A pair of Waterloo-based PR firms have partnered up to offer startups better tech PR services. They are Ignition, lead by Ellyn Winters-Robinson, and Kate Wild PR.
It’s true that startup hubs like Silicon Valley, New York and even Los Angeles offer some of the best public relations firms in North America, particularly when it comes to startups looking to gain credibility by gracing the front page of US tech blogs. In fact, the majority of Canadian tech startup story pitches I receive are coming from US-based firms. Some of them even come from England.
But on the phone with Winters-Robison today, the Ignition CMO told us that Canadian startups should be looking at Canadian PR firms, where a senior partner will take on the work rather than a “minion” who knows little about the Canadian tech community.
“It’s a virtual world now and to me the approach is whether you can develop a good story rather than being located in Silicon Valley,” said Winters-Robinson. “There are some bigger agencies that do a little bit of tech, but nobody’s really doing tech in this country. I’ve spent 25 years in tech and Kate has spent 18, so together what a tech company is going to get is two people with a lot of experience and connections in Canada.”
Commerce and the digital world around us has gone global and the best offer will often win, regardless of location. Nevertheless, I can’t disagree with what Winters-Robinson is saying.
Founded in 1992, Ignition provides a full portfolio of marketing and PR services to technology companies from start up to large enterprise. Ignition clients include the Waterloo Accelerator Centre, Unitron, Compuware Changepoint, University of Waterloo Research + Technology Park, CloudOps, and Fresche Legacy. In terms of startups the firm has provided PR advisory to a host of early stage companies, incluing BigRoad, BufferBox, Cream.HR, Clearpath Robotics, I Think Security and Magnet Forensics.
“Kate is a seasoned communicator and highly respected PR professional with deep knowledge and experience in the tech sector, and I’m thrilled to be able to partner with someone of her caliber,” said Winters-Robinson. “Together we will provide our clients ‘silicon valley’ style, senior-level PR representation, delivered through a creative, hands-on, client centric approach geared to achieving results.”
Meanwhile, Wild brings more than 18 years of high tech public relations experience. In 1996 she joined High Road Communications, a Toronto-based firm specializing in high tech PR, where she was the North American account director for clients in the hardware, software, and telecom space including NEC Technologies, Avaya, and Gateway Telecom. In late 2000, Kate branched out on her own to work with clients including Sun Microsystems, Fujitsu, Logitech, Cray, Inc., Kronos, VERITAS, Avigilon and many others.
“I am excited to join forces with Ignition and provide clients with a broader scope of services, from brand journalism to content marketing and public relations,” said Wild. “Together, we can deliver creative and engaging PR and communications programs that align with clients’ business objectives and positively impact their overall success.”