Sir Isaac

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a marketing manager at an agriculture company that provides mainly corn and soybeans to farmers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sir Isaac?

We were a small and growing company that didn’t have a proper structure in place for a marketing plan.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

A couple of years ago, their team sat with us to learn about the company and our team. We discussed ways to market our company, how we can help the salesman when they’re out in the field, and what marketing venues make sense for our business and location. Sir Isaac put together and implemented a marketing plan. Their team also generated internal programs to help support our sales team.

What is the team composition?

We mostly work with the owner who is involved in every aspect. There’s a team of two to three people we also work with.

How did you come to work with Sir Isaac?

A company in the same field as us recommended Sir Isaac. They said it would be a great match. 

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement began in 2013.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Sir Isaac helped our company see how the click-through rates positively impacted the growth of our company. Our Facebook page has also seen encouraging engagement.

How did Sir Isaac perform from a project management standpoint?

Though Sir Isaac manages the project well, there are some areas where they could’ve done better. We do have open communication. If something needs to be addressed, the owner takes care of it as he finds out.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Sir Isaac has a professional team with experience in marketing and our field. They’re able to provide excellent copy and graphics that work for our company. We don’t have specific resources but can count on them to deliver what we need.

Are there any areas they could improve?

We had a few communication issues in the past. Some work wasn’t getting done on time or taking longer than we’d like. It’s gotten better as the engagement progressed.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Our company develops and licenses training reinforcement software and white label systems to enterprises. We deliver sustained learning through our engaging, gamified apps. I'm the president. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Sir Isaac?

We had just overhauled our software and lost sight of our marketing plan in the process. Since our product has endless applications, we needed a full-service marketing firm.

What were your goals for this project?

We secured a high-profile white label customer and wanted to provide an attractive fundraising incentive. We intended to work closely with the organization on content development, marketing, and communication. Although we've been established for some time, and have a clear value proposition, we needed a strong brand architecture. We needed to work aggressively to launch the app on time.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had two initial phone calls, then met in-person to ensure a perfect connection. We did that with a few firms with marketing experience, and had phone conversations with half a dozen others. We chose Sir Isaac because of their deep experience in all areas. They represented themselves as a team of knowledgeable experts. After receiving their proposal, we had a few more calls to negotiate the scope. We took several trips to their offices to work on-site.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Since we had agreed to drive preorders through crowdfunding, we needed thoughtful, documented standards for our product structure and a clear migration path to increase subscriber value. We also needed to ensure the required level of preorders as a model for future white label sales. 

They documented the workflow and UX, then reviewed our existing website experience and search performance before recommending immediate improvements. They also identified all the enrollment needs associated with preordering, designed creative for the landing page and preorder workflow, and put the proper implementation and tracking mechanisms in place. They enhanced existing promotional materials, including digital, social media, and print collateral.

Sir Isaac followed our brand guidelines. Launching a new white label solution merited review of our brand strategy. Sir Isaac worked with our leadership to review that evolution, charting a clear position and path in our portfolio. They documented our brand guidelines and values. These values will ensure that all our business, brand, and marketing decisions align. 

They also developed creative guidelines for the look and feel (including colors, typography styles, art, photography, and brand tone) across our collateral. They set our product messaging and created conceptual illustrations that applied these guidelines practically. 

What was the team composition?

Two co-founders worked directly with Sir Isaac and set up a point person to run the project. Our software team worked with them as well. Their CEO and co-founders helped with reviews and reporting. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We secured two key influencers in the space associated with our white label offering, which subsequently helped us secure the biggest possible partner. Their work also helped us raise substantial capital from private investors. In short, their strategic direction and guidance revealed huge blind spots in our business. Without them, we would still be far behind. We now have a business plan that makes sense for our product offerings. 

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

From the beginning, it was clear how communication would work, who would do what, and when tasks would be delivered. We had many full- and half-day sessions with the CEO and his team. They updated us with weekly reports, both in writing and over the phone. We kept many balls in the air for this project, and the juggling wasn't easy. Sir Isaac delivered on time and as promised. 

We used Skype to synchronize our software teams. They stayed on top of things. Although it was difficult to manage many communication channels at once, they did so with mastery. Their level of reporting and responsiveness was exceptional. They took ownership; this felt like their personal project. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I was impressed by their leadership and management, operations, and communications. The speed and quality of their deliveries were excellent. They understood our vision and rolled out solid, viable plans. They were available all the time.

Most impressive was the fact that they delivered the full package. When they presented our digital marketing plan, I was impressed by how they walked us through each item without rushing. They took us as deep into the process and strategy as we wanted. Their communication, dedication, and quality were the best we've ever seen.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Having an office in New York would be great.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of a small agricultural company dealing farm seeds in western Ohio. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sir Isaac?

I had trouble with marketing my company. It wasn't really an area of expertise for me. My goals were to increase my footprint, increase sales, polish the brand, and establish marketing strategies. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The engagement covered different creative work and strategic services. First, we designed a new logo that really represented the company’s 90-year history. Sir Isaac made that from scratch and provided a vision of what I needed and proposed a path to get there. I managed all decisions, and they offered multiple choices.

They created a seed guide for us, field advertising signs, billboards, radio ads, a few print ads, mailers, business cards, sales brochures, some leave-behinds, and general marketing strategies on how to increase and time sales. We also did some co-op marketing plans with another company.

Sir Isaac did digital media for us and made a website through Wix. They started from scratch because I had no website. We dabbled a little bit on the social media, but that was not a huge focus, at least initially.

How did you come to work with Sir Isaac?

I sought help from other people who recommended Sir Isaac. I did not consider other companies because I valued the decisions and opinions of my colleagues. Since someone else highly valued Sir Isaac's work, that was good enough for me.

How much have you invested with Sir Isaac?

I believe we spent $10,000 per year on a retainer, and I had other expenses like stock art and printing.

What is the status of this engagement?

I started working with them in February 2014. I worked with them continuously from that time until December of last year. I'm not currently working with them or anybody else. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or impact of the engagement?

Once, I did some sales chart that showed a nice increase when they came on board. They affected the trends of my sales positively in terms of meeting the goals that I initially had. I think that's why I stayed with them for several years.

From a creative standpoint, the artwork and everything else they provided were absolutely spectacular. They made us feel good about coming to work because we had a nice, clean-looking logo. We got shirts printed, and employees felt good about the brand. Then, we had beautiful fields signs for advertising, which attracted lots of responses from customers.

They made a huge change in our business in the first couple of years. As they got to know me and the personality of the company, they were really able to fine-tune their work. When they got to know me really well, they could nail what my customers were looking for.

How did Sir Isaac perform from a project management standpoint?

They communicated well and making sure that I was updated on their progress. Whenever I had a question, I’d shoot them an email or a text or call them via FaceTime.

They managed feedback on their creative work fairly well. We made some adjustments, but it seemed like they would always offer options. If I had a certain design idea, they’d always deliver something even better. I guess that's what I was paying them for.

They didn't harass me every day with questions. When I turn somebody loose on a project, I don't want to be bothered constantly, and they didn't do that at all. They got a good feel for what we were looking for and just implemented it. I really liked that.

What did you find most impressive about Sir Isaac?

I appreciate their creative thinking in trying to solve a problem such as increasing sales. I'm recycling some of their stuff, and I really miss them. Their creativity is the best I've ever seen.

Are there any areas Sir Isaac could improve?

Personally, I felt like I had to push them a little bit to get the job done. I don't know whether that's just part of the industry or if I'm just super organized. If I tell you to call me at 4 p.m., the phone shouldn’t be ringing at 4:05 p.m. But, after I learned their personality, if I wanted something by July 1, I would tell them I needed it on June 15.

It would’ve been easier if they were closer geographically. Sometimes, I wanted to sit at a conference desk with them. They are in Boston, and I'm on the Ohio–Indiana line, but I don't know if that really impaired our communication at all.  

They seemed to have a lot of turnover. We had a new person on the team every 3 months, but they never dropped the ball. I don't know if that's a big deal; it may be the way their industry operates. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Accurate Focus is a small-market research firm located in East Providence, Rhode Island. We specialize in focus groups and the collection of data through surveys. I’m the owner and president.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sir Isaac?

I had just purchased Accurate Focus, and I was looking to rebrand the company and also get a marketing strategy in place. The company had been in existence for over 20 years prior to my ownership, but its place out in the market had diminished. The first thing I had to do was refocus the market’s attention on the company, its existence, what we do, and the new things we were going to bring to the table.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They designed our logo and color scheme we would use, everything from email to the palette used in painting the new office space. We certainly developed ads that we used to get the work out, both print and social media. They developed the overall strategy that would employ, based on the budget that I had, even down to the smallest things like business cards. So, they do a mix of creative and strategy.

They mostly focus on digital media, but they’ve also designed email templates and business cards. I haven’t done any print ads with them yet, but those are other steps that lie in front of us as our revenues grow and more money becomes available. I know Sir Isaac is well-versed in that area. They keep up a running dialog with us in terms of what they’re doing, what they can do, what they’ve done for others. There’s a long-plan strategy that we’ll initiate as I can afford in.

How did you come to work with Sir Isaac?

I was just beginning my search, and I reached out to associates I’ve worked with in the past and friends who own similar businesses. I happened to have a conversation with a friend who works for Allied Bank, and they had hired Sir Isaac to do the same things I needed. She was raving about the job that Ross Dobson [President at Sir Isaac] had done for her, so I ended up contacting him. He’s local to me, and I liked how he presented himself. They’re now my go-to agency, and it’s been a great relationship for the last five years now.

How much have you invested with Sir Isaac?

I’ve invested about $18,000 over five years.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June of 2012, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

They’re just really good partners. I don’t have to search them out and re-engage them on something else. They’re constantly coming back to me, providing ideas and suggestions. They punch above their weight, and they add a lot of value for a small amount of money. They’re a partner more than a vendor. Any time I run into a problem or a question, whether it’s about interfacing with my clients, generating new leads, or getting the most out of social media, they’re the ones I go to. They never disappoint. Everyone I’ve touched in that company has been helpful, wonderful, and warm to work with, and I don’t have to chase them down. Once we discuss something and they initiate it, they’re great with the deliverables.   

Ross is forever inundating me with the metrics and results of what they’re doing, particularly in social media. Smart people hire smart people, and I’m too old to learn all that. I know enough to hire good people who are experts in that area. My business has gone up roughly 20% every year for the last five years. Part of that is because the economy is recovering, but Sir Isaac has certainly gotten the word out for us. I’ve gotten back clients who had fallen away from using Accurate Focus over the years. Ross revitalized their interest in us, and they connected with me strictly due to his outreach. I’ve got some empirical evidence, not just the anecdotal, that the return on investment has been great.

How did Sir Isaac perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re warm and lovely people with whom to work. Even though they have a very personal style, they’re also incredibly professional. Once we talk about something, I don’t ever have to call requesting the status of a project. The work just flows. They lay out a work plan and the associated due dates, and they hit those deadlines. If they say I’m going to get something by a given date, it happens. I’ve worked with at least ten different people in Ross’ firm, and they’ve all been that way. It’s been a very consistent, professional experience.

What did you find most impressive about Sir Isaac?

I would say it’s the fact that they don’t treat you like a client. You’re treated more like a partner. They’re very sensitive to the cost involved. They’ll come in and lay out a variety of options, and their enthusiasm doesn’t wane when I tell them my budget can only do a certain amount. I feel like I’m working with a really big agency. I’m not that big of a fish, but they make me feel like I am.

Are there any areas Sir Isaac could improve?

I can’t think of anything. I’m very happy with their services.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the executive director of Destination Salem, which is the destination marketing organization for the City of Salem, Massachusetts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sir Isaac?

Destination Salem does the tourism marketing for the City of Salem, so we’ve had a website since the ‘90’s. We needed a redesign to make it current. We wanted to improve the site, make it more mobile responsive and contemporary, and have some new functionality, all within a pretty tight budget. Our overall goal was to create marketing collateral that will attract additional visitation to Salem.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

In addition to the initial website project, we’ve hired them to do an additional website for one of our festivals, as well as our visitor guide and the publication for the Haunted Happenings Festival. They do our advertising creative and are helping us make some strategic and placement decisions as well. We do a mix of print and digital advertising. They’ve done some creative for our social media, using the advertising collateral that they’ve converted into either banners or profile pages so our look is consistent. The strategic planning they assist us with is part of the contract we established with them. It works in concert with another marketing consultant with whom I work.

How did you come to work with Sir Isaac?

Their office is literally across the hall from ours. We do a lot of really fun work, and depending on the type of agency you’re working for, it can but fun and appealing, but can also test the mettle of an agency. Our budget is never large, and they’re not going to make a million dollars off us, so it takes some strategy and there’s a lot of challenge to it. At the end of the day, we’re promoting vacation time, so the final products are pretty fun.

They wanted to work with us, and they actually pitched us before we hired them. We’ve worked with several agencies over the years, and because I am a public-private partnership, I need to put projects out to bid. Every time I have a large contract, I put it out to at least three contractors or agencies. Sir Isaac is the third agency we’ve worked with in the last ten years.

We originally hired Sir Isaac to redesign our website, and we enjoyed working with them, the strategy and talent they brought to the project. We then issued an RFP for creative services to them, among other design agencies, and Sir Isaac won the proposal.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our relationship began in May of 2016, and they’re now our agency of record.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I don’t have statistics right now, but we’re doing some analysis this summer. People like the work done by Sir Isaac, and that’s what we go by. People respond to the work, and they like the website. People use it build itineraries, which is a new function we didn’t have before. The trend is that people are engaged with the product that Sir Isaac is creating for us. Their creative work is received well internally. My organization is three people, and I wouldn’t be working with them if we didn’t like it.

How did Sir Isaac perform from a project management standpoint?

They’ve had transitions with some of their staff, so we’ve had a couple different account managers working with us, but they’ve seemed to stabilize recently. They’re very responsive to feedback. They need to be, because they’ve never had a tourism client before. They will give me very creative ideas that just don’t work, and they’re responsive. They meet the deadlines we have. It’s all good.

What did you find most impressive about Sir Isaac?

I had a couple agencies tell me what they thought I needed to hear. The reason I hired Sir Isaac is because they told me things I didn’t know, so their approach was a little out-of-the-box. As they didn’t have other tourism clients, they brought a fresh perspective to the table. They gave me good advice based on industry knowledge and what they do, and that’s what we need. I’m not a graphic designer or part of an agency. I hire out for that talent and that perspective, and they brought that to the table.

Are there any areas Sir Isaac could improve?

I would like more consistency with the account management.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

HomeWorks Energy is the largest home performance contractor under the Mass Save Program, which is a utility-sponsored program. We provide homeowners with energy efficiency audits and upgrades to many of their current energy use items, such as switching incandescent bulbs for free LED bulbs, water aerators on faucets and showerheads, and free smart power strips for controlling energy use. Homeowners are also eligible for a 75% discount, up to $2,000, on insulation and weatherization upgrades, as well as many other rebates and incentives tied to heating and cooling systems. I’m the VP of marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Sir Isaac?

I came in about a year ago to very much a startup culture with a lot of really smart, passionate people committed to helping to improve the environment. The company had not done a lot of marketing, had not done a lot to diversify our lead sourcing nor build the brand and brand awareness. So, my desire and approach was to take a very holistic view of what we needed to do at the company to build the brand and dial up our marketing initiatives across diverse platforms. I wanted a nimble, full-service agency to collaborate on that, from strategy through tactics and implementation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We’ve tackled everything from optimizing our direct mail program to rolling out a comprehensive, digital, cross-channel test and strategy. We’ve done a lot to improve the overall imaging and look of the brand. We’re getting ready to roll out a new website, and we’ve worked significantly on enhancing our display through a lot of the local event outreach that we do as well. We’ve also done some radio with them.

They provide creative services for advertising and marketing campaigns. There’s a creative brief process that we undertake with them that is comprehensive and disciplined. Once everyone understands the brief, the strategic needs and the tactical output, we’d be presented with two or three various creative options that we would discuss the merits of, then move forward with the selection of one or more to implement and/or test.

Social media and SEO strategies are also part of the engagement. Tied with our digital push, SEO and SEM have also been a part of that, from creating strategy, creating the media buy, and looking at retargeting efforts. It’s been pretty comprehensive.

How did you come to work with Sir Isaac?

I was doing general research through Agency Spotter, and they were one of the agencies I felt met our needs. The depth and breadth of their team allowed them to be an all-purpose agency to work with, versus a highly-focused shop where I would have needed a few different partners involved.

How much have you invested with Sir Isaac?

For the year, we’ll end up spending around $250,000, including retainer and media.

What is the status of this engagement?

I engaged them, from a proposal standpoint, either the end of August or beginning of September of 2016. We brought them on board at the end of September, and they are currently our agency of record.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

From a quantitative standpoint, we are moving the needle pretty well on diversifying our lead sources substantially. When I came on board, about 90% of our leads came through a legacy direct mail piece. That 90% is now in the high 60% range, as we have added on more robust efforts through our programmatic outreach, digital, as well as amping up our referral program.

Qualitatively, the look and feel of the brand has evolved tremendously. This has applications in everything from our website, our community outreach materials, our truck racks, as well as just a standard identity logo package that they developed for us.

How did Sir Isaac perform from a project management standpoint?

They perform well. Their communication is very good, and we have standing update calls. I have face-to-face time whenever I need it. Their process for submitting a brief and having that acted on is clear and timely. The overall communication is solid.

What did you find most impressive about Sir Isaac?

I think Ross [Dobson, President] has done an excellent job in curating a team that has a diverse skill set and gives really solid breadth and depth for a small shop. He also brings a tremendous amount of strategic thought, critical writing skills, and a general, deep desire to engage with clients to truly understand the business from a nuts-and-bolts standpoint as well as a downstream and strategic objectives standpoint.

Are there any areas Sir Isaac could improve?

I think the challenge with any relationship, certainly in the first year, is how quickly you can ramp up and get to speed. I’d say both parties have to play a very active role in that. I think we could have short-cycled some deliverables back to Sir Isaac better, to keep things moving, and I think the desire to have an agency keep a fire lit under the client is always important. So, perhaps the fire, at times, could have been a little hotter under us, but I also appreciate that it’s a delicate dance with a client relationship.