Bacon's
Software: MediaSource
System Requirements: Windows 95 on Pentium (minimum); Mac, PowerPC, or System 7.
Functions: Media list compilation; contact management, ability to build and maintain histories and notes, schedule activities; clip analysis with more than two dozen measurable variables.
Features: Database of 300,000 contacts at 50,000 outlets features pitching notes for 30,000 journalists. Allows for direct broadcast faxing. Price includes quarterly updates. Available on CD-ROM; updates to be downloadable from the Internet in 1999. With clips analysis, allows for importing scanned clips.
Price: Single user, $1,395 annually; ClipSource Option, $995 annual subscription for a single user; network version available at $1,795 and up, depending on number of users.
Contact: Steve Pattengale, Bacon's, 332 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Ill. 60604; phone: 800/752-6675; fax: 312/922-3126
Burrelle's
Software: BIO '98
System Requirements: Windows 95, 98 or NT 4.0, Pentium 133 or higher, 32MB RAM, 150MB disk space, CD-ROM, MAPI compliant email (required for email forwarding of clips). Available for networks and intranets.
Functions: Manage all clip management; Burrelle's Media directory data will be added in early 1999, with ability to search media type, outlet or contact; compile and update targeted media lists from mailing labels, mail merges, press releases, and other sources. Telecom version allows real-time updates via the Internet.
Features: Post clips to a Web site, use information from Burrelle's databases, view video and audio clips; scan new clips into the database for OCR conversion; send clips via email; print reports.
Price: $3,510 for single-user.
Contact: Tony Bagdy, Burrelle's, 75 East Northfield Road, Livingston, N.J. 07039; phone: 888/535-4BIO; fax: 973/740-9003. email: [email protected]
Capitol Hill Software
Software: PRoffice
System Requirements: PC based, Pentium processors.
Functions: Media list management, press inquiry and clip management. Mail list manager for letters, fax or email. Also features Internet front-end. Information is updated weekly based on changes tracked by Capitol Hill and other users. E-mail updates provided as well.
Features: Synchronized updating allows multiple users simultaneously. About 130,000 media contacts in national database; personal contacts can be added by user. Measurement tracking allows user to follow a press release from day it is issued to when clipping is filed. Allows user to create pitching profiles for media contacts.
Price: Starts at $10,000 for single user. Client server prices vary according to number of concurrent users.
Contact: Chris Britton, Capitol Hill Software, 4325 Forbes Blvd., Lanham, Md. 20706; phone: 301/459-2590; fax: 301/459-2827.
Media Distribution Services
Software: Targeter
System Requirements: Pentium PC; Windows 95 or NT; server version requires Pentium Pro with Windows NT or UNIX
Functions: Look up editors' contact information, editorial interest, demographics and editorial requirements. Print media lists and labels.
Features: Database of 165,000 editors, reporters and other key contacts at the more than 50,000 media in the U.S. and Canada, plus all daily newspapers worldwide. Also includes U.S. Congress and staff (classified by committee assignments), and security analysts of financial organizations (classified by the industries they cover). Updated daily via email with as many as 1,000 changes daily.
Price: Single user, $1,500; additional cost per five-user site license.
Contact: Don Bates, Media Distribution Services, 307 W 36th Street, New York, NY 10018; phone: 800-637-3282; fax: 212-714-9092.
MediaMap
Software: MediaManager
System Requirements: Mac or PC and Internet browser.
Functions: Contact manager with ability to build lists, do mail merges, print labels. User can buy software as a stand-alone or bundled with data. Database includes all contacts on publication masthead with beats and types of articles. Includes calendars, publication overviews, pitch preferences, and pet peeves. Online media contacts are included.
Features: OneLink distribution via PR Newswire and Business Wire. Software is customized and based on proprietary systems developed in-house. Incorporates clients' preferences.
Price: Starts at $1,995.
Contact: Nicole Sobell, MediaMap, 215 First Street, Cambridge, Mass. 02142; phone: 888/624-1620 or 617/374-9300; fax: 617/374-9345
Spinware
Software: PRPowerBase
System requirements: IBM compatible PC; no Mac version
Function: Contact management; media list building; press release distribution; time and event scheduling; press clipping management and analysis. Clips can be scanned in and are indexed and searchable full-text. Intranet version available.
Features: Media directory, PerfectPitch, is based on licensing media directories and merging them to create a single directory. SpinWARE licenses Bacon's Media Directory, Bulldog Reporter's National PR Pitch Book and Press Access's High-Tech Media Directory. Search capabilities include Radius Search, which permits user to search for media based on any number of miles around a specified U.S. city.
Price: Starts at $10,000.
Contact: Matthew Siegal, SpinWARE Software Publishing, Inc., 12960 Southwest 133rd Ct., Miami, Fla. 33186; phone: 305/254-5664; fax: 305/254-4544; e-mail: [email protected]