Medstar Media is a marketing agency that helps providers build their business with targeted marketing campaigns and high-converting websites. In 2014, they created a YouTube video to raise awareness for prostate cancer. They needed media outlets to help them promote their video. It took them hundreds of hours to research which editors they should pitch and time to track down their emails. Contrast that to their most recent awareness video posted in 2019. Only this time, they chose Prowly to help them navigate their actions towards PR outreach.
Social campaigns are to force people to reflect and to teach them a lesson. People are more likely to get involved in promoting content with values. However, like any other marketing campaign, you need several components to break into the media. The story you will read below had the potential to become viral. The only challenge was to find the right journalists to pitch the videos to.
Medstar Media created an exclusive video to raise awareness for breast cancer and early detection through self-exams. The leading role played there Whitney Zelig, who hid a small camera in her low-cut tank top before taking a walk through Manhattan with her cleavage on show. She made the montage with her brother, Chris Zelig (who works in PR), and their best friend CJ Koegel in the hope of raising awareness for breast cancer and early detection through self-exams. Whitney's mother is a breast cancer survivor. Medstar Media, where Chris Zelig works as Partner, was responsible for all PR activities.
The problem: Finding the right journalists to pitch the videos to
Medstar Media specializes in producing awareness videos. The very nature of the business requires these videos to go viral in order to meet their purpose. Therefore, the agency depends on media outlets to promote them. Some of their previous projects failed because it was too hard to find the right press contacts to send these videos to. Using Prowly PR Software to promote their latest awareness video, they quickly found hundreds of contacts and emailed them. Major media outlets, like the Daily Mail and the New York Post, picked them up immediately. Before they knew it, over 150 media outlets worldwide had linked to the video, garnering millions of views.
“I love Prowly. Your service helped me locate the press contacts I needed to make a breast cancer awareness video we did go viral. My mom is a survivor. We were able to spread the word because you made it easier for us to contact the right people.”
Chris Zelig, Partner Medstar Media
How Prowly solved the agency’s problems and how this translated into business
Before Prowly, promoting videos required Medstar Media to track down editors and contributors on their own. In the past, getting effective PR outreach would take them hundreds of work hours. In addition to delivering some impressive results, Prowly helped them save a great deal of time, time that they desperately needed at the moment, as they strove to grow and develop their business.
Over 150 media outlets worldwide had linked to the video, garnering millions of views.
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Even the best story needs people who want to share it
Even some of the best material in history, with a noble message additionally in the background, can disappear in the maze of information we get flooded with every day online. This is why it is so important to distribute it to journalists that will be interested in your story. This is what Medstar Media did: the agency chose Prowly, and thus shortened the time necessary for preparing pitches and expanded their content outreach.
We asked Chris Zelig, Partner at MedstarMedia, why the company chose to use our application and how it helps them in their work.
Magda, Prowly: What made you decide to choose Prowly?
Chris Zelig, Partner Medstar Media: We created a YouTube video for breast cancer awareness and needed media outlets to help us spread the word. When researching the best PR software tools, everyone online kept recommending Prowly. So we decided to give it a shot.
Prowly: How would you describe Prowly in three words?
Chris: Fast, Easy, Effective.
Prowly: What would your job be like if you didn’t have Prowly?
Chris: Without Prowly, promoting our video would require us to track down editors and contributors on our own. In the past, accomplishing effective PR outreach would seriously take us hundreds of work hours.
Prowly: In addition to results, what other benefits have you experienced from Prowly?
Chris: In addition to results, Prowly saves my team and me a significant amount of time, time that we desperately need right now, as we strive to grow and develop our business.
Prowly: What has your experience been like working with Prowly’s Customer Success team?
Chris: The Customer Success team is another big plus of Prowly. They are responsive, helpful, and have a level of professionalism that instantiates Prowly’s commitment to their customers.
Prowly: What did you like about Prowly that other PR software failed to offer?
Chris: We tried other PR software before Prowly. Most of the other software was more expensive but less effective, far less user-friendly, and, frankly, not really worth the effort. That is why we will never go back. Prowly just makes everything easy and quickly accessible.
Prowly: Thank you for this interview!
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