Not your average ad agency.
Metal Creative has been a virtual agency since before virtual agencies were a thing. Established in 2001 by Marile Borden (the “M” in M.et al), we are a group of former-agency, freelance professionals dedicated to using creative ideas to solve business challenges. For nearly two decades, our model has allowed us to deliver the same product as the big agencies, without the big retainers and in half the time. Whatever the scope of the project, Metal can assemble exactly—and only—the people you need to get it done. You need a team of 20 to create an integrated brand campaign with a less-than-ideal budget? You got it. You need a copywriter to punch up the back of a postcard by tomorrow? We’re on it. But rest assured that each and every project has a seasoned Creative Director (Marile) and a brilliant Marketing Strategiest (Marty) at the helm ensuring that your unique objectives are met. With clients ranging from global Fortune 1000 companies to bootstrapping startups to local coffee shops, Metal has the experience and expertise to deftly tackle just about any marketing project you can throw at us. Go ahead, give it a try.
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Reviews
the project
Direct Mail Campaign for Network Security Company
"One of Metal Creative Services’ strengths was their copy."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’ve worked with Metal Creative Services within three organizations. Most recently, it was for Recorded Future, which I left in the spring of 2020, due to COVID-19. While there, I was the director of global field marketing.
What challenge were you trying to address with Metal Creative Services?
We had a new product, and there was a combination of things that happened. Our sales team was switched from strictly territory-based to named accounts within a territory. They were no longer going broad-based; they were only going after named accounts.
They had trouble getting traction with this new product and generating leads or interest in it. We’d done some campaigns that were email- and digital-based, and we’d gotten some interest, but we weren’t able to push it beyond that initial inquiry stage.
We weren’t in the position to have full-on agencies of record. What we needed was to have a fresh perspective from time to time and a level of creativity that we just didn’t have in-house.
We had an in-house creative team at Recorded Future, and they were great with branding, but we just didn’t have in-house people that could think out of the box and come up with fun, creative ideas.
We knew that we wanted to do direct mail, and we knew who our targets were and what messages worked best with that group, but that’s about as far as we got.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Metal Creative Services took care of not only the creative aspects of the direct mail piece but also walked us through some of the best practices for how to do it. We’d done some direct mail in-house, and we just didn’t get the response we wanted.
They determined what direct mail worked best when it was a two-pronged process. We’d send out a direct mail piece, but if we took the required action, we’d get something bigger. We had an inside sales team that would call the people getting the direct mail piece.
Metal Creative Services walked us through the best practices, namely that we should start making the calls as soon as the package hits someone’s desk, instead of sitting back and waiting for someone to respond to the mail piece.
We gave our inside sales team tracking for each individual package, so they were able to call as soon as it hit someone’s desk. They came to our office for an input session, for which we brought in some of our product experts.
They also helped us source the key parts for the direct mail piece, even though we had a fulfillment company that we contracted to produce it. Metal Creative Services helped us oversee the process and worked directly with the fulfillment company on our behalf.
What is the team composition?
I worked primarily with Marile (Owner & Creative Director) and Marty (Account Director). They also had a team of writers and creatives, which they pulled in as needed.
How much have you invested with them?
This project cost around $12,000, including their creative work.
What is the status of this engagement?
This particular project began in Q2 2019 and launched in early Q3 2019.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
This wasn’t just a one-time deal. As we identified new accounts that met the criteria, we were able to send out additional packages. We got 18 meetings out of the first 100 packages. Unfortunately, I don’t have metrics on whether those turned into sales. Our sales cycle took up to a year, and I left the company in the spring of 2020.
How did Metal Creative Services perform from a project management standpoint?
They were exactly the kind of agency I needed because they kept me on track. Metal Creative Services was great at telling me what feedback they needed and when based on our date for dropping the packages.
Initially, the plan was to get concepts out to us in a week and allow us two days to get back to them with a choice. Metal Creative Services would then get back to us with copy, and we’d have a certain number of days to give feedback on that.
They were great at pushing me and my team to make sure we met those deadlines. As a marketer, I had many other projects going on, so I needed someone to tell me what dates I had to meet. We met the drop dates we set, which were pretty aggressive.
What did you find most impressive about them?
One of Metal Creative Services’ strengths was their copy. I worked with a couple of their copywriters, and they were some of the best. Additionally, with any vendor I hire, there has to be a good relationship there.
They have to be people I enjoy working with, and there has to be mutual respect. I’ve worked with vendors in the past whose credentials were great but who just weren’t easy to work with. Metal Creative Services was easy to work with and, they were very likable.
I also liked that, different from other agencies, the team wasn’t constantly trying to tell us what else they could do for us. We clearly set what project we wanted them to work on and what budget we had to spend, and they stuck to it.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, not at the moment.
Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?
They’re a good option for people looking for project-based agencies. It’s important to listen to Metal Creative Services’ advice and experience.
I’m fully capable of admitting that I don’t know everything, and I appreciate a partner who is going to come in and tell me how they think we should do it. Clients should be willing to trust them. They have a lot of experience, and they usually get it right.
the project
Creative Branding & Copywriting for B2B Software Company
"Metal Creative Services ensures everything is on track."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I lead the brand and creative team at a B2B software company. I have a group of designers and copywriters that handle all of the in-house creative work for our marketing team. I also manage our relationships with external third-party vendors that support us.
What challenge were you trying to address with Metal Creative Services?
For more significant initiatives, we tend to outsource. We were looking at doing a brand campaign, and we historically haven’t done a lot of advertising. We wanted to come up with a fresh and new campaign that would be appropriate for our target audience.
We looked to a few different agencies to pitch us, and we ultimately decided to work with Metal Creative Services.
What was the scope of their involvement?
In addition to the copy, design, and overall approach for the advertising campaign, Metal Creative Services helps us with additional brand work and copywriting. When one of my team members went on parental leave, they’ve worked on a lot of odds and ends for us.
They have also helped us with strategy, but most of their work has been on the creative side. For copywriting, we generally give them a direction, and they’ve helped with execution.
What is the team composition?
I primarily worked with Marile (Owner, Creative Director) and Marty (Director of Client Services). I’m sure they have others behind the scenes.
How did you come to work with Metal Creative Services?
I learned about them from a colleague of mine in marketing. He worked with them previously. Metal Creative Services gave us a range of concepts and evolved them quickly after listening to our feedback. They also gave us ideas that were scalable across different areas of our company, which was important to me.
What is the status of this engagement?
Our engagement with Metal Creative Services started in December 2018.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The initial project had very strong results with web traffic. We looked at our advertising and the impact it had. It greatly exceeded our expectations.
The feedback across our team was very positive. A lot of colleagues leveraged the campaign theme and took it for different company settings like trade show booths. My extended team much appreciated that runway.
How did Metal Creative Services perform from a project management standpoint?
They’re very clear and upfront about providing a reasonable estimate for timelines and cost. They’ve never been late; they’re usually early.
Metal Creative Services ensures everything is on track. I’ve been very happy with their project management capabilities. Our campaign had a lot of moving parts, and their team kept me honest in terms of what I needed to pay attention to at any given time.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Along with being a pleasure to work with, they’re very nimble and creative. Metal Creative Services can pivot when needed if their initial thoughts aren’t what we’re looking for. They strive to meet our needs. They’re also cost-effective. They’ve minimized their overhead, which gives us a bang for our buck.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, I’ve been very happy with them.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
The more upfront you are in the beginning, the more they’re going to execute effectively. Metal Creative Services has done a great job of learning and understanding a pretty complex business. That’s not always easy for creative partners to do.
the project
Marketing, Digital, & PR Strategy for Biotech Organization
"The team has their finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the marketing world."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
For this project, I was working on behalf of the Boston chapter of the International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers (ISPE). It’s a professional association with about 400 members in the Boston area. I sit on the board of directors and I’m the chair of the marketing communications committee.
What challenges were you trying to address with Metal Creative Services?
We hired Metal Creative Services to help update our marketing plan, website, and blog.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We had them take a look at everything we were doing. Based off that background, they developed a plan for how to improve our marketing strategy. From there, we engaged them to redesign our website. They helped us take information from the old site and transform it into a modern, more updated version. They also added new features to the website.
Their team also helped create a separate website for an annual event that we hold: The ISPE Boston Product Show. It’s a large event that we hold in the Gillette Stadium, and it attracts over 3,000 visitors each year.
In addition to website design and development, they also helped revamp our social media strategy. The team helped us identify what platforms would be best for us to focus on based on our target audience. We wanted to increase engagement and get more members involved in our work.
What is the team composition?
Our main points of contact are Merilee and Marty. There are additional team members behind the scenes that can assist with all our marketing and PR needs.
How did you come to work with Metal Creative Services?
When I was brought onto the communications committee as a co-chair, they had already been hired. My predecessor found them Metal Creative Services was selected out of several vendors because of their flexibility, creativity, and patience.
How much have you invested in them?
We’ve invested at least $70,000–$80,000 on their services.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in June 2016, and our engagement is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We’ve identified that LinkedIn is the best platform for communicating with our target audience. The team at Metal Creative Services was great at guiding us based on our needs. Since ISPE is a professional association for engineers, having their expertise in marketing was helpful.
They’ve worked well with a variety of personalities and helped us stay on brand. They’re also helping us run promotional campaigns to increase membership and involvement.
How did Metal Creative Services perform from a project management standpoint?
They worked with us outside of regular business hours because most of our association members, including myself, have full-time jobs and work with ISPE on the side.
We have monthly phone meetings with them. We communicate a lot through email, and they’re very responsive.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re very intelligent and intuitive. The team has their finger on the pulse of what’s going on in the marketing world. I highly recommend working with them.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, not at this time.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Bring forward the ideas that you have and tell them where you want to go. Be open-minded because sometimes they’ll come up with solutions that are better than you would’ve expected.
Metal Creative Services' efforts generated 18 leads in the first 100 packages, making for a successful partnership. Their ability to stay organized and keep the project on track was an advantage. Additionally, they were a great partner to work with and their expertise was noteworthy.