Media Matters Worldwide

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Media Manager of the third-largest national craft beer brand in the US.

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

We engaged with Media Matters Worldwide as our primary media agency.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They work side by side with myself and the communications team to develop the appropriate budget and channel strategy to meet our broader marketing needs. This includes sales lists and brand lift. They ingest data from our organization, such as sales reports and consumer insights, and work with us to optimize media campaigns to meet our holistic media goals.

What is the team composition?

There are 12 people who work directly on our account. Becky (Senior Media Strategist) is our primary media strategist and she oversees everything, assisted by Wendy (Media Strategist), Emilie (Senior Director of Analytics & Business Intelligence), Warren (Social Media Lead), Rachael (Programmatic Media Lead).

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

Someone on our leadership team worked with Media Matters Worldwide when they worked at a previous brand. Through their recommendation, we sent them an RFP. We decided to use their services because of their layered approach to media strategy and their ability to assess our strategy across our entire marketing department.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2020 and we continue to work with them.

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

They helped us identify a media attribution partner. Part of our success with them is working with that partner to optimize our campaign based on our return on ad spend. We’ve been able to improve and learn campaign over campaign.

This year, we have a micro campaign structure because of the unique COVID-19 issues we’ve experienced. We were able to establish a foundation of key learnings to help us going into 2021.

They’ve also conducted brandless studies that they’ve helped negotiate with other campaign partners. We use at those to look at brand metrics that we don’t get through attribution modeling.  

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

They went above and beyond in terms of their project management and ability to meet deadlines. They exceed our expectations in terms of delivery. They’ve been super flexible. Due to COVID-19, we’re not in an ideal buying climate, so we’re facing challenges across the ball.

We’ve identified ways to strategize, communicate, and get budgets approved. They also help us identify unique partners and negotiate innovative strategies. For example, they were able to negotiate a comprehensive advertising campaign with Spotify. They pulled that together quickly and have that multilayered, both DMA target and national campaign.

We’ve had a lot of success with that and we’re excited to continue working with them as things go back to normal.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their teamwork is very impressive. There are at least a dozen people working on our account, and they’re able to provide best-in-class service to us. They’re super responsive and the quality of the information we get from them is exceptional.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Off the top of my head, we don’t have any issues with them in any area.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

This is true with any vendor you work with—the briefing process is super important. Clients should really think about their media briefs. Putting a lot of thought into those questions will help them provide you with a top of the line campaign that will meet your objectives. They’re very attentive to the details there.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m currently a marketing consultant. Prior to this role, I worked in B2B marketing in the tech space.  

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

I’ve worked with Media Matters Worldwide for more than twenty years, but I did a substantial amount of work with them when I was the director of demand generation at an enterprise-grade identity management company. We needed help with lead generation, market awareness, and campaigns.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Media Matters Worldwide provided content communication and digital marketing services. They helped me manage different lead generation initiatives, the larger of which were content syndication media programs. They negotiated great rates for media and white paper programs, lead generation, and webinars.

The team also oversaw search engine marketing (SEM), including as Google Ads, and social media marketing (SMM), such as campaigns on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. They helped create and lead in-person campaigns, one of which was an event. They procured all of the different pieces that were necessary to execute these campaigns.

What is the team composition?

I worked with various team members on different projects over the years. I most consistently engaged with Taji and Josy (Co-Founders & Managing Partners, Media Matters Worldwide). I also had contact with Melanie (Media Director, Media Matters Worldwide) and Maxine (Media Director & Client Partner, Media Matters Worldwide).

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

I met them a long time ago. I have continued to re-engage them at four different organizations because their services are so great. They get excellent results.

How much have you invested with them?

The enterprise-grade identity management company spent about $50,000–$100,000 per quarter, with overall costs ranging from $200,000–800,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

I initially worked with Media Matters Worldwide in 2008. Their work for the enterprise-grade identity management company spanned 2015–2017, but I also worked with them in 2010, 2012–2014, and 2014­–2016. I haven’t yet worked with them in my current role.

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

At the highest level, their recommendations were always really solid. The value that they provide as an agency lies in their ability to negotiate amazing rates.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

They were very reliable. We communicated via email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Something that stood out to me was the consistency that they brought to the partnership.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, I can’t think of anything.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a senior digital marketing and media manager at a B2B communications company. We sell smart endpoint solutions, such as headsets, desk and conference phones, and video collaboration solutions.

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

My company acquired another communications company about two years ago. As part of that integration, we needed to launch a new brand.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Media Matters Worldwide launched our brand activation campaign to announce that these two companies were coming together as one brand. They began the campaign with a two-week saturation period, during which we did a lot of paid digital media and digital out-of-home advertising. After that, they led us into a sustaining period and used paid search, paid social, and programmatic display as our primary vehicles.

They continue to manage our brand activation campaign. We’re also running an additional global dimension program with them.

What is the team composition?

We work with 6–7 Media Matters Worldwide team members. Our primary contacts are Jennifer (Media Director and Client Partner, Media Matters Worldwide) and Jill (Project Management Lead, Media Matters Worldwide).

We also work with Lisa (Strategic Digital Account Director, Media Matters Worldwide) on analytics and Cheryl (Social Media Director, Media Matters Worldwide) on paid social. Although we may not be interfacing with them on a daily basis, various people work on the campaign in the background. They often join our weekly check-in calls.

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

We went through a robust RFP process and looked at 7­–8 brand-first agencies. Media Matters Worldwide won our vote based on their expertise, the previous work they shared with us, their metrics-driven approach, and the nice dashboarding that they offer.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working with Media Matters Worldwide in January 2019, and our work together is ongoing. The brand activation campaign began in mid-March, and it will run through the end of August.

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

Our primary KPIs have been met and even exceeded. We surpassed our website traffic goals tenfold. We also beat our efficiency goals, measured by cost-per-engagement, by 6–8 times. The quality of their work exceeds that of any other agency I’ve worked with.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

I can’t say enough about them in this respect. Media Matters Worldwide has been awesome to work with. They have many team members representing various areas of expertise.

As a company that’s still integrating, we experience a lot of unexpected things and last-minute changes. Media Matters Worldwide has been very responsive and adaptive. They’ve knocked it out of the park as far as being a good partner.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their adaptability and flexibility stand out. Other agencies I’ve worked with pushed back when I made last-minute change requests, whereas Media Matters Worldwide has been understanding and accommodating of the complex integration process we’re going through. As issues have come up, they’ve risen to the challenge and helped meet our needs without ever complaining. They handle pop-up requests with grace.

Media Matters Worldwide delivers concrete plans and ensures that we understand them and are in agreement. They make sure to understand our primary KPIs, expectations, and what we’re trying to achieve with paid media, so that the plan is informed by all of that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’d say everybody has room for improvement, but compared to other agencies I’ve worked with, Media Matters Worldwide are rock stars.

Any advice for potential customers?

Hire them if you’re looking for a responsive, detail-oriented agency with a proven track record. They can handle any digital marketing challenges.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing and media for Visit Mendocino County, a destination marketing organization.

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

We needed to get our branding and marketing messages out to our target markets.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Media Matters Worldwide delivered a media plan, which included a budget, goals, and expectations. Media Matters Worldwide also conducted a Nielsen survey to determine the effectiveness of our marketing efforts with the general public.

My company provided the deliverables, and they purchased advertising programmatically across various media channels. For instance, they purchased media web page takeovers in a programmatic fashion. Other channels included Spotify and Pandora, which we did A/B testing on. They serviced all of our social media channels.

What is the team composition?

We had regular contact with six team members, including Jennifer (Media Director, Client Partner, Media Matters Worldwide), Lisa (Account Director, Media Matters Worldwide), Emilie (Director of Analytics, Media Matters Worldwide), and Cheryl (Social Media Director, Media Matters Worldwide).

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

Our marketing consultant referred Media Matters Worldwide, and we were impressed by their credentials. They presented to our marketing committee, who then recommended to our board that we retain them.

How much have you invested with them?

My company spent $300,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together spanned December 2018–June 2019.

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

Media Matters Worldwide more than fulfilled all of the goals and expectations within the media plan. Over six months, our campaign drew 35 million impressions. We’ve achieved an above-average click-through rate and have increased web traffic by 150%. We’re extremely pleased with Media Matters Worldwide’s performance.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they did excellent. Once we handed the deliverables off to them, they reported on their performance during the weekly reporting calls.  We also emailed back and forth depending on where we were in a particular project, but emails were generally limited to confirming the deliverables, messaging, and checking up on invoicing and payment. Media Matters Worldwide was very prompt, and they were communicative in their calls.

What did you find most impressive about them?

My company doesn’t have a lot of experience in this type of advertising; in the past, we’ve just done more traditional advertising, like print. We found Media Matters Worldwide extremely easy to work with. They were clear in their communication, and they provided us with a set of goals that they were able to reach and even surpass. They were right on with their results.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any I can think of. If anything, my organization learned a lot about where engagement lies and how to market our business and county. We’ll take these lessons into our next contract with Media Matters Worldwide.  

Any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your internal goals, so that Media Matters Worldwide can devise a media plan that will accomplish these goals.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the former VP of marketing for one of California’s largest credit unions. I was responsible for all facets of marketing, advertising, communications, and PR.

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

It was clear that we needed to elevate our digital presence so we were looking for a partner to help us with that.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Media Matters Worldwide was a strategic partner supporting our entry into the digital media space. Their team tested a relatively small budget on ad retargeting and display ads. As this was proven successful, we shifted more of our traditional advertising budget to digital and their role expanded.

They offered insights into prospect search behavior and helped us pinpoint ways to grow our client base. hey provided us with creative resources we needed to supplement our lean team and enabled us to produce a higher volume of content.

What is the team composition?

We worked with several members of the Media Matters Worldwide team, including Taji (Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Media Matters Worldwide), a reporting analyst, and media buyers.

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

I found Media Matters Worldwide through an online search. It was important that they were local and accessible, but I also appreciated that it was a team led by women. I knew that they would give our team the attention we needed.

They were a growing company with tremendous individual expertise and an entrepreneurial spirit. On a personal level, they were great people to work with and they provided us with the expertise and intelligence we needed. And they continue to be a great professional and industry resource.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested in the range of $200,000–$500,000 a year.

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

We continued to expand our digital advertising budget because it was working for us. It was clear that the influx of traffic was coming from digital advertising and that Media Matters Worldwide’s efforts brought new customers and site visitors. The service, reporting, and expertise they gave us were invaluable to our team.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

Their project management was excellent. Our teams held weekly meetings in which we went over detailed metrics and trends, collaborating to shift our strategy as necessary. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their energy, industry knowledge and creative approach to problem-solving along with their service quality were very impressive. I’d hire them again if I were in a position to do so.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Because I was new to digital media, I was focused on learning as much as I could from them. It’s hard to say if there’s anything they could improve upon.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Avast is in the business to keep people safe online. As the global director of marketing at Avast, my role is to deliver our core brand message as efficiently as possible to as many consumers as possible while staying true to our brand. This means consistently growing our brand awareness and brand preference and staying one step ahead of our competition.  

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

With limited dollars and a crowed competitive landscape, we need to make every dollar work as hard as possible. This means using media strategically, surrounding our target audience at important moments throughout their day or during current events impacting their lives—whether they are commuting to work, browsing the web, banking online, shopping online, sharing on social media or when there is a cybersecurity attack.  

What was the scope of their involvement?

Media Matters oversees and implements our media strategy and placements across all media channels.  They work closely with our creative partners to develop standout media campaigns that break through the competitive clutter and deliver results.

What is the team composition?

My team at Media Matters is comprised of between 5–8 people, each specializing in different disciplines from digital and OOH experts to Google Analytics and performance/optimization analysts. Account managers and agency principals oversee our business to be sure the team is on strategy, delivering on time and successfully against our KPIs.

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

My background is in media and account planning on the agency side and I have known of Media Matters and their principals for many years.  When we started searching for a new media partner, they were on my shortlist of companies to evaluate as our media partner.

What impressed me most about Media Matters is how they are structured.  Not too many companies can pull off a virtual working environment, however at Media Matters, their teams work seamlessly—when you are on a call with Media Matters, you wouldn’t know they weren’t all in the same room.  It’s extraordinary that all members of the team are aligned, offering a depth of knowledge in their area of expertise. I’m also impressed with their real-time dashboard, a tool that aggregates data across all media channels, displaying key performance metrics against a variety of campaign attributes. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Media Matters in January 2017 and are still working with them today.

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

When we first started working together, we established campaign KPIs based on industry benchmarks and Media Matter’s experience with past clients. After six months of working together, we had far exceeded our original goals.

After the conclusion of each campaign, we set new goals based on our previous successes. We continue to outpace our goals each year and I’m happy to report we are on track to eclipse our goals for this year as well.

Our success has come as a result of simultaneously fine-tuning our media strategy and creative approach and staying current with media and market trends.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

Media Matter’s project management and account service have been outstanding, especially in terms of their responsiveness and thoroughness.  I'll frequently inquire about new and different media approaches and they always come back with a thoughtful response that typically includes more detail than expected.

The team is well organized and informed.  We meet weekly (and more often if needed) to review a detailed status report, current activities, and campaign performance, leaving time to brainstorm on campaign optimizations and to discuss new media. They've far exceeded my expectations.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m very impressed by their strategic thinking, specialization across multiple media channels and depth of analytics they bring to the planning process and optimization of campaigns. Collectively, this experience has continuously moved us toward meeting and going beyond our performance goals and core objectives.

The account management is also very strong. They pay special attention to details and are very insightful in discussions. They often present considerations and options from a new and useful point of view.

Are there any areas they could improve?

While there isn’t too much to improve on, I would highlight two possibilities.  Although they provide competitive spending data, I would like to see more insights on competitive spending – a look at the trends over time, challenges and opportunities we should consider as we budget for future quarters, an analysis of media usage and seasonal spend. The second is proactively starting a discussion on new and emerging media even before it becomes viable.  This is a personal interest – I like to keep up with what’s on the horizon even if it’s years away. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Most successful partnerships start with mutual request and great input. Sharing as much information as possible on the industry, competitors, business goals, product portfolio, brand positioning, target personas, the performance of past campaigns and performance goals, will guarantee a more fruitful agency/client relationship and yield successful campaign results.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I worked with Media Matters while at another firm. I was the director of media and home marketing at a brand management and licensing company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

We brought on Media Matters to help us with our media planning and buying.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They were essentially our agency of record. They worked on a variety of accounts—from men's athletic wear to home fashion to juniors’ brands—and were putting different targeting initiatives and strategies in place for each one.

They built customized dashboards for us that let us track media engagement and look at what was working and what wasn't. In some cases—specifically one of the brands that were sold exclusively on Amazon—they were able to develop attribution models for us.

What is the team composition?

We had one dedicated account lead. She brought all of the channel specialists' work together. We also had a project manager who worked on the account. She pulled other people onto projects as needed.

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

We went through an extensive review process. My CMO identified that we needed to find a more data-driven agency based on our consumer needs and the changing digital climate.

We hired an experienced consultant, and he identified six agencies for us. We set aside a day where they all came in, and Media Matters really shined. They were, by far, the best that we saw during that process.

How much have you invested with them?

Our budget was about $5.2 million.

What is the status of this engagement?

I worked with Media Matters for almost seven months. We started talking to them around November 2017 and officially began the partnership in January 2018. I left the company in November 2018, and they were still on board when I left.

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

The brands that were sold on Amazon were always a challenge for us, but Media Matters was able to quantify and grow our ROI for those accounts. Our ROI was up to 300% using the Amazon advertising platform.

Other aspects of the partnership weren’t as quantifiable or trackable because we were working with brick and mortar retail. They were helping us develop more attribution models for those pieces of the business. Our budgets were segmented by brand, and they were very attuned to that and able to help us build strategies.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

The dedicated account manager came into the office once a week—sometimes twice, if needed—which was very helpful. She was able to tap into the resources that we needed based on the different projects we were working on.

Everything was expertly managed in Trello. They're a digitally-based company, so they didn't have a home office. We were a little concerned about that when we hired them, but they were able to work well with each other and stay organized.

They were basically on-call whenever we needed them. Even the team members on the West Coast were able to adjust to our schedules easily. Working with them was a seamless experience.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We were a very fast-paced company with many different objectives per brand, and some of the brands that we worked with had very small budgets. For example, one of our smallest accounts had a budget of around $200,000. This project was divided between six or seven brands, and Media Matters was able to dedicate time to each one.

It’s very hard to find vendors in the media space who pay equal attention to smaller accounts. This was one of the factors that drew us to them initially. Media Matters was always very receptive to our changing budgets and requirements, even for those smaller brands.

The team from Media Matters is also comprised of people who are extremely kind and supportive. They were always patient and willing to provide additional information. There were several members of our company—some on the executive team—who didn't quite understand digital media, and Media Matters was quick to stop and explain their processes even while they were executing them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't think so. Our business experienced a rough couple of months towards the end of the project, but I wouldn't attribute any of that to Media Matters.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Make sure—and I think they would suggest this too—that you're scheduling weekly calls with them. They also have a briefing template that you can fill out. If you give them plenty of information about your objectives, whether it be targeting, KPIs, or other goals, they’ll be able to do their jobs well.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior marketing manager at Mountain Hardwear, an outdoor apparel and equipment company that is owned by a large sportswear parent company. I oversee all digital and social strategy.

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

We employ a shared services model with our parent company, but last fall, they began giving several of their subsidiaries more autonomy and ownership last fall. My company took over all e-commerce and digital advertising duties.

One of my first tasks was finding an agency that could help us with digital advertising campaigns. This was the first time that Mountain Hardwear was taking on digital advertising internally, so we needed to trust whatever agency we hired. Also, we had to onboard them in the fall, right before our busiest, most revenue-generating time of the year. Therefore, we needed to find a media agency that all internal stakeholders would sign off on, and then get them up and running before we reached such a pivotal time of the year. 

What was the scope of their involvement?

Media Matters Worldwide strategizes and executes all of our digital marketing channels. They oversee our paid search channels and programmatic display advertising. The team is also responsible for our paid social channels, which includes Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and various other channels that they’ve pitched to us, run strategy around, and executed.

Their creative team provides feedback on ways we can optimize our ads to be more efficient. Although they don’t work directly on our website or e-commerce platform, their insights influence our design and content decisions.

What is the team composition?

A great aspect of Media Matters Worldwide is that they have various teams of strategic experts who specialize in different digital channels. I work with the paid search team to ensure that we’re working on a tactical level and getting updated copy. I also engage with the paid social team to find ad creative, generate test links, and approve display and outgoing social. On each of these teams, there are 1–2 people that we work with closely.

We engage with Denise (Media Director, Media Matters Worldwide) and Jyll (Project Management Lead, Media Matters Worldwide). Jamie (VP, Strategy and Operations, Media Matters Worldwide) is great from a strategic level, and she has a wide breadth of knowledge, from creative to tactical. She helps us pitch our seasonal and quarterly strategies and outline what channels we’re going to be on. She also assists with budget allocation and creative. Finally, at the highest level, we work with Josy (Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Media Matters Worldwide). She’s plugged into many of our discussions.

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

I did some discovery and looked at several agencies that offered a variety of services; some had specific concentrations, like paid social, while others were full-service. When we found Media Matters Worldwide, I had a good experience learning about their company and meeting their team.

How much have you invested with them?

We give Media Matters Worldwide an annual budget of just over $1 million. This covers media spend, internal fees, and various other costs.

What is the status of this engagement?

My company began working with Media Matters Worldwide in August 2018, and our work together is ongoing.

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

Much of what Media Matters Worldwide does ties directly to our e-commerce platform’s performance, and we’ve been very happy with their work so far. The digital campaigns that they’re running on different channels are positively impacting overall site traffic and revenue.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

They deploy an incredibly robust reporting and analytics platform, which they’ve given us full access to so that we can see on macro to micro levels how their media is performing. They’re one of the only agencies I’ve ever worked with that provides such a full insight into media performance; nothing is hidden or extrapolated.

Media Matters Worldwide is readily available at every stage of the process. When we map out strategy around a season or specific timeframe, they compile detailed timelines so that we know when we need to deliver assets or feedback to them. They’re also very clear about when they’re going to deliver anything to us. When we’re busy with a campaign and want to make changes or put out new creative, they’re responsive and update things promptly. We communicate via email and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their readiness to be present sets them apart, as does their ability to communicate seamlessly. Their reporting and analytics have been invaluable. They want to help us understand our media performance and how that connects to our goals.

Media Matters Worldwide is also a great thought partner. They’ve shown a desire to learn about our company, business goals, and industry. They strive to have a full picture of our brand so that they can make the most impactful strategic decisions.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing stands out. We have a collaborative relationship, so shortcomings fall on us as much as they do on them.

Any advice for potential customers?

This is the type of partnership where you get what you put in. You should engage with Media Matters Worldwide and let them know your brand, strategy, and goals; they’ll run with that knowledge.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the director of account management for a Los Angeles-based marketing and advertising agency.

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

We had a new client that needed a media planning agency. We’ve worked with them before, so we brought them onto the project based on their proven capabilities.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our agency is in charge of facilitating the relationship between Media Matters Worldwide and clients. For us, they are in charge of providing OOH (out of home), digital, and print media for our branding efforts. They also come up with an annual media plan, which we examine every quarter. We decide on how to tweak the plan during those quarterly presentations.

For clients, their team constructs creative media plans to drive up engagement. Our facilitation helps to ensure that clients attain the results they want. Clients also ask Media Matters Worldwide to bring non-traditional media ideas to the table. That opens up new opportunities for them.

What is the team composition?

To facilitate client relationships, we work with Taji (Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Media Matters Worldwide) and Maxine (Media Director, Media Matters Worldwide) who is the day-to-day lead. 

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

I’m not sure how my company originally partnered with Media Matters Worldwide or which of our accounts worked with them in the past, but my agency intermittently engages them on new business pitches.

How much have you invested with them?

Our clients pay Media Matters Worldwide directly, we just manage their relationship.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve engaged with them since 2017. Clients sign their own annual contracts with them, though.

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

We typically get the desired results from their work. I’ve heard that clients want more unique media ideas than what they’re currently presenting. But, all of their content has performed well for clients so far.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very thorough and great at holding themselves to a schedule. During our day-to-day operations, we usually communicate via email. We also have status calls on a weekly basis and can call them as needed.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Media Matters is a team of excellent project managers that can really drive timelines forward. They’re programmatic and have a high level of expertise—they really know what they’re talking about.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As I said earlier, some clients wish they would bring some more ideas to the table. It would be great if they could demonstrate a sounder knowledge of the LA market. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be very specific in communicating what type of results needed from Media Matters. With any type of media agency, it’s important to be clear with project goals. But, Media Matters Worldwide has done a decent job and know what they’re talking about.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I was the VP of digital and e-commerce at e.l.f. Cosmetics. I oversaw all digital marketing, e-commerce, and gross marketing proponents.

What challenge were you trying to address with Media Matters Worldwide?

We hired Media Matters Worldwide to help us with performance marketing, specifically driving traffic and sales to our website.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Media Matter Worldwide was responsible for all media strategy and buying; strategic acquisition planning; and driving traffic, sales, and growth. They also did PPC through Google and Bing Ads.

What is the team composition?

We worked with an account manager, a media planner, and an analytics team member. My team also engaged with Josy and Taji (Co-Founders and Managing Partners, Media Matters Worldwide). Other behind-the-scenes team members did paid search and paid social.

How did you come to work with Media Matters Worldwide?

Someone at e.l.f. Cosmetics was friends with Josy. When we began talking to them, we were very impressed by both Josy and Taji, so we hired Media Matters Worldwide to be our full-service media vendor.

How much have you invested with them?

Media Matters Worldwide was responsible for between $2 million–$4 million worth of media, and they charged about 10% of that.

What is the status of this engagement?

My company began working with Media Matters Worldwide in July 2015, and the engagement was ongoing when I left e.l.f. Cosmetics in April 2018.

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

e.l.f. Cosmetics don't disclose growth on e-commerce because they're public, but I can say that Media Matters Worldwide drove growth in both site traffic and sales.

How did Media Matters Worldwide perform from a project management standpoint?

They were great.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Media Matters Worldwide provided a very personalized service. From an account management and customer service perspective, we were very happy with their work.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t.

Any advice for potential customers?

Be clear on what your objectives and goals are, and then continue to have hard conversations as things come up.