Jones Social & PR

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

Speaker A: I am a fitness expert. My husband is a beauty expert and a hair specialist. We have a business which combines my fitness expertise with his beauty and hair styling skills. We're a one-stop beauty body shop for transformations.

We are the owners of the business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Jones Social PR?

Speaker A: We starred in the third season of Bravo's Newlyweds. Our PR initiatives revolved around getting the word out for our Newlyweds show, which was about taking America into the first year of our married life. As one of the first gay married couples on TV, we were some of the first people to take America on a tour of what same-sex marriage looks like.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Speaker B: Jones Social PR was in charge of the press for our show, thus furthering our own brand. Because of the theme of the show, Jones Social PR's work was unique in the sense that they were not only doing PR for it, but also for our beauty and fitness brand, including our products and services.

We premiered Workout's a Drag, which is a fitness DVD featuring an at-home exercise program utilizing the entertainment of drag queens. This was the main focus of Jones Social PR in terms of what we were able to offer, product-wise, with the airing of the Newlyweds show.

Our social effort is separated into our different focuses, namely beauty and fitness, but we also run fitandphab.com.

How did you come to work with Jones Social PR?

Speaker A: I knew of Nicole Wool, Jones Social PR's Chief Executive Officer, from my first Bravo show intervention. She had represented a co-host of mine, and I knew how well she did for them. Jones Social PR is one of the few agencies with the specialty of fitness, wellness, and beauty. That client was also a part of the LGBT community, with which Jones Social PR had been quite involved with in the past.

Speaker B: Jones Social PR handled this with a certain sensitivity at a professional and personal level, which we found to be essential, given all that's happening in the world.

How much have you invested with Jones Social PR?

Speaker A: PR varies depending on what is to come, in terms of promotional events. At this point, the ballpark figure which we're willing to spend on PR is anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

Speaker A: We have been working with Jones Social PR for 6 months. We have no plans to stop the collaboration.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

Speaker A: Jones Social PR's work has definitely been successful, not only in producing tangible TV and print appearances, but also in terms of the feedback which we've gotten from the people that Jones Social PR reached out to. Knowing about any resistance that Jones Social PR met along the way has been very helpful for us, personally and professionally, in helping us guide our business.

One of the great things that Jones Social PR did for us was to help build relationships. Almost 90% of the people that Jones Social PR introduced us to, have stayed in touch for additional press exposure. People have told us that Jones Social PR is one of the most professional agencies which they've seen, which is important in influencing their decision to continue working with us. Jones Social PR's effort goes beyond press contacts. We have appeared on multiple channels, and on multiple occasions with the same person.

The general feed-back which we've gotten from these press outlets is that they loved working with our PR team, and that they found them to be professional and very thorough. Jones Social PR has been able to establish wonderful relationships for us, past the first introduction.

How did Jones Social PR perform from a project management standpoint?

Speaker A: Jones Social PR's accessibility is wonderful. They've gotten back to us immediately and are there through any situation. There is no guessing work. Jones Social PR communicated and informed us of all of their efforts. This feedback can sometimes be hard to hear, but it's definitely helpful if we're trying to grow our business and products.

What did you find most impressive about Jones Social PR?

Speaker B: We always know where we're at with Jones Social PR. They let us know what channels they've reached out to, as well as what our progress is.

Are there any areas Jones Social PR could improve?

Speaker A: Most PR firms need to create a family environment which would allow us to utilize each other's strengths and talent. It would be nice to have the ability to meet other clients of theirs, and see if we could build personal and professional relationships, as well as making cross-promoting efforts.

What tips or recommendations could you share that might increase the likelihood of success with Jones Social PR?

Speaker B: My advice would be for any client to outline what their intentions are, communicating a detailed list of goals and expectations. This will give the PR firm a chance to communicate what they can actually execute for the client.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

We were established in 1980. We are a multi-faceted company, specializing in all areas of sports photography, from live action to events. We also handle entertainment events, working with teams in the Los Angeles area.

I am the president and owner of the company. I am also the longest-tenured official photographer for the NBA, entering my 35th season. I wear the hat of director of photography for the Staples Center and Microsoft Theater.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Jones Social & PR?

I'm an old-school guy, having grown up in the pre-digital era. I don't know of any photographers from my generation who had publicists, but as the digital era took form and social media became relevant, I started to get asked for appearances on radio and TV, as well as print interviews. It was too self-serving for me to handle this myself and I also needed a quality publicist, who would be connected to the world of sports and media in general, and who could help me develop a strategy. They needed to be easy to work with, responsive, and generally good people.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Jones Social & PR is our PR agency. They help promote our company brand, as well as my personal services. Jones Social & PR has been instrumental in helping me enter the world of live interviews, giving me appearances for national and local radio and TV programs, as well as creating stories about my own activity and that of my company. Jones Social & PR is our publicist, and they're doing a tremendous job.

Jones Social & PR has mostly provided traditional PR work. In this day and age, this doesn't have the same meaning as it did a long time ago, when I first started out. Our activity crosses over into social media, which Jones Social & PR assists us with. They've helped us develop a strategy and maintain it, constantly monitoring the social media world and ensuring that we're relevant. I have an in-house person that handles this as well, but Jones Social & PR set up a direction for our social media presence, as well as educating us in terms of strategy and general emphasis.

How did you come to work with Jones Social & PR?

There are many publicists in LA. I did some research and was referred to Jones Social & PR. We had a great initial media and they knew exactly what the focus points should be for me. Jones Social & PR had some great answers and suggestions, so we gave it a go. It's been nothing but a great marriage since the beginning. Jones Social & PR's owner has been incredibly responsive and helpful. I can't thank them enough for helping me and my company.

What is the status of this engagement?

We have an ongoing relationship with Jones Social & PR. There are things to do all the time, for which we call on Jones Social & PR's team. They're very reactive to developments in our field. When things become slow, Jones Social & PR is able to generate interest, keeping the ball rolling.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?

I don't deal with analytics. What matters to me is the number of interview requests I receive, either around a certain project or about me personally and my career. Statistics are definitely the lifeblood of Jones Social & PR's activity, but I base results on how responsive they've been on getting the word out, if I receive enough calls, and if my business is moving forward because of the work being done by Jones Social & PR. The answer to all of these questions is yes, so I've continued working with Jones Social & PR.

How did Jones Social & PR perform from a project management standpoint?

Jones Social & PR understood what my vision was and helped me develop a strategy. This is a unique quality for a publicist in LA, at least from my experience.

What did you find most impressive about Jones Social & PR?

I've based my whole career as a commercial and sports photographer on maintaining and developing relationships. Some clients have been working with me for over 30 years. Forming a relationship with the people I work with was an important factor for me. This includes employees, interns, clients, as well as the people that I pay in order to keep my business afloat: my lawyer and my accountant have been working with me for over 20 years. When looking for a publicist, I was looking for the same fit, instead of a one-off deal.

When I met with Jones Social & PR, I knew after our initial meeting that they were the right fit. I feel that I found the right one, and meeting the Jones Social & PR team solidified this opinion. They are a reflection of Lauren Jones, who is dynamic, well-connected, and extremely professional, as well as a great person.

Are there any areas Jones Social & PR could improve?

No, there isn't. I might have discussed certain media contacts with Jones Social & PR, which they weren't familiar with, but this is part of the give-and-take between client and publicist. My world is a sort of all-boys'-network, so I needed to share my contact list with Jones Social & PR. This is not a criticism in any way, shape, or form. It was great working together with Jones Social & PR towards a common goal. Being open about our collaboration was another thing that I appreciated about Jones Social & PR. They never tried to shove something down my throat.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a personal management company in Los Angeles.

What is your position?

I am the senior manager of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Jones Social PR?

I have a celebrity client who licenses her name for retail branding. Jones Social PR worked with us in order to build her social media presence.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Because numbers mean very much in today's social media market in terms of sales and endorsements, Jones Social PR worked on building my client's Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook followers and on getting placements for specific products on those platforms.

Jones Social PR assigned a staff that worked with the celebrity client's team. A senior person at the company oversaw everything, and we had a day-to-day point of contact. There were weekly postings, suggestions for postings, and so on. Overall, there was a lot of contact with my office and with the client. We felt that the project was done purposefully and that we were never lost in the fray. There was a daily relationship between our companies.

How did you come to work with Jones Social PR?

They were suggested to me by the manufacturer of one of the products that we sold. We met with three other candidates and weighed them against each other, ultimately deciding that Jones Social PR was the best one for our objective.

What is the status of this engagement?

We had a six-month agreement with Jones Social PR and reached our objective within that time. We are on hiatus at the moment, but we plan to work with them again. Our work concluded four months ago, at the end of 2015.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

They doubled and sometimes even tripped the client's numbers. Jones Social PR was very effective in getting the word out about our product and helped us with graphics and images. Everything that we wanted came through.

How did Jones Social PR perform from a project management standpoint?

The collaboration was personal – with a boutique feeling.

What distinguishes Jones Social PR from other providers?

We had a personal relationship. I never felt that I was working with a PR company with a staff of 100 and that our account was palmed off to someone.

Is there anything Jones Social PR could have improved or done differently?

No. They fulfilled everything that they promised to carry out. I maintain a relationship with Lauren Jones [president of Jones Social PR], and we will work together again when there will be something new to launch. It's been a great relationship.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

I was the manager of a boy band called IM5.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Jones Social & PR?

We needed to grow the brand of a boy band that tours the world. We need to focus on young females and other relevant fan groups. The ultimate goal is to increase ticket and merchandise sales as their popularity grows.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Jones Social & PR handled our social media for the band. We grew their numbers on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The work definitely helped with the promotion of new videos and music. They had better interactions with fans, held contests, and so on.

In addition to social media work, Jones Social & PR also maintains our website, including merchandise sales and content uploads.

How did you come to work with Jones Social & PR?

Band management was done through Queen and King Productions, which are the ones who put the band together. Initially, Lauren Jones [president of Jones Social & PR] was in charge of setting up the band's social media presence, among other services. When she created her own company, I continued to follow her activity. The band became independent from their partners and started their own company. We then hired Jones Social & PR in order to handle our social media work because I was so impressed with the work done by her in the past.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We received a friend discount, paying $2,000 per month. This was very little, given what they provided.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together from the middle of 2014 to the middle of 2015. The band no longer exists at this time.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

We saw the most growth on Facebook. The band received more than 600,000 followers on the platform. Jones Social & PR told us that we were one of their only clients for which the work was completely organic. They never paid for followers and videos were boosted only once or twice. The band grew by 300,000 to 400,000 followers organically.

On Twitter, they came close to 130,000 followers, from only 30,000 to 40,000 at the beginning of our work. On Instagram, we came close to 120,000 followers, from the no more than 20,000 that we had initially. The work was all organic and mostly due to ideas for contests that Jones Social & PR came up with in order to get new fans. Sharing the band with a new follower could win someone a free sticker, for example.

What distinguishes Jones Social & PR from other providers?

They were very accessible, helping me around weekends constantly.

Is there anything Jones Social & PR could have improved or done differently?

Managing a band was new for me, so I was learning a lot from Jones Social & PR. Someone with more experience might have more critiques. My only complaint would be the fact that Jones Social & PR was growing, so I had some team changes. The new people assigned to me were great and learned quickly, so I had a great relationship with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

limitedruns.com is an e-commerce website which sells original vintage posters, print art, and photography.

What is your position?

I am the president of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Jones Social PR?

We needed help with promoting our traveling photo exhibits.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

We first engaged Jones Social PR for a Marilyn Monroe-themed exhibit. We needed to build press awareness for it in order to enhance the work which we were doing. We traveled across five cities: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, and Palm Springs. Jones Social PR obtained TV appearances for us in a number of cities, as well as national press coverage in Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan, and major press in New York like the New York Daily News. We were featured in a full-page printed story, which enabled us to reach up to 11 million subscribers. Vanity Fair has an online reach of 1.6 million people.

We also received international coverage, specifically in a couple of UK publications. Because of our press coverage, we received some international recognition in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and other countries.

How did you come to work with Jones Social PR?

Finding a company which had done major work with both publications and the artwork industry proved difficult for us. Jones Social PR had a client which did similar work to ours, which is what drew us to them.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

Sorry, this is confidential.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in February of 2014. We continued the collaboration after our last exhibit ended. We had three other exhibits in 2015. Our engagement with them ended in November of that year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

On our website's footer, there's a link called Press. The outcome of Jones Social PR's work can be fully seen there. We were looking for them to specifically generate press, which is what they achieved for us. They did try to work within our marketing plan, but when dealing with press, there's limited control for this aspect.

Success varied depending on subject matter. The first Marilyn Monroe exhibit performed better than the second one, for which our marketing wasn't as strong. That was our job, and we didn't ask for much help from Jones Social PR there. Looking back at it, we still did well.

We didn't get a lot of coverage in art magazines, but a part of this was to do with the prejudice found within those publications. Jones Social PR obtained a reach which was far beyond what we would have gotten simply from those art magazines. During our exhibit in New York, we received 16,000 unique viewers to the website in a matter of 8-10 days. This was important for us, and I was always confident in Jones Social PR’s capabilities.

How did Jones Social PR perform from a project management standpoint?

I stayed in constant contact with their team, and we identified our targets at the start of the project. Success varied, given that many times we were dealing with third parties, but we were very happy with what Jones Social PR did for us. They obtained more press for us than we'd received for any other project.

What distinguishes Jones Social PR from other providers?

They understood the art/photographic and publication worlds, and were able to bridge one area with another.

Is there anything Jones Social PR could have improved or done differently?

A lot of people left their company during our collaboration. This was a bit of a step-back for us, considering that those who left were really good and had a passion for our project. During our second year, we were hurt by their absence. We had a history with their team, and now it was a matter of training everyone again. There was nothing that could be done about it though. Our second exhibit did well, but we were hoping to have the same consistency as before.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

DINE: The Food & Drink Agency is a company that provides branding, strategy, marketing, and design to new and established food companies for the purpose of launching new products.

What is your position?

I was the president of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Jones Social PR?

We had significant momentum in our business, but we wanted to expand it, ultimately coming to be viewed as a thought leader in the community. In addition to this, I wanted to publicize our involvement with a television show in which we participated, in order to increase business leads and share our story with the greater food community.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Firstly, we wanted to obtain speaking engagements for representatives of our company. Jones Social PR secured a number of participations for us and also allowed us to write articles and appear as featured authors in trade publications. We also wanted to help publicize our involvement in a TV show called Supermarket Superstar, which revolved around the food industry.

How did you come to work with Jones Social PR?

They came highly recommended by someone in our network. Jones Social PR had success in taking similar companies, elevating their profile, obtaining speaking engagements for them, and having them featured in publications. By meeting them to understand their enthusiasm and track record, they seemed to be a good fit for our assignment.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

We worked through a monthly retainer of around $5,000. The total cost of the engagement was under $100,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August of 2013. The engagement lasted for a year.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Success was not gauged on a month-by-month basis. There were some periods in which we didn't have many public relations hits or speaking engagements. Over the course of six months, looking at the number of speaking engagements, articles written about the firm, and other media opportunities such as radio appearances, I believe that Jones Social PR delivered more than was expected in their function as our public relations agency.

I recommend that anyone engaging Jones Social PR should make their expectations very clear and focused. This will enable the client to measure the success of the work easily. This can be a challenge for a lot of companies, irrespective to the services used. Our engagement was very specific: we wanted a certain type of media hits and speaking engagements, constrained to food publications. Jones Social PR is very good when the assignment is clearly defined.

How did Jones Social PR perform from a project management standpoint?

They are tenacious and never give up. When it came to formal processes, I had low requirements, so I cannot speak to this very much. Jones Social PR is results-focused, and as long as they delivered those results and kept me informed about what was going on, I would be satisfied.

What distinguishes Jones Social PR from other providers?

They are passionate and almost fanatical when it comes to their clients. The level of enthusiasm is real, and there's nothing jaded about their approach. Jones Social PR has a unique outlook for every client, and they really care. We weren't simply another client on retainer. Their principal especially puts her heart and soul into the project more than anyone I've ever worked with.

Is there anything Jones Social PR could have improved or done differently?

No.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My daughter is an actress in a Disney TV show.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Jones Social & PR?

We used their services in order to grow my daughter's platform.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Jones Social & PR promoted my daughter on all social media platforms. They promoted her at events she attended and facilitated new media contacts.

How did you come to work with Jones Social & PR?

I am not certain, but it's possible that their company was referred to us.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I do not have this information.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in 2013. We collaborated for more than a year and a half. My daughter is currently in high school. The work on the TV show has ended but, if we ever needed Jones Social & PR's services again, we would definitely use them.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Their company was terrific in helping my daughter grow her social exposure and promoting her. She initially had 3,000 followers, which grew to 3 million with the help of Jones Social & PR.

How did Jones Social & PR perform from a project management standpoint?

We appreciated everything done by them. We received highlights every two weeks, including growth points in specific areas.

What distinguishes Jones Social & PR from other providers?

They took care of everything and always checked with us before posting anything, making sure that the material would be something that she would want posted. My daughter did post some things on her own, but Jones Social & PR took over platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, and so on.

Is there anything Jones Social & PR could have improved or done differently?

I was always completely happy with them.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

Our company is focused on the direct-to-consumer, as-seen-on-TV business. The majority of our products are hard-item goods at the $20-or-under price point. We have short-form programs and long-form infomercials.

What is your position?

I oversee our media efforts, including TV and digital media. I handle anything that is order- or transaction-driven on our social media. Engagement and likes are not things that I manage directly.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Jones Social & PR?

We worked with them on a program called Secret Extensions.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in detail.

Our brand department was in charge of the imaging, context, and content. I worked with their company within our digital ad agency, handling budgets and goals. We worked together, making sure that we were on the same page.

Jones Social & PR provided both social media marketing and PR services for us. They could facilitate anything that we asked for in a turnkey fashion, which was great. They weren't in charge of digital buys, but it was important for the campaign that they'd be connected to that area. They communicated daily with the digital ad-buying agency.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

The monthly cost of their services was between $25,000 and $50,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with Jones Social & PR in February 2015. The program has completed.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

Jones Social & PR helped us understand the social scene, including what benchmarks and key performance indicators entailed. It was the first campaign in which we truly invested in online, social media PR. They spent the time necessary to educate us and brought a number of case studies to the table, giving us confidence in the fact that they understood our business and goals. Return on investment is the determining factor for any business, so it was hard for us to detach from the model in which every dollar spent had an order behind it. We needed to embrace engagement metrics, for which Jones Social & PR helped us understand how our old and current models could engage together and build a brand. In terms of actual placements, Jones Social & PR produced a significant amount of content.

What distinguishes Jones Social & PR from other providers?

They are a dedicated company, on top of every detail. Jones Social & PR provides a fantastic team that provided great results. There were weekends in which we had texts and email flying all the time. They never complained and were always available. We were taking on a new venture, investing significant budget on something we'd never done before, so it helped that they held our hands the entire time. We needed to make some major changes at the last minute, which they took care of quickly.

Is there anything Jones Social & PR could have improved or done differently?

In the beginning, it may have taken us a bit more time than we would have liked in order to get into a comfortable rhythm for communicating with the ad agency. This was not entirely the fault of Jones Social & PR. At the end of the day, we were the client, dictating who does what and how things should work. Streamlining communication presented some bumps in the road, but we figured it out. It wasn't a fault, but we wish we could have gotten there sooner.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

We are a TV production company specializing in live events across the world. We have an office in London and one in Los Angeles.

What is your position?

I am the Director’s Associate, responsible for overseeing marketing, external press releases, and everything involved in advertising for our company. I report to our Chief Information Officer.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Jones Social PR?

At the beginning of last year, we moved our office from New York to Los Angeles. We wanted to build a local audience base and knowledge of our company within the production industry. Our co-owner is a very successful director. We also wanted to build up the profiles of our executives, getting them more known on an individual basis.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Jones Social PR helps us with the social media aspects of attracting people to our website. One of the biggest tasks was for them to get us press interviews in publications, focusing on us as a company, rather than on the projects that we handle. Jones Social PR successfully obtained many interviews with different publications for our executives and directors, building our audience and online profile for Los Angeles and America in general.

How did you come to work with Jones Social PR?

They came highly recommended. We basically told them what we wanted to achieve, and Jones Social PR came back with a method and strategy that we really liked. We also looked elsewhere, but they seemed to have the best overall philosophy on covering public relations, marketing, and social media. They were a one-stop-shop, which we loved.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

This is confidential, but their services are definitely worth it.

What is the status of this engagement?

We've been working with them for three years. We have projects come and go, which influences the amount of work that we have for Jones Social PR. Our relationship is ongoing in trying to build our executive presence within our field. We bring them in for individual projects, focusing on different shows and other needs. Jones Social PR has done a great job of looking after us.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

The easiest way for us to measure success was with the increase in traffic we've seen on our website. This all came after the articles about our company and our different projects were published. That was a tangible way of seeing an increase. Also, on the social media front, Jones Social PR has been successful in building our numbers. That was more difficult to do, given that we're not a celebrity, but a unique company. They've built a follower base, which means a lot in our current context.

Many publications have come to us and asked for repeat interviews on different topics, so we've had an organic structure for success.

How did Jones Social PR perform from a project management standpoint?

Communication was always very clear. We've maintained a weekly to bi-weekly call with them, and we've also received monthly reports on how projects, pitches, and ideas were going. Their whole team is very knowledgeable, and they've gone the extra mile in being a one-stop-shop that can offer full services.

What distinguishes Jones Social PR from other providers?

Jones Social PR has comprehensive knowledge of the entertainment industry and a big reach in both America and the UK. They've even secured interviews with publications in London and Los Angeles, which is superb. We also liked the people we've worked with, which was a plus.

Is there anything Jones Social PR could have improved or done differently?

Anything we requested was achieved. I can't give any suggestions for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your organization.

My former company is a stock photography agency located in Los Angeles. 

What is your position?

I was responsible for the marketing, PR, and social media of the company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What business challenge were you trying to address with Jones Social & PR?

We were looking to obtain some more awareness for the company and thought that some PR and marketing would be a good way of doing this.

SOLUTION

Please describe the scope of their involvement in greater detail.

Jones Social & PR has worked with us on PR and social media marketing. We had just relaunched our website, so the focus was on general awareness. They wrote print and online material for us and also hosted one event for the company.

How did you come to work with Jones Social & PR?

We received a referral from another company. After having a very fluid conversation with their principals, I felt that we could work with Jones Social & PR and that they would be honest with us. People in PR have a bad reputation of telling their clients what they want to hear, but their company felt a bit more honest to me. This was confirmed after I had a chance of working with them. They told me the truth, good or bad, which I found to be very positive.

Could you provide a sense of the size of this initiative in financial terms?

I have no recollection of the exact dollar amount, but I know that we had a tight budget, so it wouldn't have been substantial. Compared to the work they did, the value was amazing.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them over two years ago, for a three-to-six-month period.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Could you share any statistics or metrics from this engagement?

I don't have specific metrics, but I was very happy with the results Jones Social & PR were able to accomplish in a short period of time. There were three to six months of working time. They pulled together an art gallery event in around 30 days. It was a packed house and we received a lot of exposure due to it.

We received a lot of press exposure thanks to Jones Social & PR, including an eight-page spread in Vanity Fair. Given that we're such a small company, that was a bucket list wish for us, and they pulled it off.

What distinguishes Jones Social & PR from other providers?

They made the work easy. When I asked Jones Social & PR to do something, they not only did it, but went the extra mile, adding things that we wouldn't expect. They simply knew how to handle certain situations, which was great for us as a small business. We knew that we could trust them with their role and not have to micromanage them. We felt confident in the job that they did. It was money well-spent.

Is there anything Jones Social & PR could have improved or done differently?

No. They were a well-oiled machine. Jones Social & PR knew exactly what to do and when to do it. I've stayed in contact with them to this day.