[Interview] Presscloud Director on Ease of Use and Competition
Presscloud is a PR platform created to make it easier for companies to set up their PR. We speak with Timon Hendriks, director of Presscloud.
Can you introduce Presscloud?
Gladly! Presscloud was founded in 2020 with the idea that PR doesn't have to be complicated and should be accessible for any company. It quickly earned the nickname The IKEA of PR, naturally because of its ease of use.
I’d like to adjust that name, as I recently put together an IKEA cabinet, and it was quite a task! On the contrary, sending a press release via Presscloud takes barely any effort: within 5 minutes, you have set up an entire campaign. In that time, I was nowhere near finished with that cabinet!
What type of companies do you target?
In principle, Presscloud can be used by any company, regardless of size or budget, but lately, we've been seeing mainly two types of companies boarding: start-ups and agencies. Naturally, start-ups are innovative, sometimes even disruptive.
With their new product, service, or revolutionary approach, they have many newsworthy stories to tell and thus use Presscloud. In addition, we see many agencies that handle multiple clients or serve several clients. Through Presscloud, they offer an additional PR solution to their customers alongside their own marketing, advertising, or communication expertise.
You are active in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. Why these markets?
We started Presscloud in our own little country. Here we knew the media landscape best. We quickly noticed there was much demand, even across borders. Flanders was, in that regard, a logical next step. French-speaking Belgium and France itself were larger challenges, as were the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada.
After all, the entire platform must be translated, including all functionalities, but relevant journalists must also be available in those regions; otherwise, it is of no use. Expansion, for that reason, takes a lot of time, and thus I want to ask all interested Germans to be patient.
Aside from the language, how do these markets differ?
We primarily see differences on the media side. There are significant cultural differences, which, for example, manifest in the suitable writing style of press releases: what is well-received in the Netherlands can be totally off in Belgium. Additionally, in Europe, the media are generally independent, unlike in the United States. This has major implications for the publication of press releases.
Speaking of which, you also offer guaranteed press attention in the United States. How does that work?
That’s correct. As mentioned, the American media are not necessarily independent. Everything is for sale in America, including media attention. We work with multiple publishers who will guarantee the placement of our American users' press releases on 200+ different American news sites. Brilliant for our users' brand awareness, of course! Naturally, that is not an option in the Netherlands; here, the publications are truly earned.
What does AI bring to you in the PR market?
A lot. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is interwoven throughout our platform, always with the mission to get companies in the news faster. It starts with reading the company's website, based on the filled-in domain name during registration, so the necessary company information is immediately filled in.
In addition, the writing of press releases is done with our AI generator, and assembling press lists is also done in a minute with our AI tool. Tasks that used to take an entire day are now executed faster and better with AI. A nice recognition of the quality of our AI tools was the recent mention in the top 250 AI tools in the Netherlands. As a PR platform, no less!
How do you view your competitors?
For convenience, let's consider PR platforms active in the Netherlands as competitors, of which several are active in the Netherlands. We compete on several aspects, such as the level of guidance, prices, ease of use, and functionalities. One platform may score better in one aspect but then fall short in another. We try to be the best in everything while also being the cheapest, which is a big challenge. The integration of AI has given us a huge competitive advantage: we present the future in a contemporary jacket.
How does Presscloud work for journalists?
Presscloud is primarily, of course, for companies. With our tools, we help them with sending a professional press release, as journalists are not waiting for commercial texts full of jargon. Subsequently, the press release is linked to only the most relevant journalists in our database. Journalists appreciate this as well because they only receive relevant press releases in their inbox. It makes their work a bit easier too. Despite the initial focus on companies, we want to serve journalists as well as we can.
The prices are much lower than PR agencies. Does using Presscloud make PR agencies redundant?
In recent years, we've realized that it’s a different market. On one hand, really large PR agencies take care of everything. They can organize an event, engage relevant influencers, and actively contact journalists. PR from A to Z, but the costs are unaffordable for many companies.
On the other hand, we as a PR platform offer a cheaper alternative, where you can send at least as good a press release with our tools. It is somewhat more do-it-yourself, but many entrepreneurs actually enjoy keeping control.
The company was founded in 2020 by, among others, Rob ten Hoove, Michiel Dicker, Karel Bosman, and René van Doren, who are also active with other companies. What is their involvement today?
At the time, they saw a gap in the market, which led to the founding of Presscloud. Now, five years later, they still see enormous growth potential. Because we share an office with Pockies, the company of the first three gentlemen (boxer shorts company, ed.), there is daily knowledge exchange.
Logically, they also use Presscloud themselves for the distribution of their (PR) campaigns. I have weekly contact with René; as an entrepreneur through and through, he is immensely involved and often provides suggestions to take the company to new heights. It’s up to us to take advantage of them!
