Intel Inside: A cowboy rides a bull (in front of Intel logo) at the Folsom Pro Rodeo. (Photo courtesy Tom Paniagua/www.examiner.com)

PitchEngine was founded in 2008 and other than a print ad in the PRSA conference program last Fall, we haven’t done any sort of traditional advertising. So far, PitchEngine powers PR for almost almost 19,000 companies – all of which found us the organic way, through search and social sites like Twitter, Facebook and others.

So, as we continue to grow at a rapid pace, it’s important for us to get the word out give everyone the opportunity to see how social PR can reshape their PR efforts. It’s also key to our bottom line. So, like every other brand, we consider all the options.


What makes sense for us and what makes sense for our users? Competitors like PR Web spend millions on advertising, while I tend to see cash spent on development more productive and efficient for our customers (PR Web reports spending about 7% on R&D).

I’m curious to hear from you all. Should we keep doing what we’re doing, or opt for dipping our toe in the sea of traditional ad spends? How is our brand, aimed primarily at businesses, going to get the most bang for our buck in a new media world? I’m certainly a fan of the Intel method of sponsoring a bucking chute at the county rodeo, but then again, I’m partial to the ad scene out West.

I did an interview with Esther Steinfeld from the The BusinessMakers Overtime Show this past week. It’s not often I get to reflect on the entrepreneur aspects of what we’re doing with PitchEngine, but it’s sure good to step back and see the forest through the trees once and awhile. Enjoy the interview!