Welcome to the official Wildlives Media newsletter, where we talk all-things digital marketing, activations, and more. From high-level updates & expert tips from the pros on our team to upcoming events, this is your main source of truth for all-things Wildlives Media. So pour yourself a cup of coffee, relax, and enjoy your new favorite newsletter.
A WORD FROM OUR PRESIDENT
I feel like every time we write these, it’s going to be with the context that this month was crazier than the previous... I guess that’s a good thing!
We kicked off the month heading to Atlanta to host our Night Lights event with TYPE S, and were met with headwind after headwind. “It ain’t all roses,” as they say. And, although we had to move venues with an hour's notice, we persevered (as we always do) and ended up crushing our previous record for data collection.
Formula DRIFT was solid per usual, as were the Waffle House trips. Atlanta will forever be one of the raddest cities, made even better by Killer Mike and Gregg Bucell.
On the overall business side, we spent some time sharpening our axes and building some solid case studies, including an insane ROAS from client Velocity Restorations (peep it further down).
See ya down the road!
~ AJ Anderson, President
WE DO COOL SH#T TOO!!!
Sydni Bickford, Jr. Account Manager
Introducing our latest newsletter segment, We Do Cool Sh#t Too!!!
Get ready to dive into the world of our team members, starting with our incredible Jr. Account Manager, Sydni Bickford! From rocking the basketball court to her newfound love for wake surfing, Sydni's journey embodies our spirit of relentless pursuit and exploration.
With a commitment to excellence and a passion for adventure, she's a key player in our quest to deliver exceptional experiences to our audience. So without further ado, here's Sydni doing cool sh#t.
1.Tell us about yourself!
· My name is Sydni Bickford, and I grew up in Charlotte, NC. From the age of 2 years old I had a basketball in my hand. Grew up traveling the east coast playing competitively which ultimately gained me a full scholarship at a small at the time D2 school in Misenheimer NC, Pfeiffer University. There I studied Biology with the intentions of becoming a dentist but unfortunately 2019 had other plans.
2. What are your goals in life? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
· My biggest goal in life is to travel the world. I would love to be able to just catch a flight and visit a place I have never been. Taking kids on those adventures is definitely part of the goal as well.
3. Tell us about your wake surfing venture? What started it and where do you see yourself going with it?
· I started wake surfing last summer. Immediately fell in love. Being 5 years out from playing collegiate basketball I haven't found anything that has fueled my fire and one day I was on the lake and was presented the opportunity and boom the rest is history. Now I am currently learning the 360 and Ollie. Right now this is just for fun. I love to compete with myself. If I got really good and this turned into something I would be stoked.
4. What are some other things you are into besides wake surfing?
· I enjoy going camping and hitting the lake. I also love reading books and traveling as much as I can.
5. What is your role at Wildlives and what brought you to the company?
· I am a Jr. Account Manager with Wildlives Media. I was previously a "Girls Basketball Manager" where I oversaw over 30 travel teams and managed in house programs so keeping things organized is a must. I have known Katie for a few years and she knew brought the opportunity to the table and I ran with it. I knew I could stay organized and stay on top of the work. I was excited when they allowed me to hop on board and be a part of the team!
6. Can you give us a quote that you would say defines you?
• “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” —Dolly Parton
THERE'S NO "I" IN TEAM
I would say some highlights this year so far was how much of a success our Wildlives event at Riverside was, and our Nightlights event. People really seemed to enjoy the fact that we had our racing sims running, along with a lounge with couches for people to come chill and relax. Having a fridge full of La Croix's was also super beneficial for people to sit down and refresh. Our booth was definitely the most poppin' and one that stood out compared to the rest, and the networking opportunities made that event awesome, can’t wait for the next one!
Speaking about our Night Lights event before Formula Drift Atlanta, that really tested our team with our problem solving skills and how we were able to pivot a tough situation as a team, into a successful one.
The team really dialed it in and found a new venue that we had about an hour to setup, which we did in record timing. The area we relocated got PACKED and far exceeded the expectations with relocation and all, on top of that we were able to successfully do our activation event with such an immediate change.
~ Edgar Guzman, Community Manager
CONTENT SOURCING & SOCIAL LISTENING
With updates and changes constantly happening within social media, it’s either providing additional resources or adding additional hurdles. In the past year, content sourcing has become extremely difficult as well as understanding what specific content drove the performance. However, the best way to tackle these hurdles is through social listening and monitoring tools, and there isn’t a better time than now to be using them.
During May, one of our clients experienced a massive surge in traffic to their Facebook page. Utilizing our expertise and delving deep into the data, we identified the cause of this anomaly. However, uncovering the root cause without the aid of a social monitoring and listening tool would have been a challenging task. With the assistance of this tool, we detected an anomaly of 300k reach and 23 mentions. This led us to discover a paid promotions post from a sports team that our client sponsors. Although this post wasn't a collaborative effort and was only tagged, it didn't appear on the profile page. Nevertheless, it significantly increased traffic to their profile. While other supporting pieces of content also contributed to the increased reach and mentions, it was this specific post that our tool highlighted.
As we continue to monitor our client's performance with this tool, it has helped us to provide concrete answers and strategize for future content.
~ Ryan Gendreau, Social Media Analyst
CASE STUDY
Velocity Restorations
In January 2024, we brought on Velocity Restorations, a classic vehicle restoration superpower who creates $300k+ modern interpretations of icons like the Ford Bronco and Mustang, Chevy K5 Blazers, and more. Their team had run into wall after wall when trying to utilize digital advertising to drive leads that actually converted... until they called us.
SUCCESS METRICS
-
Contributed to 7 closed deals in just 4 months with a total value just shy of $2M
-
Brought in over 1,000 leads via Google and META
-
Revamped entire META and Google ads strategy, using modern tech on each platform
-
Developed an email drip campaign system to nurture leads as their sales process is typically 6+ months
JUNE SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
Edgar's Joint
Constantly on the road and coordinating vibes, Edgar knows a thing or two about songs that slap.
Edgar's Joint playlist consists of everything from 2Pac to Slayer - curated by one of the grooviest people on planet Earth.