The Hot Plate

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for The Hartz Mountain Corporation. We’re in the pet industry. We’ve been making and selling pet products for more than 90 years. In my role, I’m in charge of our creative services department, our website, market research, coupons and promotions, our social media, content, and more.

What challenge were you trying to address with THP?

We engaged with them mainly for their video production services, but they’ve also done some still images for us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve done 3–4 projects with THP. Out of the four, three of them involved a dog or cat talent featuring our dog pads or cat treat products. We’re located in New Jersey, but they did the filming at their location. THP live-streamed the set and production. This made it easier so we didn’t have to get on a plane to be live for the production, but we could communicate with the producer on set while they were filming. This has allowed us to see how they work and comment if we saw something we wanted to tweak. The process is very fluid.

What is the team composition?

We worked with 5–6 people. There were two individuals we primarily worked with to negotiate the project and go through storyboards. Then, we worked with another 2–3 people during the filming of the project.

How did you come to work with THP?

They reached out to me through a cold-call email. I thought it was worthwhile to look into them. We have a photographer/videographer in-house, but there are busy seasons when the work becomes a lot to handle for one person.

We had an introduction with THP and then had a project we thought would be a good fit to test with them. We really liked how they handled that project and wanted to continue the relationship.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested between $25,000–$30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement ran from October 2019–February 2020.

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

Their production quality is top-notch, and that’s a comment that’s been made by several different areas of our company. We’ve been very impressed with their quality of work.

How did THP perform from a project management standpoint?

I was impressed with their project management style. They were very buttoned up with how they funneled us through their process. Each of the meetings was punctual and our time was spent very wisely. Each step of the process was great. We communicated through phone and email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their process is very buttoned up and easy to follow. The actual production timing was excellent and being able to communicate with the producer was great.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t. I’m looking forward to the next time we work with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Partner with them on a video production project because that’s where you’ll really see what they can bring to the table.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a strong regional/super regional perishable food company. I am the marketing lead for our most important channel.We are a strong regional/super regional perishable food company with a strong appetite for growth, which includes increased national awareness with our target audience of food professional.

For what projects/services did your company hire THP?

We made a major investment in a national conference to help drive awareness for our company and ultimately generate high quality leads. We asked THP to help with a digital campaign with pre-conference, during conference, and post-conference tactics to help drive the awareness and engagement with attendees.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to get national exposure that re-enforces our credibility in the food industry as as value-added partner for prospects/customers. Although awareness was important, we did want the effort to lead to new business leads.

How did you select this vendor?

Currently, my team works with at least three different agency partners, but through business discussion about the conference and recommended tactics, it was clear THP had the best approach to meeting our goals. In fact, THP did not recommend a common tactic that other agencies did recommend, so they really stood out as experts in the digital space.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The project involved an integrated mix of email, social media ( including geo-targeting), and lead nurturing to maximize exposure at he conference.

What was the team composition?

I have been engaged with a broader client service team and a project team of three people, which was the day-to-day team for this project. I found them to be very easy to work with and bringing in the right experts to execute the project.

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

Although this campaign was very specific to a conference, the metrics definitely exceeded industry benchmarks. This project also exceeded our own results working with other agencies on similar projects. An example of the success, was our seminar at the conference was at capacity and attendees were turned away, while several other seminars were only about 50% full. Clearly, we got he exposure we were looking for with this project.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

THP is a new agency partner, so there was some expected learning about us and our brands. But, they were very adaptive and flexible which made the workflow very easy for us.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I am planning to continue to use THP, because of their clear expertise with digital marketing and their flexibility. I was very impressed with their knowledge, but also their ability to explain the value of specific tactics. There are other capabilities with photography and video that I also expect to explore with them.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There are no areas of improvement for this project. I do think that overtime, THP will get to know our company and brands a bit better, which will make the workflow a bit more efficient for both sides.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the associate manager, advertising for KFC Canada and am responsible for all advertising and content we produce to support our retail promotional calendar in Canada. All types of advertising including TV, social, outdoor, and branded communications flow through me.

For what projects/services did your company hire THP?

We needed a cost-effective solution to capture images of our new products throughout the year to support our retail marketing calendar. We were previously leveraging food photography used for in-store promotional panels, but were looking for a partner to provide us with "real life" images.

What were your goals for this project?

Capture 2-6 new food photography images for each of our marketing promotional periods - up to 9 promotions per year, with each requiring about half a dozen product images. This allows us to bring our promotional calendar to life in the e-commmerce space.

How did you select this vendor?

THP were cost-effective and scaleable - we were able to work with them on flexible terms without requiring huge commitments of dollars ahead of time. They understood our needs and consistently have gone out of their way to help me achieve my business goals no matter the timelines. We did not evaluate other vendors after trying them out on one project - they provided (and continue to provide) great value for money. I know I could not achieve the same outcomes at a lower cost. The work we do is ancillary to our overall advertising work so keeping costs down, while maintaining high quality of work, is important to us.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The scope was to shoot our entire menu as a starting point, and then shoot additional products as needed every 6-8 weeks to support our marketing calendar. The images go on our ecommerce website and in-store kiosks. I work very hands-on with THP, providing them with exact shots & creative direction, visual direction, and am on-set working hand in hand with their stylists and photographers to get the shots exactly as we need them.

What was the team composition?

I work with two account services team members, and one photographer and one food stylist each shoot. The photographer and stylist can change each shoot; the account team doesn't change .

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

It's difficult to measure success with actual metrics as our work is not part of a paid media campaign. Anecdotally, internally the team has been thrilled with the quality of work provided and our overall brand food photography has truly been elevated.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

THP has pretty formulaic and strict processes that they abide by for all their projects. Sometimes the processes seem a bit cumbersome and are clearly designed to allow the account team to work on a turnkey solution regardless of project. However overall it works well. The main client contact is quite junior, which requires our team to lean in and stay very close to the overall projects to ensure everything is being done to our standards.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are "yes people", always willing to make it work even on tight timelines. I really appreciate that I know I can count on them to deliver what I need to, any time.

Are there any areas for improvement?

the key account people are fairly junior and I feel could use more oversight from their senior leaders.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing manager of a large food and beverage company.

What challenge were you trying to address with THP?

We hired them to provide image content for our social media platforms.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They handle all of our photography and video content for all of our brands. In addition to managing the social media channels, they’ve done some data analysis and reported to us on how well all of our profiles are doing. Not only that, their reports contain suggestions on how we can improve—not just our social media channels like Facebook and Instagram, but our website too. They’ve done some design work for us, as well.

In terms of our process, we discuss what we’d like to see in a phone call before we proceed with any campaigns or content creation. They present recommendations to us based on what we outline at the start and we move forward from there.

What is the team composition?

I usually work directly with two people, but I’ve worked with 10-15 in total throughout the contract.

How did you come to work with THP?

I came on board after they’d already hired them, but I believe my boss had worked with them previously.

What is the status of this engagement?

I’ve been working with them since January 2018, although I believe they came on board with us a few months before that. The collaboration is ongoing.

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

We always get positive internal feedback on their content, which is exciting for us.

How did THP perform from a project management standpoint?

They turn their work around quickly, which helps us a lot. They’re also very accessible and able to provide any kind of content I need. We generally communicate via phone and email but we also meet in person at least once per month.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve never worked with another agency that works so quickly. I love working with them. Every one of their employees I’ve encountered has been great to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not from my point of view.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give as much detail as you can with regard to a campaign or project, but also leave room for THP to have creative freedom. They’re talented at visual media, so let them have room to come up with suggestions and utilize their skills.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a brand manager for a producer and distributor of spirits and wines.

What challenge were you trying to address with THP?

We wanted to bring some excitement to a particular mixers and liquors brand and communicate with consumers in a more effective way. That involved adding an asset that we could share on social media. We came up with the idea of creating a video that would educate brand consumers in the cocktail world.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We provided some recipes and asked them to create 30–35-second slow-motion videos for consumer education. We provided information on two or three different spirits from our company. The newest one had only a website, but the older brands had social media channels. We found ways to create and share the slow-motion videos on these channels.

We had a complete briefing process. They guided us on what information we needed to provide, including setup elements, brand messaging, lighting, and so on. It was a long process, but it was necessary.

They also provided photography services. We usually ask for images that go along with the videos so that we can support the content at the point-of-sale, store level. If a video is too long for some purposes, we can use the photography in its place. The photography and videos usually come together.

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with their account manager and we have conferences with their 2–3-person production team. If we decide to go the site for the production, then we deal with the rest of the team. We will work with 4–5 different people from their side for the production.

How did you come to work with THP?

I was referred to them by someone who’d used their services to create all the videos for another brand. We saw that work and we liked it, so we got in contact.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost from our brand’s side is $30,000 CAD [$23,300 USD] per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2016 and continue to produce videos with them twice a year.

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

We’ve worked together on four projects so far and everything has been smooth. They know our brands and company, so it’s a lot easier for everyone now. We initially started the process with stop-motion videos, but received feedback that those videos were too long. We reduced the videos’ length significantly after that. 

Everyone likes the videos and the feedback has been positive. We’ve found them to be an effective tool for communicating our brand message and educating consumers. The content has made it a lot easier for consumers to get over their fears of creating a cocktail at home.

How did THP perform from a project management standpoint?

It’s a pleasure to work with them. Everything is good from the customer’s side. They always follow up and usually ask for weekly or biweekly calls to track what we’re doing, what our next steps are, and what our plans for the future are. We communicated through email initially. We also have conference calls and visited their location during production days. 

They've also been open to work on changes. Even though it’s difficult to change a video, if we’re not happy with a result, they’re willing to make a change. This was done even if they had to shoot the video again, which happened at one time for no additional cost. That said a lot about their willingness to please the customer.

What did you find most impressive about them?

At this point, it’s very easy to work with them. They know our company and they take the time to be certain they understand what we want to achieve. This briefing process has been crucial and they appreciate that. They know our company and brand, so every time we work with them, it’s also easy for us to communicate and get the final product right.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We’ve sometimes needed to push a bit in order to have more creative ideas and stand out from their past work. As marketers, we’re picky in this sense. We want to make a difference in the market, but I know that this is challenging. They usually do their best to find a way to do it.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Clients have to fill the brief in properly if they want to have a great result. It’s worth it to take the time to have an initial brand conversation. If the client doesn’t provide the right insights, they won’t get a product that satisfies their needs. It’s great to work with THP, but you need to follow their rules and process.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the associate brand manager for Quorn Foods.

What challenge were you trying to address with THP?

We wanted to do content creation, latching on to the trend of micro video recipes. We were looking for a video agency to create the type of content that would help raise awareness about the versatility and “foodie” quality of our brands.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We've worked with them on numerous projects. They've produced around a dozen pieces of video content, as well as still photography. Primarily they shoot video content based on existing recipes, but occasionally they’ll come up with the recipes themselves. The videos don’t have scripts, VO, or audio. They use music, and super titles to show the ingredients. We started out using one of their style guides. Now we have a bespoke style guide that's a hybrid of their style and our brand book.

What is the team composition?

I've worked with three people from their team. I went to their Toronto studio for the first shoot and worked directly with the photographer and videographers on site. Beyond that, I primarily work with the account manager.

How did you come to work with THP?

I don’t remember the specific details.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

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

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

The feedback we receive is always positive. They produce really high quality content. The U.K. headquarters of our brand took notice of the videos and formed a partnership with the London office of THP in order to incorporate them into our global business. They’re now our preferred video and photography agency for food content.

How did THP perform from a project management standpoint?

They just opened up a U.S. office, which is really convenient. I've worked with a number of account managers and they’ve all been fantastic. There hasn’t been any issue with transitioning the account to a new manager. They’re very efficient and responsive.

We communicate mostly through the phone and email, and we use Google Hangouts during the actual video shoot. The Hangout allows us to virtually be present and provide real-time feedback. It's such a valuable tool that allows us to feel like we're in the room. There's so many little things that the brand manager may notice in a shoot that the agency may not notice. It’s also an incredible time saver as we no longer have to waste time going through different rounds of revisions. We’re able to immediately ask them to fix something or make any other change. They can discuss it with us and change it right on the spot.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They make us feel like a true partner. They work closely with their clients in order to understand and adapt to their needs. THP is at the forefront of the industry, and they are unafraid to leverage that expertise to make suggestions. They’re just really good about working with us to create the content that we want.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There are a few process areas that could improve. Currently, they ask us to fill out a brief in a Word document, which can be clunky. Using an online survey would be quicker.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Look at the content that they produce for their clients to get some great ideas.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner and creative producer at Gel Communications, a company that creates content to match clients’ brand strategy. I develop content strategy, provide creative direction and manage the content creation process.

What challenge were you trying to address with THP?

A few years ago, we started a “create once, publish everywhere” business model to repurpose and publish content across multiple channels. We needed help figuring out how to make that process efficient, cost-effective, and scalable, so we began looking for a partner.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Once we have a client who needs content, we write a creative brief and work with THP to create a pre-production document: style guide, storyboard, shot list and timeline. This helps to flesh out ideas and get answers to any questions that may pop up later in the project.  We collaborate with them to create compelling visuals: video, motion graphics and photography.

Whenever we have a recipe project, I reach out to THP. That’s one of their areas of expertise, especially food and beverage products.

What is the team composition?

Anywhere from 5–10 people would be involved in a project. I work directly with their team: partner development specialist, prop stylist, food stylist, videographer, photographer, etc..

How did you come to work with THP?

I read an article about their founder and was intrigued by THP’s business model. When we moved to our new business model, I reached out to them. I toured their Toronto facility and met key team members. I felt comfortable with them, so we began working together.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ll spend about $50,000–$100,000 CAD ($38,850–$77,700 USD) a year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been partners since July 2017.

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

Because of the success we’ve had with THP, clients have started to embrace the concept of “create once, publish everywhere.” One client, in particular, enjoyed our collaboration so much that they hired us to do more content for their digital flyers and social media along with photography for their in-store banners and printed flyers.

How did THP perform from a project management standpoint?

THP has a seamless workflow through each stage of their production process. Their productized service model shows they’re well-organized and can create content on a scalable level.

We communicate over phone, email and face-to-face meetings. And, we’re also in studio during production. Whenever we finish a project, we debrief together to figure out how things went, find opportunities for improvement, and resolve any outstanding issues.

What did you find most impressive about them?

THP offers a unique proposition in the industry. Their on-demand model provides fast, flexible, and affordable content. I’m thrilled to have found such a great content partner I can collaborate with. They save me time and are an easy way to find all the talent and resources I need for content creation.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. Any issues we have, we bring up in the debrief.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Spend the time to do a thorough creative brief. It will provide the necessary direction and input so they can do their job effectively.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Brand Manager for Catelli Pasta, which is a division of Catelli Foods Corporation.

What challenge were you trying to address with THP?

Nowadays, marketers, in general, are spending more money on digital advertising and social media. As a result, content creation plays a key role in marketing, and it must be fast, high quality, and affordable. For us, working with THP solved this challenge. We needed a partner with the resources to create and provide great content in record time to help promote our brands.

What was the scope of their involvement?

So far, we’ve worked with THP to develop recipes, take photos, and create videos of our food. Typically, we start by discussing the scope of the project and compile a brief outlining the desired outcomes and necessary specs. Based on our discussions, they construct a time line with a detailed work-back schedule, collaborating with us on approvals. For example, for a photography or video assignment, they’ll write a storyboard, list the props, and secure the setting to make sure that we’ve planned everything for the shoot. Then, they complete the production within a day and deliver the photos or videos shortly thereafter.

They also conducted a social media audit for us. Although we haven’t outsourced our social media management to them, as of earlier this year, they’ve come on board to help with content strategy development for our social channels, including Facebook and Instagram.

What is the team composition?

At any given time, we work with a dedicated account manager, but we still have direct access to the owner. Then, depending on the project, they assign different experts. Generally, we work with 2-3 people on an ongoing basis. But on shoot day, there's a whole production team of 5–10 people, ranging from stylists to photographers and videographers.

How did you come to work with THP?

I’m not sure about this because my company was already working with them when I joined.

What is the status of this engagement?

Their work began in April 2014 and is ongoing.

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

Both our followers and internal teams think their photography and videos are amazing. Their work has huge appetite appeal, which is key for a pasta brand. They produce high-quality content, and we’ve heard nothing but positive feedback from everyone.

In terms of our working relationship, it’s been a personal pleasure to see them grow throughout my time with the company. They’ve built out their capabilities and established themselves as true industry experts in the food and beverage category, providing a much-needed solution for our content demand. Now that they’ve expanded into content strategy development and social media management, we’re able to tap into their expertise and bring them on as strategic advisors.

How did THP perform from a project management standpoint?

They offer great customer service and remain flexible and responsive. If we encounter any issues during the process, all we have to do is call them, and they will immediately rectify the situation. Besides adapting to our preferred communication channels, we speak in person on production days and via phone. We also use email for consistent back and forth, workflow approval, and project delivery.

What did you find most impressive about them?

THP’s ability to deliver high-volume, high-quality content, combined with their on-demand model, is what sets them apart from other agencies. THP had the foresight to break-away from the traditional, retainer-based agency model and offer an à la carte menu of options with no hidden fees. With this new pay-as-you-go solution, we know exactly what we’re getting, which makes the process and project management of each program smoother and seamless. Not to mention, they’re professionals. They’re talented, passionate, and hardworking, which makes working with them a breeze.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Customers should do their part to be clear on the project requirements. Briefs are important because they clarify what the end goals and objectives are. THP can then use them to create accurate content and deliver results.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a brand manager at a wine company called Freixenet USA.

What challenge were you trying to address with THP?

The wine brand I'm responsible for is new to the U.S., so we didn't have a digital presence. We were looking for a company to help us establish a social media presence, reach out to consumers, and, ultimately, build a distribution channel for our product.

What was the scope of their involvement?

First of all, we had a brainstorming session, discussing the look and feel of our brand with them. They helped us develop a strategy and launch our Facebook and Instagram pages. They also do community management, so they respond to comments and questions we receive from our customers on all platforms.

After that, they've been creating custom content for us, including video and photography. They bring us about 10 shots a month and we work collaboratively to discuss any changes or how to respond to requests from our customers. In addition, they've done a special photo shoot for us and created shelf talkers, which we can put out in the market to help us promote the product.

What is the team composition?

We work with four of their team members, including our account manager, different production managers, and a community manager.

How did you come to work with them?

I received a cold email from them. They also specialize in creating recipes and making cocktails in their test kitchen, which they later take photos of. I was looking for a similar service for my brand, so I scheduled a phone call with them. They were very pleasant to talk to, asked me about my needs, and offered to build up more programs for us. That sounded very appealing to me, so I gave them a chance.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent about $50,000–$70,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in November 2017 and the relationship is ongoing.

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

We've received a lot of positive feedback internally. Our team loves the look and feel of our brand as well as the exciting posts THP creates. They helped us elevate our business and our brand, making it look fun and fresh, which is exactly what we were hoping to achieve.

How did they perform from a project management standpoint?

I've been very pleased with their performance. At the beginning of every week, they send me the goals for that week as well as a specific report or plan. They usually overdeliver in terms of expectations. Besides, they're very flexible and open to our ideas. I'm based in New York and they're in Toronto, so we usually communicate via email or phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their time management skills are excellent. Also, they're a fun group of people to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate clearly about what you're looking for, but be open to changing your plans along the way.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am a marketing coordinator for a foodservice company that manufactures various food and beverage products.

What challenge were you trying to address with THP?

We initiated a marketing campaign to promote one of our pastry products. We reached out to THP to help develop recipes and assist with producing instructional videos and stylized photos to promote the various ways in which our products can be used.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their first task was identifying consumer groups that purchase our pastries regularly, as well as consumer groups that have unfavorable views on fast-pastry products. Our targeted consumer groups inspired the imaginative recipes that they crafted. We gave them feedback during taste-testing meetings and moved on to content production once the recipes were perfected.

Using our company’s brand guidelines as a reference, they had total jurisdiction over the creative process for the instructional videos and food photo shoots. Their work was used in the product’s promotional and sales sheets.

What is the team composition?

Project management is handled by our main point of contact and their assistant developer. The recipes are crafted by four individuals on their kitchen staff, and THP assigns a photographer, a videographer, and a product stylist during the video shoots.

How did you come to work with THP?

We heard great things about THP from one of their former clients, and we based our hiring decision on that glowing recommendation.  

How much have you invested with them?

We have spent between $40,000-$60,000 CAD, ($31,172.80-$46,759.20 USD), with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with THP in March 2017 and continue to collaborate with them on our marketing projects.  

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

Their content was integral to the success of our marketing campaign, which has proven to be a positive influence on our sales.

How did THP perform from a project management standpoint?

They provided a timeline at the beginning of the project, and their project manager made sure that both of our teams complied with the deadlines. We communicated by phone, email, and regularly held in-person meetings. Most of the meetings involved taste-testing their recipes and providing feedback.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

We love working with them because they don’t force their clients into large contracts, which is great for our budget. Their à la carte approach also gives us the flexibility to work on a variety of projects, as opposed to completing work for the sake of meeting contract requirements.  In regard to their work, their greatest strength is their ability to embody their client’s brand in all of their content.

Are there any areas they could improve?

A foodservice company has different marketing needs than a retail company, which can be a difficult concept for industry outsiders. Expanding their clientele beyond the retail industry could help their team hone their storytelling skills for companies such as ours.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

We haven’t had any issues working with them, and we credit our open-mindedness and flexibility for our success.