A clear and easy-to-use newsroom where editors can find everything they need for their reporting: That was the goal that the agency Geschwister Zack PR had set itself with the introduction of a new newsroom. Last year, the choice fell on the integrated newsroom of PressFile Europe GmbH, whose PR software the Zack siblings have been using for some time. Journalists can now find press information with the corresponding images and documents as well as the relevant contact persons in one place and can download all the materials they need with just one click.
Geschwister Zack PR is one of the few German-speaking PR agencies dedicated to the outdoor sector, serving clients such as bergzeit and Patagonia, as well as destinations such as the Kleine Walsertal and Upper Bavaria. “People know each other in the Alpine region, it’s a small, close-knit circle,” says Maria von Kirschbaum, who founded the agency eight years ago together with her sister Julia Englhart.
When selecting digital tools, she pays particular attention to ease of use and clarity without excessive functionalities, which usually remain unused in day-to-day PR anyway. For these reasons, it decided to introduce the PressFile PR software back in 2019. “A colleague who had previously worked in the press office of the German Alpine Association and had had good experiences with PressFile there drew our attention to this solution. The focus on the key functionalities in the area of contact, distribution and dispatch management was exactly what we were looking for at the time,” says Maria von Kirschbaum.
Updates and upgrades included
When it came to choosing the right platform for the Geschwister Zack Pressroom, two other alternatives were initially considered in addition to PressFile: the solution from a large American provider and individual programming from the service provider who had also built the Geschwister Zack website. The American software was initially ruled out: It would have been too much effort to switch to a completely new PR software, which would also have offered numerous functions that the agency in the south of Munich did not need. The individually programmed solution would have offered comparable functionality to the PressFile newsroom and also appeared to be a real alternative at first glance: “The Pressroom would have been integrated directly into the website and we would also have been able to get away with the initial programming at a slightly lower price than with the PressFile newsroom. However, with a project like this, you always have to bear in mind the follow-up costs that arise from adjustments, updates and the like. With PressFile, all this is included in the software rental. In addition, we have always had very good experiences with PressFile’s support,” says Maria von Kirschbaum, explaining the decision.
Proven NEWSROOM technology
The newsroom was set up by PressFile partner mediamid digital services, the Viennese specialist for media asset management, whose technology also supports companies such as Mercedes Benz AG, Deutsche Bahn and Katholische Nachrichten Agentur kna. On the homepage, the visitor is greeted with an overview of all the agency’s clients. From there, a click on the respective logo will take you directly to all the latest press releases from the respective customer. Alternatively, a topic tree is also available for navigation on the left-hand side. In addition to the press releases, the editorial offices are provided with further image material organized by topic.
The Pressroom is filled directly from the PR software PressFile. All elements from the headline to the formatted text and the responsible contact person to images and documents are compiled in a single work step and then published. In the newsroom, all these elements then appear clearly in a “news object” including the responsible contact persons at Geschwister Zack and their contact details. You can see at a glance how many images and documents belong to the notification. When downloading, all files are packed into a ZIP file so that the editors always have the complete package at their disposal. At the click of a mouse, the press release can then also be included in the personalized e-mail dispatch to the various press distribution lists.
Positive response
The Geschwister Zack Pressroom proved its worth in communication with the media after only a short time. “We were surprised at who contacted us with further inquiries. Many editorial teams, even those with whom we have rarely or never been in contact, actively search the newsroom for material about our customers. And if they can’t find something, they contact us directly,” reports Maria von Kirschbaum. In the meantime, the system has been expanded to include an internal area in which images and other files are managed that are not activated for external access. “This is content that we only want to make available very specifically to individual media contacts. But also material that will initially only be used internally,” says Maria von Kirschbaum. Targeted, individual communication with editorial partners is also becoming increasingly important for her: “We are currently experiencing that our distribution lists are becoming ever smaller and more differentiated. I think this will remain the case in the future, because in our target group, which also has a lot to do with lifestyle, the editorial offices want exactly the material that fits into their medium.”
Picture: Benjamin Monn
