My Local Buy Story: Vandalist

Vandalist is a Brisbane based marketing company that delivers a full suite of marketing services through a flexible and predictable Marketing as a Service (MaaS) concept. This model has proven to be an attractive option for councils and businesses of all sizes due to its scalability and inclusiveness of almost all marketing requirements.   

This model was how Vandalist became a Pre-Qualified Supplier on Local Buy Arrangement Marketing, Media, Print Services & Promotional LB306 and subsequently secured projects with councils around Australia.

“It was suggested to us by a previous client that becoming a supplier with Local Buy might help to expose us to a few more organisations and reduce the red tape," Andrew Knight, CEO and Founder of Vandalist said.

“We looked into it and could see the benefits immediately, particularly with regards to our Marketing as a Service concept."

“We have enjoyed working with councils and government agencies over the years but found that the traditional agency model of going from project-to-project was not as flexible or inclusive as most councils need. Marketing as a Service addresses this issue," Mr Knight said.

Marketing aside, Vandalist prides itself on solving problems and being easy to work with.

“Internally in our business, we refer to ourselves as problem solvers that use marketing as our problem-solving tool," Mr Knight said.

“Rather than working out how we can use marketing, we work out how we can solve the problem first, and then identify which marketing tools are most appropriate for the task at hand."

Recent Local Buy Success

One of Vandalist’s recent successes was with Central Highlands Regional Council (CHRC) which needed support with existing projects and guidance on some major developments.

Vandalist was shortlisted from an RFQ process based on their history of working with complex businesses and the flexibility in their approach to marketing.

It was the Marketing as a Service model that ultimately convinced CHRC to secure the services of Vandalist.

For CHRC, using a marketing agency that had the skills and responsiveness that Vandalist provides was exactly what was needed. And the consistent monthly pricing model made life easier for the finance team from a budget standpoint.

The Marketing as a Service engagement gives businesses predictability in their marketing spend but does not limit what marketing actions they have access to.

The Marketing as a Service model allowed the CHRC team to utilise Vandalist as needed for any task when their internal team was at capacity or did not have the niche skills to action.

Vandalist was able to integrate into the CHRC ecosystem with minimal disruption and within a few weeks become an extension of the CHRC team.

The Marketing as a Service model has not only made life easier on the CHRC marketing team, but has allowed Vandalist to provide a more suitable marketing engagement to businesses around Australia.

“Vandalist has been exactly what we have been looking for," Kayla Bonner, Coordinator of PR and Events at CHRC said.

“They have all the skills you would expect, but they work quickly, are incredibly responsive, and nothing is ever too much trouble – they just get it done.

“For us, we have a lot of moving parts, so having a marketing partner that can move with us is essential and Vandalist has been a perfect fit."

Flexible, Decisive, and Easy To Work With

Vandalist found that their success with Local Buy was not just based on their professional capabilities, but as much to do with their customer service model in making it easy for the client.

Apart from the various marketing services Vandalist provides, the customer service model has been attractive to many businesses. Along with a weekly ‘what’s-on’ email to outline what they are working on, Vandalist also provides a live 24/7 time tracking report for each customer, a monthly report of achievements, and a four-hour response promise on emails and missed calls.

“The response promise was a result of our own expectations from our partners," Mr Knight said.

“You don’t need to solve the problem in four hours. But knowing that someone is working on it is reassuring.”

What Is Marketing as a Service?

Marketing as a Service is a flexible, predictable, cost-effective approach to marketing. Rather than needing to tightly scope every project, MaaS allows businesses to have a block of hours at their disposal to utilise each month on whichever marketing tasks are needed.

Naturally, if a dedicated set-cost project is required, this is scoped outside of the MaaS engagement.   

One of the key advantages of MaaS is its flexibility. Businesses can access a wide range of marketing services as needed, from content creation, social media management, search engine optimisation, pay-per-click advertising, website development, and strategic consulting. Additionally, the number of hours required each month can be modified as needed by the customer.

For more information about how Vandalist can help your business, council, or organisation with their marketing needs, visit their website here: www.vandalist.com.au or find them on our Marketing, Media, Print Services & Promotional LB306 Arrangement