FEAST

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the senior product manager for a consumer goods company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FEAST?

We needed to create a TV commercial for our product.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They delivered full-service creation from concept design to complete development of the TV ad. We had a preliminary meeting with them to talk about high-level business objectives and the importance of brand messaging. After that meeting, they came up with content ideas and different approaches for the ad. We selected an idea and they went forward into the storyboard phase. From there we went through an iterative approval and correction process until we had filming on set. There were two rounds of edits before the final product.

One of the biggest factors of this project was that we needed to get the continental team’s approval for the creative. That included everything from music to tone of voice, to wording, shots, and the finishing screen. It was an added layer in the approval process and definitely presented some challenges.

What is the team composition?

We mainly worked with the co-founders, who also fill the roles of creative director and chief strategy officer. They both had broadcasting teams, and I believe outsourced some of the work, but they were the two involved from the first day.

How did you come to work with FEAST?

We pitched our idea to three or four agencies, including FEAST, explaining our business objectives, our brand, and the goal we had for the product we wanted to present. In the concept creation meeting, we were immediately impressed with their creativity and professionalism.

What also stood out to us was the quality of their past work. It was clear that there was a lot of thought leadership and no idea was presented without a deep understanding of impact and messaging. Taking all of that into account, it was an easy decision for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $70,000–$100,000. One of the biggest challenges of this project was that the majority of our budget was used for the media itself. Because of that, FEAST did a fantastic job with the small budget we had available.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in August 2017, and the commercial aired the start of October 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since the creative we made locally was so well received internally, we shared it and modified it for the global team and other markets. Externally, there was definitely a boost in sales. It was a good ROI and a successful campaign.

How did FEAST perform from a project management standpoint?

They were professional and adapted well to project changes that would occur in the approval process with our continental team. They worked quickly around necessary changes and made sure that teams they worked with adhered to the timeline as well. They communicated clearly, so there were never any surprises.

We spoke multiple times a day, especially once the project was underway. Communication was constant and fluid. They were always available over email or phone. Through that constant communication, we were intimately involved in the project without becoming a hindrance.

The co-founders and their teams were dedicated to the project’s success and you could tell in the quality of the work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They were understanding of our timeline, budget, and layered approval process. The response of the continental team could definitely slow down our schedule, and they were patient and flexible throughout that process. It made it easy to work with them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, it was a smooth process from beginning to end even with the complicated layers of approval on our end. We got something that was modern, impactful, and successful. I didn’t see any issues.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My only advice would be to go for it. They’re easy to work with and have a deep understanding of the advertising business, which shows in their advice. They have a creative team whose dedication never wavers.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing manager at a domestic appliance and housewares company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FEAST?

We were launching a product in Canada for the first time. It wasn’t launched in any other market yet, so we needed assistance developing a full communication plan and creative content.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They conducted background research on the industry and held focus groups. For creative asset development, they created a video on par with a high-quality TV ad, though we didn’t run it on TV. And they created three other micro-videos, they did some photography that we can use for social media ads, and they developed some banner advertisements.

What is the team composition?

We worked with the co-founders, who also serve as the creative directors.

How did you come to work with FEAST?

This was a bigger project than we’re used to, so we were looking for a new creative agency that would gain approval from our entire team. We brought in a few different agencies, but we were impressed with FEAST’s previous work.

What is the status of this engagement?

The initial project spanned from September 2017 through December 2017. That project is completed, but we’re currently expanding it because we found the communication plan and original creative content was not as impactful in the market as we wanted. We are now repurposing that content.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They produced high-quality content. We were pleased with the way they organized the shoot and the quality of the vendors they brought on board to work with them. They have good connections for sound, talent, production, and editing services.

How did FEAST perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated through emails and phone calls. They were attentive, and they were accommodating in terms of meeting our tight deadlines. There was some tension along the way in terms of finding a meeting place for what fits our brand and what fits their vision. We had to push certain requirements for the brand, and those were not always ideal for them creatively. But we always came to an agreement that worked for both parties.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're a smaller agency that is still able to produce high-quality content. A lot of agencies who are able to produce the level of content they do are sometimes very large and maybe too expensive. I appreciate that they can take on projects quickly and meet the deadlines we need.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They need to be more respectful of the brand. We need to follow certain guidelines from a corporate level, even if they don’t fit the creative narrative.

Any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to stand your ground. At the end of the day, they produce great content, but you’re in charge of the direction you want it to take. It’s a two-way relationship that both sides need to be a part of.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the CEO and co-founder of bgon, a mobile application for students to buy, sell, and trade on their college or university campus.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FEAST?

Before launching, we wanted help getting our foot in the door with our target audience.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their work has three main parts: social media marketing, influencer engagement, and a commercial. In terms of social, they do a lot of posts and advertising. FEAST is helping get our name out on various campuses. They identified people to represent each campus as part of an influencer launch campaign. We're in the process of shooting the commercial right now.

What is the team composition?

The two creative leads are always involved. Depending on the project, it changes a little bit which other team members we work with.

How did you come to work with FEAST?

We reached out to a bunch of companies and narrowed down the list to three, all in the Toronto area. We met with all of them to hear them pitch their concepts ideas. We ended up choosing FEAST in part due to their honest and communicative vibe.

What is the status of this engagement?

We officially began working together in August 2016 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

FEAST has been awesome. They’re really well-versed in influencer engagement, which has been super helpful for what we're looking to achieve with our demographic. By using students on campus and their social media outreach that they have, it's really helped us gain traction in name recognition. That increase brings people to our website or the App/Play Store and then converts them into downloads. They've helped us achieve some pretty solid results so far. The commercial is set to air when students go back to campus in the Fall, and we're hoping that it will result in even greater outreach.

How did FEAST perform from a project management standpoint?

There's never a time where I can't reach FEAST. Somebody from the team is always willing and available, and it's usually one of the heads of the company. We use Basecamp and Dropbox Paper as project management tools. Everything is laid out and well organized. If there’s ever a delay, they let us know early so that we can make adjustments.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I get a great feeling from everyone on their team and that I can trust what they say. If they say they will do something, it’s going to happen. As a smaller company, we definitely feel like we’re important to them. We were worried that by going with a bigger agency bgon would get lost in the shuffle. They always take good care of us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything. We’re really happy and satisfied right now.

Any advice for potential customers?

Every marketing company has different strengths and weaknesses. Be clear about your goals so they can make sure that they're the right fit for you. They will help you identify the services that will provide the best results for your company.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the sales and marketing director the Canadian retail channel of Ledvance. We sell lighting products for the North America market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with FEAST?

Our first five years with them, our challenge getting people to buy better headlights for their cars and to market the safety aspect of having our headlights.

We are now working on marketing our household light bulbs with common practice media sessions—without just doing the regular TV spots.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

FEAST provides a whole marketing agency experience. They are creating concepts, developing the concepts, developing commercials, editing our media, and making sure we stayed in line with the legal fees for our spots.

Their team also does the media buys for us through various mediums. They guide us on what we should do social media-wise and control our media direction through our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They cover every aspect of a marketing campaign.

What is the team composition?

We mainly work with their two founders. They also have a team working in the background as well.

How did you come to work with FEAST?

We brought in 4–5 different candidates, told them our challenges and asked them for a pitch. After we reviewed their work, we found FEAST’s creativity and attention to detail were the best. We knew right off the bat that we could trust them to concentrate on our project as a smaller company.

How much have you invested with them?

We invest an average of $2 million a year and in total about $10 million including media buys.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2012 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For the first couple years, our sales grew 20–30%. When we first launched our Silver Star product, their marketing campaigns grew our sales that year as well.

Their social media efforts also grow our sales at least 8% for all our different products.

How did FEAST perform from a project management standpoint?

They are nothing short of amazing and I’ve worked with many agencies in the past—they are so far the best.

FEAST is very flexible, and we can always reach out for any questions. We have a very good relationship and don’t get too comfortable with us to keep focused on delivering the best product. We communicate mainly through email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their communication and research impress us. They do a very good job of digging in on certain aspects of the project and how it can connect to the bigger picture.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t really see anything. They are a smaller agency, but they are always online, so that wasn’t a problem.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and honest and put everything on the table. Don't hide anything. Make sure your goals are clear and be precise with what you want. It’ll make the project run better.