SMM & TV Commercial Prod for Gardening Products Company
Featured Review- Advertising Social Media Marketing Video Production
- $1,000,000 to $9,999,999
- May 2016 - Ongoing
- Quality
- 4.0
- Schedule
- 5.0
- Cost
- 4.0
- Willing to Refer
- 5.0
“We’re impressed with the breadth of talent at Mindshape's organization.”
- Consumer Products
- Ontario, Canada
- 5,001-10,000 Employees
- Phone Interview
- Verified
Mindshape provides social media marketing (SMM) and media management for a gardening products company. The team manages digital campaigns, designs in-store signage, and produces 30 and 15-second TV commercials.
Mindshape's work has exceeded the client's social media benchmarks and skyrocketed campaign metrics. The client is happy with the TV commercials' progress. Mindshape meets deadlines, shares content using iFlow, and communicates via email and in-person, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams meetings. This review is an update by the client company. The original content is located below the new review.
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
BACKGROUND
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the group marketing manager at Scotts Canada, a lawn and garden organization. We manufacture and distribute brands like Scotts Turf Builder and Miracle-Gro Plant Foods.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What challenge were you trying to address with Mindshape?
We needed help with media management, including creative development for digital and social media campaigns.
SOLUTION
What was the scope of their involvement?
Mindshape manages all our media and creative development for our digital and social media campaigns. We usually meet with them to brief them on our project, whether it’s a TV commercial, digital program, or social media campaign. We walk the team through a brief that we rewrite, going through all the necessary objectives, target markets, products, and KPIs we’re trying to measure with our campaigns.
After that, Mindshape comes back with creative assets. They walk us through the creative, and we provide feedback. We keep discussing feedback back and forth until we’re both happy. Then, Mindshape engages with whoever will get the content up and live.
Mindshape works on all our social media platforms, and most recently, they’ve developed, created, and helped produce TV commercials for both our brands. Mindshape has led the entire commercial production process. They’ve sourced the producer, director of photography, and actors. We’ve had a two-way dialogue to finalize the actors, but Mindshape has done all the talent sourcing. They’ve also scouted all the locations, and we're in the process of wrapping up the commercial since we'll launch it next year. Mindshape will deliver a 30-second commercial with a cut-down of 15 seconds.
Mindshape will also take on all our in-store creative signage at Home Depot and RONA. They’ll leverage all the creative we’re doing with our campaigns and messaging for in-store signage. However, I only manage the TV commercials project.
What is the team composition?
Our main point of contact is Nikki, our account director and the day-to-day person we liaise with to coordinate schedules. We also work with Beth, Fred, and Scott. We know another team works on social media through another department in our organization.
How did you come to work with Mindshape?
We did an RFP a few years ago. We had been with a social media agency for a long time, but we were trying to find an agency that could do it all for us instead of having a fragmented approach. Mindshape was one of the three agencies we looked at. They really shone on us because many of the agencies we reviewed were bigger. Mindshape is a boutique agency, so it was easier to work with them, given our budget. We don’t have big budgets like some of the other big brands out there. Mindshape was the agency that would deliver what we needed with the budget we had, so we were comfortable moving forward with them.
How much have you invested with them?
I only manage one area of our engagement with Mindshape, and we've invested close to $1 million CAD this year.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with Mindshape before the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2016, and the engagement is ongoing.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
From a digital campaign perspective, Mindshape has exceeded benchmarks. All of our campaign metrics have skyrocketed. The team has done tremendous work on our social media campaigns to drive our likes and community up. We’ve seen a positive trajectory since working with Mindshape on our social media platforms.
We’re really happy with where we’re landing with the commercials. Mindshape is spot on for what we envisioned and even more. Mindshape has done an excellent job bringing the storyboards they pitched to life. Mindshape has been instrumental in providing support and guidance throughout the whole process.
How did Mindshape perform from a project management standpoint?
Mindshape's project management skills are on par. From the project's onset, they’ve provided a timeline and budget and have been able to stick to it. Mindshape also ensures we’re sticking to it and pokes us when we’re not close to deadlines and haven’t responded or provided feedback. Mindshape has a great platform called iFlow, where they upload content, and we provide timely feedback.
We communicate via email, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams. We’ve had many in-person meetings for the commercials since it’s easier to discuss in person than virtually. We’ve also used a combination of both to accommodate schedules where needed.
Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?
Nikki has been instrumental in being an excellent project manager. She has great attention to detail, ensuring we're staying on track with our milestones so that we're not missing any key deadlines. She's been great with making sure we're approving things on time. Even when we're on set with her, she has a keen eye for calling things out that sometimes we miss because we've seen it so many times. Nikki has also stepped in to play talent on some of the content videos we've shot. She goes beyond her role to help the client, which is amazing. Nikki is a very personable, friendly, and approachable individual who is always available to us. Overall, she has been great to work with and a big asset to Mindshape.
What did you find most impressive about them?
We’re impressed with the breadth of talent at Mindshape's organization. Fred has worked with many different brands and categories and has in-depth knowledge of commercials and digital campaigns. Mindshape is a small team, but they’re very efficient. They all bring expertise to the table, which makes their team incredible at delivering on our expectations.
There hasn’t been anything we’ve put in front of Mindshape that they’ve shied away from. They’ve risen to the occasion, taken on the challenge, and delivered on it. Mindshape has exceeded my expectations on the deliverables and the creative we’re getting from the commercial. They’ve been upfront and honest with us, which is big for me, delivering well above and beyond.
Are there any areas they could improve?
If they’re using a project management tool, having visibility would be good. Mindshape sends us timelines and visibility of the following steps, but having visibility into a project management tool would be helpful. We could see it live in action versus always having to ask where we are in the timeline.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Keep Mindshape engaged all the time. We’re constantly challenging Mindshape to come up with something different and unique. That really gets their engines going, and they rise to the occasion. Mindshape has been pushing us out of our box and making us uncomfortable. We like to be comfortable, but sometimes, we need to be uncomfortable to inspire engagement and test new territories to put our brands out there and harness new users and consumers. Let them push you and guide you to where you need to be and where you want to go.
UPDATED REVIEW
This review was published on September 16, 2020.
Marcea Fraresso
Manager of Shopper Marketing, ScottsMiracle-GroConsumer Products
Mississauga, Ontario
1,001-5,000 Employees
May 2019 - Ongoing
$200,000 to $999,999
Verified
Project summary
Mindshape Creative manages ScottsMiracle-Gro’s point-of-purchase and in-store presence from a branding perspective. They focus on organizing tradeshows and creating catalogs and consumer-facing guides.
Feedback summary
Mindshape Creative facilitates an effortless partnership by providing high-caliber customer service. Professional and organized, the team has streamlined internal processes and uncovered efficiencies, particularly relating to project management. They’re able to manage deadlines and pivot as needed.
BACKGROUND
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the manager of shopper marketing at ScottsMiracle-Gro, the national go-to brand for lawn and garden products. We’re the leaders in our category. I work between sales and marketing, so what marketing does from a national brand perspective, I help the account and the sales teams bring to life at their retailers.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What challenge were you trying to address with Mindshape Creative Brand Marketing?
I had inherited the agencies we worked with when I started with Scotts three-and-a-half years ago. Within a couple of years, it was clear to me that we needed to make changes that better suited our business needs.
SOLUTION
What was the scope of their involvement?
We have handed a lot of the consumer-facing work to Mindshape. They mostly focus on our catalogs, tradeshows, and consumer-facing guides. For instance, if you walk into a Home Depot and see our product, there’s a takeaway guide that has educational content, coupons, and product information. Mindshape creates those guides. They work in conjunction with our copywriter. They also do ad hoc projects.
What is the team composition?
I work with both Shar (Group Account Director) and Nikki (Account Coordinator). Shar is the lead, and Nikki supports her.
How did you come to work with Mindshape Creative Brand Marketing?
In early 2019, we started the process of an RFP. The original intention was to hire two agencies, with one helping us to support our accounts and manage our POP (point-of-purchase) and in-store presence, and the second managing social media. Our previous agency did both, but we needed more specialized, high-level services. As we went down the path of the RFP, it became apparent that we had another niche need that we had to fill in our organization. A boutique agency had supported us with our tradeshows. We knew we needed that extra support.
We absolutely loved Mindshape and what they presented to us. We recognized that they’d be able to support us in those niche requirements, like tradeshows and ad hoc requests. We needed support in those areas, and Mindshape seemed like the agency that could meet our needs. Shar and I had a great rapport, and rapport and fit are so important. Their ability to do projects like our catalogs, which are a big undertaking, was huge. They also have extensive experience with tradeshows, plus hands-on experience with a couple of our key accounts. We hired a separate social media agency.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent close to $400,000. The tradeshows have taken on a different number now because they’re all virtual.
What is the status of this engagement?
Our work together began in May or June 2019, and it’s ongoing.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Our previous boutique agency just wasn’t cutting it. Whereas I had a lot of pain points working with that agency, MindShape is such a breeze to work with. The catalog used to be such a difficult process for us to manage, and Mindshape has taken it on and made it so much easier and more insightful. They had really good feedback on our guides and coupons and how to manage that much more easily. Having a fresh and very competent set of eyes has made a big difference in our world. We had a need to meet, and they have far exceeded that need. The value add has been fantastic.
How did Mindshape Creative Brand Marketing perform from a project management standpoint?
Project management is excellent. I have my hands in so many pots, and they’re very professional at keeping me on task and sending reminders. They’re very organized and have adapted to what I need. We have a weekly status and then put takeaways and next steps in Google Docs. They’re very good at communication.
They stay on top of the schedule and pivot when needed. This year, we were ready for the catalog to go to print, and we needed to make a critical change. From a project management perspective, their ability to pivot quickly and adjust accordingly is important to us. It’s critical to us that they stay on top of things and manage deadlines.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They provide a fresh set of eyes and have cleaned up the ways that we do projects. From the beginning, I let them know how we were used to working, but if they had a better, smarter way of doing things, we’d be completely open to it. The way that we manage the projects has been so much more efficient. Finding efficiencies and having things run a lot more smoothly have been big things that I’ve appreciated with them.
Their high level of customer service has been stellar. They’re always friendly and happy. Even when I call them with crazy deadlines and requests, they do it with a smile on their face. I need that calm reassurance. I’m very grateful we hired them.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I usually try to find the balance and say where the opportunity is, but I have zero complaints. They’re a smaller agency; my company works with multinational media agencies. However, for the need they’re meeting, they’re great. If I had any complaints, I’d let Shar know directly, and it would be resolved immediately. Nothing is ever perfect; problems are going to happen, but what matters to me is how they course correct and deal with those problems.
Any advice for potential customers?
It really is a partnership. Mindshape was set up for success because we had a clear vision of what we needed, so communicate what you need in order to ensure that they can help. I was on it from the start. You need to have transparency and open communication; that’s incumbent on the client.
In terms of advice for hiring Mindshape as an agency, make sure you’re transparent on what your needs are. They’re a very good medium-sized agency.
STAR RATINGS
Overall rating: 4
Quality: 4
I never give 5s.
Cost: 3.5
Schedule: 4
Willing to refer: 4.5
RATINGS
-
Quality
4.0Service & Deliverables
-
Schedule
5.0On time / deadlines
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Cost
4.0Value / within estimates
-
Willing to Refer
5.0NPS
