Merritt Group

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CMO of a government company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We are a space science and engineering company committed to delivering a technological advantage to national security customers. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Merritt Group to accomplish?

• Improve brand awareness

SOLUTION

How did you find Merritt Group?

Knew of the company

Why did you select Merritt Group over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Merritt Group were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Merritt Group worked closely with my team to develop an integrated marketing and communications strategy to inform the direction of the project, and then managed the day-to-day execution of all programs. Deliverables included:

• Brand strategy
• Messaging
• Media relations, including training and preparation
• Monitoring, reporting and measuring
• Digital marketing 
• Collateral and asset creation

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

During our time working together, Merritt has developed a paid-social strategy that they manage and execute on our behalf. In 7 months, they have produced nearly 2M impressions of our brand for an average CTR of .33% which far surpasses benchmark expectations for our industry. 

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

Merritt Group is very responsive and attentive. They are a small but mighty team, expect my wishes but push back appropriately when they think we should take a different approach. Deliverables are always produced in a timely fashion, with expectations managed closely should there be unavoidable delays.

What was your primary form of communication with Merritt Group?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What I love most about working with Merritt Group is that they operate as an extension of my team. Because my internal team is so small, they are always willing to step up and jump in wherever they can to take something off my plate. They aren't just a reactive agency waiting on direction. They are doers. 

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

Sometimes the familiar culture we have cultivated as a team can create a more casual approach. This is generally fine, but when mistakes do happen they need to be handled professionally, taken seriously and with accountability. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Director of Corporate Communications & Customer Marketing at GoodData. A software company based in San Francisco, we're a platform to create, distribute, and manage analytics at scale.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Merritt Group?

We wanted to work with a PR agency that could help us get our message out to targeted media publications.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Merritt Group works with us on developing a PR strategy and thought leadership platforms. They target trade and technology publications and publications that focus on AI and machine learning. We brainstorm together for articles and pitch outreach. They create all of our pitches and work to secure bylines for GoodData. We also wanted to launch an influencer program on Twitter, which they manage for us.

What is the team composition?

We have three primary contacts. We work with an account manager, the lead for our byline pitches, and a manager of our influencer program.

How did you come to work with Merritt Group?

We’d put out an RFP, but it was actually a former employee who brought them to the table. They came in and pitched to us. We chose them after going through the RFP process.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $12,000–$15,000 per month as the scope of work has grown over the years.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our work together started in June 2015 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They're responsible every month for tracking and sharing project metrics. They track how many bylines were placed every quarter against goals, as well as how many articles we contribute to (e.g. a quote from our CEO, or a quote from one of our data scientists within a larger article). They also track metrics that pertain to our influencer program, such as how many engagements, conversations, and new followers we have.

How did Merritt Group perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team is excellent and responsive. Not only do they do all of the pitching, but they also manage the project logistics. They’re responsible for keeping track of every pitch and where each pitch stands. They also provide a lot of strategic direction and suggestions. We do most of the content creation in-house, but we use them for editing and helping us expand on a story if needed.

They're prompt, responsive, and helpful. We frequently text back and forth, and I always hear back from them immediately. I’m comfortable sending them an email to ask their advice on an opportunity to pursue. We have a regular cadence for our status update meetings, as well as regular meetings for all of our thought leadership platforms.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re extraordinarily easy to work with. They're willing to do research before making final strategic decisions. They provide strategic feedback, and they're willing to say if something isn’t a good idea and we should try something else. They’ve expanded our thinking by bringing us new opportunities that have proven fruitful. Merritt Group’s knowledge of our competitors and the industry helps with competitive differentiation when pitching stories. They're also very knowledgeable about the industry as a whole, which is imperative for our thought leadership platforms.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing negative to share.