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Qualitatively Quantifying Media Insights with Cision Communications Cloud
April 01, 2017

Qualitatively Quantifying Media Insights with Cision Communications Cloud

Andre Lenartowicz | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Software Version

TrendKite

Overall Satisfaction with Cision Communications Cloud

We are using Cision Communications Cloud (TrendKite)* to change how we measure PR, moving away from a strictly quantitative approach that measures volume to one that also measures quality of said volume. By using the Google Analytics integration we have a real-time view on how links put out by the PR team are impacting traffic to our website.

*This review was written before Cision acquired TrendKite. TrendKite is now part of Cision Communications Cloud.
  • Reasonably priced. Yes, there are cheaper solutions out there but also more expensive.
  • Good value for the money.
  • Unique measurement tools not available in other platforms.
  • The data is only as good as you make it. You need to put in the work with the data Cision outputs as the search results are sometimes too broad.
  • When using the Google Analytics functionalities, a basic understanding of UTM codes, SEO and Google Analytics is useful. I've finally started putting in this work myself, but at first it did feel like flying a bit blindly and relying on marketing ops colleagues to help me distill the impact of the data of our Google Analytics/Cision tie-in.
  • Pushy sales. The sales group was a little too aggressive. Our decision was being made toward the end of a quarter and even when I said we'd go with them, just not in this quarter due to a variety of challenges they continuously applied pressure for us to close that quarter.
Cision (TrendKite) was the only solution that really listened to our needs and set itself apart by presenting easy-to-use graphic interfaces that, about 80% can be done by the customer instead of requiring contact with an account manager. Other vendors were more interested in touting their own experience and making sure we'd fit into their platform (one of them was keen on repeating over and over in demos that their solution was cloud-based; which had little bearing in our decision) versus the approach Cision took which was to ask about our brand and challenges and then show how their platform could work for us.
A lot of vendors in the PR measurement game pride themselves in being able to offer analytics, media monitoring and media contacts lookup in one suite, usually as SaaS. If it's absolutely imperative to you that you only have one vendor for these three things, then Cision (TrendKite's)* lack of a contact database may put you off; however, for the specifics that it claims to do, there's little Cision Communications Cloud can't do - whether you have multiple brands and keyword terms to manage to the Google Analytics integration. The fact that all it does is media intelligence is what it sets itself apart - its product team's only focus is in doing that, and so it doesn't have to manage other products like some of its competitors.


*This review was written before Cision acquired TrendKite. TrendKite is now part of Cision Communications Cloud.

Transition from TrendKite to Cision Communications Cloud

I've not yet had any problems that Cision's (TrendKite's) support group wasn't able to resolve or explain to me why/why not something could be/not be achieved with the platform. Most of the time, I've come away impressed with what they can do.