Kobe Digital

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the President / Lead Designer of Intermountain Staging

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Intermountain Staging provides home staging and design consultations to homeowners and realtors looking to prepare their property to get the highest offer in the fastest time.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Kobe Digital to accomplish?

• Lead Generation
• Website Design
• Consulting

SOLUTION

How did you find Kobe Digital?

Referral

Why did you select Kobe Digital over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Kobe Digital’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

We opened a new location in Boise, ID (previously in Seattle, WA area) and had to start generating business from scratch with no local relationships and zero word-of-mouth. Kobe Digital helped us with a review of our website from Wix and offered us some technical SEO items to fix and helped us speed the site up and make it more mobile optimized. Then they took a fairly small advertising budget and not only managed our Google Ads spend but helped explain how it all worked which was super helpful.

In a very short period we got so busy we maxed out the available furniture we had to offer and had to significantly invest in more to be able to service all of the new leads. The work they did on Google for us at the time helped increase our revenue by more than 300%. Because real estate slows way down in the winter we paused our marketing campaigns but are nearing the time when we'll sign back up with them for this year and we are planning to see a similar growth rate working with Kobe Digital.

We also are planning to start offering a new service and will be using Kobe Digital to help design a new website from scratch this year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• 300% increase in overall revenue in first 6 months directly tied to marketing efforts from Kobe Digital

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

Communication was great. Weekly meetings which was unique. The other companies we interviewed only offered bi-weekly or monthly meetings with weekly reports. Being able to speak to someone every week I always felt we were on the same page. They were super responsive and had numerous people on the team helping out at all times.

What was your primary form of communication with Kobe Digital?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The time they were willing to spend helping me understand more about marketing in general. They not only offered to manage our campaigns but I know 1000% more about marketing than I did prior to working with Kobe Digital. But performance was so great; they really helped build a solid foundation for our business in a new market.

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

We had such great results I can't think of anything off the top of my head. Communication was great. Performance was great. Everything I could ask for I think.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder || Direct Response Copywriter || Fractional CMO of Motive In Motion

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Sales copywriting, marketing & Fractional CMO services

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Kobe Digital to accomplish?

• Increasing conversions
• Illuminating brand story
• Resonating with target customers

SOLUTION

How did you find Kobe Digital?

Online Search

Why did you select Kobe Digital over others?

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

What was the size of Kobe Digital’s team?

20

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

Kobe Digital has a very dialed-in system that consists of three parts: MEDIA - DESIGN - STUDIO. They've been able to successfully meet customers where they hang out, and nurture them with an omni-channel approach. They then design the right brand identity that will resonate with target prospects. Finally, they produce in the studio, brand assets that create captivating stories and put our brand in the customers' shoes, so they connect with proper messaging.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Brand storytelling
• Relevant, targeted advertising/marketing
• Brand identity and design

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

Very quick to respond to messages. They were helpful and knowledgeable about digital marketing. They've got an impressive delivery system and broad skill sets that help to align the brand mission, and give it a "high value" feel.

What was your primary form of communication with Kobe Digital?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

High touch delivery, attention to detail and thorough communication.

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

Very satisfied overall

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of Precisionary Instruments, we make scientific research equipment for life science laboratories.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to increase our Google Adwords effectiveness, and improve our SEO rankings for keywords.

SOLUTION

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

We looked at several vendors, and selected this vendor based on cost and experience.

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

• Set up Google Adwords and optimize the keywords and spend on each.
• Optimize SEO rankings of those keywords, and create backlinks for each keyword.
• Optimize different keyword spends for regions.
• Bi-weekly calls to go over progress and contents.

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

account executives. Two of them. One was more experienced, and the other is not.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They started out decent, and made some improvements. But have deteriorate quite a bit over the past few years on execution. Also, they over charged us by 18k last year, and took half a year to refund. This year, we told them we will cancel and move on back in November 2nd on a contract that expires on January 6th. They made up a October 26th cancellation date arbitrarily and charged us 18k again and refused to pay us back.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Effective at the beginning, but has deteriorated significantly over time.

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

Nothing anymore.

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

They need to be much more clear about their contract start/end date, and how they charge their customers.

Company Responses

The vendor responded on April 13, 2023.

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We sincerely apologize for the dissatisfaction you've experienced and appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns.

We're disheartened to hear that our performance did not meet your expectations after many years of working together. As a marketing agency, our top priority is to deliver the best possible results for our clients. We continually strive to improve our services, and your feedback is invaluable in helping us to identify areas that may need further attention.

Regarding the SEO work, we apologize if there was any misunderstanding or miscommunication. It is crucial for us to be transparent with our clients about the services we provide and the scope of our contracts. We understand the importance of clearly defining contract start and end dates, as well as the billing process, and we will work to ensure that this is communicated more effectively in the future.

Thank you for your understanding

​​​​​​

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Founder of O'hara Steel

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kobe Digital?

Design

What were your goals for this project?

We needed help with branding, logo, brochures, packaging design, etc.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Found them online

Describe the project in detail.

They helped us develop branding guidelines as well as designs for our brochure, flyers, tradeshow materials, etc.

What was the team composition?

We had a project manager named Gene, and worked with their creative director Robert mostly.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We were very happy with the work provided, and we have received great feedback from our friends and customers.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective. The weekly meetings were very helpful, and their project management tool is very helpful as well.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to take our thoughts and help us turn them into actionable designs is impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that I can recommend, 10/10.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the social media marketing manager for an upscale restaurant.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kobe Digital?

I hired Kobe Digital to help me in my efforts toward growing the restaurant’s social media presence. I had just recently finished an internship, so I was looking for someone with a bit more experience to guide me.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

To start, Kobe Digital created a few posts that I worked off. They walked me through their process of choosing hashtags, determining the time of day to post, and targeting lunch or dinner business with specific ads. Their team also helped me decide on and edit the copy for Facebook and Instagram posts after figuring out what would appeal to our audience. Together, we created a brand tone based on this information. Eventually, I took over creating the posts myself using the knowledge they passed to me.

What is the team composition?

About three people from the Kobe Digital team worked with me. 

How did you come to work with Kobe Digital?

A former colleague of mine had worked with Kobe Digital, so it was a driving force that someone I trusted recommended their services. 

How much have you invested with them?

I’m unsure of the exact cost, but it was under $10,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from August–September 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We definitely saw an increase in engagement, doubling the industry benchmark. Our follower count dramatically grew, also doubling from what it previously was. 

How did Kobe Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They were really good to work with; I was impressed with how well they managed the project. Although I’m sure they had a ton of different work, I always had one dedicated project manager. I didn’t feel like just another client. 

We mostly spoke through email but also Whatsapp because it’s my preferred method. Sam (Client Campaign Strategist, Kobe Digital) was quick to respond and willing to use whichever platform I wanted to use. I’m sure even if I wanted to use direct messages they would have been open to that because of how flexible they were.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their team was highly impressive and they worked closely with us to meet our needs. I haven’t worked with any similar teams before, but I don’t know how many other providers would be as adjustable as Kobe Digital was. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything for them to improve. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask questions. I wanted to get the most out of their services, so I continually asked why they chose to do certain things and how to best change an approach. Make sure you understand the work they’re doing and ask all the questions you have. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a vape shop based out of California.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kobe Digital?

Previously, we only had physical locations but we wanted to focus more on online sales.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Kobe Digital to design and develop our website from scratch. The site has an e-commerce component, and we’ll be looking into their services for social media marketing, SEO, and Google Ads in the near future. 

What is the team composition?                        

We had one account manager that was the main point of contact throughout our projects. We reached out to them for anything and they provided our status updates.

How did you come to work with Kobe Digital?

We found them through a Google search. We were looking at reviews for different companies, and after doing an initial consultation with them, they seemed like they would be the best fit. They also had some really great references.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested $15,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in July 2019, and our engagement ended in October 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

It was great working with them. They were able to take our vision and bring it to life. They also made sure that the website was compliant with all of the specific vaping laws, which is what we were looking for. We didn’t have any issues at all while working with them, and everything was smooth from start to finish.

How did Kobe Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very good. We communicated via phone and all of the responses between us were taken care of within 24 hours, which was very effective. It was nice to have a responsive ream and not have to wait days to get responses back. They knocked it out of the part, in that aspect.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were most impressed with their quick response time. We were very happy and they went above and beyond for us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, not at this time. I hope they keep up the quality in our future projects.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to do your research and make sure that Kobe Digital is the right fit for your company.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a marketing manager at a large medical facility that is expanding our core services to include medical devices.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kobe Digital?

Fully custom Shopify design

What were your goals for this project?

We were branching out and starting to sell products to complement our main business and needed help creating a website that would convert well.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Since we were in a time crunch, they were the first ones who responded and I’m glad they did.

Describe the project in detail.

Kobe Digital created a fully custom Shopify design, installed it, and recommended some other tools that could be beneficial for us to implement.

What was the team composition?

We only spoke with one person. However, I’m sure there were about 4-5 folks working on our account.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have heard nothing but good things from our customers about our website.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication is a strong suit of this company. And they used state of the art project management tools that made it really easy to stay on track.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their design skills exceeded my expectations.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Loved the design they created. No issues with communication or their services.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a digital strategist

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kobe Digital?

PPC Advertising

What were your goals for this project?

We weren’t getting very good results with our current PPC advertising provider so we’d hoped Kobe Digital could provide good results since they came highly recommended.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A mutual connection introduced us.

Describe the project in detail.

They are responsible for handling all of our PPC advertising campaigns.

What was the team composition?

From what we saw the team at Kobe Digital is made up of analysts, media buyers, VP's, etc. On one occasion we communicated with the company CEO.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The most noticeable progress is that our ROI increased and our CPC decreased by about 20% which is HUGE for us.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our teams work together well despite being in different time zones.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their copywriters really know how to play with words.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Everything is fine.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a marketing director at a mid sized law firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Kobe Digital?

Fully custom Wordpress web design.

What were your goals for this project?

I was hoping to receive a custom website for my firm and have a great online presence.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I came across them on LinkedIn and once doing some research I saw they had a ton of good reviews.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

The process was pretty straight forward. We had a quick initial consultation where I shared my ideas and they brought it to life.

What was the team composition?

There was only one point of contact.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Since the new design has been implemented our search engine results are improving constantly. Also, we’re noticing an increase in mobile users.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Our teams worked together well. We communicated with our account manager Sam and always had our messages responded to promptly.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their work ethic is remarkable. They provide updates throughout the process and I never felt left in the dark.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No improvements needed in my opinion. I was very pleased with their design work.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a producer at a media company that makes television shows.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Kobe Digital?

We were looking for a development house that could build a new website based on our previous, rudimentary version. Because media is such a visual medium, we wanted to enhance the user interface to better showcase our works.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement? 

Kobe Digital built a WordPress site from scratch, using our previous site as a template to gauge how we wanted to present our TV shows. Once the team designed the user interface, they imported our provided content, which included a logo, banners, and show highlights. The final result was a simple website that we could update ourselves as we developed new content.

What is the team composition?  

We primarily worked with one point of contact, but there were others working behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Kobe Digital?

The vendor selection process was a bit difficult for us. We had gone through several independent developers and received outrageous quotes from some of the larger development firms. After a lot of research, we came upon Kobe Digital and really liked their website. We hired them to make our website as professional-looking as theirs.

How much have you invested with them? 

We spent about $10,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

The project lasted from May–December 2018, but they still help out once in a while.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Kobe Digital executed the new website perfectly, and we now use the site as a business card and portfolio for our work. We’ve received many compliments from visitors thanks to the site’s professional interface. Even our peers within the media industry have reached out to ask about our web designer.

How did Kobe Digital perform from a project management standpoint?

They managed the project well. Every day, we would have phone calls or video conferences to work through our vision. They would also walk us through their iterations to show us how to use the site.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was impressed that they could get things done quickly and professionally at a fair price.

Are there any areas they could improve? 

It would be nice if they offered post-launch maintenance services that we could subscribe to. After the project ended, it was hard to get a hold of them, and it took a bit of time for them to get back to us.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?
 
Have all of your assets and content together so that Kobe Digital can quickly assemble a mock-up. For us, we had a lot of media, so making sure everything was in order beforehand helped expedite the process.