idhl Group
Global PR agency idhl Group started using Synapse in October 2023, an initiative that was spearheaded by Cherly Crossley, Head of PR.
Enabling efficient regional media coverage for idhl Group, a global PR agency
What started as a brief trial to see what journalists were using Synapse, quickly turned into a time-saving tool that helped Cherly build relationships with journalists and ultimately achieve national and regional coverage, without the need for multiple follow ups. Her honest feedback is below.
Q & A
Q: Cheryl, please tell us about your first impressions of Synapse, having used it for a few weeks now.
Synapse has a clear, logical layout that seems to have been ultimately designed to make it quick for releases to be shared and easy for press to find what they want. I love that it’s currently free too and it’s not just a short trial. There seems to be a decent number of journalists on there, but I would be keen to see this increase for some titles (outside of Reach and National World) for us to move the majority of our pitching to this in future.
Q: How did you find the process of uploading a pitch?
It’s very quick and easy. Takes less than five minutes 😊
Q: Have you had any pitch feedback from journalists on Synapse?
I’ve had a couple of pitches accepted and that’s helped kick-start conversations about what else they’d like in future which is really useful.
Q: Has Synapse helped you communicate with journalists more easily and avoid unnecessary back and forth?
For a few releases it has meant we’ve not felt the need to do big rounds of follow ups as if we can see someone plans to use it then there really is no need to send it over again!
Q: Have you had coverage via Synapse and what were the results?
We had coverage from Reach regionals and the Mirror with a piece we uploaded about how much it costs to use an air fryer, oven, microwave, etc. We had coverage for a few different pet stories on all the Newsquest sites too. We’re expecting a piece to go live on Newsquest sites soon too about how to care for knitwear.
Q: How did using Synapse feel compared to using email to correspond? Do you feel it has helped build the beginnings of relationships or strengthen existing relationships with journalists?
For existing relationships we’ve got, we’ve asked if they’d prefer to receive pitches this way and a couple have said yes. The fact we’re able to provide them stories in a format they welcome is helpful.
Q: Do you feel Synapse is something you’ll use in the future and what does it add to the PR/journalist dynamic, having used it and got some results?
Yes, I’d like to think so. As I said, for us to invest in it as a tool long-term we’d need it to essentially replace our current media database and it’s not there yet. I’ve chatted to a few PRs at other agencies about it and suggested they give it a go.
