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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

    Intuit Mailchimp

    Score8.4 out of 10
    N/AMailchimp is an email marketing and marketing automation platform. Beyond just tracking how campaigns perform, Mailchimp takes it a step further by analyzing data from over half a billion emails to show why campaigns perform, driving informed decisions.

    $0

    per month

    Pricing
    Cision Communications CloudIntuit Mailchimp
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    Free
    $0
    Essentials
    starts at $13
    per month
    Standard
    starts at $20
    per month
    Premium
    starts at $350
    per month
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Cision Communications CloudIntuit Mailchimp
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Cision Communications CloudIntuit Mailchimp
    Considered Both Products
    Cision
    Chose Cision Communications Cloud
    While Zoho Social is significantly cheaper than Cision Communication Cloud, the limitations on both the overall length of time available to gather reports on, as well as the lacking of any and all earned media, makes the product fall victim to the old adage of "you get what you …
    Incentivized
    Chose Cision Communications Cloud
    Most PR databases seem to offer similar services in terms of list building, distribution and monitoring, but sometimes they differ if they are used at global level, vs. national or hyper-local. Because we have been long-standing customers with Cision, we have the opportunity …
    Incentivized
    Chose Cision Communications Cloud
    I can only compare Cision to other email service providers. Whereas it doesn't offer templates so it isn't good for a newsletter, it is great for press releases because they already house the contact lists. Prior to engaging Cision to do blasts, we had to download the contact …
    Incentivized
    Intuit
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    92%
    Would buy again
    45 Answers
    88%
    Would buy again
    251 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    86%
    Delivers good value for the price
    32 Answers
    91%
    Delivers good value for the price
    244 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    90%
    Happy with the feature set
    44 Answers
    89%
    Happy with the feature set
    255 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    93%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    37 Answers
    91%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    215 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    97%
    Implementation went as expected
    36 Answers
    94%
    Implementation went as expected
    247 Answers
    Features
    Cision Communications CloudIntuit Mailchimp
    Email & Online Marketing
    Comparison of Email & Online Marketing features of Cision Communications Cloud and Intuit Mailchimp
    Feature
    Cision Communications Cloud
    -
    Ratings
    Intuit Mailchimp
    8.1
    585 Ratings
    5% above category average
    WYSIWYG email editor00 Ratings8.1537 Ratings
    Dynamic content00 Ratings8.1519 Ratings
    Ability to test dynamic content00 Ratings8.2499 Ratings
    Landing pages00 Ratings8.3404 Ratings
    A/B testing00 Ratings7.7434 Ratings
    Mobile optimization00 Ratings7.9535 Ratings
    Email deliverability reporting00 Ratings8.8568 Ratings
    List management00 Ratings8.1564 Ratings
    Triggered drip sequences00 Ratings7.7385 Ratings
    Lead Management
    Comparison of Lead Management features of Cision Communications Cloud and Intuit Mailchimp
    Feature
    Cision Communications Cloud
    -
    Ratings
    Intuit Mailchimp
    8.9
    75 Ratings
    11% above category average
    Lead nurturing automation00 Ratings7.465 Ratings
    Lead scoring and grading00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Data quality management00 Ratings8.372 Ratings
    Automated sales alerts and tasks00 Ratings10.01 Ratings
    Campaign Management
    Comparison of Campaign Management features of Cision Communications Cloud and Intuit Mailchimp
    Feature
    Cision Communications Cloud
    -
    Ratings
    Intuit Mailchimp
    7.9
    126 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Calendaring00 Ratings7.448 Ratings
    Event/webinar marketing00 Ratings8.4112 Ratings
    Social Media Marketing
    Comparison of Social Media Marketing features of Cision Communications Cloud and Intuit Mailchimp
    Feature
    Cision Communications Cloud
    -
    Ratings
    Intuit Mailchimp
    8.2
    124 Ratings
    8% above category average
    Social sharing and campaigns00 Ratings8.3116 Ratings
    Social profile integration00 Ratings8.1107 Ratings
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Cision Communications Cloud and Intuit Mailchimp
    Feature
    Cision Communications Cloud
    -
    Ratings
    Intuit Mailchimp
    8.3
    565 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Dashboards00 Ratings8.6229 Ratings
    Standard reports00 Ratings8.6560 Ratings
    Custom reports00 Ratings7.9130 Ratings
    Platform & Infrastructure
    Comparison of Platform & Infrastructure features of Cision Communications Cloud and Intuit Mailchimp
    Feature
    Cision Communications Cloud
    -
    Ratings
    Intuit Mailchimp
    7.9
    132 Ratings
    4% above category average
    API00 Ratings7.9107 Ratings
    Role-based workflow & approvals00 Ratings8.470 Ratings
    Customizability00 Ratings5.62 Ratings
    Integration with Salesforce.com00 Ratings8.554 Ratings
    Integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM00 Ratings8.647 Ratings
    Integration with SugarCRM00 Ratings8.12 Ratings
    Third-party software integrations00 Ratings7.9109 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Cision Communications CloudIntuit Mailchimp
    Small Businesses
    Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
    Score5 out of 10
    Vbout
    Score9.9 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Critical Mention
    Score8 out of 10
    Bloomreach
    Score9.2 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Meltwater
    Score7.6 out of 10
    Iterable
    Score8.2 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Cision Communications CloudIntuit Mailchimp
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.0
    (280 ratings)
    8.7
    (608 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    7.0
    (17 ratings)
    10.0
    (55 ratings)
    Usability
    8.0
    (54 ratings)
    8.5
    (477 ratings)
    Availability
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    9.5
    (6 ratings)
    Performance
    9.1
    (2 ratings)
    8.9
    (7 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.0
    (192 ratings)
    8.8
    (20 ratings)
    Online Training
    8.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    10.0
    (3 ratings)
    7.4
    (22 ratings)
    Configurability
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.0
    (4 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    9.5
    (6 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    9.1
    (1 ratings)
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Cision Communications CloudIntuit Mailchimp
    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
    Intuit
    Mailchimp is fairly easy to onboard, even for those who would consider themselves less technologically inclined. It can be as simple as plug-and-play for simpler campaigns or scale up as needed. It also makes it easy to build, send out for internal review and feedback, and track all the needed changes.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Intuit
    • Mailchimp allows you to manage your mailing list really well. You can subscribe people, unsubscribe people manage the mailing list directly into segments, and what not.
    • Mailchimp has features where you can create campaigns based on your mailing lists and send out newsletters to your subscribers based on a multitude of parameters that you can setup. Such as send email daily, weekly, monthly and they also have event based mails that you can send out.
    • Mailchimp also has a feature where you can design your emails. The look and aesthetics are very important when sending emails to your subscribers and all those needs are addressed here.
    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
    Intuit
    • The pricing tiers do scale quickly so if you have a free newsletter it may get expensive
    • The pricing is based on total emails so if you have users who you only email rarely it might not make sense to use Intuit Mailchimp
    • Customer support can be a bit lacking at times and their docs aren't always the best
    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
    Intuit
    We've had Mailchimp for about ten years, I want to say. I started with the company about four years ago, and I don't see us ever diverting to another source. It's easy for us to use, and we have all our clients already built into the database. I imagine we'll use them for as long as we have the company.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Intuit
    It is easy, but some things you need to learn from their resources. Mailchimp is one of the most popular email marketing platforms because it combines email marketing, automation, audience management, and analytics into a single tool that's easy to use and scale. Simple solutions and drag-and-drop edits make it easy.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Cision
    Easily accessible 24/7.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    I have, in the 4+ years that I've used Mailchimp, never seen an issue that restricted the use of their software/tools. I don't know of a single time when they're system crashed or went down. I could be wrong, but I honestly haven't experienced any issues with outages, errors or unplanned downtime
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
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    Intuit
    I haven't noticed any slow speeds from Mailchimp or their tools. I think the landing pages load quickly and look nice. The email reports and editing operates smoothly and doesn't take time to load. Additionally, when I use Mailchimp in conjunction with Zapier + Hubspot I don't notice any drag between any of these tools
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Read full review
    Intuit
    Website tools were easy to use and understand so a novice can easily meet or exceed their client's expectations! Loved that we were able to totally customize so that the e-mail we created conveyed our client's overall messaging consistent with their branding! Client love that we can provide turnkey services to support their sales and marketing teams!
    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
    Intuit
    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
    Intuit
    It's pretty easy to get up and running! There's a slight learning curve on a few things, but once you find where everything is located, you can import your list and send your first email. It really makes our clients feel great to see how quickly they can get that first email out.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Intuit
    I used Intuit Mailchimp, and I would say other software I used is equally good and competes with Intuit Mailchimp. Well, Intuit Mailchimp's reporting is better, and ActiveCampaign has more affordable pricing, so in the end, it all comes to what you need. What we needed was available in cheaper price in other software as well. But I would definitely say Intuit Mailchimp has its own advantages too.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Cision
    Easy to use, but still room for improvement.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Intuit
    Mailchimp over the years I've used it has grown in leaps and bounds. They have added so many additional features than were previously available. They are truly an all-in-one marketing platform now. If you're a small operation and just want to add email to your marketing efforts, they're there for you. If you're a larger operation and want to start sending postcard advertisements, they can do that. If you'd good with that and want to kick up your marketing by going social, you can do that on their platform. They are truly able to be as small as you need, but also get quite large in whatever it is you'd like to do through their system.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Intuit
    • One of my retail web store clients was sending out email specials and notices about once a month. After clicking the send button, we would watch Google Analytics and the current site users would light up immediately. Often, the current site visitors would pop up to 20, 30 or more after the email was sent. On a normal day, seeing 1 or 2 online users would be OK.
    • Pretty much in all cases, we could see an uptick in positive activity after sending out a Intuit Mailchimp email to a list.
    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.

    Intuit Mailchimp Screenshots

    Screenshot of Mailchimp's advanced analytics and reporting tools. These are used to monitor trends, track performance, and get actionable insights that help users to create better campaigns and drive customer engagement.Screenshot of Mailchimp's precise audience segmentation. Its AI simplifies the workflow by generating complex customer segments for highly personalized campaigns.Screenshot of omnichannel marketing. Campaigns can be built across multiple channels, and then managed from one convenient place.Screenshot of marketing automations with the Customer Journey Builder. This is used to reach the right people with the right message at exactly the right time, which helps to drive more repeat business, increase customer retention, and see more orders.Screenshot of Mailchimp's SMS marketing. SMS can be integrated into email, automations, and social campaigns.Screenshot of Mailchimp's AI, used to deliver relevant content faster. It can generate professionally written, on-brand marketing emails with the press of a button. The user only needs to review, edit, and send.