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Former Vodafone comms staffer launches AI-powered PR service for startups

Former Vodafone PR staffer, Harry Tucker, has launched a ‘PR as service’ platform offering communications services for the startup sector.

Drops Media uses machine learning tools to cut PR agency costs to make services affordable for early stage companies.

Former Vodafone and Finder staffer, Harry Tucker, says Drops Media will offer an affordable service for startup companies

Most recently a business manager at Finder and previously a journalist at news.com.au and Business Insider, Tucker told Mumbrella: “I’m not really thinking of this much as an agency, as more ‘PR as a service’, in a similar fashion to paying for Stripe as your payments service.

“This is something that can be plugged in and monitored like that. In terms of my motivation, I have just run into so many founders over the last year that have either asked for media help or have said they really need it but have no idea where to start.

“For me, that seemed like a massive gap and something I could help with. It was then a matter of working out how to make it cheaper, and where I can cut costs – and a lot of that involved man hours researching and writing, both of which in such a formulaic text such as a press release can be replaced with an algorithm.”

Drops offers a $399 a month service offering startups a press release and pitch to relevant media.

a href=”https://mumbrella.com.au/australian-startups-crave-media-coverage-but-need-more-marketing-skills-report-finds-547484″>In the most recent Startup Muster report, media coverage was cited by over 40% of startups as something they needed help with over the next six months, but was also something over 20% of startups wish they had more expertise.

Tucker is also offering an enhanced service for $2,099 per month to provide blog content, basic digital marketing and some social videos to share on top of your media release.

“Even working in the media industry, how agencies are set up and their pricing is confusing, so we wanted to do this differently for startups, especially when managing costs is so important,” Tucker concluded.

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