Hop Skip Marketing

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Dickson Design Group is a Toronto-based interior decorating and design studio. We handle projects of virtually every size and scope, including renovations and new builds. We handle space planning, design and project management. I am Kate Dickson, the Principal of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Hop Skip Marketing?

After years of counting on word of mouth as the sole form of marketing, it was time to take the company to the next level.

What were your goals for this project?

We had two goals: brand awareness and lead generation.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

After chatting with a few agencies it was very clear Hop Skip had what we were looking for. A great team that understood what our small business needed to grow. Their work on other small businesses in the design industry has been excellent and they got fantastic reviews from those owners.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

After the initial conversations with Hop Skip we had a discovery meeting to help them to understand our business in detail. Hop Skip Marketing is now managing the social media profiles including Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook, in addition to basic web and email marketing services.

What was the team composition?

I work mainly with Liz. But also have monthly meetings with Stephanie to go over next months plan for posts etc.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have had a steady increase in website traffic from May 1st until July 31. 60% of which is coming from social media. What's more, 94% of these people are first-time visitors.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Liz and Stephanie are both so easy to work with. They feel like DDG team members. We have ongoing communication throughout the month as well as more formal meetings each month to discuss the results of the past month as well as plan for the next. When there was a mistake made (which happened only once) it was dealt with instantly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Liz and the team are so enjoyable to work with. They are flexible, always accessible and extremely knowledgeable. They are always patient with our sometimes odd questions and seem one step ahead of us with ideas to improve our numbers. They are creative with concepts and understand the constantly evolving interior design world.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I cannot think of anything I feel needs improvement. They are a joy to work with and the results speak for themselves. I look forward to developing a more robust campaign with them in the future.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the program manager at P&I Technologies Inc., a company that provides professional technical training for specialized programs relating to electrical engineering.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hop Marketing?

We engaged Hop Marketing to manage our digital marketing and SEO efforts to improve our overall online performance.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Hop Marketing oversees our digital marketing campaigns on Google, LinkedIn, and Facebook. They've also provided keyword research and helped us optimize our website.

What is the team composition?

I generally work with just two main people on their staff directly.

How did you come to work with Hop Marketing?

I did a lot of research online and liked Hop Marketing's website and portfolio the best. I also felt they were very professional and proactive in their approach after speaking with them directly.

How much have you invested with them?

Our first campaign had a ceiling of $10,000 and our second went up to $7,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together since around September 2017, and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Hop Marketing applies effective digital strategies to improve our online presence and performance. We're quite happy with their results overall.

How did Hop Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

They're generally responsive and timely, communicating with us primarily through email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They deliver results, which is why I decided to work with them again on a second campaign.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think they could do a better job of closing their campaigns, meaning they could provide more analysis and an overall review of what elements of each campaign were effective or not. For clients with less knowledge in the digital marketing space, it would also help to spend more time educating them about the whole process.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They're experts in their industry, so trust their approach.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the president of iCapital, a financial services company that provides small business loans to businesses across Canada.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hop Skip Marketing?

We were looking for a marketing company to help us improve public perception of the company and to help us discover the best outlets for investing in advertising.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

After discussing some of our business challenges, Hop Skip laid out a marketing strategy that included pricing and a timeline for results. They then did extensive brainstorming with our team to help develop our brand, philosophy, and website.

They also performed an audit of our advertising spend over the course of six months to a year to figure out which outlets (i.e., online, direct marketing, magazines) were generating the most leads. They set up email and Google ad campaigns, as well as means for us to communicate with our customers, including monthly newsletters and surveys.

What is the team composition?

We're in touch with their team by phone and email three to four times a week and they meet with us in-person every Tuesday for a full day.

How did you come to work with Hop Skip Marketing?

We found them through an online search and they were the first company we interviewed. After meeting with them, we canceled interviews with two other vendors we were considering, because we were so impressed by how upfront and thorough they were.

How much have you invested with them?

We've probably invested around $2 million in their services over the years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them for seven years and counting.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Hop Skip's efforts have almost doubled our sales each year and set a record last year. The website they built has become one of our greatest tools; we receive lots of applications through the site and clients are actively enjoying its features. 

Previously, many of our customers were unsure about the integrity of the company when we received calls from direct mail marketing, but we haven't received a call like that in about six years.

How did Hop Skip Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

We've let them do exactly what they pitched to us, which has led to some great results. They provide transparent, thorough analytics and complete reports of what types of advertising are working and not working, so we know we're spending our money in the right places.

They're extremely organized, proactive, and always meet their deadlines. There's no excuses; it's all results-driven. They go above and beyond, and have even donated their time to help coordinate fundraising events for us for charity.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're very responsive and always get back to us within the same day of reaching out. More importantly, they deliver results year after year and have become a big part of our business as a result. I would highly recommend them to anyone trying to create a brand, get organized, or figure out where their advertising and marketing dollars are going.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give their team a fair amount of time to produce results. It's not an overnight process–it takes time to build a brand. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Backbone Technology, a digital agency and software development house. We do projects that range from branding to custom software for companies all around the world.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hop Skip Marketing?

We wanted to move into the Software as a service (SaaS) space and needed a partner to manage our marketing plans and activities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Hop Skip Marketing provides a variety of services, depending on what we need. The first thing they did was help launch a new product and generate sales growth. After developing the marketing strategy and plan, they began executing an integrated B2B marketing program. They worked closely with our leadership to develop case studies and manage other initiatives such as international tradeshows, digital marketing, and content marketing. Right now, they handle all of our social media. They also have various web writing tasks that they handle on a monthly basis.

What is the team composition?

We work with their founder.

How did you come to work with Hop Skip Marketing?

We’d worked with them before on other projects.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve worked together since July 2014.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Some of their projects have increased our sales dramatically. They consistently do good work, and I’m not afraid to let them interact directly with my clients, which shows how much I trust them. Our customers are always satisfied with their work.

How did Hop Skip Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

I can assign them a project and know it will get finished. They’re timely and dependable. We meet about once a week to stay up-to-date on tasks and assignments.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They provide good results, and we have a good working relationship. They understand our business well, which can’t be said of all marketing firms. They’re responsible and professional, accomplishing all of the work given to them. They keep us up to standard and ensure our software and tools are working properly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’ve had to do a few iterations on some projects before they were ready to go. However, no one’s perfect, and they’re always clear about limitations and challenges.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Make sure you know what you want but give them space to do their job. Trust that they know the best way to help you accomplish your goals.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the VP of business development for Lorpon Labels, a print service provider that specializes in labels, including flexible, single serve product packaging and durable labels for outdoors products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hop Skip Marketing?

We were going through a rebranding and needed help managing our online presence, including digital marketing. Rather than hire additional staff, we were looking for a vendor that could dedicate a few hours a week to overseeing our marketing strategy for the rebrand.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Hop Skip's team initially managed the marketing strategy for our rebrand, including the design of a logo and some website development. They manage and create content for our social media accounts, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, along with any outbound communications (ie., direct mail, email, press releases), utilizing MailChimp for email marketing and PipelineDeals for customer relationship management. They also help us source other vendors as needed, such as services for cold calling.

What is the team composition?

Tania (Principal, Hop Skip Marketing) is our main point of contact, but we also work with Liz (B2B Marketing Consultant, Hop Skip Marketing). We generally meet in-person every week for a couple hours and email or call each other throughout the week as needed.

How did you come to work with Hop Skip Marketing?

We had been working with Tania when she was at another firm, so we decided to discontinue our contract with that firm when she left in order to continue working with her. We've always felt comfortable working with her; she's good about making sure we're staying on top of tasks and providing the information they need in order to produce content for social media and blogs.

How much have you invested with them?

We have them on a retainer and invest about $30,000–$40,000 CAD (about $23,000–$30,000 USD) annually plus any extra expenses that come up for ad campaigns.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working together for about four years [since 2014] and the relationship is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Hop Skip reinvigorated our 30-year-old brand and stimulated lead generation. We went from having almost zero inbound phone calls or leads to receiving at least a couple leads each week. Overall, their efforts improved our position as a leader in the market. The launch of a thought leadership program, a re-brand, video and digital marketing have helped us penetrate new market segments. A creative niche direct campaign coordinated in conjunction with the sales team resulted in 68% of recipients engaging in the campaign, 7% converting to new clients immediately, and continual year-over-year growth. 

How did Hop Skip Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?

They've been excellent. They typically respond to any phone calls or emails within an hour and do a good job of managing projects through Evernote.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Hop Skip's team has taken the time to understand our business and specific challenges, so they can provide customized, creative outputs. They seem more invested in our success than a large firm would be.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They're mostly limited by our budget.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust the process. They were honest about how long our rebranding efforts would take to produce any ROI, so it takes some patience during the first year. By sticking with it for the long haul, we've been able to build up our online presence enough to see significant results.