Popcorn

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am a department director at Ten Souljers

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide premier live music entertainment for clients from a wide range of industries

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Popcorn to accomplish?

• strategically craft and consolidate Ten Souljers' identity
• optimize Ten Souljers' channels and operationalize its digital activities to build a sustainable foundation for consistency and growth
• provide best practice social media tactics to maximize reach and visibility for Ten Souljers.

SOLUTION

How did you find Popcorn?

Referral

Why did you select Popcorn over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Popcorn were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

A full social media strategy plan that includes:

1. Organizational objectives
2. Brand identity
3. Social media strategy

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Immediate: quality of the social media strategy plan
• Future/prospective: KPIs that correspond to each of the digital marketing goals upon execution of strategies

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

The Popcorn team was on top of scheduling meeting, follow meeting, as well as responding to email messages. When questions and requests were made, they responded quickly either with solutions or a plan of action. The strategy was delivered within the agreed upon timeframe

What was your primary form of communication with Popcorn?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

1. Above expectation level of expertise as seen in the final product (strategy)
2. Satisfactory depth of analysis and research undertaken to create the product
3. Excellent presentation style and attention to detail
4. Responsive to requests and inquiries

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

Not for this particular project. Keep up the good work

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the promotions manager for Postmedia.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Popcorn?

We worked with Popcorn to help select influencers in major markets across Canada to help promote Sony Pictures upcoming theatrical release of Where the Crawdads Sing.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We have worked with Popcorn previously on a few influencer based promotional campaigns. Always with great success at finding the right people and staying within budget.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After the initial kick off meeting they helped us select a few key influencers to help promote the film release of this much loved book title.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I worked with Erick and Dennis the company owner.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

This campaign provided Canadian micro influencers with an exclusive private screening, to promote Sony Pictures’ movie - Where The Crawdads Sing. In an effort to increase awareness for the movie and ultimately drive more people to watch it when it releases, Sony Pictures engaged with influencers across three Canadian cities – Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto.

Sony was responsible for the screening in each city. Popcorn secured partnerships with three influencers, who then invited three of their friends to join them to experience the movie. They were encouraged to share social media content of the screening and experience. Popcorn monitored the influencers’ and their friends’ social media accounts for coverage throughout the campaign.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Everything moved smoothly and according to plan. Popcorn provided a summary of all influencers activities and posts surrounding the content they produced.

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

They did exactly what they agreed to do and provided key updates along the way maintaining all contact with the social influencers and coordinating with Postmedia on each step.

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

Bigger budgets would have driven more results but we were all happy with the results achieved on a limited campaign.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a director at a health tech company in Vancouver, Canada. We are developing a technology for the early detection of heart disease.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Popcorn?

We hired Popcorn for a complete redesign and development of our website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We were recommended them by a consultant and upon seeing their work, we believed that they created websites similar to our vision.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

The team worked with us step by step to develop each page to the vision of our CEO and even helped set up professional product photos, action shots of our prototypes, and management headshots in order to give a complete and professional look to the website. Every page of our website was redesigned by this team to give our company a new identity.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with 3 members. 1 team lead, 1 web designer, and 1 talent specialist for the product & management photos.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We now have a professional and interactive website which receives great feedback from potential investors and current shareholders.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Communication was great and very responsive. Documents shared were easy to use in order to communicate ideas. Project followed the timeline initially set out and all deadlines were met.

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

Their ability to perfectly capture our website ideas and display our vision was exceptional.

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

The quality of the website was perfect to our standards and the team worked closely with us to fix any design issues that we required.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the junior brand manager for a candy and sweets manufacturing company. We work for several countries, like Canada, Mexico, Italy, Greece, and Romania. We’re in charge of all the marketing activities in these countries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Popcorn?

We needed help with digital marketing strategy and social media management.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Popcorn has developed our digital marketing strategy in Canada. They’re in charge of our Instagram and Facebook accounts. They propose different strategies and advise us about what will be good for us to grow on social media.

They respond to all the comments and interact with our audience. Also, they’re in charge of paid media and creating captions and stories. Since we also work with influencers, they propose which influencer fits the brand.

What is the team composition?

We’re only in contact with one person.

How did you come to work with Popcorn?

When I joined HARIBO, they were already working with Popcorn.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent roughly $300,000 CAD (approximately $222,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them around December 2019, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we hired them, we have doubled our Instagram follower base. When we started, we were around 3,000 followers; now, we have more than 6,000 followers. Also, most of the comments we receive are positive.

How did Popcorn perform from a project management standpoint?

They meet deadlines and stay on budget. We communicate with them via email and a monthly meeting with our contact person.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re proactive; they always provide feedback on time. When there’s a new opportunity for business, they’re also quick to provide advice.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there are none.

Any advice for potential customers?

Have an open mind and trust them. They have many ideas and are the experts in the market.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a co-owner of a paper goods and gifts business based in Vancouver, BC. We design and produce stationery and gift products that sell online as well as wholesale to other shops across Canada and the US.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Popcorn?

We needed someone to develop and execute a paid ad strategy on social media. Our goal was to increase exposure and drive more online sales.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We searched online for social media marketers in our area, particularly ones who had familiarity with retail sales. We were familiar with Popcorn due to a prior working relationship and after seeing their success with another consumer brand, we felt they were the best fit.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

After an initial meeting, they came back to us with a strategy on who to best target on Facebook, Instagram and Google. Having a dedicated and attentive digital campaign specialist was so helpful in getting things up and running. They did a lot of behind the scenes work to set up our accounts and ensured the right metrics would be tracked. This isn't something we would have known to do.

They outlined a detailed strategy every month, explaining the target audiences and suggesting the creative we’d need. Once we provided them with the creative, they would schedule and manage the ads. The following month we would receive a report outlining the results of the ad spend. Ongoing monitoring allowed us to pivot and adjust strategy quite quickly which meant a better use of our ad dollars.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We worked with one digital campaign specialist with oversight by the agency director.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

In the year we worked with the agency, our Instagram followers increased 130% even though it wasn't one of our main goals. Our online sales driven by social media went up 2600%.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

A week prior to the start of the month they would send us a strategy outlining goals, audience and campaign creative. We would provide them the assets needed and they would then schedule and monitor. A week after the campaign period, we would receive a report. The workflow was efficient and the communication was great.

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

We felt the quality of the followers we gained and the customers who converted were exactly the people we hoped to appeal to. They were such a delight to work with and really made our entry into the paid ad world a painless one.

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

We were pleased with their service and appreciated how responsive they were to our feedback and request for changes. Our campaign specialist's expertise and attentiveness meant we were able to adjust in a timely manner when the analytics called for it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of an outdoor tour company that does hiking and nature tours in the Vancouver area.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Popcorn?

I have a business mentor and she connected me with a student group that did a complete analysis of my company. One of the things we found was that I really needed marketing to get me away from online tours.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They took care of my SEO, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and target marketing. It was a lot of testing since my company was very new to this style of marketing. We recently ended our relationship because of COVID-19, but it wasn’t their fault at all.

What is the team composition?

I spoke with Dennis (Managing Director) and Patricia (Digital Content Producer).

How did you come to work with Popcorn?

A student group did research for me into different companies and they concluded that Popcorn would be the best match for my company. The irony is, when I started my company, I had already found them and thought they were awesome. I just couldn’t afford them at the time.

They seemed like genuine and fun people, and that was the vibe my company was looking for. We didn’t want anyone too corporate. Their styles really meshed well with mine.

How much have you invested with them?

We had a three-month contract of $1,000 per month, plus ad-spend.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2020 and paused indefinitely in April 2020 because of COVID-19.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

I really liked their personalities and how everyone kept in touch. They kept me top of mind even though I’m a smaller account of theirs. It felt like they really cared. If I had questions, they’d answer them right away.

How did Popcorn perform from a project management standpoint?

They were excellent. They explained things in a way I could understand and did exactly what they said they would do. If something came up that they thought would be of interest to me, they emailed me about it to let me know, even though it wasn’t part of their job with me. They kept my company’s best interest in mind, even when it wasn’t beneficial to them.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We arranged a tour for them to come out and actually see what I do, which I was looking forward to. It was impressive that they wanted to genuinely know what they would be marketing.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Some of the analyses they gave me, I didn’t really understand, and I had to have a friend help me out. When I brought that up to them, Dennis explained it to me right away.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to be open and transparent with them. They really listen, so it’s important to know what it is you’re asking for.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a jewellery company, operating for over 40 years with 304 stores globally across Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The Group’s global headquarters, including its wholesale and manufacturing divisions, are located in Brisbane, Australia. My position is the Marketing Executive. I manage public relations activities across Australia, New Zealand and Canada, working with PR agencies in each country.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Popcorn?

The business had the need to focus on more branded related activities. Being a retailer, this can sometimes be difficult but it is extremely important to show a meaning behind the brand and show people who we are and what we stand for. We are not just a company - the stories behind the company, our collections, our teams, our values, these all make us what we are as a company and we want to show that.

What were your goals for this project?

Develop and build relationship with media Become the number one destination for jewellery Become the bridal destination Generate social content from media relationships/events/gifting

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The team researched various agencies in Canada and narrowed it down to a selection of whom they contacted. They were then tasked to pitch to us. Popcorn stood out and came back with the best approach, innovative ideas and fantastic team and we could see this would be a partnership that would go a long way.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Once Popcorn was selected, we set up various meeting and conference calls. We briefed them on our company and what we were trying to achieve, we also ran over our campaign year with areas in need of focus for PR activities.

What was the team composition?

I work closely with the Principal & Agency Director as well as the PR Specialist. I am unsure of how many other people are in the firm but this relationship is very easy to manage working with the both of them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Since we started working with Popcorn, we have generated a great relationship with media. They planned a fantastic event last year which was a huge success - we had media attend who we would never think we could collaborate with and they had a high interest in our products. We have also been collaborating with a diverse mix of influencers, Youtubers and other media partners to push our brand to people who would not usually consider our brand. This has been highly successful.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team is fantastic! We have weekly meetings and I know I can email or call any time. Even with the time difference, they get back to me when it is nearly midnight in Canada. They are always very proactive with ideas and easy to talk to. The work that has been coming out is fantastic - they take on our briefs and manage to nail it every time.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They have fantastic media contacts, the team are super responsive and they know how to do amazing events.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Popcorn is a fantastic company. Only areas in need of improvement are that sometimes we need to chase up on some reporting but once I ask for this I receive it within less than 24hours.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a Canadian chocolatier and retailer based in Vancouver, British Columbia. We have 80 locations across the country and an online presence, as well. I am the VP of Merchandising and Marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Popcorn?

Our social media strategy with another firm plateaued. We were looking to reinvigorate and add a different focus and energy to social media.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We have aggressive goals for every quarter and every fiscal year, and that's what drives our strategy. We have a very robust internal team of creatives and content developers, including in-house photographers, graphic designers, a marketing team, and copywriters. Popcorn’s expertise helped us leverage all of that to be more strategic regarding our social media. Our biggest focus is on Facebook and Instagram because that is where we see the best results. They manage our Twitter account, though that is turning into more of a customer service avenue. They also maintain our YouTube channel. Although we no longer operate on Pinterest, Popcorn oversaw our content there, as well.

They respond to comments on all platforms on our behalf, acting as our customer service team in a way. We conduct a rigorous process of developing our tone and how we would answer as a brand. Some of the questions we receive cover serious questions, like food allergies or sustainability, so answering those questions accurately is vital. They are responsive and engaging. They manage the calendar of content and help us stay organized. They’re very integrated into our on-site team to the point that most days they feel like an extension of our staff.

What is the team composition?

The founder, Dennis, is our primary strategist, but Michael, a community manager, is our day-to-day contact. He is the main base for us in posting content, responding to customers, and running operations behind the scenes.

How did you come to work with Popcorn?

Our contract with another vendor had come to an end, and we sent an RFP to other firms in the city to explore new opportunities. Popcorn was recommended to us to include. We received proposals from about a dozen agencies with varying sets of services. We shortlisted to four, and we awarded our contract to Popcorn.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in August 2016 and have ongoing projects.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We started off with a small fan base, but we've grown that organically, meaning that we don't buy any followers. More importantly, our engagement has increased. We have higher engagement than any other competitors within our category of chocolate and other categories of gifting.

How did Popcorn perform from a project management standpoint?

They are very well-organized. For any collaborative projects we’ve done, they take over the project management point. They speak on our behalf for inclusion in blogs and influencer events. They are instrumental in developing and maintaining those relationships.

They make effective use of time and don’t miss deadlines. We use Slack quite often, and we use Google Sheets and Google Docs to share common documentation. We also work in person whenever possible.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We are both invested in understanding the other’s processes. They took the time to learn about our business and our audience. They don’t have a cookie-cutter formula, so we don’t get treated like any other client. They are flexible to our budget while remaining very solutions-oriented. They are always coming up with different ideas and asking smart questions. They are truly a partner for us, as opposed to an agency.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Generally, we’re always looking to accomplish tasks faster. My main concern with long-term engagements is that they will eventually become the status quo, but we haven’t experienced anything like that. We don’t accept, or we don’t have the budget for, everything Popcorn puts in front of us, but that doesn’t stop them from continuing to ask questions.

Any advice for potential customers?

Everybody’s situation is unique, and I know they provide services for other clients that we don’t ask of them. It’s important to identify your priorities.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We are a non-profit organization that markets Vancouver as a tourist destination. I work in meetings and conventions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Popcorn?

We were looking for new opportunities to market some of our programs. We don’t always have the necessary resources on staff, so we hire outside specialists to assist with some of our projects.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They help with our social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to improve attendance at conferences. Our work with them is very project-focused and varies with each initiative. They collaborate with us to create content and we give them free reign for certain details.

What is the team composition?

We initially worked with their principal and founder. Depending on the project, we are assigned one or two point people, but the founder is always involved.

How did you come to work with Popcorn?

Our marketing manager found them. We’d not worked with anyone else who does such specific work and were happy with the service they provide.

How much have you invested with them?

Our annual spend varies, but it’s usually between $20,000–$30,000 each year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in January 2016. We collaborate on a project by project basis, but our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They provide us with metrics for each project with a summary of the information they capture. They can see all the different posts on each initiative and other user information. We share all of those results with our stakeholders and are very pleased with their work.

How did Popcorn perform from a project management standpoint?

They do very well with project management and their communication is strong. When they’re working on a specific project, we will email each other every few days and have a face-to-face meeting as the project is coming to fruition and a follow-up meeting after it runs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They do very creative, innovative work and are a great company. We’re very happy with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Ask about the scope of work they can provide. They do a lot of all-encompassing projects and may be able to help you in more than one way.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing & Communications of Downtown Van

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Downtown Van BIA takes care of 90-blocks of the downtown core. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Popcorn to accomplish?

• Create Marketing Strategy
• Increase Attendance to Event
• Compile Comprehensive Event Wrap Report

SOLUTION

How did you find Popcorn?

Referral

Why did you select Popcorn over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Popcorn were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

• Create marketing strategy for the Granville Block Party
• on-site and post-event management
• post-event reporting. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• High event attendance
• high social engagement
• great after event reporting. 

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

Popcorn was timely and very easy to communicate with. 

What was your primary form of communication with Popcorn?

In-Person Meeting

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

Their attention to detail and committment to our social media strategy.

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

Nope!