Disruptive Advertising

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing director of Black Clover. We’re a lifestyle apparel brand that sells both online and in-store.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We’d had a few negative experiences with paid advertising agencies. We spent a lot of money on social media and Google ads and didn’t experience any return on our investment. We needed a strategic partner to manage our paid ads.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

As a newer brand, we didn’t have a clear-cut marketing strategy. We provided the Disruptive Advertising team with what we had, and they refined our campaigns and added some efforts of their own. The team implemented strategies across Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Google, and most recently Bing. They continue to provide support.

What is the team composition?

Cory (VP of Operations, Disruptive Advertising) is our account manager, but I interact with their full team on a weekly basis.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

We noticed that a friend in the industry was doing really well in terms of paid advertising, so we reached out to see who they were working with. They introduced us to Disruptive Advertising and provided a strong recommendation. We had a couple of meetings and shared our goals, and their team was confident they could fulfill our needs. Ultimately, we decided to give them a chance.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $100,000 so far, with about 30% of that covering management fees.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in May 2018, and it’s an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to Disruptive Advertising’s efforts, we consistently generate an ROI three times larger than our initial spend. We’re currently trending above average in all of our campaigns across all channels.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

Looking at management skills specifically, they’re the best team we’ve worked with. I communicate with all of their team members weekly, if not daily. Outside of our scheduled meetings and conference calls, we chat through email and over the phone. So far, they’ve met every deadline. They are transparent, responsive, and always available. Overall, it’s been an easy collaboration.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re realistic, and they deliver on their promises. Additionally, I appreciate their level of customer service. If I ever need something or want to discuss an idea, they’ll make time for me. They make us feel like their only client—not just one of a hundred.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, we’re very happy with them. If they expanded their business model to include more services, we’d give them even more work. We’re currently outsourcing our needs in the areas that they don’t cover to other vendors.

Any advice for potential customers?

Clients should explicitly explain their goals. We laid out our objectives form the start, and they’ve been accomplishing them ever since. They treat every goal as a new challenge. Overall, they’re a valuable partner as long as communication is clear and transparent.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO and founder of Slick Text Innovations, an SMS marketing and mass text messaging service. We provide businesses and organizations in North America with online software suites to communicate with their audience via SMS.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We needed to improve our PPC. We’d worked with a few agencies in the past, but it never produced the results we wanted, so we needed a new partner.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Disruptive Advertising initially worked on our Google Ads account and our Facebook ads, trying to increase their performance. They then took on more responsibility, such as designing ads, videos, and landing pages.

What is the team composition?

We work with a senior account strategist and a marketing consultant.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

Our marketing director found them online. We had a few different options, but we were pleased with Disruptive Advertising, so we hired them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since June 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve completely turned our paid ads around; last month was the best month we’ve ever had. Our cost per conversion is at an all-time low (about half of what we used to pay), and the number of conversions is at an all-time high (triple what we used to get). I’ve recommended them to several colleagues because they’re so good.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

They have a transparent workflow and manage the project extremely well; much better than previous agencies we’ve worked with. We have weekly meetings to review the performance of the campaigns and discuss any new ideas. Several hours before our call, they send an agenda that I can review in case I have any questions or concerns. Throughout the week, they message me to get my feedback and explain any changes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Out of all the marketing teams I’ve worked with, Disruptive Advertising has been the most successful. We have a personal relationship, and they care about our success. I’m not just another customer to them; they care deeply and do high-quality work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask for Derek and Jacob (our main points of contact); they’ll do a great job.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the head of social media for Adobe's Digital Experience Business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Disruptive Advertising?

I hired Disruptive Advertising to help manage, strategize, and execute our paid social campaigns. They focus on driving top-level awareness for our Adobe Experience Cloud. 

What were your goals for this project?

Our main metrics are click-through rate and engagement.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I had a personal relationship with their CEO, so I hired him for social media training. They also audited our paid programs and delivered great feedback. I was specifically impressed with their VP of paid social. He had a uniquely deep, strategic knowledge of each platfom. We started hiring them to help with the management of our significant spend. 

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Disruptive Advertising is an extension of my team. We connect closely with them to help everything run smoothly. They work with my team leads on social media marketing, including audience targeting, content and copy creation, and reporting. 

What was the team composition?

We selected a package that includes their VP of paid social, so he spends time on the account. It's great to access his depth, strategy, and knowledge. Our team lead, who also runs our Twitter advertising, couldn't be any better. Multiple team members run our LinkedIn, and another handles Facebook and creative. Our agreement also includes creative and training resources. The end-to-end team composition is fantastic and solid.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I'm thrilled with the results. Their strategy and organization have placed us in a great place. We've seen powerful results on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and we achieve best-in-class engagement and click-through rates. 

Our success hinges on how smoothly the program runs. Disruptive Advertising keeps us organized and mobile. We couldn't do it without them. Because of their superior resources, they structure campaigns with far more depth and sophistication than we can. 

Our organized, powerful program can scale infinitely while maintaining incredible performance. Disruptive Advertising has taken us to new heights. If you do any performance marketing, stop reading and call them. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It's fantastic! Their communication and work ethic are unmatched. I've worked with many massive marketing agencies, and Disruptive Advertising simply outshines them.

I appreciate their ability to staff up while remaining scrappy, communicative, and focused on results. We have an open relationship and always share results. Small issues or miscommunications occasionally arise, just like in any relationship, but we work through challenges quickly. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I'm impressed by so much! I'm a big fan of their leadership, but am continually impressed by the direct team. This group doesn't just talk the talk; they walk the walk. I couldn't be happier with them and have no plans to end this relationship. Hopefully, we'll find more opportunities to work together.

Are there any areas for improvement?

They should only keep up the great work! I would only point out the continual need to focus on tiny details. Disruptive Advertising is incredible at this, but there's always room for improvement. When you deal with social content at a large organization, there are ample opportunities to make small mistakes like typos or targeting mixups. We've worked through small issues, and I have total confidence in them, but it's always good to check everything three or four times. Overall, however, I'm thrilled. I'm just nitpicking.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a partner at Fielding Law, a personal injury law firm with offices in Utah and Texas.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We were looking for ways to get more clients at better prices.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Disruptive Advertising designed new landing pages for our law firm to help with our marketing efforts. They also took over our Google PPC ad campaigns, which they’ve been managing for over six months.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Chelsea (senior marketing strategist, Disruptive Advertising). We also work with Colby (VP of lead generation, Disruptive Advertising), who leads the team. Chelsea does most of the day-to-day work running our campaign.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

We’d heard about them through several channels. My brother and partner, Mitchell, had been friends with someone at Disruptive Advertising for quite some time. We also heard from other firms who had positive things to say about them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around May 2018 and we the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

One of the key metrics in our business is the cost per acquired personal injury case. We’d been working with another marketing company, but our cost per case remained high. Disruptive Advertising helped us lower the acquisition cost. They’ve also improved the quality of the leads that we receive. They did a great job on the landing pages as well.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is the best, really top of the line. Chelsea communicates with us frequently via email. We have a weekly standing call on Friday mornings to go the over performance of our account. It gives us a chance to ask any questions and talk about the projects we're working on. We also meet with them in person from time to time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Disruptive Advertising really cares about us and our success. Their communication is better than other companies. Their team is smarter and more in touch with what's going on in the industry.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can't think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It helps to develop a good working relationship. Be clear on communication and expectations. Let their team know what your goals are as a company so that they can see the bigger picture. They’ll help you get where you want to go.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president of Shop Anatomical, Inc., which sells anatomical educational supplies (i.e., plastic skeletons, brains, and hearts) to labs. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We were working with another ad agency, but weren't happy with the results they were providing over the course of 5–6 years, so we engaged Disruptive Advertising for PPC and social media marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Disruptive Advertising took over our PPC and social media marketing efforts for Facebook and YouTube.

What is the team composition?

We have one main point of contact, but have worked with several others as well.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

We interviewed many ad agencies, but Disruptive Advertising's proprietary analytics reporting tools set them apart from others. They're able to pull custom information as frequently as we request into one easy-to-read dashboard. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested about $30,000 thus far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since March or April 2018 and the relationship is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Disruptive Advertising more than tripled our return on ad spend (ROAS). We're very happy with the results they're providing thus far compared to other vendors we've worked with.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

They're very punctual and responsive. We can reach them whenever we need, and they never miss a deadline.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their constant communication sets them apart. I never have to follow up with them, because they're very proactive in their approach to completing projects and keeping us up to date.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be responsive when their team reaches out for additional information, so they can quickly turn around deliverables.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the founder and CEO of an online international marketplace for artisan shoes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Disruptive Advertising?

I contracted with Disruptive Advertising for paid social media advertising.

What were your goals for this project?

I hoped to build awareness of my brand, which would drive consistent and increasing sales.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I read their reviews on Clutch.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

I intended to have Disruptive Advertising coordinate advertising for my target audience. I provided a $2,000 per month budget for ad spends.

What was the team composition?

I was initially told four people would be involved, but one was a salesperson, and one was a manager, so I truly only dealt with two people.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

How did your relationship with Disruptive Advertising evolve?

After agreeing to a contract, they said they would aim for a 1:1 return on advertising spend (ROAS), which is quite low. I determined that I needed to be closer to 2.5:1 to break even and merely pay for the services. For the duration of the engagement, we were consistently hovering around that 1:1 level, but we sometimes dipped as low as .60:1. I spent a lot of time babysitting them. I never saw their team take the initiative to test new strategies. They never made changes without me forcing the issue.

What problems arose and what did Disruptive Advertising do to address them?

In addition to operating outside the confines of my stated budget, their team targeted an audience in a country that my company does not sell to. I was constantly auditing their work and finding problems. I never received satisfactory reasons for their missteps—I only received apologies. When I reached out to break the contract and end the engagement because they did not achieve the results they promised, I received no response. I contacted each of the four people involved at the beginning of the project, but nobody responded.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They are very poor communicators. Although they were always very polite, I never believed that I was being told the full truth.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was convinced through the Clutch reviews that Disruptive Advertising would be a worthwhile vendor. My experience did not match those expectations.

Are there any areas for improvement?

First and foremost, their communication must improve. And they must become better at tempering time and cost expectations until they can adequately execute what they are hired to do.

Company Responses

At Disruptive Advertising our goal is that even if the end result didn't meet expectations, that anyone we work with would still be willing to recommend us based on their working experience with us and clearly that did not happen here.

The reality of digital marketing is that it's impossible to predict outcomes from the onset of any engagement and we've taken the time to review this situation to ensure we learn and grow from it.

In this situation, we were starting with a new and unknown brand which presents a big variable in our ability to predict results out of the gate. Given the uncertainty of the situation the client and our team agreed that a 1X goal out of the gate was the right place to start a 90 day trial of working together. We hit and exceeded the 1X goal for the first month and actually achieved 1.94X and then a 2.7X the second month.

The CEO, who was not involved in the initial conversations or expectations, started participating in the calls and decided our success metrics were not in alignment with the business and prematurely ended our 90 day trial agreement. 

What we learned here is that we should have required executive sponsorship before beginning the engagement to ensure strategic alignment.

When we explained that given the resources we've already assigned to the trial period of working together, we expected them to honor their agreement is when we received three charge backs and this review.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the executive VP of a company that designs and manufactures electric bikes. We sell them directly to consumers online.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Disruptive Advertising?

We hired them to improve the efficiency of our online advertising spend. We also wanted to add new functionality to our website.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to bring more people to our website and improve our conversion rates. We wanted our product to be seen by people who are in the market for an electric bike. We also wanted to streamline our online experience so that more customers complete their purchase. This means fewer customers leave an abandoned shopping cart.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A friend in the industry highly recommended them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

To achieve our goals, we needed to build an online advertising strategy from the ground up. Our relationship with Disruptive Advertising began with us handing over the keys to our PPC advertising. They assigned a team to each advertising channel.

What was the team composition?

We are in close contact with each team lead and an account manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The results were incredible. Within 2–3 weeks of our kickoff meeting, Disruptive Advertising had increased traffic to our site by a factor of 2.5, all without increasing our ad spend. We were expecting results like these to take much longer and to cost much more.

The funniest thing is that after their ads began running, we suddenly received a flood of solicitation from other online ad agencies. Presumably, they had never heard of us until Disruptive Advertising turned our brand from invisible to visible online.

We've found Disruptive Advertising to be competent in every direction we take our marketing strategy. It's easy to give them autonomy because their ideas and capabilities are better than ours. Whatever we're trying to do, they have a solution for us. Plus, the cost is a tiny fraction of the expense of building out a comprehensive marketing department in-house.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Right now, Disruptive Advertising is putting a lot of work into our marketing infrastructure, so there's a lot of communication back and forth. We interact directly with the people doing the work, mostly through weekly meetings. Ideas and feedback flow rapidly in both directions, and we've covered a lot of ground in a short period. They think like engineers, using data analysis to back up every decision. This philosophy resonates with our team.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I can't believe the level of trust I have in an outside consultant to manage a project so critical to my company's success. Working with Disruptive Advertising is better, faster, and cheaper than doing things on our own or getting another provider.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the vice president of sales at GetOutPass, a fun-pass subscription company. We have a presence in five states in the western US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Disruptive Advertising?

We needed social media marketing assistance to build our brand visibility. We wanted to cut costs by outsourcing the advertising campaign instead of hiring more internal staff.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to further develop our brand by expanding to the national market through this project, while also increasing sales in our current market. Ultimately, we wanted GetOutPass to become a household name in our area.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A member of Disruptive Advertising had used our product in the past and reached out to us about our digital marketing strategy. Other agencies approached us, but after researching Disruptive Advertising on Clutch and other sites, we decided to meet with them. Compared to the complicated process with other agencies, this team won us over with their persistence, availability, and professionalism.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Initially, we had several meetings to discuss goals and determine the scope of the project. In this meetings, we set the budgets, outlined the advertising strategies, and created timelines for each phase. Once we had the details laid out, Disruptive Advertising immediately began the campaign. It was operating within a few days, and we had a series of weekly meetings to ensure everything aligned with our plan. We’ve started having meetings less frequently as they’ve grown more comfortable with the campaign, so we now focus on other elements of our business.

What was the team composition?

Though the size of the team fluctuates based on the needs of the task, we typically work with a group of five. They assigned a dedicated consultant to our project, and we have access to anyone in the agency.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since beginning the project with Disruptive Advertising, we’ve seen a significant increase in sales coming from the digital marketing side. We’ve experienced a higher conversion rate on the site, and our cost for acquiring new customers has lowered from $65 to $27.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The consultant they assigned to us has been extremely easy to work with. He’s been readily available and provides weekly reports on the project through email and slack. They also work directly with our development team through slack when installing coding. Additionally, we have bi-weekly meetings with the entire team dedicated to our project.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Since the beginning of this engagement, they have felt like a part of our company. They’ve kept us involved in every decision and have been flexible with our budget. They are always on top of everything, and we’ve never had to push them to be faster. The Disruptive Advertising team are masters of their craft and know the ins and outs of the digital ad industry. Their ultimate goal is to achieve success for the project, and they’re phenomenal at what they do.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Like other agencies, Disruptive Advertising tries to upsell some of their other services, but they are very understanding when you want to pause or discontinue some of their work. It's good to have the options, but it could be more beneficial if they only offer the services a company truly needs at the time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I founded a subscription-based "fun pass" that partners with local entertainment venues to offer free entry to customers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Disruptive Advertising?

We wanted to grow quickly, build our brand, and sell passes locally. We hired Disruptive Advertising to handle our paid social media ads on Facebook and Instagram.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to experiment with advertising types, target audiences, and get an idea for the ideal spend to hit a target customer acquisition cost.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

One of their marketing consultants, who was a customer, talked to us about how great it would be to work together on such a cool, unique idea. We were talking to another digital agency, but loved his enthusiasm for our company and decided they would be a great fit.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Disruptive Advertising developed an advertising funnel, created content, and began pushing ads. They've created some videos as well. They closely monitor our ad spend and results, fine-tuning our audience and costs to achieve our targets.

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with two marketing consultants to create the groundwork and strategy. We've tested other services along the way, but mainly work with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've been able to lower our customer acquisition cost dramatically and adjust our spending with the seasons. Customer awareness of our services has certainly grown.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It's highly effective. They're great communicators, keeping us in the loop and frequently conveying updates about changes and results. We love meeting in person every other week.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They're personable; they make us feel like their best and only client. They take a major interest in what's best for our company and treat it like their own.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Some of the other services we've tested didn't garner the results we expected, but we're still trying to achieve a clear, significant ROI from them. We would love to see a results-based compensation plan, or even a short trial period before committing to a new service.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing associate at a counseling company for small colleges. We have between 70–80 employees, counting both in-office and remote staff.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

In terms of outreach strategy, our company mainly relied on community grassroots efforts stemming from our various office locations. Looking to build some online visibility, we decided to implement several SEO and PPC campaigns, and we needed help managing them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Disruptive Advertising primarily works on optimizing our digital advertising and marketing efforts, using programs like Google AdWords, Google Analytics, and Bing Ads. They did some social media work, but it wasn’t very successful. Additionally, they conducted A/B testing on our new website.

So far, we’ve planned both national and local marketing campaigns that target students searching for college admission counseling services. The country-wide strategies cast a wide net, while the local approaches target specific audiences according to each of our unique office locations. We’re trying to determine the most profitable strategies­—it’s a trial-and-error process.

What is the team composition?

We work with a digital marketing specialist, who handles all of our advertising efforts. Previously, we had another resource who managed the A/B testing initiative.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

Our chief marketing officer hired them before I joined the full-time team, so I wasn’t part of the decision-making process.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with them in July 2017, and it’s an ongoing partnership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re impressed with the ROI we’ve experienced so far. Based on our success, we’ve been able to better prioritize our funding, allocating more resources to the most profitable campaigns. We continue to see great results. The team was able to decrease our cost of acquisition, and our volume of leads has skyrocketed.

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

They are excellent in terms of project management, specifically regarding response time. I work with quite a few teams, and Disruptive Advertising is one of the most responsive. When I reach out with a question or comment, I can expect an answer within a couple of hours. We have a scheduled weekly call to dive into the project, discuss our progress, and make important decisions.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very receptive to feedback. Because digital marketing is new for our company, we have to be careful when communicating internally because a majority of our staff isn’t familiar with the new processes. They realize this and alter their language to better accommodate our needs while still suggesting great ideas.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything right now. They’ve been a very easy team to work with.

Any advice for potential customers?

Set clear expectations for communication and scope from the beginning. By establishing these metrics, Disruptive Advertising will be able to complete the project.