Decent, Not Perfect
Updated March 08, 2017

Decent, Not Perfect

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 5 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with Cision Communications Cloud

We are using Cision as a department to track daily media mentions as well as retrieve media contact information pertaining to specific topics our writers would like to pitch. We also run monthly reports using the Cision analytics, which we share across our sixteen colleges to display how each one is doing month to month in getting their information out to media.
  • Keeping updated information on publications/writers. This allows our writers to pitch stories to the most appropriate outlets.
  • The media monitoring is always updating with new hits for reporting daily.
  • Creating "reports" on media in a particular location and/or focusing on a unique topic is quick and easy through the Cision system.
  • Different export options of reports in handy, based on what type of information you need and how a user needs it to be presented.
  • Easy to change keywords to fit search needs.
  • Original contact for system setup did a great job. Very attentive.
  • Not every article is automatically picked up. Some major papers get skipped some of the time, even when the proper keywords are present.
  • Some articles/outlets are delayed in when the system retrieves them. Some articles come through from years ago, that do not match the date filter requirements.
  • Building reports to graphically look how you would like is not easy to do as a user, without requesting customer assistance help.
  • Customer service/account rep is not always the most attentive to your needs. It could take days or weeks to get a response sometimes.
  • Expensive!
  • We know who/where to send our information, without wasting time with outlets and reporters that are not interested in the information we are presenting.
  • We have hard analytics that compare areas getting plenty of coverage versus those we may need to focus in on a bit more.
  • The reporting of mentions in the news from locally to internationally went from a handful to a page full daily once we started using this system.
  • We no longer spend money on media directories that are out-of-date within the year.
Similar in what they offer as a system whole, Cision was able to provide a cleaner look in reporting and more user-friendly interface for daily interaction with the program. Both provide some price negotiation/flexibility to meet specific needs of the department, but are rather comparative overall. We were able to lock in a low price for a multi year contract, but have considered other options for the future in this every changing and improving industry of media monitoring.
The best part of the Cision software is the frequently updated media contact information. It also has a decent ability to pull articles from sources far and wide. If you're looking for an always updated directory, this is great. If you're looking for perfection in article/media monitoring retrieval, this may not be the best product. But it does provide a large amount of useable information, providing a general idea (if not better) on what information is being picked up and circulated, and where.

Evaluating Cision Communications Cloud and Competitors

Yes - We tried other media monitoring software, and while comparable, Cision had a user friendly interface that we like. It had the ability to create reports that included graphics that, at the time, other did not (or were not satisfying to our needs). We were looking for more bang for our buck!
  • Price
  • Product Features
  • Product Usability
  • Analyst Reports
While price was the ultimate deciding factor, this product provided a user-friendly ability to navigate the sight to meet specific needs. It provided reporting that was insightful as well as appealing in appearance.
With this type of program, it is always improving. Therefore, it is best to seek out other options and what is available on a semi regular basis. I would allow time to dig deeper in comparing the two, rather than looking at them on a surface level...or based strongly on price. I would be curious to see who has access to the most outlets and how reliable the system is in retrieving all relevant articles.