KRFTWRK

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a physician with a fertility practice in North York. I’m the sole practitioner, so I run the business and the practice.

What challenge were you trying to address with KRFTWRK?

After relocating, I wanted to organically raise the profile of my business. I was still seeing most of my leads coming through from my previous location. While that was okay, my dropout rate began to increase because patients were having to travel so far to my new location. 

This was a challenge because of the volume and timing of fertility meetings. It helps to live closer to where a patient is being monitored. So, I wanted to increase my profile in my new location while appealing to a younger audience.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They handled digital marketing for me in an effort to raise my digital profile. That involved social media engagement through Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. They’ve also created a blog for me as well as a newsletter. Additionally, they’ve targetted keywords as part of SEO initiatives.  

What is the team composition?

I suspect there are more people working in the background, but I collaborate directly with about 4–5 people. 

How did you come to work with KRFTWRK?

I have a friend who worked with the founder in the past. After explaining my situation to my friend, she recommended their services. I decided to call them, and we had an extensive and informative chat about my goals.

He suggested that I meet with one of her team leads. When she visited my office, I connected with her over our conversation. She seemed bright, creative, and personable. They didn’t have tons of healthcare experience, but they seemed like a strong team for the work.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend approximately $2,000 each month with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We had initial conversations in early 2020 but waited to engage until the pandemic restrictions eased a little bit. They’ve been working with us since May 2020. 

Originally, we were working together on a three-month trial, but I’ve extended their contract until June 2021.

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

They provide performance metrics on a bi-weekly basis. We still have some more work to do, but the numbers are moving in a positive direction. I’ve also had patients and customers praise the infographics and blog that they’ve provided as well.  

How did KRFTWRK perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication is excellent and regular. We meet every two weeks, sometimes even more than that. I’m not very technical, but they’ve provided assistance whenever necessary without any judgment.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their creativity and ideas demonstrated through the graphics are very impressive. I also value their professionalism.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything. I’d recommend them highly to others looking for a digital marketing team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make your goals very clear to them. They’re great at directing our conversations back to our goals. It’s clear that they put a lot of effort into addressing our goals.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Technical Support Specialist that works for a biotech company, where we manufacture and develop diagnostic tests in the Healthcare industry.

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

We wanted to launch a SEM campaign in LATAM, so that we can develop brand awareness, as well as, find some potentially new distributors for our product in the area.

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

We heard of KRFTWRK from a mutual acquaintance, who worked at the company. We decided to proceed with the project from their great presentation on the service and their strategy in tackling the project, as well as, great references.

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

Design and development of English landing page Spanish landing page SEM in both English and Spanish targeting LATAM countries Social Media banners

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

6 people from KRFTWRK worked on the project and their positions were Accounting, Brand Designer, Performance Lead, Marketing Manager, Marketing Strategist and Performance Specialist

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

KRFTWRK delivered all the milestones on time, with very timely responses via e-mail and always willing to jump on a call to discuss any issues. The SEM is still ongoing, however we currently in talks with a good potential partner in a distribution deal.

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

Communication was done over e-mail or Google meet, where their presentations were done on PowerPoint. The presentations were always shared afterwards. Shared documents (Excel, Word) were Google base Design elements were shared on InVision Active Collab was used for all deliverable timelines

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

Very knowledgeable about their area of expertise and also working with the customer on trying to get the best ROI with their budget. Also their communication is top shelf. If there is any issue, they will hop on a video call with you to try to resolve the issue as soon as possible.

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

I don't think we went over the budgeting of the SEM at the beginning of the campaign portion, where we could see what the projected costs would be per month.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder and CEO of SingleKey. We help landlords screen tenants with our credit and background checks. We also take away the risks of tenants damaging property or not paying rent with our rent guarantee program.

What challenge were you trying to address with KRFTWRK?

We needed help with customer acquisition, and that’s what KRFTWRK is good at.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They provide a holistic marketing management solution. KRFTWRK redid our website. They designed the content, the look and feel, and the theme. They run our paid marketing and help with branding. They manage our Google Ads campaign, which is our main channel for acquiring customers. They put together ads for Facebook and manage our Facebook campaign. In addition to that, they have helped us with marketing emails and setting up the chat on our webpage. They’ve helped us establish the marketing infrastructure that we need. Right now, they’re helping us with the US launch and optimization. 

How did you come to work with KRFTWRK?

Another investor in the company had a good experience with them, so they referred us to them. 

How much have you invested with them?

It varies, but it’s roughly $3,000 a month. We’ve spent at least $20,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together began in December 2019, and it’s ongoing.

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

This is the only marketing company I’ve worked with, so I don’t have a frame of reference. However, we’ve had good results. With their help, our sales have gone up about 30% every month. Cost of acquisition has remained steady, which is great.

They did a great job on the website; we got really good feedback from our customers. I’d give them a 9/10. For what we paid for, we’ve gotten a lot of value.

How did KRFTWRK perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly meetings to go over touchpoints and updates. During those meetings, we set up the goals for the next week and touch base on the progress of each item. Communication is usually via email. They’re also part of our Slack group. They’re very responsive; we can message them at any time, and we hear back immediately. If there are issues, they solve them right away.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They bring in a fresh perspective, as well as a fresh look and feel to marketing. They’re definitely on the younger side, so they are very well-versed on how millennials are searching for products and services. They provide a good, comprehensive solution. They tie in the technology with the website, content, and ads, and they bring that all together. The theme is consistent across our ads, fliers, and our site. They focus on putting together a holistic strategy to build a brand, as opposed to just trying to acquire some customers. They’re also very easy to work with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s hard to say, since I don’t have a frame of reference. I would say that having some people with more in-depth experience in some of these areas would be very helpful.

Any advice for potential customers?

Look at the projects that they’re working on. If your company fits within the mold of those projects, then you’re good. I’d ask them if they have experience providing the services you need. The branding and marketing for a wealth management business is going to be very different from that for an e-commerce store, so make sure they have experience in your space.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a Managing Partner at Toronto Sound. We are a full service creative audio agency based in Toronto. We provide technical services such as on-set record and post mixing, to creative services such as music composition and sound design. We work primarily in the advertising space, but branch out when we feel there's a creative challenge.

For what projects/services did your company hire KRFTWRK?

We hired KRFTWRK to re-design our aging website. It had fallen behind on mobile standards and we felt a negative affect on our inquiries. The company had grown and matured since and it did not best represent our company anymore.

What were your goals for this project?

We had two goals: revamp the website with our current branding to best represent the more premium creative angle our company had since took, and improve our SEO and presence in hopes to attain more traffic. We felt that KRFTWRK's team had the ability to balance a great visual design while simultaneously improving our analytics.

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended through a mutual client.

Describe the project in detail.

We had an initial meeting and then from that they presented us with a couple of mood boards which was great in getting an initial feel. From consolidating what we wanted on the final mood board, they used it to create two design prototypes. Like the mood board, they were great elements in both, so we used a combination of both and with that they created a final design prototype which was put into development.

What was the team composition?

We had a great project manager in Ayyyna and parlayed frequently with her and the designer, Tino. Pedro was our initial contact and there were a few more copywriters and SEO personnel. We appreciated how many hands on deck they had on our small project.

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

Night and day improvement in communicating the businesses image and aspirations. We feel much more confident in all other aspects of our business now that we have what we feel is a proper representation of our values. We are also receiving a noticeable uptick on traffic and inquiries which is always amazing.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

They are extremely easy to work with. We felt like it was a great big collaboration, and they very quickly and easily could identify our business needs.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They had an amazing process and intuition to understand new concepts and values that it took us years to build a foundation for in our business. The quality and care taken to achieve our goals and the great people that worked on it were very inspiring!

Are there any areas for improvement?

They are open to feedback and value the happiness of their clients, so none as far as I'm concerened.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the chief product officer and one of the co-founders of Bridge Financial Technology, a B2B software company that sells software for independent financial advisors.

What challenge were you trying to address with KRFTWRK?

I did a lot of customer-facing and data management work when I first started, but now I’ve shifted into the product side of our business. When we started, most of our developers were backend-focused, so we didn’t put too much thought into the frontend. We hired KRFTWRK to work with us on a UI/UX overhaul.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us think through the philosophy of the product and how we could engage with it. Their main responsibility was making our software platform look better. The team started off by logging into the old version of our product and then helped to shepherd the entire process. Additionally, after completing the prototype, KRFTWRK conducted client interviews.

What is the team composition?

At any given point, we work with 2–3 teammates.

How did you come to work with KRFTWRK?

We met KRFTWRK at a conference for advisors and saw that they had experience with doing website overhauls.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $40,000–$50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in June 2019, and it’s ongoing. The initial project is going to be wrapping up at the end of April 2020, and then, because of Coronavirus, we’ll be putting the larger project on hold.

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

We are very close to having the product fully in production. It was their idea to do a lot of customer interviews early on and throughout the process. When we’ve talked to clients and shown them prototypes, they’ve been incredibly excited. 

This has been a good way to make the process collaborative and make customers feel like they have an influence on the road map and the final product. Overall, we’ve received very positive feedback, even before the launch.

How did KRFTWRK perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication has improved. There was a little bit of a lag in feedback time when we first started because we would only meet once a week. As soon as that situation was resolved, the process got better. 

We use a project management tool and we also have a channel with them on Slack, and KRFTWRK is always available, which is great. They’re very easy to get a hold of.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven’t worked with too many other designers, but what we appreciate about KRFTWRK is their experience in frontend development. They are able to put together a solid prototype that isn’t just a few screenshots or an image in Adobe. The team understands what a good deliverable looks like, thanks to their expertise. Our frontend developers have valued this.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It would’ve been helpful if, from the get-go, they had set recurring calendar meetings.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Use the prototype that they put together. Internally, KRFTWRK uses a tool called Figma, so the more you interact with it and leave comments, the better. This will be very helpful since the design process is much more iterative than other aspects of software development. 

Giving as much real-time feedback as possible also makes the weekly calls much more productive, because you’ll have something tangible to look at. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

Stryker Media Group Inc. is a Canadian advertising agency and I am the Founder and President.

For what projects/services did your company hire KRFTWRK?

We hired KRFTWRK to help us redesign our website to not only modernize it, but also to help with functionality.

What were your goals for this project?

To create a website that represented our brand better and help us engage with potential clients.

How did you select this vendor?

My team and I had worked with Pedro and Justin on previous clients of ours. I knew that they not only had a great process in place and strategy for building out great websites, but that they also had the technological know how and design acumen to create beautiful work.

Describe the project in detail.

The project included creating our website on WP. Previously it was done on WIX. KRFTWRK created the design and build fo the site. They helped us rewrite some of the content, created a video for the homepage and also hosts our site.

What was the team composition?

We had approx. 4 people work on our project. There was a project manager, coder, designer and content writer.

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

Our site does not currently get a lot of traffic, but that isn't because of the work KRFTWRK had done as part of the website redesign. We get a lot of our business through referrals so this isn't particularly an appropriate benchmark of success. However, we have received compliments on how professional our site looks and feels and I do believe that as a result of our redesign, the brand is now much more inline with our core values and services that we provide.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Everything was organized and it was easy to get feedback from the team when needed. Response times were good and we enjoyed the processes that they put in place to keep us on schedule and on target.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They utilize a lot of different planning programs to show prototyping and the look and feel of the sites they are building. The design work is really sharp and the team is great to work with! I would highly recommend them to others looking to create or work with online apps and the development of websites.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There is a bit of jumpiness to our website that came with the design that I wish wasn't there, but understand is part of the higher end design look and feel which cannot be removed as a result.

Also, I wish that they had installed a hubspot or other email management program on the back end (even as an add-on cost) so that emails or contact us forms coming in didn't go straight to my email box. Discussions regarding contact management platforms from the beginning would help add a lot of value. This is something that we could've worked out, but I failed to mention it to them at the time.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director at a technology-based healthcare firm that builds technology to expand access to quality healthcare. 

What challenge were you trying to address with KRFTWRK?

One of our technology products is a mobile app that connects healthcare providers to end-users. So, one of the challenges we were trying to solve was to generate qualified leads to get to our goal of monthly app installs, user registration within the product, and, ultimately, purchases.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They primarily manage all of our digital paid media campaigns, which involves managing and implementing media buying and planning, optimizing the cost for install, cost for enrollment, and cost for purchase. 

We did have campaigns running before we brought them on board, but KRFTWRK now helps us to hone in on our targeting capabilities within different social media channels. They also brainstorm new creative concepts and conduct testing and micro growth experiments. This allows them to determine the target market that interacts the most with our campaign with the aim of eventually converting them. 

The team has also redesigned one of our products — a mobile app — by improving UX and providing content writing services. The marketing team also collaborated with the product team to develop a new look and feel for some of our marketing collateral overall. Their role has evolved throughout our partnership.

What is the team composition?

We have two main points of contact, but when we need more design, product, or UX expertise, it’s always available to us. Our engagement is à la carte, so we have multiple points of contact. 

How did you come to work with KRFTWRK?

Our whole team works remotely, so I used to go to a coworking space near me, and the KRFTWRK team used to work in that same office. We put out an RFP to which I invited them to pitch along with other companies that we interviewed. 

The CEO and I both met with KRFTWRK in person to understand their work ethics and to see if they’d match our culture. They came up on top among some of the other companies we spoke to, so we decided to work with them.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $3,500 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in April 2019 and it’s ongoing.

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

We’ve seen significant growth in our monthly install numbers and have managed to drive our cost per install down. We used to see anywhere from $7–$10 cost per install, which KRFTWRK has been able to bring down to about $3–$5 cost per install.

They don’t work like a typical agency; they are very nimble and always willing to adapt to our needs. We are a very fast-paced company and sometimes projects come unexpectedly. KRFTWRK is always open to taking on the projects and turning them around as quickly as they can.

The marketing collateral they created was on point and on-brand. In my experience working with various creative agencies, their response time and work ethics are amazing, which is why we continue to work with them.

How did KRFTWRK perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very flexible. Internally, we use Slack to communicate, and we were able to add the KRFTWRK team to our Slack channel. This has made working with them very easy. They do have their own project management tools which I have access to. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their designers are very talented. Our mobile app is somewhat complex because it deals with the healthcare industry, which varies per state. But the team was able to grasp that and design flows and UX that made sense, all while making it simple. Overall, on the product side, their UX expertise is on par with what we were looking for. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The team is very good at keeping up with the latest technology trends. However, that can sometimes be challenging because the client has to switch over to whatever new technology they're trying to use. 

The tools are not difficult to use; it’s the frequent changes in the tools that have been challenging. It has happened a couple of times which means that we have had to remember to keep up with them. Other than that, they still do a good job of keeping us aligned.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t think of projects in silos; think holistically about what you want to achieve. One of the reasons why our relationship has been successful is that the product and marketing teams have been able to collaborate. Additionally, the more you keep them informed, the more helpful they’re going to be to you. 

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Head of Marketing at a micromobility software startup based in Toronto. Joyride's software is used by scooter and bike-share operators in more than 60 markets worldwide. I manage all marketing and content strategies for our company.

For what projects/services did your company hire KRFTWRK?

Our company's website required a total refresh to better capture our services, partners, pricing plans and incoming leads. We hired KRFTWRK to create an entirely new site design and user experience based on the copy we provided.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a website that could be easily managed by Joyride's small marketing team. We also wanted a site that was easy to navigate and spoke to the constant movement of the micromobility industry.

How did you select this vendor?

I was given a number of recommendations for Toronto-based web developers and designers in addition to my own online research conducted through Facebook and LinkedIn groups.

After speaking with several of these companies, I received a wide range of quotes and project timelines. After meeting with KRFTWRK and seeing the company's portfolio, they quickly became a frontrunner for the project.

After considering their enthusiasm for our company and the work itself - not to mention their very agreeable budget and timeline - it became clear that KFTWRK was the top choice!

Describe the project in detail.

We met with KFTWRK to go over our goals for the project and what we envisioned for a design concept. They presented several mood board ideas, which were then used as a basis for the final homepage mockup.

Joyride provided the copy for the website and KRFTWRK designed the homepage and sub-pages accordingly with very little direction, they captured our ideas with great ease and in an extremely timely manner.

What was the team composition?

We were assigned a project manager with whom we closely worked, and their lead designer was also readily available to make changes based on our feedback. On Joyride's end, our team for the project was comprised of myself (Head of Marketing) our CEO and COO.

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

Our team was beyond pleased with the outcome of project. In addition to the website looking completely refreshed and modernized, it has been so easy to manage on our back-end.

While we only launched the new website last week, we have already seen an uptick in contact forms. And we expect there to be longer visit times on the website as we continue to boost our offerings in the Resources and Blog sections.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was seamless and completely enjoyable throughout the entire two-month process. They were quick to respond to our inquiries and had insightful suggestions to make, too.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We were completely thrilled by the speed at which the project was completed - without any details spared! KRFTWRK delivered everything we were looking for within budget and within a very tight timeline.

Most impressive was their ability to take an idea and see it through to fruition in highly creative ways.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can't think of any at the moment.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the CEO of a Digital Signage Software company. We are based in Canada and work with organizations worldwide

For what projects/services did your company hire KRFTWRK?

We wanted to expand our reach through specific digital marketing avenues. KRFTWRK took the time to set up goals and a pipeline to drive more leads and business to our website. They also redesigned our website to make it more SEO compatible and continually manage the site.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals are to drive more people to our website, which is turn will lead to more inquires.

How did you select this vendor?

Initially met through a work colleague - Had several meetings to plan our pipeline for success together.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

SEO/SEM Management A/B Testing for Facebook/Google Campaign. Managed our lead sources Managed Social media accounts Created content for blog posts

What was the team composition?

Communication is fantastic, we speak daily and trust each others work explicitly

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

We have a increased numbers in all fields. Website traffic had tripled as well as leads and business inquires.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective, we spoke daily and had a detailed plan on what we were doing. We knew exactly what they were working on each day.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Communication, attention to detail and turnover time on new ideas and content.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nope!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of the Foundation for Environmental Stewardship. We’re a youth-led and youth-serving sustainable development charity.

What challenge were you trying to address with KRFTWRK?

Our website lacked a professional design, and many of the schools we had reached out to questioned our organization’s legitimacy. We hired KRFTWRK to redesign our branding and logo with a new color palette. This project coincided with one of our national initiatives. Second, we needed short-term marketing solutions to increase our visibility among Canadian high schools.

What was the scope of their involvement?

KRFTWRK completed the branding in a few months. The team then delivered our new website and took responsibilities from our other outsourcing partners. They now do our marketing, social media, and digital and email campaigns based on the new branding.

What is the team composition?

I have one main point of contact. We talk at least once a week.

How did you come to work with KRFTWRK?

The KRFTWRK team and I both occupied the same shared co-working space. I explained our challenges and they generated ideas for the logo. We met other design firms as well, but being in the same building was an unbeatable advantage. What’s more, they were nice people that we wanted to partner with.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $30,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in April 2018 and the partnership is ongoing.

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

The branding and website are absolutely phenomenal. Before the engagement, we had trouble reaching out to schools. Now, schools approach us. We rarely have to send more than one or two introduction emails; we regularly get follow-ups. The team also helps us manage the improved interest and sales flows. This year is big for us, and KRFTWRK is focusing on digital marketing to ensure great results.

How did KRFTWRK perform from a project management standpoint?

The team is highly responsive and professional. We communicate via video calls and email. KRFTWRK usually uses Slack, but we prefer email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

KRFTWRK adapts to customers’ needs and keeps iterating to find the best approach. I’m a difficult client and I have specific things that need to be communicated a certain way. My organization targets climate change topics to rural parts of Canada. KRFTWRK can translate our technical jargon and explain it to our audience in an accessible manner.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Set up a video call and talk to them. That will usually do the magic time that I was captured by.