Who is Cision?
Cision is a global leader in media intelligence, press release distribution, and communication software solutions. Offering companies the ability to engage, monitor, and analyze media coverage, Cision is relied upon by organizations worldwide to refine their communications and public relations strategies. Their solutions are designed to deliver actionable insights and media intelligence to drive more effective brand management and outreach.
The Challenge
Cision’s sales team faced a major hurdle: sifting through an overwhelming volume of competitor press releases—upwards of 800 every day–to identify potential leads. The manual process of reviewing these press releases was unsustainable, time-consuming, and riddled with inefficiencies. Salespeople passively reviewed only a handful when they had the chance, an independent task that lacked a structured approach.
This manual process made it difficult for Cision’s sales team to gain a comprehensive view of the competitive landscape. They needed a streamlined lead generation process to ensure no potential lead was overlooked while improving internal processes to prevent errors and avoid redundant outreach.
The Solution
Wrk collaborated closely with Cision to understand their specific lead generation needs and the competitor data they aimed to capture. Recognizing the importance of rapid implementation, Wrk conducted an in-depth analysis of the workflow and data requirements, prioritizing a swift deployment alongside customization. Wrk then developed a tailored automation solution using its Hybrid Automation platform, ensuring a quick transition from planning to execution.
The solution included API integrations with press release databases, Zoominfo, and Eloqua, automating the daily retrieval of competitor press releases and extracting relevant lead information. This data was automatically written into Cision’s Eloqua instance, providing the sales team with a structured, efficient process for identifying and nurturing leads—delivered with the speed needed to stay ahead in a competitive landscape.
Increased information intake
800+ press releases processed daily
Improved business outcomes
Efficiency in lead generation
Cost efficiency
Time returned to the sales team
Enhanced internal processes
Structured approach to nurturing leads and following SOP
Press Release Databases
These databases collect and store competitor press releases, providing a centralized source of information on industry announcements and updates. They allow businesses to monitor competitor activities and quickly access relevant news.
Google Sheets
A collaborative spreadsheet tool, Google Sheets allows teams to work together in real time, making it easy to view, edit, and organize data simultaneously. It supports various data formats, formulas, and integrations.
Zoominfo
A lead enrichment tool that offers in-depth company and contact information, such as company size, industry, and key contacts. This insight helps sales and marketing teams understand potential customers better, allowing for more targeted outreach.
Eloqua
A marketing automation platform that manages customer data, tracks interactions, and supports personalized marketing campaigns. It integrates with CRM systems, like Cision’s, to enhance lead tracking and ensure accurate data management.
Custom Approach
As with all Wrkflows, we started by breaking down the lead generation process into individual tasks. We determined whether each step could be automated via API or required Human-in-the-loop intervention for more nuanced decision-making.
During this analysis, we identified the need for new WrkActions to meet Cision’s specific requirements. This required careful coordination between our automation experts and Cision’s team, creating a valuable learning experience for both sides. By understanding both the technical aspects and functionalities of these new tools, we could accurately adapt to the shifts in workflow while maintaining best practices.
Cision's team quickly adapted to the new workflow, and our iterative approach ensured that the system was fully aligned with their goals and expectations. By automating lead generation from competitor press releases, the Cision sales team could retrieve leads more efficiently and follow standardized procedures for nurturing them.
Process Improvements
Cision aimed to boost efficiency and free up time for their sales team to focus on higher-value activities. Wrk’s solution was deployed in under a month, allowing Cision to quickly benefit from the automation without disrupting their daily operations.
After successfully deploying the initial Wrkflow, Cision recognized the potential for further automation. We have since built additional automated workflows for G2 and Bombora, further streamlining their operations and enhancing their sales strategy.
Wrkflow
Expectations
Cision’s primary goal was clear: automate lead generation from competitor press releases while keeping costs reasonable and delivering a quick deployment.
Problem
Manual Lead Generation
Cision’s sales team faced the challenge of manually reviewing competitor press releases daily. With upwards of 800 press releases to go through, this process was time-consuming and inconsistent. Without a standardized approach, multiple salespeople could target the same lead, causing inefficiencies and potentially missing valuable opportunities.
Solution
Wrk’s automation solution replaced the manual review process by setting up API integrations to retrieve competitor press releases daily. This allowed Cision to track and capture every potential lead efficiently. With API connectors feeding the data directly into Cision’s Eloqua system, sales teams could now rely on accurate, up-to-date lead information without the risk of redundancy.
Problem
Scaling Lead Generation
The manual lead generation process became unsustainable as the volume of press releases increased. Cision needed a scalable solution to handle the growing data volume while maintaining accuracy and speed.
Solution
By leveraging Wrk’s API connectors and automation bots, Cision’s lead generation process became fully scalable. The new system could effortlessly handle the influx of daily press releases, providing the sales team with real-time, actionable data. The automation allowed Cision to manage its growing pipeline without increasing the workload, enabling it to focus on higher-value tasks and expand its reach effectively.
Let’s Wrk Better, Together
Cision’s challenge turned into an opportunity to unlock greater efficiency and streamline processes using Wrk’s powerful automation platform. Lead generation has increased significantly, operations have been more consistent, and future growth will be structured and scalable.
