Interdependence

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Marketing of a manufacturing company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company engineers, develops, and manufacturers consumer products for a healthy home environment, personal health, and healthy culinary creations. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Interdependence to accomplish?

• Thought leadership
• Manage overall earned media coverage
• Curate effective and impactful paid media opportunities

SOLUTION

How did you find Interdependence?

Agency partnership was existing

Why did you select Interdependence over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Interdependence were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Interdependence was brought on and integrated into our marketing team to ensure our brands and products were garnering the recognition for innovations and such. In a nutshell, Interdependence's main objective was focused on earned media, followed by paid media low-funnel opportunities that drove sales as well as promoted special events. Furthermore, the quality of coverage was also a focal point. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

1. Strategy: Interdependence worked in lock step with my team and me to ensure that all aspects of the PR plan aligned seamlessly with the overarching marketing plan and goals.
2. Earned media: Over the course of one year, Interdependence steadily increased earned media placements, impressions, and quality of coverage. the high quality of earned media coveraged provided a healthy supply of licensing opportunities for accolades received. 
3. Paid media: Over the course of one year, Interdependence brought us opportunities that had significant impact on sales based on seasonality, trends, promotions, etc. 
4. Event management: Interdependence managed major trade show events and media events. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The Interdependence team embodies a perfect blend of professionalism and expertise. They are not only pleasant and fun to work with but also incredibly insightful and strategic in their approach. It's been a rewarding experience collaborating with such a capable group.
Deadlines weren't missed and changes, updates, issues, etc. were consistently communicated in a timely manner with carefully thought through recommendations on how to pivot, etc. 

What was your primary form of communication with Interdependence?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I am a firm believer in relationships. Whether it be romantic, platonic, or professional in nature, forging meaningful relationships that share and reciprocate knowledge, love, passion, learnings, etc. make for meaningful impacts on lives, work product, and overall health and well-being. 
Interdependence operates on a culture that is hyper focused on a healthy, integrity-based culture that promotes and supports debate, collaboration. This was most impressive to me because Interdependence laid such a solid foundation that whatever came our way and their way, not a minute was wasted. It was difficult to lose momentum with the Interdependence team because of the perfect marriage between their foundation and culture. 
Furthermore, it gave the team headspace to be able to strategize, plan, execute, measure, and optimize efforts for integrated efforts as Interdependence worked diligently to take on an integrated and collaborated approach to help me and my team ensure that the cohesive of campaigns, projects, etc. were seamlessly aligned and working together. 

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

For the time that I worked with Interdependence, I cannot recall any areas for improvement as the team worked diligently, was always on-the-ready, and took such a holistic approach even if they have to sit in on meetings not specific to PR, etc. to ensure they were in the loop and knew and understood all areas of our marketing.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Marketing of Jackson's Food Company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Jackson's Food Company makes the super snacks from better ingredients - like avocado oil and sweet potatoes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Interdependence to accomplish?

• Raise consumer awareness of our products and brand story
• Raise industry awareness of our brand growth

SOLUTION

How did you find Interdependence?

Referral

Why did you select Interdependence over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Sarah Schmidt is the BEST

How many teammates from Interdependence were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

• Develop compelling and relevant pitch angles 
• Craft press release/announcments
• Outreach to editors of targeted publications to introduce brand and coordinate sampling
• Secure placement in consumer and industry publications
• Bi-weekly reporting 
• Award submissions

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Over 1B media impressions and winning of Goodhousekeeping Snack Award (key consumer moment)

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

ABSOLUTELY!  Super responsive.  I love that the team delivers on every promise and consistently brings creative ideas to help us raise awareness of our company and products.  They do not let anything fall through the cracks and are incredible at reaching out with friendly reminders on outstanding items they need from us.

What was your primary form of communication with Interdependence?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Sarah, Molly, and Keagan feel like an extension of our team - not an agency partner.  They are honest, creative, smart, and all-around super people.  I love working with Interdependence!

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

Since I have joined Jackson's, Interpedence is the third PR team that I have worked with.  They just get it.  They understand our start-up mindset and I cannot think of any constructive critisicm at the moment.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief of staff at SetSchedule. We’re in the real estate industry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interdependence?

We wanted to get more of a foothold in the marketing industry and increase our brand recognition.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Interdependence focused on media. They were involved in all of our press releases and helped with marketing campaigns and collateral. To establish our company as knowledgeable in the industry, Interdependence also helped us in our efforts to contribute to articles within our industry and to write original pieces.

What is the team composition?

We worked with four people from Interdependence. Our main point of contact was Laura (VP of Client Services, Interdependence), and she oversaw the entire team. Another team member wrote content pieces, and a few other people contributed as well.  

How did you come to work with Interdependence?

One of our founders came across Interdependence when someone recommended them.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent around $60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement lasted from June 2018–March 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Interdependence helped us gain more brand recognition within the industry. We also had a lot more publications when we were working with them, averaging about three original published pieces a month.

How did Interdependence perform from a project management standpoint?

Interdependence performed and communicated very well. They made sure to connect with us regarding any opportunities that came up, and they were constantly relaying what was going on in the real world. For instance, the government shutdown affected our industry, so they tried to create relevant content while it was happening. 

Our teams had weekly meetings, during which we went over the traction Interdependence had gotten and any new pitch ideas that they had for media. They provided regular updates about when content pieces would be released. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They pushed to get all of the content pieces that we wanted. The fact that they could turnaround three original pieces each month was impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not necessarily. The only thing is that we’re based in California and they’re in Chicago, so there were time and location differences, but that wasn’t something they could control.

Any advice for potential customers?

Communicate with them and make sure that everyone’s on the same page. Have a clear understanding of what you want to do so that they can drive results in that area.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the marketing manager for AeroGo, a 50-year-old manufacturing company based out of Seattle that sells globally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Interdependence?

We needed to get placements in European publications. We wanted to create educational awareness in the industrial market about our products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The process was pretty simple. Interdependence held an overview call to learn about our technology. Then they assigned a writer to us. He conducted a couple of interviews to get additional background on the specific manufacturing sectors we focused on. He wrote some short pitches specific to our targets. Once they got some placements, we did expanded interviews to finish off the stories. Each story was around 1,000–1,500 words.

What is the team composition?

We had an overall account manager, and we worked with 2–3 other people.

How did you come to work with Interdependence?

I might have found them on Thumbtack, but I'm not sure. I contacted several firms I found online that focus on Europe. They called me back quickly, which was amazing because I needed to move fast.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent about $4,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from June–September 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had a specific goal of the number of articles we wanted to publish per month. They absolutely 100% met that goal. The way they did research on us ahead of time helped make the whole process very streamlined. They totally delivered, which made it an excellent interaction from my perspective.

How did Interdependence perform from a project management standpoint?

They provided good, clean project management. They were very efficient. They didn't waste time by giving us weekly updates. They told us what the track was going to be, and then they ensured the project stayed on track. We mostly communicated by email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed by their focus on my needs. They met my goals, objectives, and budget without any extra fluff or sales pitches. I don't have time to go through multiple emails just to be told the project is on track. Other people would perhaps feel they didn't communicate enough, but to me, they communicated the right amount. They told me exactly what I needed to know and not a lot of vendors do that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think so. I'm definitely going to use them again on a new project.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Mac Mentality

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Professional speaking services and best-selling author.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Interdependence to accomplish?

• Boost credibility
• Brand exposure

SOLUTION

How did you find Interdependence?

Online Search

Why did you select Interdependence over others?

High ratings

How many teammates from Interdependence were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

29 media placements over the course of the last year. Helped secure podcasts, interviews, and written pieces. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

29 placements and over 90 million impressions.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Kelly and Alanna were amazing at always keeping me updated with what was going on and helped flesh out ideas. They were a joy to work with!

What was your primary form of communication with Interdependence?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

I felt like the team had my best interests at heart, making it a delightful experience.

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

I was happy with the work that was done.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Consultant of CW Media (client Merchsource)

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Marketing consulting

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Interdependence to accomplish?

• Identify word of mouth opportunities for Sharper Image via organic influencer seeding and partnerships and PR opportunities
• Drive earned media coverage for Sharper Image and Sharper Image sub-brands through PR
• Drive influencer impressions through a paid influencer program

SOLUTION

How did you find Interdependence?

Referral

Why did you select Interdependence over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Interdependence were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Interdependence was responsible for driving earned media coverage via always-on PR pitching, and for driving influencer placements via a paid influencer program and, later, via an organic unpaid influencer seeding program.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Media coverage
• media impressions
• influencer impressions
• influencer posts

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes - project management was excellent! Very timely and responsive.

What was your primary form of communication with Interdependence?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Great team culture, strong results, competitive rates. 

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

We don't have suggestions; we loved working with Interdependence, and eventually made a switch to a larger agency when our desired scope increased.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the SVP Global E-Commerce of Merchsource

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a vertically-integrated global CPG organization with impressive cross-category capabilities in sourcing, product development, engineering, product quality and testing, marketing, and distribution.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Interdependence to accomplish?

• Strategic Communications
• Public Relations
• Influencer Marketing

SOLUTION

How did you find Interdependence?

Referral

Why did you select Interdependence over others?

• High ratings
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned
• Team and senior management.

How many teammates from Interdependence were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Interdependence did an exceptional job on a very tight timeline.  We were launching a key product ine wiht a major national account and they hit the ground runing, taking our PR and social media efforts from a minimal level to fully functional and compelling in a matter of weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Drove geometric growth for featured product lines and brand at key account and solid growth for featured items across all accounts.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They were timely, proactive, and responsive.

What was your primary form of communication with Interdependence?

Virtual Meeting

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

Very storng and committeed team, flexible and cllient focused, great support from senior management for our project.

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

Would hire them again for a future project!