Scaramanga Agency

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the assistant head of Southwark Music, an organization that provides music education to children and young people in London.  We’re mainly funded by the government through an organization called the Arts Council in England.

What challenge were you trying to address with Scaramanga Agency?

After the pandemic-related lockdowns, our funders instructed us to use leftover cash from canceled large events on one-off projects instead. We identified the need to rebuild and update our website, which was 12–13 years old.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Scaramanga Agency rebuilt our website and we did a lot of work with them regarding the design. They had thorough initial consultations with our team and the site is managed using Craft. We fine-tuned our branding to make it more modern and have a better visual impact.

What is the team composition?

We had initial contact with two teammates: the owner and a lead teammate. From there, we had a designated team leader and worked with two other people. 

How did you come to work with Scaramanga Agency?

We had quite a lengthy procurement process, which was one of my tasks at the beginning of this year. I did a fair amount of research and ended up whittling the list down to three possibilities. 

After speaking to all three companies, I felt Scaramanga Agency was warm and genuine. They were able to talk to me and they quite quickly figured out the way I work. They were more expensive than the other options, but they had what we were after and we were confident it was going to work with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

Their work cost us around £15,000 (approximately $20,700 USD)

What is the status of this engagement?

I believe we started working together in March 2021 and the website was handed over to us in late August 2021.

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

Our management team is very pleased with the website. We have a mix of younger and older people on our team with varying levels of technical knowledge, but there’s been a positive reaction across the board. We also have a staff of around 60–70 tutors and their feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. 

Our customers who engage with certain aspects of the website, such as the payment feature, have reported positive feedback around the ease of use and navigation. The general look and feel of the site have been received completely positively.  We were quite impressed with their design work before we moved to the build stage, too. 

How did Scaramanga Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

Their team used the same system that they use within their own organization to manage the project, which allowed me to see updates. I was notified regularly about updates within the system by email.

I was asked for very specific information as we continued the project and our communication was 99% effective during the whole process. I was pretty happy with the project management, especially since it can be a pain sometimes.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The end product was very good and we’re very pleased with it. Their entire team, including their management, knew how to communicate effectively and efficiently without being patronizing or overbearing, which is one of the reasons I was drawn towards working with them. Their communication is good and their team is really friendly and pleasant to work with. 

I was worried about getting the website up and running in time for the new academic year, which was a bit stressful but Scaramanga Agency was able to calm my worries. They’re down to earth and got on with the project without overwhelming me with technical jargon.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s nothing major, but there were a couple of occasions when I had already sent over information, like the copy for the website, and then I was asked for it again a few weeks later. Also, when we went live, there were a couple of glitches, but they were able to address them quickly. Overall, we’re pretty happy all around. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They cover quite a lot of ground, but we only worked on website design so I can’t speak of their other areas of expertise. They did, however, help us with quite a lot of branding. I would certainly recommend them. 

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Director of Operations at FOCAL International, a non-profit trade association working in the audio-visual market. We are a global member-based trade association. Our members consist of footage archive companies, services providers plus archive researchers/producers.

What challenge were you trying to address with Scaramanga Agency?

The FOCAL website had not been revamped for 12 years, which was very heavily text-based and difficult to navigate.  We felt we required a website that was more visual which showcased the area of the industry we and our members work in as well as adding a log-in area for members to supply additional resources and membership benefits.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Scaramanga Agency redeveloped our website for us. To start, we gave Scaramanga more insight as to how our business works as well as explaining the previous website functionality. We spent the afternoon scoping out and looking at what is desirable and what isn’t desirable.

Alongside the website, we required a CRM to be created to keep our member's data up to date and accounting needs.  

Scaramanga suggested that the best platform to use was Craft which they would build and for the CRM system we should use Zoho for which I hired an independent project manager to build the Zoho CRM and co-ordinate the work with Scaramanga.

Besides the new website, Scaramanga suggested they would look at our company logo and how we could modernize it by integrating it with a new company brand colour scheme.  We soft-launched a beta site to our members to give them the opportunity to update their individual details and company details in September 2020 with the full website and CRM launch in October 2020.

What is the team composition?

When we first met them, there were three people we met with including Simon (Creative & Technical Director), Josh (Technical Lead), who acted as the project manager and was also a developer, and Charlotte (Junior Web Developer), who dealt with the marketing side of things.

How did you come to work with Scaramanga Agency?

We initially undertook research for decide on our needs then scoped out our requirements and the new functionalities. We commenced a tender process to several companies that we either knew or who were recommended to us. We shortlisted a number of companies which included Scaramanga Agency. 

We invited the shortlisted companies to a formal meeting and asked them to do a presentation on what they could do for FOCAL.  After the initial meetings and various conversations, we agreed on working with Scaramanga.

They were the top choice for us because of their presentation, case studies and understanding of our business. They also suggested ways to improve the website for which we had not thought of. They also took the time to look at our old website and asked for admin permission so they could look at the backend to see how it was created to get a better understanding of how our business worked and how we ran our current systems.

They also were very keen to know more about who our competitors were and what we felt was the primary goals that we were trying to achieve and what parts of the business we wanted to promote and expand. They asked all the right questions.

How much have you invested with them?

We invested £24,000 pounds (approximately $33,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2020 and the work is ongoing.

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

We have hundreds of members and wanted to ensure that each member has their own individual login and web page, which ran smoothly. We wanted to ensure that all the functionality, both internally and for external members, was working properly.

We gathered feedback using our second matrix where several members and non-member tested the website it in various ways, looking at everything from the functionality to the UX. The third matrix is continuing to establish the number of additional viewers and users are coming to the system.

How did Scaramanga Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

While they were developing the site and coming up with the mainframe, it was a bit quiet for about a month or so but we were expecting that. Once they had the mainframe through Figma and shared the structure and UX with us. We were able to go through all the relevant pages, they were great.

Communication has been very good. We speak with the Scaramanga Agency team on a regular basis. I hired a project manager who has more interaction with them than myself. I have had weekly calls with my project manager to make sure everything was on track.

They set up a system that allowed us to not only speak to each other by phone but also through a database that they’d set up. We could track all of the conversations through emails on a particular subject or area of development.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They really understood our vision for the website. They also had a good grasp of what our needs were and made sure our goals were met, creating a site that is very user friendly.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I do not have any issues with Scaramanga, they were very professional and friendly. If I had to pick one thing it would be to have a bit more training after they developed the site and delivered the beta. It was self-explanatory however I personally like to know how everything works in each section. That’s just me though because I’m always curious about how things are built.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Scope out what you feel you need then discuss this with a small, core group of users that will use the website. I would suggest doing this at the beginning rather than into the process or towards the end of the process.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the founder and managing director of The Delegate Wranglers Limited, and we are a community of professionals working in the events industry.

What challenge were you trying to address with Scaramanga Agency?

We wanted a cool and funky way to onboard new members to our Facebook group and give them instructions on how to use our group.

What was the scope of their involvement?

We asked Scaramanga Agency to make two animated onboarding videos for us that show how the group works and what users can and can’t do. They just handed the two videos over to us.

After that, they took over our existing website, which is always a challenge. They helped us develop a fantastic database where clients can list themselves. The team also added e-commerce functionalities, so clients can pay to join our website and various services we offer. 

What is the team composition?

Initially, we worked with Claire (Owner), and she referred us to another teammate who focuses on video production. For the website development, we worked with Claire, Simon (Creative & Technical Director), and another member of his team. In total, we’ve worked with five people. 

How did you come to work with Scaramanga Agency?

They were already a part of our community on Facebook. Every week, members can post their work and promote themselves. We didn’t know them well, but their quality work caught our eyes. 

We contacted them and asked if they would be interested in working with us. They came back with a quote and ideas on how the project would proceed — they were exactly who we were looking for. It was a real delight when we spoke to them and they were such great people. They matched who we were looking for.

How much have you invested with them?

To date, we have spent £7,500 (approximately $10,000 USD).

What is the status of this engagement?

Our partnership began in September 2020 and it is ongoing.

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

We showed the videos to a test audience, and they were impressed. We received positive feedback not only on the quality of the videos but also the mission of our group. A lot of that is because of Scaramanga Agency, since they came up with great ideas and they held our hand and more throughout the engagement. However, we have just posted the videos on the group, so it's quite hard to provide any direct metrics.

They have given us really good advice and sometimes even challenged our ideas. They tell us if they don’t think something will work. 

How did Scaramanga Agency perform from a project management standpoint?

For the video production, we interacted via Zoom and email. For the website, we are using Zoho Projects, which is easy-to-use and helpful in allowing us to identify faults and errors. It is better than just sending emails.

Scaramanga Agency is an absolute pleasure to work with. They are constantly positive and always coming up with new ideas. They listen to everything we say and work with us through the process — they never assume or do anything without checking with us first.

What did you find most impressive about them?

So many things about Scaramanga Agency impress us. First, their expertise is great. They are amazing to work with, as they are friendly, knowledgeable, and experienced. You really feel safe working with them. If there were any decisions or things they needed to tell us, they framed it in a positive way and with solutions prepared. Their output was and still is amazing — they continue to look after us.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I genuinely can't think of any. Scaramanga Agency is one of the best suppliers I've ever worked with, and I feel like they care. They choose their clients wisely. They see work as a partnership, and that’s why it’s a real pleasure to work with them. We've found that they just fit well with our team. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Give me a call and I will tell you how good they are. I know this sounds like I'm going over the top, but they are that good. They are really excellent to work with. 

They will tell you when you have bad ideas and ask you to consider something else. You don't just want yes-people that allow you to make a hot mess of something. There are always solutions and ideas, since they’re very creative. Most of all, they are really nice people to work with — they’re always smiling and having good fun, and they get the job done.

Please describe your company and your position there.

Excel Civil Enforcement provides enforcement, collection and process serving services to local authorities in England and Wales and central Government. My role is to develop strategic relationships with prospective clients to be invited to tender and to then manage the relationship once the contract has been won.

For what projects/services did your company hire Scaramanga Agency?

Firstly to develop a marketing strategy for the company to create growth and win new contracts, and then to implement that strategy across the board.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to raise the profile and brand awareness of Excel within England to allow us to expand beyond our traditional customer base in Wales. As the industry has moved towards framework agreements and formal tendering, we needed to present ourselves as a major player to break into larger local authorities and to win national contracts from central Government.

How did you select Scaramanga Agency?

Scaramanga Agency was already working with our parent company. They know our industry extremely well and were the ideal choice.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They developed a detailed marketing strategy, campaign plans and budget and then update these each year. They create ongoing thought leadership and knowledge-based content to share on the website, via third parties and on social media. They help us run and promote webinars. They fully manage our social media across LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook and have significantly grown our presence and engagement levels.

They write and design our adverts, as well as write advertorial content. They help us prepare for the events we attend each year, include design of brochures and the exhibition stand – in 2019 they sourced a fully branded vintage VW campervan bar for the main event we attend. They prepare presentations, source and manage merchandise. In 2018 they created our new brand and managed the launch at our main industry event. They also design and built our new bilingual website, including copy writing, sourcing translation into Welsh and SEO. They maintain the site and regularly produce new content to support SEO.

What was the team composition?

The core team comprises one of the directors, an account director and a social media executive. The team is supported by the design and web teams.

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

Since appointing Scaramanga we have won a significant number of new local authority clients in England, our area of focus, as well as a new national contract from Central Government. Our profile and brand awareness has grown beyond measure and we are now seen as the company to beat. We have developed new technology partnerships and are in a different league to how we were three years ago – all down to the combination of business development, bid writing and marketing.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It’s excellent. We have a very open partnership way of working and I trust Scaramanga to have our best interests at heart. They are very proactive with ideas and responsive to requests.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their attitude to client service – getting everything done to a very high standard and very quickly. I am also very impressed by their knowledge of our industry and its complexities - two of the team have even taken enforcement industry qualifications.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company provides energy procurement and management services for businesses. As Managing Director, it is part of my remit to ensure we have a strong brand and professional image that we can build upon to secure new business

For what projects/services did your company hire Scaramanga Agency?

We were looking for a partner to help us re-brand, build a new website, produce new sales and marketing literature, and manage the business profile via social media platforms

What were your goals for this project?

We were looking for a true business partner to advise and guide us in all areas with a demonstrable track record of providing a one stop shop solution

How did you select this vendor?

We produced an RFP setting out all our key requirements and sent this out to 5 potential candidates selected through our own research. From the responses, we invited 3 businesses in to present and second interviewed 2 before selecting Scaramanga Agency as our partner

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Having selected Scaramanaga as our business partner, we held and initial meeting to set out a plan and timetable. From there we scheduled meetings with milestones on what needed to be achieved around the following areas: • Marketing strategy • Thought leadership platform • Marketing implementation • Design of collateral • Website content update

What was the team composition?

A solid team of 3 key contacts, with a clear instruction on who does what. A good mix of thinking within the team that manage the ongoing work

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

Increased professional image that has generated lots of new interest for the business. This has already allowed us to approach prospective new clients that we would previously have been unlikely to be able to engage with

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very good. They are very pro-active and work to ensure that marketing remains high on our business priority list

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their knowledge, passion and enthusiasm, and the fact that they are easy to work with are impressive. It really is that simple

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that we feel the need to comment on