delivery industry.

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

We wanted to re launch our paid marketing and coast digital played a pivotal role in strategizing campaigns and working closely with our team to ensure we were successfully targeting the right audience.

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

They were referred over to us and after interviewing quite a few marketing firms, Coast Digital’s innovative approach really impressed us, alongside their passion of wanting to collaborate and see success in our campaign launch.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

We were basically starting from scratch with our re launch so Coast Digital was involved with every step of the process, from analyzing target audiences and keywords, advising on content, researching competitors and effectively showcasing what areas were most successful for our company.

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

We worked with a Director of Paid Media and an SEM specialist

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

After launching our campaign, we saw an immediate increase in lead conversions, which were also quality leads. Our CPC decreased month to month as we started to narrow in on what audiences were most relevant. Most importantly, we felt confident we were spending our marketing budget in an efficient way that brought in traffic, while not overspending in areas that weren’t needed.

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

Their team did a great job of providing weekly / monthly reports and giving us organized breakdowns of our spend. The weekly meetings were very informative and I enjoyed the collaborative conversations we would have on what we need to address and their team was very diligent with note taking.

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

What I found most impressive and honestly unique was the level of dedication they provided. Coast Digital was always excited for our success. They learned quickly who our target audiences were and provided valuable feedback MoM as we analyzed the reports.

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

We were very satisfied with our experience with Coast Digital. Helping a software company with multiple product lines launch numerous campaigns and reinvent their marketing strategy is no easy task and their team continued to make our life easier.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Chief Operating Officer at Barstool Sports. Barstool is a media/podcast network that specializes in sports, pop-culture and comedy.

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

Before the Coast Digital team, Barstool's ad spend was simply inefficient and unprofitable and had gone through the hands of multiple employees and agencies. This was driven from the complexity of our business which at surface level appears to be a singular 'Barstool Sports' brand. But when you dig deeper we are 90+ sub-brands. All with a unique voice and audience. Spending and optimizing for the core brand without consideration for the sub-brands was a completely non-viable approach.

The Coast team recognized the issue, saw the opportunity, rolled up their sleeves and took a bespoke approach to managing ad spend for our core brand and sub-brands in a way that fully maximized the pre-built organic audiences we have on social and subsequently convert to purchase merch or events. I am a big time recommender of Coast and would be more than happy to chat with anyone considering them as an agency.

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

Most agencies were unwilling to commit the time and effort required to successfully manage and optimize what effectively is 90+ micro-strategies. The Coast team convinced me they would put in the time and effort, and they have done exactly that for 3 +years.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

Coast started with an audit of our paid marketing accounts. Then they presented a plan to segment and optimize the Facebook and Google Ads Account. Their strategies resulted in an increased ROAS almost immediately. More recently, Coast has started to produce impressive creative for Facebook and TikTok Ads to combat the rising CPMs and harder targeting due to iOS14. Their creative team is quick and impressive.

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

We worked with an account manager, a few growth specialists and their creative director.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

Their Facebook strategy increased Barstool's Facebook ROAS to over 400% in the first 12 months managing the account. Their Google strategy increased Barstool's Google ROAS to over 545% in the first 12 months managing the account.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow has been very good. We have bi-weekly meetings with the Coast team. They also send weekly and monthly reports for all the spend and creative that they manage.

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

Their ability to think outside the box for Barstool has been key. Barstool is a unique eCommerce store and running the paid strategy is time consuming, and always changing. Their dynamic and quick approach has been perfect for us.

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

I wish they offered creative earlier than 2022 but now their creative team is a huge part of our success on social.

This review was published on August 10, 2022.

COO, Old Row, DBA Barstool Sports Inc.

Social Networking

201-500 Employees

Confidential

Confidential

Jan 2020 - Ongoing

Project summary

Coast Digital manages a lifestyle brand's paid social media ads. This includes Facebook, Google, and more.

Feedback summary

Thanks to Coast Digital, the client's ROAS has constantly been getting $300, especially during peak months. The team is always available when needed, and their effectiveness impresses the client.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a social media wrapped DTC company. I am the founder and COO.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Coast Digital?

Facebook, Google, other ad spend

SOLUTION

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

Existing relationship

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

They run all of our paid ads.

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

We have started to use more of their ad creative for video and still images.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

ROAS constantly over 300, ability to scale spending up during peak months successfully.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They are very easy to reach even during evenings and weekends.

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

Ease of use, reachability.

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

Probably more/faster ad assets, which they have made more hires recently to achieve this.

RATINGS

Overall rating: 4.5

Quality: 4

Cost: 4

Schedule:4.5

Willing to refer: 4

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm a freelance growth marketer and work independently.

For what projects/services did your company hire Coast Digital?

One of my clients needed help developing new ad creative for the holiday season.

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

They were recommended to me from a mutual friend. I thought their experience and previous work was strong.

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

We had a few meetings so I could introduce them to the brand and product I needed help with. We worked together to create content briefs that we shared with the client. Once approved, the Coast team got to work with my oversight on strategic direction.

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

We worked with an account manager and the creative director.

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

ROAS nearly doubled year over year and our ad engagement improved to over a 2% CTR when implementing the new ad creative.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. Constant communication via Slack and through meetings, as requested.

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

Quality of their work, commitment to deadlines and ability to iterate.

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

No, I was very impressed overall!

Please describe your company and your position there.

Myself and a few others started a business venture in the CPG segment

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

We needed a digital marketing expert to run paid search in order to increase brand visibility and drive sales through various social channels

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

Coast Digital was personable, reasonably priced, but most importantly, formulated a strategy quickly and efficiently. Time was of the essence and Coast Digital went above and beyond to deliver.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

Initial contact was a phone call with the Founder and a few of his colleagues. This was more of a discovery call for us to share exactly what we were looking for and what we thought would be the best approach. After the initial call Coast Digital provided a scope of work, pricing, and a soft timeline on setting up the paid search campaigns. We had one final call to KickOff the partnership and the team got to work.

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

We primarily dealt with the founder, who was patient and knowledgable.

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We are extremely satisfied by the results of this partnership. This was a quick-witted business venture where time mattered most, and Coast Digital delivered as promised.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Open lines of communication throughout, but we mostly let the CD team run their processes.

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

Coast Digital is a smaller digital media company, but the amount of talent they have spread throughout the small team makes it feel like you are dealing with experts in the field.

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

We didn’t leave the engagement wanting more…it was a great experience all around!

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO/CMO of a growing e-commerce Startup

For what projects/services did your company hire Coast Digital?

They continue to run our Google PPC/Facebook Advertising

How did you select this vendor?

Recommendations from other companies in the space who had great success with them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Designing ads for Google and Facebook, and adjusting bids to hit performance goals.

What was the team composition?

Worked closely with founder and two analysts on the team.

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

We saw ROAS increases of about 150% as well as scaling our spend on Google by 100%

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very easy to work with - bi-weekly meetings and a Slack channel for more immediate updates.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They were agile and responsive, and they almost always fixed problems.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

Not that I can think of

Please describe your company and your position there.

My company offers Recreation Management Software to Parks and Recreation departments, community centers, aquatic centers, etc. I am an account executive, as well as a marketing and data analytics consultant.

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

We needed creative ads as we continue to grow our customer base and paid marketing efforts. Coast Digital was vital to the massive increase in new business and revenue records we set in 2022.

How did you select this vendor?

I was referred to this business by a friend.

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

We were starting from scratch with our marketing efforts, they provided creative and a road map for us to hit our goals.

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

I worked with 3 of the employees at Coast Digital throughout this project.

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

We saw a 40% increase in web traffic, brought in more new business and more revenue than any year before in our company's 18 years in business.

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

The Coast Digital team was incredibly communicative and timely as we worked with them.

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

Their team's attention to detail and the creativity they provided exceeded my company's high expectations.

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

No. Very positive experience working with the Coast Digital team.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Co Founder of a men's grooming company

For what projects/services did your company hire Coast Digital?

UGC/demonstation video

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

We previously worked with members of the Coast team and were excited to work together again.

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

The Coast team did an in depth discovery on our company, products and value proposition and created a dynamic UGC compilation video that can be utilized across multiple platforms.

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

To be honest, not totally sure how many folks other than the two we interfaced with were involved!

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

The video came out great! Looking forward to using it in our advertising and seeing results.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication throughout the project has been ideal.

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

They are down-to-earth, easy to work with, conscientious, and talented at their craft.

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

Not that I can think of!