Disruptive Advertising

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of a consumer product company. One of our company's major plan this year is to leverage paid ads to grow our sales on Shopify. We sold $5m last year through other online channels, so it's market proven products. But we don't have much history on Shopify sales, facebook ads or google ads.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hire them to manage google ads and facebook ads for us.

SOLUTION

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

We carefully researched, screened and interewed 7 or 8 agencies, all of which are highly reputable, top agencies, and finally landed on Disruptive Advertising to manage our google ads and facebook ads. I came from a research background so I've always been pretty confident in my research and results.

At the time of signing, it was a big relief to me and I thought I found a good partner that will - not to say take me to the moon, but at least grow the ad sales gradually.

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

Instead of to the moon, it went straight the other way. And at the end of the first 30 days, and on the exact date of my 39th birthday, I had to terminate the engagment and their reactions shows no remorse for their poor performance. Here's the rundown of everything: After signing, there're only weekly sync up meetings.

The first week is onboarding meeting, and meeting with the team. Week 2 is strategy meeting that's filled mostly with high level template slides, and Week 3 is streagy review with only 2 slides for the facebook ads (1 slide for really simple creative demos, and the other slide for campaign structure as their strategy).

Their facebook ad strategy is so amatuer that they are proposing the same set of creatives for each funnel. After week 3, the facebook ad manager had some family urgent matter then just disappeared in communications. Personally, family comes first to me as well, and you have my understanding, my best wishes, my whatever.

But professionally, isn't it the reason why I want to work with a big agency that your agency can absorb this kind of individual incidence, and not letting it affect your clients? At the end of the engagement, facebook ad strategy was never revised, hence never aproved. None of the facebook ads were run.

And they rejected my request of refund. On the google ad side, that's where their 150-people-agency's business originally built on. My google ad manager said she had 9 years experience managing google ads. They should be good.

So after waited for 3 weeks, although I still had concerns about their google ads settings, I was ready to give it a try - after all i naively thought we gonna start running ads and making big money from day 1, and by then it was already 3 weeks gone with nothing. We ran ads in week 4, and over the course of 8 days, it was $2k ad spend, with zero sales.

To give you a benchmark, before signing with them, I experimented with google ads myself for three weeks, and I got $2.6k ad sales with $2.4k ad spend. They get ZERO. Then I got confused, is it the lack of expertise, or the lack of commitment? (there's nothing wrong with the website settings, they tested conversion trackings, and I had couple of organic sales during the same period).

It's a quite remarkable result isn't it. I don't think any other agency that I interviewed before would be remotely close to achieve the same result with a $2k google ad spend. Disruptive Advertising is truly one of a kind, and I'm even prouder of my research skills now.

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

One team lead. One google ad manager, one facebook manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The rest aren't much interesting anyways. I expressed my frustration and their senior team responded quickly and nicely, and offered to no longer have me bond to the 6 months contract, but rejected my refund request.

They charged me $3,500 for the first month of facebook ad management, where they spent the first three weeks to develop the amatuer plan, and disappeared in the forth week. And charged me the same $3,500 for the first month of google ads management, which burned another $2k ad spend with zero, again ZERO ad sales.

For those deliverables and performance, they gave me ZERO refund. I hope these experience and the price I paid would be educational to whoever's looking for the paid ads agency now.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Not much effective.

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

They are good at saying anything nicely and deliver everything poorly.

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

Give me the refund at least.

Company Responses

The vendor responded on April 19, 2022.

Thank you so much for your candid feedback. It helps us understand where we fell short and how we can improve in the future. We are sorry that we weren't able to fulfill on your expectations and truly wish you the best in your future endeavors.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Assistant Vice President of Marketing at a Community Bank located in Crawford County, Arkansas.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We moved our digital marketing business to Disruptive at the beginning of the year to bring better results than in house marketing could offer. Our goals are to grow our millennial customer base through digital marketing.

SOLUTION

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

We selected this vendor based off a relationship we had with one of their employees from an old marketing company we use to work with. We knew how knowledgeable she was and we sought her out. On top of that, the price point is right where we wanted to be.

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

Our current scope this year was to focus on facebook and google ads. We wanted to start out with things we know and grow from there. Sarah put together a month by month strategy and has creative made based on our needs each month. Since this is a small community bank with 7 branches, it is typically loan services this year we are promoting.

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

We have mostly worked with Sarah who is a Marketing Consultant but have had contact with other Disruptive employees. Plus she has had creative made for us through that department.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Each week we get an interactive report from google showing how much money we spent, impression, engagement, etc. In the first quarter we have substantially grew our facebook "likes"

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have very open conversation about where we are at each month and what upcoming projects we are going to be rolling out. Sarah is very easy to communicate with and answers all of my questions quickly.

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

Their general knowledge of digital marketing is impeccable. I can't imagine it is easy to keep up with.

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

Honestly at this stage in the game, we have had zero issues and I don't foresee any in the future if it continues to go this smooth and seamless.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Content Marketing Manager at Teak & Twine, a gifting company specializing in custom gift boxes for

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Disruptive Advertising for LinkedIn Ad management.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I found them via a blog post that listed the best ad agencies for LinkedIn ads. I compared Disruptive with three other companies and felt that the price for their included services was the best option.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Before working with Disruptive Advertising, we worked with another ad agency - first for Facebook and Instagram ads, then pivoted to LinkedIn ads with them. However, they were not very familiar with the LinkedIn platform so we didn't feel like we were utilizing the platform to its fullest potential. We onboarded Disruptive to help strategize and execute a robust LinkedIn ad program.

They developed two campaign strategies, their creative team produced very high-quality ads, and they seamlessly managed the scheduling of ad campaigns and on LinkedIn Campaign Manager. They provided monthly strategy calls with detailed presentations, biweekly meetings to discuss results and next steps, and delivered detailed reports each week.

What was the team composition?

I worked closely with a dedicated Social Marketing Consultant who led the project, but also was in touch with their director of lead gen. They were the liaison between us and their creative team, allowing for a smooth flow of communication.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Disruptive team's ads were much more sophisticated than any previous ads we had and they led to an increased engagement rate on our LinkedIn platform.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I loved the workflow -- we were in touch via Slack for quick communications, in addition to weekly email + data studio updates, bi-weekly Zoom calls and monthly strategy calls.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their proactive approach was super impressive -- I never had to "ask" for anything -- they were always one step ahead, anticipating my needs.

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

Nope!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the executive director of an online business that offers courses, workshops, and other resources in mental health from a New York Times bestselling author and psychologist.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed someone to take our social media ads to the next level, and bring in more leads and a higher rate of conversion.

SOLUTION

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

After a bad experience from some "referrals", I just started looking online and reading reviews about companies. When I went to the website for Disruptive Advertising, it felt way more professional and "legit" than many others, plus all of the reviews I could find were glowing.

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

They have a really detailed onboarding process that made me feel like they were taking the time to really understand our goals and our business. I met with several team members and had many discussions before coming up with an overall strategy and a plan for execution. After that, I know meet with my rep there every two weeks to go over everything and adjust the plan as needed. Whenever I have a question I reach out and get a response the same day.

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

At least 6 people. An initial sales rep called me on the phone right after I submitted a contact form on their website. Then I had a call with him and another representative at their company. Once we decided to move forward, I had a call with a project manager and a dedicated social media advertising person - who would be my main point of contact. Since then I've also had calls with a customer satisfaction person, and another person about expanding our services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our main goal is lead generation to grow our email list. We had an initial goal of getting 500 net new names each week. Two months in and we've been at least doubling that every week - some weeks we triple it.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We already had been running ads so we had a lot of creative assets generated that we were able to pass on to them. So our workflow was pretty fast and we were able to get ads up and running fairly quickly.

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

Their constant communication and care for our satisfaction and success. They're always wanting to make sure we're happy and our ads are doing as well as we hope - our better.

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

Not from my standpoint.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a cosmetics and beauty company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We needed someone to manage our email marketing program. Initially, we were looking to migrate platform.  

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They write copy and craft templates for our email campaigns. It’s a mix; sometimes they do it all, sometimes we do half, and sometimes we do it all.

What is the team composition?

We’re in touch with the person who brought us into the company, as well as Andrew (Marketing Consultant), who handles the day-to-day work. I know there are other resources, like designers, but we don’t interact with them.

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

We searched for 10 companies online in the email marketing space. One of the more important factors was that they’d worked in our industry, as well as their experience with our old platform (MailChimp) and our new platform (Klaviyo). They were also able to manage the integration at a proper cost.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $20,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since November 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Email marketing used to drive around 4% of our business income before Disruptive came onboard, and now it accounts for around 20%–25%.                                     

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

This is my favorite part of our engagement. They’re highly organized, and I really appreciate the monthly reviews they provide. These sessions provide an opportunity to discuss everything that’s on our minds, and they send a follow-up email recapping everything that arose.

Disruptive is very in-tune with us, which makes us feel that they care about us and are aware of what’s happening. We’ve never felt left out.

We have an internal project management system, but we don’t use it with Disruptive. Communication happens over Zoom, Google Drive, and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve met and exceeded our expectations, doing everything we’ve hired them to do.

Disruptive shows consistent care. I’ve hired many companies and service providers that don’t care if their customers stay or leave, but Disruptive has cared throughout the engagement. This feeling is carried through their entire company, including management.  

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m rarely short of criticism, but I don’t have anything to say about Disruptive. Their communication is great, and our specific account representative, Andrew, is phenomenal. He answers emails like he never sleeps.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very clear about how you’re going to measure success before you hire them. Disruptive adopted our established KPIs rather than pushing their own onto us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the head of brand and marketing at a better-for-you snacks company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We needed a partner to help with our paid media efforts around Google and Facebook.

SOLUTION

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

We asked our networks for recommendations and took each partner through an RFP process. Disruptive won out in their level of customer service and focus on key business goals.

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

We went through a large audit of our existing work. Disruptive presented recommendations how the platforms we should be looking at and the best strategies to get the job done. We now have monthly strategy setting meetings, weekly performance check-ins and monthly results / optimization meetings.

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

Three - a team lead and two platform specialists.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We're continuing to optimize our programs, but appreciate the work that the team puts into mapping things against real business goals. We not only look at ads in terms of our eCommerce business, but also track against in-store data to see if there's correlation.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have video meetings once a week to discuss updates and performance. Other updates are shared via email.

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

There's a high attention to detail and customer success.

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

There is definitely room for growth in the creative process. This piece has been a bit of a challenge -- need to make sure this isn't a one size fits all solution.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director for US Synthetic, a synthetic diamond manufacturer. We produce diamonds used in the energy industry, specifically in renewable energy and oil and gas drilling sectors. We manufacture diamond bearings used in renewable hydro-kinetic tools and windmills. We also have diamond technology in the 3D printing and additive manufacturing world. I handle all of our outbound marketing efforts; I also support our sales teams and groups in marketing our company in public.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We were launching a brand new diamond 3D-printing nozzle product into the additive manufacturing world. Most of our transactions were B2B sales, but we wanted to sell the nozzles directly to consumers. We’d never done this before, and we knew we had to have a better social media presence. We also needed help in advertising our company to individual consumers and in setting up our sales channels such as Amazon. 

With these things in mind, we hired Disruptive as a social media marketing agency that could help us sell directly to consumers. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our campaign was to launch our diamondback nozzles, and I sat down with the Disruptive team to strategize the product rollout. It was brand new and had never been sold or commercialized at all. They suggested we focused on doing social media marketing while funneling half of our budget to Google. Then, we’d do a full-funnel on Facebook. 

Disruptive then helped us identify lookalike audiences or people who’d be interested in our nozzles. From there, we did a Google and Facebook ads campaign. Then, when they saw that we were also selling on Amazon, they helped us set up the channel better with more appealing content. They also helped us develop a relationship with someone who had years of experience in Amazon and commercializing products. That person walked us through some of the things we didn’t understand.

At present, Disruptive is tracking all of our marketing strategies in this rollout and monitoring how they’re driving traffic and conversions. They're also working on our SEO and PPC efforts. We’ve also done a Kickstarter campaign, and their team has also supported that effort. Kickstarter is a good platform that appeals to our target audience, so Disruptive has helped us drive traffic to it and build our brand. From there, we’ve quickly transitioned to Amazon since we’re ready to commercialize and sell our product. Beyond that, we also have work on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. 

What is the team composition?

I mainly interface with three people from Disruptive, though they have a whole creative team helping us. I deal directly with Shae (Marketing Consultant), who helps us with Facebook and Google marketing. Shae has brought in the Amazon team, consisting of Jesse (Enterprise Paid Social Account Strategist) and Summer (Senior Marketing Strategist). 

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

We found Disruptive through search and referral. I also knew about some of the work they’d done because they were close to our facility. 

How much have you invested with them?

When we started the engagement, we spent about $3,000 per month. Now that we’ve got all of our systems working, we spend around $8,000 per month. That includes all the ads we’re buying.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Because of the Amazon team of Disruptive, we see sales increases month over month. Moreover, the engagement on our ads has been amazing; it’s not uncommon for us to see 20–30 comments back and forth from people engaging with an ad — that’s highly positive for us. We’ve done some things on social media in the past, but they haven’t had nearly the same engagement rate. 

On top of that, Disruptive is also making our product a key search term. It’s called Diamondback Nozzle, and more people are searching for it because of the effort of Disruptive's Amazon team. Ultimately, the searches convert to sales. Traffic is driven to the site; we see them coming from our ads and then through Amazon. The conversion rate is well above 2%, which is quite positive, and our ROI is significantly higher. 

We check those numbers every month and tweak our ads accordingly. Overall, Disruptive isn't simply trying to spend our money — they’re trying to spend it more strategically. If we have an ad that’s not performing well, we do A/B testing and change the ad into something that might perform better. If we see traffic and sales increase, then we know we’re dialing in the right direction. 

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

Disruptive’s project management is excellent. We’ve told them that we wouldn’t be spending big on the campaigns because all of us in the company aren’t used to having a full-blown marketing agency working for us. They’ve said that that isn’t a problem and recommended a way for us to get started with the lowest cost. That’s wonderful because it shows they’re attentive to our budget. 

Meanwhile, we communicate all the time. They’re open to phone calls and texts; we have regularly scheduled meetings, but I have no problem calling or visiting them any time of the day. That’s helpful for our overall team effort. If they have questions, they can also call me any time. Sometimes, they’ll go into our account and change things with our permission. 

On top of that, they’re hands-on and work well with one another. When I’m working with one of them, it’s like I’m working with the entire team. They make sure that everyone knows about what we’re doing and has all of the assets that I’ve sent to them. Shae is truly instrumental in this, while their Amazon team has been wonderful in helping us with our blind spots.

In terms of tools, we use a cloud-based review deck. Each month, Disruptive sends us a report that we can review together. The deck is nice because I can download the strategy report and share it with my team. My team can also join our meetings. Moreover, I’ve also been allowed to slide some of Disruptive’s presentations into corporate meetings, helping us educate our company. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Disruptive’s strategy, teamwork, and ability to help me see past my blind spots are impressive. They know social media marketing so well that I truly trust them. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Engage with the disruptive team and provide them with the tools and assets that they need. If you throw garbage at them, you’re going to get garbage out of them. As a result, you should engage with them and help them understand your business. Then, trust them — trust that they have your best interest at heart. I’ve felt that way since day one of our engagement. They’re as excited about the new product as we are, so they suggest things that we don’t even know we needed — I’m always appreciative of that. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the operations manager at H&W Machine Repair and Rebuilding, which sells parts for the metalworking industry. We sell manual milling machines and parts and also rebuild machine parts. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Disruptive Advertising?

We were looking for a firm to run our PPC efforts. The previous company we worked with on the task didn't deliver what we needed, so we looked elsewhere. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Disruptive Advertising provides us with PPC and Google Ad services to spur website sales. We've provided information on our target audience for Disruptive Advertising to use to inform their efforts. They've set up search, shopping, and smart shopping Google campaigns. Their team has also set up our Google Merchant profile and monitors it. We're also about to launch a Performance Max campaign, and Disruptive Advertising is providing ads for that. 

What is the team composition?

We work with one teammate from Disruptive Advertising who runs our PPC efforts. 

How did you come to work with Disruptive Advertising?

I found Disruptive Advertising on Clutch, and after interviewing three different companies, I hired them. One of the main reasons we did hire them was because their communication was excellent, and they were quick to respond to our messages. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've invested around $130,000 with Disruptive Advertising, including our ad spending. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in September 2021, and it's ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As of January 2022, our website sales increased by 62% compared to the previous year. Our goal was originally a 20% increase year-over-year, and we're well above that. The teammate we're working with has done an excellent job and we're set to stay on track for about 60% growth in February. 

How did Disruptive Advertising perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly Zoom meetings with Disruptive Advertising where we discuss the goals for the next week and month. Additionally, Disruptive Advertising always provides us with an overview of the next month's strategy. The teammate managing our project is excellent — I couldn't ask for anyone better to work with. Communication is fantastic, and Disruptive Advertising always delivers on time. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

For the last six months that we've been working with Disruptive Advertising, they've gone above and beyond for us. They're constantly working to improve our ads and looking into other areas we can improve in. I'm very impressed that the results we're getting with Disruptive Advertising are beyond our 20% YoY growth goals — it's crazy that we're 62% over last January's sales. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't have anything Disruptive Advertising can improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I'd suggest that future customers be open and willing to listen to Disruptive Advertising's expertise. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Director for a premium outdoor kitchen and grill manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We are a small company that needed help with its digital marketing efforts to build brand awareness with consumers and business owners.

SOLUTION

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

A google search led me to find Disruptive and upon seeing all of the positive reviews, I decided to partner with them to help me with my digital marketing.

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

Upon hiring Disruptive, we were immediately presented with a plan to build our business through targeted social advertisements along with adding an email marketing program that produce almost immediate results.

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

I have two marketing experts that tackle all my email and social needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We started with just 10k followers on Facebook and now we are around 50k. Our content continuously performs above the industry benchmark for CTR. Our sales have increased by 40% YOY

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

A monthly strategy guide makes the workflow between client and consultant easy and more important extremely clear and concise.

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

They give personalized consultations that make it easy to manage the complex and everchanging world of digital marketing. You don't need to be an expert to conduct their campaigns.

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

none that I can think of

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a all Keto Supplement Company located in Las Vegas, Nevada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were looking to start advertising on Google and Disruptive was very highly recommended. Since this was our first time on Google we were not sure what to expect, but they were very knowledgable.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We searched many companies online and saw that Disruptive was on the Inc 500 list. We spoke with a few advertising companies but felt very confident in their knowledge with Google advertising.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

After getting to know our brand and discussing our goals and what we were comfortable spending on advertising they took the reigns and was able to get us a very good ROA in the first month which were were very happy about.

What was the team composition?

Disruptive worked very closely with my head of marketing and together they worked really well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Overall, Google has been able to get us a 3x ROA consistently. Many months it can go up to a 3.5x or 4x. We are working on being able to spend more money advertising on Google and keep that ROA the same.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team at Disruptive is amazing. They are smart at what they do and communicate well with our team to keep us up to date on how the accounts are running. We also like that they are very relaxed which makes it very easy to work with them and fun.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are very understanding and want to help. They are not just about making money but about all of us benefiting from one another.

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

I think the only thing that I would like to see in the future is the communication switched from email to slack. As I think its creates more accountability and allows me as a boss to see that everyone is communicating in a timely manner. As sometimes emails will and can get lost and looked over.