Iticy

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the event manager for EDUCATIVA. Our company deals with several types of projects in the education sector. We organize recruitment events and fairs in several countries in Europe.

Our team tries to bring several universities and higher education institutions from all over the world to a specific country, and we help them recruit students in that country. At the same time, we help the students from that country explore and find out what educational offers are available to them.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Iticy?

We were trying to expand into new markets while selling our services in Spain and Italy. We were looking for a marketing company that could accommodate and undertake all of our marketing activities in those two specific countries.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I reached out to Iticy and explained the event, including what we were looking to get out of it and our target market at that point. They responded and we immediately met. Their team was interested in learning more about how our event worked, what our budget was, how we were looking to invest, and what type of numbers we were looking to achieve in those two markets. 

At first, they were just our marketing agency for Spain, but later they explained that they were also in charge of Italy. We were glad that we were able to work with one company for both countries.

They understood all of our needs and requested some numbers from us in terms of our marketing, statistics, and conversion rates. This helped them to get a better idea of what they should expect in the campaign. After this, they put together a marketing plan along with a draft of our estimates and how much we should be investing in each separate sector. After we had a look over the draft and agreed on the numbers, we started the campaign.

What is the team composition?

At the beginning of the campaign, we were in touch with two people: the manager and our account manager. Later, according to the reports from our account manager, there were another two people assigned: a Spanish native and an Italian native.

How did you come to work with Iticy?

It was very important for our marketing company to have a good understanding of the market we were trying to reach, and we felt that Iticy had the experience and the know-how of the market. For us, it was a big plus that they also worked with other clients that had similar target markets.

Another reason was financially related. We found their offer to be more than fair for the services provided, and they were very transparent about everything. They were more oriented to help us.

The third reason was the impression that they left after our first meeting. They had a lot of knowledge and quickly shared all of their ideas of how we could run our campaigns and the level of involvement that they had from day one. They were asking us for numbers and trying to come back as soon as possible with sketches and drafts explaining how the campaign was going to look. They moved quickly, and we appreciated their work from the first meeting.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested somewhere close to the range of $50,000–$60,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started talking about the project in November 2020, and we signed the contract somewhere around December 2020. The actual work started in January 2021, and we worked together for two months. The project ended in February 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The numbers that they estimated from the beginning versus the results that we had were quite similar. Even when the numbers were a bit off track, they looked over their numbers 10 times and solved the problem very carefully to find out exactly what was causing the drop. About 90% of the time, we found the cause. They were very prompt, and ultimately, we achieved a number quite close to the number that we wanted.

How did Iticy perform from a project management standpoint?

We were quite impressed. I'm not exactly sure what goes on behind the scenes, but I'm pretty sure that they're on top of it. 

They assigned an account manager, so all of our interactions went through one single person. It was really easy for us because we could address all of our issues, questions, or anything that we needed to be with this one person. Then, the results would come back in less than 24 hours, regardless of what we would have asked for.

The project managers were always up to date with what their team members were doing and always had numbers ready. They were also super efficient in managing the relationship between the two countries and between the two people who were actually dealing with and tracking the campaign. We were quite satisfied with that.

As for communication, we had set out a recurring meeting on Google Meet once a week. During the week, they sent us presentations with the results directly from Google Analytics or Facebook analytics. We would also be in touch via email for different documents that needed to be sent over and so on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Since the first meeting, we were impressed by the level of involvement and their commitment towards the project.

Their fees were flexible and affordable, too. We had told them that we had quite a consistent marketing budget, and they didn't throw themselves out there and charge us a humongous fee simply because the budget was available. We found the fee to be very fair, correct, and transparent. 

Finally, their professionalism stood out. We had conducted quite a lot of marketing and interviews with marketing companies, and by far the most professional one was Iticy. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could have helped us with a bit more input on our marketing vision. They listened to what we wanted, and they came up with some of the things that we wanted. However, because of our lack of experience in the Spanish and Italian market, the results showed us that the marketing tools we used were not sufficient. It would have been helpful to get more input from them in terms of how the market to those communities, and how their markets operate.

Also, they could have provided more marketing tools despite us not mentioning it to them. Don't get me wrong — they did come up with some suggestions, and we did implement some of their ideas. However, a little more in terms of perspective could have been helpful.

Any advice for potential customers?

I would tell any potential customer to go for it. Start working early on the project in order to have time to create a marketing plan because we started kind of late. We put quite a lot of pressure on Iticy to finish everything quickly. I’d also recommend being open to the suggestions that they make because they're quite good, and they have a good sense of the market.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

BPY Healthcare Ltd trading as BuzzPinky Adult retailer selling adult toys, lubricants, lingerie and more on line. I am the MD

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Iticy?

We hired Iticy to help with our social media content and site branding. Karl Sykes-Tobin and Nick Edwards have been massively influential in the development of our social media and brand content.

What were your goals for this project?

Development and exposure of brand online.

SOLUTION

How did you select Iticy?

Google Search - their website (formally Zmoov) captured my attention.

Describe the project in detail.

We held a meeting with Iticy to discuss our core brand principles and brand story. Iticy were able to capture this spirit through content and had returned prototypes of banner and creative content within 2 weeks. Iticy were confident in what we were looking for and they produced.

What was the team composition?

We had an account manager, but both Nick and Karl were available throughout.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

www.buzzpinky.com Iticy have been our go to creative agency. Take a look at BuzzPinky and you will see Iticy work throughout.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Highly effective. They are a busy team, but they always get the job done.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I like to think of myself as a creative thinker. So, It's often rare for me to be wowed in this area, as I feel much of the time, I could do better myself. Iticy are exceptionally talented in what they do. They produce work on par with far larger agencies at far cheaper cost. They are professional, driven and completely engaged with what they do. Their passion drives their success. I would urge anyone reviewing this company to take a look at some of their work, and see how deserved they are of some recognition. What i find most impressive, is that they're one of the best but they don't realise it.

Are there any areas for improvement?

As a client, I can honestly say no. The work we ask of them is done on time and to a high standard.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our global sleep brand wanted to run a small scale test on YouTube. This would be a new channel for us and we did not have creatives that were suitable for this channel. As a performance marketing manager I needed to source creatives that would be used in profitable YouTube campaigns where we would be judging performance on ROAS.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Iticy?

Creating YouTube video ads. We shared existing video assets and a very general brief allowing Iticy the freedom to create a storyline and work the assets into a narrative.

What were your goals for this project?

Generate online sales as a direct response to YouTube ads.

SOLUTION

How did you select Iticy?

We approached several agencies to get offers for quote and understand their expertise. Iticy showed they understood our business, the goals of the project, and how we would need to think differently when working with this new channel. Not only did Iticy help us understand how we would make a powerful creative, they helped us understand how it would fit into our cross channel strategy.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

We shared a high level brief and a range of video and image assets. The team then created a first draft for initial feedback. After this first round of feedback was shared Iticy went on to create the final version with several variations of the video. Iticy made suggestions for which aspects of the video should be tested. A few final changes were made based on a final round of feedback.

What was the team composition?

I worked closely with Karl and Nick form Iticy who manged the project from their side and shared some great insights on how we could achieve the best results with the limited creative assets we had.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Working with Iticy allowed us to create powerful YouTube ads with a very limited brief with a very fast turnaround. These ads are still undergoing testing and early signs are that they are achieving our profitability expectations.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was clear and fast, Iticy were super fun to work with.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Understanding how creatives fit into the bigger cross channel marketing strategy and not getting hung up on small details. Iticy understood speed and working with limited resources was a focus for this project and they made this a smooth and stress free process.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Given the vagueness of brief, range of assets provided and the timeframes involved we cannot fault Iticy for the creatives that they built for us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

My comoany is supporting Japanese companies by promoting their services and products in the UK. My position is founder and director of this company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

I hired Iticy to support one of my clients (Japanese Global Luxury brand). I wanted to obtain stronger online sales for this company.

SOLUTION

How did you select Iticy and what were the deciding factors?

My friends recommended Iticy, and mentioned that they had good results from using this company.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

To promote the Christmas campaign and maximise online sales via Google Ads.

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

They assigned an account specialist who distributed work amongst their team. There was one PPC specialist in communication with us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The Christmas campaign went well. We had a good response from the target audience.

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

We are having weekly online meetings, which is really great for us. They are very short meetings, but it work really well for checking our target, and checking progress of the project. We did not have such good communications with the previous PPC company, so we felt Iticy was very supportive and effective.

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

They are very supportive and very committed to obtaining good results.

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

It’s hard to say at this time. Its a kind of honeymoon period, and we like them so far. No complaints.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I work for Perspective Pictures. We specialize in digital-first videos and are based in North London. We work with clients like Google, Rolls-Royce, Time Out, Topman, and more. We also work across a number of sectors, including construction, nonprofit, and education. Our company produces highly optimized video content to be used as part of online campaigns.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Iticy?

Basically, we were told to generate over £1 million (approximately $1.3 million USD) worth of revenue in 2020. We partnered with Iticy to achieve that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Iticy helps us advertise on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google Ads. The Iticy team also manages our PPC ads.

Their main goal is to increase our conversation rate and boost the average value of our jobs. We also wanted to scale up the size of our digital advertising campaigns while reducing our cost per lead, so they work with us to achieve those goals.

What is the team composition?

We work with Nick (Account Manager). We also have a project manager.

How did you come to work with Iticy?

We used a different agency before, and we came to a point where we didn’t feel like we were getting enough value from that relationship. As a result, we undertook the process of finding a new digital agency.

There were about 20 agencies who pitched their strategy to us. In the end, Iticy came out on top since they had a good background and experience. We thought they were really a good fit for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay them £600 (approximately $790 USD) per month. So far, we’ve invested £10,000–£12,000 (approximately $13,300–$15,900).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2020, and the collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They were able to reduce the cost per lead (CPL) by 40%. We have a close rate of one in three at the moment.

How did Iticy perform from a project management standpoint?

They are open and transparent about the issues we're facing. At the same time, they suggest potential solutions to us. Despite that, their communication skills as a whole aren't strong.

There have been a couple of missed deadlines with reports. However, those deadlines were successfully communicated in the end, and it hasn’t really caused that many issues. Overall, I’m happy, but some improvements could be made.

What did you find most impressive about them?

In terms of knowledge, we are impressed that they understand the kind of products and services we offer. They know the way we operate, and that really makes our partnership successful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They just need to maintain deadlines. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure they really understand your business. Give them a clear brief and give them the foundations that would allow them to build a successful service for you.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a brand and marketing manager at Lumie. We specialize in light therapy devices, including SAD lamps and wake-up lights.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Iticy?

We were streamlining digital advertising. Our goal was to up conversion rates. We wanted to make sure that we weren’t showing ads to people who were already buying our products.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Iticy has provided Google and Facebook PPC management services. We worked together on creating a huge list of keywords targeted towards our different audiences.

What is the team composition?

Their founder has always been my main point of contact, and another member of their team is in charge of reporting.

How did you come to work with Iticy?

They came recommended by someone. I had an intro call with Iticy to discuss their approach. I had trust in them because of the recommendation, and I wasn’t disappointed.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost of the setup work was around £2,000 (approximately $2559 USD). Their retainer varies between £100–£250 per month (approximately $128–$320 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Iticy in May 2020, and they’re currently on retainer. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve had an incredible boost to our page views and conversion rates. PPC click-through between June–August increased. However, we’re seasonal, and last year between June–August wasn’t a time when we’d invested in PPC. We’re generally about 160% up in conversions at the moment, and some of that can definitely be attributed to the PPC work we’ve done.

How did Iticy perform from a project management standpoint?

They were always on time, and they gave me a tailored experience. We were running out of time on the project, but they went the extra mile and did some things on their own. Everything was buttoned up as it should’ve been.

We set up automated reports on all our channels. As part of that service, they’re also checking the health of our setup on a regular basis. They let me know if something pops up.

We worked during a strange period, but Iticy was always on time. I was the one missing appointments, I was never let down from their end. They were flexible with the changing schedule.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven’t worked with anyone other than their founder, but I can say that he has varied experience and a data-informed approach. We’re getting a good balance of marketing intuition and data analysis. I would definitely recommend them because of their trustworthiness. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Iticy has met our expectations in terms of branding, communication, delivery, and accountability. Nothing negative comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important to have really clear goals. If you don’t, then you should spend time clarifying those goals with Iticy. That way, both parties can be accountable. They’re honest about what they do on their end, so clients should be honest about their expectations.