From Fragmented Marketing to a Scalable Growth Engine
In 2012, when we first partnered with iCapital, they were several years old. The business had demand, but its marketing effort was holding back sales—and the team knew it.
Their brand and messaging didn’t impart credibility; often, they found themselves convincing people that they were a legitimate Canadian financial lender. The website was basic, and lead generation was exclusively driven through direct mail. Leads were managed manually, often on paper, making it difficult to track performance or build a repeatable system for growth.
At the same time, the competitive landscape was evolving quickly. iCapital had been an early entrant in online lending, but new competitors were entering the market—and many were copying messaging, positioning, and visual approaches.
Their brand and messaging didn’t impart credibility; often, they found themselves convincing people that they were a legitimate Canadian financial lender. The website was basic, and lead generation was exclusively driven through direct mail. Leads were managed manually, often on paper, making it difficult to track performance or build a repeatable system for growth.
At the same time, the competitive landscape was evolving quickly. iCapital had been an early entrant in online lending, but new competitors were entering the market—and many were copying messaging, positioning, and visual approaches.
The starting point
BACK TO PORTFOLIO
- Multi-year marketing strategy & planning
- Brand strategy, positioning & rebranding
- Website redesign & digital experience
- Integrated multi-channel marketing (digital, social, radio, TV, events)
- Direct mail program evolution & integration
- Content & SEO development
- Association partnerships & industry presence
- Lead tracking, CRM implementation & pipeline management
- Marketing automation & funnel optimization
- Conversion optimization & application process improvements
- Performance tracking, attribution & reporting
- Ongoing brand, UX & technology evolution
WHAT WE DID
Phase 1: Establishing credibility and direction
The strategy had 3 pillars:
Brand improvement was the first thing we addressed. We clarified positioning, refined messaging, and introduced a more polished design. A new website followed—designed to build trust, improve usability, and support conversion.
From there, we launched a simple but effective integrated marketing program, expanding beyond a single channel to include digital advertising, content, and association participation. The goal was to establish a credible, consistent presence in a rapidly growing and increasingly competitive market.
- Improve the brand to make the business both credible and differentiated
- Automate the lead tracking system
- Expand and measure promotion with a full-fledged, measurable integrated marketing program
Brand improvement was the first thing we addressed. We clarified positioning, refined messaging, and introduced a more polished design. A new website followed—designed to build trust, improve usability, and support conversion.
From there, we launched a simple but effective integrated marketing program, expanding beyond a single channel to include digital advertising, content, and association participation. The goal was to establish a credible, consistent presence in a rapidly growing and increasingly competitive market.
We started with strategy.
Phase 2: Making marketing measurable
With the foundation in place, we focused on visibility and control.
We implemented lead tracking, reporting, and a CRM, replacing manual processes with a structured system. This allowed the team to:
Marketing decisions became data-driven.
We implemented lead tracking, reporting, and a CRM, replacing manual processes with a structured system. This allowed the team to:
- Understand monthly fluctuations
- Identify high-performing channels
- See where prospects were dropping off in the funnel
Marketing decisions became data-driven.
Beyond Year 1:
Scaling & differentiating
Once we understood performance, we scaled what worked.
Since 2015 when we started working with iCapital, we've expanded marketing to a multi-channel system that includes a huge range of of tactics from building a marketing automation program and a diversity of ads (digital, outdoor, radio and tv ads) to events and video.
We've also managed multiple product offering changes, as well as software rollouts to improve internal efficiency, security and customer experience.
Finally, protecting the iCapital brand has been an ongoing project because of rampant copycatting by competitors to confuse buyers and steal market share. As competitors replicated our messaging and visuals, we've continuously evolved the brand to stay ahead. This included multiple refinements and a major rebrand informed by market testing and competitive analysis.
Since 2015 when we started working with iCapital, we've expanded marketing to a multi-channel system that includes a huge range of of tactics from building a marketing automation program and a diversity of ads (digital, outdoor, radio and tv ads) to events and video.
We've also managed multiple product offering changes, as well as software rollouts to improve internal efficiency, security and customer experience.
Finally, protecting the iCapital brand has been an ongoing project because of rampant copycatting by competitors to confuse buyers and steal market share. As competitors replicated our messaging and visuals, we've continuously evolved the brand to stay ahead. This included multiple refinements and a major rebrand informed by market testing and competitive analysis.
BRAND EVOLUTION
long-term integrated marketing impact
Over time, our integrated marketing program has delivered sustained growth despite being in a highly competitive industry. Website traffic and lead generation have skyrocketed. And lead generation evolved from manual processes to a scalable, measurable multi-channel system.
The last decade has brought many new industry entrants, so protecting market share has been crucial and also increasingly difficult. In response, we've worked to optimize the cost per lead and cost per deal to ensure good ROI on the marketing investment.
The following chart shows how we've honed the program to generate more leads from the traffic generated. Who doesn't like more juice from the squeeze?
The last decade has brought many new industry entrants, so protecting market share has been crucial and also increasingly difficult. In response, we've worked to optimize the cost per lead and cost per deal to ensure good ROI on the marketing investment.
The following chart shows how we've honed the program to generate more leads from the traffic generated. Who doesn't like more juice from the squeeze?
The result: Sustained growth in a competitive industry
Red - Lead Growth | Purple Traffic Growth
“After years of working with Hop Skip, we can proudly say today we are the leader in our industry. Our brand has consistently been a leader in our category from coast to coast. Hop Skip reports on where our marketing dollars are best spent and which tactic is producing the greatest results. Even in the most challenging of situations, there is always an answer, a new way of doing things or simply a great idea. They have earned our trust, and they have done this by generating incredible results.”
Domenic Sgambelluri, iCapital
Domenic Sgambelluri, iCapital
