Red Fan Communications

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Manager of PR and Communications of a financial services company 

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

As a forward-thinking software provider, our company helps community and regional banks, as well as organizations worldwide, solve their customers’ needs through open and agile technologies. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Red Fan Communications to accomplish?

• Showcase the company’s organic and inorganic growth strategy
• Elevate us as one of the largest core banking providers in the U.S.
• Diversify our thought leadership bench & expand customer storytelling to showcase the company’s impact across the account holder lifecycl

SOLUTION

How did you find Red Fan Communications?

Referral

Why did you select Red Fan Communications over others?

• Great culture fit
• Company values aligned
• Strategic Advisory over transactions

How many teammates from Red Fan Communications were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The partnership has focused on reinforcing our reputation as a leading core provider with exceptional service, building market trust through our bench of expert thought leaders and customer advocates, and generating demand for its evolving digital solutions. Red Fan's ongoing scope of work has included: 

• Media relations: Press release development and distribution; monthly media outreach to fintech and banking trades; interview prep and management; real-time media monitoring and reporting. 
• Thought leadership: Custom platform development for several of our SMEs, including cross-channel application recommendations; byline development and placement; speaker proposal development and submissions. 
• Awards: Annual award research and calendar management; drafting and submitting for industry awards. 
• Customer storytelling: Conduct regular discovery efforts to uncover compelling customer success stories; leverage customer stories for select media relations campaigns and collaborative award submissions. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• 77% increase in targeted media mentions from FY22 to FY26 
•  
• 5 strategic acquisitions & transactions 
•  
• Delivered modern mission, vision, values to support company growth goals 
•  
• 4x winner or finalist for core banking innovation 
•  
• 4% increase in targeted SOV against core competitors 
•  
• 12 bylines written & placed on behalf of SMEs 
•  
• 2 customer-led award wins 

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

The Red Fan team was very organized and strategic throughout the course of our partnership. They acted as an extension of our team, nimbly responded to new project requests, frequently brought new ideas to the table, and always applied a strong quality assurance check to all deliverables. 

What was your primary form of communication with Red Fan Communications?

Virtual Meeting

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

When adding another company to your work family, it’s essential to ensure they feel welcome and free of any anxieties about their jobs, managers or benefits. Red Fan took the time to understand how the employees of our newly acquired companies perceived us and our vision. Then, they crafted the right messages and content that our executives and managers could consistently convey to all our employees and stakeholders. Their thoughtful approach to our M&A activities eliminated the potential for confusion while promoting our new combined strengths. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something Red Fan Communications could have done differently?

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the SVP Marketing of Fluence

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Fluence is a leading global provider of energy-efficient LED lighting solutions for commercial cannabis and food production.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Red Fan Communications to accomplish?

• Raise brand awareness in the growing cannabis industry and complex commercial agriculture market
• Reinforce Fluence's expertise in LED lighting technology and horticulture
• Increase share of voice against global competitors
• Diversify thought leadership strategy to include executives and SMEs in cultivation
• Support scaling marketing team through company acquisition

SOLUTION

How did you find Red Fan Communications?

Referral

Why did you select Red Fan Communications over others?

Referred to me

How many teammates from Red Fan Communications were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Red Fan has collaborated with Fluence in many ways. Primarily, they drive our media relations (including press release development and securing earned coverage) and speaker strategies. We also frequently collaborate on content development, including byline articles, advertorials and case studies. Red Fan supports me directly on internal communications and marketing strategy, and supported inventor relations communications through the company's acquisition by Signify in 2022. I meet frequently with their senior team and our other agency partners to create quarterly and annual campaign plans that drive brand awareness and a steady market share.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

1. Consistently lead in share of voice against cannabis and commercial agriculture competitors 
2. Steady cadence of press releases and earned coverage
3. 60%+ speaker placements at industry conferences YOY

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

Red Fan drives effective client meetings Delivers projects on-time and are responsive to planned and un-planned needs.

What was your primary form of communication with Red Fan Communications?

Virtual Meeting

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

Red Fan has been flexible and provided the ability to scale up and down with our company's needs while maintaining the highest level of quality engagement needed to achieve the outlined business goals.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Red Fan Communications could have done differently?

Not at this time.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Corporate Communications of Affinipay

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

The only digital solution tailored to specific industry verticals, AffiniPay, the parent company of LawPay, MyCase, CPACharge, CASEpeer and Docketwise, offers proprietary payment and legal case management technology that allows professionals to effortlessly accept client payments quickly and securely.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Red Fan Communications to accomplish?

• AffiniPay hired Red Fan Communications to strategically plan and execute the company’s acquisition announcement of San Diego-based legal practice management software company — MyCase.
• Given the pivotal acquisition, AffiniPay intended to leverage its partnership with Red Fan to gain media placements in top legal, financial and local publications.
• the team expected continued momentum in the form of elevated thought leadership and strengthened share of voice against key competitors.
• Shifting gears from the acquisition announcement, AffiniPay’s goals consisted of supporting the company’s announcement of a new chief marketing officer to round out the executive team.
• Affinipay's goal also consisted of proactively pitching company thought leaders and devising an awards strategy for both AffiniPay and MyCase to streamline applications.

SOLUTION

How did you find Red Fan Communications?

• Referral

Why did you select Red Fan Communications over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Red Fan Communications were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The main tenets of AffiniPay’s scope of work included media relations, thought leadership and executive positioning, awards, account management and reporting. A detailed list of deliverables can be found below: 

• Media Relations: 
  • Develop a media relations strategy and timeline of acquisition announcement media strategy and messaging including executive positioning for designated spokespeople. 
• Prepare all media relations related materials including: 
  • Press releases 
  • FAQs 
  • Spokesperson bios 
  • Fact sheets 
  • Positioning statements 
  • Pitches and custom media lists for local, regional trade and national media 
  • Interview/speaking engagement briefing materials 
  • Conduct proactive media relations outreach to local, regional, national business, technology, and industry trade media. 
  • Facilitate all activities related to BusinessWire distributions where appropriate. 
  • Collaborate with client marketing team to identify potential newsworthy story angles from the brand, industry insight, company and executive perspective. 
  • Facilitate media and influencer interviews with spokesperson preparation, staffing interviews, managing follow-up conversations and providing spokesperson feedback as needed. 
  • Monitor and provide insight on the media landscape for Client, relevant competitors and the industry news engine. 
  • Provide monthly reports outlining media coverage, metrics, and all media relations activities. 
• Thought Leadership & Executive Positioning: 
  • Introduce client executives as thought leaders through strategic media relations outreach and positioning. 
  • Benchmark and measure Client executives against industry peers and their key messaging points. 
  • Develop executive thought leadership positioning materials to be utilized for media relations, bylines, and/or corporate communications content needs. 
  • Materials include bios and messaging platforms. 
  • Identify earned byline opportunities for Client thought leaders, produce byline content relating to agreed upon thought leadership positioning and pitch relevant publications; limit two per quarter. 
  • Research, provide recommendations for, and submit Client to relevant speaking engagements and industry events, specifically pitching thought leaders as keynote speaker, panels, breakout sessions etc. on a quarterly basis; Red Fan to assist in any prep needed for event speaking opportunities. 
• Awards: 
  • Audit existing awards program and submissions. 
  • Research and develop list of award opportunities that highlight AffiniPay as an industry leader. 
  • Draft and submit up to 10 award applications during a 12-month contract. 
  • Facilitate requests for assets to support award submissions e.g. brand messaging, talking points for videos. 
• Account Management: 
  • Red Fan includes within its retainers a time allocation for meetings, phone calls and email communications to ensure our teams are communicating regularly and are informed throughout the campaign. If account management time exceeds allotted expectations, Red Fan will notify the client to determine the best balance between account management and campaign execution. 
• Reporting: 
  • Red Fan will provide monthly activity reports and ad hoc campaign reports to highlight metrics and results. 
  • Metrics may include but are not limited to: 
    • Total mentions over time 
    • Share of voice against key competitors or peers 
    • Social media amplification 
    • Key messaging and sentiment values 
    • Website referral traffic driven by news articles 
  • Red Fan maintains an ongoing master media portfolio for each client that records every press mention with date, tone/sentiment, link or printed publications when applicable, and media impressions.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

As a result of its partnership with Red Fan, AffiniPay gained 812 mentions and 2.8 billion aggregate readers in just three months during the acquisition time frame. Capitalizing on a strong start, AffiniPay earned the highest share of voice in the industry against legal practice management competitors as of January 2023. 

Further wins included an earned media placement for Dru in Legaltech News, Ana’s inclusion in an Austin Inno feature following her CMO announcement and MyCase’s recognition as a finalist for Legalweek’s Leaders In Tech Law Awards. As 2022 came to a close, Red Fan provided pertinent materials needed to inform planning for the first quarter of 2023 including a competitive analysis of AffiniPay vs. Clio, an updated media strategy and a comprehensive roadmap. 

Red Fan also revised its monitoring parameters to ensure cross-team alignment with the extended AffiniPay marketing team, resulting in an accurate assessment of AffiniPay’s share of voice and proving the company’s leadership in the legal tech space.

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

Red Fan Communications was a great partner for our company throughout our acquisition announcement and months afterward.

What was your primary form of communication with Red Fan Communications?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They were a great, agile agency with all the right tools and team members in place. They are flexible, smart, and rooted in strategy.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Red Fan Communications could have done differently?

None

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Versatile

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Versatile is a non-intrusive solution for collecting valuable job site production data that can help demobilize cranes earlier, avoid unnecessary overtime, and track and measure site productivity to get the most out of each and every crane pick.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Red Fan Communications to accomplish?

• We hired Red Fan to announce our $80 million Series B funding round. The round came just nine months after our Series A raise, and we were eager to showcase our continued momentum through a powerful funding announcement followed by a series of customer wins.
• Our goal was to highlight the worthiness of the Construction industry and make it a celebration for our current and future customers while also making our employees and investors shine and feel a sense of pride.

SOLUTION

How did you find Red Fan Communications?

Referral

Why did you select Red Fan Communications over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Red Fan Communications’s team?

6-10 Employees

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

Our scope of work was almost entirely focused on media relations given the importance of our funding announcement and raising our visibility to construction executives throughout the country. In our expanded agreement with Red Fan, we also contributed content development and award drafting to ensure our thought leaders were consistently recognized by industry programs and target publications.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Red Fan’s efforts earned feature strategic placements in nationally recognized publications including Forbes, Fortune, TechCrunch, Wired and Business Insider.
• It also yielded coverage in a critical share of construction industry publications such as Construction Dive, ForConstructionPros and Engineering-News Record.
• Versatile is positioned as an authority on the blossoming construction tech movement through insightful executive bylines and dozens of media placements. Following the Series B funding announcement, Versatile secured a 25% share of voice against competitors and generated 344 media mentions

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

The team was organized, timely and always kept us on-track via weekly emails, calls, coverage reporting and monthly metrics reports. We always knew where things stood and could count on their strong communication. You also get an earned media tracker updated in real-time, as well as a comprehensive monthly report, which was very helpful!

What was your primary form of communication with Red Fan Communications?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

Through Versatile’s Series B the announcement—one of the largest raises in the industry’s history—and subsequent campaigns highlighting our enterprise partnerships and thought leadership, Red Fan secured placements in Business Insider, Forbes and several key industry trades.

Beyond the impactful media placements, what impressed me the most was Red Fan’s ability to capture what we do and the nuance of the markets that we serve and elevated awareness for our company’s groundbreaking technology with revamped messaging aligned with our sales process.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Red Fan Communications could have done differently?

Ensuring we have clarity on every team member’s role—especially because Red Fan provided a fully dedicated team versus just assigning one account representative.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CEO of Fluence Bioengineering

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

We provide LED lighting solutions for cannabis and commercial agriculture growers.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Red Fan Communications to accomplish?

• Accelerate the company’s growth
• Maintain our well-respected brand
• Enable our sales team to acquire new business globally

SOLUTION

How did you find Red Fan Communications?

Referral

Why did you select Red Fan Communications over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

What was the size of Red Fan Communications’s team?

2-5 Employees

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

While our marketing team has engaged Red Fan for media relations, content development, speaking engagements and thought leadership, I have also tapped into the team for internal communications, crisis communications, social media positioning and communications consulting that has supported my journey as a CEO.

Specifically, I have worked closely with Red Fan founder and CEO Kathleen on numerous leadership initiatives within the company, including deep sales enablement exercises, crisis workshops, and personal professional development. Red Fan was also instrumental in guiding our internal and external communications strategies during our recent acquisition.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• Consistently dominate in share of voice against competitors
• Notable increase in media mentions year-over-year since beginning our partnership with Red Fan
• Invaluable brand equity

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

I have really appreciated Red Fan’s communications with me. They are highly responsive and proactive in protecting our brand. They are efficient with my time and I know I can always rely on them for input or strategy when called. All deliverables always arrived on time.

What was your primary form of communication with Red Fan Communications?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email
• Messaging App

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

Red Fan Communications' expertise spans well beyond traditional media relations services. I have personally witnessed the team handle scenario after scenario of marketing, sales, or organizational challenge with grace and grit. I consider them trusted advisors.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Red Fan Communications could have done differently?

Why couldn’t we have started working together sooner?

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Chief Marketing Officer

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Red Fan Communications, and what were your goals?

We were in need of both a brand launch and media relations campaign to connect with local and industry-specific audience.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We had a need for a group to work with on PR, messaging and media outreach. Our core values were centered around our location and wanted to partner with someone who knew Austin and the innovation corridor like their own backyard. During early interviews with firms, what specifically stood out about Red Fan was: Their team included Texas Film Commission veterans, so that pre-existing knowledge of the film industry in Texas carried a lot of weight. Additionally, they had previous work on real estate development & master planned community builds

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

Our scope of work included media relations, thought leadership positioning and community engagement. In addition, some additional crisis messaging was developed.

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

In addition to a dedicated team of three, Red Fan also ensured Hill Country Studios had access to the founder and VP of Client Success

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A main focus early on was to develop a media strategy around the public announcement of the Hill Country Studios' project - capturing any momentum that came from the initial release and avoid any pitfalls or backlash as it came up. On these objectives, Red Fan was successful in developing an effective media strategy & guiding appropriate messaging, strategically placing info in front of the proper audience at the right time.

A goal of ours with our media strategy was to highlight the value such a project would bring to the local community, the state of Texas, and the film industry as a whole. Feedback and interest the Hill Country team received from both industry participants and the local community reinforced that our messaging was having the desired effect.

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

Fantastic project management and the executive level leadership was ideal. The team dedicated just to us allowed us to meet the crew from top to bottom was great. I always knew there was somebody I could reach out to. Communication was always great, brief, no wasting time but always joviale.

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

I’d go back and touch on the size, scope of what Red Fan does along with ease of communication, dedicated team of experts that I truly knew the names and faces of who we worked with.

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

Dedicate even more in narrative development and spend time really leaning into the story development.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the head of marketing for a medical cannabis company. We provide legal medical cannabis to patients across Texas. I handle all strategic marketing campaigns and concepts, as well as marketing spend.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Red Fan Communications, and what were your goals?

We had a need for our brand and stories to be told through media outreach. Our marketing team was small and unable to accomplish this successfully. We needed a public relations pillar that could help drive business and ultimately increase revenue.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We were using another PR team and were not seeing great traction. We felt we would need a more professional, stronger and hardworking company to come in for the upcoming year. We have seen their work through another partner company and knew we had to work with them.

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

We are currently ongoing with this team. RedFan scheduled our first discovery call and was able to take off from there. They have provided us numerous press releases, content and copy for projects.

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

We work with about 4 team members full-time and when a special request or project arises, they may bring another knowledgeable team member in. This is one of the many reasons they are so great.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since we signed on with RedFan, our company and brand has been mentioned in outlets all over the state of Texas and through their media contacts and relationships, have helped increase Texas' awareness of a medical program as well as increase patient volume.

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

We have weekly meetings with our dedicated account team and each week provided an agenda prior to our meeting. The meetings are efficient, something important, and extremely helpful. We add on additional brainstorming and thought leadership meetings as necessary.

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

The most impressive thing about RedFan is their relatability. They learn your company and your brand to become the experts next to you. They are professional, prepared and always coming to the table with new ideas. Working with RedFan has been one of the best decisions I have made for our marketing team and the company as a whole.

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

No

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Techstars worldwide network helps entrepreneurs succeed. Founded in 2006, Techstars began with three simple ideas - entrepreneurs create a better future for everyone, collaboration drives innovation, and great ideas can come from anywhere. Now we are on a mission to enable every person on the planet to contribute to, and benefit from, the success of entrepreneurs.

In addition to operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, we do this by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities. Techstars has invested in more than 2,300 companies with a combined market cap of more than $204 billion. I serve as Techstars’ director of public relations, where I oversee all aspects of strategic communications and integrated marketing.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Red Fan Communications?

We partnered with Red Fan to generate awareness for Female Founders First, a program by Barclays and Techstars dedicated to helping female founders come together to network and learn and raise their profiles as they move their businesses forward. This two-fold effort required the Red Fan team to secure media coverage on behalf of the overall program as well as the 30 participating founders and their companies.

They also provided valuable training to the founders on media relations and brand positioning. The brand positioning training was contracted as one-on-one meetings with Red Fan founder Kathleen L. The Red Fan team provided an analysis of each founder’s competition and ownable white space prior to each training session.

What were your goals for this project?

PR for the founders and program; valuable mentorship for the founders

SOLUTION

How did you select Red Fan Communications?

I have worked with members of the Red Fan team in my previous roles.

Describe the project in detail.

Red Fan created a comprehensive 3-month media campaign designed to amplify our individual founders’ stories while also promoting the Female Founders First program overall. To accomplish this goal, Red Fan conducted custom outreach to a strategic list of media targets, including tier-one tech and business journalists as well as industry trade publications from VC to fintech to traditionally female-focused industries like fashion and beauty tech.

What was the team composition?

Our success with Red Fan was due to the efforts of many individuals from their team. Founder and CEO, Kathleen L., presented a series of group, small group and one-on-one media relations training sessions to the participating founders. Emma C., Teanna T. and Reagan C. developed and executed a stellar media relations campaign that ultimately earned the program media coverage, specifically a new Authority Magazine interview series inspired by the Female Founders First program as well as a strategic byline placements in Forbes and Fast Company.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The Female Founders First Programme held the highest share-of-voice, 48 percent, against other accelerators that were occurring around the same time. The Red Fan team secured coverage for many of the individual female founders, as well as coverage for the program as a whole. The program was established to help female founders improve access to networks and business advice.

Red Fan connected founders with journalists, expanding their networks while also meeting with founders one-on-one to give them the business advice they need to refine their go-to-market narratives. Red Fan also connected the founders with resources like trusted freelancers to help them scale their PR and marketing efforts.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Red Fan excelled at project management. There were many different parties involved in this project, including the Techstars and Barclays teams in addition to the 30 female founders. Red Fan nimbly adapted to each party’s work style and maintained clear and consistent communication throughout the project’s duration.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The senior level counsel was very insightful and the experience shared very valuable. I was most impressed by Red Fan’s ability to take an overarching goal and independently transform it into a plan of action with limited oversight. I was always 100% confident they were working diligently to accomplish our shared goals.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

A permanent capital investment company based in Austin, Texas. We focus on investments ranging from minority to control B2B SAAS companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Red Fan Communications?

We retained Red Fan to develop our market facing positioning, messaging, and "front page' to the world (our website). They've also worked on communicating our story to the media and telling our unique story with regards to our vehicle and our leadership.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to make sure that, in the time of the pandemic when our "front door" is our website and that the only way to "get out there" was online and storytelling, that we were actually getting out there and differentiating ourselves in the world of investments.

Red Fan figured out how to hold up a mirror and understand who we are and how to tell that story. Their work has figured in significantly to our go to market strategy as we focus on our story and differentiation.

SOLUTION

How did you select Red Fan Communications?

We interviewed a handful of PR professionals in Austin, but it was clear that Red Fan was the choice for us. The stellar leadership team has a ton of experience, and particularly and specifically in finance and in technology. It was clear they were the right partner for us and for our ambitions.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Red Fan did what I would consider the full suite - a series of interviews and deep dives to listen and understand, and truly hold a mirror up to our organization so we could understand who we are.

They coordinated our website refresh, our new copy and marketing materials, and more. They have also been instrumental in sharing our story when we announced new portfolio companies and making the most of those opportunities.

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with Red Fan leadership and had outstanding support from the account manager and content team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our website traffic has increased, we have gotten significantly more media hits than we have in the past, and we have a clear, unified message when we go to market.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Red Fan was as service-oriented as the business can be. We had access to the whole team when we needed it, by phone, email, or in person.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

This team is extremely professional and personable. They understand the internal dynamics of our company, and yet aren't afraid to offer their real opinions.

This is rare in service oriented business, but ultimately we retained them because we wanted their opinions, not just to say "yes" to what we wanted. If there was a better way, or if we weren't thinking about things the right way, they told us. This is a true partner.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I don't have any feedback in this arena at this time. Red Fan has saved us more times than one and we are grateful for the partnership.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

The Techstars worldwide network helps entrepreneurs succeed. Founded in 2006, Techstars began with three simple ideas - entrepreneurs create a better future for everyone, collaboration drives innovation, and great ideas can come from anywhere.

Now we are on a mission to enable every person on the planet to contribute to, and benefit from, the success of entrepreneurs. In addition to operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, we do this by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities.

Techstars has invested in more than 2,300 companies with a combined market cap of more than $193B. I am a Marketing Manager for our primary female founder and student founder programs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Red Fan Communications?

Techstars and our partner Barclays were in need of an efficient, effective, and highly responsive media/PR firm to help with the broad promotion of our Female Founders First program - and the 30 startups that participated in it.

What were your goals for this project?

• Secure interview opportunities and coverage in tier-one business, female-focused, technology and vertical outlets.
• 6+ Earned placements for comprehensive program.
• 4-6 Interview/commentary requests. (Including podcasts.)
• Boost media awareness for comprehensive program through globally distributed press release.

SOLUTION

How did you select Red Fan Communications?

Positive past experience with Techstars PR Director.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

• Generate media awareness of Female Founders First by Barclays and Techstars and secure media coverage of the 30 participating founders and their companies.
• Facilitate mutually-beneficial connections between participating founders and journalists/media outlets relevant to their industries.
• Build clear and consistent messaging that Barclays and Techstars can use to inform media conversations and eventual coverage.

What was the team composition?

We worked with many members of the Red Fan team - including all the way up to their President/CEO, Kathleen Lucente. In addition to the immense value she provided to the program and its participants, other standout team members included Emma Chase, Mimi Fernandez, Teanna Totten, and Reagan Costa.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

• External coverage included 10+ publications including FinExtra, American City Business Journals, Forbes, Authority Magazine, TechCrunch, FastCompany, and more. 50+ PR syndications with a total reach of nearly 60M.
• 18 One-on-one media/branding sessions with participants
• 5 Small group media/branding sessions

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The team dynamic between Techstars and Red Fan could not have been better. It was direct, open, and honest.

Their entire team was responsive and reasonable/understanding of the situation and delivered above and beyond what I think either Techstars or Barclays expected/hoped for.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

• They deftly navigated the challenging urgency and pressure applied by a corporate partner interested in near-immediate PR/media results.
• They provided exceptional value to program participating startups in terms of media and branding advice and counsel.
• They delivered.

Are there any areas for improvement?

NA