Hyphen

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of Salts Huby, a marketing agency.

What challenge were you trying to address with Hyphen?

We were commissioned by an American outdoor company to do market entry analysis for the UK. We’d later pop up the brand at several external events and on social media. We brought in Hyphen to help us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We felt there was an opportunity to find the outdoor’s company equivalent demographics of outdoor enthusiasts in the UK. For example, dog ownership is high in the UK, and trails and rugged footpaths are more accessible in local communities than in far-off national parks.

Hyphen did some market research for us, matching demographics of the average US customer with an equivalent in the UK. We then attended six events in different geographic regions with a module pop-up building to promote the brand. These were different types of events, ranging from music and art festivals to consumer shows, from national forests to urban areas.

Using our brief, Hyphen designed and manufacturing the pop-up module — an L-shaped log cabin — as two shipping container-sized units that we could transport to each event. We offered activities for children and families, such as climbing walls and tossing a boot. There was also a select amount of apparel and merchandise by our client for customers to try on and purchase.

Our budget went down in the second year of the program. We scaled down the program to just two events and one pod. Using the outdoor company’s heritage, we reenvisioned the pop-up as an old-school boot room with black and white accents and an old metal cash register. Hyphen turned this loose brief around in just two weeks.

Each year, Hyphen negotiated premium pitches with event organizers and vendors at a discounted rate. They could leverage the fact we were working for a major retailer as well as leverage their own relationship. Their team has good strategic partnerships with event organizers. They also helped with logistics; they made sure the pods were on brand, fit to purpose, secure, easy to install, and they ensured each location was good for our goals. Luci (Head of Live Events & Experiential) attended four of the six events to make sure everything was up to their standards.

What is the team composition?

Luci assigned an account director for each year: Harriet (Former Senior Account Manager) worked with us in year one, Nicola (Account Director) in year two. They also had a graphic designer who created mockups of the unit.

How did you come to work with Hyphen?

We did a four-way pitch to multiple partners, including Hyphen. We had presentations from three other agencies as well. One was way off the mark and three times the budget we wanted, while the other two just lacked creativity and the cultural fit. Hyphen came in under budget, backed up the pitch with research and insight, and brought 10 creative ideas. Plus, my business partner is blunt, and Luci was quite happy to be blunt back in our first meeting, which was good. The whole experience was really refreshing.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $150,000–$200,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first met Luci in April 2018, and the partnership ran from June 2018 until September 2019. We didn’t expect to do any popups until the following year, but Hyphen helped us create our first popup in July 2018. That allowed our client to start a year earlier. The only reason we stopped is because the client pulled our budget when COVID-19 hit. It was no fault of Hyphen’s.

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

In year one, we did 500 surveys with customers at each event using an iPad. We asked them about their reaction to the brand and the products showcased as well as their understanding of the brand. We learned that we had five good events and one bad fit, which taught us just as much as the five others.

In year two, we refined our operation and reduced the cost of running each event by 75%. Based on the merchandise we sold at each pop-up, the experience was almost self-funded. That’s probably unheard of in experiential marketing. Our client was extremely pleased with our efforts.

Hyphen understood the creative, the customer side, the event landscape, and the goals we were trying to achieve. They got the brand and told the story in a way that felt meaningful but localized. When we brought them in, we got experts who were willing to get their hands dirty and see the concept all the way to delivery.

How did Hyphen perform from a project management standpoint?

Hyphen made our lives extremely easy. They effectively managed me and my partner, teams across different time zones, and the internal politics of being client-focused. Their team was creative, nimble, and able to work within a budget. They found ways to save money in certain places and invest in others to ensure we met our brand standards.

They also managed each event team for us, recruiting, training, supplying, and putting individuals in accommodations when needed. They oversaw every detail and provided troubleshooting at each live event when many factors can go around. It made the whole experience stress-free from our end.

When it came to communication, we relied on old-school spreadsheets. I appreciated that Hyphen was happy to get on the phone and talk rather than hiding behind email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by their creativity and brilliant network, which I mean in the broadest sense. Hyphen knows the main events in the UK as well as the right people and could leverage those relationships on our behalf. That was hugely valuable and saved us from paying upfront rates.

Since they’re part of a larger organization, and our client had a lean presence in the UK, Hyphen was able to assume the risk and liability of each event. At the same time, Luci made us feel like we were their only client, even though we weren’t. She was invested in the brand and making it work no matter what. With their agility and client focus, Hyphen acted like a boutique agency while being able to access large organizational resources.

Are there any areas they could improve?

If they could have helped us avoid the pandemic, that would have been great! Apart from that, there was nothing Hyphen could have handled better.

Any advice for potential customers?

Go in with a degree of trust. Treat Hyphen as an equal and extension of your team, and let them do what they do best. That approach paid back for us in spades. Luci has a keen eye for building a team around her. She’s a perfectionist who holds her team to high standards, and it shows.