In the vast and tumultuous sea of media data, navigating your way can be overwhelming, even for seasoned PR and Communication professionals. It was this very realisation that served as a catalyst for the idea to create Ruepoint, a media intelligence business with a novel way of servicing PR teams in the search for a data-driven approach to decision-making.
Six years have passed since my business partners Kevin, Dave and I founded Ruepoint, and the company has not only thrived, but also emerged as a trusted global partner for PR and Communication teams across the globe. As we continue to write our story every day, I want to share with you the origins, our mission and how far we have come over these six years.
The Beginning
Ruepoint draws its name from the Rue Point lighthouse perched over the northern shores of the island of Ireland. The choice of this symbol as our company’s name reflects our commitment to steer our clients through the vast sea of media information. The media landscape in which we operate is complicated at best, from the 24/7 nature of online and TV/radio channels, through the challenges of accessing print coverage in an increasingly digital world and dealing with complex copyright regimes to the prolific nature of social media. In this often confusing environment, Communication practitioners need expert guidance – not merely to keep their finger on the pulse of what’s happening in the media, but also increasingly to answer the questions “why” and “so what” by deciphering media data in the context of their unique communication objectives.
To this day, the lighthouse holds great significance to us. Initially, the business was exclusively dedicated to serving the markets of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. In the last two years, we’ve expanded our operations to service global organisations, offering comprehensive media monitoring, evaluation and measurement services across a host of countries and languages. Whilst our future is in servicing more global customers in Europe and overseas, we are proud of our origins, and forever grateful to our Irish clients for their custom and continuing trust and loyalty.
Redefining Media Intelligence
Having been in the media intelligence industry for many years, we noticed a pressing problem and an opportunity in the market: a new customer-centric model focused on the unique needs of each individual client. Unlike the more SaaS-based end of the market, at Ruepoint we not only tailor solutions for every client, around their specific monitoring and measurement needs, but we also treat each of our customers as our first, be it a small charity, a PR agency, or a large global corporate. We don’t discriminate, everyone receives the same high level of customer support. This approach is part of our DNA as an organisation, and we are proud to have a team, now over 100 people, who genuinely care about our customers.
As business owners, we are actively involved in growing the business and working directly with customers is as important to us as it was six years ago. We want to stay deeply connected with the PR industry, this is where we find inspiration for innovation and new solutions. Most recently, we have focused on the implementation of generative AI technology into our production workflows, investing in developing a new client-facing solutions incorporating the power of AI and securing key partnerships to enable us to provide a truly global and comprehensive service across the full media mix.
Growth Challenges
I often get asked about the most challenging part of starting a business. For us as a management team, the focus on cost has always been of paramount importance. From running as efficiently as possible our IT infrastructure in the cloud, to how we spend our clients’ budgets, we are laser focus on maximising the use of resources and generating value for customers. I believe this is rooted in our heightened sense of responsibility when it comes to our employees, clients and business partners. Having that responsibility in the very early days of starting a business is probably the most challenging aspect of being a self-funded entrepreneur.
Today, we have more than 450 customers who we are proud to call partners and a sound financial foundation to further grow the business internationally. But, echoing one of our most valuable lessons we have learnt, we never take anything for granted. It’s really important to remain humble and to remember that we are as good as what our last client thinks of our service. Every piece of client feedback is an opportunity to improve and innovate.
Our Core Values
At Ruepoint, values are more than just words on paper; they are integrated into the fabric of the organisation.
· People-centric culture: Individuals are at the heart of our operations. Our actions and decisions are always guided by respect for their needs.
· Open-mindedness: Celebrating differences and encouraging diverse ideas ensures a rich and inclusive environment.
· Transparency and trust: We value honesty and accountability in all our dealings, fostering trust and building lasting relationships.
· Collaborative approach: Collaboration is our strength. By integrating diverse experiences and perspectives, we drive transformative solutions.
Industry Accreditation and Recognition
Our dedication to delivering supreme service quality is underpinned by our membership in industry bodies like AMEC and FIBEP. Our affiliation with AMEC is testament to our commitment to the best practices in the evaluation and measurement of Communication. We are proud that all of our media consultants have received AMEC accreditation.
Our Vision
Our vision for the future is clear: continuing to expand the business into the global stage. With the PR and Communication sector facing heightened scrutiny to substantiate its impact, at Ruepoint we recognise our part in elevating the role of PRs by demonstrating the value of their efforts. We offer the tools and expertise that help shift the industry’s reliance on intuition to a more data-driven approach to decision-making, enabling professionals to authentically demonstrate their value to the business.
Historically, PR decisions have relied 20% on data and 80% on gut feel. Our aspiration is to turn this paradigm around into 80% data and 20% gut feel. This transformation will play an important role in enabling PR professionals to engage credibly with senior stakeholders from the CFO to the C-suite, and have a seat at the board table.
In the evolving landscape of PR and Communication, Ruepoint is not just a service provider. We are a partner, we are here to help our clients demonstrate the value of PR.
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