Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: My company is a startup, and we're not sure that we can afford the hefty retainers that most agencies insist on. Can you help us garner the press coverage and brand recognition we need, even if we're on a budget?

We have a long history of working with emerging technology companies. Many are startups, and some are more mature companies that we've supported as they've grown.

Because our team is composed of a few, select experts, without the multi-tiered infrastructure you'll find in most large agencies, we are able to work with each client to design a streamlined program that fits the company's needs and resources. Our clients tell us that the consistent results they achieve working with CommStrat more than justify their investment in public relations.

Question 2: With the last agency we worked with, we were pitched by, and started out working directly with, the firm's senior people, but after a few months we were relegated down the food chain to entry-level account assistants. Not only did we feel slighted, but we also thought that the caliber of the work really suffered without involvement from senior people. Six months from now, who at CommStrat is going to be working on my account?

We set up our team with exactly this issue in mind. No one at CommStrat has less than 10 years of experience directly related to corporate and marketing communications. There are no junior assistants or administrative assistants to come between you and the seasoned professional dedicated to your project. Our agency's principal stays directly in touch with every account, regardless of size, and is never too busy to talk to you.

Question 3: We are planning a major product launch this coming year. How can CommStrat support us to ensure that our product receives optimal visibility?

Product launches are a core competency for our agency. We will begin by working with your team to develop a clear launch strategy, including product positioning, messaging, and a launch timeline. We will help you develop compelling analyst presentations and arrange for you to introduce your new product to the most influential analysts for your industry. Our media relations experts have established relationships with editors and publishers in a plethora of vertical, general business and mainstream consumer media, and they will work with you to secure editorial coverage. We can also media train company executives and spokespeople so they are able to make the most of every media opportunity. Additionally, our writing team can support development of editorial materials, from product launch press releases to contributed articles and executive thought leadership pieces.

After your product launch, we will help you evaluate your program's effectiveness, including product awareness and media coverage.

Question 4: We are a startup, and we plan to go out for another major round of funding this year. How can CommStrat help support these activities?

We enjoy helping startups to grow and gain industry recognition. Before your road show, we can help you develop a compelling presentation that promotes your key strengths, competitive differentiators, market opportunities, and strategy. As needed, we can coach your executive team to ensure that they are comfortable delivering your company's message to prospective investors. In addition, we can help you with market research, industry data, and industry analyst coverage, all of which will be helpful in building your investor communications. Additionally, we can drive awareness in the VC and business community via targeted business press coverage.

Question 5: We're concerned about limiting PR coverage to traditional channels such as newspapers, magazines and traditional broadcast media outlets. How can CommStrat help us leverage technology to gain awareness in the online community?

We believe that the most effective PR programs are well balanced between traditional and digital media. Most companies today understand the importance of having a professional, informative web presence, as well as good coverage in the online media.

Depending on your needs, our team can support you with web site development, search engine optimization, or web-based outbound communications, such as email subscriptions or RSS feeds. We can help you to optimize your existing materials for the web, including videos and marketing collateral. To evaluate the success of your online communications activities, we can recommend useful tools to evaluate activity levels, behavior and visitor demographics.

Question 6: We were very disappointed in the caliber of writing we received from the last agency we worked with. We felt that they never really understood our technology well, and the writing style wasn't a good fit for our industry. Can we expect better writing from CommStrat?

When you check out the professional backgrounds of the CommStrat writing team, you'll see that they all have decades of experience writing for industry, primarily for technology companies and publications. You will never have a junior or inexperienced writer working on your account. Typically, we assign a writer who best matches a particular client's industry and technology, and that writer stays with the client for the long term. As a result, the writer gains an in-depth understanding of the company, its technology and core messaging and he or she is able to sustain the tone and style dictated by the client.

Also, because of the low level of turnover both of our clients and of our team, we have been able to build lasting relationships that produce excellent written communications.