UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Marketing Content Manager of BDSA

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Headquartered in Louisville, Colorado, BDSA helps businesses improve revenues, reduce innovation risk and prioritize market expansion with accurate and actionable cannabis market intelligence, consumer research and advisory services. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations to accomplish?

• Support BDSA services prioritizing those that generate the strongest revenue flow.
• Reinforce BDSA’s positioning as a services and insights company.
• Create the optimal strategic identity for BDSA, including market research, market intelligence, market services, etc.
• Build/enhance the credentials of BDSA spokespeople as subject experts and thought leaders.
• Bolster BDSA’s positioning as the preeminent expert in the cannabinoid market through its data, analytics, expert team and predictive/prescriptive actionable insights.

SOLUTION

How did you find UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations?

Referral

Why did you select UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations over others?

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

How many teammates from UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

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

The scope of work focused on elevating BDSA's visibility and thought leadership within the cannabinoid industry with a comprehensive media relations strategy, targeting key national and industry-specific outlets. Key deliverables include distributing press releases, securing media placements in top-tier publications, securing and organizing briefings with BDSA experts and generating contributed articles. The strategy emphasized positioning BDSA’s leaders as subject matter experts and leveraging BDSA’s data for ongoing coverage. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Over the course of our partnership, UPRAISE earned BDSA a high volume of high-quality media coverage, positioning the company as a leader in the minds of key decision-makers. UPRAISE regularly secured BDSA tier-one media coverage in publications including Bloomberg, Business Insider, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and more. By successfully establishing BDSA spokespeople as market thought leaders, UPRAISE ensured BDSA’s share of voice remained #1 among market competitors. Between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2023, UPRAISE earned BDSA outsized results and set the standard for providing data and insights to the cannabis industry. These results included securing 20,566 media placements (an average of 857 media placements per month).

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

UPRAISE consistently delivered projects on time. Their structured, organized approach and clear communication were instrumental in helping our team stay on top of deadlines and streamline workflows. With regular updates and a proactive approach, we could always count on the UPRAISE team to manage every aspect of our projects efficiently. 

What was your primary form of communication with UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

The UPRAISE team consistently stays ahead of industry trends, introducing fresh ideas and innovative strategies to ensure our thought leaders are actively participating in meaningful industry conversations. They excel at proactive planning and often anticipate our needs before they arise.

Are there any areas for improvement or something UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations could have done differently?

Overall, UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations delivered strong results and exceeded our expectations. I don’t have any areas for improvement to suggest. 

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the VP of Public Relations of Circana

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Circana is the leading advisor on the complexity of consumer behavior, we provide clarity that helps almost 7,000 of the world’s leading brands and retailers take action and unlock business growth.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations to accomplish?

• Increase brand awareness of first the IRI brand, and then after its merger with NPD, the Circana brand
• Raise the profiles of multiple thought leaders within the organization to attract new and incremental deal flow
• Continuously achieve share of voice results superior to Circana’s two prime competitors

SOLUTION

How did you find UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations?

Referral

Why did you select UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations over others?

• Pricing fits our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations were assigned to this project?

6-10 Employees

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

The scope of work involves a heavy engagement with media relations, from drafting press releases to pitching proactive themes and thought leaders. Circana receives a lot of media inquiries and UPRAISE is very helpful in connecting reporters with the appropriate contact and developing relationships with different media. 
UPRAISE also puts together speaking and award submissions and will collaborate with Circana leaders to put their best foot forward. UPRAISE will also draft social posts for any media coverage or major announcements. They’ve also been instrumental in kicking off Circana’s DEI social media. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Throughout our years of engagement, our brand captured the most share of voice in the market. It was vital that the new brand was well-received and that all our contacts and publications were aware of this shift. With the help of UPRAISE, following the launch of Circana, our media coverage experienced a significant surge. 
Conversely, the old brand name mentions decreased. This not only contributed to brand recognition but also positioned Circana as a noteworthy player in the market research sector.

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

UPRAISE rarely, if ever, was late on delivering projects. Whenever there’s a last-minute request for a press release, media coverage recap, or speaking submissions, I can count on UPRAISE to turn it around in days or even hours. 

What was your primary form of communication with UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

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

They often get ahead of the curve and will suggest planning in advance. Before the merger was complete, they were preparing PR plans for all the new executives and their respective teams to kick off media relations, speaking, etc., so we could hit the ground running as soon as we announced the new brand.  

Are there any areas for improvement or something UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations could have done differently?

UPRAISE Marketing + Public Relations is truly an extension of our internal PR team. We have daily interaction and they play a very crucial role in our successful PR program. They always rise to the occasion and I don't have any areas of improvement to report.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the Director of Brand Marketing at an innovative company developing home robots that help people live better lives. I oversee all areas of marketing from trade show support to new product introductions, our website and more.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UPRAISE?

We have worked with UPRAISE for three years on a project basis. These projects include launching the company, two funding announcements, three product announcements, development of a new website and various collateral materials.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to establish us as the leading home robotics brand, providing better features and better value than other companies. We wanted to reach a point that when influencers discussed home robots, the discussion always included us.

SOLUTION

How did you select UPRAISE?

The CEO of Redrock Biometrics is an acquaintance of our CEO and he recommended UPRAISE. UPRAISE had created a website from scratch and launched their company in just three weeks.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

UPRAISE proposed and executed a series of product launch plans for our first three intelligent home robot vacuums. They coordinated two of these product launches with funding announcements, which they stated would increase the quantity and quality of media coverage. This proved to be true. They also completely redesigned and rewrote our website, coordinated with one of our product launches.

What was the team composition?

The president, Tim, was my main point of contact for some aspects of our projects and others on his team worked with me on other areas. Their approach was smooth and efficient.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

For the two product launches that I managed (the first project was managed by my predecessor), the UPRAISE team surpassed their metrics by at least 2x for media relations. Completion of the website was delayed due to a series of circumstances, but we were pleased with the result.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The UPRAISE team was always accessible and responsive. They provided frequent updates and always kept me in the loop.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

They did very strong work to earn us positive media coverage for our funding and product launches. One product launch earned 2x the agreed-upon metrics, another close to 3x the results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

In the initial design of the new website, we felt UPRAISE’s ideas weren’t taking us down a path we wanted to go. However, they listened to our concerns and addressed the issues we raised and we ended up with a website we were pleased with.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I currently serve as Director of Marketing and Client Success at Ainstein AI, which designs and develops innovative radar-based sensing solutions for driving, flying, working and living.

We are primarily a U.S.-based company and make radar more affordable and easier to deploy, offering complete customized solutions for autonomous drones, advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), autonomous vehicles and IoT applications.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UPRAISE?

We have worked with UPRAISE on a project basis for approximately three years. For this engagement we turned to UPRAISE for:

• Updating the design, graphics and text of our website
• Designing and writing new sales materials
• Implementing digital marketing through HubSpot
• Drafting and placing contributed content with media
• Drafting and posting blogs - Creating new case histories
• Managing social media

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal is to increase the visibility of the Ainstein brand. This will primarily be accomplished by advocating the WAYV radar line. Social distancing, crisis management and other forms of behavioral analysis are incredibly important today as the world as we know it has changed before our eyes.

We expect th UPRAISE team to be fundamental in making the Ainstein brand a known entity throughout the automotive, IoT, air, and specialized vehicle industries.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

A former employee actually selected UPRAISE after an exhaustive search. In addition to her research, our marketing consultant at the time strongly recommended them based on his previous experience with UPRAISE.

When I took over marketing, I did not know them well but decided to give them a trial. I have been very pleased with the results and will continue to work with them.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The scope of UPRAISE’s work is broken down into four categories:

1. Content
2. Social Media
3. Media Relations (i.e. PR)
4. Website Development Each of the four are dependent on the success of this project.

We need content to share on social media. We need to be more present and recognizable to earn interest in journalists. We need a strong converting website to help drive sales when readers are researching our product line.

What was the team composition?

The team’s composition includes the president and owner, a senior account executive and two junior people. Even though we are a smaller client to them in terms of revenue, they give us all the attention we need and more.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We are a small but rapidly growing company and when we invest in high-spend activities such as trade shows, it’s important for us to take advantage of as many opportunities as possible.

The UPRAISE team has helped us for two years with our presence at CES (the Consumer Electronics Shows), one of the largest trade shows in the world with companies that spend millions on their booths and show presence.

Their ideas and execution have helped us get our voice heard and maximize the return on dollars and time invested in the show.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The UPRAISE team helps me stay on top of projects through our weekly call agendas and the action items that follow. They also follow up with me regularly if a deadline is looming and I haven’t replied to them. They are self starters and complete as many projects as possible without my input.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

UPRAISE provides quality work that extends throughout their entire team—from Tim the owner, down to the most junior person. They say they go the extra mile and really do. There are times that our “asks” exceed our budget, especially around new product launches. The UPRAISE team does what it takes to earn great results.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I have been very satisfied with their work and honestly don’t see areas for improvement.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the digital marketing program manager for a cybersecurity company with over 150 employees. I oversaw email marketing campaigns, webinars, award submissions, and conferences/trade shows.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UPRAISE Marketing and Public Relations, Inc.?

UPRAISE PR was hired for the following projects:

• Analyst relations
• Media strategy
• Content creation
• Social media strategy and competitor analysis
• Content development
• Social media

What were your goals for this project?

Deception technology was a new subset of cybersecurity solutions launched in 2015. We were looking to build a new category and gain recognition and acceptance with media, industry analyst firms, channel partners through which we distributed our products, and IT and security teams that purchased our solutions.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

UPRAISE PR was hired for the team’s expertise in cybersecurity, the ability to build brand awareness and its experience and creativity in the core areas where needed support.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

The SOW was focused on brand and technology category awareness. UPRAISE is one of the top agencies that specializes on working with startups to build them into multi-million dollar brands.

They met or exceeded KPS for all activities, such as earned media coverage and inclusion in analyst reports. iN three years, for example, they built engagement with more than 100 industry analysts from both generalist and niche firms worldwide..

What was the team composition?

The UPRAISE team included the agency’s president, who was very active and involved. It also included a team of three others with complementary areas of expertise.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

A media/analyst luminary conducted a cybersecurity top companies to watch product round up, a notification email that went out the our team during one of the busiest trade shows within our industry. Unfortunately, we missed responding to the email in time and missed being included in the round up.

The UPRAISE team did not take no for an answer, going back to the editor and explaining the situation and why he should reevaluate our product and company.

Within the following month, the analyst posted a separate report on our company and product, producing an increased number of leads in our pipeline. Way to go UPRAISE!

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The project manager we were assigned was always timely in his responses, a wonderful writer and checked in with us often. I was very impressed with his work ethic!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

UPRAISE always completed projects on time and were extremely thorough. With PR agencies, you can hear about “the other client.” We never heard this once. UPRAISE valued us as we valued them.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not that I can think of!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am the VP of Marketing at Hearst Bay Area, the business branch of the San Francisco Chronicle and SFGATE. I am responsible for signature program and sales marketing development.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UPRAISE?

We do not have the in-house bandwidth for the PR support that we need for certain special projects. UPRAISE is excellent at handling the external communications around these important initiatives, whether those are Galas, Awards Shows, new hires or product launches. They take the time to customize their approach to match our needs and our budget.

What were your goals for this project?

Awareness/downloads.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Great references.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Executing a PR campaign nationally to news media and food media around a new podcast launch.

What was the team composition?

I work closely with their team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

We had added engagement and awareness around our new podcast.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective!

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their ability to understand our brand, our budget, and our timeline was impressive.

Are there any areas for improvement?

n/a

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Corporate Marketing Manager for a tech company. Main responsibilities include PR, brand and content management

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UPRAISE?

Given our limited resources and experience, we wanted an experienced agency that supported us in our PR strategy through press releases, thought leadership articles, social media strategy, awards and accolades, etc.

What were your goals for this project?

Our company was entering into a new phase in our business and we were looking to raise our company's corporate profile

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Our CEO had worked with them in the past with great success.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

They provided us with a PR strategy that included press release calendar, weekly social media postings, coordination with analysts and media for briefings, articles and interviews, as well as media presence during tradeshows and events

What was the team composition?

We worked closely with the president and Sr account executives.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Since working with Upraise, we collected 13 industry awards and at least 15 press releases distributed on the wire that yielded great exposure and really helped "putting us in the map"

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We had weekly meetings and constant email communication, so it was a very closed working relationship

What did you find most impressive about this company?

How they were able to quickly adapt to any changes in direction and circumstances, coming up with great ideas to leverage our PR

Are there any areas for improvement?

None that can think of right now

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

VP Marketing at 100 person software company

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire UPRAISE?

Upraise is our PR firm and while I set this month as an end date, it's an ongoing contract, I just wanted to take a moment to review their work. They handle all aspects of PR and often advise on related matters--digital marketing, product positioning etc.

What were your goals for this project?

Increase company profile, brand awareness, repositioning of company.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We reviewed several PR companies, but our CEO has worked with Upraise several times before and they came highly recommended.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Write press releases, write social media posts, media outreach, analyst relationships, tradeshow prep support, writing of articles, blogs, case studies etc

What was the team composition?

Worked seamlessly with three team members at upraise

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

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

Increase to media coverage, expanded relationships with analysts, steady flow of press releases, more case studies.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It was good throughout.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Were good at thinking through PR strategy and coming up with ideas/advice/strategies. Have been flexible on how they work with us.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There always are but nothing leaps to mind right now....