5WPR

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the Managing Director of a series A EdTech startup.

What challenge were you trying to address with 5WPR?

As a startup, we needed someone to help us build brand awareness and gain market share.

What was the scope of their involvement?

5WPR is our primary PR services firm and they help us connect with the press and gain visibility on a local, national, and international level. They get us placements on big sheet papers such as Time and The Wall Street Journal.

They’re a multi-faceted company that understands D2C, retail, and additional channels that help us maximize our reach. Some of their tasks include campaign strategy, influencer outreach, and product placement.

What is the team composition?

We work with the EVP, SVP, account director, and account manager.

How did you come to work with 5WPR?

We came across 5WPR through a referral.

How much have you invested with them?

We are on a monthly retainer and have invested over $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

Our ongoing engagement started in May 2020.

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

We measure the success based on SoV, our NPS score, and quality of media placements they secure. 5WPR is very versatile, so we’re able to reach all categories and channels we need. 

They have a dedicated team that’s incredibly organized, reliable, creative, resourceful, and available. They understand the fast-paced and frequently shifting priorities of an early-stage startup and navigate these with ease.

How did 5WPR perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re exceptionally detailed, reliable, responsive, and well-connected. The team has strong communication skills and we typically communicate through bi-weekly calls and emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

5WPR has an integrated and thoughtful PR approach that helps us drive results. Moreover, we’re impressed with their diligence and responsiveness to act as an extension of our brand, and ability to meet our objectives.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing they need to improve on.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I advise you to have open communication and make sure you’re clear about what you’re trying to achieve.

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are the leading digital media and promotions technology company for advertisers, retailers and consumers. Our omnichannel platform is powered by exclusive consumer spending data, location intelligence and purchase intent data to reach millions of shoppers daily and deliver measurable, incremental sales. I am the Senior Director of Corporate Marketing.

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

We hired 5W PR to lead the strategy and execution of our public relations. Our goals were to achieve high awareness through valuable exposure in relevant publications and conversations. In addition, we wanted to share the expertise of our team in the digital out-of-home space with honest and trustworthy content.

How did you select this vendor?

In a previous role at a different company I had already worked with 5W PR, with a team led by Jason H. and Sarah S., and had found them to be excellent. Therefore, this selection was very easy.

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

They began the process with a thorough exploration of our company goals and available assets and knowledge. They created a PR strategy to hit on those goals and mapped out the path both short and long term. Naturally, as things progress and evolve this strategy and execution adapted in order to always deliver the best possible outcome.

The deliverables included drafting and pitching press releases, promoting consumer surveys, securing expert byline placements, and most importantly developing close and valuable ongoing relationships with publications.

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

The team consisted of a Vice President, Associate Vice President, Senior Account Executive, Account Executive and Account Coordinator.

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

Since working with them, our B2B startup went from being a small company that not many knew about to being the main player in our space to being acquired by us in 2019. The exposure that 5W secured for us has been invaluable, which is a result of their carefully crafted strategy and excellent execution.

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

We hold weekly meetings to go over activities and they also send a weekly report on Monday that details accomplishments and priorities for that week. We have a live document to track coverage.

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

What I have found unique is the combination of their consistent strategy and spontaneous creativity. They are very resourceful, committed, and they continuously carve new paths to reach ambitious goals.

Their longstanding relationships with publications are a testament to the quality they provide and their priority of quality and long term value vs short term quick wins. The B2B space is challenging and they are masters of it.

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

The public relations space is rapidly changing and I was happy to work with a team that is prepared for the next evolution.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Chief Marketing Officer at Docupace - which means I oversee a lot: Content, Events, Marketing, Internal/External Communications, Strategy, Brand Awareness, Public Relations, Customer/Industry Insights and more.

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

Despite nearly 20 years in business and a well-established market position, Docupace did not have the best reputation and basically had no voice in the fintech/wealth management marketplace. We weren't demonstrating our expertise in the business, weren't providing insights, etc. My goal was simple, engage 5W PR to tell the world about all the great work the people at Docupace do every day.

How did you select this vendor?

With 15+ years in the financial services space and extensive public relations experience myself, I knew who the most common agencies were. However, Docupace already had a poor history of poor ROI when investing in PR. I narrowed my formal vetting list to 4 firms, then narrowed to 2 and 5W came out the clear choice. They had clearly listened to the vision I laid out when conducting due diligence and they proposed an engagement that aligned with it.

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

5W will support Docupace by working toward the following goals and objectives:

• Comprehensive PR and Messaging Strategy: Develop a PR plan that further elevates Docupace as a leading technology company built for the wealth management industry; increasing brand awareness among a variety of audiences (brokers, dealers, etc.) to penetrate new verticals (RIA); crystalizing points of difference from key competitors (i.e. IFD, Skience, Laserfische, BroadRidge); and expanding the company’s visibility.
   
• 24/7 Expert Counsel: Provide real-time insights and guidance surrounding messaging for company news, competitor moves, industry trends, company expansion, client wins, and opportunities in the news cycle Expand Media Relationships & Results: Connect Docupace with a broader range of top-tier technology, business, finance, vertical, and mainstream outlets, increasing both the quality and quantity of interviews and coverage.
   
• Amplify Thought Leadership & Exec Profiles: Develop a robust thought leadership program that elevates Docupace execs into relevant conversations and timely industry news.
   
• ​​​​​​​Highlight Company Growth & Innovation: Tell the company’s continued growth story within the wealth management space, highlighting Docupace’s ability to help companies grow productivity and profitability by automating the way front and back offices operate, communicate, and generate new business, while spotlighting a culture of product innovation company evolution, etc.

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

Core "hands-on" team was 6 people, ranging from Assistant Account Executive to Vice President.

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

Our engagement has been a smash hit from square one. It's only July and we have already achieved all of our PR/Media goals for 2021. Our web metrics (referrals, content engagement, organic search traffic) are all up. Here's a metric for you - Share of Voice (SOV) offers a competitive look at total mentions for Docupace amongst competitors.

At the beginning of 5W's campaign with Docupace, our industry SOV measured at <1%. In just two quarters (Q1 and Q2 2021), 5W was able to help us raise Docupace's media profile to a staggering 18% SOV against competitors.

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

Very hands on and strong project management. The Account Executives always communicate in advance and they have been responsive and flexible to any request I have of them. But what is most important, they have adopted my belief that we can have fun/enjoy our work and we'll be better for it. They have showed up with positive energy at every meeting and it's just a joy to work with them.

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

They were able to see the massive opportunity we had, just like I could. It takes courage to change market perception and turn what was considered "not exciting" into the story of the moment. They have shown no fear in trying different strategies. They also have always followed up post-effort to help us brainstorm how we can improve.

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

We had some changes in the support team due to some team members changing jobs/leaving 5W. I totally understand but our business is a little complicated and takes time to ramp up. But that's not a criticism, just a reality. The new team members on the account are just as wonderful as those we started out with.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior brand manager for the brand Essence Makeup, which is a subsidiary of a cosmetics company. We sell drugstore-priced cosmetics throughout the US and Canada.

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

We wanted to increase our sales in the US by increasing our brand awareness.

What was the scope of their involvement? 

We hired 5W Public Relations to be our PR firm and drive our US brand awareness. They operate on a monthly retainer, handling all of our relationships with key influences, key editors, and the press. They’ve done bigger, one-off campaigns, but we really rely on them for more of the day-to-day management of our US PR.

In terms of deliverables, they do press releases and influencer campaigns as well as helping us create PR send-outs. We normally do 4–5 bigger send-outs per year. The team also works with bloggers to make sure they’re talking about us.

What is the team composition? 

I work with Lauren (Associate VP), Todd (Senior Account Executive), and Elizabeth (Assistant Account Executive).

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

We were previously with another agency but wanted to switch to a new one. I wasn’t a part of the initial scouting, though I know we met 5W Public Relations through recommendations from other people we knew in the industry. Out of the 4–5 agencies we looked at, 5W Public Relations just seemed like they were the best fit for us because they had the most to bring to the table.

How much have you invested with them?

It’s normally between $100,000–$150,000 per year, but this year will be higher because we’re doing more promotions.

What is the status of this engagement?

The engagement started in January 2020, and we’re still working with them. 

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

Their work is outstanding — I can’t say enough good things about them. Compared to our previous agency, the level of service has been night and day. Our overall brand awareness has increased, and we’ve seen more press hits, impressions, and placements. They’ve also gotten us some TV placements that have led to direct sales increases that have been 10–15 times the daily average.

Even with all of the store closures in 2020 (our biggest US retailer was closed for almost eight weeks) and people not shopping as much in general, we still saw our sales increase by over 20% last year. In contrast, a majority of brands actually saw their sales decline. That just goes to show you some of the work 5W Public Relations has been doing and the positive results.

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

All the projects that we’ve initiated with them, from the day-to-day to the one-off campaigns, have always run incredibly smoothly. Everything is always on time and executed to an amazing standard, too. We have biweekly meetings and speak through Slack and email. If there’s an issue or if something comes up, their team has great communication. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their professionalism, results, and the overall ease of working with them are impressive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

That’s hard to say because we’ve been working with them during a pandemic. With how the last 18 months have gone, I don’t think there’s anything they could’ve improved on given the circumstances.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Sign them on immediately. I’ve worked with a couple of agencies in my career, and 5W Public Relations is, by far, the best one I’ve had the pleasure of working with.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the co-founder of a men’s golf and lifestyle brand focused on apparel and based in Austin, Texas. We will be getting into women’s garments in the spring of 2022, which a year from now will represent an expansion of our business in terms of going into women’s products as well.

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

We’re tied to a rather large celebrity, so we’re a celebrity brand as well. When having a name and likeness that can be leveraged, we have to be very, very careful in the way we do it because it’s not a normal set of circumstances.

We needed to invest some time in making sure that we had a PR engine that could help us pave the way and maneuver around certain unique situations that might arise both good and bad.

With all the things that can happen around the PR realm of things, we had to have someone that knew some tricks of the trade and could really help us get a better understanding of where we needed to focus our time on to get as much positive publicity as possible around our brand.

Our business started in 2016, so it’s relatively new. Even though we have a part of wholesale, we’re predominantly an e-commerce. Being pretty much a digitally based brand, we really needed to elevate the brand from the PR standpoint in as many outlets as possible to tell our story and explain what we were doing and why we were doing it.

5W Public Relations was a really good opportunity for us to work with because they come from a big market. They had already worked with a large clientele in big, medium, and small industries, and they were a really good fit for our brand.

What was the scope of their involvement?

One of the main engagements that we have with 5W is that, together, we come up with yearly plans to talk about how we’re going to embark on each quarter. They help us put a plan in place to talk about everything, from social media influence to some of the launches we do each season.

We have many storylines tied to our brand and the apparel that we create each season, with the two biggest ones being spring and fall. 5W helps us do a much more storytelling-focused way of doing marketing. We formulate a plan for each season and each year to attract the right customers and take the opportunity to get our brand out there.

Each quarter, we execute on the plan that they help us create around the major launches such as Father’s Day or the new spring season, for example. 5W helps us make sure that we’re not spending our time in areas that wouldn’t be the right fit for our business.

They’re also the ones at the front lines, and they attend to our customers’ requirements. If people want to know more about our brand, 5W answers their questions and provides them with as much information as possible, unless the issue needs to be attended to directly by me or my partner.

Some of our account representatives constantly try to pitch the ideas of what we do as a business. They attempt for us to get some media attention whether it is through interviews or gifting and seeding our products.

What is the team composition?

We started working with two people from 5W. Now, we have a team of five. We have a rather large account with them because, even with the pandemic, we’ve been growing at a fast rate, so we needed a team that could focus on different channels.

We have one person that focuses on the overall account, who is my point of contact. Below that person, we have account representatives, people focused on social media, and people focused on the editorial space.

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

We were introduced to the 5W’s CEO at an event. We picked up a conversation and went back and forth, and our interaction grew into a partnership.

We started working with more pieces of their team, and we really bonded with them. We built a good rapport, everyone got involved, and we realized very quickly that they were the right fit for us.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2020, and our engagement is ongoing.

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

We've measured our success based on the amount of publicity that we've gotten, as well as on how it has reflected on our sales and revenue increase throughout the time in which we've done certain campaigns with 5W.

The team is very open and honest, and they lay out very nice plans. On top of that, they also give us a very nice year-end review about what has transpired throughout the year.

Their CEO is very passionate about that review because they want to make sure that we rehire them. They not only give us the facts about our engagement, but they also look at them as to how they relate to how our next engagement is going to be.

So far, we’ve had great success with 5W. PR firms have a tough job, especially when working with a celebrity brand like ours — there’s always a lot to do. The publicity we get can be all across the board, and we need to know how to manage it.

5W has been fantastic to work with, and our success on the sales side can be attributable to what they’ve been a part of.

They’ve taken the time to sit with us and be patient in understanding what we need. They’ve done a really nice job on making their brand not feel separate from ours — we’re all in one at this point. 5W understands us and knows our passion.

They also give us really great ideas, and they’re always in a good mood. If they’re having a bad day, we wouldn’t know it because they constantly make us feel as if we're the best client.

For a brand that’s inspired by irreverence and fun like ours, 5W has been a great partner in helping us tell our unique story. The collaboration and creative exchange of ideas between our teams have enabled us to drive authentic coverage and engagement with our customers.

We have to listen to them as much as they listen to us — our engagement is just about collaboration. There are some things that we know that they don’t, and there are definitely some things that they know that we don't — they guide us, and they've been very good on the collaboration side.

We’re still a small brand with great potential, and 5W invested their time and billable hours with our company right out of the gate — they want to grow with us.

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

5W’s project management is fantastic, and it’s a reflection of them providing more than one person on the account. They send us reminders and keep everything updated to avoid letting things fall through the cracks.

We communicate via phone and email, and we also use Zoom and WebEx on the digital side. We work with their team weekly and have calls with them twice a month to check on where we are and how things are progressing.

They’re very responsive. I have a direct line of communication with the people that I need to get in touch with, and we also have our own email channel where, if I write an email, everyone gets copied on it — everyone is always fully aware of what’s going on.

What did you find most impressive about them?

5W’s level of professionalism has been awesome. They’ve done a very nice job with their communication, and they have the willingness to go for the challenges. They have gotten things done that they probably thought they didn’t have the ability to do until they tried for it.

Our business is moving so fast; seasons, publicity, sales, and accounts change, and we have to come up with more ideas and be willing to have a direct line of communication. We need to make sure that our ideas and thought processes are well researched and executed. 5W has done that very well — that’s one of their best qualities.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything 5W could improve on. If anything, I wish we had more time to collaborate, but it’s not feasible for any of our businesses. We always wonder if we’re doing enough and how it would be if there was a way to change and innovate our engagement with their team.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Trust the PR process and believe in the people that you’re working with. You need to be patient because working in the PR world is a little bit different; you’re trying to sway the general public into understanding who you are, what you are doing, and how you are doing it. If you’re going to make the investment, be sure that you build the rapport — it’s going to flourish and be much more exciting in the end.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the general manager of a consumer festival.

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.

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.

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.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.  

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.