5WPR

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Communications Manager for the leading sports and entertainment trading card and memorabilia manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 5W Public Relations, and what were your goals?

5WPR serves as our ongoing media relations partner.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

5WPR's experience and professionalism made the group an obvious choice as our media relations partner. They offer creative thinking and have a proven track record of success.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

The scope of work includes targeting top tier media to cover our brand's latest news, products and events. Though our media relations efforts are always on, we activate specifically around key dates and tentpole events for the organization.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

I work directly with the Vice President, Account Director, Account Supervisor and Assistant Account Executive. They each show a level of detail and care that is unmatched.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Since working with 5WPR, we have consistently received top tier media coverage, which has further amplified the brand and continued to position the brand as the leader in the industry. 5WPR has steadily increased the amount of media coverage for the brand and helped take our key activations to new levels. 5WPR has helped our brand's goal of reaching new and unique consumers through activating around tentpole events.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We have weekly or biweekly meetings with the 5WPR team, dependent upon the current initiatives. We also regularly communicate over email, and the 5WPR is attentive, responsive and detail oriented.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The ability to secure the appropriate media coverage for a unique industry is most impressive about 5WPR. It's not a matter of getting the brand's name in front of people, but the RIGHT people, which 5WPR has excelled in.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

"We are happy with the 5W Public Relations team's efforts and feel the partnership has been successful for us!"

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the VP of consumer engagement and ecommerce at DEMDACO and we produce small giftable products designed to lift the spirit in our buyer as well as those they are gifting to. We just started our D2C sales 2 1/2 years ago.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 5W Public Relations, and what were your goals?

Because the DEMDACO brand is relatively unknown we needed help getting the word out about both our brand and this campaign which was designed to focus on the Giving Bear - a plush bear that really goes above and beyond in providing comfort, joy, and a reminder that the person is cared for. Additionally, we wanted to donate part of the proceeds from the Giving Bear to Children's Mercy - a local children's hospital. The problem was we had very limited reach and a small budget for paid reach so we needed assistance in earned media to tell the public about our efforts.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We looked for top ranking PR agencies based on trade publication reviews and we had a small budget so the agency had to be willing to handle a mid-size company with a small budget.

Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.

We kicked off the campaign by presenting a full brand presentation to the agency and their team. We also shared out our digital assets and a deck featuring the Giving Bear so they could develop a strategy to reach the right media in time for the holidays - during a Covid year! Our goal was to increase top of funnel activity to our website and greater awareness of the DEMDACO product line in the consumer marketplace.

How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

We had five staff working on the project with us at any given time. Some had focus on influencer campaigns while other were pitching to media opportunities and communicating with us on sample product needed and timelines for delivery.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We saw a significant lift in top of funnel activity to the DEMDACO website as a result of the campaign and the Giving Bear/Giving collection achieved over 1MM in sales lift YOY as a result of the campaign. We also achieved the top of funnel goals for the website as well as over 100MM impressions from the campaign.

Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.

We communicated every week with the team on project status and the opportunities they were pitching from week to week as well as more long term opportunities. Individual projects, editorial and influencer vetting was done online throughout the week.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company? 

We loved how they worked as a team with us to develop the strategy.  They took their time to really understand our brand/mission and goals. They really worked to educate us on the process and to understand our brand so they fit us with the right media for the project.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Really enjoy working with them I highly recommend.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager of a consumer festival.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 5W Public Relations?

We were relaunching the festival in the US. There had been something back in 2009, 2010, and 2011. After Superstorm Sandy in 2012, the event didn’t happen anymore. Fast forward nine years when the company I worked for had a license agreement for this brand.

It’s a global brand that relaunched in 2019. No one knew about it and every single thing was done from scratch. We wanted to bring 8,000–10,000 attendees there in 2019 and we hired 5W Public Relations to help us with this project.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

5W Public Relations helped us get a few press announcements out in the wire to tell people we were having the event. They provided a full range of services such as planning and creation of media, and we pulled a box together and did a mailing campaign to influencers. 

During the campaign, they did media mail and they leveraged PR for us as much as they could. Before the event, we were on television on Fox and Friends and CBS This Morning and we had so much press happening at the events. They were interviewing our exhibitors and it was covered fully. 

What is the team composition?

Our main contact was Gina (Account Director). We also worked with Stephanie (Account Director) and Suejin (Senior Vice President Consumer Packaged Goods).

How did you come to work with 5W Public Relations?

Our marketing team did a Google search for food, beverage, and fashion PR companies, and 5W Public Relations came up. We went through a cold RFP process with them and two other companies. 

We chose them for a myriad of reasons, and not the least of which was their preparation when they pitched to us as well as just who they were. Their presentation was thorough. They had done more research than the other companies. 

When we met with them face-to-face in New York, we got to know more about their whole team and not just the team we were working with.

How much have you invested in them?

We spent was about $40,000; it might have been a little more.

What is the status of this engagement?

The initial partnership with them began in March 2019, and everything was completed in December 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

We couldn’t have been happier. With their help, we delivered more than 14,000 paid attendees. It was well over our goal of 8,000–10,000. It was almost too successful because we didn't want to run out of things and people waited in line, but it was the best problem to have.

The engagement with 5W Public Relations drove awareness. When we first started with them, we had about 14,000 unique hits on the website. By the time we had the show in November, we were over 81,000 for unique hits on the website, which is how you link to go register and pay to come to the event. 

The event was sold out and we had 9,800 preregistrations and 14,500 altogether. We had over 400 million media impressions. They brought 10 influence ambassadors to the show that had pushed about 80,000 of those 400 million impressions.

They really worked with us to help our exhibitors as they were promoting. We came up with really creative and wonderful things. They got us on TV 3–4 weeks before the event, which was perfect timing, and preregistrations and awareness increased after that. People wouldn’t know to go to the event if they didn’t hear about it.

There is an international chocolate day, and they created these beautiful boxes with chocolates in them and a little bottle of wine that went with the chocolate as well as a little personal note. These went out to editors and influencers and the number of hits on Instagram we got from that helped.

Because of their work, we were in People Magazine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living; exactly where you want to be if you were bringing in an audience of 25 to 65-year-old women.

How did 5W Public Relations perform from a project management standpoint?

Stephanie was responsible for managing us. Because of 5W Public Relations, I now send people emails that say I’m confirming receipt and I will get back to them, which they always did.

We didn’t use management software, but they kept us on track and got things out on time. They helped us drive what we needed to do. We communicated through email and phone.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They jumped in to learn about our business and who we were, and their follow-through was great. They were tremendously responsive. They understood the business model based on a similar event they had done, so they were able to pull from that and say what worked, which was very helpful. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

The onsite experience was less than we anticipated. It probably wasn’t really addressed in the brief, but I think we always thought that the pressroom at 5W Public Relations would make that happen. 

It’s okay that they didn’t and maybe that was part of my learning curve, and I don’t even know that we need it now that we have done it once. We kind of expected a lot of media on Saturday morning sampling chocolates and walking around talking to our exhibitors and we didn’t have that. 

By the end of the show, the exhibitors were very happy because we had the media and that is what I remember, but I do recall that we anticipated something on Saturday morning and that was a miscommunication between us and 5W Public Relations. It certainly wasn’t them dropping the ball.

They did exactly what we needed. They had to teach me along the way, and I learned a lot from them. They must have to do that a lot because my perception of it is different than what it actually was. What was delivered was way more than I ever expected.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Tell them what your pain points are, what you’re trying to accomplish and what hasn’t worked before because that will help them. The team does a great job of developing a relationship and partnership, which is what I recommend other people consider as well.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CMO of a health and wellness company focused on moms and babies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 5W Public Relations?

We work with them to help grow brand awareness and drive awareness around product launches to increase sales.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

5W’s work revolves around media relations, working as a touchpoint for our targeted media in the health and wellness space. Their team helps us with ongoing media outreach to editors as well as developing editorial calendars and story ideas. When we launch products, they help with creative campaigns to place our product in front of the media. 5W is an extension of our team, so we work collaboratively to get in front of the media in creative ways.

What is the team composition?

We have a team of about four core people, including an account lead and a media specialist. However, the 5W team is larger than that.

How did you come to work with 5W Public Relations?

Our business is specific in that it’s CPG in the mom and baby space. I knew that 5W worked with other top-tier CPG mom and baby companies. It was important for us to have a vendor with that experience and those relationships. We also wanted a national agency of record, not just a smaller boutique agency.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working with them since 2017.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The goal of our partnership is to increase sales and brand awareness, which is hard to measure. We continue to grow the business and be successful. PR and communications are part of that strategy. When we started the company 15 years ago, there were fewer people in our space. Over the last five years, we started to face a lot more competition. 5W is invaluable in helping us stay front of mind.

How did 5W Public Relations perform from a project management standpoint?

From a project management standpoint, they’re outstanding. We communicate via email and phone. Agencies tend to bring out the big dogs only for the pitch and the first months. That’s not the case with 5W. They continue to provide strategic, senior counsel.

Their team goes above and beyond to answer the questions at hand. For example, we intended to have a media round table event in person prior to COVID-19. After COVID-19 hit, they led the efforts to transition the event to a Zoom, virtual roundtable. We had a lot of questions, and their team went to Zoom, which didn’t have the answers. 5W found solutions for Zoom to make this event happen.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their level of service, thoughtfulness, and communication distinguish them from their competition. They’re always at the ready. We once had an emergency arise way after hours. My account lead was simply a phone call away. I called her cell phone, and she was on the phone with me for the next four hours helping resolve the situation. I also love that they’re extremely collaborative. Everyone on their team is a rockstar.

Are there any areas they could improve?

The world of PR is challenging. They just need to continue to be a leader in their space.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

It’s key to have a strong line of communication. Have regular check-ins and be actively involved in the account. They make that easy because they’re great communicators. Take advantage of their collaborative nature. You can come to them with an idea, and they will help you build on it.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder and the COO of ixLayer, a diagnostic testing and explanation platform. It’s a cloud solution that enables organizations to test or vaccinate their members.  

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 5W Public Relations?

We’re a fast-growing startup with several enterprise and government clients, but we didn’t have much PR activity. We wrote a couple of press releases ourselves, but we didn’t get much traction. We needed a PR agency to help us expand our outreach.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We met with 5W Public Relations and provided them with a detailed understanding of what we do and who our clients are. Once they understood that, they started reaching out to media outlets.

What is the team composition?

We work with a dedicated project lead, but we work with 3–4 people in total.

How did you come to work with 5W Public Relations?

Another company recommended them to us. 5W Public Relations is a medium-sized firm, so they had a bigger team and could conduct more outreach than other firms we talked to, but they could still give our project more attention.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $50,000–$100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started the contract in October 2020 and it’s ongoing. We have a six-month contract with them but plan to extend it as we continue expanding our outreach.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

5W Public Relations has been very helpful in creating a message and reaching out to expand our media reach. We’re addressing some of the biggest challenges of the pandemic — namely testing and vaccination. Since there is a huge demand right now, it’s difficult for us to stand out in the market. Even so, we’re happy with the results we’re seeing from 5W Public Relations.

How did 5W Public Relations perform from a project management standpoint?

At the beginning of the project, we met daily. Now we have weekly meetings with all of the members of the team, and another weekly call solely with their project manager.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve been impressed by their responsiveness. We asked them to move faster in one particular area, and they responded immediately with the necessary changes.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing specific.

Do you have any advice for future clients of theirs?

They do what they can, but the work on the client’s side is just as important. New clients need to do their homework. If they can’t provide 5W Public Relations with what they need, they won’t get the outcome they want.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a fine wine import company representing premium and ultra-premium wine estates.

We represent over ten world-renowned wineries throughout the United States including Santa Margherita, Ca' del Bosco, Kettmeir, Lamole di Lamole, Sassoregale, Torresella, Feudo Zirtari, Fattoria Sardi, Cà Maiol, Masi, and Cantina Mesa.

The wine portfolio is a dynamic and diverse mosaic of Italy's finest wine regions including the Veneto, Alto Adige, Franciacorta, Lugana, Tuscany, Sardinia, and Sicily. I am the VP Marketing for the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 5W Public Relations?

5W is our agency of record for the Santa Margherita brand.

What were your goals for this project?

Our ongoing Public Relations goal for the brand is to ensure we stay relevant and top of mind for our consumers throughout a diverse and respected collection of media and mediums.

SOLUTION

How did you select 5W Public Relations?

When searching for our PR agency of record, we searched for an agency that was relevant, renowned, and had a comparable approach to our overall business.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Ongoing Media Relations Press Relations. Event publicity and management Celebrity & Influencer management and outreach

What was the team composition?

We work closely with our account management team, and from time to time utilize the resources of senior leadership.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We consistently achieve strong numbers year over year.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We have a positive ongoing relationship with the 5W team that has been built over our 6 years together. Our team's understanding of each other's overall goals makes the successes seem relatively seamless.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team has a strong ideation philosophy and consistently present unique opportunities for us to speak to relevant and current events in the market place.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We are pleased with the results delivered from this ongoing relationship. Of course, there are always areas to improve but for the most part, we are satisfied.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the marketing director for Black Button Distilling. Communications planning is part of my responsibilities. Our goal this year was to expand our awareness from local to national and increase sales by over 30% through a mix of paid, earned and owned marketing efforts.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire 5W Public Relations?

We hired 5W to assist in building Black Button Distilling's reputation and credibility on a national level. Projects included a national PR campaign highlighting our key products, FET tax support and our founders leadership. In addition, 5W was tasked with creating an influencer campaign targeting both micro and mid-level influencers in the spirits industry.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goals were to increase awareness and reputation on a national level and grow e-commerce sales correspondingly.

SOLUTION

How did you select 5W Public Relations?

We conducted a national search of PR agencies known for their work in the spirits industry. Of the four invited PR agencies, 5W demonstrated the strongest market insights and most creative PR strategy direction. It is clear they did their homework regarding our needs and provided a plan that would separate us from our competition.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

After selection was made, 5W provided an in-depth marketing plan that laid out the direction for the remaining months. We meet biweekly to report on progress and discuss the plans moving forward. When needed 5W moves quickly to produce press releases on pertinent industry issues.

Most recently 5W turned around a press release in less than 6 hours for an FET tax issue that was vexing our industry. Additionally, 5W is active in reaching out to editors introducing them to our products.

In less than 4 months, 5W made over 50 industry contacts, producing a significant amount of industry press. They also developed a 5 person influencer campaign that generated over 48K interactions.

What was the team composition?

5W has four direct contacts working for us. Each person has a role and all are responsive to our needs.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

See comments above. This year, in addition to the PR press impact and the influencer success, our business has grown by over 200% in the e-commerce arena. We know much of this is due to the PR and influencer buzz that 5W has generated.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

5W is extremely responsive to our needs. Our team has never had to wait more than 1 or 2 for a response. This I feel is one of their greatest strengths.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their passion and desire to make us succeed is what we find most impressive about 5W. They have all the big PR influence, but work with us on an intimate level that is fast, personable and responsive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Most of our meetings are over conference call, having a zoom-type meeting every now and then would be helpful in creating better team connections.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing at a small kitchen appliance manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenges were you trying to address with 5W Public Relations?

We hired them to secure press for our company.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They secure organic press coverage for us with publications like Buzzfeed and People. They’re the primary point of contact for these media outlets, so they act as an extension of our team. We discuss what priority products we’re pitching and what specific angles we’re looking to capture. From there, they handle outreach and act as a liaison between the media outlets and us.  

What is the team composition?

We work with Rachel (Assistant Account Executive), Julia (Sr Account Executive), Marijana (VP Consumer Packaged Goods), and Dara (President). 

How did you come to work with 5W Public Relations?

I found them when I was doing some research on PR firms in the New York and New Jersey area. They’re an award-winning agency, and they presented themselves far better than their competitors. They’ve also worked with clients similar to us. 

How much have you invested in them?

We’ve spent close to $150,000 so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in October 2019, and our relationship is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They send us reporting on how many users our articles are reaching and how many people are searching for our products. We also did some sales tracking on Amazon. For example, one of our air fryers was featured in People Magazine. The day after that piece was published, we saw an influx in sales. Their services have had a positive impact on our business. 

How did 5W Public Relations perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re in constant contact with us and always asked questions when needed. They’re highly communicative. We don’t have many harsh deadlines, but we haven’t had problems with delays. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their ability to work independently is impressive. They take the initiative and don’t need a lot of guidance or hand-holding. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I hope they’ll continue to work hard to pitch more top-tier media outlets on our products. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers? 

Don’t be afraid to ask them to share or modify reports. It’s also helpful to track documentation and communicate in real-time. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the director of marketing for a snack manufacturer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 5W Public Relations?

We were utilizing their PR services. We worked with them for about two years to gain features in major publications and to manage all of our PR needs.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

At the time we started work with 5W, we had been working with a different PR agency. When we made the switch, it became clear right away they had a lot of connections and were very well networked. 

The team focused in on our demographic, created our press kit, and did all the outreach. They held meetings, handled communications with editors, and managed our press shipments if we were sending anything special to them. 

5W directed us on what we needed to provide in order to impress editors, and they worked with us to gift packages when we were doing a new launch. They also tracked all of our media mentions.

What is the team composition?

We worked with about four or five people.

How did you come to work with 5W Public Relations?

We researched several different agencies, and narrowed it down to a select few to have in-depth conversations with. 5W was one of our top picks. We liked them because they had experience with health and wellness brands, so they were familiar with the space. We also felt like we were getting good press and publicity for the pricing. 

How much have you invested with them?

We spent between close to $100,000 per year.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from January 2017–March 2019. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Working with 5W, we saw a very large scale uptick in placements in mainstream publications. It can be difficult to track success when it comes to PR, but in terms of both the rate and the scale of the features we were getting, we were very pleased. 

We really loved working with them. 5W always did a great job, was very professional, and was very well-connected. They made it easy to work with them. The only reason we stopped working with them was due to budget concerns.

How did 5W Public Relations perform from a project management standpoint?

5W was great. They were really on top of everything and always quick to respond. We had biweekly calls with them, and everything was kept very well coordinated and organized. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The bottom line was to get the placements we wanted in the publications we wanted, and 5W was able to provide those very quickly. The team just seemed to have the right strategy in the sense that these placements seemed easy for them to get. We were also impressed with their level of professionalism. Our partnership was seamless.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think so. We were very happy with the work they did.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Be clear about your goals and make sure you’re communicating well with them, so they know what you’re trying to accomplish. Don’t hesitate to take their advice, guidance, and consideration, and incorporate that into your strategy.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Hurom is a premium juicer brand, primarily selling on e-commerce direct-to-consumer. I’m a brand manager there.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with 5W Public Relations?

The juicer category is small, but it’s also very saturated with a lot of different brands. With 5W, we work to position our brand at the top of the industry.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Our SoW with them mainly contained media outreach. We strategize together in terms of what models we want to promote the most and when our biggest marketing periods are throughout the year. 

Once we have those out, our 5W team will pitch our product and media messaging angle to the editors we want to target. 

What is the team composition?

On any given project, I’ll be working with five or six people at 5W: one SVP, one VP, one senior account executive, one executive, and one or two more junior roles.

How did you come to work with 5W Public Relations?

We were researching top PR firms within the specialty kitchen appliances category, and we learned about them through another big kitchen appliance brand we were benchmarking. 

We approached 5W first and requested a proposal. Compared to their competitors, we really liked their approach. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $500,000 over the course of our partnership with 5W.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2016. We renew our partnership on a yearly basis.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We’re usually able to get really great coverage and great pieces written on our products. One of the key metrics we’re always trying to monitor with our peer services is the number of unique visitors or unique impressions on a piece. We’re also concerned with how much traction we’re getting from our media coverage in terms of website traffic and sales. All of our metrics have been above industry average.

Another piece that’s really important to me is that I can rely on them. At this point, they’re almost like an extended part of our internal marketing team, because we’re able to communicate very transparently. That’s been helpful in making and keeping this long-term partnership. 

How did 5W Public Relations perform from a project management standpoint?

5W is best in class. There’s never a moment when something is unclear. Everything from start to finish is streamlined with really clear deadlines and action items. It’s really helpful for me to understand how our projects are moving along.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a sense of trustworthiness: without it, we wouldn’t have such a long term partnership with them. We’re able to rely really heavily on the team. They’re one of our most trusted business partners. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

They’re such a top agency, their fees can be on the higher end as well. Other than that, I can’t think of anything.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Having a designated marketing person to be 5W’s counterpart would be most effective, rather than assigning someone whose main focus isn’t PR work. Having someone experienced and well-seasoned in the PR and marketing landscape would be helpful in getting the most out of 5W’s work.