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When I took over the IFS business 18 months ago, I met with a number of high profile PR Consultancies, with the objective of selecting a business that would help IFS by providing...
"With Xero being a very strong brand in NZ, my challenge as new MD for Xero in Australia was to take the brand to a new level and gain profile in a market where most people who had heard of us were still spelling Xero with a Z. Unfortunately, our current PR strategy and provider was really not working for us. Soon after coming on board with Xero in February 2011, I quickly realised that I was just not seeing a great deal of understanding of our business, the technology space, how startups think and a sense of the opportunity that we knew was out there for us.
Enter BENCH PR mid-way through 2011. Jocelyn and her team have truly been a breath of fresh air. What struck me about BENCH PR is that they get the tech space and it is clear from their other clients (many of whom I have met) that they are passionate about helping startups. We've enjoyed the informal yet professional approach and they engage with us as if they are part of our team. Coming from someone who has not had a great deal of media experience in my previous life, in both traditional and social mediums, Jocelyn has been a great coach to me personally on many media engagements. She is constantly coming up with ideas and ways of helping me to improve our profile with input on blogs, Twitter and other traditional forms of media. And it's not just about telling me what she thinks I want to hear.
I think it is critical that you have a PR partner that can also tell you what not to do and that feels as passionate about protecting and developing the brand as we do. That is what we get from BENCH PR and we are delighted with the results and positive profile we have been getting in the media since they came on board."
Enter BENCH PR mid-way through 2011. Jocelyn and her team have truly been a breath of fresh air. What struck me about BENCH PR is that they get the tech space and it is clear from their other clients (many of whom I have met) that they are passionate about helping startups. We've enjoyed the informal yet professional approach and they engage with us as if they are part of our team. Coming from someone who has not had a great deal of media experience in my previous life, in both traditional and social mediums, Jocelyn has been a great coach to me personally on many media engagements. She is constantly coming up with ideas and ways of helping me to improve our profile with input on blogs, Twitter and other traditional forms of media. And it's not just about telling me what she thinks I want to hear.
I think it is critical that you have a PR partner that can also tell you what not to do and that feels as passionate about protecting and developing the brand as we do. That is what we get from BENCH PR and we are delighted with the results and positive profile we have been getting in the media since they came on board."
Chris Ridd, Managing Director, Xero
"In 2011 Zendesk made the decision to open its Asia Pacific headquarters in Melbourne. We wanted to work with a PR agency that would help launch the company and raise Zendesk's profile in the region.
BENCH PR was recommended to us and their experience, contacts and understanding of the IT and cloud space set them apart when compared to other agencies.
We are a fast growing business, with over 15000 customers and acquiring more every day, so an agency than can move quickly and be flexible, like BENCH PR, was also very important.
BENCH PR handled the launch of our Asia Pacific office and achieved an impressive number of stories in the media and set up interviews with our CEO who was visiting from the US.
Zendesk has featured in national, business and IT media since then, in both Australia and New Zealand and BENCH PR are always proactively thinking about opportunities for us, whether it’s an event we should sponsor or a profile opportunity. They have achieved a huge amount for Zendesk in such a short space of time and I look forward to continuing to work with Jocelyn and her team."
BENCH PR was recommended to us and their experience, contacts and understanding of the IT and cloud space set them apart when compared to other agencies.
We are a fast growing business, with over 15000 customers and acquiring more every day, so an agency than can move quickly and be flexible, like BENCH PR, was also very important.
BENCH PR handled the launch of our Asia Pacific office and achieved an impressive number of stories in the media and set up interviews with our CEO who was visiting from the US.
Zendesk has featured in national, business and IT media since then, in both Australia and New Zealand and BENCH PR are always proactively thinking about opportunities for us, whether it’s an event we should sponsor or a profile opportunity. They have achieved a huge amount for Zendesk in such a short space of time and I look forward to continuing to work with Jocelyn and her team."
Michael Hansen, Vice President and General Manager APAC, Zendesk
"When I took over the IFS business 18 months ago, I met with a number of
high profile PR Consultancies, with the objective of selecting a
business that would help IFS by providing strategic communications and
media relations programs.
With BENCH PR specifically focusing on the information technology and communications space, it was clearly evident that they were extremely well connected in this domain, which was critical to my decision making process.
Jocelyn Hunter, the Director of BENCH PR stressed the importance of working “with us” and not “for us” in a genuine trusted advisor approach. She gained my trust very quickly due to her sincere and down to earth approach.
Over the last twelve months we have achieved extraordinary results in relation to the breadth and depth of PR exposure through Bench PR’s efforts.
Whilst IFS is part of a large global enterprise, IFS Australia only has a very small footprint to leverage in this part of the world and Jocelyn and her team have done an amazing job to really focus on the vertical sectors we are trying to penetrate with great success. Many times I have thought to myself that Jocelyn has a better understanding of the IFS business and our competitors, domain, etc than even I do. This In-depth industry knowledge and her focus on results and not process have given me great comfort. Our results speak for themselves.
BENCH PR come with my highest recommendation. Jocelyn is extremely proactive and results-focussed, coupled with the fact that I feel like she is actually part of the IFS Australia and New Zealand business!"
With BENCH PR specifically focusing on the information technology and communications space, it was clearly evident that they were extremely well connected in this domain, which was critical to my decision making process.
Jocelyn Hunter, the Director of BENCH PR stressed the importance of working “with us” and not “for us” in a genuine trusted advisor approach. She gained my trust very quickly due to her sincere and down to earth approach.
Over the last twelve months we have achieved extraordinary results in relation to the breadth and depth of PR exposure through Bench PR’s efforts.
Whilst IFS is part of a large global enterprise, IFS Australia only has a very small footprint to leverage in this part of the world and Jocelyn and her team have done an amazing job to really focus on the vertical sectors we are trying to penetrate with great success. Many times I have thought to myself that Jocelyn has a better understanding of the IFS business and our competitors, domain, etc than even I do. This In-depth industry knowledge and her focus on results and not process have given me great comfort. Our results speak for themselves.
BENCH PR come with my highest recommendation. Jocelyn is extremely proactive and results-focussed, coupled with the fact that I feel like she is actually part of the IFS Australia and New Zealand business!"
Rob Stummer, Managing Director, IFS
"BENCH PR has consistently met or exceeded our expectations of a PR
partner. They have not only achieved some great results in the media but
have also helped us communicate effectively with other influencers such
as analysts and prospective customers. Always looking proactively for
opportunities, they are easy to work with and respond quickly to
requests as they arise. I would happily recommend Jocelyn and her team
at BENCH PR. "
Ian Graystone, Marketing Manager, Asia Pacific, Attachmate and NetIQ
"Soon after we started working with BENCH PR, we realised that Jocelyn and her team’s expertise stretched far beyond media relations. Following an acquisition ASI made in 2010, BENCH PR very quickly helped us develop a communications strategy to include our staff, customers, suppliers and the media. It was an incredibly busy time for us but with help from Jocelyn and her team, we ensured the announcement was communicated clearly and effectively, roles and responsibilities were assigned and our responses to questions were swift, co-ordinated and consistent. We look forward to working with BENCH PR again this year and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them."
Paul Ramsbottom, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Advanced Solutions International
"BENCH PR is a gem in the PR industry. They have excellent media
contacts, have a very strong knowledge of the IT industry, take the
time to understand your organisation and proactively identify
opportunities on your behalf. Jocelyn and her team look at the whole
picture, not just media relations and I value our partnership very
highly
"
Andrew Gorecki, Managing Director, Retail Directions
"Having worked with several other PR agencies in the past, I was looking for new and creative ideas that would help raise our profile and communicate our experience in managed print services. BENCH PR was recommended to us and proactively delivered the results I was looking for. Their great work in pitching ideas for opinion pieces and features to editors and organising media interviews with senior national journalists ultimately exceeded our expectations on many occasions. I would highly recommend BENCH PR to our partners and customers and wish them every success in the future. "
Neil Tilley, Executive Director, Upstream Print Solutions
"We chose to partner with BENCH PR following an industry recommendation. The expertise BENCH PR provides and the increase in media exposure they have given Netsolutions is exceptional. Jocelyn is passionate about what she does, proactive and a pleasure to deal with. If you’re looking for a trusted PR advisor and can handle some honest feedback, you’ve come to the right place. I know BENCH PR will continue to do very well in the future and we look forward to continuing to work with them. "
Theo Dimopoulos, Managing Director, Netsolutions Australia
"2009 was a very busy and successful year for Synnex. Having previously tried to do our PR activity in-house with limited results, we realised that we needed professional PR expertise to communicate our success. After an initial meeting with BENCH PR it was clear that they understood our industry, had excellent contacts in the business and IT media and could help us increase our profile as one of the top IT distributors in the world. As CEO, I needed someone who could work with us and our partners on quality materials for the media, organise media interviews, proactively identify media opportunities for us and overall, support our marketing team and the business moving forwards. BENCH PR did all of this and more. I have been very impressed by the results and BENCH PR are very much part of our team now. Feedback from our partners and vendors has also been very positive. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend BENCH PR and look forward to working with them in 2010. "
Kee Ong, CEO, Synnex
"Following a recommendation, I asked BENCH PR to help promote the Kogan Agora netbooks.We had done little PR to support the launch of these products earlier in the year and in an increasingly competitive market, wanted to communicate a significant price reduction to drive more sales.
BENCH PR gained an impressive amount of publicity and handled our journalist product review program very well.
Netbook sales increased and Jocelyn and her team were always professional and easy to deal with.I’d highly recommend BENCH PR. "
BENCH PR gained an impressive amount of publicity and handled our journalist product review program very well.
Netbook sales increased and Jocelyn and her team were always professional and easy to deal with.I’d highly recommend BENCH PR. "
Ruslan Kogan, Managing Director, Kogan Technologies
"We made the tough decision to re-brand from City Software to eStore.com.au and needed the services of a good PR agency to communicate our new name to the market.
BENCH PR identified issues being discussed in the media that we could comment upon, secured speaking opportunities, helped us raise the profile of the company through developing several award entries and consistently provided us with excellent advice regarding our communications, not only to the media but to our customers and suppliers.
They exceeded our expectations by delivering over 60 separate pieces of media coverage in six months. BENCH PR offers an experienced, professional service which certainly helped us launch an unknown brand into the highly competitive online retail market. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Jocelyn and her team who are easy to work with and really go the extra mile. "
BENCH PR identified issues being discussed in the media that we could comment upon, secured speaking opportunities, helped us raise the profile of the company through developing several award entries and consistently provided us with excellent advice regarding our communications, not only to the media but to our customers and suppliers.
They exceeded our expectations by delivering over 60 separate pieces of media coverage in six months. BENCH PR offers an experienced, professional service which certainly helped us launch an unknown brand into the highly competitive online retail market. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Jocelyn and her team who are easy to work with and really go the extra mile. "
Lorenzo Coppa, CEO, eStore.com.au