PropeloMedia

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a manager at a credit union company.

What challenge were you trying to address with PropeloMedia?

We needed help with our annual award banquet video.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We do a video with all the employees who receive a top-performance award every year. We interviewed each winner, and this year it was all made via Zoom. PropeloMedia sent out instructions with best practices for setting up lighting, scheduling, editing, and production. They did all the work remotely by Zoom from Oregon.

What is the team composition?

I worked with Joshua (Co-Founder), Andre (President), and a video editor from their team.

How did you come to work with PropeloMedia?

They were referred to us by an industry peer. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $40,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked on this project from January–March 2021

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

It’s not a traditional quantifiable KPI project, but I can say that everybody in our company involved in the video was delighted with PropeloMedia’s work. The deliverable’s quality was better than the one we made last year, and everybody was thrilled.

How did PropeloMedia perform from a project management standpoint?

It was lovely to work with them; they were organized, patient, and handled all the COVID-19 pandemic challenges that arose. PropeloMedia made everyone in our team feel comfortable so they wouldn’t feel nervous when talking to a camera and answering questions.

Additionally, they were fantastic in their turnaround times; everything was either on time or early, and they paid attention to detail. I can’t say enough; they knocked it out of the park.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their flexibility and willingness to work on our project were what stood out to me the most. It was something new for them, but they thought it through and made it possible to bring everyone together despite being forced to be socially distanced.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

Any advice for potential customers?

If you don’t know exactly what you want, communicate it to them; they have a creative team, and they’ll be able to define what you want.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Chief Operating Officer with Galileo Learning. We are an organization on a mission to develop innovators who can envision and create a better world!

For what projects/services did your company hire PropeloMedia?

As a summer camp we’re always dealing with ongoing attrition and so we’re always focused on customer acquisition. We hired PropeloMedia to support several acquisition initiatives.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to boost enrollments at key locations where we had available capacity. By targeting customers in our demographic we expected to generate new loyal customers.

How did you select this vendor?

I’ve known their founder for a couple of years and so when he came to us with a well-rounded proposal that made sense for what we were focused on, it just made sense.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Our initial campaign began with PropeloMedia doing an in-depth analysis of our existing customer file to identify underlying attributes to would help identify an ideal customer segment. Once they created an ideal customer profile they focused on identity resolution for each prospect so they could deliver an omnichannel campaign beginning with direct mail postcards, and then constantly reinforced with email, social media and digital display ads on mobile and desktop. They then conducted a comprehensive post-campaign analysis that helped highlight key campaign insights that were applied to our next campaign with them.

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with a few people on their team from their founder and their head of client services and a couple of people on the media and data insights team.

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

Because their team is so rooted in a data-first approach we’re able to track hard results attributed to the campaign and it’s success. To date we’ve had nearly 1,000 new campers onboarded and over a half a million dollars in revenue attributed to the campaign.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We were very appreciative of how communicative the team was prior to the campaign, and especially during campaign rollout. Their attention to detail and campaign planning was a definite plus in helping us achieve the results we got.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They really live up to their brand promise of wanting to be a partner and not just another vendor in the space. Because we’re so passionate about our business, it’s important that we align ourselves with an agency that mirrors that passion!

Are there any areas for improvement?

This is always an interesting question, because the reality is that there can always be improvements, but the fact that they do such in-depth post campaign analysis shows that they’re already focused on making those improvements!

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a financial secretary and campaign manager at a political organization.

What challenge were you trying to address with PropeloMedia?

We needed their skills in email marketing.

What was the scope of their involvement?

PropeloMedia handled our email marketing efforts for one of our campaigns for potential voters. Our team sent over the list of email addresses, names, labels, and other information they needed to incorporate into the actual campaign materials. 

After collating the requirements and information, PropeloMedia then distributed the emails across 22,000 different email addresses. They also executed a weekly email distribution to support the same campaign.

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact was Josh (Co-Founder), but we also worked with two other resources from PropeloMedia.

How did you come to work with PropeloMedia?

Our choice was directed by the organization. Three companies submitted their RFPs for this project, and PropeloMedia's team stood out.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent $120,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The project ran from May–September 2021.

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

We received positive feedback from our members and our target electorate — that’s our main success metric for PropeloMedia’s work.

How did PropeloMedia perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via email and conference calls. PropeloMedia set a two-week turnaround time, but they always delivered results within a week. Josh was always responsive to our needs, and their team’s deadline-orientedness greatly helped us meet our goals on time.

What did you find most impressive about them?

What stood out about PropeloMedia’s work ethic was their availability. They accommodated us even when we contacted them outside their work schedule.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing constructive I could point out performance-wise, but it would help if they had more organized and inclusive payment channels.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Hire PropeloMedia if you want to get the right experience and engagement that your business needs.

Please describe your company and your position there.

University of California, San Francisco is a medical education university. I am a Senior Conference Manager with the Office of Continuing Medical Education - I run educational conferences for physicians to get their continuing medical education credits to keep their credentials current.

For what projects/services did your company hire PropeloMedia?

We engaged Propelo Media to market and to solicit physicians and medical professionals to register and attend our upcoming courses.

What were your goals for this project?

To increase visibility for our office and our courses and primarily to increase attendance at the events, which is difficult during the Covid restrictions and regulations.

How did you select PropeloMedia?

Through a referral from a business professional that I've known for years and came highly recommended. After doing our due diligence and understanding the potential outcomes with Propelo, we decided to move forward because we felt they were the best fit to help us exceed our goals.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They helped us put together a direct marketing campaign that was rooted in direct mail and also utilized digital media to help reinforce our branding and our calls to action. This included direct mail, email, social and digital display media. At the conclusion of our first campaign, we did a comprehensive match back and campaign analysis. We then used this data to help guide our future campaigns for 2021.

What was the team composition?

The team we worked was VP of Client Services and Director of Media.

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

If we had engaged our traditional marketing plan of direct mail only, we would have achieved lower than our baseline. However, by engaging Propelo's omnichannel, we were able to increase our attendance 3x versus if we had just done direct mail only.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Propelo's response and engagement was seamless. There was consistent communication throughout the entire process and continues to be. Their team is very easy to work with.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The most impressive component is Propelo's approach to marketing and their genuine interest in helping us achieve our goals. It's a new and innovative approach for our company and we are showing and continue to show increased results in our registration and revenue numbers.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I feel very confident that as we continue to work together, we will achieve even better performance than we achieved out the gate. I'm very pleased with the results of our campaign and the professional relationships that have been gained throughout our engagement.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Calico is a California Child Advocacy Center located in Alameda County. We help achieve justice and healing for abused children. Calico achieves justice by bringing together law enforcement officers, child welfare workers, prosecutors, and other professionals to investigate abuse allegations and elicit testimony from children. We use a nationally proven method designed to attain thorough and accurate information while protecting the emotional needs of the victim. Calico promotes healing for victims by coordinating the first and most crucial stages of recovery. Our skilled clinicians offer guidance, resources and support to help the entire family along the path to physical and mental health and well-being.

For what projects/services did your company hire PropeloMedia?

Calico hired Propelo Media to help design and execute our end of year fundraising campaign.

What were your goals for this project?

Because Calico was forced to cancel its major fundraising events in 2020 due to the global pandemic, we needed to step up our direct outreach efforts in order to raise enough funding to continue serving the increasing number of children and families needing our services in Alameda County.

How did you select PropeloMedia?

I've partnered with Propelo Media on several direct outreach campaigns in the past and continue to see strong results each time.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Propelo Media supported the camapign strategy, design and execution including recipient list modeling and development, print and digital media design, omni-channel campaign execution and perforamnce analysis.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with both the VP of Client Services and the Media Director. I'm certain there were many other hardworking team members supporting us behind the scenes.

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

Our omni-channel campaign was a huge success. We achieved a very strong program ROI, and most importantly, exceeded our fundraising goal!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

I felt very supported throughout the project. The team was incredibly responsive and communicative.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Propel Media was sincerely committed to the client's success that showed in everything they do and how they do it.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I would appreciate one additional QA check in the process, specifically for our print piece. The piece was beautiful and effective so no issues there. I just need a little extra reassurance before direct mail pieces hit the mail stream.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m the Marketing Manager at Provident Credit Union. With over 20 locations throughout the Bay Area, we provide secure deposit products, mortgage and auto loans and much more with great rates and personalized service for thousands of members in our communities.

For what projects/services did your company hire PropeloMedia?

We were hosting our first large-scale Employee Awards Banquet in years and wanted a way to give our employees a chance to tell their story in a concise and compelling way.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to provide a unique way to recognize each award winner's exemplary work and accomplishments. We felt having them share their personal experience in a controlled video format was the perfect way to let them express their perspective while sharing it with the whole company.

How did you select PropeloMedia?

Propelo Media was referred to us by an industry peer.

Describe the video(s) and the process in detail.

Propelo Media developed a comprehensive plan that would give each employee a chance to share their voice in a concise manner.

The team helped prepare employees with sample interview questions and helped employees feel at ease while being on camera - even those who were nervous about being filmed. When it came time to interview and record, their team showed up at our corporate office with video, lighting and audio equipment.

Each employee was interviewed in a conversational format that allowed their unique voice to come out. At the conclusion of all interviews their team edited each 10-15 minute interview into succinct 30 second videos that were then embedded into a visually stunning presentation.

Their team provided working drafts along the way to ensure corporate branding standards and executive leadership's vision were maintained. The final product elevated that vision.

What was your vendors' project management or feedback process?

From pre-production planning, to the interview process and final video production, they were very clear and communicative helping to ensure that the final product exceeded our expectations.

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

Their ability to listen and elevate the final video presentation resulted in overwhelming employee appreciation.

The process to get there was also great, but there is something priceless about seeing your colleagues cheer and celebrate with such enthusiasm when their peers have a chance to share their voice.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Workflow and communication was continual, from pre-planning, to updates, and final video screening, to the pre-banquet screening.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They listened to what our vision and goals were, and they provided their expertise and insights to help elevate the finished video presentation.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing comes to mind.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Cornerstone is a Non-Denominational Bay Area Church with 5 campuses. I serve as the Campus pastor of our Walnut Creek Campus.

For what projects/services did your company hire PropeloMedia?

Our challenge as a pop-up church is that we are pretty invisible so we needed to create awareness in the local community and neighbors know that there is a welcoming church in their neighborhood, but we wanted to conscientiously avoid targeting people from other churches.

What were your goals for this project?

Boost visibility and attendance.

How did you select this vendor?

Andre is one of our parishioners, and approached me about using their omni-channel approach to increase our existing marketing effectiveness.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Because we were sensitive to not wanting to reach members of other churches in the area PropeloMedia took a deliberate approach to targeting new movers into the areas around our church locations. As each batch of new movers were identified they delivered an omni-channel direct marketing campaign that was grounded in postcards, and then repeatedly reinforced with email, social media and digital display ads. Their comprehensive campaign analysis helped identify key performing segments, which were used to help shape and define future campaigns.

What was the team composition?

We’ve worked with a few people over there, notably Andre Chandra the founder, as well as client services and operations when campaigns are being executed.

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

Because we don’t operate a traditional “business” we evaluate a firm and campaign’s performance from a few different perspectives. On the quantitative side, we were able to directly attribute an increase in web-visits to the initial campaign we did. Qualitatively, we definitely noticed a bump in service attendance, and some people even brought in the plastic postcard that was a part of the campaign. Our communications director even stated that this was the best direct marketing campaign we have done in three years.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

My team was very appreciative of their thorough communication before and during the campaign. It was clear that they focused on developing a partnership vs. just being a vendor. It’s that level of genuine commitment that resonates with us, and helps drive towards more productive campaigns.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I think what really impressed me about them is two fold. First, their data-first approach to narrow in and really identify the right target audience was crucial, but their ability to deliver our message consistently across different channels to those people, that’s where we really saw the benefit.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don’t think so. Because they’re so communicative and relationship focused, they’re able to foresee challenges ahead of time so that problems don’t bubble up.

Please describe your company and your position there.

My name is Dana Hanson, and I’m the advertising director for Neptune Society of Central California. We’ve been helping families for over 45 years make end-of-life plans.

For what projects/services did your company hire PropeloMedia?

Because our industry caters to a sensitive need, the challenge is to reach out to people at the right time in their lives in order for the message to be meaningfully remembered and reacted to.

What were your goals for this project?

Our primary goal is lead generation to create on ongoing pipeline.

How did you select this vendor?

We found PropeloMedia after vetting a couple other agencies in the bay area.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

PropeloMedia worked closely with us to help define a couple of customer personas, one centered around a senior profile, and one centered around their adult children.

Once the target audience was defined, they helped to develop an omni-channel campaign consisting of a highly informative newsletter type piece, that was then reinforced with consistent messaging across email, digital display ads to that same audience. We also engaged in some A/B testing to help optimize specific calls-to-action.

What was the team composition?

We initially began working with PropeloMedia’s founder, Andre Chandra, but have recently worked more closely with their client services team, and media director.

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

When we first started using PropeloMedia, their focus was just on direct mail marketing, however in the past couple of years they’ve begun incorporating other digital channels that have proven to increase the response rates and ROI of our campaigns.

In fact, on a recent campaign we did a A/B test to evaluate a single channel campaign vs. an omni-channel campaign to the same target audience and found a 3x improvement when going with the omni-channel approach.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We were really appreciative from top to bottom with them from billing to product launch. Other companies treated us as too small of an account, but PropeloMedia made us feel like family which made a huge difference.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to listen and optimize the campaign to achieve the highest results. They’re constantly evaluating current campaigns and are looking for ways to enhance each future iteration.

With long term campaigns, other companies tend to take the set-it and forget it approach, but that constant refinement has helped us consistently see better and better returns.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Nothing comes to mind at this point. The fact that they care has allowed us to grow together in a way that has been beneficial to both of us.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Creative and Design Director. We Specialize in any kind of Branding / Advertising /Design / Social Media

For what projects/services did your company hire PropeloMedia?

We were looking for a company that would not specialize in direct marketing, but be able to meet our tight deadline.

How did you select this vendor?

referred to by another company

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Full ability to quickly execute a marketing campaign via printed and mailed collateral

What was the team composition?

I worked closely with one of their account managers to properly make sure the process was smooth, fast, and flawless

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

The campaign was successfully executed that we were able to secure future engagements

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The workflow was wonderful very fast communication.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to get the job done in a timely manner. Great communication and nice to work with.

Is there any area for improvement or anything that could have been done differently?

No. I was very impressed, and I look forward to working with them again.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm the owner of a communications/marketing company.

For what projects/services did your company hire PropeloMedia?

We engaged with Propelo to execute our marketing campaign for the election.

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

Referral from other companies.

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

Helped orchestrate weekly eblasts and postcard campaign aimed at internal union members.

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

We worked with client services team as project mgmt team.

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

We won the campaign - we were incredible satisfied with the results. Delivered on time, worked with our challenging deadlines and were gracious about last minute edits.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Able to work hand in hand in ever changing deadlines and deliverables. Very responsive.

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

The personnel were extremely helpful and accommodating.

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

No. We won the campaign!