Solving Marketing and PR problems since 1985.
An independent creative, digital, marketing, and public relations agency. We are brand psychologists, audience behavior analysts, data geeks, strategic content creators and communicators. We help brands and organizations help themselves. At The Pollack Group, we recognize that consumers do not want to be told why a brand should matter to them, so rather than "telling and selling," we create meaningful, long lasting brand experiences, that steer influence, drive relevance and build fierce and lasting loyalty.
Pollack serves Fortune 500 companies and start-ups alike, in shaping perceptions, sparking trends, managing reputations, and increasing organizations' market and mind share. We empower clients to continuously adapt to the digital transformation of our world and broaden their global reach. At the agency, content creation and social media are at the forefront of all client communications efforts, as are packaged media stories that inform and trigger conversations. Our teams are creative, critical thinkers and strong in traditional skills.
Established in 1985, the agency is led by senior professionals who are involved with every aspect of a client's program and available to them on a day-to-day basis or per need. As a partner in The Worldcom Public Relations Group we offer our clients access to the international creative capability of 2,000 communicators globally,.
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99 Ranch Market, Bel Air Investment Advisors, Bob Evans Farms, City of West Hollywood, Fiesta Parade Floats, Future Meat Technologies, Jam City, INDI EV, Kasparovchess, Netafim USA, NewPoint Real Estate Capital, Oakwood Worldwide, Openpay, Perch Mobility, The Sage Group
SodaStream: Paris Hilton Launches “NanoDrop” for SodaStream April Fools’ Gag
SodaStream has become synonymous for disruptive marketing video campaigns. April Fool’s 2017 was no different, with the agency playing an integral role in the development, logistics and coordination and media distribution of the launch of a new faux brand of condensed sparkling water by Paris Hilton: NanoDrop. We helped develop the initial concept that led to the creation of NanoDrop and secured Paris Hilton to appear in a spoof video that conveyed brand messages. In addition to acting as a liaison to secure Paris for the campaign, the agency coordinated negotiations between talent managers and PR reps, agents and SodaStream—as well as exclusive media interviews with Paris’s team, agency partners and SodaStream corporate HQ in Israel. The PPMG team was also responsible for drafting talking points for Paris’ interviews, creating a global press release announcing the gag, and arranging for global PR coordination. On launch day, the PPMG team conducted outreach to health & wellness, marketing & advertising, food & beverage and corporate business verticals, securing more than 712 million media impressions.
Supporting Military Through A National Partnership
Bob Evans Farms Inc., a leading producer and distributor of refrigerated and frozen convenience food items, was exploring ways of showing support for military members and their families while also strengthening its ties to the local community it serves. We were retained for the Bob Evans “Our Farm Salutes” program to partner with a military not-for-profit organization to further the brand’s goals of providing meals and donations to programs that support the military active duty, veterans and their families. We conceived the idea to paint its barn – an iconic symbol in Rio Grande, Ohio – purple, representing the color of all branches of the military. We also secured a partnership with The Gary Sinise Foundation and produced PSAs that featured the actor and director of the Foundation, as well as a campaign video. The purple barn visual attracted significant media attention with regional news and military media trade outlets. Results from data surveys clearly indicated an uptick in favorability perceptions for the Bob Evans brand.
ClubCorp Classic: Social Media Community Building
The agency saw great success launching and running the social media and digital presence for the ClubCorp Classic, a first-year celebrity and professional golf tournament near Dallas, Texas. Running a 3-month campaign with a 28-day ramp-up period leading up to and during the 3-day tournament in April 2022, the agency generated over 23 million social media impressions, 2 million video views, and 200% follower growth in just four weeks.
The Pollack Group’s social media team tactics included content ideation and calendaring, designing a tournament brand aesthetic and color palette, utilizing copywriting to establish a clear, sharp, fun, and concise brand voice for the event, leveraging social media growth techniques to build an audience of DFW-area golf fans aligning with the tournament’s target demographics, and building a social media presence to help augment ClubCorp’s overall social and digital presence.
Working in conjunction with the client, the agency team established a cadence for social channel content that, when combined with content from celebrities, fans, influencers, ClubCorp members, sponsors, and other parties, created a strong buzz and excitement around the event.
USO: An Experiential Fundraising Campaign Mobilizes The Nation
With more than 2.5 million men and women serving in the armed forces and more than 4 million family members, the troops and their families depend upon the USO for critical programs and support. While the USO thrives through donations from major corporations and strategic partners, the agency, as their agency of record, saw an opportunity to tap an under-represented source of income through grassroots individual fundraising. Events such as Barbecue for the Troops, (leveraging the quintessential summer backyard barbecue), and Dance for the Troops, targeting school dances and New Year’s galas, were designed to mobilize individuals into throwing fundraisers in their local communities. Each campaign was supported with media relations, strategic partnerships, and organizational outreach.
Big Fig: Leveraging Influencers and Affiliates
Big Fig Mattress, creators of the first mattress built specifically to meet the needs of the plus-size sleeper, tapped The Pollack Group (TPG) to boost awareness of Big Fig and run its influencer and affiliate relations program to build trust among this inherently distrustful niche demographic.
To highlight product attributes and features, the agency rolled out drumbeat media relations in support of influencer and affiliate relations. We worked with Big Fig Mattress to launch #SeeAllOfMe, a new platform dedicated to advocacy, community service, and heightened visibility for the plus-size demographic through activism, increased allyship, and authenticity, as well as to encourage other brands to take the plus-size community’s interests to heart. The agency also invited and onboarded eight plus-size personalities to join the Big Fig Collective, an advisory panel consisting of prominent voices within the plus-size community to provide insight, expertise, and perspective.
Our combined efforts helped Big Fig take its rightful ownership as the #1 niche mattress brand for the share of voice term ‘Plus Size,’ the #2 share of voice position for ‘Back Pain,’ the #2 share of voice position for ‘Cooling,’ the #3 share of voice position for ‘Side Sleeper,’ and the #1 share of voice position for ‘Sagging’ in over 425+ articles secured in 2021.
Over TPG’s 18-month relationship with Big Fig, sales grew 35% a year. The company doubled its business during COVID-19 and increased sales by 40% in 2021. The agency secured 508 pieces of earned media coverage, totaling 14.63 billion impressions. This coverage had an ad equivalency of $27.5 million. In addition, the affiliate relations program netted in 1,045 sales, totaling more than $1.97 million in gross sales. Additionally, TPG managed more than 75 individual influencer relationships, whose postings across multiple campaigns resulted in a reach of more than 2.3 million with an earned value of $871,100.
Jam City: Bringing Mobile Gaming to the Mainstream
Mobile entertainment studio Jam City leads mobile app stores and puts out the highest quality games in the marketplace, utilizing some of the industry's best creative talent. We worked to use Jam City as a vanguard of the new mobile trend cresting into the mainstream with game properties that are raking in just as much money as Hollywood movies.
The agency’s work with Jam City positioned them as a leader in the space by promoting their high-profile entertainment licenses with companies like Disney and Warner Brothers while lifting their executives' voices as significant innovators in the space, marrying big data and high tech with high-quality production.
Jam City was featured in significant mainstream and entertainment outlets like ScreenRant and The Hollywood Reporter and business press from outlets like Forbes and VentureBeat. The agency helped promote Jam City's corporate values by organizing and promoting Jam City's HQ as a voting center, bringing in dozens of broadcast, online, and print media to cover the event.
Fiesta Parade Floats/Rose Parade: Media Relations Makes Everything Come Up Roses
Fiesta Parade Floats (FPF), a 35 year-old builder of parade floats for the annual New Year’s Day Rose Parade, had kept a relatively low profile despite having assembled a team of world-renowned design and floral technology experts. We leveraged every opportunity to maximize media exposure by expanding the focus beyond the parade itself and on to the development of the floats from the float design and construction process through the final pre-parade flower decorating. Over five years of working with the local, regional and national media — the last week of the year, working from 4 am to almost midnight, daily — FPF was catapulted into the limelight by an enchanted media.
Kasparovchess: A Legacy for Chess' Next Generation
The agency kicked off Kasparovchess by building a groundswell of interest in the chess community, targeting influencers and chess masters. Subsequently, the agency brought in the mainstream media to have that sector break the news of Kasparov’s involvement with the new platform. Following, it cycled the news through many tech, gaming, business and lifestyle verticals.
With Kasparov at the center of the media strategy, providing personal insights on the importance of chess and the community, Kasparovchess’ launch story was pushed through many global top tier media outlets including TechCrunch, Forbes, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Yahoo Finance, VentureBeat, Cheddar, The Drum, The Guardian, PC Gamer, as well as the major chess and gaming outlets. In a 60-day launch window over 45 individual articles ran, with over 4.5 billion impressions.
Netafim: Reaching A New Generation
As a generational shift occurred, and younger farmers transitioned into the decision-making role, the company that first introduced drip irrigation technology to the world over 50 years ago found themselves on the outside looking in when it came to reaching this new generation of growers. Netafim USA looked to the agency to help them reach this group of elusive young farmers more effectively. After developing a library of creative content and key messaging, the agency utilized a social media funneling technique to find an audience of potential customers with an interest in drip irrigation. Employing data reaped through paid social media, and website analytics, the agency tailored communications designed to appeal to certain customer groups and in turn, move them from brand awareness, to product consideration to consultation and eventual purchase. The knowledge was then used to create a blue print for micro-targeting of certain farming regions with location specific content. The multi-tiered campaign resulted in a significant increase in qualified leads and sales.
View more agency-created Netafim videos here
Micron: Taming Computers
Crucial.com, a division of Micron Consumer Products and a leading online retailer specializing in computer memory upgrades, needed to increase awareness of their do-it-yourself memory upgrade as an easy solution for computer problems that plague consumers on a daily basis. In Phase 1, we utilized consumer survey research, satellite and ground media tours, media mailers, infographics and aggressive media relations strategies, to speak to the computer-induced frustration and stress that results from an underperforming computer, with the easy solution, of course, offered by Crucial.com. In Phase 2, the agency commanded audience attention through creative campaigns such as “Love Your Computer”, “Get Tough on Your Computer”, and the nationwide search for the “Official, Unofficial Office Computer Go-to Superstar” – and resulted in over 100 million media impressions.
Reviews
the project
PR & SMM for Fintech Company
"The Pollack Group has been a critical component of our ongoing success."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the head of marketing of a fintech company.
What challenge were you trying to address with The Pollack Group?
We were looking to gain more exposure for our brand, product, and services within our targeted vertical segments.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We’re trying to introduce our fintech solution to the US, so my engagement with The Pollack Group includes creating a US-centric messaging map that would enable us to work with reporters and industry experts to drive awareness of our products and services.
We’re targeting several verticals, each of which would have a customized message and strategy that The Pollack Group would deploy through social media and content marketing.
The digital channels they’re utilizing are Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, and our blog. They have admin access to these channels, where they manage, publish, and monitor all engagement.
What is the team composition?
Our primary contact is with the senior account director, but we also interface with Stefan (President) and Stephanie (VP).
How did you come to work with The Pollack Group?
The Pollack Group was already connected with a few people from our company through prior engagements.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve invested about $200,000 so far.
What is the status of this engagement?
Our ongoing partnership started in July 2021.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We went from having zero exposure in our chosen verticals to having significant placements in their key industry publications. We’ve also improved our social media followers and engagement by 50%, so The Pollack Group has been a critical component of our ongoing success.
How did The Pollack Group perform from a project management standpoint?
They excel at project and account management. Their weekly meetings are highly organized, and they’re always prepared to report and provide us with progress reports and analytical insights on our campaigns.
They share reports through PowerPoint and Excel, and we typically communicate through email and phone.
What did you find most impressive about them?
We’re impressed with their commitment to industry knowledge and expertise. They understand how to create our product in the ever-evolving fintech space, because they dove in and gained experience to help us develop engaging strategy and content.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t have any constructive feedback on their work.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I would advise you to have clear goals and objectives and ensure that you have a concise brief that you both agree on.
the project
PR, Web Dev & Digital Marketing Services for Law Firm
“I’m extremely satisfied with their creativity and work.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
We have a law firm with three offices, two of which are in California and one in the Midwest. We do mostly plaintiffs work, and I’m a partner in the law firm.
What challenge were you trying to address with The Pollack Group?
We were seeking to put our name with another law firm that we joint ventured with to work on a new area of cases and law that we hadn’t done before. Our partner has done it in the past, but we need the public domain to know that we’re in-taking and interested in pursuing these cases.
We’re also very sensitive to looking like we’re doing mass advertising. We want to look like a high-end firm doing selective cases for a certain clientele.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The scope of The Pollack Group’s work includes outreach to media outlets for on-air interviews, as well as traditional marketing directly to potential clients. It’s a two-tiered effort.
Getting on-air interviews at local news stations is very important to establish credibility and name recognition. That’s a large task initially, and it works in tandem with a media push that’s mostly digital ads.
Their team also created a website for us. We worked together on the content for the website for an entire package, both in the digital space and in the media.
What is the team composition?
We work with a few different people on the team. Stefan (President) leads the charge directly, and then there’s a different team dealing with the website creation, search, and ads.
The third team is mostly led by Stefan, too, and they deal with getting us in the news channels and on-air interviews.
How did you come to work with The Pollack Group?
We used them in the past, and we were in the same geographic area. We had past experience with them, and it was a job well done. It was before the digital space evolved, and I knew them at the time as a traditional PR firm. Now, they’re a modern marketing firm because of the digital space and the internet.
After a quick conversation, we understood what they did, and I sought them out directly based upon my understanding of what they did and how they grew with the times.
How much have you invested with them?
Our investment varies based upon time, but the monthly range is between $20,000–$30,000 per month.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started the project in November 2019, and we’re still working with them.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
I’m in the service business as well, and I know that anyone can be a number; anyone can be a client. However, with The Pollack Group, I feel they dive in and understand our project's sensitivities and goals.
There’s a relationship that has developed between my team and The Pollack Group, which enables everyone to work more efficiently. They really understand what I want.
Putting ads on the internet is something that anyone can do, but understanding entire projects and making entire packages are things that they understand and implement at a very high level. I’m extremely satisfied with their creativity and work product. They do a stellar job.
How did The Pollack Group perform from a project management standpoint?
Their project management is excellent. I have no complaints. They’re more aggressive at reaching out to us than we are to them. There’s a top-down approach, so everyone understands our theme and sensitivity to not looking like we’re advertising for personal injuries and things like that.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their personal touch is most impressive. They care about what they do, and they care about their clients, which goes a long way. It’s not just a job for them; it’s about doing well.
They’re long-term thinkers, and they’re not thinking about retention on a single project. They want to keep us as a client. For us, there have been 10–15 years between projects, but we went back to them. They really want to take care of clients.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
They have to trust the relationship and provide as much detail as possible upfront in the initial meetings with the group to make sure they understand their goals.
Once they communicate to The Pollack Group that information and invest the time to explain where their head is, they can translate that into a project and develop all the necessary plans to implement the project, be it in the digital space or to get some press. Invest time with them upfront to develop the project.
the project
Public Relations for Retail Market Research Firm
"Their commitment to learning our data, our business, and how we work made them a particularly good partner for me."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
In my time working with Pollack, I was the director of marketing for a retail data company.
What challenge were you trying to address with The Pollack Group?
We brought Pollack on to help expand our profile as an industry leader in the retail trends space. We wanted to be a brand that consumer packaged goods (CPGs) and retailers could rely on to help grow in the market.
We had a lot of data on advertising, promotions, and pricing. This data is used by CPGs and retailers for competitive intelligence to plan their own advertising and promotions out to the market. Our goal was to share some of that data to move marketing strategies forward and use it as a relationship builder for some of the largest media publications and companies in the US.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Pollack expanded our name within the media industry as the go-to source for key retail insights, looking to help predict how shoppers might behave during the holiday seasons. Because of Pollack, we became a trusted source in that space.
We knew we had rich data. We knew how to tell a story with that data. But we didn’t know exactly how to package that data in order to get the most beneficial response among the media companies we targeted.
This is where Pollack really helped us in terms of packaging. They had the expertise on what the reporters found important and what they tend to gravitate towards. They helped us refine our data, our messaging and how we packaged and positioned to gain more traction than we had prior partnering with Pollack.
What is the team composition?
We had a team of 2–3 at any given time over those four years. We worked closely with a dedicated account manager and Stefan (President & CFO).
How did you come to work with The Pollack Group?
They were a reference by one of the companies that we acquired back in 2012–2013. That was our decision criteria at that time. We were aware of a variety of different PR firms that could potentially support us, so having that personal reference was great.
How much have you invested with them?
Our investment ranged from $75,000–$100,000 annually.
What is the status of this engagement?
We partnered with them from July 2014–2019.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
The metrics we used were reach and impressions. We were coming from only being featured twice annually by trade publications that only had 20,000–30,000 readers. With Pollack’s help, we had a presence almost every month throughout the year in national media publications that reached millions of people.
It was a really exponential increase in overall impressions and exposure of our brand. Pollack also helped us establish the relationships we wanted with higher-level publications.
How did The Pollack Group perform from a project management standpoint?
They performed really well. We had a lot of priorities with PR being one of them. So, they were almost an extension of our PR arm in the sense that if we were letting things sit for longer than we should, they would get in touch with us with a plan to move forward with a project.
They were instructive and proactive in applying what we’ve learned from past successes and using the formula to package new data. They’d even handle the entire process on our behalf. It’s always great for a partner to act proactively because at any given point, you’re going to have varying priorities you can’t dedicate as much time to.
What did you find most impressive about them?
In my experience, it’s the personal relationship we built with Pollack. They got to know our business very well as well as our working styles, and they were very respectful of our key selling seasons. They walked a nice line between being too overbearing and trying to shift our focus off our business priorities while simultaneously driving our PR goals forward.
Their commitment to learning our data, our business, and how we work made them a particularly good partner for me. I trusted them to know what we were doing at any given time. I also love the fact that they are able to carry the torch for us in times when our business was busier than usual so that’s a different level of trust besides knowing all of our data.
They knew how we wanted to be perceived by the public and portrayed in national media. And they can easily adjust depending on the time of year or the nature of opportunities that were out on the PR front.
Are there any areas they could improve?
There were a few press releases that we made over the years that I’d say needed some coaching and editing in terms of striking the right tone. But to be fair to them, we do have a complicated business if you’re not living it, day in and day out. This wasn’t really a huge gripe, but it could’ve saved us some time.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
I would say that Pollack does their best work when they get to know you and your business thoroughly. Make sure you invest the time at the beginning of the relationship to share about how your day to day is, your working style, and the product, service or output that your company delivers.
Don’t just dump data onto them and say run with it. Take the time to share your team structure, your goals, and ideate with them to set up the rest of the relationship for better success.
the project
Brand Strategy & PR Events for Individual & Family Services
"Very professional and streamlined."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am a serial CEO/President and have hired the Pollack Group on multiple occasions for three different companies across industries. I have retained them at a mobile electronics chain of stores, a health care services, reproductive tissue banking and stem cell banking, and a nonprofit.
For what projects/services did your company hire The Pollack Group?
The Pollack Group oversaw corporate branding, events, and overall public relations. They expertly handled everything from PR pitching to large scale events to attract press.
What were your goals for this project?
Goals were to build brand awareness, increase sales, social media outreach and general brand consistency.
How did you select The Pollack Group?
Interviewed and screened multiple agencies and found them to be the most compelling, with exceptional client testimonials and great staff.
Describe the scope of their work in detail.
Following extensive background meetings with Pollack, the scope of their work included retooling of all materials, copy editing, web redesign, ad copy, social media brainstorming and outreach to influencers, etc.
What was the team composition?
We had an active team of four collaborative staff members with constant access to senior management.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Increased sales (double digits) and massive increase in social media metrics across all levels.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Highly effective workflow - very professional and streamlined.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
The knowledge of industry, market and channels and their professional approach to all issues faced, as well as their overall creativity.
Are there any areas for improvement?
None...excellent all around with each engagement.
the project
Full-Service Marketing, PR, & Branding for Luxury Hotel
"They go above and beyond what is asked and they think outside the box to help the brand."
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the executive manager for the CEO as well as the property manager for a luxury hotel.
What challenge were you trying to address with The Pollack Group?
We hired them to help with our hotel's PR and marketing needs.
What was the scope of their involvement?
The Pollack Group acted as the PR and marketing arm of our hotels. They oversee all of our campaigns, video production efforts, and events that they organize. They also oversee the B2B and B2C strategy, as well as the tactical implementation of all outbound PR and marketing for all of our entities, since they’re all separate with different needs. Their efforts also focus on all the editorial media for our different entities’ clients.
They also manage and promote all of the events, and supported B2B travel and hospitality trade efforts. Branding and positioning programs have been run by their team, too. They manage and maintain our blog program, influencer outreach, and social media. All of our collateral material is overseen by their team, as well.
One specific thing they created for us is a signature event for our hotel. Our hotel became a voting poll for an area, so we would serve them food and create a soothing atmosphere. We would hire someone to do yoga, musicians, and other types of calming activities because of their recommendations.
What is the team composition?
I work with Stefan (President). I also have worked with his associates.
How did you come to work with The Pollack Group?
We really needed a PR and marketing firm to navigate all of our marketing needs, and we selected The Pollack Group because they were really creative in their thinking. They thought outside the box and were able to strategize for the company with all its different entities, which is not an easy feat. They understood the owner’s vision and were able to activate and implement strategies that really align with that.
How much have you invested with them?
We have a retainer of $14,000 per month.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together around September 2010 and our engagement is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
They have really great quality in their work that they’re not only able to submit but also generate and execute. They were able to create that signature event for our hotel, which is not an easy thing to do. We became the number one voting poll in the country because of this event and were featured in a major publication for it.
Even outside of the statistics and metrics, the clientele that we’re able to attract from their initiatives are extremely important to us. They were able to identify the different brand legs for the entities and strategize for each identity. They were really able to deliver on that.
How did The Pollack Group perform from a project management standpoint?
They’ve done excellent in managing the project. We have excellent communication and they always keep us on track. We wouldn’t have been able to keep all those projects on time without their help and they are able to help manage us. They ensure everything is completed on time, so that’s excellent.
We use every method of communication. We had bi-monthly meetings in the hotel. Our teams also used email, phone calls, video conferences, and every type of communication method.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Their connections and relationships within and outside of the industry make them one of the best companies we’ve worked with. The signature event they created for us and the great marketing campaigns are things we wouldn’t have been able to think of without them.
They’re able to bring in people they have connections with to see it all the way through to the end. This has been extremely important for us. Stefan is very special. They go above and beyond what is asked and they think outside the box to help the brand. They want the company to reach its potential, which is important for a successful PR and marketing company.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, they’re a great company and they have the bandwidth. I don’t see any area for them to improve.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Other companies hand you off to an account manager, but with this group, Stefan is extremely involved and available. That’s not something other companies do, so that is definitely an attribute to working with them.
the project
PR Pitching & Events for Beverage Company
“I was impressed by their ability to create such an intimate working relationship with our team.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
We’re the one of the leading sparkling water maker manufacturers, seeking to disincentivize consumers from buying plastic bottles.
What challenge were you trying to address with The Pollack Group?
Before being acquired by a larger company, we’d seen a lot of growth because we focused on getting our PR right. The Pollack Group was one of the PR companies that we worked with. They handled our PR efforts in the US, helping to build the brand into what we are today.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We relied on The Pollack Group to drive our PR in the US, starting with continuously PR pitching our brand and products. They were in charge of all of the communications around our environmentalism angle, health and wellness, and corporate messaging.
One of our projects involved securing coverage for our cleaning efforts. We flew our team out to clean a beach, and they managed to get the press to attend. Another major project was about showing how the Statue of Liberty was drowning in plastic bottles.
They were constantly bringing us creative ideas — many of them positively disruptive, which was exactly what we were looking for.
What is the team composition?
The team wasn’t small but still created an intimate work experience. Stefan (President & CFO) himself was involved at all levels along with our account manager. They helped us brainstorm ideas and brought them to life. It was a lot of hard work, but they were definitely in the fray with us.
How did you come to work with The Pollack Group?
Because we’re such a PR-leaning company, it was mandatory that every market has 2–3 PR agencies for each communication vertical. The Pollack Group was already one of our leading agencies when I joined my position.
How much have you invested with them?
We probably spent around $200,000 per year, excluding all of the big events and stunts. With everything together, we spent over $500,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
I started working with The Pollack Group in June 2016, though they were already working with my company since before then. When we got acquired in January 2019, the contract ended.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Our company is a large organization, but we still try to have a positive startup mentality. The Pollack Group was great at adjusting to meet our needs as they shifted, and I liked that they could make things happen in a very short period of time. They definitely managed to build big stories around a lot of the things that we did.
How did The Pollack Group perform from a project management standpoint?
They were great at managing projects. The team always met their deadlines, were communicative, and stayed transparent throughout. It was like they were a part of our team.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Besides their creativity, I was impressed by their ability to create such an intimate working relationship with our team. It felt like we were their number one client, even though they were probably working with others.
Are there any areas they could improve?
No, nothing specific comes to mind.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Get them involved early on, even if it’s just an initial idea. When we were brainstorming, we would text each other everything that came to mind.
the project
Brand Strategy & PR Advisory for Investment Management Firm
“They’re accessible, thoughtful, easy to work with, and transparent in pricing.”
the reviewer
the review
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m the COO of Bel Air Investment Advisors. We manage about $9 billion for wealthy families and individuals.
What challenge were you trying to address with The Pollack Group?
Close to a decade ago, we wanted our investment professional exposure to further refine and develop the firm's role or image in the marketplace from a branding perspective that would really reflect the strong investment acumen of the firm.
What was the scope of their involvement?
We wanted to create thought leaders from our firm and getting them out into various publications, PR avenues, and media. They consulted on that and social media. They helped us with an entire branding revision at one point. They’ve been very helpful for all of our collateral materials and messaging. They’ve been a true marketing partner.
What is the team composition?
I’ve worked with a handful of people from the president down. We worked closely with Mark (VP).
How did you come to work with The Pollack Group?
I chose them because they were willing to be held accountable to their efficacy and success. So we have goals every year that we set out and try to achieve, and they need to accomplish those goals as part of our agreement. So they're actually willing to put their own success out there from a competitive perspective.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together over a decade again, around June 2010, and it’s ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
We establish goals centered around getting new employees’ exposure in the media, providing ongoing media training, and getting firm exposure in certain areas. They’re accessible, thoughtful, easy to work with, and transparent in pricing. Overall, they’re great partners.
How did The Pollack Group perform from a project management standpoint?
They’ve been very communicative. We use phone and email. They’re also very process-oriented.
What did you find most impressive about them?
They’re results-oriented.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I wouldn’t be able to come up with something negative to say about them.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Set clear expectations and develop goals. Also, check references or talk to people who've been very similar products before.
the project
Branding for Specialty Apparel Company
"They are creative, collaborative, strategic and a pleasure to work with."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
I am the VP of Corporate Marketing for an specialty apparel company based in Los Angeles. We design, fit, sample, market and distribute our garments locally from our LA headquarters with 270+ employees. My role is to lead all of our corporate branding and promotional initiatives.
For what projects/services did your company hire The Pollack Group?
We have a small in-house marketing team of 10 which includes graphic design, web design and social media, but we wanted to extend our own team to include an agency that specializes in PR and media relations.
The challenge was that until a few years ago our company did not budget for any type of advertising or promotional activities because we were operating strictly under a B2B model. Now that we are transitioning to D2C in early 2021, we saw the need to start building our brand awareness with the consumer well in advance of launching our D2C business model.
What were your goals for this project?
Our goal has been to increase overall brand awareness globally and develop a direct connection with the consumer while also developing a positive brand reputation via media relations. We anticipated overall increased brand awareness with B2B clients and with consumers alike.
How did you select The Pollack Group?
We went through an internal agency review process, beginning with five agencies from coast-to-coast. We used an internal executive panel led by myself to make the final decision.
Each agency was screened and interviewed by myself first, then brought in to make a presentation to our executive panel members. We brought the final two agencies in for a second round of presentations.
We chose the Pollack Agency because we felt they understood our brand and our mission the best. We also liked that they were a local team a bicoastal presence and a global network of marketing partnerships.
Describe the scope of their work in detail.
Overall scope was focused on strategy and media engagement. My role from the beginning has been to partner with the Pollack Group to maximize our collective knowledge and areas of expertise.
We work with the Pollack Agency as an extension of our team and we meet weekly to collaborate and strategize on new initiatives to increase our brand awareness, engage with consumers and demonstrate our contributions to social responsibility.
What was the team composition?
The core agency team has remained consistent since inception of the project. Their roles range from Principal and account management to Social Media, media relations and videographer.
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Media exposure and reach have been stellar.
How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?
Weekly collaboration and strategy meetings.
What did you find most impressive about this company?
They are creative, collaborative, strategic and a pleasure to work with. I have a great deal of open dialogue, trust and transparency with them.
Are there any areas for improvement?
I am hoping we can activate on more initiatives in 2021. We have had several programs that were pitched, but we could not activate due to our B2B status.
the project
PR Services for Global Water Technology Company
"They worked with a high degree of service and a ton of goodwill."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
BlueGreen Water Technologies developed a suite of technologies to tackle large-scale water problems in lakes and oceans. Its first product line assists water authorities in monitoring and remediating harmful algal blooms. Future applications include deep-lake/ocean carbon removal.
For what projects/services did your company hire The Pollack Group, and what were your goals?
Support the company's market penetration activities in the US.
How did you select this vendor?
The company has reviewed and interviewed several consultants in the field. Pollack set on a 'sweet spot' that combined quality of services, media outlet coverage at the local and national level, and pricing.
Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.
The Pollack Group provided BlueGreen with high-quality PR services during its first US market penetration efforts. Stefan and Stephanie who led our local activities, were responsible for a regular aggressive market outreach, presenting the company and its activities to numerous media outlets across the country and beyond.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
Stefan (President) and Stephanie (VP)
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
Pollack Group assisted in crafting BlueGreen's PR strategy that took into consideration our short-term tactical needs as well as our long-term strategic interests.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
Despite the significant time differences, the Pollack team was always available to us within short notice. They worked with a high degree of service and a ton of goodwill.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Their responsiveness and outreach.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
None.
the project
PR Services for Gaming Platform
"Their dedication to this project is impressive."
the reviewer
the review
The client submitted this review online.
Please describe your company and your position there.
Kasparovchess is a content/gaming platform built around the world and the community of chess. I am in charge of Creative Marketing and Strategic Partnerships.
For what projects/services did your company hire The Pollack Group, and what were your goals?
Launch of the platform, so we needed to make sure to have as much PR coverage as possible and relevant one. Especially because of Garry's profile.
How did you select this vendor?
I asked some US contacts who are working in the PR industry who they would recommend for such a specific project.
Describe the scope of their work in detail, including any steps and the final deliverables.
They built with us the PR strategy, worked on several versions of the press release, coordinate all the itws.
How many people from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?
2. the President and CFO and the SVP
Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?
During the launch phase we had +50% visitors of the platform coming from the PR campaign. And we had a lot of coverage from A-list outlets which still helping build the profile of the platform.
Describe their project management style, including communication tools and timeliness.
Weekly Meeting + Whatsapp conversation. Very fluid and reactive.
What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?
Their dedication to this project is impressive.
Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?
No.