Hoops

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The company I work for is ZF Services Turk. We operate in the automotive sector, mainly distributing transmissions and handling sales and service parts.

We also operate in the aftermarket business, which is mainly made up of what we call aftermarket trade parts. Within our set of brands, we own different sub-brands that we sell as well. We are currently the number two brand globally in the aftermarket business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hoops?

The marketing aspect of our business was not familiar to our management before around January of 2018 when I was hired to be the first marketing manager of the company.

I realized there was no history or legacy to build upon, so we needed an experienced ad agency that we could cooperate with to establish our strategy and also establish the necessary marketing collaterals together.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had no print ads, so they started by designing and creating around 20 different product adds. We also initiated social media and digital communications just a couple of months ago on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

We have a big event presence that is designed to function as workshops for our retailers, and Hoops handles advertising those. Altogether, they provide a very 360 advertising service.

What is the team composition?

I’m usually in touch with the owner, but we have an account director as well. We have a designer, a copywriter, and a social media team assigned to our account beyond that, but I’m not in contact with the people working more behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Hoops?

We initiated a search for a partner in that process, and Hoops was immediately a frontrunner. They reached out to me through LinkedIn and just demonstrated a lot of expertise in the area.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $120,000 annually.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in June 2018 and are continuing to work together.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their support is really central to our operations — like I said, they offer a 360 service. They were also one of the more competitive quotations from suppliers that we looked at, so we feel like we’re getting really good value for our investment.

We have some projects that haven’t been realized yet due to budget reasons, but I appreciate their approach because I always have an idea of the next things to pursue in terms of new technologies or media channels as time goes on or as we get more funding from the company.

How did Hoops perform from a project management standpoint?

It took a little while for me to get up to speed in this aspect because it was our first time working on this kind of project, but I realized that I needed to develop better briefs in order to give them more direction. That was on me though. The minute I realized what I wanted, they caught on and were able to deliver, so they’ve been a huge resource with project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Personally, I’m 42 years old and don’t consider myself tech-savvy in any way, but they really are. Whenever we have an idea or a project plan, they always offer the new age perspective, which I appreciate because it often raises a lot of possibilities that I don’t necessarily consider when thinking about it.

I don’t connect marketing projects and designing an app as naturally as they do, and in this age, they can really clue you in to some of the digital interdependencies that you can benefit by taking advantage of.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m a very open person, so I give them any feedback that I think of and they are always good about incorporating it into their operations, so I would say there isn’t anything specific for them to improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I think you have to be decisive when working with them. Know your budgets and what you want to achieve from the market, and as long as you communicate that to them they will deliver 100%. Give them good direction and they will always be willing to learn and deliver.