KBF Marketing

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Student Entrepreneurship at The George Washington University, located in Washington, DC. I sit in the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, under the Vice Provost for Research.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire KBF Marketing?

We hired KBF Marketing to help with the execution of the GW New Venture Competition (NVC), which was ranked the #1 collegiate venture competition in the US in April of 2021. The competition involves several hundred students, mentors, donors, and judges - all over the course of 4 months and 4 rounds - and is very complex. I was new in the role and did not have a full staff yet, so needed extensive help to market and deliver an excellent experience to our students.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

KBF came highly recommended by colleagues at GW, based on co-founder Jessica Vodilka's long-standing relationship with the GW School of Business. She has deep expertise in venture competition management, marketing, and execution, and has worked for them on their events for 7 years.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

KBF led the following activities, providing approx 20 hours/week of help over 4 months:

• Coordination of 100+ judges for multiple rounds (including invitations, tracking participation, monitoring of the judging platform, and any event logistics ad hoc)
• Virtual execution of Round 3 (pitching and judging) over Zoom
• Communication with 200+ NVC participants re: logistics and expectations for all rounds
• Ongoing marketing and communications throughout the course of the NVC; supported interns and contractors (e.g., videographers, caterers) marketing efforts as well
• Documentation/tracking of prizes/awards and their donors
• Monitoring the NVC email inbox and responding to questions
• Planning and execution of the “final ceremony” and evening reception after Round 4; supporting other contractors as needed at those events

What was the team composition?

The NVC team was made up of me, my brand new full time hire, and Jessica from KBF.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our post-competition surveys of students, judges, and donors resulted in an over 90% positive rating of their NVC experience, with several comments specifically calling out clear, timely communication and professionalism as hallmarks of the event.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Jessica flawlessly embedded with our OIE team, joining weekly all-hands meetings and working in our office. She and I spoke or met almost daily, for the full 4 months.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Jessica's commitment to our team, our students, and the execution of this event was 110%. She added value immediately, applying her knowledge of event management, marketing, and entrepreneurship from Day 1. Despite my attempts to keep it to a minimum, Jess made herself available at all kinds of crazy hours (as is the reality of working with college students!) and never complained about a late night or a weekend task.

She is endlessly professional and her attention to detail - even while under intense pressure and deadlines - never wavered. She continuously impressed me with her positive attitude, patience, willingness to go above and beyond, and her genuine love for the work.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

No. We simply would not have been able to pull off an event of this magnitude without KBF. Our team is now fully staffed, but I'd love an excuse to bring KBF back into our work again!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CFO and COO of iHealSX and iHealCBD. We offer beauty products and surgery supplies to people going through cosmetic surgery and help that field use CBD instead of narcotics. We want to help people get to the surgery in their best physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual state.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kabooface Marketing, LLC?

We needed help with our digital marketing.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Kabooface handles our marketing, including forecasting, projection, digital marketing, PPC, SEO, and sales. I provide a lot of dense information to them, and they then make succinct content with infographics.

We’re on Facebook and Instagram but also have our own platform/blog that we want to direct people to, so they advise me and help me make the best marketing decisions.

What is the team composition?

I interact with Stefon (Founder) sometimes. Jess is my account manager, and Trevor (Social Media Manager & Graphic Design Intern) works with her.

How did you come to work with Kabooface Marketing, LLC?

I’ve known Stefon for years. I reached out to him after doing some rebranding, and we decided to work together.

How much have you invested with them?

It’s been less than $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around April 2021, and it’s ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Jess is knocking it out of the park already. Our campaign started in April, and we have some great 30-day analytics: 184 more content interactions, 15,000 accounts reached with over 2,000 interactions, 160 posts on the iHealSX side, and more. By the end of April, we had nearly $1,000 in conversions. In less than an hour of a recent post going live, we had 50 comments and 60 likes. I’ve already seen conversions on the new CBD website but don’t have analytics to share yet.

In addition, the aesthetics are chic, modern, and to the point. The team’s efforts have reached a larger crowd than I could’ve ever done on my own. I believe I would’ve tanked this year without them taking over my marketing.

How did Kabooface Marketing, LLC perform from a project management standpoint?

They guide me into making the best and most informed decisions possible to maximize our reach and revenue. We have meetings and are in frequent communication.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a no-nonsense company that knows how to put a marketing package together. They listen to your problems and give solutions — it’s as simple as that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be prepared and have an open mind. If you don’t know something, tell them, and they’ll walk you through it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Owner at healthcare consulting company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Business development consulting

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

They had great reviews online

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and marking tools used.

They helped with business development consulting with no clear deliverables

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

I worked with Stefon and he was great.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They gave me clear direction for our business and marketing strategies

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. Great work.

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

Their communication is professional and streamlined.

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

No, they were perfect.