Searchlight, founded by twin sisters Kerry and Anna Wang, is a startup specializing in AI-based recruitment and assessment products. They engaged Praxcomm during a pivotal moment to accelerate growth and increase brand recognition in preparation for an exit.

The HR tech space is crowded with larger, established incumbents, and there is significant skepticism around the use of AI in hiring. Our challenge was to break through the noise, manage negative perceptions, and position AI as a beneficial tool for both hiring managers/executives and job seekers.

We executed a two-pronged PR strategy focused on product communications and executive thought leadership. We worked closely with the marketing department to publicize a major product launch through traditional earned media placements as well as supporting the company in hitting sales metrics. We also developed a comprehensive plan to position the founders as thought leaders in HR technology and artificial intelligence, effectively navigating the nuanced conversation around AI in hiring.

Visibility and backlinks secured through our earned media placements successfully drove additional traffic to Searchlight’s website. During the period corresponding to our PR campaign, the company saw a significant increase in website traffic as well as sales leads directly attributable to the website as a source (website conversion improved by 12X). Searchlight was subsequently acquired by U.K. unicorn Multiverse.