Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Webber. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Big Red Jelly was formed out of a perceived need in the marketplace. The primary founder, Joshua, had a business that require the services of a big regularly but yet in the search of a satisfactory partner, supplier, the service provider was dismayed at the offerings in the marketplace.
Thus, he began providing those services to his existing business in-house. Very quickly in 2016 and 2017, it became obvious, based on inquiries from customers for the existing business that they like what was being done in the digital space and could they be referred to the agency Joshua was using? Thus, the decision was made in late 2017 to sell off the existing business and focus solely on the Digital agency side.
In the early years of Big Red Jelly’s existence, its primary focus was a service and low-cost approach. This was purposeful. During this time frame BRJ also was a full–service platform offering all of the offense, marketing, Digital tools offered. This broad-brush/ service approach was the correct one for client acquisition and offering a broader range of services as possible to build the client roster.
This was a purposeful strategy to attract, retain, and grow a client base. From this, the online scorecards, referrals from existing clients, and up-sales/cross-sales from the same clients were the initial growth strategy.
Clearly, the strategy worked as evidenced by the historical numbers to demonstrate such. However, as 2019 began to draw to a close it was clear that that strategy was in a hyper-competitive space, that eventually would lead to a race to the bottom of a commoditized hours-for-dollars service. Thus, “BRJ 2.0” was born.
This pivot, as it would become to be known, was all about focusing on the areas of uniqueness, value adds, and ability to tend the price-point upwards for the unique skills provided. The focus then became Brand, Build, Grow.
Commodity services such as social media management, online advertising, and SEO were jettisoned to a specialist, contracted, partners to focus on (with appropriate agreements with each for one essentially turned out to be the net margin historically made on these projects paid by the vendor partner provider to BRJ—thus BRJ still receives the same net margin without engaging in the work Thus BRJ was seen to not try to please everyone, simultaneously to be coming to a pivot point/broker for the services in the marketplace.
Brand, Build, Grow saw Big Red Jelly focusing on building the Brand. The brand story, logo, style guides, and all of the brand architecture, brand voice, and other digital assets present well in today’s digital marketplace. This is a higher margin, higher specialty, more unique space that historically Big Red Jelly had become known for.
The build is where Big Red Jelly engages in the actual build of, primarily, websites, etc. But also sets up the added other digital tools that enable the branding component to be fully personified in the marketplace. That’s brand and build become synergistic, unique, skilled, value-add propositions. Grow in tales big regularly sets up its client base into all of the respective sass tools that are available.
Big regularly spends a lot of time assessing the platter of tools available in the marketplace to find the best in class for each function. Then, without purchasing power is able to negotiate lower bulk rates for itself and still pass along a perceived discounted rate to the client, but still make a margin as a pseudo–saas player in the space.
The plan for the next 3 to 5 years is to consolidate big regulars reputation, management routines, staff skillset, and ability to scale in a well supported sustainable profitable way. Part of that towards the end of that time frame is to begin to look at where there are gaps in the marketplace, and/war opportunities to build tools of its own account and then enable it to be the actual digital tool provider in the growth space.
This will further facilitate the locking factor for clients, as well as increase the margin as they will not be the wholesale payment back to the current provider, for the respective tools chosen to build. An intra measure of that is to continue to negotiate with best in class current providers based on the volume big red jelly provides to them, was still creating a value to Big regularly’s clients, and yet grow its own margin.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
See my previous response.
We have pivoted several times in the last several years at Big Red Jelly. These were each accompanied by major risks, but they paid off.
It was a great example to us, our team, and our clients that even though a COVID-19 pandemic, strategy, creativity, and determination can get businesses of all industries to the other side, more resilient and efficient than ever.
We’ve been impressed with Big Red Jelly, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Big Red Jelly combines human creativity with powerful digital tools to accelerate business growth. We believe that ALL businesses in any industry will grow more effectively and efficiently when they engage our creative team of experts.
Our purpose is simple: To inspire creativity and growth.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
First, my parents, where would I be without them.
The team at Big Red Jelly. I am inspired every day by their “Work hard, play hard” mentality. They motivate me every day to be better for them and continue to grow this company together.
Our clients and partners. They believe in us, trust us, and strive every day to exemplify one of our core values: We are neighbors and collaborators.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@bigredjelly.com
- Website: https://bigredjelly.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bigredjelly/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bigredjelly/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1zx9PH25X82MLdTMK6bkhQ/videos
- Other: https://g.page/bigredjelly?share
