Payper

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of First Table, a restaurant discovery and booking platform that connects diners with top restaurants by offering off-peak reservations at 50% off food. We help venues fill seats and boost their online presence through targeted marketing and community engagement.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Payper?

We needed help running PR for First Table across New Zealand and Australia. The main goals were to build our profile as a homegrown tech success story, introduce Cappy as our new CEO, land strong coverage for our capital raise and international growth, and make sure we owned the narrative as new competition entered the New Zealand market. We also wanted a steady pipeline of data-led stories and thought leadership to keep First Table in the news between big announcements.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Payper runs our end-to-end PR across New Zealand and Australia. They started with a kickoff workshop and a tailored PR plan. Since then, they've taken on writing and pitching our press releases, including the CEO appointment, our capital raise (with separate New Zealand and Australian versions), Deloitte Fast 50, and a Michelin story for South Australia. They line up interviews and prepare detailed briefs and talking points for each one. Payper also handles reactive requests from journalists, drafts quick comments when we need to respond to industry news, and sends regular coverage reports. Additionally, they run strategy sessions with us, most recently a six-month workshop to plan the next 12 months of stories, including diner and restaurant surveys built on our own data.

What is the team composition?

We work with 2–5 teammates from Payper.

How did you come to work with Payper?

We found them through a referral. We chose them over other options because they were a great culture fit and had good value for the cost.

How much have you invested with them?

The amount we've invested is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2026, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The standout result has been our capital raise announcement. Payper secured five Tier 1 interviews for Cappy across New Zealand and Australia in a single week, including live TV on TVNZ Business Breakfast and Herald NOW, plus NBR, BusinessDesk, and Capital Brief, with coverage estimated to reach more than a million people. Other highlights include a Radio New Zealand Morning Report interview reaching around 350,000 listeners, a 1News segment, a profile in the Otago Daily Times, Deloitte Fast 50 coverage in the New Zealand Herald and BusinessDesk, and pickup in Australia from Mumbrella and Dynamic Business. In six months, we've gone from occasional coverage to a steady flow of positive, well-placed stories, and journalists now come to us for comment. We measure it mainly through Payper's coverage reporting on reach and placements. The bigger value for us has been credibility: strong, consistent coverage has helped with investors, restaurant partners, and recruitment. Payper's campaign report on the capital raise was something we could share straight with our board and investors. Qualitatively, we pay attention to the tone of the coverage, which has been consistently positive. Team morale is a real benefit too: we share every piece of coverage in a dedicated Slack channel, and it's great for our team across four countries to see the business celebrated in the media.

How did Payper perform from a project management standpoint?

Payper's project management is excellent. They work with us in a shared Slack channel, which keeps everything quick and transparent, and they always deliver on time. If anything is ever held up, it's us getting approvals back to them! They're also great at adapting when plans change. When the timing of our capital raise announcement needed to shift, they reworked the plan quickly. They also turn around TV interview requests the same day with clear briefs and talking points ready to go.

What did you find most impressive about them?

I'm impressed by how quickly they understood our business and how much they feel like part of our team. They're proactive with ideas, constantly finding new stories in our data. Payper is also candid with its advice, telling us honestly what's newsworthy, what isn't, and how likely a pitch is to land. They get both the tech and hospitality sides of what we do, which isn't common. Payper is a pleasure to work with, and I'd highly recommend them.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not much. Australia has been a tougher market to break into than New Zealand, so growing our coverage there is the main area we're focused on together for the next 12 months. Payper has been upfront about that and already has a plan, including city-by-city data stories, to help us get more traction there.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Evnex

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Evnex designs smart electric vehicle chargers for homes and businesses. Our mission is to make clean and affordable energy effortless for every home.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Payper to accomplish?

• Increase our brand awareness
• Improve our profile through thought leadership articles and media opportunities
• Provide introductions to media and journalists

SOLUTION

How did you find Payper?

Referral

Why did you select Payper over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Payper were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Payper provides Evnex with a monthly retainer with the following scope and pricing:

• Kickoff Workshop
• Tailored PR Plan
• 8 Communications Strategy Sessions / Year
• 8 Press Releases + Pitching / Year
• Media Training PDF Guide
• Discounted Success Fees – $499
• Priority Payper Support
• Photoshoot
• Videoshoot
• Company Press Kit (Updated Annually)
• Media Coverage Reporting
• Proactive News Opportunities Alerts

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Stronger brand awareness, demonstrated through increase branded search metrics
• Increased number of media opportunities, including print, radio and TV

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes. The team has always been organized and prompt to reply to any issues.

What was your primary form of communication with Payper?

• In-Person Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

• Well connected — Through Payper, we've been exposed to a significantly higher number of tier 1 media orgs, including 6pm TV news, than we otherwise would have been.
• Values alignment — The Payper team get a real kick out of working with businesses whose values align with their own. This means they really do put in the extra effort to make the partnership a success.
• Fun to work with — Lewis and Adrien are genuinely fun and positive guys, they are always stoked when media opportunities come up, and you can genuinely feel their excitement for the work.

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

I haven't needed to give anyone on the Payper team constructive feedback yet. I'm confident that if and when I do, it will be received professionally and acted on quickly.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of Geodde, an advertising and marketing company. We help B2B businesses using Webflow create content optimized for visibility in AI-powered search results.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Payper?

I wanted them to help promote my business for visibility to potential customers and to get backlinks and credibility for AI search.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Payper provides PR services for me, creating a story about my company launch and getting me featured very quickly in multiple publications.

What is the team composition?

We work with one teammate from Payper.

How did you come to work with Payper?

Someone referred Payper to me. I chose them over other options because they were a great culture fit, offered good value for the cost, and had company values aligned with mine.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in March 2026, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Payper has featured articles very quickly with minimal involvement from me. They’ve published three articles within a week. As a result of their work, we’ve seen a notable improvement in my brand authority on the web and AI search. We’ve tracked rankings and AI search mentions.

How did Payper perform from a project management standpoint?

Payper’s project management is very good and quick. We communicate with them through in-person meetings, virtual meetings, and emails or messaging apps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Payper’s culture fit, cost-effectiveness, and clarity on pricing and outcomes are impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing they need to improve.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Marketing of Cover

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Cover is a performance-led sports protection brand, engineered to deliver the highest standards of comfort, safety, and innovation.

Founded out of necessity and driven by purpose, we exist to revolutionise protective sports equipment. Our equipment is rigorously tested, scientifically validated, and professionally endorsed.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Payper to accomplish?

• Generate positive news media coverage for the launch of Cover, the world's strongest sports box
• Organise and co-ordinate a launch event to compel journalists to come and cover the story

SOLUTION

How did you find Payper?

Referral

Why did you select Payper over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from Payper were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Support the launch of Cover through media relations and communications.

Key objectives:

Build awareness of Cover at launch across New Zealand and key international markets
Secure high-quality media coverage across relevant sports, business, and mainstream publications
Position Cover as a new standard in cricket protection, anchored in performance, innovation, and athlete credibility
Develop and land a clear founder/product story to drive cut-through
Scope:

Media strategy and narrative development
Press release and key messaging
Media outreach and relationship management
Coordination of launch activity and follow-on coverage
Success looks like:

Strong national and international coverage across a range of publications
Credible third-party validation of the product and brand
Momentum and visibility in-market from day one
 
 
 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

1,878,000+ people reached

Coverage reaching people all over the world, not just in New Zealand

The launch of Cover successfully established early awareness and credibility for the brand across both domestic and international markets.

Through a focused media and communications approach, the campaign delivered strong visibility at launch, positioning Cover as a performance-led challenger in cricket protection.

Key outcomes:

28 media stories generated across national and international publications
Coverage spanning sports, business, and mainstream media
Clear articulation of the Cover story — innovation, performance, and athlete-led development
Strong early credibility through third-party validation
Momentum carried into market post-launch, supporting ongoing marketing activity
The campaign provided a solid foundation for Cover’s entry into market, with clear signals of interest from both media and the cricket community.
 
 
 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Payper were well organised, fast, and genuinely great to deal with throughout the project. They’re a friendly team, easy to work with, and kept things moving without unnecessary friction.

Timelines were clear from the outset and key deliverables were met on schedule — especially important around launch where timing was critical.

They were responsive and proactive — quick to turn things around, open to feedback, and adaptable as priorities shifted. Communication was consistent, and they maintained strong momentum across the campaign.

Overall, they delivered what was needed, when it was needed, and made the whole process straightforward.
 
 
 

What was your primary form of communication with Payper?

Virtual Meeting

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

What stood out most was how enjoyable and well-run the whole process was.

Lewis in particular made the project management seamless — clear, organised, and always on top of what needed to happen next. He kept things moving without overcomplicating anything, and made it easy for us to stay aligned throughout.

On top of that, the team were genuinely great to deal with — responsive, pragmatic, and just easy to work with. It made a typically stressful launch phase feel straightforward.

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

N/a