Our Challenge:
SalesVu, a bootstrapped mobile payment processing (fintech) and POS startup, had to build a brand from scratch in an emerging market, and, at the same time, position itself against established competitors like Intuit and Square. SalesVu began as a mobile payment processing application that let business owners accept credit cards anywhere they do business, but, eventually, market opportunities led the company to enter the mobile POS and ERP space for small and mid-sized businesses. Our agency was called in to design a cost-effective media launch strategy, drive marketing and communications campaigns, and increase awareness of SalesVu in the technology and industry media. That meant we had to put the spotlight on SalesVu’s functionality and highlight what made it different from its biggest competitors, and make it top of mind for restaurateurs, retailers, and professional services providers.
Our Solution:
After studying the app’s key features and the distinct business advantage it provided users when compared to the major competitors, we created a press release tying together the company’s funding announcement and official launch. We conducted research of recent coverage of the client’s competition and used it to create a custom media list. We then began following the stories of key journalists and made soft overtures to them via social media. To make the announcement, we targeted one influential tech writer at TechCrunch and negotiated an embargo in order to time the article’s publication with the wire distribution. Later in the engagement, we helped SalesVu announce an updated version of the app that allowed it to integrate with QuickBooks in addition to allowing seamless online and in-store inventory management, a common problem plaguing brick-and-mortar retailers who also sell online.
Our Results:
The agency helped establish SalesVu as a highly recognizable mobile POS and ERP application for the hospitality, retail and independent professional services industries. Media mentions were numerous and included:
- TechCrunch (twice)
- Inc.
- Entrepreneur
- Numerous retail and restaurant trade publications
- Accounting Today
- Austin American-Statesman
- Austin Business Journal
As a result of the broad coverage in key media outlets, SalesVu gained greater brand awareness and increased customer downloads. Most notably, website traffic spiked after SalesVu was mentioned twice in TechCrunch. The site’s traffic rose from an average of five visits per day to 178 visits after one media mention. The company experienced a second traffic spike, going from an average of 10 visits per day to 685 visits. Traffic continued strong for five to nine days after the second story ran, and leveled off at a much higher average daily rate. SalesVu has since enjoyed a consistent stream of application downloads from the iTunes app store. The volume of transactions processed by SalesVu also continues to grow. According to SalesVu CEO Pascal Nicholas, “The PR efforts by Manzer Communications were our primary go-to-market strategy as a startup and they have continued to generate dividends for SalesVu.”