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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Cision Communications Cloud

    Score8 out of 10
    N/ACIsion Communications Cloud is used for identifying key media and influencers, connecting with audiences, monitoring traditional and social media, and analyzing outcomes.N/A

    Databox

    Score10 out of 10
    N/ADatabox is business intelligence software built for teams that need fast, actionable insights.

    $79

    per month

    Pricing
    Cision Communications CloudDatabox
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Free
    $0
    1 user, 3 data sources & 50 AI credits/mo included
    Analyst
    $89
    per month 1 user, 5 data sources & 150 AI credits/mo included
    Team
    $249
    per month 3 users, 10 data sources & 500 AI credits/mo included
    Agency
    Starting at $99
    per month 4 clients, unlimited users, 20 data sources & 300 AI credits/mo included
    Custom
    Contact us
    More users, More data sources, More AI credits/mo, We optimize it as your needs
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Cision Communications CloudDatabox
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details—20% discount for annual pricing.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Cision Communications CloudDatabox
    Considered Both Products
    Cision
    No answer on this topic
    Databox
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    92%
    Would buy again
    45 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    86%
    Delivers good value for the price
    32 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    90%
    Happy with the feature set
    44 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    93%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    37 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    97%
    Implementation went as expected
    36 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    Cision Communications CloudDatabox
    BI Standard Reporting
    Comparison of BI Standard Reporting features of Cision Communications Cloud and Databox
    Feature
    Cision Communications Cloud
    -
    Ratings
    Databox
    9.3
    8 Ratings
    13% above category average
    Pixel Perfect reports00 Ratings10.05 Ratings
    Customizable dashboards00 Ratings8.98 Ratings
    Report Formatting Templates00 Ratings8.98 Ratings
    Ad-hoc Reporting
    Comparison of Ad-hoc Reporting features of Cision Communications Cloud and Databox
    Feature
    Cision Communications Cloud
    -
    Ratings
    Databox
    8.6
    8 Ratings
    7% above category average
    Drill-down analysis00 Ratings8.06 Ratings
    Formatting capabilities00 Ratings8.98 Ratings
    Integration with R or other statistical packages00 Ratings7.93 Ratings
    Report sharing and collaboration00 Ratings9.48 Ratings
    Report Output and Scheduling
    Comparison of Report Output and Scheduling features of Cision Communications Cloud and Databox
    Feature
    Cision Communications Cloud
    -
    Ratings
    Databox
    8.3
    8 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Publish to Web00 Ratings8.96 Ratings
    Publish to PDF00 Ratings8.97 Ratings
    Report Versioning00 Ratings7.74 Ratings
    Report Delivery Scheduling00 Ratings8.98 Ratings
    Delivery to Remote Servers00 Ratings7.13 Ratings
    Data Discovery and Visualization
    Comparison of Data Discovery and Visualization features of Cision Communications Cloud and Databox
    Feature
    Cision Communications Cloud
    -
    Ratings
    Databox
    7.7
    7 Ratings
    4% below category average
    Pre-built visualization formats (heatmaps, scatter plots etc.)00 Ratings8.36 Ratings
    Location Analytics / Geographic Visualization00 Ratings7.04 Ratings
    Predictive Analytics00 Ratings7.95 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Cision Communications CloudDatabox
    Small Businesses
    Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
    Score5 out of 10
    Cyfe
    Score4 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Critical Mention
    Score8 out of 10
    Qlik Cloud Analytics (Qlik Sense)
    Score8.1 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Meltwater
    Score7.6 out of 10
    Sisense
    Score6.9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Cision Communications CloudDatabox
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.0
    (280 ratings)
    8.0
    (8 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    7.0
    (17 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    8.0
    (54 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Availability
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.0
    (192 ratings)
    9.8
    (3 ratings)
    Online Training
    8.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    10.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Cision Communications CloudDatabox
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Cision
    For a small start-up, the cost-benefit to add lift to press releases [and] particular milestone accomplishments is definitely there with the Cision [Communications] Cloud. Much of what we do, by necessity, is done internally without the benefit of outsourced press folks, so the Cision [Communications] Cloud ease of use and reporting is very important.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Databox
    I believe Databox can be an asset for any company. We are a small company, but I can see the value for large companies too. Databox is a great fit for departments or organizations that need to put their data into a readable form without needing a ton of reports. Databox allows you to save time and put together a nice report without having to do too much extra work. Once it is set up, it basically runs on its own at the frequency you set. I personally receive a daily report and have it sent to the respective people on the day of our meeting so we can quickly review it.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Cision
    • Their upgraded press release templates and ability [to] pull in an entire, completed release makes the [process] faster and easier, and allows for more graphics, such as company mastheads, [are done well].
    • The media tracking offers the ability to find relevant placements across the entire country.
    • The journalist database streamlines the process of finding relevant reporters to directly connect [to] on news releases that are relevant to their beats.
    • The process of setting up, creating, and distributing a release is seamless, easy to use, and not labor-intensive.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Databox
    • Create dashboards from a variety of data sources.
    • Set & track goals based on the data and metrics provided.
    • Send alerts and scorecard updates to Slack and email automatically.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Cision
    • In the media influencer database, the classic Cision allowed us to do a zip code radius search to really drill down to the neighborhood level. That's because we do localized media advisories and press releases for events at neighborhood schools. One part of a big city like Chicago really doesn't care what's happening in another part of Chicago that's too far away. The zip code radius search was a feature in the classic Cision but not with the current Cision Communications Cloud. We've asked for this to be restored several times, but nothing's happened. In fact, we were told to use DMA — which actually goes wider in a search (bigger than a city), not more narrow as needed. This reflects a basic misunderstanding of what we need.
    • Another missing feature involves a merge field when sending out an email press release through Cision. This is the "select insert field" button in the upper right that's used to personalize a release with the media contact's name and other information. This is key for localization of the release. Many media outlets won't run a release unless it's local. While "county" is a feature in the influencer database when putting together a media list in Cision, "county" is not available to insert into a press release as a merge field. Counties are important because this is how many newspapers and health departments are organized and identify themselves. I've asked for this to be implemented, to no avail. As a workaround, we've had to use "contact city" or "outlet city."
    • After refining a media list in Cision using filters, I've had to download the list and take it offline to see the big picture, screen for duplicates, etc. While there is a button on the bottom left intended to help with this, it doesn't do the trick. That's because there may be multiple contacts with the same email address. In addition, one media contact may represent numerous media outlets, so this same contact could show up several times. It would be nice to have a better way to see the whole list online and eliminate both duplicates as well as those who previously opted out.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Databox
    • Some types of data can only be reported on for 1-2 months back. Unless I'm misunderstanding the function of the software this seems really weird. I can't figure out how to report on Activities more than 2 months ago
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Cision
    While I am happy with the product performance overall, TrendKite's recent merger with Cision is cause for concern. When we first signed on with TrendKite, I spoke with several users and the best response I received was that the company was a startup and we could expect there to be hiccups along the way as the company grew and the platform got more robust. That has certainly been the case. However, now that they have merged with Cision — a company that has grown too fast, has not focused on improving its product and has poor customer service — I have concerns that TrendKite will lose some of the qualities that have made it a great company and great product to work with.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Databox
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Cision
    The flexibility and customization of Cision Communications Cloud (TrendKite)* is among its most important features. Changing the dashboards, using keywords in the saved searches to pull out the best stories and the integration with marketing automation tools gives me confidence that I will able to continue using this tool well into the future. The future implementation and integration of the media contact database will complete the suite, making list management and email marketing programs much smoother. *This review was written before Cision acquired TrendKite. TrendKite is now part of Cision Communications Cloud.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Databox
    Databox is an intuitive, well-designed platform that can be used by non-technical marketers. It is easy to learn, and while set up takes time, usability is high and the team has enjoyed creating custom dashboards and clients have also given us great feedback regarding its usability and value. While other BI tools are much more complex to navigate, Databox is a breeze.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Cision
    Easily accessible 24/7.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Databox
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Cision
    Generally, Cision performs well day to day, but it's got some annoying bugs that slow down usage/require user workarounds which is inefficient. More seriously, a few months ago, as a result of a major system upgrade, certain critical functionality was not working and I was unable to use the service for more than a day when I had time-sensitive work to execute
    Read full review
    Databox
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Cision
    For Cision TrendKite in particilar, support always responded, but it was sometimes slow. For some of our booleans and search queries, we would need help refining and excluding terms/phrases that weren't relevant to our client or campaign. This sometimes took 1-2 days just to get a response back, which sometimes was too late when a last-minute report was due. This was only with the support staff, not necessarily our customer success manager or sales rep.
    Incentivized
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    Databox
    I have really enjoyed using Databox and have seen the value of it in many ways. They also continue to improve the functions of it and grow their integrations and templates. I look forward to continuing to use Databox in the future, potentially even finding ways to incorporate it into other departments to help them with reporting as well.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Cision
    The online training sessions available for the Cision Communications Cloud are helpful and informative. There's more than one option - initially, I signed up for the live webinar classes on basic functions and that is what I recommend other new users do as well. If I have specific questions or something I want to learn more about, I can search the online database and find article or online training videos to get the information I need.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Databox
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    Cision
    There is no implementation at the customer's end so this doesn't really apply to my instance of Cision (possibly to all instances of it).
    Read full review
    Databox
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Cision
    It's a similar product. I think Meltwater sells itself as being a bit more niche, but I have not found many significant differences between Meltwater and Cision. Meltwater's sales process is a very high pressure and their prices are inflated.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Databox
    Databox is unique in its ability to report from multiple data sources. Google Analytics is the standard when it comes to web metrics, but it's just one of the tools that integrates with Databox. Tableau is fantastic for data visualizations and reporting, but it's much more expensive than Databox, so it's not ideal for everyone. Tableau is also superior with customization
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Cision
    Easy to use, but still room for improvement.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Databox
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Cision
    • Cision has a net positive impact on time savings for staff so we can be quicker to market
    • Cision has a positive impact on internal savings as it is used internally across multiple accounts and with the internal PR team
    • Cision is extremely useful when it comes to resourcing and conducting outreach in those DMA's where our agency doesn't have a physical presence
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Databox
    • It has helped us to show our value to clients
    • Easily digestible dashboards make it easy to understand what you're looking at
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Cision Communications Cloud Screenshots

    Screenshot of Media Monitoring and Analytics are just part of the complete Comms Cloud. It combines deep data dive with a database of journalists and influencers, and a media relationship management tool.Screenshot of Track brand mentions in real time across the millions of online stories on the internet. Monitor millions of stories and breaking news happening daily across the web. Professional services consultants teams are in place to ensure best practices while setting up a monitoring account.Screenshot of Cision’s media and influencer relationship management tools include audience insights, combined with a pitchable database that enables brands to uncover the best media contacts and social influencers to reach their target audience.Screenshot of Identify the social conversations and influencers that are impacting a brand. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube monitoring capabilities track brand mentions across all major social channels. Analyze results for social mentions or campaigns on the fly with its reporting features.

    Databox Screenshots

    Screenshot of Better-informed actions by you, your team, or agents.Screenshot of Combine your performance data with AI-powered analysis and workflows, so you can analyze, report, and take better-informed action faster.Screenshot of Use MCP connectors to bring trusted Databox data into your AI tools and get answers grounded in your business performance.Screenshot of Create clear dashboards and reports that keep everyone aligned on performance and the metrics that matter.Screenshot of Bring all your data together in one place, with consistent metrics you can confidently use to make decisions.Screenshot of Connect your favorite tools and bring all your data into one place for a complete view of your performance.