Soap Media

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the digital marketing manager for Manchester Foundation Trust Charity. We're a charity that funds and supports 10 hospitals in Manchester, UK. We raise funds online and in person through events to support treatment, research, and care at those hospitals. In my role, I oversee our digital marketing, social media presence, website, and any additional advertising that we do.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Soap Media?

We used to have two separate websites for two separate hospitals, and they were quite old and no longer fit for purpose. We wanted to merge those two websites into one and modernize our digital presence to stand up to other competitor charities.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Soap Media to redesign and redevelop our website. Initially, we provided them with a brief of what we wanted for our new website. We had done a lot of research on our end about how we wanted it to look and feel. After providing the brief, Soap Media came back with an analysis of that brief and a plan for how we could achieve that.

Over a 6–7-month period, we worked with Soap Media to redevelop our website. They provided initial plans and wireframes and worked with us through the various layouts and features of the website. As the project got near the end, they helped us input our content and set everything up for the site launch.

We've continued to work with Soap Media on an ongoing basis to provide website maintenance and add new features to the site as we go. As for the technology stack, they've used WordPress to build our site.

What is the team composition?

Since we started working with Soap Media, we've had three separate account managers. We've also worked with a couple of designers and developers, although usually through the account manager in turn. They've joined a couple of meetings as well, but most of our meetings have been with our account managers.
How did you come to work with Soap Media?

We found them through a Google search. Since we're an NHS charity, we had to go through a rigorous selection process to ensure we were getting the best value for our project and that the selected partner was the right fit. We invited a number of agencies to submit briefs and had interviews with them to ensure they were the right fit. Therefore, we went through a few different stages with Soap Media before we finally selected them.

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent just over £50,000 (approximately $66,000 USD). The website project itself was around £40,000 (approximately $53,000 USD), and we've spent more on our maintenance budget as we've gone.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in July 2023, and the website launched in January 2024. We've kept working with them on an ad hoc and maintenance basis ever since.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We measure success against the brief we initially gave Soap Media, which laid out a number of different things we wanted the website to do. Once the website was about to launch, we went back to that brief and checked off each of those requirements to ensure the website could do each of the things we initially asked.

We're still measuring success as we go; we're looking at our metrics and ensuring they're being met. We've also continued to work with Soap Media to make sure that success happens.

How did Soap Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Initially, there were probably a couple of roadblocks to getting things set up. However, once the project was running, we felt good about it. Soap Media has always been able to deliver things on time. Even when we fell behind a little bit on our side in terms of providing content, they were able to expedite things on their side to ensure we could meet deadlines. 

Overall, we delivered the project a couple of weeks later than we planned. However, it wasn't a big problem, and it was decided amicably on both sides.  As for communication tools, we typically communicate via Google Meet and email. We've sent a lot of emails back and forth.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Paige (Operations Director) was our account manager during the development process. She worked with us through everything and was the key teammate during that phase of the project.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Soap Media has really taken our needs into consideration regarding what we need the website to do. They've also listened to us when we've told them the problems we faced on our old websites, so they've helped us rectify those.

Moreover, Soap Media was very understanding of our questions and specific needs at the start of the relationship to ensure they were getting everything right. Their ability to take our brief and make it a reality is what I'd like to highlight about them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

As I said, there were a few issues at the start with Soap Media's project management. We felt like we weren't getting quite enough information about some things. However, we were able to talk to them about that, so the issues didn't last for too long. 

In the ongoing partnership, there have been a few instances where Soap Media has made a change that has broken something else on the website. They’ve always fixed those errors, but there has been a slight lack of oversight as to what one change might do to another part of the site. That's their only room for improvement.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be open and honest about the task you're trying to achieve. Hopefully, Soap Media will be able to help you in the same way they've helped us.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Digital Marketing Manager of a cleaning products company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Provider of cleaning and hygiene products.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Soap Media to accomplish?

• Digital Marketing Support
• Digital Display Marketing
• Lead Generation

SOLUTION

How did you find Soap Media?

Online Search
Why did you select Soap Media over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned
• Area expertise

How many teammates from Soap Media were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

• Ongoing lead generation and awareness development
• Digital strategy development
• campaign marketing support

Essentially Soap was an extension of our Marketing team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Lead increase
• organic search increase
• increased social followers
• increased and improved digital footprint

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

They were always on hand to answer questions, make changes, and offer support. We had a minimum of one virtual meeting once a week and more when required. Deadlines were always met.

What was your primary form of communication with Soap Media?

Virtual Meeting

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

I have worked with Soap for more than five years. In that time, they have impressed me with their knowledge, expertise, and, more importantly, their approach to every campaign we have worked on. The team is always approachable, completely open and honest, and it has always felt like they genuinely care about the success of our business and we weren't just another line on a job sheet. 

Soaps input has been intrinsic to the wider development of our digital marketing offering. They made a real effort to understand our product ranges and what they do.

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

-

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of DCBL

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Direct Collection Bailiffs Ltd provide a 'one solution' approach to Debt Collection & High Court Enforcement.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Soap Media to accomplish?

• Improve the volume of PPC leads
• Reduce the tCPA

SOLUTION

How did you find Soap Media?

Online Search

Why did you select Soap Media over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Soap Media were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

SOAP were tasked with the ongoing management & improvement of our Google Ads account. They were targeted to improve the volume of leads, whilst maintaining or reducing our cost per lead. Their secondary objective was to improve the number of 'hot leads' generated by way of telephone enquiries.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

SOAP delivered on their targets, by substantially improving the volume of PPC leads the business received & over time, have also reduced the target cost per lead - enabling consistent growth.

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

SOAP were always quick to implement any recommendations or respond to any ideas the team brought forward. Any experiments were ran methodically & systematically. No experiment would continue to run for longer than necessary, showing proactive management of the campaign.

What was your primary form of communication with Soap Media?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Having worked with a variety of other digital marketing agencies in the past (specifically those tasked with the management of our PPC campaigns), I took comfort in the fact that it felt like SOAP always went above and beyond and didn't just conduct the bare minimum work on the account. The team was always happy to help with our account.

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

I don't feel like SOAP could have done anything better than they had.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of Growth Lending

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Growth and working capital lending for SMEs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Soap Media to accomplish?

• Redesign and launch of website
• Improved UX
• Unification of two brands

SOLUTION

How did you find Soap Media?

Online Search

Why did you select Soap Media over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Good value for cost
• Other

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

We required the design and build of a new website that would better represent our brand, as two companies were merging into one. We wanted to retain the core brand identity of one of these brands, but enhance the sophistication of the design to better serve both audiences. Improved UX and ability to toggle between international versions of the website were also key deliverables.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Delivery to schedule and budget
• Exceptional quality

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

Soap – and Paige, our account manager, in particular – made an exceptional effort to maintain and even exceed the initial schedule set out for the project. They were consistently speedy in their response and always delivered solutions and suggestions quickly.

What was your primary form of communication with Soap Media?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Soap's grasp of what we wanted was very impressive. We have worked with a number of creative web agencies in the past, yet Soap seemed to instantly understand what it was that we were after and what we wanted to achieve. The initial designs were fantastic - exactly the kind of thing we had visualised – and they were really clear throughout as to what was expected of us and when so that we could stay on-track for the delivery deadline.

Are there any areas for improvement or something {provider_name} could have done differently?

None.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am a director of an award-winning, creative, and friendly RIBA and CIAT Chartered Architects practice.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Soap Media, and what were your goals?

Our former website was created over ten years ago and had become outdated in terms of its design and content. We wanted a new website that was adapted for current technology and devices whilst providing a contemporary showcase for our work with a focus upon the integration of video and imagery.

SOLUTION

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

We researched into local web developers who had worked alongside other reputable brands in our local area and had a portfolio of work that was aligned with our requirements.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and technologies used.

The project commenced with introductory meetings and led towards the design stage where an initial design concept was presented to us. Upon reflection, we decided to move in a different direction which Soap Media were more than accommodating and offered their guidance and insight throughout. Thereafter, Soap Media created a 'staging site' which allowed us to access and provide feedback upon the website as it was being built with regular email and online meetings held to assess progress and discuss any issues and new features / design changes. Upon completion, Soap Media provided a thorough pre-launch service and handled the migration to the live site without issue whilst communicating well to us throughout.

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

The key members of the team we worked alongside were Paige Coulthurst (Development Account Manager) and Ryan Noon (Senior Front End Developer). I cannot speak highly enough of both Paige & Ryan as they were both accommodating, informative and clearly skilled as they guided us through the project towards completion.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

We are incredibly happy with the completed site and Soap Media have brought our vision into reality with very little compromise. This has been reflected by the response of our clients and colleagues alike for whom the feedback has been equally positive.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We had regular email updates throughout the development of the website with both our Development Account Manager and Senior Front End Developer also willing to discuss issues/ideas in further depth using Google Meet regularly. Any questions or queries were responded to promptly and informatively by email.

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

Soap Media's ability to bring our vision into reality alongside their accommodating and willing attitude towards our ideas, regardless of the potential technical issues to overcome to achieve them, was very impressive and has led to the creation of a unique and exceptional web presence.

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

I believe that cross-browser/device testing (prior to development stages or launch) could be improved to ensure that the user experience is consistent across all devices and browsers.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Head of Marketing at Ideal4Finance, a commercial and consumer finance brokerage based in Preston, Lancashire, with clients all over the UK.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Soap Media, and what were your goals?

I started working with Soap in March 2021 on our Google Ads campaigns. Although they had worked with Ideal4Finance previously, my involvement and interaction with them began in March 2021. They now manage our ppc campaigns for both Google and Bing.

SOLUTION

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

They were already working for Ideal4Finance when I joined.

Describe the scope of work in detail, including the project steps, key deliverables, and campaigns.

Soap manage all our ppc activity, with a brief to deliver us sales leads for our consumer and retail finance business.

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

I currently work with two members of the Soap team, Paid Search Lead, Ben Lievens, and Junior Paid Media Assistant, Sofia Gomes

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any measurable outcomes of the project or general feedback about the deliverables?

The campaigns are performing very well and we are happy with the number of conversions we are achieving.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

I am extremely happy with both Ben and Sofia. We have a weekly catch up to review recent activity and discuss any issues or new developments. They are really proactive at suggesting new ideas to try or ways to improve campaign performance. Communication is excellent from both Ben and Sofia and I feel we have a very productive and extremely good natured working relationship.

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

I can only comment on the ppc team I work with. They are thorough, dedicated, proactive, and a pleasure to work with.

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

In terms of the PPC team, no.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Omnicell is the world-leading provider of automated healthcare and medication adherence solutions across the continuum of healthcare. I manage the lead generation activity across the international regions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Soap Media?

This project was to generate new leads, cost effectively across our various International regions through the regionally consistent social channel LinkedIn.

SOLUTION

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

We have a very productive ongoing relationship with Soap Media, who already manage our SEO activity and have already demonstrated improvements in our rankings through SEO recommendations across 4 International websites.

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

After identifying the requirement to generate more cost-effective leads into the business, Soap recommended we test LinkedIn as a proven cost-effective channel for targeting specific market sectors relevant to our target audience.

Following a successful new product launch, LinkedIn was trialed across 3 of our regions. Through regular campaign reviews, we were able to identify which regions were performing the strongest vs those where we need to refine the selections, allowing us to react and divert budget accordingly to ensure the most efficient ROI.

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

We worked closely with the Paid Media Specialist who was supported by the Partnerships Director.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are continuing to invest in this channel for lead generation across various marketing campaigns, promoting a variety of solutions to varying audiences with continued success of generating qualified leads that are progressing through the funnel and generating a positive ROI. We have a new found confidence in this channel and will continue to invest via Soap.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have weekly calls with our Paid Media Specialist, Search Marketing Specialist and Partnerships Director at Soap on campaign and activity progress, which allows us to react accordingly

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

We were impressed with the quality of their leads and how the targeting strategy was clearly explained. We are not the experts, but are never made to feel we're asking 'stupid' questions.

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

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Regal Gaming & Leisure Ltd is the UK leading distributor and operator of gaming equipment in the UK Pub sector. My name is Thomas Courtney and I am Systems Manager here at Regal Gaming & Leisure

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Soap Media?

We hired Soap Media for a general overhaul and renovation of the existing company website.

What were your goals for this project?

Elegant and simple redesign of existing website.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

They were recommended by our IT department

Describe the project in detail.

We began with an initial project framework in excel, which was actioned by Soap Media. We were then issued with the initial layout designs in PDF form, which were analysed by Regal and immediate feedback issued to Soap.

From then there were numerous calls and meetings to narrow down the specificites, until our vision was realised by Soap media.

What was the team composition?

We had initial meeting with their software developer, and from then all points of contact were with assigned project manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Great feedback from our customers and colleagues.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The inspirational team managed to fully create what we asked for.

Are there any areas for improvement?

No.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing and communications manager at the British Woodworking Federation. We’re a membership-based, trade association that looks after the woodworking manufacturing businesses in the U.K.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Soap Media?

We needed help driving engagement across five websites.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Soap Media is our WordPress website partner. For the past 15 months, they’ve helped us with SEO (on an ad-hoc basis) and UX for our sites. They showed us how we can make content and help figure out where users have dropped off, while also creating clearer call-to-actions.

Next, they’ve redeveloped one of our websites. For the other sites, they’ve made incremental changes to help maximize our return on investment. Finally, we’re in the process of integrating a new e-learning system.

What is the team composition?

We communicate with an account manager and a project manager.

How did you come to work with Soap Media?

We weren’t happy with our last supplier in terms of project management, expertise, and return on investment. I spoke to five companies and ended up with a shortlist of three. We went with Soap Media purely because their pitch was really strong and they were confident in their approach; we felt they actually had the skills to deliver.  

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in March 2019, and we’re contracted together until the end of 2020. I don’t see that changing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The templates they’ve designed for us have been great. The engagement level, bounce rate, and CTAs have all increased. People are downloading forms and we’ve had an increase in new member inquiries because our proposition is clearer than before. All of the pages they’ve worked on are better performing.

How did Soap Media perform from a project management standpoint?

Their communication is impressive. I’ve got no complaints to date. We use Google Docs, and they show a clear report on the time they spend and those allocations. They’re very transparent.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They take the time to understand the business and use data to inform decisions. They’re very proactive and I feel like I’m in good hands. We also like that the team doesn’t speak technical language to make themselves feel good. They’re very trustworthy, compared to our last vendor.

Are there any areas they could improve?

They have high growth potential. They’re probably working at full capacity at the moment and they need to bring on more staff to keep their current clients happy.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to have monthly catch-ups with them or status updates. Be collaborative, since the relationship works both ways. It’s important to give them timely feedback to achieve success.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We provide fundraising software that facilitates the entire investment ecosystem. The core products include Registrar Services, Fundraising Management and Secondary Transferability. I am heading their marketing team.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Soap Media?

We asked Soap Media to create the HTML5 artwork for our Google Display campaign.

What were your goals for this project?

Brand Awareness & Conversion

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Soap Media was recommended by a previous colleague.

Describe the project in detail.

We provided Soap Media with our brand styleguide and pre-written campaign headlines for the campaign. Soap Media designed and developed the banners.

What was the team composition?

We had one direct contact - Jack, who has been absolutely brilliant and very responsive.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have worked with Soap Media on a fairly small project this time, however would always consider them for bigger projects. Our contact at Soap Media was very responsive, quick, and solution-oriented and the design of the banners was visually appealing and on brand. The campaign has been up for 2 days and we are very happy with the first responses.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very efficient.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Very responsive, quick turnaround time, great quality.

Are there any areas for improvement?

none