Hedges & Company

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing for an automotive parts provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hedges & Company?

We wanted to improve our paid search campaigns.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Hedges & Company managed our campaigns on Google Ads and Bing. They were able to take data we provided to them in a manual parts feed and translate it into something workable and effective for Shopping campaigns.

What is the team composition?

Chris (PPC/SEO Manager) is our direct account rep. Another person (Lori) manages our Shopping feed updates to Google Merchant Center and Bing. Jon (Principal) always oversees every now and then to offer his perspective. It’s nice to get the full attention of the company owner.

How did you come to work with Hedges & Company?

We included them in an RFP with other paid search companies. Hedges & Company showed themselves to have more expertise in the automotive space, which gave them an advantage. Ours is a unique industry, and so Hedges had a bit of an edge understanding the automotive parts space. They also impressed us with their responsiveness and competitive bid.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in September 2016 and ended in April 2020. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve always had a strong return on ad spend (ROAS). Hedges & Company was able to shepherd us through growth while increasing our ROAS year-over-year. We consistently saw our revenue growth outpace our costs, and I give kudos to their management for that. We had very little exposure to Google Shopping so it was helpful for them to handle all of that. They have a ‘secret sauce’ they apply to the Product Feed and I give them credit for being able to take our very complicated product data and turn it into something that could be used for Shopping campaigns.

They managed our retargeting campaigns for a brief period, but we decided it was better that we manage those ourselves, and then eventually moved our paid search campaigns in-house as well to manage costs and improve efficiency. They were professional to us to the very last day, and we were always happy with their performance.

How did Hedges & Company perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great partners. Since the beginning, we had an open, transparent relationship with Chris, who excels at account management. He was on the ball and would respond immediately if we had an issue or question.

Their weekly metrics reports were very, very detailed as well, letting us track the progress of each campaign. Every other week, we’d get on a call with Chris to get into more details with graphs and trends. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The team was very open, transparent, and hands-on in their account management. The level of detail in their metrics and reporting went above and beyond as well. They were always responsive to our inquiries, making sure to get back to us quickly, especially over e-mail, or take note of any questions we e-mailed about and address it all in our bi-weekly call. They helped us optimize our feed and product data throughout the years of partnership as well, doing a lot of work to identify issues in our product records like changing fitment and other things that we could then pass on to our tech and merchandising teams to remedy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There were a few times Hedges did not follow an agreed upon plan for a gradual budget and bid increase, which resulted in inefficient spend with lower ROAS that could have been avoided had we stuck to plan. Additionally, an agreed upon monthly cap of their fees that was written into the contract was not honored when the time finally came to exercise that part of the agreement. In the spirit of partnership, we allowed Hedges to continue billing at a % of spend without the monthly cap, but it got to a point where their fee structure would impede profitable growth on our end. Interestingly, we might have continued with them had they honored the initial agreement we all signed. My advice to them would be to honor what they promise in an initial RFP response.

Any advice for potential customers?

Work with Chris if you can: he’s one of the best. Jon’s availability as a company owner willing and ready to check in at key moments is appreciated, we like that personal touch. Hedges prefers to be given a budget, goals and to let them do their thing, we’ve found that it’s a balance of being hands-off and hands-on to help drive successful results.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive VP of DualLiner, LLC. We’re a truck bed liner manufacturer and e-commerce retailer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hedges & Company?

We had an in-house marketing and digital media team but decided to transition those tasks to Hedges & Company. We wanted to utilize their expertise in the aftermarket automotive field.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To facilitate a better ROI, Hedges & Company built out the e-commerce functionality on our website. Operating as our entire marketing team, they’re wholly responsible for our SEO efforts. This includes running our PPC campaigns on both Google and Bing. They also provide content creation by writing all the blog posts that appear on our site.

What is the team composition?

We worked directly with John (Principal, Hedges & Company) when the engagement began. Chris (PPC/SEO Manager, Hedges & Company) also worked with us since day one. He currently leads the project.

How did you come to work with Hedges & Company?

I searched for automotive aftermarket media companies. They’re known to be the leaders in the industry, so hiring them was an easy decision.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2015 and the project is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Hedges & Company are an innovative firm that knows the industry. They’ve done a fantastic job organically increasing our web presence and brand recognition. These efforts have grown our business exponentially in the e-commerce space.

How did Hedges & Company perform from a project management standpoint?

Chris and John have been excellent to work with. We talk to them regularly and hold bi-weekly phone conferences. They give us frequent updates and provide weekly reports.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve done a phenomenal job of running efficient PPC campaigns while simultaneously helping us grow organically. They outperform every other firm we’ve hired previously. Constantly trying to improve, they’re always thinking of new ideas and new campaigns.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They know what they’re doing, so take their advice and communicate concerns. They’ll get to know your brand and your product. This approach proved successful for us.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing strategy manager at an aftermarket equipment and parts retailer that specializes in the heavy-duty market.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hedges & Company?

We originally hired their team to establish a more robust online presence. Since then, we’ve expanded into increasing our influence and establishing a more coherent brand identity.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They’ve primarily provided PPC services. We’ve used a variety of strategies across Google Adwords, Yahoo, and Bing, with the original goal of securing top results across all platforms. However, as the project progressed, we’ve decided to more strategically distribute our resources based on our return. Hedges has done a great job in tracking the results of various campaigns and providing feedback on what’s most effective. While reviewing a campaign, we also find ways to incorporate our best-selling products to maximize ROI.

What is the team composition?

Chris (PPC/SEO Manager, Hedges & Company) has been our main point of contact, but we’ve also worked closely with Jon (Principal, Hedges & Company) throughout the process.

How did you come to work with Hedges & Company?

I wasn’t personally involved in the selection process, but our website provider highly recommended them.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested over $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in December 2013, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Over the course of our engagement, our business has doubled. I don’t know the specifics around our rankings, but we’ve consistently met the goals we’ve set throughout the engagement.

How did Hedges & Company perform from a project management standpoint?

Over the course of a five-year engagement, there will inevitably be some miscommunication. In terms of time management, there were a few times that we didn’t have the right account manager. However, the team has been exceptionally quick to respond when we have concerns. They listen closely and work hard to find effective solutions. We communicate over the phone and meet with their team twice a week to review current campaigns and redistribute our budget accordingly.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their accessibility distinguishes them from other providers. It’s extremely difficult to work with vendors that need to be badgered into providing status updates. Any time we’ve had to address something with Hedges, they’ve been quick to respond. That’s been a significant selling point for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s been a fair amount of turnover throughout our time working with Hedges, which has led to some difficulties. Overall though, they’ve been great to work with.

Any advice for potential customers?

The results of the partnership will be directly correlated with the amount of effort you’re willing to put in. PPC campaigns, for example, are not going to lead to positive outcomes if you fail to provide the necessary background information. A hands-on approach will yield a very productive engagement.