Plastic Mobile

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization and what is your role?

We’re a pizza chain company. We have more than 700 restaurants across Canada. We are only in Canada. I’m the head of IT [information technology]. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Plastic Mobile?

Initially, we just wanted to create an iPhone app. We needed digital visibility. We wanted to be one of the first to pizza shops in Canada to create an app.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

Plastic provided us with app development and a really great design of the app. They helped us create a video for our marketing, too. After the successful launch of the app they redesigned our website. We added a mobile Web at the same time. We added an iPad app that was completely different than the iPhone app and then we added an Android app. We have integrated our loyalty system within the apps, too. Our partnership with Plastic continues to expand.

What was your process for selecting Plastic Mobile with which to work?

We engaged several companies and Plastic won the bid. Their creativity and the way they approached us and told us how the app should be done showed us that they were very creative. We’re very happy with their presentation.

Can you give a sense of the size of the initiative in dollar terms or a personnel work-hour figure?

We started our partnership in October 2010, and we launched the iPhone app in March 2011. We have expanded our projects with Plastic since then. We’re spending a very significant amount with Plastic. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Is there anything unique or special about Plastic Mobile that really makes them stand out compared to other online marketing companies?

We see Plastic not only as a partner but as an extension of our group. They keep us updated on new things that are happening. They’re very unique, and that’s why they’re very good at what they do. They stand out in their designing. There are very few times that we make any changes when they show us something. If there is an adjustment, it’s very minimal. They have marketing insight as well as design. They know what the customer wants. They are pricey, but it’s worth it.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

Sometimes, timeline is an issue, but that falls on our end, too. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization. What is your role?

I’m a senior director within a large media company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Plastic Mobile?

We wanted to align mobile solutions for our own clients. We leveraged Plastic for their technology expertise.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

The methodologies Plastic applied covered the full life cycle in terms of mobile application development and marketing. They helped us with strategy and stakeholder interviews, business requirements, functional requirements, information, architecture, and some creative. They supported our creative but we used them mostly for development as well as quality assurance and delivery.

What was your process for selecting Plastic Mobile with which to work?

We went through a RFP [request for proposal] process. They won the bid based on their expertise and the solutions they provided.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

Plastic had a specific set of customized analytics. They helped us to obtain data that we couldn’t before. The analytics turned our project into a more profitable success. We were able to better align things in terms of our services based on the analytical data that we were getting from the application.

Is there anything unique or special about Plastic Mobile that really makes them stand out compared to other online marketing companies?

You can tell that the Plastic team loves what they do. They are passionate about it. They’re not locked to supplying only what a client pays for. They are more than willing to suggest ideas as we go. They’re very involved and interactive and solution focused in terms of any projects we’ve had with them. Plastic is a great company and definitely poised for growth. In terms of delivery, they’ve been great. 

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

They’ve had challenges with some new hires but they acted on any issue we had quickly. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization. What is your role?

We are a marketing company based in Canada. I’m the director of product development for our digital platforms.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What was your goal for working with Plastic Mobile?

We approached Plastic with the opportunity to rebuild and relaunch our mobile application.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their work.

We had discussions with Plastic about our strategic priorities. Then, we started wireframing and prototyping of the new app. Primarily, their focus has been the back-end development of the app and the front-end wireframes and design. They have also provided us with support on app marketing in working with the Google and Apple stores. 

What was your process for selecting Plastic Mobile with which to work?

We looked at a number of other companies. It wasn’t a formal RFP [request for proposal], but there were certain criteria we were looking for. We wanted someone local based in Toronto. We were looking for someone with good experience on the front end in terms of creating leading-edge applications. We liked that they were a small team and they had some strong Canadian clients already.

When was the work completed?

It’s been ongoing partnership for the last four years. We continue to work with them on some aspects of our app development.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Do you have any statistics or metrics to track improvement from the project?

We saw significant increases in app downloads as well as time spent in the app. Overall, we definitely saw an increase in engagement. We liked Plastic’s front-end and back-end work in terms of the build, development, and creative wireframes.

Is there anything unique or special about Plastic Mobile that really makes them stand out compared to other online marketing companies?

We liked that they were small and homegrown focused on the Canadian market. 

What advice would you give to future clients of theirs?

If you have a solid plan about what you want to do and how you want to execute the development and design of a great app, they are a great agency for that. I would say go into a partnership with Plastic with a pretty well thought out strategy. You can count on them to execute on the app development.

Looking back on the work so far, is there any area that you think they could improve upon or that you might do differently?

At times, we felt they lacked in understanding some of our business goals and then challenging us strategically around where we should take the platform moving forward.