Hustle

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the owner and managing director of Secret Codex Ltd. The purpose of our organization is twofold: on one side, we do business trading, and on the other, we do history products such as history books and podcasts. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hustle?

I was looking for a PR agency to work on the history side of our company with the main goal of promoting our podcast's websites and our books wherever it was relevant. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We had an initial briefing session with Hustle, during which I shared our main target and goal with the team: growing the podcast's listeners. It's a very saturated market, and our podcast has been around for some time, so I thought it was time to invest in it. I gave the team access to some of the history books I had written and the podcast. Hustle also booked TV appearances for me.

What is the team composition?

I work with three teammates from Hustle. 

How did you come to work with Hustle?

I found Hustle through a UK magazine called PRWeek. The magazine creates a yearly list of the top 100 PR agencies, and I looked at some of the smaller companies since my company was small. I was initially attracted to Hustle's name and reached out to Jonny (Managing Director & Founder), and we immediately hit it off. I felt the team understood where I was coming from and liked their style, too.
How much have you invested with them?

We spent around $25,000–$50,000 on this project.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Hustle from July 2023–March 2024.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our podcast's downloading rates doubled over the time we worked with Hustle. The team's work also had a positive effect on our book sales. Hustle met our main metrics and hit the ancillary extra targets, too. I was extraordinarily happy with the project's results. Hustle understood my goals and was a pleasure to work with.

How did Hustle perform from a project management standpoint?

Hustle delivered all the requested work on time and on budget. We have weekly briefings on whatever projects we're working on at that time. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Hustle humanized our goal and our project. When the team booked a television appearance for me, Jonny reached out to me afterward and said I couldn't have done a better job. He reinforced that I got out everything I possibly could from that television appearance. He didn't need to do that, but it showed the team treated me as a person and not as a project. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can't think of anything for Hustle to improve — they're the complete package. 

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

I've already recommended Hustle to other companies. I had no hesitation in recommending them to any company with PR needs.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager of a disability transportation company. We make a number of different products in the travel and accessibility space. Our flagship product is an app that helps disabled people book assistance when they want to travel.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hustle?

Entering the market as a new product, we needed to connect with the disabled community and let people know about what we could offer them — how we were essentially solving a problem for them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They really immersed themselves in our business. We have an accessibility panel where we work directly with disabled people, and they feed into the work we do. Hustle got involved from the beginning to get into that world and understand the difficulties their community faces. Based on the information they learned from those people, they were able to create stories around our product.

For example, they researched the two most accessible metro stations in the world, and the results of that research got picked up by a few national press outlets here in the UK. Apart from that, they’ve been great with supporting our press releases and getting us coverage for our new product releases.

What is the team composition?

I mainly work with two people: Sean (PR Account Director) and Rebecca (Account Manager).

How did you come to work with Hustle?

I found them by researching PR agencies. We reached out to a few options, and they all came back with proposals.

How much have you invested with them?

We invest around $5,000 per month with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Before signing with Hustle in January of this year, we’d seen 14,000 downloads. By the time we hit July, the application was at 41,000 downloads.

How did Hustle perform from a project management standpoint?

Sean is very responsive; he cares about our work and is very creative.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’d worked with another PR agency previously, and they needed a lot of direction. As a startup, we’re a small team, but Hustle is great at thinking creatively and bringing ideas to us. We don't have to chase them.

People have lots of distrust around product access, as it’s filled with nuance and sensitive subjects. Hustle committed themselves to learning and reading about our work, as well as taking part in our panel discussions. They would then go away and think about how they could frame that information as a story.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could keep the momentum going a bit more, as a few opportunities have fallen by the wayside.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Keep in regular contact with them. Be clear on what you want, as well as with any sensitivities in the subject matter or community you’re working with. They’ve offered us a few ideas that we judged to be too risky, so it’s good to set expectations on day one.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing director at Saint Capital Ltd, a real estate company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hustle?

We needed to get the word out about our business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Hustle’s range of ongoing services for our company center around public relations. Their team has generated tailored PR solutions to help promote our sales launch for a new real estate development product. One of our unique offerings for this particular launch is the availability of a bitcoin payment channel — Hustle has conducted thorough research to explore this area and figure out how we can position our project in this new market feature.

Over the course of our partnership, Hustle has produced several press releases, blog posts, and media mentions not only to promote our new product launch but to elevate our online presence as well. Their team continues to create PR solutions and strategies to optimize our overall brand recognition.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Jonny (Managing Director).

How did you come to work with Hustle?

I found their team on Clutch while searching for potential PR agencies to onboard for this project. Hustle was a tech-friendly company with evident experience and understanding of what we wanted to achieve, so I was comfortable enough to go for their services.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent over $10,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We kicked off our engagement with Hustle’s team in March 2021, and we’re still working with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Hustle has done an impressive job in promoting both our new offerings and our business. We’ve topped the search results on Google, and the independent media story that they’ve organized has gone viral — it’s everywhere. They’ve managed to create an innovative story that’s in line with the unique specifications of our product, which our target market has received well in return.

How did Hustle perform from a project management standpoint?

We mainly communicate with Hustle via Zoom, WhatsApp, and email. They’ve performed well in terms of project management. Everything’s spot on, and I haven’t encountered any issues that can potentially impede our progress.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Hustle is a very accommodating team — they’re not simply concerned about delivering what we need, but they strive to build a lasting working relationship with our team. Additionally, they’re a results-driven team that performs professionally and efficiently to meet our expectations.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Hustle is an efficient team that meets both our needs and expectations. I don’t have any complaints about their services.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be honest in communicating your expectations. It’s also important to let them know what you’re willing to do and give to meet those.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Marketing Director at KlearNow - Customs Clearance Simplified. A sillicon valley technology startup in the customs clearance space. The Logistics industry has changed, customs clearance has not. KlearNow is the first customs clearance and document management platform built for today’s importers, brokers and transporters. By combining AI technology with a cloud-based platform our partners can now do more business, at a lower cost with full transparency from any smart device 24 hours a day.

The company is headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley - Santa Clara, California - with an offshore development and support office in Gurugram, India. To better serve global trade, we recently expanded into Canada, UK, Netherlands as well as Spain with plans to expand into Germany and Belgium. KlearNow is poised to change the inefficient customs clearance business forever!

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Hustle, and what were your goals?

Goal was to get our branding and name out in the UK where we launched the product from scratch in the midst of Brexit. Dream was to land BBC and major News outlets in the UK including TV, Radio and print

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We compared 4 companies on clutch and choose Hustle mainly because of Sean´s ability to sell his vision understanding the space having been a journalist himself.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

Very scientific and professional approach. Understanding of our space, data driven surveys, structured the findings and pushed out to local trade publications to start. Once that succeeded the focus shifted to the bigger outlets.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

2 - Johnny and Sean

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have gained 393 pieces (and counting) of coverage across digital, print, and broadcast. The publications we've been picked up by include:

• BBC (twice)
• The Telegraph (digital and print edition)
• The Sun
• The Independent (digital and print edition)
• CityAM
• This Is Money
• LBC
• ITV
• Times Radio
• Vanessa Feltz, BBC Radio London
• The Evening Standard (digital twice and the print edition)
• The Times (print edition)
• The Scotsman (twice)
• The Express
• The Grimsby Telegraph

Here's the piece from The BBC https://lnkd.in/es4SsbV But in other efforts we have gotten traction with LBC, The Guardian, Sky News interview with Ian King Live, the andrew pierce show daily mail podcast, Forbes article piece, Kasperskys etc...

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We had a few weeks with lower traction but they were able to re-steer the ship with some incredible results.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Just very humble and over deliver what they say

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Just ensure constant communication to keep up to date with your company findings with them to ensure pitch is the most up to date. Takes two to tango

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the GM of Kiwi Movers with the Kiwi Group. We offer self-storage, removals, deliveries, and cleaning, and international shipping. Additionally, we can take care of odd jobs if our customers need it.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hustle?

They take care of our website health and Google AdWords campaigns.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, he was responsible for building the majority of our site content. We consider it a living platform, so he’s always adding new features and making general updates. Before his involvement with our site, we had a simple solution that wasn’t robust enough to effectively communicate our offerings.

He was responsible for the upgrade and overhaul. At this point, he takes care of any issues we have with our websites, including malicious activity and security. He’s become an integral part of our company’s well-oiled machine. We were hacked at one point in time, which could have been detrimental to our business. However, he managed to sort everything out before it was too late. In that way, he’s been very helpful.

What is the team composition?

I work with the two partners of the company on this project.

How did you come to work with Hustle?

As far as I’m aware, our team examined reviews, portfolios, the success of past clients, and more to determine the right match for us. We also considered the cost-effectiveness of vendors. From the beginning, Hustle seemed reasonable and accommodating, offering us a fair, decent price.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between $50,000–$100,000 on the work, in total. 

What is the status of this engagement?

They started working with us in May 2014, and the work is ongoing. The site needs constant updates, so we still collaborate very closely with them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’re very happy with their work and have never had any problems with their deliverables. Additionally, they’ve always come through for us when we needed it. 

How did Hustle perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very accommodating, meeting our requirements and timelines. For instance, they’re currently creating code to streamline our international shipping process. We had to put the project on pause because we want to build additional interest in the solution. They were willing to stop their work for the time being. They’ve never let us down.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’ve never told us that they can’t do something that we ask. Instead, they try to discover creative solutions for us. Sometimes, the solution is more expensive then we planned for. However, they tell us exactly how that will affect our budgeting. They’re problem-solvers who remain transparent about their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I don’t have anything bad to say.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be honest about what you want from them. The clearer you are, the stronger your end result will be.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the sales director of a clothing manufacturer and wholesaler.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Hustle?

We wanted to develop a website with the ability to handle direct sales around the world within key markets. It was also important that the site attracts new customers. We’re a smaller company, so I hoped to draw in a larger audience with an online presence.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Developing the website from scratch, they created a WooCommerce at our recommendation for its adaptability with plug-in and features. They built it from the ground up. That effort included running surveys on potential customers to gain insight into their needs. We also wanted to optimize the website, so that it was appealing to people in key countries. 

They employed a set of keywords to do that, leveraging SEO strategies. While our main audience engagement strategy has been SEO, we’ve recently been using them for PPC efforts through Google Shopping. There was also a PR element, where they were targeting particular key trade publications as well. Their team got us published in numerous market-leading news publications, like the BBC. They were our one-stop-shop. 

What is the team composition?

I work directly with two resources, one who focuses on web development and another who’s in charge of SEO and PR.

How did you come to work with Hustle?

We initially found them on a job board and decided to reach out. After meeting them and discussing our project, we choose them as our partner based on their background. They also offered their services at a reasonable cost to us. 

How much have you invested with them?

Each year, we spend about £10,000–£15,000 (approximately $13,000–$20,000 USD). 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the project with them in December 2014, and our work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The number of customers we reach has increased. Online sales have been growing by about 30%–40% each year. We’ve also attracted retailers and distributors to our product. That’s had an amazing impact. I know that our improved online presence has given us credibility and opened doors for us. For instance, as a small company based in New Zealand, we have a growing presence in the United States, which we couldn’t have done without them.  

How did Hustle perform from a project management standpoint?

Working with the same two people throughout the project has allowed us continuity and stability. It also allowed them to get a good sense of our business. Their project management has been excellent. They always get back to us, making themselves available.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

They went above and beyond with their services, providing a personal touch in their work. That was important to us because they were able to get a feel for our needs. They showed that they cared about the growth of our business. It was a nice feeling for us to have that kind of partnership. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I had a great experience with them. They’ve been growing a lot lately, so they’ve had to change many of their systems to accommodate their growing team. However, they’ve adapted to the challenges of being a growing business.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Rather than letting them take your project and run with it, it’s important to continue engaging them throughout the project. That way, they’ll get a better understanding of what you want out of the deliverables. It’s important that they are able to understand your goals, and that will only come through communication with your team.