The Mx Group Leverages Tropic's Platform & Procurement Services to Control Fast-Growing Costs

About The Mx Group

At The Mx Group, B2B marketing is a higher calling.

The Chicagoland-based agency is on a mission to deliver big impact for its diverse client base, which ranges from global giants like Cummins to fast-growing SaaS startups like Envoy. Each day more than 150 agency employees create innovative solutions for B2B clients in the areas of brand development, demand generation, content marketing, and digital experiences.

Mx Group was named B2B Marketing's Agency of the Year in 2022 and is the second-largest independent B2B agency in the U.S.

"SaaS was growing at 25% annually—and had become The Mx Group’s fourth-largest expense behind salaries, benefits, and rent."

Nathan Ulery

Former Chief Operating Officer

The Challenge

Because The Mx Group is rooted in all things digital, the company relies on a robust software tech stack to deliver quality projects for clients.

But the nature of agency work often leads to a complex software procurement process. A fast-paced market demands quick software acquisitions, and it becomes crucial to distinguish between software used for internal operations and client-related solutions.

Over the years, this complexity led to overlapping solutions, underutilized software, auto-renewals with minimal review, and ever-increasing tech costs.

In fact, according to Nathan Ulery, former COO at The Mx Group, SaaS had become the company’s fourth-largest expense behind salaries, benefits, and rent. The cost was growing more than 25% annually and showed no signs of slowing.

The agency needed a way to take control of software spending—fast.

So they turned to Tropic, a game-changer in the company’s journey to optimize SaaS procurement and purchasing.

Tropic's focus on rapid execution resonated deeply with The Mx Group's values. What set Tropic apart was its comprehensive procurement platform—designed to bring order to SaaS purchasing chaos—accompanied by expert negotiation services aimed at driving bottom-line savings.

Ulery and team saw benefits immediately.

"Within a few months working with Tropic, we’ve already been able to reduce our SaaS spend by 10 percent."

Nathan Ulery

Former Chief Operating Officer

For The Mx Group, the decision to partner with Tropic was about more than just cost savings.

Though reducing managed contracted spend by 10% within a few months was impressive, the qualitative benefits were equally impactful.

Tropic let The Mx Group's tech-savvy teams focus on what they do best—creating exceptional client experiences—while Tropic's experts handled the intricacies of software procurement.

Tropic's commitment to going the extra mile became evident when The Mx Group needed to expedite a significant contract with Zoom. Tropic's team quickly leveraged their Zoom expertise to negotiate an additional $20,000 in savings and more favorable terms.

Looking to the future, The Mx Group envisions an even stronger partnership with Tropic. They hope to expand Tropic's services to cover more spend categories and streamline processes further. With Tropic in their corner, The Mx Group is confident in optimizing their spend, allowing them to spend less time on manual work and more time investing in top talent and delivering even more impactful work for their clients.

The Mx Group sees Tropic as a true growth partner, facilitating their journey toward delivering impactful B2B marketing solutions for its clients.