How we work
One lead, one contract and the right team for the work.
Every Drystone engagement is run by GoodYou Marketing, which scopes the work, brings in the partner firms best suited to it and stays accountable for the result, so you get a full bench of specialists without having to manage any of them.
The model
You talk to one person, and that person brings in everyone else.
Your lead is your single point of contact for strategy, scope, budget and schedule, and the specialists working on your project report through them, which means you never have to brief the same thing twice or referee between vendors.
The process
Every engagement follows the same five steps.
Conversation
We start with a call to understand your goals, your audience, your budget and what has or hasn't worked before.
Scope and proposal
Your lead writes a proposal with the work, the team, the timeline and the price laid out clearly, so you know exactly what you're agreeing to before anything starts.
Team assembly
Once you approve the scope, we bring in the partner firms whose strengths match the work and introduce you to the people who will actually be doing it.
Delivery
The team works from one plan and one schedule, and your lead keeps the pieces moving together so the brand, the website, the media and the tracking are ready when they need to be.
Reporting and review
We report on results in plain numbers, review what's working with you on a regular schedule and adjust the plan or the team as the work evolves.
Our partners
Every firm on the bench has earned its place.
Our partners are independent firms with their own clients and their own reputations, and we invite a firm in only after we've seen the quality of its work and how it treats the people it works with.
- Each partner is a specialist with deep experience in its discipline, not a generalist covering a gap.
- Each partner runs its own practice and stands behind its own work.
- Each partner works well alongside the others, because a collective is only as good as its handoffs.
- Each partner shares our standard for straight reporting and honest advice, even when the advice is to spend less.
Working together
Here is what to expect once the work begins.
- You'll have one named lead who answers your calls and emails.
- You'll get one contract and one invoice, whatever the number of specialists involved.
- You'll know who is on your team and what each person is responsible for.
- You'll have regular check-ins on a schedule that suits the project.
- You'll see work in progress, so there are no surprises at the end.
- You'll get reports that show results in plain numbers rather than vanity metrics.
- You'll only pay for specialists the work actually needs.
- You'll own everything we create for you, including accounts, files and data.
Ways to work with us
Engagements come in a few shapes, and we'll recommend the one that fits.
Projects
A defined piece of work with a fixed scope and timeline, such as a rebrand, a new website or a product launch.
Start a project →Ongoing programs
A monthly engagement for work that compounds over time, such as paid media, PR, content and reporting.
Start a project →Specialist support
Targeted help for in-house marketing teams that need one discipline covered well without hiring for it.
Start a project →
Questions
Here are the questions we hear most about how the collective works.
Who do we sign the contract with?
You sign one contract with GoodYou Marketing, which manages the partner firms on your behalf, so you have a single agreement and a single invoice.
Will we know which firms are working on our project?
Yes, once the scope is approved we introduce you to everyone on your team, and you'll always know who is doing what.
Do we have to use every service?
No, most clients start with one or two disciplines, and we add specialists only when the work calls for them.
Does working with several firms cost more?
It usually costs less than hiring the same specialists separately, because you aren't paying for a large agency's overhead or for the time it takes you to coordinate several vendors yourself.
Do you work with organizations outside New England?
Yes, our roots and most of our clients are in New England, but we work with organizations across the country.
How quickly can we get started?
A GoodYou lead will reply within one business day, and most projects can begin soon after the proposal is approved.