Distinct

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the operations manager at Heart In Diamond

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We were launching Google Ad campaigns in order to establish our brand in the US and UK markets and increase our sales on both markets.

SOLUTION

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

We chose Distinct based on raving online reviews and an initial consultation that demonstrated their true professionalism and striving for creating tangible results.

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

We discussed the specifics of our brand and the overall sales strategy; shortly after, we established our Google Ads manager based on the goals we've defined together with Darko and his team. Distinct did an amazing job organizing the account and setting up ad campaigns for the brand.

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

We worked with Darko, the account manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our UK office is having its most successful month to date, with a 40% increase in sales.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We've had regular check-ins and Zoom calls, in addition to detailed reports Darko's team has been issuing for us during the collaboration.

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

Distinct is incredibly attentive to details and manages to create an efficient marketing strategy for a particular brand based on its unique traits.

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

Our project is not finished yet, and Darko's team always suggests new ways of improving and optimizing our campaigns.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Co Founder of a vibrant Mental Health Services startup in Dublin, Ireland. Our goal is to remove the outdated lens through which Psychotherapy is viewed in an Irish context.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We had seen minor success with Google Adwords campaigns, but traffic was declining and competition in the sector was growing. We engaged the team at Distinct to help inject some momentum. The goal was to capture some traffic from specific search terms and start to gather data for other potential traffic generating keywords.

SOLUTION

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

We chose Distinct following a review of a number of agencies as they offered a number of services which was the scope we required to grow into over time. Distinct where the only team who had the package we required initially and were able to offer guidance on data analytics. Their engagement frequency and response times were also a deciding factor in recognising a secure, professional team who would be on hand in future. Following a consultation with Distinct we discovered that many of the unknowns we had identified were able to be addressed early. We were able to explain our business direction and kpi's to the team and they understood immediately what we were trying to achieve.

They then pitched a plan of attack which was tangible and realistic for the business. It is extremely helpful when trying to get a business off the ground to know you have a team behind you who can set a goal and deliver. They just seemed to speak our language and were able to lead us to a point whereby we had a solid campaign running, generating conversions but also gathering data on the sector and competition.

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

• Phase 1: Initial consultation period - ideas, objectives, concerns
• Phase 2: Analysis and report of action items from consultation
• Phase 3: Google Analytics and Google Adwords account refactoring
• Phase 4: Monitoring & Maintenance - ongoing - we receive regular updates from Distinct on the performance of the marketing campaigns.
• Phase 5: Things have been going so well, during what in our industry is typically a slower period, that we have every intention of exploring more marketing work with Distinct.

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

We were assigned and worked directly with an Account Manager from day one. With this team member, we projected, set the metrics and kicked off the campaign. It is extremely beneficial to have one point of contact for the account. We have interacted with one other individual from the billing team for handling invoices etc.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There is typically a decline in the industry volume in quarter 2 and 3. We had seen traffic crawl to a standstill and for business reasons we needed to maintain some throughput in this period. Within a few weeks of working with Distinct we had a fully functioning campaign in place and ticking away. Our traffic has been growing steadily ever since. At the same time we were able to see that we were directly competing with our competition in the precise areas we had identified and it was yielding results.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very straightforward. We communicate our strategy or suggestions via email and the team are responsive. We've had a number of video calls - but the majority of the work is light touch for our team, which suits our needs.

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

Despite not having specific knowledge of what is quite a niche market on a small island on the edge of Europe, the team were able to get into the headspace and understand our prospective clients, who require a more delicate and caring tone when being addressed in marketing material. This was important for us to have Distinct understand, so that we could focus on creating advertising objectives within that frame; caring, compassionate. The team at Distinct got this from day one and were able to adjust their approach accordingly. To have a team that you know understands the potential and vision but more importantly the constraints of that vision is invaluable.

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

Payment processing is clear but a little cumbersome because of a lack of options. I believe the team are aware and are reviewing. I recommend Stripe, Square, Paypal or something similar.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are the global brand leader in the outdoor heating space. I oversee global marketing and lead generation for our sales and specification teams.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Distinct?

Management of social ads and Google ads in the UK.

SOLUTION

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

We ran an extensive interview process with agencies focused on UK digital ads strategy. We ended up with a shortlist of 3 vendors and selected Distinct.

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

We had a great onboarding experience with Distinct. We shared access to our various regional partner ad accounts so that all parties could collaborate and learn from each other. Ad creative, audience planning and conversion tracking were all setup within 30 days and the results have been great!

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

We work with the principal directly. However, the account team has been fabulous in supporting our needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had tremendous success with some of the experimentation from the Directive team that provided transformational lead growth. We have now implemented the strategy worldwide and have turbocharged our Sales Accepted Leads (SAL) goals.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have fortnightly checkins via Zoom, frequent Slack conversations as needed and in-depth reporting and strategy calls monthly. We are very pleased with the workflow and communication process.

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

Distinct is constantly testing, learning, and improving. We run more optimizations with Distinct than any of our EU partners.

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

We have worked closely on building out a tighter connection between raw lead numbers and lead quality as it filters into the CRM. We have had to adjust targeting and strategy often to make sure that lead quality was in line.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and chief brand officer for a high-end furniture designer and manufacturing company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with DDigital Mark?

We needed help with paid ads.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

DDigital Mark manages most of our digital paid ads across different platforms, specifically on Google Ads, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Bing, Facebook, and Instagram. We gave them access to our accounts.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Darko (Founder). We also work with someone in invoicing and a manager specifically for Pinterest and LinkedIn. 

How did you come to work with DDigital Mark?

We used to work with an SEO company, and they referred DDigital Mark. It made it easy for us because they were already vetted by the company we worked with for a while.

They were referred to us by an SEO company. It was easy to pick DDigital Mark because we trusted the vendor who recommended them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in October 2019, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

DDigital Mark finds creative ways to reach our target audience, and they come up with strategies to reduce the cost of our advertising. They make sure that the money we spend guarantees us leads and conversions. Since we started working with them, our cost of acquisition when it comes to leads decreased by 50%. The number of leads that are converted to customers is also higher. We look at our business’ overall success to measure its impact, and it’s been a success.

How did DDigital Mark perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re really efficient. We have meetings every time we need them. They give us monthly reports through a 15-minute video where they go through the different tools they use for their advertising efforts. The team goes through their dashboard to communicate their progress and a spreadsheet that summarizes everything. I then share these with my partners, and we refer back to them when we need to. To communicate, we use Zoom and Google Meet.

What did you find most impressive about them?

DDigital Mark is highly knowledgeable about online advertising, especially regarding the tools to use and the latest methods. They keep up with cutting-edge techniques and information about online advertising. The team is also willing to research if they need to. They’re trustworthy, accommodating, and helpful. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They offered to design graphics for our banners, but they weren’t what we were looking for. They could improve by improving their design efforts, but we haven’t seen any red flags. No situation comes to mind where they didn’t have their full attention on the project.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust their expertise.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner, founder of a Social Media & Internet Marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Darko and his company to support our Google advertising efforts.

SOLUTION

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

We selected this vendor through upwork.

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

To create and run google ad PPC campaigns that resulted in profitable sales.

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

I worked with one individual who is the owner of the company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their performance on the Google ads campaign has been phenomenal and we are very happy with the results. This meaning our ROI has been very well worth it.

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

We typically use Slack to stay connected and organize and have all communication channels go through there.

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

Performance ability in terms of return on ad spend (ROAS).

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

Sooner response times in slack would be helpful; although I do recognize there is a time zone difference.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner of ReadinGraphics. We summarize top business & personal development books in infographics, text and audio formats.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Distinct?

Darko's team has been working with us since ReadinGraphics' was still a baby. They've done a range of social media marketing activities for us over the years, including social media management and advertising.

SOLUTION

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

I can't remember how we first connected. I wanted someone who could manage our social media marketing for us so I could focus on other aspects of the business and Darko's team did just that.

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

It has been several years since we started working with Darko's team (when it was still under a different brand). They primarily managed our social media posts on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, then we dropped Insta and added LinkedIn. Along the way, we also ran a number of ad campaigns

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

No idea. I've always coordinated with Darko.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Grew social media community from scratch, e.g. >1k followers on Pinterest and >900 followers on Facebook.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

None

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

We have a great collaboration.

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

None