Company: CommsCo
Managing Director: Ilona Hitel
Website: https://thecommsco.com/
About CommsCo
Founded in 2013 by Managing Director Ilona Hitel, CommsCo was built around a simple idea. That ambitious technology companies should not need the budgets or the scale of major incumbents to compete for attention.
Having worked on significant technology campaigns, including launching Salesforce and Sophos into Europe, Ilona saw a gap in the market. Disruptive start-up technology companies need the strategic expertise of a large agency, but also need the speed, flexibility and senior involvement of a partner. CommsCo was created to bridge that gap, with a founding philosophy of David vs Goliath PR – helping tech challengers compete against larger and better-known businesses.
That philosophy has evolved into ‘Challenger PR’, CommsCo’s approach to helping technology companies build influence and compete in crowded markets. Rather than treating PR as a measure of media coverage alone, the agency combines strategic counsel, sector expertise, media relations, thought leadership, marketing support, events and awards to help clients establish a position in their markets and support commercial objectives.
The PR environment has changed since 2013, particularly as technology and AI have transformed how audiences consume and discover information. As AI has moved from an emerging technology into a major force reshaping how businesses operate, communicate and are discovered, CommsCo has adapted alongside its scaleup clients. Its longstanding focus on technology businesses means the agency is immersed in the AI ecosystem and understands the pace at which the sector develops. This has enabled it to pivot its offering as the communications environment changes, while retaining the agility that has defined its model from the beginning. Hosting regular AI events, it is now central to the AI ecosystem.
Recently, CommsCo has incorporated AI-supported processes and Generative Engine Optimisation into its offering, recognising that brands increasingly need to be discoverable beyond traditional search and media channels.
Rather than changing direction, CommsCo has continued to evolve what Challenger PR means as the technology industry changes. The agency combines senior strategic thinking with the speed and flexibility enabled by technology, while retaining the human expertise needed to understand complex businesses and turn technical propositions into compelling stories.
The approach is demonstrated through work with companies including UiPath, ICS.AI, Tes and eflow. As the communications partner for ICS.AI, one of the fastest-growing AI transformation businesses for the public sector in the UK, CommsCo built a category-defining narrative that generated more than 200 national and industry coverage placements, and ultimately secured recognition for the client within the UK Parliament. Its ongoing partnership with TechMarketView has helped the technology analyst engage national and leading technology media, including the BBC, Computer Weekly and Raconteur.
CommsCo has spent 13 years challenging the traditional agency model while helping its clients challenge established markets. From its original David vs Goliath philosophy to Challenger PR in an increasingly AI-driven communications environment, the agency has continued to evolve around the same principle: ambitious technology companies deserve communications that can move at the same pace as their ambition.
Most importantly, every client would be willing to act as a reference – and CommsCo is equally proud of its exceptional staff retention, with several team members having grown with the agency over many years.
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