EXL Media

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of digital marketing at SI-BONE, a medical device company that manufactures a surgical implant for sacroiliac joint fusion surgery.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EXL Media?

We were trying to find ways to create more awareness about our product and the treatment option for patients. We wanted to reach people seeking treatment for lower back pain to inform them about our product and see if our product would be appropriate for them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

EXL Media helps us with paid search advertising. They handle our listings on Google and Bing through Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising. The team has also helped put together some of the copy for these ads.

What is the team composition?

Wendy (Founder & Owner) is the one who initially helped us with onboarding, though she’s not as involved in the day-to-day. We work primarily with Susanna, Jennifer (Digital Media Strategists), and Jackie (Digital, Outdoor & Broadcast Media Strategist).

How did you come to work with EXL Media?

I had worked with them at my last company, where they’d performed a similar service for me. Since they’d been very helpful at my previous company, I thought they would be great for this project, too. I reached out to Wendy to see if they’d be able to help us, and they were happy to do so.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent less than $500,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The EXL Media team has been really helpful with our campaigns. We measure their success based on aspects like clicks, conversions, and cost-per-click, and the metrics have all been going in the direction we want them to go. Overall, campaign results have been pretty favorable for us since EXL Media has come on board. 

How did EXL Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re fantastic at project management. The team is very responsive and clear in their communication, and we primarily use email. They send us a weekly update every Friday so we can stay on top of the campaign. We might have more communication throughout the week if there’s a need. Then, we meet monthly to look over the prior month’s performance and the overall campaign performance.

EXL Media does a great job of making sure we provide what they need. We use Microsoft Teams internally, so at the start of the project, I created a folder for us that we use to share files. Additionally, they’re great at sticking to timelines. If there’s ever a hold-up, it’s usually on our side. EXL Media always keeps us in check with the budget and never overspends — they’re wonderful to work with.

What did you find most impressive about them?

EXL Media’s level of service is great, and they’re very friendly. They’ve helped me understand the programs since I’m not an expert on Google Ads or Microsoft Advertising. 

Additionally, the team provides recommendations on how we can improve our campaign without having to spend more money all the time; they look for creative and cost-effective ways to help us. EXL Media has our best interest in mind — they’ve been a great partner. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there isn’t anything they need to improve; I’ve been very happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice would be to be very clear in your communication and goals. If EXL Media knows your goals, they can work appropriately with you to meet them. The more specific you are with your objectives, the better.

Sometimes companies reach out to an agency knowing they want to do something but not really knowing what or what they should track. EXL Media is a great partner to collaborate with on setting goals and working towards achieving them.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO of O’Neill Vintners & Distillers, a wine and spirits company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EXL Media?

We own a winery, and when we reopened after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, we wanted to take the opportunity to drive incremental awareness about our winery. As consumers look for ways to get out of the house and enjoy themselves a little bit, we set out to increase traffic to the winery and online sales conversions.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I gave EXL Media a written brief that contained the key objectives and the business challenge. From there, they sent us their thoughts and proposal, and we agreed on the scope of work.

The EXL Media team visited the winery and experienced everything a customer would experience. Then, they defined the tactics to implement. In addition to SEO, we also looked at digital and traditional media. We ironed out the strategy within two months, and they launched the campaign four months after our initial contact.

My team worked closely with EXL Media on keyword research. Additionally, they’ve helped us set up our Google Analytics. We currently work with EXL Media on several other brands within our company.

What is the team composition?

We work with the digital team, including Jennifer (Senior Digital Media Specialist). We’ve also worked with Wendy (Founder & Owner).

How did you come to work with EXL Media?

I googled media agencies in California, got to read about EXL Media’s services, and immediately contacted Wendy. Her response was incredible; she immediately emailed me back, and we had a phone call where I did a verbal brief.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent almost $200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Thanks to EXL Media’s work, traffic to our winery increased coming from Southern California. The increases in visits to the winery and signups for tastings and other experiences we offer have been significant. We’ve been able to track those results directly to our digital campaigns. Although it’s always great to have impressions, what’s incredible to me is that the campaign has worked in driving customers to the winery, which is the ultimate KPI.

EXL Media doesn’t just focus on impressions and placement; they help us understand the right context to place media and ensure we’re reaching customers. The whole team has gone above and beyond the task at hand. It really feels like they’re part of our team and not just a transactional relationship. Working with EXL Media has been an absolute pleasure. 

How did EXL Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re absolutely brilliant at project management. They’re great at staying on budget and very proactive in engaging us and helping us move the project forward. We use email and phone calls to communicate, and we work on Microsoft Word and Excel documents.

EXL Media’s communication style is incredible; it’s frequent, clear, and to the point. Whenever there’s a need to make changes to the campaign or optimize it, they make those changes in real-time while communicating with us. This really creates trust between us, which is great. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Every member of the EXL Media team is an expert in their subject matter. They’re highly educated about navigating negotiations, availability, and securing the right placements for us. The digital team is savvy and knowledgeable about their space, and the radio team is also an expert in their field. Usually, agencies have talent that is still learning. With EXL Media, we know we’re getting experts at every one of the tactics we’re willing to spend on.

Moreover, they have great communication and deliver results, which I always look for. EXL Media is one of the most efficient agencies I’ve ever worked with, and I’ve been in marketing for 21 years. I’d highly recommend them to anybody — they’re a class-act agency.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they need to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I would advise making sure you’re thoroughly involved with the agency. One of the reasons we’ve been so successful with EXL Media is that we don’t treat our relationship as transactional; we don’t just send them a brief and expect them to deliver. 

Since the start, we worked on the proposal and the plan together and made sure they felt like part of our team, which has shown in the results. Every single member of the EXL Media team works hard to ensure the success of our plan. I highly recommend bridging them on board and making them feel like part of the team.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the brand marketing manager for Bently Heritage Estate Distillery, a distillery in Northern Nevada that currently sells spirits across the western region of the US. I oversee the company's digital marketing placements, traditional media, and trade marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EXL Media?

We needed help with media planning and buying.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

EXL Media is our media buying agency, and they help us with both digital and traditional buys. On a quarter by quarter basis, they help us figure out the advertising plan for the Reno-Tahoe region. We sit down with them and they present what they think will be the best media buys in order to target Reno-Tahoe locals.

What is the team composition?

We work with a team of three people, including a digital marketing expert and a traditional media marketing expert. The owner helps oversee our account, too.

How did you come to work with EXL Media?

I had the pleasure of working with them at my last job. I spent five years developing a partnership with them, and I thought they’d be the perfect partner for this project.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $75,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together with EXL Media in December 2020, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re a startup and no one has ever heard of us, and EXL Media has helped us increase our brand awareness. Over spring and summer is when we do the most amount of marketing with them. With their help, we’ve been able to expand our reach to 4 million viewers across the Reno-Tahoe market.

How did EXL Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re organized; they have one individual overseeing all the digital media for us and another one who oversees the traditional buying media. They present something to us every quarter, and we have a monthly meeting together with all of our other agency partners in order to collaborate.

We also have an account manager, who’s our point of contact for everything. She’s extremely prompt and has helped set a quarterly plan that works in the ever-changing environment that we’re trying to live and work in.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a diverse team as far as their skillsets are concerned. They're knowledgeable in all aspects of media buying, and they have specialists in each area of marketing. They call northern Nevada their home and that extends into the northern California area, so they really know our area extremely well. There’s not a better partner to work with if we’re trying to target a Nevada or northern California audience.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve been really flexible despite COVID-19. Times are going to be tricky for businesses still dealing with issues from the pandemic, so I’ll just tell EXL Media to continue to be flexible because it’s going to be a key factor in the next 1–2 years.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They’re a small team. Don’t be afraid to reach out to the owner of the company. She’s truly an expert in all aspects of advertising and media buying. She’s a great listener and can set you up with the right team members to make sure that you'll be successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of account services at a full-service advertising agency.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EXL Media?

We’ve worked on a number of projects with EXL Media over the years. Although we’re a full-service agency and we do some media buying in house, we also partner with media planning and buying agencies as needed. EXL Media is our top partner choice.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

My team has collaborated with EXL Media on projects for our existing and past clients. They provide media planning services, which include both traditional media as well as digital planning. Their team oversees placement and buying.

What is the team composition?

For every project, we work with at least two and sometimes three EXL Media team members. Their team composition is very thorough — we have that top-level strategic interaction as well as access to really experienced buyers.  

How did you come to work with EXL Media?

This relationship goes back about 20 years. We had a shared client that brought us together. We began working with EXL Media on that client’s account. The relationship has grown over the years to working on several other clients as well.

How much have you invested with them?

Our clients’ media placement budgets vary, from as small as $100,000 to as large as close to $2 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

My company began working with EXL Media around the first quarter of 2000.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The quality of their work is impeccable. They’re always flexible and creative in how they put their plans together. We can always count on their work to drive results, including higher website traffic and more leads. Some of our clients are in tourism, and we’ve seen increases in hotel room bookings based on EXL’s creative messaging and the way that they place the media. Even if something is lagging in results, they keep an eye on it and are right there to make changes to the program to improve results.

EXL Media is on the cutting-edge of different opportunities in various markets across the US, especially in some markets we’re not as familiar with in other states and cities. They always provide a level of media planning and execution that’s far superior to anything we’ve experienced with anyone else.

How did EXL Media perform from a project management standpoint?

EXL Media is very reliable with project management, and they’re fabulous at meeting deadlines. They’re also very clear on the deliverables, so you know exactly what you’ll be getting and what their fees and services are.

We communicate through a combination of phone and video calls. We also email quite a bit so that we have everything very clearly documented.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There are a lot of things that make EXL Media stand out from other providers. They’re a very energetic, passionate, and enthusiastic team. They really get into their work, and they’re always on the cutting-edge. Their ideas and enthusiasm are very exciting. They’re also very knowledgeable — you walk away with the feeling of confidence that you’re working with the right team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not that I can think of. I really think that they do a great job and check all of the boxes.

Any advice for potential customers?

As with any project, they do their best work when they get clear strategy and direction from the client. However, they’re also very collaborative. You might have an idea of the type of media that you want to look at or how you want things to be planned, but they bring such unique ideas to the table that I’d recommend being very open-minded and collaborative in the process. Explain your goals and strategy, but be open to EXL Media’s recommendations. Sometimes, they’re not what you’re expecting, but they’re very successful.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing and public relations director at Barton Health. We’re a non-profit, community health system in the Lake Tahoe region. We operate multiple hospitals, outpatient facilities, trauma centers, emergency rooms, and urgent care centers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EXL Media?

They’ve been a partner of ours for six years, focusing specifically on digital marketing, SEM, and display ads.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They identify what the best search words are to get patients to the specific service lines they’re interested in. Outside of digital marketing, they’ve also helped us with outdoor media and some print media. We have multiple service lines, and, as it’s the healthcare industry, very technical terms we’re dealing with. They’re not afraid to test those terms, look at the data, and then adjust.

They’ve also tried some unique creative process, like geofencing around our outdoor boards, surveying digital ads in the vicinity of our boards. They’ve also done some native content marketing strategies.

What is the team composition?

I’ve worked with three people including Wendy (Owner and Strategist), and two account management team members: Jennifer and Susanna.

How did you come to work with EXL Media?

I’d worked with them as a part of different organizations in the past and always been impressed by their tenacity and ability to try creative ideas and then adjust what they’re doing based on the data.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $1,000,000 over our six years together.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since November 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We use a quarterly strategic dashboard meeting to track their progress on several metrics including engagement, click-throughs, cost-per-click, and overall interaction on social media. They’ve helped create awareness and interest as we move people through the marketing funnel for the service lines they’re looking for.

How did EXL Media perform from a project management standpoint?

We meet with them on a regular basis to look at dashboards and the effectiveness of our strategy. They’re very responsive and meet deadlines. They’ve been a great partner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a great agency and a true partner, taking the time and initiative to investigate and test the best media channels and options for us to reach our target markets. They’ve really taken the time to understand healthcare, as well as track data to uncover what people are engaging with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there’s nothing I can think of.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be specific with your goals and what you’re trying to achieve. Partner with them to develop the right content for your end-users.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of a ski resort, overseeing digital advertising, branding, our website, social media, and more.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EXL Media?

We originally brought them in to help us efficiently reach our target market through traditional sales and digital media. Since 2010, we’ve experienced changes in ownership, so we’ve adjusted our scope with them over time.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have an ongoing relationship with them. They manage and buy our media. Over the years, that’s been as much as all of our media. Currently, they manage all of our outdoor and group media campaigns, which includes weddings, meetings, and group business. They work closely with us to drive more groups to our business. 

They appeal to our audience through digital marketing, using everything from Google Ads to social media advertising that appeals to very specific wedding and meeting sites.

I work most closely with them on our outdoor campaigns. They’ve helped us find billboards both locally and in our drive market, which is in the San Francisco Bay Area.    

What is the team composition?

I work with Wendy (Owner) on the outdoor campaigns. We work with Kami (Digital Media Specialist) on digital media buying for our group advertising. There have been other teammates that have helped out over the years as well. 

How did you come to work with EXL Media?

They’re one of the few media agencies in our area, and we preferred using a local agency for their regional knowledge and expertise. They have a positive reputation in our area and were brought onto the team before I started working here. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve been working with them since July 2010.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve delivered great results, sending hundreds and thousands of leads our way through their group advertising campaign. The cost per lead is always competitive. 

For their outdoor work, the billboards they locate are always great. They know the billboards in our area better than anyone. One year we went with a different agency to handle this campaign and there was a clear regional disconnect. They didn’t understand our area nearly as well as EXL Media.

Wendy drives every single one of her billboards, so she knows how much time drivers will have to read and how fast traffic generally moves in that area. Those details make a big difference.  

How did EXL Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re super detail-oriented and always follow through. Because they’re a boutique shop, they provide very personalized service. That helped us develop a close relationship with them, so they feel like an extension of the team. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re dedicated to their clients, never taking our business for granted. They take great care with our budget through negotiating to get us the best rates and delivering everything as contracted. It’s easy to trust them with our budget because they take such great care throughout the process. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

This is a trustworthy team that prioritizes results for its clients. They won’t disappoint.  

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the former VP of marketing for a credit union. I worked with EXL Media in that capacity for about 15 years. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EXL Media?

We have in-house marketing specialists, but we didn’t always have all the resources we needed to perform all our desired marketing functions. They’ve been with us when digital marketing made a huge emergence in the industry. They were an extension of our department, bringing in skills and expertise to help us fill marketing gaps.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We did multimedia marketing campaigns together, and they would always get involved from the beginning. They helped us develop strategy and creativity while guiding the entire process. We turned to them for answers on how to spend our advertising dollars. 

At the start of every project, they determine our end goals, whether it be leads, awareness, etc. Then, they define how our team will track the success of the campaign over time. From there, we begin looking into different methods of advertising such as paid search, social, broadcast, etc.

They use their expertise to match our desired messaging to an advertising channel and spend. After their plans are in motion, they’re constantly taking opportunities to revise, adjust, and tweak processes depending on performance.

What is the team composition?

They have account representatives that work within various advertising niches such as digital and broadcast. On the creative side, we worked with another outsourced partner. However, they worked with them as a team to test, update, and give feedback on creative assets throughout the campaign.

How did you come to work with EXL Media?

They came through a professional referral. When we brought them onto the project, they began working closely with our creative agency, a market research firm, and others. We knew they could be an extension of our department. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $75,000–$100,000 on an annual basis with them. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from around April 2002–March 2020.  

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The reason we held onto the partnership for so long was because they were quick to adopt and become experts in digital advertising. They showed a true interest in our success and used their expertise to fit their knowledge to our campaign challenges. 

How did EXL Media perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very strong project managers, giving us frequent reminders and check-ins to ensure the project was running smoothly. Having them stay on top of things for us was very valuable.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re passionate about helping their clients. As a small team, their vested interest in our success on a daily basis made a huge difference. Their honesty and transparency throughout the project were also helpful. They were always there from the beginning, putting together a custom strategy so they could make a campaign unique to our company.   

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re technical experts, and I’ve seen them evolve in their ability to present data and technical information clearly for clients. That’s something that I’ve seen continuous improvement on. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It will be a disservice to your organization to hand them a set of requirements and expectations. You’ll get the most out of working with them if you bring them in early and look to them as experts in the industry. Make them part of your strategic team and collaborate.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the owner of a branding design firm and oversee all business and creative execution as well as manage partner relationships.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire EXL Media?

We work with EXL to fulfill our media planning and buying services.

What were your goals for this project?

To make the best strategic media buying choices for our client and to maximize the budget. Also to fully manage expectations and provide clear and concise data wherever possible.

SOLUTION

How did you select EXL Media?

We have worked with EXL Media for over a decade as they are the most reliable partners that we have ever worked with.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

To handle all aspects of the Media Plan, Management, and Media Budget. This included:

• Strategic Media planning and placement
• Development, implementation, and management of media-related promotions.
• Budget forecasting and allocation
• Account management and client services
• Creation of advertising production-spec sheet and creative ad trafficking services
• Evaluation, communication, and validation of all paid and promotional media inquiries
• Campaign performance measurement and reporting including creation and maintenance of an advertising performance dashboard
• Billing and media buy reconciliation.

What was the team composition?

The team included:

1. Media Supervisor
2. Digital Buyer
3. Outdoor Buyer
4. Traditional Media Buyer

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have worked with EXL Media on this transportation/destination client for 11 years and they continue to bring new ideas and enthusiasm to the table. They have been a trusted partner to our agency and to the client and we trust them year after year with their talent and experience.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

EXL is a partner who works fluidly with agencies and helps make us better and smarter on the media front.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Of all the media agencies we have ever worked with, EXL Media is the most responsive, flexible and clear, which is everything we want in a partner to make the process flow. We are EXL Media's biggest fans and trust them fully.

Are there any areas for improvement?

EXL is a team that continues to evolve, grow and bring new ideas to the table. So right now I cannot think of anything to improve on, but I am sure they are already internally figuring out for themselves how to provide even better service to their partners and clients.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director of marketing for Rhoda Goldman Plaza. We’re a stand-alone community for assisted living and memory care. I’m in charge of sales and marketing for the community.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with EXL Media?

We brought them on to promote our newly designed brands and then to build upon that through print and digital marketing. EXL Media manages all our marketing channels as well as our analytics and keyword research that help us reach our target audience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I was brought on to completely rebrand the company; we started from ground zero. We had an ad agency that helped define and create the brand’s look and feel but then needed campaign support. EXL Media was a part of that original team to support the new brand. One of those efforts was billboard advertising.

From there, we focused on continuing to build brand awareness in the interim between hiring the agency, creating the brand, and then unrolling it. They created the new brand in 10 months; that covered everything from every piece of internal paper to the logo to all the marketing channels.

Initially, we targeted print advertising in certain areas of San Francisco. EXL Media guided us through those decisions and ultimately promoted more digital marketing. Their team also handles our SEO and PPC.

What is the team composition?

I mostly work with one main point of contact, but I know there’s a whole team behind her.

How did you come to work with EXL Media?

EXL Media was part of my ad agency’s team, and I trust our agency illicitly along with whomever they work with. I liked that they were a smaller group and we could receive better-focused attention from them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested several hundred thousand dollars.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in November 2016.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve become more comfortable and familiar with digital marketing, and it has been very successfully refined over the course of our engagement. Over the last few years, we’ve focused on targeted keywords. As we’ve refined them, the qualified leads have increased.

EXL Media is always on top of it. Google is consistently changing their analytics and formulas so we have to constantly adjust, and EXL Media does that for us. When I had a certain challenge, they identified the source and keywords of it.  I receive monthly reports that are very valuable. However, the reports aren’t just numbers, EXL Media interprets them for me.

What’s more, we have new competition in the area and EXL Media incorporated the name of that organization in our keyword searches. I often receive leads from people looking for the competition, which I appreciate greatly.

Their team is always thinking of a more strategic buy and effective keywords. Our cost per click doesn’t always go down but our qualified leads increase. I don’t mind spending more because I know they’re doing the right work for us.

How did EXL Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management is top-notch. They’re agile because they have a small team. I don’t have to wait a long time to get an answer or resolution. When I ask to initiate a new project, they’re right on it. I get a timely response and that clearly shows that they’ve spent the time to give me the estimate.

My main contact is extremely responsive and always has an answer; which is astonishing to me given how quickly the digital marketing world changes. I couldn’t do my work effectively without their good communication and edgy advice. I completely trust my decision to work with them; they’ve been right every time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication and follow-through are excellent. There are never any dangling participles with them. They complete every task they’re given and offer candid advice. Sometimes, it’s not what I want to hear but they have my trust and the courage to state it. Their team knows how to encourage me to take uncomfortable steps knowing I may need more communication, which they provide. It boils down to exceptional communication.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there isn’t anything. Our needs are being not only met but exceeded.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust them. Walk into the relationship knowing they’re the expert. Don’t try to outthink or challenge them in a negative way. It’s always good to challenge, but approach the relationship knowing they’ve got you covered.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Director of Marketing at Catalina Express, a boat transportation company That takes you to Catalina Island.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire EXL Media?

EXL was hired to manage and implement media buy for various campaigns including a co-op campaign between three major stakeholders bringing tourism to Catalina Island, a Boat & Hotel annual campaign that they have managed the media buy and analytics for over 10 years and our own stand alone Catalina Express media buy for boat transportation.

What were your goals for this project?

The goals for all of these projects was always to increase passengers and tourists to Catalina Island mid-week as well as weekends.

SOLUTION

How did you select EXL Media?

EXL was involved in RFPs every couple years and they always stood out with innovations and market research knowledge.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

EXL really takes time in coming up with the best and most effective plans for any campaign. They take the budget number you have and come up with dynamic ideas on what is the best ways to spend those dollars.

They closely watch the analytics and suggest changes when needed in order to get the best value for those dollars and achieve high ROI. At the end of each quarter, and monthly if needed, they go over the results of any running campaign and suggest changes if needed.

For the Boat & Hotel packages the team would always come out to present the results to our partners in our annual meeting that is held on the Island.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with Wendy, Susanna and Lisa. They are all always available and get back to you right away when needed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Using EXL for over 10 years, our trust in the team is always the reason we come back. They stand out from all media buy companies with how much passion they put into their work and the choices they make with placing the right buys. All of our projects had consistent YOY growth.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow is always great as they are always ready to hop on a call if needed and can always address any questions with research they have done, or are willing to do.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their knowledge and connections in the industry. They know every single billboard that is out as they drive by them and take photos when doing research. They are really diligent about their work and placements in any media.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Expanding offices so we can see them more often would be great.