Bad Rhino Inc.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I’m a marketing director at a consulting firm. I’m responsible for managing advertising and marketing operations for our clients in the retail, restaurant, food and beverage, real estate, and hospitality industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Bad Rhino Inc.?

We enlisted Bad Rhino Inc. to lend expertise and hands-on support to increase our reach, audience, brand awareness, and engagement on social media.

What were your goals for this project?

We wanted to maximize our return on social media ad spend by driving likes, comments, and shares. We were hoping to expand our total engagement and number of impressions so that conversions for our lead generation ads would also increase.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We investigated a variety of vendors and found Bad Rhino Inc. to be the best fit. We chose them because of their positive reviews, prior successful experience working within our business vertical, and geographical proximity to our location.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Bad Rhino Inc. started the engagement with an audit of our client’s social footprint, along with a competitor analysis. After setting milestones and identifying roles, they assisted us with daily comment responses, message vetting, and post interaction. Additionally, they provided recommendations for creating engaging content and refining advertising tactics.

What was the team composition?

The two principals of the firm communicated with us throughout the entire lifespan of our partnership, and we had two team members who worked with us daily. They were all extremely professional, responsive, and insightful.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Comments, shares, and total engagement grew by a wide margin. We will continue to implement best practices that we learned from working with Bad Rhino Inc.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Bad Rhino Inc.was very easy to work with, and we found them to be enthusiastic and dedicated. Their recommendations were well thought out, and they were consistent in their execution of daily tasks and long-term projects.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Bad Rhino Inc. valued our individuality. Instead of making assumptions, they took the time to get to know us and used that information to craft a successful strategy. They’re open-minded, candid, and flexible, and their approach was refreshing and effective.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Our relationship was unique in terms of the overall scope. Typically, we take on clients that already have a sophisticated social media offering. Because this engagement differed from the norm, we hit a few speed bumps in the beginning before figuring out the most effective ways to utilize their expertise.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Reybold Group is a multifaceted real estate development company. We have a construction group, several building projects, and a number of commercial facilities, residential homes for lease and a new home development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bad Rhino Inc.?

They were hired to develop a professional representation for us in the social space.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Bad Rhino Inc. analyzes our business model to best determine our social media strategies with audiences specifically on Facebook. Their team drafts original content and manages four Facebook pages; one for advertising purposes and three for residential community building. In addition, their team collaborates with us on our Google AdWords campaigns aligning our online exposure. Working hand-in-hand with our SEO company, they contribute to our overall strategic orientation, improve our understanding of key performance indicators (KPI), and create engagement across our social channels.

What is the team composition?

I work directly with their president. We have a very collaborative team. Reybold’s writer provides some content and reviews all posts for accuracy. Reybold’s designer provides images and several team members continually provide pictures of properties and events to keep community pages fresh and engaging. Bad Rhino helps to organize and deliver all content, identifies areas where promoting them makes sense and reports results on a monthly basis.

How much have you invested with them?

We invest $70,000 annually in administrative fees and have an ad spend of approximately $24000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started in August 2016, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Their work vastly expands our audience, and more people view and engage with our content. They bring in 28% of our total traffic on our website and increase our sales conversions. We’re extremely pleased with the results thus far.

How did Bad Rhino Inc. perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re responsive to everything I request of them. We conduct monthly meetings to understand analytics that they provide and look for ways to improve. Their system of drafting content and waiting for us to approve it works well. Our relationship has been great thus far.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The personalities on their team are refreshing. They have a passion for what they do and work hard to generate content to better represent our organization. Their team is personable, articulates concepts well, and is always focused on getting to us to the next level.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s important to know that social media is a crucial branding tool. Keep in perspective that you're not going to see change overnight and understand that social media is only one item in the marketer’s toolbox.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Owner and Drink Head of Split Rail Tavern. We’re a new-age American restaurant, cocktail, and beer bar in central Pennsylvania.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bad Rhino?

We needed to understand how to grasp and take advantage of social media. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Bad Rhino has handled social media management, online marketing services, and the general organization of our daily and monthly events. They’ve refined our overall written and graphic messaging, allowing people can spot us among the masses. We keep them abreast of daily and monthly events, and they help us play to our strengths. They filter us to the general public and help target the proper people. We operate in a very big college town, so they’ve handled everything related to the music, food, and university areas.

What is the team composition?

I meet with their CEO on weekly basis, but I can always contact him by phone.

How did you come to work with Bad Rhino?

A mutual friend introduced me to their CEO, and he was recommended to me by multiple people. We met, and it turned out that he was a fan of our place, and that he knew exactly what he wanted to do. All it took was a 10-minute conversation.

How much have you invested with them?

We pay $20,000 per year, which comes to around $1,500 per month. Marketing is sometimes a bit extra as well.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since April 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Bad Rhino has completely overhauled our public image and made us completely acceptable to the world—with “the world” being the general 30-mile radius, which is all we really worry about. We’re all creative on our side of things, but it didn’t seem as though we were doing a good job organizationally and from an advertising standpoint. Bad Rhino has completely solved this for us. We’ve had an uptick in business that is beyond definable. I’m younger than the other partners in the restaurant, and I always thought I was internet-savvy, but Bad Rhino is simply next level. They promised to bring us to the next level and exceeded that times a thousand.

How did Bad Rhino perform from a project management standpoint?

We have face-to-face communication, but we also use email and phone calls. I prefer talking to people in-person or over the phone, and they’ve been okay with whatever was most comfortable with me. They always clearly explain what they need from us.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Most people think that social media is something that anyone can do, but I won’t pretend to be able to do this kind of work. Bad Rhino is able to stay ahead of the curve, and even create the curve. They go all the way with marketing, keeping us alive.

Bad Rhino is open to anything we want to put out there, and they figure out a way to do it, and they always integrate it into a long-term plan

Are there any areas they could improve?

I've had no qualms with them whatsoever. We’ve broached and worked through any issues we’ve had, and it’s been fine.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

It’s important for clients to know what they want to achieve because Bad Rhino will give them a straight answer based on this.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We manufacture pasta products and have retail stores in the Philadelphia area. I work part-time as an assistant to the owner in the retail end of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bad Rhino?

When we started with them, it was our first attempt at social media. We weren’t doing much before on our own, as we realized that it’s not something that you can do part-time — you need to dedicate staff to social media. That's why we reached out to them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We manage all our social media from one account with them. Our main objective from the beginning was to build our brand, gain followers, and get a social media presence. They handle our Facebook and Twitter pages, and we manage the Instagram account. They help us develop the pages, and I work with them directly to provide content. We work closely with them and get good feedback on what type of posts work. We rely on them for that expertise: what posts are successful, the way to word things, what types of pictures to use, etc.

For the most part, they post daily because our retail stores offer lunch menus so post a daily lunch special. There's also content that comes for all 3 pages that are consistent and comes from me. This year, we were celebrating our 50th anniversary. Every month, we've been doing a big promotion. We have that content that's going out on a monthly basis, where we promote for 10 days during the month, and then we recap. We intend on doing the same next year with different types of content.

What is the team dynamic?

I'm in contact with two people. Rich is the owner and my go-to person for our account. He oversees everything and does the main scheduling. Taylor handles the everyday work, for example, responding to questions on the social media pages.

How did you come to work with Bad Rhino?

I was introduced to Rich by a mutual connection.

How much have you invested with them?

Over the past 5 years, our company has spent approximately $80,000 with them, which is roughly $16,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them since January 2012.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've gone from a few hundred followers to thousands. That's how we've been measuring our success because that’s our main objective. Other than that, the information they've been able to provide us and the guidance they offer on how to post, what types of posts are more successful, and generate the best response has been good. The analytics they share with us are very helpful.

How did Bad Rhino perform from a project management standpoint?

They've been very responsive to the demands of social media, and to us, as well. If we have any questions, they're always available, and if not immediately, very soon after. They provided us with a content spreadsheet that we use on a monthly basis. I approve it and submit it back to them. That's the core structure of our social media posts. Anything additional, I send via email. I also talk to him on the phone frequently when it's justified.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The guidance they provide us with. There's science to social media and as it's not our main focus, it’s good to know they have a handle on it. They're very personable and easy to work with. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

Since we've been doing these promotions every month, there's a lot of posts out there and a lot of comments that are being left by our customers. Sometimes, they're not as responsive as I would like them to be. It might go a day or two without a response to one of the comments. If we have any complaints that come through any of the social media pages, however, they are right on top of that.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We're a digital marketing and strategy company. We do web design development, SEO, pay-per-click, and full strategies for clients. I’m the CEO and founder.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bad Rhino?

I needed help executing social media campaigns for clients to increase traffic to their websites.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We either work with them through our social media strategies or recommend them to our clients. We’ve referred them to work with 3–5 different clients over the last 3–4 years, and we've worked with them directly on about 3–4 clients, including our current one.

We manage traffic through SEO and pay-per-click, while they increase engagement through social media. They help us with the reporting for our clients and how they’re doing on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

What is the team dynamic?

We’ve spoken to a couple people besides Marty [Co-Founder, Bad Rhino] and Rich [Co-Founder, Bad Rhino]. Rich is always involved in the reporting conversations and has people working with him on the accounts.

How did you come to work with Bad Rhino?

A client was considering Bad Rhino as the social media agency for their website. We vetted them out and saw they were onto something good. We worked with them on that project, and we've worked together on other projects ever since.

How much have you invested with them?

Less than $25,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in June 2014, and the work is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We've seen an increase in overall traffic and engagement from social, across at least 2–3 projects where we see the reporting directly. Other projects could have increased, but those are referred to the clients. Any client we’ve referred them to has been happy with the results.

How did Bad Rhino perform from a project management standpoint?

They are always available. Anytime I call Marty, he picks up the phone. Anytime they need to be a part of a meeting or they’re giving some degree of strategy, they’re there. As far as sticking to timelines, they have a process and they execute on it. They set clear expectations and we know what to expect.

What did you find most impressive about them?

There are 2 sides to social media. One is the strategy and the other is the execution. Very few people can get both right. Bad Rhino has figured out the process to manage campaigns and executes on social media management the way it should be done. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They could work with bigger clients to execute bigger strategies. That’s not necessarily a reflection of them, but a matter of the market. I think the bigger the budget, the better they’d do with it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the owner of Bare Essentials, which is a lingerie store. We offer a broad range of bra sizes and provide fittings.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bad Rhino?

I purchased the business in September, and we really did not have any type of social media presence. We were on Facebook but minimally. I was trying to attract more clientele but also tap into the social media aspect of our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Probably the biggest thing has been our Facebook presence, although we also do Instagram and some Twitter. Bad Rhino suggested Facebook Live as a great way to get your stuff out there and get known. I wanted people to see that my business was under new ownership and that we had modernized it. We did a remodel, but we also brought in some higher-end and younger brands, as well as more fashion.

Bad Rhino researched the correct audience to target as well as many different types of ads or posts for us to put on Facebook. They put that together and sent it to me for approval. Our content could be a short video, a funny meme, or an article. We’ve gotten to the point where we understand each other, so I don’t always have to read the proposed content. Sometimes, I just send them details about a brand-new bra and ask them to promote it. They also respond to customers’ comments on the Facebook page, which means I don’t have to be on it all the time. We’ve also shared some coupons for people to bring in.

I have Taylor [Social Media Specialist, Bad Rhino], who’s my primary contact. The person she reports to also responds to me. Rich [Co-Founder, Bad Rhino] is slightly involved, and I spoke to Marty [CEO and Co-Founder, Bad Rhino] when we first began the engagement.

How did you come to work with Bad Rhino?

My husband works out at the same gym as Rich. I did reach out to other companies, but I liked the package that Bad Rhino put together, as well as their professionalism and response time. They give the impression that you’re truly their client; it’s not a commercial feeling.

How much have you invested with Bad Rhino?

Including Facebook advertising posts, I’ve spent around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

The campaign started on November 1, 2016. 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?

I definitely see our business growing, and we have much more of a Facebook following than we used to have. We started with maybe 1,500–1,800 likes on our Facebook page, and we’re now at 5,100. Customers rarely would tell us that they saw us on Facebook, but we hear that comment more often now.

How did Bad Rhino perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re excellent. We primarily use email for communication at least once a week. If a question comes up on Facebook that they can’t answer, they’ll get in touch with me right away. Every few months, they come for a site visit as well.

What did you find most impressive about Bad Rhino?

They do a great job of building a relationship. We can have a real conversation that’s not stuffy and overly professional. They do what they say they will without any fluff.

Are there any areas Bad Rhino could improve?

I’d like to see more happening on Instagram without having to ask. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the president of Diplomat Closet Design. We manufacture, design, and build custom closets, home offices, garages, pantries, etc. We do any type of organizational shelving. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bad Rhino?

We had used a previous company when I handled our social media. I hired a company and let them just kind of run with it. We had hired somebody 2 or 3 months into that relationship to take over the marketing end, and that’s when we could finally devote some time to looking at what they were doing on our Facebook, Instagram, etc. They were also doing our blogging at the time, and we found a lot of sloppy errors. We were not happy with what their work. When we started digging a little more, they were receptive to what we were saying but wouldn’t do anything different. I had hired them off of a reference, and it turned out to be a mistake. We made a switch to Bad Rhino. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Laura handles our marketing, and we’d met with Bad Rhino about taking over our social media. In the beginning, they were drastically more expensive than the people we were using. We had no other point of comparison besides the previous company, so I was a little apprehensive at first. I didn’t really know what they were about. I had only talked to them once or twice. But, when they went over the proposal for our Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter, they were incredibly knowledgeable. They were quick with answers and supported their answers with facts and with the previous history of their customers and experience. It was eye-opening for me. I had been looking at the cost first and not the value that we’re getting from it.

From a business standpoint, we share a lot of the same values and treat customers very much the same, so we were aligned in a lot of ways that I didn’t realize until after that face-to-face with the guys at Bad Rhino. They took care of all of our social media, any of the pieces that are applicable. They came up with different ways to engage our audience, to grow our audience, and to keep the content interesting. After about 2 months, they approached us to gauge our interest in doing a paid AdWords campaign. That still hasn’t taken off yet, but I think we’re shooting for early June. They have a plan in place and companies they work with that provide a lot of detail on what needs to improve on our website before we can get started. They found out our goals and have a plan to achieve them. They’ve also discussed how to handle increased volume. They really addressed everything before we dove head-first into it.

I’ve met with the owners of Bad Rhino, but Laura has had the most contact with them. Marty [Co-Founder, Bad Rhino] has spearheaded our relationship. It has been a combination of everybody including Rich [Co-Founder, Bad Rhino], Marty, and Taylor [Social Media Specialist, Bad Rhino]. Laura’s main points of contact have been Marty and Taylor.

How did you come to work with Bad Rhino?

I was over the edge with the people we were using before. I did some research online, found Bad Rhino, talked to Marty, and was impressed with them from the first conversation. The first thing was their name. It attracted me to their website, which was nicely put together. They had all of their pictures, their bios, and a lot of information. They’re local to West Chester. I’m a hometown kind of person and support local business. They had a picture of their dog on their website, and we have a picture of my dog on our website. Their website was well put together. They had a good presence, and their people looked and sounded likable and seemed like they knew their stuff. I remember listening to a podcast that Marty was on, and Rich does a lot of speaking engagements at local schools on Facebook, Facebook advertising, and social media, so they did have the background. Marty is also a Shippensburg guy, which is where I went. There was a lot of connection, so they are the only ones we met. Once we got through that first interview phase, I knew that they knew what they were doing.

How much have you invested with Bad Rhino?

We have spent $3,000 with them so far in our relationship. We pay by the month, and the amount may fluctuate.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in February of 2017, and the work is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a lot more traffic on the website that’s noticeable. I have a general understanding of Google Analytics and follow it from an overhead perspective. Any time that they’ve used our advertising dollars, it drives a ton of traffic to our website and has noticeably spiked on the analytics. I know the money that they are spending on advertising has a direct relation to the traffic that we are getting on our website. We probably have about 500 more followers on Facebook that are actually in our demographic, which is something that we did look into; the last company had basically paid for followers who didn’t fit our demographic. I haven’t followed Pinterest too closely. I also know that our pictures are getting a lot more traffic and a lot more interactive shares with the people that follow us. We have more views on the videos, and all of the different types of media that we put on Facebook are getting a lot more traffic. It’s gone from maybe 100 people max or 200 people viewing it to quadruple that—even into the thousands for some of our videos. That has been astoundingly different.

How did Bad Rhino perform from a project management standpoint?

They set us up on Basecamp right away and sent a follow-up email. Laura and I are pretty organized, and we could tell from that email that we’d found a good partnership because of the organization. You could tell that they knew what they were doing. They had a plan that was on paper and in line with what we’re trying to do. Even from that first email, they have been organized.

Laura goes over there on a weekly basis and does the review with Taylor, just to make sure that we are all on the same page. After the first month, those meetings spread out to once every 2 weeks. This is not something I’m involved with on a day-to-day basis, but Laura gives me feedback. Bad Rhino sends checklists of the posts for the month. Even for AdWords, which we haven’t started yet, they’ve sent detailed lists of options we’d like to use. They’ve done research on the website. They know what our competitors are using, and it’s been very detailed. From my perspective, this is something that I don’t know a ton about. But, they’re quick to answer any questions that I have and anything that I want to learn about. Bad Rhino really helps you understand what you’re doing; they don’t just take your money and run.

What did you find most impressive about Bad Rhino?

I was cost-conscious, and Marty said told me straight up what their price was. He said if that wasn’t acceptable, there was no sense in us talking any further. Right there, I knew that they had value in what they were doing, which blew me away. This wasn’t like the previous company. They weren’t just trying to get customers or selling themselves short; they knew what they were doing. They know that their work is worth every penny, and it is. They had confidence and really knew what they were doing.

We just had such a poor experience when we really broke down what our previous social media agency had done. If you don’t pay attention to and don’t hire the right person, you could just be burning money, which is essentially what we were doing, unbeknownst to me. I didn’t keep an eye on it. With Bad Rhino, from the beginning, they’ve checked everything. I’m sort of a grammar Nazi, but that stuff would drive me absolutely crazy with our old provider. They’d make just the stupidest spelling and grammatical errors. When it’s your image coming across in social media, you want everything to be perfect. It’s really been perfect from the beginning with Bad Rhino, and I can’t say anything bad about them.

Are there any areas Bad Rhino could improve?

I don’t think so. We deal with a lot of vendors. I don’t know if they’re paralleled, but their customer service—getting back to the people, communication, being humble—and all the values that we hold for our company are followed by their team. There are a lot of similarities, and they do a very good job. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the executive director of the Philadelphia section of The PGA of America. It is one of 41 regional offices, and we act as the main headquarters for our region. We are the local managing office for all PGA members and apprentices in our geographic footprint. We cover Eastern Pennsylvania, Harrisburg East, Trenton, and Southend New Jersey, as well as the entire state of Delaware. We cover all member services, education, communication, employment, and interment operations, as well as a junior tour. Our operations are run by 7 full-time and 16 per-diem staff.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bad Rhino?

We needed to evaluate our communications footprint, including social media, website, technologies, and practices.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Bad Rhino has reviewed our communications, particularly our website and our operations in the social media arena. Bad Rhino explained to us the intricacies of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as everything else we didn't know about this space. There are many measurable metrics on Facebook, as well as many things that we can and can't do in the space. In the fall of 2016, Bad Rhino's principal even served as the key guest speaker at one of our chapter meetings. Bad Rhino has also put us in touch with a very good website developer who we've used to create websites for our professional and junior tours.

How did you come to work with Bad Rhino?

Bad Rhino was recommended by one of our members who had talked with them about their own golfing business. It was an off-chance conversation. We weren't scouring for a social media consultant, but it ended up being advantageous for our company.

How much have you invested with Bad Rhino?

The cost of Bad Rhino's services has been around $10,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have been working with Bad Rhino since the end of 2014. It's been a fantastic relationship to date.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Bad Rhino has improved the efficiency of our staff, maximizing our work time and quality. Bad Rhino has impacted how we manage our social media and communication campaigns. Since we're not selling particular products, we gauge results by how much our outward voice has been elevated on social media channels and on the web. We've cleaned everything up. We now have new policies in place for our actions on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and so on.

How did Bad Rhino perform from a project management standpoint?

We haven't worked on any big projects with Bad Rhino, so it's a bit hard to answer. From a response standpoint, Bad Rhino has been fantastic. They've been immediately responsive in getting me the information and answers I needed.

What did you find most impressive about Bad Rhino?

I've appreciated Bad Rhino's general knowledge and ability to communicate in general languages. Their principal has gotten in front of a group of 60 golf professionals and made them understand the social media space, explaining the advantages and disadvantages of operating in that arena. It would be easy for Bad Rhino to smoke and mirror us with numbers and language, but they've explained how we can be efficient in simple language.

Are there any areas Bad Rhino could improve?

I haven't run into any issues with Bad Rhino.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the communications director for Unite for HER, a nonprofit.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bad Rhino?

We had a two-fold issue. We had a lack of knowledge, and we had a lack of manpower, so to speak. We didn't have someone experienced on our staff to develop our social media presence across several platforms fully. In addition, no one had available hours to learn those skills and work on that on a part-time basis.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Initially, Bad Rhino performed a social media audit to evaluate where we were. That was about December 2015. Bad Rhino did background research on Unite for HER and our mission to understand who we are and what we do. Then, they looked at similar organizations and gave us feedback on our strengths and weaknesses. It took about a month to complete the initial audit. At the very beginning of January, they gave a detailed evaluation and a recommendation on how to proceed. I would say the first three months focused on learning.

We then developed a plan to expand our presence within the community and the region. It involved a lot of strategy and evaluating previous content to give us direction on what works organically. We needed to make sure that we were using best practices to communicate clearly, consistently, and effectively. As we've gotten past the initial month, we've gotten into that in a little bit more detail. They also gave recommendations for marketing and branding. We have been much more focused on audiences, messaging, and content. In the past several months, we've started doing special promotions, contests, and things like that. It's evolved very organically and intentionally.

How did you come to work with Bad Rhino?

We are located in the same town as Bad Rhino. They are local, but that wasn't our most important criteria in looking for an agency. We wanted somebody who was a little bit out of the box, had a great reputation, and good references. We wanted to find somebody young, cutting edge, and aggressive. After interviewing a few people, we decided Bad Rhino was the best fit.

How much have you invested with Bad Rhino?

We have spent $10,000 to $50,000 on Bad Rhino's services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We first started working together in December 2015. Bad Rhino is currently on retainer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Without spouting out a bunch of numbers at you, our engagement doubled in the first six months of working with Bad Rhino. There are a number of factors that obviously go into that number. Bad Rhino is primarily focusing on Facebook and Twitter, and we've just started working on Instagram. Our Twitter followers have gone up 600 percent or something like that. By the end of the year, our Facebook will have three times the likes and three times the engagement as we were when we started. We're projecting a 300 percent increase by the end of the year.

For me, it's been obviously a very effective relationship if you look at all the metrics. If you look at the number of followers and the engagement, you can definitely tell Bad Rhino has had a significant impact. I feel like our relationship will continue. We're not at the point where I think we would hire someone to take over this job like a staff person.

How did Bad Rhino perform from a project management standpoint?

This has changed a bit as we've grown into the relationship and the work that they've been doing for us. Initially, we were working on a weekly content development basis. In May or June, we switched to monthly scheduling. We would schedule a month of content at a time. As spontaneous things came up that we wanted to add, I would just email them to the account manager.

I would say Bad Rhino has been very easy to work with and very responsive to emails. We usually sit down and either have a conference call or a meeting to go through the monthly metrics report. They are happy to answer a phone call and we meet consistently – monthly at this point. We have Rich [Dematteo, co-owner of Bad Rhino], who is our contact there. We have access to him and he's pretty involved. Also, Taylor [Bechtel, social media specialist at Bad Rhino] manages the account on a day-to-day basis. 

What did you find most impressive about Bad Rhino?

They are great to work with. I feel like they have a grasp of who we are and the voice that we wanted to use. We are a breast cancer organization, so the language we use and the tone that we use is very important. It's very sensitive, especially when we're working with patients. Bad Rhino is very cognizant of that and very respectful of that.

Are there any areas Bad Rhino could improve?

Nothing's coming to the top of my mind. That's not to say that they are without the potential to grow or be better, but I can't think of anything off the top of my head.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Victory Brewing Company is a 20-year-old brewery and restaurant. We grew out of a single location and now have three breweries and restaurants. We've grown to about 430 employees, and we're currently the 28th largest brewery in production in the United States. Recently, we collaborated with a family office private equity firm that was already invested in breweries. They helped us join another top-notch brewery in the state of New York to form a more capable and stable platform. This platform allows us to address the future that we see in front of us better. As one of the two company founders, I've been involved since the start.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Bad Rhino?

We were seeing decreasing impact from our Facebook work up until that point. Brain Bytes had some very specific knowledge about how promoted advertising is important with Facebook, so we pursued that.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Marty [McDonald, CEO and cofounder] and Rich [co-owner of Bad Rhino] came in to do an assessment of what we were achieving with our social media outreach and our platforms. We had a social media position on staff at the time, and she embraced this opportunity to learn more. Then, we brought into that analysis some benchmark peer breweries as well. Bad Rhino provided monthly analytics that we could work on and conducted advisory sessions on a monthly basis.

In December of last year [2015], the relationship changed at my request. At the time, our company was in transition, and there was a gap in marketing that we needed to fill. Our marketing director and our social media coordinator had gotten positions outside of Victory. We felt pretty highly positive about the services of Bad Rhino, so we switched their role. From a contract basis, they shifted to a more hands-on role. They became the behind-the-scenes operator of our social media while continuing their analytical work. We gave Rich and Marty the keys to drive the car for a bit.

Then in February [2016], we hired someone for the position. We worked through the month of May to make sure we had a seamless turnover. While we were training our new hire, Bad Rhino performed an advisory role similar to what they had been providing up until that point.

How did you come to work with Bad Rhino?

In April 2014, I went to a Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association meeting. My marketing director and another employee went with me. We were on a panel with Marty McDonald of Bad Rhino. Some of the expertise and knowledge that they had, particularly of how Facebook works, was very compelling for us. That's why we asked them to work for us on an analytical basis.

How much have you invested with Bad Rhino?

We've spent $50,000 to $200,000 on our engagement with Bad Rhino. Based on the contract, we were investing $5,750 a month. Of that amount, $400 was at their disposal as advertising budget for Facebook. We paid $5,350 a month for the majority of the relationship.

What is the status of this engagement?

If I'm not mistaken, the relationship with Bad Rhino began in July or August of 2015. Our contracted relationship was finished by the end of May [2016]. We had rebuilt the department in a manner that we felt didn't need outside services. But, we've stayed in contact, and we might go back to using their services.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We saw steady increases that were measurable and specific to the initiatives that we undertook with Bad Rhino. I think that they were extremely effective in what they were doing. I do believe that, with the limited team they have, they got incredible results. They were able to focus on identifying the goal and how to get there.

How did Bad Rhino perform from a project management standpoint?

There were probably some deficiencies on our end, if you look at the turnover we experienced in staffing. Bad Rhino was very diligent about trying to schedule and communicate on a consistent basis. On our end, we weren't always able to fulfill those requests. There was never a sense of futility in that we can't get ourselves together. We always got ourselves together as needed.

What did you find most impressive about Bad Rhino?

This is a gray area, but I think it's important from my 20 years of business experience. I felt that Bad Rhino came to the assignments and solutions without a strong sense of ego or ownership. They seemed to be very good listeners and problem solvers. There were really no situations where I felt that they were doing things to glorify themselves. I felt that they were very objective in their approach and everything was well considered. I think that their diligence and their sense of personal and professional investment in the client are very high.

The other thing that I would point out was their adaptability. When we needed to change contracts and change services, it was not a debate. It was just a matter of, "Focus in on what it is you need, and we'll do that." I think that their adaptability is a key factor in their favor.

Are there any areas Bad Rhino could improve?

Yes. The monthly reporting was supposed to give us a pulse on our effectiveness from the previous month. That report was not arriving on a regular date. It often arrived at the end of the succeeding month, so I felt that the reporting was lagging. It could have been timelier.