REQ

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the senior director of marketing at a cybersecurity company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

We needed a PR firm of record to provide support with editing content, award submissions, PR strategy, and thought leadership.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

REQ is our PR firm of record. The team has created editorial pieces that have been published in various publications throughout the US. Additionally, REQ has created award submissions for individuals in our organization and our products.

What is the team composition?

We work with 4–5 teammates from REQ on average.
How did you come to work with REQ?

REQ was already engaged with my company when I started working here. 

How much have you invested with them?

We've spent a minimum of $120,000 a year, but in some years, we've spent more.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with REQ in 2019, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We measure the share of voice and the number of articles REQ gets placed in. Overall, REQ's PR support has increased our company's profile and awareness.

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

REQ delivers work on time and within budget and responds well to our needs.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

I'd like to highlight Katie's (Executive VP & PR Practice Lead) work.

What did you find most impressive about them?

REQ has a deep understanding of our business, our cybersecurity industry, and what it takes to be successful in the government market.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don't have any constructive feedback for REQ.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

I recommend being as thorough and upfront as possible when engaging with REQ. Share your goals and what you're trying to achieve with the team, and meet with them regularly to discuss your business priorities.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the senior media relations manager for North America at a tech company that provides low-code process automation software for enterprises. I lead our PR and corporate PR efforts in North America.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

We wanted to build a more prominent PR program for our corporate efforts in North America. Additionally, we wanted to build out executive thought leadership for our executives and our customers' executives.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

REQ supports our PR efforts, focusing on three main areas. The first is getting more features in tech publications. The second and third focus on two of our main industry verticals: financial services and the public sector. REQ helps us get into publications and build up our presence in those industries.

REQ pitches our executives for interviews, which leads to content. The executive comes prepared with their comments, and REQ prepares the executive for the interview and ensures the topic is aligned with their expertise. On the other hand, we work with REQ on some authored articles. In those cases, REQ drafts the article and shares it with me and the executive to review and ensure it's in line.

REQ has also worked with one of our public sector leads to provide the content for an article. The team has drafted it, shared it for approval and review, and got it placed with Federal News Network, a public sector publication. This particular article is more thought leadership-focused, and it's authored by one of our executives.

What is the team composition?

We work with four teammates from REQ. An executive VP oversees our account, and Casey (Senior Account Director, PR) leads the day-to-day strategy. We also work with an account executive who is more in the weeds doing the actual pitching. The last teammate is an account coordinator who works on the administrative side of the account.

How did you come to work with REQ?

REQ was referred by a coworker who had worked with the company at their previous job in the marketing team. We were evaluating a couple of other agencies and ended up going with REQ because they proved to have a strong knowledge of the industries we wanted to target. The team had really strong work examples and relationships that we felt they could bring to the table.

Additionally, we got a good feeling from REQ when we met them. The team was very proactive and had smart thinkers. We liked speaking with REQ, and they presented themselves the best.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with REQ in January 2022, and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We have a higher quality of media opportunities coming in for REQ's area of work. The team has been able to create an executive thought leadership program and looped in our customers to participate in that, which is something we hadn't been able to do. REQ has done an excellent job finding opportunities for our customers to participate in and build relationships.

Additionally, REQ does a good job of recommending things we can do outside of typical PR activities. For example, financial services is an important industry for us, and the publications are tough to get into. REQ has pitched and managed a small paid program supplement, which works well. We're happy with that.

REQ has placed an article in Federal News Network, which is a good publication for us. The team has done a great job coming up with the article's topic of why low code is important for the federal government, giving the article a differentiator. 

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

REQ is always very timely. I've never received anything late from them because the team is always on time or early. REQ also does an excellent job of managing the budget and the hours we have. The team always does a good job of accommodating whatever the priority is at the moment while staying within our budget.

REQ is good at account management and is always very responsive. I can always count on them to get back to me in a timely manner. We communicate via email and weekly 30-minute calls.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Casey is great and a nice person to work with. She's very professional and an active listener and participant.

What did you find most impressive about them?

REQ is great and doesn't just go through the motions. The team thinks about what we're discussing and the problems we need to solve. I really appreciate that REQ thinks outside the box to ensure we get more media coverage. The team is also willing to jump in wherever it's helpful. 

As I mentioned, the public sector is an important industry for us, and our public sector team has wanted us to have more press releases with public sector agencies. REQ has reached out to some of these customers and secured a press announcement. REQ goes above and beyond by reaching out to customers and taking on PR activities.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I've been very happy with REQ's work and don't have any constructive feedback for them.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don't hold anything back, and give REQ all the context when you speak to them. The team is very proactive and will bring new ideas. There have been times when I've mentioned something in passing that I don’t think is necessary for the conversation. Still, REQ provides good feedback and has evolved it into something we can actually work on. Be super open and treat REQ as a member of your team because they may think of something that wasn't even on your radar.

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on July 26, 2024.

Valerie Verlander
Senior Manager of North America Media Relations, AppianSoftware

McLean, Virginia

1,001-5,000 Employees

Jan 2023 - Ongoing

Verified

Project summary
REQ has provided PR services for a software company; the team's tasks include press release management, pitch development, article writing, and award administration.

Feedback summary
Thanks to REQ, the client has secured 70 pieces of coverage across publications and industry verticals, attracted four US trade media attendees, and increased media attendance at their international conference. REQ's timeliness, communication, proactivity, and creativity are hallmarks of their work.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Senior Manager, North America Media Relations of Appian

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Appian is a software company that automates business processes. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire REQ to accomplish?

• Enhance Appian's presence in tech trades
• Improve Appian's presence in Public Sector media
• Improve Appian's presence in Financial Services media

SOLUTION

How did you find REQ?

Referral

Why did you select REQ over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fits our budget
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from REQ were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

REQ is our North America corporate PR firm. They manage the following activities to support Appians media presence:

• Press release management
• Proactive pitch development
• Authored articles
• Awards management

Focus areas for these activies include tech industry and public sector and financial services verticals. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since working together they have delivered 70+ pieces of coverage across key publications and industry verticals. 

They have also increased media attendance at our annual Appian World conference. Historically we have not had media attend from US trade media, but they were able to secure four media attendees. Two of which attended and produced coverage of the event. They also secured follow up coverage. This was a great improvement for us. 

REQ also reccomended paid PR programs to support our PR program and our key industries. This has been a great complement to the earned activities we are pursuing. They have also engaged Appian customers whereever possible wether it be media opps, awards, press releases, etc. Customer engagement is a bug priority for Appian. 

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

REQ is extremely timely. They meet all deadlines and commincate clearly if there will be an update to timelines. They are also creative and scrappy, and are always taking the initiative to build on the direction they are provided. They are also willing to help whenever needed and offer their assistance with projects outside of our normal purview without hesitation. 

What was your primary form of communication with REQ?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

Their ability to learn my company's goals, and run with it. I appreciate being able to provide them direction, but also having them bring ideas and proavtive ideas to the table routinely. 

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

No

STAR RATINGS
Overall rating: 5
Quality: 5
Cost: 5
Schedule: 5
Willing to refer: 5

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Manager of Clearlight

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Clearlight is one of the oldest and largest sauna manufacturers and wellness companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire REQ to accomplish?

• Our primary objective is to boost sales and effectively monitor them in relation to our advertising expenditure, ensuring that our efforts either maintain or drive progress in these key areas.

SOLUTION

How did you find REQ?

Other

Why did you select REQ over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from REQ were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

REQ oversees our entire online advertising strategy, encompassing PPC campaigns and management of social media channels. Additionally, we collaborate with REQ to optimize our website's SEO, ensuring top rankings for our targeted keywords. Regular keyword research is conducted in partnership with REQ. Their expertise extends to providing social media support across platforms such as Meta and beyond.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

There has been significant advancement in both sales and lead generation, although precise figures are pending. The optimization efforts have resulted in heightened visibility and improved rankings across pertinent search platforms, contributing substantially to overall growth. Since assuming control of the organic social media operations in December 2023, there has been a noteworthy surge in engagement and audience expansion. 
This growth underscores the effectiveness of strategic social media management in enhancing brand presence and fostering meaningful connections with the target demographic.

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

Certainly! Without a doubt! Their communication skills are excellent, consistently delivering tasks promptly. Whenever we've required assistance, their responsiveness has been exceptional, and they've been adept at clearly articulating their requirements from us.

What was your primary form of communication with REQ?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They are committed to ensuring the success of our project, prioritizing its outcome over merely running a campaign for commission. Their meticulous attention to detail enables us to achieve profitability in our collaboration with them.

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

Nothing comes to mind! REQ has consistently managed its ongoing projects and tasks with meticulous care and effort throughout the years. Whenever faced with new challenges, they swiftly collaborate with us to adapt and find the rhythm.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of brand and marketing for a full-service real estate platform that works across industrial, office, residential, and renter investments.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

We wanted to increase brand awareness and multi-group audience engagement. Our goal was to position our company as a national player and elevate our profile, thought leadership, and value within the corporate real estate investment industry.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

REQ provides us with PR and social media management (SMM) services, including content development and strategy. They create content for LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. We respond to social media comments internally. Although REQ doesn't directly provide reputation management services, the team considers reputation management in the tactics and strategies they deploy. 

What is the team composition?

We’ve worked with Lisa and Elizabeth (EVPs, PR),  Eileen (Account Manager, PR), Mary (Senior Strategist, Social Media), Ella (Account Coordinator, PR), and Bailey (VP, Content & Digital Syndication). Lisa and Eileen are our day-to-day contacts. Additionally, REQ assigns interim team members to our account when we need more resources. 

How did you come to work with REQ?

I found them through my network. Someone I had worked with previously joined REQ, and I wanted to see the company’s potential. My initial interview with REQ was incredibly clear, streamlined, and on-point. Moreover, they were very well-researched. The whole team, from Lisa and Elizabeth to Eileen, had a thorough knowledge of our company and its progress before even coming to the meeting. 

We also chose REQ due to their foundational relationships across the New York, Washington DC, and San Franciso markets. These relationships made it easy for REQ to help us offboard our outgoing provider. 

How much have you invested with them?

We have REQ on a monthly retainer, and we’ve spent between $250,000–$500,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with them in April 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Quarter-on-quarter (QOQ), REQ has doubled or tripled our media reach and earned media positioning. The team's work has dramatically increased our thought leadership placement, bylines, and speaking engagements across all markets we want to be in. REQ has made the difference between us being a boutique firm and becoming a futureproof national player — they’ve taken us there.

Eileen is efficient, logical, and strategic at managing social media accounts. She’s mobilized a best-in-class social media team led by Mary. Since REQ works on our social media content strategy, we’ve seen a monumental rise in engagement and general market sentiment.

I’d like to congratulate the whole REQ team — their work is a team effort. I never feel like one team member is carrying a heavier load while others are checking in and out of the project. No matter who I talk to, every REQ teammate is on the same page and connected — they finish each other’s sentences. As a result, working with REQ’s team is a pleasure. 

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

They deliver on time and within budget and communicate exceptionally well — I give them top marks. Since we’re a small team, we work quickly and are stretched thinly. REQ, Eileen, and Ella’s project management is always one step ahead, keeping us on point and creating a space for all of us to do our best work and deliver it on time. Nine times out of 10, Eileen has already asked and answered any question I can think of. 

We use Google Drive, phone calls, emails, and occasionally text messages to communicate. We also have a quick and efficient meeting cadence and workflow. From day one, REQ has understood our goals. They’ve come to almost every meeting with ideas or strategies that evolve those goals, so they’re an incredibly valuable strategic partner. Therefore, collaborating across the team to get the best possible outcome has been easy. 

Additionally, when we have busier months, Lisa and Eileen bring in additional resources who seamlessly integrate into our service. There’s no repetition or lag in getting these new resources up to speed on our goals. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’ve worked with many PR agencies in the US, Europe, and the Caribbean, and Lisa and Eileen’s team at REQ are in a class of their own. Overall, we have a phenomenal partnership with REQ. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

In the beginning, they were a bit conservative on the social media side. Thanks to Eileen’s project management and Mary’s open-mindedness, they were receptive to our feedback when we asked them to push harder on that side. Ultimately, this initial stage was good to go through together to build our trust. REQ listened to us and went out on a limb for us while we trusted that they had our best interests at heart.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

When working with REQ, listen to collaborate and understand and let the REQ team do their best work. Trust them because they’re at the top of their game. They take their job seriously, so your goals will be their goals. I also recommend working with Lisa and Eileen’s team at REQ — they’re incredible. At the same time, I don’t want anyone else working with them!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director, Brand and Content at a company that provides security software.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company provides data-centric security software to help organizations encrypt and protect sensitive information while still being able to share it.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire REQ to accomplish?

• Amplify our company's message in the media
• Write and edit press releases, op-eds, and blog posts
• Secure media placements for our company's executives and subject matter experts

SOLUTION

How did you find REQ?

Referral

Why did you select REQ over others?

• High ratings
• Close to my geographic location
• Great culture fit
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from REQ were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

We needed a partner for building and executing on our public relations strategy, including pitching stories to reporters; promoting new products and events; preparing executives and subject matter experts for interviews; and collaborating with our team on content strategy and go-to-market plans.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

The REQ team is exceptional at setting a media strategy, pitching stories from a variety of angles, and writing great content for press releases, op-eds, and blog posts. They secured dozens of media placements for the company in 2023 alone, including radio interviews, TV interviews, podcast features, op-eds, and featured quotes in articles. This coverage amplified the company's brand and enabled us to showcase our products and services on a broader scale.

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

The team was diligent in producing and delivering great work on time, adapting to shifts in deadline whenever needed. They were very responsive to our requests and proactively offered ideas and solutions to us based on organizational strategy and context.

What was your primary form of communication with REQ?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The team really absorbed our messaging and mission, and was able to identify opportunities that would provide the best fit based on our priorities. I really appreciated their genuine curiosity and interest in digging into our technical products and differentiators.

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

The team has been wonderful to work with!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the digital marketing lead of an Agile software consulting firm. We provide Agile-based software solutions to federal, commercial, and nonprofit clients. Our clients span federal agencies in national security and health. We also work with various well-known commercial organizations and trailblazing nonprofits.

In my role, I oversee the company's different marketing initiatives to grow our brand and business and engage with our customers. I report to our strategic growth department. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

We hired them for strategic PR services.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

REQ helps us with all our PR initiatives across awards and press releases. More recently, they’ve also become a strategic partner regarding content, thought leadership, and many other aspects our marketing department is interested in. 

When we brought on REQ, they started by helping us build our employer branding. This first project aimed to increase our employees' visibility on social media within the technology and consulting industries. For this purpose, REQ has submitted us for various awards for our employees to gain recognition for their work with our clients. 

Regarding content, REQ helps us write award submissions and much of our thought leadership writing. The team also helps us identify opportunities with media outlets to get our subject matter experts’ (SMEs’) opinions on the media. REQ helps us put together these media participations in a way that answers the reporters’ questions. REQ also helps us streamline our SMEs’ ideas into various pieces of content we place across our digital space. 

What is the team composition?

Our main point of contact is Robin (SVP of PR), and we work with three other REQ team members who are more or less permanently assigned to us, including Eileen (Account Manager, PR). Additionally, REQ brings in other members of different teams, such as social media experts and their editorial team, to help us when needed. 

How did you come to work with REQ?

REQ was referred to our manager by someone she had worked with. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with REQ in July 2022, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Our relationship with REQ has been absolutely wonderful. We recently met to discuss strategy and results, and REQ brought forth that we’ve won over 50% of the awards out of around 40 submissions this year. This result is in addition to all the other projects REQ helps us with.

Moreover, the quality of REQ’s work is amazing. Usually, there’s not much to fix when they deliver work. We’ve reached a point where we trust them in our relationship, so we usually only require minor tweaks, such as small grammatical preferences. 

REQ’s team is very approachable, making them easy to work with. I’ve previously worked with other PR firms that could be a bit stiff and inflexible. Meanwhile, REQ is the opposite — I wish other firms could operate like REQ. 

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re always within the budget, and deadlines have never been an issue. REQ is usually ahead of schedule. Eileen and I keep closely in touch about the projects’ progress to get ahead of any deadlines. 

We mainly communicate through Slack and have weekly Zoom meetings. REQ’s team also comes into our office for strategic meetings when asked. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Eileen coordinates all our PR efforts and is our primary contact when we want to get a project started or completed. She’s there throughout the process and is very knowledgeable of all things PR and writing — she’s amazing to work with. 

Moreover, Eileen understands our needs; even when we have issues verbalizing what we’re looking for, she provides strategic thought to help us get where we need to be. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I’m most impressed by REQ’s work ethic and ability to present themselves as a strategic partner. We’re a small marketing team, so there are some things we can’t fully wrap our arms around. Having REQ as a partner has been extremely valuable due to their sheer knowledge and expertise around the intersection between PR and technology consulting. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No. If anything, we would like more teammates like the ones we work with! 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Don’t keep REQ at arm’s length; be honest with them about where your company is and what your strategic goals are. Instead of treating them like a PR arm, bring them in as a partner so that you can truly get value from the team’s expertise and willingness to help and try new things.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the SVP of sales, leasing, and marketing for Beechwood Homes. We are a private residential developer. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

We’ve hired REQ for digital marketing services. We were doing a lot of in-house work, but the digital marketing landscape changes so rapidly that we knew we couldn’t keep up and adequately run digital marketing for a company of our size. We decided to bring REQ in because they had expertise and knowledge that we felt would be extremely valuable for our efforts. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

REQ handles all of our paid search and social media marketing. They are also responsible for SEO and our native and display advertising. REQ provides reporting for our digital marketing and integrates all that information into one central reporting platform. REQ runs the entire digital marketing effort for our North Carolina operations. 

The team is responsible for managing Google Ads, and we recently expanded into Microsoft Ads. REQ also runs our Facebook and Instagram; we create advertisements in-house, and they give guidance on how to move forward with them. REQ creates monthly and quarterly reports to see what’s working and what isn't. This includes analyzing our site and competitor's sites to see where we line up. 

REQ provides keyword analysis and research for our company, and we implement their recommendations. The team works closely with our in-house developer to optimize all our components. They also create blogs and have been responsible for creating infographics. REQ is responsible for our CallRail services and adds extensions to our campaigns to track everything more effectively. This helps our understanding of where we should be spending our marketing efforts. 

What is the team composition?

We have about nine people that work on our account. This includes Kiana (Account Executive), Katherine (SVP, Client Service & Operations), and Davinia (Client Service Fellow),

How did you come to work with REQ?

I met a REQ team member when I interviewed them for a podcast. My company was extremely impressed with REQ's approach and their team's talent, so we decided to move forward with them. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent around $250,000. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in February 2022, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We’ve seen increases in site traffic, rankings, and overall business conversions. Our businesses are performing unbelievably well, and we consider the engagement a massive success. Their quality of work is extremely high, and we see results because of it. 

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

REQ always stays within budget, and they are on top of everything. We consistently communicate with their team and are organized in presenting information and tasks that must be completed. We have weekly meetings and meet monthly to discuss successes and places that could improve. We also have quarterly meetings where REQ reports everything to our higher levels and goes more in-depth about plans to move forward.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They’re constantly working and trying to improve their techniques to make their strategies most effective. We also appreciate their expertise and knowledge because they work with other clients and bring that outside knowledge to the engagement. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We would like the quarterly reports to be given to us sooner so we can fully review them. We have to put some of the analytics into a digestible format for stakeholders, and if we had a little more time to do that, it would be appreciated. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Determine how you want to communicate with REQ and have everything lined up so you know where information is going. You need to be consistent in your primary contacts and be clear about lines of communication and the approval process. Sometimes things get lost in translation because we have so many steps to this process, and creating a better system for communication will help new clients be successful in their engagement. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I'm the former senior marketing communications manager at Invicti Security, a web application security testing company. Invicti Security primarily focuses on dynamic application security testing and API security.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

We hired REQ to help support our external media relations efforts.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We needed to scale our brand awareness efforts and build relationships with the media. More specifically, we wanted more support with some of our vertical focuses, primarily in the federal government space and public sector space. REQ had some really good relationships in place and could help support some of our connections in those public sector verticals.

Their primary tasks were press releases and byline content, including writing articles for us. REQ also helped us with writing and awards submissions support, just helping to scale our efforts to be able to do more with less. Furthermore, they secured many media mentions in various articles and interviews for us.

During the process, they were always open to our suggestions. As a team, they were very good at setting expectations and suggesting helpful solutions. REQ always provided guidance and support in a direction that was going to help us get the best result, even if it wasn’t the original idea that we internally thought of.

 What is the team composition?

Three full-time teammates worked on the account. I worked closely with Katie (EVP, Client Service & Strategy), Emily (Account Director, Public Relations), and Scott (Senior Account Executive). Additionally, there was an intern on the account.

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Emily is an all-star, and on top of all deliverables at all times. She is extremely organized and makes hitting the end goal a top priority. She is very competent and willing to help work with spokespeople, create messaging on their behalf, and jump in whenever there is a problem that needs to be solved. She is truly a rockstar and an easy person to work with. I can’t say enough good things about Emily.

How did you come to work with REQ?

My manager worked with REQ in a different position. We were evaluating different PR partners, but we interviewed REQ because of the established relationship already in place. 

From the initial call, they displayed professionalism, and it was obvious that they did their research. I instantly felt that I could trust them. They deeply understood the media landscape, what our goals were, and how to prioritize efforts to best meet our goals.

After they sent a proposal, we had them meet with our CMO just to make sure we were all on the same page when it came to our goals. Things got started relatively quickly after that.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with REQ in December 2022. The engagement is scheduled to conclude in June 2023.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

This past quarter we submitted 10 awards and won six. The team at REQ played an instrumental role in our success with awards. We reached an 85% Share of Voice which is very strong in dynamic application security against our competitors. Our goals were 12 placements per month, and they blew that out of the park every month and quarter. 

The REQ team focused on high-quality placements and made sure we reached our goals by dividing the types of placements between our key verticals. They made cyber and tech a priority but also looked at opportunities with some of the industry-related verticals.

They always provided great direction and set expectations because of their experience. REQ did a great job of helping us reach our goals by providing all-hands-on-deck support. They were always willing to work with us and made sure we were hitting our goals. They were great team players, especially compared to the other agencies that we had worked with.

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

During the engagement, REQ consistently showed flexibility. In general, they were wonderful communicators, and I was never left in the dark.

The team created a very comprehensive running list of items. If something wasn’t a priority or moved down the list, they always kept tabs on it ensuring items didn’t get lost. Even if something didn’t turnover into a media opportunity, they kept track of all the activity and interest we had. In turn, that helped me when it came to communicating with higher-ups and stakeholders about any ongoing efforts.

We met weekly with the REQ team. They were super responsive over email and Slack. In addition, we used Google Docs to manage the project. They were open, honest, and overall great partners to work with. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They genuinely did their research and thought critically on their own, without having to come to me with 100 questions. A lot of the work was done in preparation. They took the time to understand what was going on. They wrote based on the information they had and never made assumptions. I never felt like I had to babysit or double-check their accuracy, which I've had to do with other agencies. 

I genuinely appreciated their proactiveness. I trusted that they were always on the pulse of everything, taking care of things without waiting for permission when they knew they had something that would work. REQ is one of the best agencies I have worked with.

Are there any areas they could improve?

That's a tough question. Although it wasn't necessarily their fault, it would have been beneficial to spend more time figuring out how we could engage more with business press than just technical and vertical press. However, we talked about and it was a matter of readjusting our priorities. Overall, they were very on top of everything, and we always had open communication about our priorities.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Maintain an open dialogue and provide feedback and any other information needed as soon as possible. Both our internal team and REQ team acted quickly to ensure success. There was very little slowdown, which kept their momentum high. To see results, I recommend holding up your end of the bargain and approving things in a timely manner.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the VP of brand and communications for Revature. We’re a tech talent enablement firm serving some Fortune 500 leading financial institutions.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with REQ?

We’ve hired REQ to act as our PR agency on record. We chose to bring them on board because we believed they would provide us with new contacts and best practices that we didn’t have access to internally. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

REQ supports multiple strategic initiatives, including content creation, an awards program, media pitching, and PR. They propose solutions that will push the needle and raise brand awareness. 

REQ is responsible for writing blog posts, taking care of award submissions, and handling press releases. The team is also in the process of recording an interview series with CEOs at our client companies. REQ performed a social media competitive analysis and content strategy during our UK launch. 

What is the team composition?

We work with Lisa (EVP), Emily (Account Director), Eileen (Account Manager), and Scott (Senior Account Executive). 

How did you come to work with REQ?

REQ was working with our company before I started but only supported a limited project scope. We saw they were delivering excellent work and thought they had much more to offer, so we brought them in to take on more and support our whole business.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve invested more than $200,000 with REQ. 

What is the status of this engagement?

I joined the company in May 2022, and they were already working for us; the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

They’ve secured us multiple media mentions, and when we launched in the UK, REQ procured strong local media results. Our whole executive team has been really impressed with their coverage for the UK launch, and REQ secured around 10–12 media hits. 

We measure our brand awareness every six months, and it has increased by 12 percentage points; we know the media hits are a big part of that. We’ve also seen an increase in site traffic. 

How did REQ perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re wonderful and have never missed a deadline, even if they're working under a tight timeline. REQ is always on top of projects, and they communicate with us in advance. If we forget on our end, they are also very proactive about making sure we provide them with what they need to move forward. 

We communicate via email and Zoom. They share a report weekly with us, which is the key communication tool between our two teams. 

Are there any employees from the service provider's team that you would like to give a shout-out to in this review?

Lisa has been incredible and we wish we could work with her forever. She is creative and has a very clear point of view about how PR works in the large marketing ecosystem. We appreciate that she attends every meeting and knows what’s going on with the team; she is a heavily involved executive, which is huge. 

We also want to shout out Emily, who is amazing. We have a lot of respect for everything she does, and she is highly organized. She never misses a deadline and is diligent about making sure we don’t miss them either. She feels like an extension of our team and is vital to our daily work.

We also really appreciate the work that Eileen and Scott do; Scott has secured eight radio interviews for us in 2023 alone.  

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their scope has been spot-on, and we haven’t had to make any changes. Their written content is highly impressive, and they ensure that we’re getting in the right publications, not necessarily the biggest ones. The team is very patient and never gets frustrated with us. Their quality of work justifies the price tag, and their connections are very valuable. 

It’s also a huge deal that they always provide an executive in our weekly meetings. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

We wish they had a little bit more diversity on their team. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Communicate your goals as proactively as possible, even if you don’t think they’re always relevant. The more information they have, the more they can help.