Swerve

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Former Director Communications and Stakeholder Experience of an electric company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Electricity distrubution and supply 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Assist in creating an overall marketing and communications strategy
• Asssit with launching and executing a campaign
• Graphic design work

SOLUTION

How did you find Swerve?

Online Search

Why did you select Swerve over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Swerve were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

1. We needed Swerve to assist with creating an overall internal / external communications , marketing and stakeholder engagemnet strategy that included implementation. This strategy would be inline wirh a refreshed brand and park of the digitization goals of the compnay and overall organisational stratgegy. 
2. Providing graphic design as part of our internal engagemnt campaign celebrating the company and our contribution to our customers. 
3. Providing ongoing day to day personalised agency services that we required

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Swerve provided  us with a detailed strategic outline as requested and was able to make changes according to our various requests. The team was always available when we needed other work done and delivered it in  a faster than expected time frame. Andrew and team were always professional and made us feel as though they were as invested in ensuring a sussssful campaign outcome as we were.  The skill set on the Swerve team was incredible and truly is a one stop shop agency. 

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

The Swerve delivered on time and exceeded all expectations. 

What was your primary form of communication with Swerve?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The ability to understand our needs and wants and be able to adjust when necessary. They are professionl, able to put our ideas on paper and execute in a professional and up to date manner. The skill set on the team is incredible and although their experience in our feld may not have been as vast as a few other agencies, they were still able to fill in any posisble gaps. 

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

Not at this time 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Childventures Early Learning Academy is a premium childcare company based in Ontario. I am responsible for driving enrolment and building the brand experience.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Swerve?

As we enter into new markets, we wanted to build our profile with prospective families and employees. Our ultimate goal was to build the CV profile as employer of choice within the childcare space.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We hired Swerve to generate earned media opportunities for us at both the community and provincial level.

What is the team composition?

Swerve provided us with a team of 3-4 account people of varying levels of seniority. They were all very competent in their roles and a delight to work with.

How did you come to work with Swerve?

We found Swerve via Google. Their client list and core competencies were a great fit with our industry.

How much have you invested with them?

$50,000–100,000

What is the status of this engagement?

Our contract ended with Swerve. However, I would not hesitate to use them again in the future should the opportunity arise.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Swerve produced a handful of earned media opportunities that we have been able to leverage in multiple ways.
How did their team perform from a project management standpoint?
Swerve's project management is on point. They are highly organized and provided a seamless experience.

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

I’d like to highlight Nick’s work. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The Swerve team is an absolute delight to work with. They are experts in their field, super competent and very easy to deal with.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend ensuring having a clear hook for the media and consumers to pick up to customers looking to generate earned media. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m an executive at Medela, a medical device company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with Swerve?
We needed support with our PR efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
Swerve is helping us with PR for our company, especially with support for influencer relationships. The team has created a campaign strategy based on the requirements we’ve set at the start of the project.

What was the team composition? 
We work with 2–4 members of Swerve’s team, including Samantha (PR Account Manager).

How did you come to work with Swerve?
We found them through an RFP we put out and chose them based on their understanding of the market.

How much have you invested with them?
So far, we’ve spent $150,000–$250,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in January 2018, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Thanks to Swerve’s work, we’ve noticed a yearly growth in the stories we’ve secured through them. We’ve also built a strong influencer relationship, which is a result of the work they’ve done.

How did Swerve perform from a project management standpoint?
Swerve delivers on time and budget. Moreover, the team is reliable, efficient, and professional.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review? 
Samantha has been incredible because I can count on her for great ideas, curating a strong relationship, and delivering everything with great results. Overall, I appreciate her commitment to our project.

Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Working with Swerve is like working with your internal team members, so I recommend giving them as much information as possible and being collaborative, transparent, respectful, and timely to ensure their efforts’ success.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.
I was the brand manager of a toy company’s toy vehicles portfolio for almost two years.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Swerve?
We needed help with digital marketing. Our goal was to increase our brand awareness; I wanted to reach a specific target.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?
Swerve was in charge of planning and executing our entire 2022 holiday marketing strategy, which was focused on influencer marketing and media outreach. After an onboarding process, Swerve created a brief for the project and started executing different campaigns.
These campaigns had certain components in TikTok and Instagram, but a very important piece of these campaigns was the media outlets that talked about skateboarding or toys in general, which were relevant to our brand.
What is the team composition?
We worked with at least three teammates from Swerve on a weekly basis.
How did you come to work with Swerve?
My company was already working with Swerve on other brands. When I asked my colleagues for a recommendation, they directed me to Swerve. Initially, I got in touch with Andrew (Owner & CEO), who told me what they did, what their expertise was, and how they could help me with the business problem I had.
After that, I met the team I would be working with, including the account management team. During that meeting, I explained our challenge and briefed them on our brand, and we took it from there.
How much have you invested with them?
We spent between $30,000–$50,000 CAD (approximately $22,000–$36,000 USD).
What is the status of this engagement?
We worked together from August–December 2022. Still, since that project, I’ve kept reaching out to Swerve for other projects as well.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Initially, we set up a target for the impressions we wanted to get from these campaigns. Ultimately, Swerve surpassed that target. In addition to that, Swerve’s work quality exceeded my expectations.
Given our business challenges and the target we wanted to reach, Swerve was able to translate our requirements into a well-thought-out strategy, which was a win on their side. The team also demonstrated an up-to-date knowledge of our target and touchpoints, ultimately delivering actionable insights, which was very important.
Moreover, Swerve was very helpful in giving me visibility of the media landscape. I was someone new to the toy world, and they had a lot of experience in this space. That experience was very helpful for me in order to understand how toys work in terms of media exposure.
How did Swerve perform from a project management standpoint?
During the execution phase, I discovered that Swerve was very focused and action-oriented. We had regular touchpoints during the week, during which we were able to track performance, progress, and timetables and reveal other opportunities we found along the way. We also had weekly phone calls to talk about the next steps, things to achieve during the week, and achievements from the past week.
I also found it very valuable that I was able to keep a very open line of communication with Swerve’s account management team. They were always available to provide us with answers, guidance, and clarity whenever needed.
What did you find most impressive about them?
I really liked the way Swerve worked. Their whole team had a positive attitude during the time we worked together.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I can’t think of any areas of opportunity for Swerve. Overall, my experience was very positive.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Have very open lines of communication with them. Be very clear about what you’re looking for and ensure that Swerve understands it so that they can come up with the best solution for your business challenges.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP, Operations of Exerkine Corporation

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Exerkine Corporation is a biotech company commercializing developments in exercise physiology and nutraceutical therapeutics.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Assist with strategic brand planning.
• Execute a complete PR plan.
• Execute a complete digital advertising plan.

SOLUTION

How did you find Swerve?

Referral

Why did you select Swerve over others?

• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Swerve were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Swerve PR was hired to assist with our brand development. Specifically, the Swerve team has been involved in all aspects of our branding process, including market research and analysis, strategic planning, and tactical execution. 

Importantly, we came to Swerve due to their expertise in public relations and digital marketing, including but not limited to annual planning, monthly reporting, SEO/SEM optimization, digital ad planning, and public relation planning and outreach.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Swerve PR provides weekly and monthly reports. Specifically, they provide KPIs for all key activities, such as public relations and digital advertising. Importantly, they provide 'next step' synopsis to ensure that our branding efforts are constantly moving forward.

What was your primary form of communication with Swerve?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The Swerve team is very engaged in our program, meeting with various levels of the organization on a weekly, bi-weekly and monthly basis. As a matter of process, the team is involved with annual, semi-annual and monthly planning. An executable plan is developed on a yearly basis, which is then broken out into semi-annual tactics and activities. 

From there, the team breaks out into monthly work tasks. The team meets with us on a regular basis to go over plans and work tasks, and each month is followed by a detailed report outlining KPIs, challenges and wins. The team is forward thinking, looking to new opportunities and actively addressing issues.

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

Initially, what I found to be most impressive and unique was how direct Andrew W., owner and CEO, spoke. This attitude has filtered down and seems to be a core operating practice at Swerve. The team is very transparent and will not advise work that they don't have confidence in. Given that the practice of marketing can yield varying results, I find this level of transparency to be critically important when trying to gauge the ROI for my business.

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

N/A

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Marketing of the company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our movement aims to inspire, educate, and create awareness about the importance of printing digital photos.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Build brand and product awareness, leveraging paid and earns influencers.

SOLUTION

How did you find Swerve?

• Referral
• Other

Why did you select Swerve over others?

• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Swerve’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

• Develop an annual plan that educates and inspires Canadians to print their smartphone and digital photos in creative ways using our services.
• Deploy a holistic PR program that leverages key life and purchase seasons to inspire and educate Canadians on taking action in preserving and printing their precious memories.
• Leverage key Gen Z and Millennial moments and interests to create engaging content via media, influencers, and popular social platforms to introduce our products and services in a tangible way that inspires and drives purchase consideration among new users.

Goals:

• Education & inspiration – Continue telling our story to Canadians coast-to-coast, inspiring them to join our movement.
• Brand awareness & equity – Raise awareness around the brand - and use key strategic partnerships to increase brand equity.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Secure a minimum of 175 stories, qualified as traditional media, online outlets and influencer content within our target demographic over a 12-month period.

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

Very organized and professional. Always responsive and delivered on asks on or before deadlines.

What was your primary form of communication with Swerve?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

Swerve did a great job of taking an interest in understanding our business, products and consumer demographic. They always brought fresh and unique ideas to the table and often exceeded our expectations.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Marketing and Business Development of StayAbove Nutrition

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Provides scientifically backed supplements.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Drive conversions through digital advertising.
• Increase brand awareness
• Increase website traffic

SOLUTION

How did you find Swerve?

Referral

Why did you select Swerve over others?

Referred to me

What was the size of Swerve’s team?

10+

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

Digital Advertising Support with all steps required to execute a successful digital advertising campaign. This includes but is not limited to the following:

• Market Research
• Strategy Development (Developing creative, messaging, positioning)
• Execution, Optimization, Management, Reporting (particularly of digital advertising and PR)

Additional Requirements:

• Having multiple campaigns running at once with regular evaluation and updates
• Driving the customer down the marketing funnel
• Driving conversions (ROAS)
• Strategic planning in the digital space

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• ROAS (return on advertising spend)
• Awareness (Impressions and click-throughs)
• PR Opportunities executed

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

Yes, Swerve continues to deliver items on time and is very responsive to our needs. They are quick to hop on a call when needed and go above and beyond to help out team understand the data and trends.

What was your primary form of communication with Swerve?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

Their ability to plan strategically and drive conversions through marketing efforts. This sounds fundamental but was something our previous agency wasn't able to do. We were getting brand awareness, but the customer wasn't getting driven down the funnel to conversions, and there wasn't a sound plan to do so.

With Swerve - they take all stages of the funnel into consideration and are able to connect marketing efforts to conversions (and show how it's being done). This is important, as we learn what's working for our business, and, more importantly, what's not working to be able to pivot.

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

The only suggestion would be if they continue to grow, an in-house graphic designer and website support would be beneficial. This way, we could do 100% of our marketing activity with Swerve and not have to find outside individuals. They have been great with referring us in the right direction, which we've certainly benefited from!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the General Manager of Tineco

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We manufacture floor care devices (cordless vacuums, floor washers, carpet cleaners) and sell the units via in-store and online retailers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

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

• Build overall brand awareness
• Develop marketing campaign for the brand
• Improve overall effectiveness of paid social/digital marketing

SOLUTION

How did you find Swerve?

• Referral

Why did you select Swerve over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Swerve’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

Tineco is transitioning from an Amazon Seller to brand. We make useful, innovative products but most consumers are unaware of the brand. And, many consumers are unaware of the floor washer category (which is where we excel). The partnership with Swerve focused on building a marketing strategy that allowed us to communicate their inherent value of our products and build brand awareness.

We developed an integrated marketing program with PR, media, influencer and social/digital advertising that demonstrated how Tineco floor washers transform the cleaning experience.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Overall media share of voice increased
• CTR/Engagement rate increased on social advertising
• Influencer post had increased views / engagement.

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

Project management is exceptional. The follow up and communications are timely, on point and allow for quick decision making. If something required urgent attention, Swerve will not only follow up on email but also call to ensure the issue was properly addressed.

What was your primary form of communication with Swerve?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The team has the unique ability to balance creativity, execution, and fun. The team takes great pride in its work and is fully invested in my brand/company. That is what makes the partnership exceptional.

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

Swerve is highly creative. It would be great to see Swerve pitch more bold ideas. Bold does not equate to complex and expensive, rather ideas that continue to push the brand forward.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the head of global communications and PR at a Bluetooth tracking company. We develop hardware and software customers can use to keep track of their belongings. Our hardware has different shapes and sizes that users can attach to their keys, wallets, remote controls, and more. Additionally, our software can be embedded into other products, such as Fitbit devices, laptops, and earbuds.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Swerve?

We needed help with our communications and PR to launch and build a presence in Canada.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Swerve handled all of our communications and PR efforts in Canada. Their involvement included supporting our product launches, which added up to 10 total launches in the time we worked together. Additionally, they created thought leadership programs and got us key B2B media outlets across the country. Swerve also helped us with our PR program, developing and distributing press releases, and they secured a lot of media coverage for our company in different verticals.

What is the team composition?

We worked with around 3–5 people from Swerve, including Andrew (President & CEO) and an account director, who was our main point of contact.

How did you come to work with Swerve?

I don’t know how we found them because they started working with my company before I joined.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked with Swerve for six years, from 2014–2020.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

In the time that we worked together, Swerve secured around 120 media stories and achieved 150–200 million impressions per year.

How did Swerve perform from a project management standpoint?

Swerve’s performance was great. At one point after our collaboration ended, I was looking to bring them back because I had heard from my predecessor nothing but good things about their work and customer service. Their deliveries and overall communication were great. To manage the project, we had a template for monthly reporting, and we had a regular cadence of weekly or biweekly calls to share results.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Swerve has a very knowledgeable team, and they know the Canadian market really well. Still, their expertise goes beyond that, and they offer programs for the US as well. Moreover, their customer service was outstanding; they were constantly on top of things, and I felt I could trust their advice.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear with your communication, set your goals from the beginning, and ensure you can provide the resources and tools to set them up for success. If you can do that, they’ll do a great job.