Ballou PR

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Founder & CRO of Shakers

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Shakers is the ecosystem that aligns what companies need with what tech professionals want for long-lasting projects.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ballou PR to accomplish?

• The goal was to establish the Shakers brand in key European markets as a strategic partner for both companies and freelancers, starting with the United Kingdom.

SOLUTION

How did you find Ballou PR?

Referral

Why did you select Ballou PR over others?

• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Ballou PR were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Ballou helped us turn our Series A announcement into a driver of sustained growth. Media coverage influenced 25% of all new business projects posted the following month. Beyond visibility, the campaign strengthened our credibility and accelerated our European expansion by firmly positioning Shakers as a distinctive voice in the Future of Work across Europe.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Traffic spiked +45% on announcement day, and website traffic remained 23% higher in the post-event period, with referral traffic up 73% and social traffic up 43%, as coverage continued to drive qualified audiences well after the launch. 

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

Ballou designed a PR strategy in the UK to turn short-term funding visibility into long-term reputation and momentum.

What was your primary form of communication with Ballou PR?

Virtual Meeting

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

This visibility translated into business impact: media presence contributed to influencing 25% of all new business projects published the following month. 

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

Being more proactive and innovative on proposing new topics for the months following the Series A announcement. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Head of Public Relations, Venture Markets of Staffbase

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Staffbase was founded in 2014 with the goal of equipping companies to reach frontline employees with engaging experiences — a key to impacting business success. More than 2200 enterprises later, we help the world's best organizations close the gap between strategy and execution by delivering trusted information, proactive communication, and AI-powered support to their entire workforce.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ballou PR to accomplish?

• Local Market Entry
• Establish Brand Awareness
• Executive Thought Leadership and Narrative Nuance

SOLUTION

How did you find Ballou PR?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select Ballou PR over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Ballou PR were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Ballou was retained to lead the strategic communications and PR efforts for our official entry into the French market. Their remit covers three main areas: 
Market Launch & Brand Positioning: Developing a localized messaging framework that establishes our brand as a leading, AI-powered employee experience platform within the French enterprise landscape.
Executive Thought Leadership: Building the public profile of our local leadership through high-level media placements, speaking opportunities, and byline articles in top-tier business and HR publications.
Data-Driven Storytelling: Executing media campaigns centered around our industry research and employee engagement studies to position us as experts in organizational transformation and internal communication.
Key Deliverables
Localized Strategic Messaging: A comprehensive PR framework tailored to the nuances of the French workplace.
Media Relations: Consistent outreach resulting in Tier-1 press coverage and interviews for our local spokespeople.
Content Creation: Expertly written bylines, press releases, and localized research reports.
Event Support: PR management and media briefing for major industry conferences and trade shows.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since partnering with Ballou, we have achieved several key milestones that demonstrate the success of our market entry. We successfully transitioned from zero brand presence in the French market to securing consistent, high-quality coverage in top-tier national business and trade press.
The agency successfully built a public profile for our local leadership, securing multiple profile interviews and bylined articles that have established us as a credible voice in the industry. We have also seen a measurable shift in how our brand is discussed in the market, moving from being viewed as a technical tool to a strategic partner for large-scale business transformation. Additionally, their support during major industry events was instrumental in driving high-intent media interest and ensuring our spokespeople were positioned alongside the most influential voices in the sector.

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

The project management from the Ballou team has been exceptional, as they operate less like a traditional vendor and more like a seamless extension of our own internal team. They are incredibly disciplined with deadlines and consistently provide high-quality deliverables on time, ranging from quick-turnaround announcements to complex, long-term thought leadership pieces. What truly stands out is their strategic agility and proactive communication; they are quick to pivot whenever our priorities shift and constantly bring fresh, localized media angles to the table that we hadn't yet considered. Our account leads are highly accessible and possess a sophisticated understanding of our industry, which makes the feedback loop efficient and ensures that our partnership is both highly productive and genuinely collaborative.

What was your primary form of communication with Ballou PR?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Beyond the results, they are simply fantastic people to work with. They have invested the time to move past a surface-level understanding of our industry to genuinely grasp our company’s specific goals, our unique voice, and the long-term vision we have for the market. They don’t just understand the nuances of the French enterprise landscape; they understand us. This deep alignment means they are able to represent our brand with total authenticity, making them a truly valued partner rather than just an agency. We genuinely enjoy our collaboration and feel they are as committed to our success as we are.

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

It is difficult to identify any specific areas for improvement, as the team has consistently met or exceeded our expectations. As our presence in France continues to grow, we are simply excited to see how we can further scale our efforts together. If anything, we look forward to exploring even more creative, large-scale activations as our local footprint expands, but in terms of their current performance and strategic delivery, we couldn't be more satisfied with the partnership.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Global Brand + Communications of Owl Labs

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Owl Labs builds intelligent and AI-driven video-conferencing hardware and software — best known for its 360-degree meeting cameras (the Meeting Owl) — that help remote and in-room participants collaborate more naturally.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Ballou PR to accomplish?

• Generate awareness of the Owl Labs brand in France
• Drive consideration opportunities through product coverage and reviews
• Align Owl Labs as an essential when it comes to effective hybrid work and align Owl with hybrid work trends

SOLUTION

How did you find Ballou PR?

An industry friendly

Why did you select Ballou PR over others?

• High ratings
• Referred to me
• Strategic

How many teammates from Ballou PR were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

Owl Labs has partnered with Ballou to build brand awareness in France and introduce new products through targeted media outreach. Ballou uses Owl Labs’ thought-leadership content, data, and insights to secure stories, bylines, reviews, and other coverage, building relationships with key outlets across IT, trade, tech, business, and HR media—including a major placement in Les Echos.

Key deliverables include product coverage, product reviews, State of Hybrid Work report coverage, smaller data report coverage, bylines, thought-leadership and commentary. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The ongoing project’s success is measured not only by the volume of media coverage secured, but also by the quality and relevance of the outlets. While total placements are an important KPI, equal emphasis is placed on securing coverage in publications that align with Owl Labs’ target audiences and business priorities, ensuring the right mix across IT, trade, tech, business, and HR media. This focus on both quantity and strategic fit demonstrates meaningful progress in brand visibility and market positioning.
 

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

They have demonstrated strong, collaborative project management throughout our engagement. We are incredibly collaborative; we maintain constant communication, with weekly meetings and daily check-ins to ensure our goals stay aligned. They are highly responsive to both my requests and the broader needs of the business, and are willing to pivot when the project requires it. Overall, they deliver items on time and continue to be a reliable, trustworthy partner.

What was your primary form of communication with Ballou PR?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

What stands out most is their strategic approach. They evaluate opportunities from multiple angles to deliver the strongest possible results, and their deep knowledge of the French market helps them understand when, where, and how stories, pitches, and narratives will resonate most effectively.

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

Ballou PR is a strong, strategic partner of Owl Labs and an extension of our brand in France. We are pleased with their efforts.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director of Alteryx, an AI-powered data analytics and automation platform that unifies data preparation, analysis, and decision intelligence to accelerate business outcomes at scale.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Ballou PR?

We needed help raising brand awareness in the French market.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Ballou PR pitches bylines to tech and business publications and gets interview opportunities for our executives.

What is the team composition?

We work with 3–5 teammates from Ballou PR.

How did you come to work with Ballou PR?

Our PR manager sent out an RFP, and we chose Ballou PR because of their price, expertise in our field, and EMEA network.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $50,000 with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in January 2023, and our engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Ballou PR has secured large PR coverage, and we measure the success of their work by the number of publications and reach. Overall, their work has increased our brand awareness.

How did Ballou PR perform from a project management standpoint?

Ballou PR is expert in their field and always delivers on time with tailored proposals. We communicate through weekly calls and emails.

What did you find most impressive about them?

The people at Ballou PR are truly their greatest asset. They bring a rare blend of professionalism, creativity, and deep market expertise that fosters trust and collaboration. From day one, their team has demonstrated strong industry knowledge and media relationships, a genuine understanding of our brand and messaging priorities, and a proactive, consultative approach that feels more like an extension of our internal team than an external agency. Their passion, adaptability, and client-first mindset make every interaction high-value.

Moreover, Ballou PR’s reactivity has been a game-changer. In a fast-paced, high-stakes communications landscape, their ability to respond quickly without compromising on quality is critical. Whether it’s seizing a timely media opportunity, adapting messaging on short notice, or managing press dynamics, they deliver with speed, precision, and a solutions-oriented attitude while consistently aligning with our timelines and goals. This level of responsiveness has enabled us to remain agile and competitive in the French market.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any.