Interprose specializes in working with B2B technology companies and industry associations to create and share compelling stories with global audiences through PR, social media and digital communications campaigns that fuel business growth.
The Issue
Measuring the impact of PR isn’t the most straightforward task, which can make convincing clients of its value a challenge. “PR doesn’t always fall into an essential cost,” says Vivian Kelly, Founder and CEO of Interprose. “We have to take that thing that is not measurable—because it’s an emotion, it’s an essence—and measure it.” For Interprose, the answer to the conundrum lies in providing clients with in-depth analytics, such as email open rates, media mentions, and share of voice, all neatly packaged in a strategic report.
With frequent mergers and acquisitions among media management and monitoring companies, PR agencies and communications professionals end up having to rely on multiple platforms to deliver sophisticated reporting to clients and their managers. Kelly and Cathy Palmen—President of Interprose—researched the market for a platform that would allow them to consolidate the different vendors they were working with.
As a sought after PR agency to technology companies, Kelly knew that whatever new solution they found, it would need to reflect the innovative spirit of the tech industry. “We’re always looking at new ways of doing things and cutting-edge practices for our clients, making sure we’ve got the latest tools and applications,” says Kelly.
The checklist of requirements for the new platform continued to grow. It needed to be innovative and integrated (no more jumping between vendors’ offerings), while still providing the same level of analytics as its predecessors. The final box to tick? “As a business owner, what you’re really investing in with a partner is relationships,” says Kelly. “At the end of the day, you’re choosing the people behind those solutions.”
The Solution
When a client signs on with Interprose, they get more than a consultant. Interprose becomes an extension of their team. It was important for Kelly and Palmen to find a like-minded vendor that would augment this extension, as dedicated to Interprose’s success as Interprose is to its clients. “There are a lot of PR companies that know how to build media lists and that know how to do outreach,” says Palmen. “In our industry, it’s always about the people and the expertise.”
Kelly and Palmen found the partner they were looking for in Agility PR Solutions. Interprose uses Agility Monitoring and Agility Outreach software, available through a single platform.
Changing tools requires a team to adapt, learn, and train on a new platform, and too often a vendor exits the scene when the contract is signed. Mirroring the dedication of Interprose with its clients, “The whole Agility team has been extremely responsive to our needs,” says Palmen. “Our Agility rep has been very attentive, joining our staff calls to manage training sessions and address individual questions.”
The new platform fits seamlessly into the Interprose methodology. When Interprose signs on a new client, they begin by researching the media outlets and analysts that cover that client’s specific space. They use the Agility media database to build targeted lists of journalists and outlets, and use the outreach function to send tailored emails and press releases to the selected contacts. The metrics on the platform allow them to see who has or has not opened an email, while Agility Monitoring provides daily reports on media coverage—a favorite feature of Palmen’s. She describes the tool as being intuitive with an easy user interface. “It’s much easier to get where you need to be.”
The Outcome
The Agility platform replaced two different tools from two different companies, which rectified inefficiencies, simplified the reporting process, and cut down on costs for Interprose. Adopting the Agility platform has allowed Interprose “to be more productive with our time while providing the intelligence that our clients are looking for,” which Palmen says includes delivering on the level of analytics and reporting their savvy clients require. “Are we more efficient?” she asks. “Yes.” Instead of going to multiple platforms to build a single report, the team can find everything they need on the Agility platform.
The team is especially enjoying the daily media coverage reports for clients, a service they did not receive previously. Once set up, the daily reports are automatic, drawing in relevant mentions from global media (including print and broadcast) based on selected keywords.
Out of curiosity, Palmen tested the accuracy of the platform’s monitoring capabilities to see “if we were close” when mentions from media sources came in other languages.
An announcement for one client received pick-up in several international media outlets. With a quick copy and paste into Google Translate, Palmen ascertained that the mentions were relevant. “It’s immeasurable the time it would take to find all of the coverage, globally especially, without that tool,” she says.
It’s not just the monitoring platform saving them time. One team member at Interprose built and delivered a priority email pitch in the last few hours before she headed out on vacation—all without having ever used the platform before. “Following a team training session she had found the platform to be intuitive and was able to get set up very quickly,” says Palmen.
Currently Interprose is working closely with Agility on fine tuning share of voice reports for their clients. “We’re all reporting upwards to the C-suite,” says Kelly. “Agility is making it easier for us. We’re making it easier for our clients. And they’re making it easier for their bosses to justify this expenditure. It’s all about the bottom line.”
