Punch PR

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I am the senior social media manager for a subdivision of a footwear company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Punch PR?

We needed a PR agency to partner with us.

What was the scope of their involvement?

They handle all of our PR. A big part of that entails negotiating and managing contracts with influencers. They communicate with them daily, seed products, and follow up on those products. 

They also place digital and print articles, create content, and generate coverage online and in print. They plan media coverage and create content for trade shows. They also handle press releases for new product launches.

They organize our annual media events as well. They’re three-day events in the summer that give content creators sneak peeks at upcoming products and helps them get to know our brand. Each event has entertainment, such as axe throwing, hiking, and other fun activities. 

Before I joined the company, they ran the social media accounts as well.

What is the team composition?

Our three primary contacts are Dave (Partner), Lauren (Partner), and Lauren (Account Executive). I’m not sure how many others are involved in working on our account.

How did you come to work with Punch PR?

They were already working with the company when I started working here. My manager had worked with them at a previous brand and liked their work and their reliability. They always do what they promise.

How much have you invested with them?

The budget is roughly $100,000 annually (approximately $300,000 so far).

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together around March 2018 and the engagement is ongoing.

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

When we started working with them in 2018, we earned 43.5 million digital impressions and that number has only increased. In 2019, we earned 47.5 million impressions, and in 2020, despite the COVID craziness, we hit 83 million digital impressions. That is a 75% increase from 2019.  

Last year, they seeded six different styles of a new product, generating over 50 million social media impressions. One custom product, in particular, was our focus, and they seeded to roughly 30 influencers, resulting in 18 million impressions. 

How did Punch PR perform from a project management standpoint?

Whether we need to brainstorm a project or to resolve an issue, they’re available and responsive. We communicate via phone, email, Zoom, and Google Docs.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re nimble and provide a personal touch. I really appreciate the ideas they bring to the table, and that they always strive to get the most out of the budget. They’ve never let us down; I know they’ll do what we ask them to and that it will be done right. And that holds a huge value for me. They’re a small team but are extremely responsive.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. It's been a pleasure working with them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Provide them with as much information about the project as possible, and keep them in the loop of any changes, such as inventory, timing, etc.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of marketing for a design and manufacturing company.

What challenge were you trying to address with Punch PR?

We leverage Punch PR as our external agency of record for our public relations services.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Punch PR’s responsibilities include anything from press release creation to pitching to media content creation. They provide PR counseling and really act as our way of ensuring that we create engaging content for our external customers. 

The team has also done influencer campaigns, attributed articles, community management, and a lot of media pitching. For the most part, right now, they’re working with news outlets to get us in publications.

What is the team composition?

On average, we work with at least three people, but they’ll always pull in more resources if there’s a need to get something done. 

How did you come to work with Punch PR?

They had already been working with my organization when I came on board. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since September 2016.

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

We look at a lot of different metrics, including impressions and the number of publications we’re featured in. Thanks to Punch PR we’ve done a plethora of interviews for large-scale newsworthy outlets. 

How did Punch PR perform from a project management standpoint?

We have weekly meetings and regular dispatch reports.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have an ability to truly understand our business. We’ve been working with them for a number of years, so they know the players and we trust them to keep confidential information confidential. Punch PR has earned our trust thanks to the guidance they’ve provided us over the years. The team follows through on what they set out to do, and we look at them as an extension of our own team.

Are there any areas they could improve?

There’s nothing that comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

They very much appreciate open, transparent dialogue. The more they’re aware of your goals and objectives, the better solutions they’ll be able to create. They like to feel like part of the team, and they thrive knowing how to get the most out of any situation.

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing director for Wolverine Worldwide, a footwear company. We’re a family of about 12 brands, and I work on the Harley-Davison team.

What challenge were you trying to address with Punch PR?

We work really closely with Punch PR for our PR needs.

What was the scope of their involvement?

Their role and responsibilities have morphed over the years of our engagement, but they’re essentially our PR partner. When I first joined the team, Punch PR was operating in a very traditional way. The team hosted press previews for industry and enthusiast editors twice a year at our New York showroom. They managed all of our media relationships, editorials, and the securing of media placements and gaining impressions for the brand. 

As media has changed, so has our relationship with Punch PR. They’re still involved with traditional press releases, but they’ve also taken a digital, strategic approach to our account as well. The team works with influencers and other key partnerships.

What is the team composition?

My main point of contact has always been Lauren (Principal), though she’s shifted roles and responsibilities to her other supporting team members. 

How did you come to work with Punch PR?

They came on board before I joined the team. However, I believe Lauren was a member of the agency my company was previously working with. When she started Punch PR, we reached out to continue working with her due to their prior relationship, her expertise in the motorcycle industry, and her proximity to the motor company in Milwaukee.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between $500,000 and $1,000,000 so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in March 2013, and the engagement is ongoing.

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

We’ve worked with large editorial names, like Vogue and Elle, which is really impressive to see. We attribute those opportunities to Punch PR and their ability to develop fantastic relationships. Lauren specifically is always thinking outside the box, keeping us ahead of the curve and helping us transition through changes in media. She’s agile and knows her clients intimately, allowing her to think bigger and act quicker than a traditional PR firm might be able to. 

How did Punch PR perform from a project management standpoint?

The whole team, especially Lauren, works really hard. The team members at Punch PR are excellent idea generators. Often, I’ll offer big-picture ideas, and they’re fantastic at breaking it down into smaller, strategic pieces. Whatever our budget has been over the years, they’ve been able to build out forward-thinking plans across several focuses.

To track our projects, we use Google Docs, keeping specific deliverables tabbed so I can see snapshots of what we’re working on at any given time. Everything is transparent and I can keep up with it all in real-time, which has been a nice feature Punch PR offers.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Punch PR is a small firm of good, hardworking people. Their size allows them to be really nimble and develop a meaningful connection with us. We’ve always been happy with the amount of attention they provide; we have no complaints.

They’ve been great PR partners, but more than that, they’ve been great business partners. They’re knowledgeable about our industry and have built really key relationships for us over the years. They’re great at what they do.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Not really. Sometimes, the ideas they come up with are outside of our budget, and it can be tough to have to reel in the creativity, but it’s certainly not a negative thing.

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the SVP of Marketing for a 17 location restaurant group.

For what projects/services did your company hire Punch PR, and what were your goals?

We were launching our 17th store in the Milwaukee market and needed a well connected partner to help us fill our pre-opening event, secure press mentions and influencer relationships.

How did you select this vendor?

We had a formal RFP process and selected them based on their proposal.

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

Create press releases and pitch to local media and influencers to include Tupelo Honey in their coverage. Secure reservations for our pre-opening event with various VIP community members.

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

We had a team of two at Punch. Their Managing Director and Account Manager.

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

We had really great in depth press pieces and influencers that were eager to work with us post launch.

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

Very communicative and kept us apprised of all things coming and finished.

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

They are great partners who are well connected in the community.

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

Everything was great!