In September 2018, the founder of a Korean-based health tech startup approached MACIAS PR for help promoting his smart belt wearable.
The founder had hired a different PR agency earlier in the year to promote their wearable at CES 2018 but didn’t get any traction. He was hoping our agency could promote the exact same wearable at CES 2019. He heard about our agency from another Korean entrepreneur who had worked with us.
Continue reading “Client Case Study – Health Tech Wearable”
Industry: Accounting Firm
MACIAS PR led the PR & media campaign for MBS & Accounting Technology & Advisory firm in 2017. The accounting firm approached us for help in growing their business, generating new leads and promoting their annual tech conference. The Senior VP of MBSATA said our media and digital marketing campaigns had a direct impact on their business growth.
Challenge: Accounting is not an interesting topic to reporters. It’s perceived as being systematically boring with few fresh angles. It’s also in a vaguely defined market that includes bookkeeping and accounting. Our PR team had to find interesting, creative and timely topics to position this accounting firm in the news.
Solution: MACIAS PR developed targeted and timely stories that appealed to their targeted business base: nonprofit and tech startups. We simplified the message and communicated the story to reporters in a way reporters would understand. In addition to our thought leadership ideas, our PR team also ghost-wrote editorials on the CEO’s name, including several prominent pieces that were published in Forbes and ValueWalk – one of the most prominent tech publications that reaches young entrepreneurs. Our messaging was designed to drive new business.
The article in Forbes was also picked by their editors under their “Editor’s Choice” section, bringing even more exposure to the story. The article was titled, “5 Red Flags That Inexperienced Entrepreneurs Must Avoid To Attract Investors.”
Results: MACIAS PR helped raise the profile of MBSATA in the nonprofit and tech space. We also helped sell tickets to their annual tech summit, bringing in the largest number of attendees in the history of their organized event. Our coverage helped drive more than 1500 people to their event in Manhattan.
Our PR team secured prominent and targeted news stories that positioned the firm as a leader in accounting technology. We conceptualized campaigns and executed media campaigns that introduced the firm to their ideal client base: nonprofits, tech startups and accountants. Our media coverage included stories with Forbes, Accounting Today, Asea, Valuewalk, Nonprofit Information, NonProfitPro, Bitcoin.com, MedCityNews, CoinDesk, YoungUpStarts and BizEdge.
You can see more of this media coverage on our document below the client testimonial.
In addition to securing these news stories, MACIAS PR also promoted their annual tech summit, MBS CalculTech with the local tech community. If you are looking for a PR firm to help you with your B2B campaign, we encourage you to contact us. We would be happy to discuss your needs and provide you with a free consultation.
Client Testimonial
“MACIAS PR promoted our business and annual tech event in 2017. I couldn’t be happier with the media coverage and online publicity they secured for our firm. Their PR strategy had a direct relationship to our business growth. Mark is also easy to work with and comes up with his own angles that get coverage. Highly recommend MACIAS PR.”
~ Michael Jones, Senior VP of Sales and Partnerships
Finance Monthly and ACQ5 5 – an international industry award – named MACIAS PR the 2017-2020 Strategic PR Firm of the Year, and PR Firm of the Year. This was the third year in a row that Finance Monthly recognized our firm. The founder – Mark Macias – is a former Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. He is also a PR contributor with Entrepreneur and Forbes, providing media analysis, insight and crisis advice on timely business topics.
Most of us have similar thoughts on Musk renaming Twitter to X: It’s a self-inflicted mortal wound that tosses a globally recognized name and verb (tweet) out the window. There’s absolutely no long-term value in altering a name, logo and trademark that nearly everyone with a smartphone recognizes. It’s a short-sighted move and a lesson in what not to do with your brand.
Luckily you can’t destroy your brand like Twitter if you’re a startup. That’s because no one has heard of your company. But, there are missteps that can make your branding path more difficult. Over the years, I’ve heard many CEOs, entrepreneurs and CMOs turn down media opportunities because they thought the news organization was too small. In some cases, they criticized the news website design.
Continue reading “Branding Advice – What Not to Do with your Brand”
Back in 2016, the weight loss program Noom had little national name recognition despite being popular with consumers. However, the media tide shifted when MACIAS PR took over their publicity after their previous PR agency failed to deliver.
This case study delves into how MACIAS PR successfully elevated Noom’s presence in the media as a digital health coach.
From the start, our team faced challenges, including the need to differentiate Noom in a crowded weight loss market. Mark Macias, the founder, devised a comprehensive strategy outlining the stories to be told and the media outlets to target.
Within the first month of collaboration, MACIAS PR secured a story with CBS News, highlighting how Noom’s mobile app helped pre-diabetics and diabetics manage their conditions. Over the next three years, this success was followed by hundreds of stories appearing on various major platforms, including NBC Today Show, People Magazine, Men’s Health, Women’s Health, CNBC, PIX 11 in NYC, CNN, Fortune, TechCrunch, Entrepreneur, New York Post, and more.
MACIAS PR also helped expand Noom’s reach with Spanish consumers by placing stories with Telemundo and Univision.
Besides the B2C focus, Noom also had a B2B service targeting HR and providers. MACIAS PR developed a tailored B2B strategy that secured features in outlets like MobiHealthNews, The American Journal of Managed Care, Fierce Biotech, FW Pharma, Med City News, among others. All of these stories emphasized how Noom as an employee benefit was saving the companies money from a health care spend perspective.
In 2018 and 2019, Google named Noom one of the top-trending diet terms in their annual “Year in Search Report.” This increased search exposure was a direct result of our media coverage.
Fast Company Magazine also recognized Noom as one of the Interbrand Breakthrough Brands in 2017. Most notable, Noom did not have a Chief Marketing Officer during the entire time we worked together. Our media and branding strategy came from our time working directly with the founders.
Our media campaign also helped support Noom’s fundraising goals. MACIAS PR conceptualized angles that resonated with reporters and investors, showcasing the digital health company as a top disruptor in health tech.
Despite the challenges of obtaining media coverage for investment rounds, MACIAS PR successfully navigated and ensured Noom received extensive and positive exposure. Our PR team secured media coverage for Noom’s $58 million investment round with outlets like TechCrunch, Fortune, Entrepreneur, and AlleyWatch in 2019.
Throughout the partnership, Mark Macias media trained the C-suite for all media interviews.
For a more detailed case study, please reach out to us. We can share a more in-depth case study that reveals even more successes from our 3+ year relationship with Noom. You can also get a PR estimate by clicking here.
Finance Monthly and ACQ5 5 – an international industry award – named MACIAS PR the 2017-2020 Strategic PR Firm of the Year, and PR Firm of the Year. This was the third year in a row that Finance Monthly recognized our firm. The founder – Mark Macias – is a former Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. He is also a PR contributor with Entrepreneur and Forbes, providing media analysis, insight and crisis advice on timely business topics.
Every brand wants to be in the New York Times or on Good Morning America but sometimes those aren’t the best news outlets for your targeted exposure.
I wrote an article for Entrepreneur recently that explores when smaller news outlets might bring more targeted exposure. You can read that story here.
Many times, clients will suggest we turn down a smaller publication because they have their hearts set on these larger news organizations. If you’re a startup, you should be accepting all media opportunities — big and small. Your story hasn’t been told as a startup and every media opportunity is a chance to scale your brand. These news stories also help your website with SEO.
Continue reading “When Smaller News Organizations are Better for Publicity”
Business owners always ask me how can they measure the ROI of PR. The question inspired a recent thought leadership article I wrote for Forbes, which you can read here.
Contrary to what many business owners and entrepreneurs think, you can measure an effective PR campaign. Here are 5 approaches that I broke down in my Forbes article. You can read that article if you’d like to hear more in-depth on these approaches.
Continue reading “Forbes – How to Measure the ROI of PR”
In 2018, the founder of MACIAS PR – Mark Macias – wrote and produced an Off-Broadway play on the final hours of Elvis Presley’s time on earth. The King, The Final Hours was an artistic look at what went through Elvis’ mind as he realized he was dying.
This agency led the entire publicity and marketing campaign for the play, and it had a direct impact on ticket sales. The King, The Final Hours received local, national and international media attention and sold out 50 percent of its shows. More than 50 independent theaters across the country expressed interest in the play before COVID hit. The first syndicated play was scheduled to open in May 2020 in Portland, Oregon. COVID put that on hold.
Local TV, community newspapers, radio, national and international online publications all published features on The King, The Final Hours. Here’s a look at some of the mentions from those news stories.
In addition to securing media placements and creating content for social media, MACIAS PR also partnered with sponsors from different industries. We created experience packages for hotels. This included a Meet & Greet with the cast, seats in the front row and a private Q&A with the producer following the show.
You can see more of our media coverage in the case study below. Interested in hearing how MACIAS PR can help promote your show or play? Click here to get a free PR estimate. We learned a lot from producing and promoting this play, and can share more of this knowledge with your creators.
Marketing peers named MACIAS PR the 2017-2020 Strategic PR Firm of the Year. In 2015, 2016 and 2017, Finance Monthly named MACIAS PR the Financial PR Firm of the Year. The founder – Mark Macias – is a former Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. City & State Magazine named him a PR Political Power Player in New York
Nearly 3 years ago, I wrote an article for Forbes that predicted the future of PR and AI.
We’re still in agreement today that AI will make life easier for publicists. Machine learning will continue to help content creators and publicists develop content faster. But at the root of my Forbes article was a bold prediction that AI won’t replace publicists over the next 10 years.
Here’s why I still stand by that prediction three years after making it.
Continue reading “Will AI Replace Publicists? A Closer Look at What the Data Says”
MACIAS PR has run media and branding campaigns for clients across industries: health care, technology, nonprofits, real estate, politics. In multiple ways, we have taken a generalist and specialist PR to each campaign – based on the need.
Despite the diversity of clients, one common thread remains consistent. We have delivered top tier media placements for our clients with the most influential news organizations.
It doesn’t matter if our clients are promoting the latest tech wearable, pushing a cause or selling health services to businesses. We have relationships with media outlets and reporters in all of these industries.
Potential clients frequently assume that a specialist PR agency from their specific industry will deliver better results.
In my experiences inside the media and as the owner of this PR agency, I’d say the better framed question revolves around how much each PR agency knows about your industry.
I’ve written extensively for Forbes on what to look for when hiring a publicist. You can read that thought leadership here. And whether it is better to hire an East Coast, West Coast or local PR firm. (Read that insight here)
Regardless of your industry, I frequently tell my friends if I had to hire a PR agency for my firm, I’d always go with the generalist who understands my industry.
This generalist approach always gives MACIAS PR an advantage with reporters. Our team speaks with dozens or reporters and producers on any given day. This exposure gives us more opportunities to repackage and sell other clients’ stories on these calls.
But don’t take my word for it. Instead, evaluate our media deliverables.
You can read our client case studies from different industries on the following links: health care, technology, mobile apps, consumer wearables, real estate, nonprofits, physicians, consumer services, B2B health tech and politics.
If you’d like to see a case study for your industry, just message us and we can share more.
ABOUT MACIAS PR
Marketing peers named MACIAS PR the 2017-2020 Strategic PR Firm of the Year. In 2015, 2016 and 2017, Finance Monthly named MACIAS PR the Financial PR Firm of the Year. The founder – Mark Macias – is a former Executive Producer with NBC and Senior Producer with CBS in New York. City & State Magazine named him a PR Political Power Player in New York.
Why does the cat always catch the mouse? When you think of how agile and quick a mouse can be, it should easily outmaneuver the cat. Yet, most of the time, the cat will catch the mouse.
That’s not just a fun question. It’s actually a way of thinking that applies to PR and business.
First off, I’m not an expert on mice or cats. I’m allergic to cats and I hate mice. But as a person who lives in Brooklyn, and every New Yorker will tell you – “if you have mice, get a cat and the problem will go away.”
I got to thinking about that concept when watching of all things – Tom and Jerry – with my son. It got me thinking of the relationship between cat and mice, and the reporter and publicist. Here’s a closer look at what the classic cat and mouse game can teach us about media strategy.
Continue reading “Cat and Mouse Strategy – How it applies to PR”