Launch Online

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of agil8 Ltd

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Operating throughout the UK and internationally - agil8 are a leading provider of Agile and Scrum training / consulting.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Launch Online to accomplish?

• To manage our online paid presence. This includes Google Ads, and Bing Ads.

SOLUTION

How did you find Launch Online?

• Referral

Why did you select Launch Online over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Launch Online’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

I've worked closely with Launch Online for over 5 years, during which time they've managed all of agil8's paid search and PPC ads. This specifically relates to Google Ads, and Bing Ads.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• The primary measurement of success was the conversion rate from our paid ads into online bookings for specified courses on our public training schedule.

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

Not only have Launch Online provided effective ongoing management of our ad campaigns, but they also frequently suggested and implemented improvements to our account in order to optimise the conversion rate and maximum our ROI.

What was your primary form of communication with Launch Online?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

In addition to managing and servicing our account, they pro-actively seek out and advise on ways that our paid search activities can be improved, with both tactical and strategic guidance. This is particularly important as the online space that we target has progressively become increasingly competitive, particularly within the last 2-3 year period. Furthermore, I've always received a warm, friendly, and very knowledgeable service from Launch Online.

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

No. We have always been very happy with the service that we have received from Launch Online.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Small Films is a leading video production company in London, UK. We offer video production services to brands, businesses and organisations across the world. I am the founder / company owner.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We wanted to find an agency that could create a sophisticated Google ad campaign for us that could attract new customers. Having worked with several PPC agencies in the past with limited results, we wanted to find a company that actually knew what they were doing and could deliver tangible leads. Our objective was to increase our funnel using a paid search campaign.

SOLUTION

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

Launch come with a fantastic reputation and were recommended to me by several people within my network. Having met the founder Jaye, we developed a good rapport so this company felt like a natural fit. Once I met the account team and saw how they structure their projects, I felt they would do great work for us.

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

They set up a PPC campaign using Google search to attract more customers. This started with a scoping call to understand our goals, our audience and our media budget. From this, they drew up a keyword list and built out a multi-faceted ad campaign which targeted people based on their specific searches.

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

I had a small team working on our account including a dedicated account manager and a technical expert who could fill me in on the day to day detail of the campaign and provide reports. All this was overseen by one of the senior leadership team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We got a large volume of leads off the back of this campaign. Including many that could be considered "high ticket" clients. We converted many of these leads leading to a tangible return on investment.

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

Seemless, communicative and free from jargon. They problem solve and look to help you along the way.

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

The people are great and their approach is sophisticated.

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

I was really happy with the service they provided.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing and sustainability director for Fluid Branding. We’re leaders in the sourcing and provision of promotional merchandise and branded clothing. We’re a B Corp, so we think beyond profit and also consider people and the planet. We have locations throughout the UK, as well as Ireland, the Netherlands, and Malta.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Launch Online?

We need to advertise effectively through Google and similar platforms and want to get the best value out of PPC. Using an external specialist seems like the best route to go down.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Launch Online manages our PPC campaigns in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Malta. They run ad campaigns on LinkedIn and other social media platforms, and then we respond to comments on those pages. They also assist with our Google Ads account. We share our objectives and calendar with Launch Online, and then they come up with specific plans within our budget and timeframe to get the best ROI. They are the experts so I lean on them.

They design some of the creative assets for the ads and have come up with some creative proposals and solutions. Our in-house marketing and branding team produces some of the assets as well. It is a partnership; we work closely together to brainstorm ideas and come up with results.

We’re getting them involved in our Christmas campaign; for this campaign, we plant trees for every customer who places an order of a certain value. We’ve briefed Launch Online on the campaign and tasked them with putting together the go-to-market strategy for our PPC ads while our in-house team tackles other deployment options. We work like this for every campaign Launch Online is part of — they work alongside our in-house team.

They also do website UX studies every quarter; they pull reports and make suggestions to improve the UX. They offer other services that we don’t need to use since we have an in-house marketing team.

What is the team composition?

Two teammates look after us on a regular basis and the owner is involved every now and then. We also have access to other contacts with specific areas of expertise within the business, including PPC and technical specialists, among others.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our longstanding partnership with Launch Online started before I started in my position in 2017, and we have no intention of leaving.

How did you come to work with Launch Online?

One of our former employees joined Launch Online. I believe that’s how the relationship came about.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve been able to see a return on advertising spending and plan to continue our longstanding partnership with Launch Online. All of our reporting is linked to our Google Analytics and HubSpot, our CRM. We get regular reporting from those tools. Apart from that, we also have access to our internal systems to be able to see any revenue attribution that’s come from those campaigns, which is very helpful. 

How did the company perform from a project management standpoint?

Launch Online performs very well. They’re always on top of the budget; they’re proactive about alerting us to any underspend or overspend and making relevant adjustments. They’re always on time with reporting. We have management meetings on a regular basis, and they submit reports ahead of those meetings. 

They’re very involved with our team and our plans. They’ve been flexible in using our project management system, which is monday.com. We have meetings with them on a regular basis — they join our campaign catch-up calls. They’re essentially an extension of our marketing team.

I really like the way they work. Launch Online is a relatively small company so it’s easy to get in touch with the people we need.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Launch Online has a great work ethic and an exceptional staff. Recently, they’ve even brought in some additional skilled resources. We’re aligned on the values of looking after staff and using business as a force for good, which is part of why we want to stay with them. All in all, it’s a really good relationship.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. They ask us this question as well; they always want to be the best they can be for their clients.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

Be mindful that it’s more than just their ability to deliver on the PPC and SEO that matters; there’s also alignment on the people and culture side as well.
 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the performance marketing manager at a security solutions company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Launch Online?

Among other things, we offer a comprehensive concierge service to take care of our client’s properties, security needs, and more. However, our service was difficult to explain to people who weren’t knowledgeable in the space due to its complexity and different elements. Therefore, we needed someone to help us launch a campaign for brand awareness around that service.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Launch has helped us develop multi-channel awareness campaigns and build an entire marketing strategy for our service. These campaigns focus on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and we also plan to expand them to other media channels. Moreover, Launch has helped us run Google Ads for both search results and Google Shopping, and they’ve implemented remarketing strategies to improve conversion.

We have in-house creatives who develop the assets needed for our campaigns. Still, Launch provides us with feedback and direction around those assets. Additionally, they help us come up with new creative assets to improve our campaigns’ results if needed, based on the previous results.

What is the team composition?

We work with Danny (Account Director) and Lucy (Paid Media Manager).

How did you come to work with Launch Online?

Our SEO agency recommended them. We had already worked with other marketing agencies; however, those agencies weren’t very organized, had poor project management skills, and weren’t producing the results we wanted. When we met Launch, they were very helpful during the onboarding process, and they understood our plans to grow our business and improve our marketing.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around £75,000 (approximately $91,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together around March 2021, and our engagement is ongoing. We also have two other businesses, and Launch has become our PPC agency for those; they have three different accounts with us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The campaign developed by Launch Online has helped us promote our service and increase our awareness and conversion rates, ultimately growing our business. In the last three months, we’ve grown our brand searches by around 75%, and our ROI is averaging around 1,200%.

How did Launch Online perform from a project management standpoint?

Launch’s project management is very thorough and thoughtful. Obviously, we deal with a lot of urgent matters in our business. However, Launch always understands our urgencies and reacts accordingly. Danny is very technical and smart; it’s a pleasure working with him. Lucy manages our day-to-day work, and she’s extremely helpful and responsive.

Currently, we use monday.com to manage the project. Launch used Basecamp internally before, but they were happy to migrate to monday.com to accommodate our workflows. Additionally, we communicate via email and other channels for more urgent matters.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Launch is very understanding of our business requirements and how we operate, which is rare for marketing agencies. Their thorough understanding helps us work with them on strategizing to drive the best results. Additionally, they’re very technical, and when they find issues, they come to the table with solutions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing Launch could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Let them do their work and take the lead in your campaigns. They excel at campaign optimization strategies and targeting, so leverage their knowledge and don’t try to micromanage them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Marketing Director, in the hospitality and accommodation sector, running the brand, marketing and revenue performance for a UK holiday company. Acquisitional company with revenue streams from sales of homes c£200,000 - £400,000, and sale of holiday breaks - £300 - £3000

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

Paid media support and management for Google, Bing and Meta. Driving campaigns for B2C lead generation and E-commerce bookings of Holiday short breaks. Building brand identity as acquisitional start up, providing compliance support (Cookies etc) for web acquisition and new build.

SOLUTION

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

I have personally worked with Launch for over five years, where they supported me in similar roles and requirements, in the hospitality and travel sector. Launch have won numerous UK, European and international paid campaign awards, on our projects. They strive to have a deep understanding of the clients needs and sector requirements.

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

Following a business acquisition, Launch were hired to help take over and manage paid and social channels, to establish new brand identity, generate early leads for sales conversion, and e-commerce conversion of holiday bookings. Fast start leading to quick wins in 2022, and to build for 2023 season and beyond with wider campaigns PREVIOUS PROJECTS Multi-year management of multi site, multi product B2C lead generation and E-commerce revenue Paid media campaigns, supporting a wider broad marketing acquisition strategy. Delivered significant year on year performance improvement measured by both revenue gain and industry beating ROI ratio's. Leading to several national and international awards for the paid campaigns

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

Over the last five years Launch and the team have grown substantially, and throughout this and the various projects and campaigns there have been a core team, including the founder, account directors, paid media director(s), analytics director and data director Jaye, Becky, Charlie, Danny, Simon, Ian, and Michael.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• CURRENT PROJECT: Already generating leads and e-commerce revenue, with a lower CPL / CPA and stronger ROI than previous vendor. Still in initial phase.
• PREVIOUS PROJECT (2020/1): Public domain data - Holiday breaks campaign 152% increase in YOY revenue £2,300,000 Revenue 2,800% ROAS

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

Work collaboratively on a data driven approach, continually evaluating and testing assumptions. Use video, phone, email, face to face communications. Clear regular reporting of results and planning strategy for forward periods.

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

We're impressed with their strong attention to our individual needs and abilities. Maintaining strong long term 1 on 1 relationships Clear daily, weekly, monthly project deliverable KPI's and expectations Forging and striving to maintain a partnership relationship, NOT client v Agency. Well led, clear strategy, and maintaining great industry leading individual who grow with the company

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

NO, the business continues to grow and evolve, bringing in additional team whether direct or partnership, who understand the culture and style of launch, so contribute quickly and add value, whilst still maintaining the OG's who's careers are well managed to give growth.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the head of marketing at Access Self Storage. We're an England-based self-storage solution for businesses and consumers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Launch Online?

We generate most of our leads through our website; they come in the form of inquiries for quotations on storage space rentals. We engaged Launch Online to boost the volume and lower the acquisition cost of our paid performance marketing programs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Launch Online is responsible for our PPC marketing efforts. They run our Google Ads and utilize Google Display Network. They also provide social media marketing (SMM) consulting and planning services. They’ve delivered some strategies that we plan to expand upon soon. 

They run ads on TikTok, LinkedIn, and Facebook. They create and run all our text-based ads, but they work with a third-party vendor on visual assets. Whenever a new platform comes along, Launch Online runs a test and discusses the opportunity with us to determine whether or not we should implement it. We’re currently working together on a trial for Instagram advertising.

They also support our data strategy by ensuring that the data from our website passes through our data stack and loops back into the appropriate channels. This has helped us understand our performance and identify opportunities. They’ve also helped us understand how best to use the proprietary Google functionality. 

What is the team composition?

We work with the owner, two media people, two accounts people, and a data strategist. 

How did you come to work with Launch Online?

Our company had worked with staff members from Launch Online when they were at a prior agency. When they transitioned to a new company, we followed them. I wasn’t with the company when we started working with them, but I assume they made a convincing pitch, and the continuity of high-quality staff factored into the decision.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend around $150,000 annually.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2020, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Launch Online has given us a competitive advantage in a highly competitive landscape. Their efforts have helped increase our volume of conversions and inquiries by about 10% year-over-year (YoY). Furthermore, our cost per lead (CPL) has increased by about 2% YoY.

How did Launch Online perform from a project management standpoint?

Launch Online is incredibly responsive; they act upon inquiries within minutes. They send weekly and fortnightly tracking reports, which we meet with them regularly to discuss. We typically communicate via email and meet via Microsoft Teams, but occasionally speak via phone. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

We’ve maintained our longstanding relationship with Launch Online because they thoroughly understand our business and industry. They’re experienced, innovative partners who continuously offer new analytics tools and data proxies. 

Additionally, they’re incredibly efficient and churn through the work quickly. Our business is very mobile and fluid, which requires us to make swift decisions. Launch Online’s grasp of data has helped me make better-informed strategic decisions. 

I’ve been in this industry for longer than I care to admit and have worked with many agencies over the years. Launch Online is great; they’re the best PPC agency I’ve ever dealt with. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I have nothing Launch Online could improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Partnerships are a people business, so make sure your personalities match, that they enjoy working with you, and vice versa. I also recommend engaging with them as much as possible; give them all the information and discuss your challenges. They’re good at solving problems, but it’s up to you to identify and disclose the issue to them. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Head of Marketing for David Salisbury Joinery, an award-winning designer and manufacturer of bespoke orangeries, conservatories, garden rooms and kitchen extensions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We hired Launch Online in July 2022, to drive an improvement in our PPC results and provide a fresh focus on our paid social activity, alongside looking at new channels (such as Pinterest Ads).

SOLUTION

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

We reviewed a couple of other agencies but the key factors were the positivity and friendliness of the team, their proven success and having a chat with a couple of their existing clients.

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

Audit and review of all Google and Bing search campaigns, which were then completely rebuilt using current best practices. Review all analytics, including GA and GA4. Implementing value-based bidding into our search campaigns. Re-introduction of Instagram Ads; commencement of Pinterest and YouTube Ads. Review of our CRM systems.

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

Harriet Barter, Paid Media Director Cleo Early, Paid Media Manager

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Initial results have been a quantum leap forward, with lead generation numbers through our PPC campaigns delivering their best monthly results of the year to date. Lead quality from our Instagram and Pinterest Ads campaigns have exceeded expectations, with average property values approaching £1m (well exceeding £500k which is our minimum target.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Highly effective - we have virtual meetings every 2 weeks. I particularly like how Harriet and Cleo will always bring new ideas and suggestions to each meeting, to make it a thought-provoking and insightful session.

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

As noted, they have been a huge step forward in terms of our paid media activity. A great mix of expertise and professionalism mixed with a really friendly and welcoming culture. Thoroughly recommend.

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

Nothing so far!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a holiday park and I am the Marketing Manager

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Launch Online?

Help with google and facebook advertising

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Met with the owner Jaye

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They take care of our google and facebook advertising

What was the team composition?

We have worked with Jaye and two account managers since we have been with them

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Owen has been fab in taking care of all our requirements and we get some excellent results

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow is fab - we started with regular weekly meetings that then went to monthly and now seasonally in line with our business

What did you find most impressive about this company?

How quickly they understood our products, our needs and our company ethos. They are super flexible and open-minded but also offer excellent advice and expertise backed by great explanations.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am SEO & PPC Co-ordinator for an organic beauty brand. I am responsible for the inbound sales from these channels.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

We began working with Launch Online some years ago to look after the day-to-day management and overarching strategy of our PPC accounts. The goal was to grow these channels and maximise ROI. Since then we have expanded our work with them to include analytics and paid social.

SOLUTION

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

Launch were recommended to us by our web development agency and we were very impressed by Jaye's knowledge and infectious enthusiasm.

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

Google Ads is the main focus of Launch's work, where they handle bidding, structure and account hygiene. They update us on new features and when new campaign types come along, and have recently done a lot of work on an account growth campaign. We work together on ad copy, keywords and creatives. Launch advise us on strategy changes and updates to continue to get the most from our account.

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

We have worked with 3 account managers over the years and have been very happy with each one. We are very pleased with the consistency. We have also had advice from specialists in particular areas, such as analytics and shopping, which we find very valuable. We are pleased to still speak with Jaye frequently.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our PPC account has delivered excellent ROI over the years and a steady stream of new customers. We are pleased to see the outcomes of our recent growth focus.

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

We have regular calls to discuss account changes and communicate marketing updates, which work very well. The team are always quick to respond to emails and they share collaborative online documents to review ad text and monitor budgets.

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

Never have we had another agency that we have been so consistently happy with. We've been with the vendor a long time and we still feel like the valued client we were when we first spoke to them. Their technical knowledge is brilliant but the account management at least equals it.

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

No, we are very happy.