Major Tom

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Montigo is a North American residential and commercial fireplace manufacturer with locations in Langley BC and Ferndale WA. My role is Marketing Manager. I have been with the company 3 years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Major Tom?

Initially, website design, development, and SEO. Once the first phase of the website redesign was complete, Major Tom has provided ongoing support through monthly monitoring and a few smaller projects to improve site function.

What were your goals for this project?

We needed a website that would allow us to serve our B2B customers and also provide a secure support library for them, and also appeal to consumer, architects and designers.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

I was not involved in that process, I was hired after the contracts were already signed. That said, I strongly believe that the people involved in the decision chose our vendor very well.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

We started with developing a sitemap to create the architecture of the site. Once the sitemap was approved they moved on to wireframes and worked with us to make sure the site was going to work for each of our audiences and provide the best user experience possible. After wireframes they worked on the overall design of the site.

Once we had the full workflow and design approved, development began and we were able to review periodically throughout the process to make sure we were on track. Testing was very thorough and performed at multiple steps during development. After development, we worked closely with MT to edit and update our content to current SEO standards.

What was the team composition?

I have had one main contact throughout our relationship, Ben Van Exan, who has been an incredible support. Other members of the team would come and go as required, but we always work with the same core designers and developers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our old website, which was about 10 years old, had been experiencing a 10-20% decline in traffic each year over a period of 4-5 years. The effect the new site had on traffic was immediate and dramatic.

Overall, our first year with the new site saw a 36% increase in traffic and more than 400 user account requests from our dealers. Three years later, traffic is still increasing every month and we have 650+ user accounts. We also get a lot of positive feedback from our dealers and consumers alike.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was extremely effective. I was key contact for my company, and I only communicated directly with my account manager except during review presentations and collaborative meetings. This allowed us to streamline each step of the process and keep communication fast and efficient.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Efficient communication and responsiveness are Major Tom's superpowers. I am never left hanging without answers. Issues are detected and addressed quickly. Email and calls are always answered within the hour (usually within a few minutes), which is greatly appreciated.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I have no suggestions for improvement. I am 100% happy with the service we receive, and am very happy to moving into yet another project with Major Tom. I know our needs will be met or exceeded.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The West Coast Fishing Club, Marketing Manager

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Major Tom?

Digital advertising and web development and maintenance

What were your goals for this project?

We built a new website with Major Tom about 5-6 years ago, and we have ongoing business with digital advertising. We wanted to elevate our brand awareness along with increase leads and new business.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have been working with Major Tom since it was Drive and 6s. We liked the fact that they were a small boutique agency.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Major Tom helps with regular web maintenance and works to make any adjustments and creative needs we require on our website. Major Tom also helps on the advertising side, with Google, ultimately driving new leads to our business.

What was the team composition?

I work with the web development team as well as the advertising side, the account managers and executives.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Through testing of new advertising campaigns, over the past three years, our new business leads have significantly increased and have resulted in new bookings. Even though our website is dated now, we still get many compliments from our guests on how easy it is to navigate and use.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

On the web side it has always been very seamless as we use the project management tool, Done Done to track projects. It keeps everything super organized, is deadline driven and keeps a trail of your conversations. The Major Tom team is also very on top of any requests I have had and responds right away.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team at Major Tom is always ready to help you solve your needs whether it's web development related or advertising and business goals.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Over the years we have had multiple account executives managing our account which has lead to a few hiccups in the handover, however overall we still enjoy working with Major Tom.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I work for a home builder who builds single family and multi-family homes in Calgary, Edmonton and Texas. I am the graphic designer for the multi-family division.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Major Tom?

We worked together to build the main website for our multi-family division. They took our vision and developed the website in WordPress so that we can maintain the website in house.

What were your goals for this project?

Goals were to attract customers and give them all the information they need about our products.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We have been using them since before I joined the company. They were recommended by my manger at the time and have worked with them since.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They helped develop and launch our websites. They created the website in WordPress so that we have the ability to maintain the website. If there are any issues we cannot do ourselves, we are in easy contact with them to get things fixed and or added. They also help with SEO.

What was the team composition?

Depending on the project, there were about 3-5 people working on the project. There is usually 1-2 project managers that would help delegate the tasks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Sometimes we have short deadlines, they are always accommodating and get the work done on time or sometimes even quicker.

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Project management was always great. They get the work done and on time. They had set me up with a communication/project management site (DoneDone) to keep me up to date with all projects and issues.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They are always great to work with, we communicated easily and they always understood our end goal.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I can not think of any improvement at the moment.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing for a restaurant chain.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Major Tom?

We’ve worked with Major Tom on all our digital initiatives over the last 4–5 years. We’re an operation-heavy business that operates restaurants and serves guests in our stores.  At the time, understanding and being present in the online space was our main challenge.

We needed to build a strategy around engaging our guests online, mainly through social media. When I joined two years ago, bandwidth and resourcing were the biggest obstacles as the online space continued to grow. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

When I started with the company, I took over the overall social and digital strategy. Major Tom serves as our arms, legs, and ears in the digital space. They help us track ads, run campaigns, and execute on our strategies.

Major Tom supports our social media strategy, website presence, and PPC advertising. Beyond that, they used SEO techniques to make sure our site was tagged properly for its major priority areas. They troubleshot errors or issues to keep our site listed properly in searches. 

Along with writing good copy and helping us create great content, they focus the majority of their efforts on our metadata. Major Tom identified and fixed crawl and indexing errors. They’ve helped us ensure we had best practices in place internally. After kicking off with an initial audit, they’ve helped us bring those efforts back in-house so we can manage them independently.
 
What is the team composition? 

I’ve mainly been in touch with our main account rep who acts as the project manager. I can contact them about any of our work, from SEO to social or paid media. 

Our secondary rep provides tactical execution. He takes part in all our calls and relays all the details to our team.
 
How did you come to work with Major Tom?

I don’t know how they were chosen because I wasn’t here at the time we initiated our partnership. They have a good reputation in Vancouver, and I’ve used their services at two companies I’ve worked for previously. I’m sure they were found by word of mouth.
 
What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Major Tom around 2014. Our collaboration is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Major Tom came up with paid strategies for promotional campaigns like gift cards, which have increased sales annually. The team contributed significantly to that success by getting the word out.

They support us with all our hiring ads as well. While I don’t have specific metrics for this, many of the candidates that show up at fairs mention seeing our ads online. We’re reaching the right number and type of people with Major Tom’s campaigns.
 
How did Major Tom perform from a project management standpoint?

We’ve had two teams switch over, but the consistency of project management has been very reliable. Brief templates they provide help us properly convey our needs to their team. They’re also very good at requesting the materials they need to get their job done.

Along with monthly meetups, we hold weekly calls over Zoom. I’m the main contact person on our end, and I use Slack and email to convey our requirements.
 
What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re a genuine group of people that are relatable, approachable, and genuinely interested in our business. The majority of the time, it feels more like a partnership than a transaction.

Whenever I work with Major Tom, I know they’ll give us their best service and provide everything we need for the right business reasons. I never feel like I’m troubling them, or something’s too much to ask. The process has never felt robotic.
 
Are there any areas they could improve?

As our reactive business changes and evolves, we’ve struggled with resourcing in the competitive restaurant industry. I wish they could have more people on standby for when I need requests finished quickly, but those periods only tend to last a short amount of time before things go back to normal. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the digital marketing specialist at Seneca College, a postsecondary institution in Ontario, Canada. My job is to coordinate paid campaigns to drive domestic enrollment.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Major Tom?

We hired Major Tom to co-manage our campaigns and expand them so that we could reach the student audience more effectively.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We task Major Tom with managing and optimizing our digital marketing campaigns across paid platforms such as Google Ads, Facebook, and Instagram. In conjunction with that goal, they are responsible for web and landing page development, running social campaigns, and writing copy to make the most of our budget and drive enrollment toward a performance goal established by the college.

What is the team composition?

We mainly keep in touch with our account manager.

How did you come to work with Major Tom?

They participated in an RFP several years ago. They proved to have the most experience in a competitive environment, which has won them a contract that we've renewed each year since.

How much have you invested with them?

We spend about $50,000–$100,000 CAD per year ($37,000–$75,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our engagement began in 2014 and remains ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work is making our performance more efficient. When they took over the campaigns, they made significant improvements in the quality and success of our PPC marketing efforts.

How did Major Tom perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve become more responsive to our feedback with each passing year. We started with good communication, but now we feel it’s as good as we can ask for.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I can’t imagine that we are one of their larger clients, but they treat us very well and are very attentive. We don’t feel like we’re part of their mix of clients—we’re made to feel like a priority.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I think we could benefit from more data courtesy of Facebook or Google’s users, but that data is either not available or requires a shift in that industry. It’s not necessarily something that Major Tom could improve.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Projects will be more successful if there are clear objectives and expectations.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the director of marketing at Pierpoint Communications, a marketing and PR firm with offices across Texas and New Jersey. My role is to manage Pierpoint’s marketing as well as some client-side marketing. I manage all paid media, including our website.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Major Tom?

We wanted to draw more leads. I wasn’t satisfied with our paid search agency and thought we could do better.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped us revise our paid search and SEO strategies, then redid all of our campaigns and keywords for a new launch. SEO services included metadata and title tags. They currently manage our strategies.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two people on a regular basis.

How did you come to work with Major Tom?

I had worked with Major Tom at each of my previous companies and I was impressed by those engagements. Our team liked them personally when we met with them, so the choice was easy.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $10,000–50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2018 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve tracked our qualified leads through the platforms they’ve given us, and we’ve seen a steady increase throughout the engagement. We can track through our website and paid search, and we have call tracking on the website as well.

How did Major Tom perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re organized and communicate mostly through email. We call them biweekly for updates.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re very knowledgeable and proactive with recommendations. They have a strong understanding of bidding, keyword optimization, and ad copy.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We would always welcome more ideas and suggestions of what we could be doing.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Customers should ensure the team remains engaged and proactive with recommendations, along with maintaining effective communication.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm a director of marketing at an education consulting company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Major Tom?

We wanted to put our best foot forward for our university partners. We worked with another vendor on digital marketing, but we didn't receive the strategic advice we needed, so we started looking for a new vendor to help us.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They've built landing pages for us and oversaw keyword strategies and Google Ads, including Search Network and Display Network. They helped us choose the platforms that were most suitable for an education sector. They also helped us with remarketing and forecasting expectations for the lead generation. In addition, they did budget forecasting and presentation development to help us secure client investments. 

How did you come to work with Major Tom?

We were considering them because of their experience and professionalism. Also, I knew a contact at Major Tom, so I was confident they'd do a great job.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent more than $200,000 including ad buy.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with them between December 2016–December 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We tracked the efficiency of their campaigns, cost per click, and Google impressions. The increase in lead generation was dramatic and we did see the translation of leads into sales. Their work has definitely contributed to the growth of our business.

How did Major Tom perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very professional and made themselves available when we needed them. They gave us regular reports with all the updates.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They're not a giant agency, but they're big enough to provide all the resources you need.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Based on our ad buy, their management fees were a bit too high for us. It got in the way of closing a couple of university campaigns.  Consider your overall budget, and what percent management fees should be compared to the total.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Consider your budget and your management fees before you make the decision.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of marketing and franchise recruitment for COBS Bread. We’re a bakery franchise with 111 locations across Canada and one in the US. Our parent company is Baker’s Delight, which has 650 locations across Australia and New Zealand.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Major Tom?

It had been several years since we’d worked on our website. We recognized a big opportunity to update our brand identity and reputation and make a better first impression on first-time customers. We were looking for a vendor to help us overhaul the site.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We initially brought them on to rebuild our new website, but the Major Tom team has since become a trusted partner for all of our digital communication initiatives. Our brand has a lot of different messages, so one of our biggest challenges was making sure we got the right message to the right audience in the right way.

Our relationship with Major Tom began with several discovery meetings to help them develop a good understanding of our brand. It was clear that they’d done a bit of research before, which we really appreciated. We walked through both the consumer and franchise sides of the business to establish goals and objectives to assess our performance. Once we were all on the same page, we worked closely with the Major Tom team to finalize a digital strategy. Because they were involved from ideation to execution, they were able to make sure that each component of our strategy aligned, setting us up for a good return on our investments.

Their team also helped us improve our franchise recruitment efforts by changing our approach. We implemented an overall umbrella strategy with a targeted approach or each specific city. We schedule monthly meetings to lay out our priorities and targets for each location. This new method helps us drive leads and identify more quality candidates.

Also, Major Tom also came up with new and creative ways for us to capture consumer data and information. For example, we tried advertising on several new platforms and applications for a promotional campaign for our scones. By pulling information from a variety of sources, we were able to get a better understanding of our audience and how they hear about our business. Basically, we can get tangible metrics without launching our own loyalty platform.

We’re still working closely with the Major Tom team. They help us with every advertising campaign, from kick-off, to execution, to wrap-up. We have interim meetings throughout to assess our performance and make necessary adjustments. The team is also managing our SEO, PPC, and social media outreach efforts. They’re currently working on creating and launching a US version of our website as we continue to expand our market reach.

What is the team composition?

Tina (Group Director of Media, Major Tom) is our lead account manager. She’s fantastic.

How did you come to work with Major Tom?

Before partnering with Major Tom, we had professional relationships with a number of agencies for various aspects of our business. For example, we worked with a separate vendor for franchise recruitment initiatives then we did for customer-facing components. We felt that consolidating all of these partnerships would be much more efficient. By working closely with a single team, we’d be able to establish a more cohesive and stable communication strategy and digital presence. We went through a rigorous RFP process to analyze different candidates’ capabilities. Ultimately, we chose Major Tom to lead our digital efforts.

How much have you invested with them?

So far, we’ve spent about $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2017, and it’s an ongoing relationship.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I primarily track our sales growth, and they’ve generated spectacular results from my perspective. Over the last few months, we’ve seen higher in-store sales numbers than we have in a couple of years. We’re bringing on twice as many franchises than we did last year. We’re identifying about 60% more leads, and our consumer base continues to get stronger and stronger. All of these results are a testament to the effectiveness and quality of Major Tom’s strategies.

Specifically, we’re tracking how many of the customers that visit our stores can be traced back to our digital advertising efforts and the return on our advertising spend. Both of those numbers are gradually increasing. As our partnership continues, Major Tom pushes us to try different channels and approaches to increase visibility. Ideally, we want to identify the type of person that visits our bakery, how they found out about us, and why they decided to visit.

How did Major Tom perform from a project management standpoint?

We have a lean internal team, so we really value and rely on our relationship with Major Tom. We have an open and transparent partnership. We can count on them to keep us on track. They send reminders whenever necessary. Overall, they’re bright, smart, and easy to work with. We meet with them outside of work every few months to strengthen our rapport.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I really appreciate their proactive and direct project management skills. If they think we’re headed in the right direction or if we need to increase funding, they’ll let us know. They really understand the digital space, and they’re always up to date on the latest trends. The Major Tom team likes to push us to try new things, which is great. There are very few lulls in their service, and I trust that they’re steering us in the right direction.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Major Tom merged with another agency to handle the web-focused side of their business. As they continue to grow and expand, they should make sure that their culture resonates across the entire organization. They need to staff people that share their values and skill level to assure their clients feel supported.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager for Sprott Shaw College, a private post-secondary institution with 16 campuses.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Major Tom?

We chose them to build up our strategy, further expanding our digital marketing initiatives.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They manage our Google Ads, Bing Ads, Facebook advertising, and PPC, along with our general social media outreach and ad development strategies.

What is the team composition?

We work with Sonia (Senior Account Manager, Major Tom).

How did you come to work with Major Tom?

I found them through a Google search. We wanted a firm that offered the services we needed, with a professional-looking brand and website and good testimonials. After meeting with a few candidates, we chose Major Tom.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in August 2011 and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

When I started here, a majority of our leads were either by phone or in person, about 60% in total. Our leads are now about 80-90% from online results. Major Tom’s assistance with website redesigns and SEO and has made the difference.

How did Major Tom perform from a project management standpoint?

We meet monthly and they give us recommendations for adjustments. They’re also available over the phone and email. One of the things I like most about them is I can send them as many emails as I want and I won’t face extra charges. They always get back to me as fast as they can and they’re very friendly. If it’s an important question, we’ll include their director of sales, who is always available to respond as well.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re friendly, patient, and understanding. Our style of communication is informal but effective. I know I can count on them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can't think of anything.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the marketing manager of Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, a pediatric palliative care provider.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Major Tom?

We hired Major Tom to refresh our website through design and development support. We wanted to update our menu navigation, user experience, and overall look.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted the improved flow of our website to better communicate our business to our external and internal stakeholders.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had worked with part of the team before the merger and rebranding efforts, so we were excited to continue our partnership with the larger team.

Describe the project in detail.

To begin the project, we met with Major Tom to discuss our needs, goals, budget, and timeline. From there, they proposed an updated sitemap, style sheet, and other content recommendations. They presented analytics with reports to support their approach. The project is now in the development stage.

What was the team composition?

They supply an account representative, web developer, UX lead, and a UI design lead.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Though the site is still under development, we’re thrilled with the work that they’ve produced so far. We’re confident in the plan they’ve proposed.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Our project lead is professional and attentive—communication between the teams is always prompt and polite. As we have multiple internal stakeholders involved, Major Tom treats our processes with patience and respect.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their expertise and customer service are Major Tom’s most valuable qualities. We’re continually impressed with the quick delivery and high quality during every stage of the project. We’re consistently assured that we’re working with the right team by their friendly, optimistic demeanor.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There’s nothing they could be doing better for us.