The short answer is specialization. Generalist firms take on clients across many verticals. As a result, they will sometimes need to learn your market and business model from scratch.

Aster Agency has worked exclusively in the modern commerce ecosystem for more than 20 years. We not only know the reporters and analysts but also know the influencers, the market trends, the history of technology in the space, and the variety of B2B tech business models.

When our client GK Software first got in touch with us, they wanted to work together because we knew their industry deeply. When we kicked off our partnership, they were entering the U.S. market with zero brand recognition, no media relationships and no U.S. marketing team. After about a decade of partnership, GK has become the No. 1 new POS provider in the world, earned Leader designations from IDC, Forrester, and IHL, and was acquired by Fujitsu — which chose to keep the GK brand name, a direct reflection of the market authority built through that sustained communications program. 

This kind of trajectory can happen with a generalist agency, but often requires more time spent learning your space and thus generating impactful results.

We understand the hesitation to test an engagement before committing, but the challenge is that PR does not produce meaningful results in 30- or 60-day engagements. 

Journalists and analysts require consistent, ongoing engagement across a variety of marketing and communications forms in order to drive the results our clients desire. Consistent media coverage, executive positioning and a body of thought leadership are built over time and compound.

Take our previous client Kibo as an example. Through eight years of partnership, we were the only consistent external marketing partner through three executive leadership changes, five marketing directors, a company rebrand and three acquisitions. That institutional continuity produced more than 70% share of voice against competitors and coverage in the Wall Street Journal and MarketWatch. 

To help meet your long-term business goals, we rely on a long-term engagement.

It’s fair to feel skeptical on this topic. Since we focus entirely on the modern commerce ecosystem, our relationships are focused in that space. 

We’re happy to share recent coverage, but it may also be helpful to understand a specific client example, such as our client NIQ. Journalists at publications like Bloomberg, AP, WWD, CNBC and Retail TouchPoints all come directly to us with inbound requests. We receive up to 20 per week. They know that NIQ has the data and subject matter experts to help round out their stories.

While we may have dozens of media relationships that we’ve built over the years, the media will still require a good story angle – and that is what the Aster Agency can do for you!

On the analyst side, we regularly brief and maintain relationships with Forrester, Gartner, IDC, IHL Group, Retail Systems Research and Coresight. We’re happy to share more about what makes each firm unique.

We love this question! We always say that in order to start a PR program you need to have a story to tell. That means that if you’re an early-stage company still working through your branding and positioning, then it’s probably not the right time to kick off PR. However, we may still be able to help. Our strategic marketing services can help you build foundational pieces or develop a go-to-market strategy.

If you know you have a story to tell, then communications should be an integral part of an overall marketing strategy. Any company building a well-rounded marketing plan that desires business impact should be investing in PR.

Consider it this way: If you know that you have a big announcement (funding, product launch, customer win, market expansion) coming in the next six to 12 months, it’s best to start your PR program before that news. That way, you begin building media relationships and establishing a rhythm before the big news is distributed to the media. Journalists are more likely to cover you if they already know who you are.

Previous client AdAdapted is a useful example. They came to us as their first-ever external PR firm, wanting to build a thought leadership presence. We started with the fundamentals — media relations, bylines, speaking submissions — and quickly built a platform that produced 81 media mentions in their first full year, a speaking slot for their CEO at Groceryshop, and award wins from Inc., Digiday and Deloitte, among others. That kind of platform took time to build. Starting later means starting with less.

We work best with B2B technology companies in the modern commerce ecosystem that have a clear point of view, a product in market, and at least one internal stakeholder who can engage with us consistently.

You’re a good fit if you’re looking to meet goals such as building category visibility, supporting a funding announcement, establishing your executives as recognized voices in the industry, or giving your sales team third-party validation for complex, long-cycle deals.

You might not be ready yet if you're only looking for a short-term campaign. If that's where you are, that’s all right, we'll tell you directly and ideally refer you to another partner who can help. We prefer to have honest conversations and make sure you find solutions to your problems that meet your needs!

They're distinct disciplines that work best together, but they don't all have to start at the same time.

Media relations builds visibility through earned coverage in the publications your buyers, prospects and investors currently read. It includes proactive pitching, reactive commentary on breaking news, press release development and maintaining ongoing relationships with reporters and editors. For Appriss Retail, rapid response and proactive pitching have landed placements in Forbes, Retail Dive, Business Insider, Digital Commerce 360 and more. Our strategic media relations planning also resulted in a CNBC appearance that the CEO described as a career highlight.

Thought leadership positions your company and executives as credible, informed voices. It shows up as bylined articles, expert commentary, LinkedIn content, speaking opportunities and awards. It amplifies media relations because editors are far more likely to cover executives they already associate with smart, relevant perspectives. For GK Software, we average 12-plus ghost-written bylines per year placed in publications including Forbes, Retail TouchPoints, Total Retail, Convenience Store News, and Loss Prevention Magazine, across three or more spokespeople. 

Analyst relations is sometimes the most overlooked of the three, and for enterprise technology companies, often the most valuable. Analysts at Forrester, Gartner, IHL Group and others directly influence buying decisions at large retailers and enterprise companies. What many people don’t realize is that you do not need paid engagements in order to have relationships with these firms.

Whether you need media relations, thought leadership and analyst relations from day one depends on your stage, goals and budget. We help our clients prioritize at the beginning, and along the way.

Onboarding is structured, and also fast! 

In the first week, we set up shared processes, align on goals, and conduct a deep-dive kickoff covering your business, messaging, competitive landscape, and the stories you most want to tell. By week two, media and analyst lists are finalized and the PR plan is drafted. By week three, we're drafting the first press release and thought leadership piece. By week four, we're pitching.

For companies entering the U.S. market from scratch — like GK Software, which had no U.S. marketing team, no media relationships and no analyst presence when we started — we've built full communications programs from the ground up and started generating coverage within the first quarter. For companies with an existing foundation, momentum builds even faster.

What we need from you: a responsive day-to-day contact, timely review of drafts and questionnaires, and early notification of any news or milestones on the horizon. The more quickly we learn your business, the more quickly we start representing it well.