Founder of Hot Tin Roof launches automated PR service

Sarah Lee, the founder of Scottish tech agency Hot Tin Roof, has launched PingGo, an automated PR service which targets start-ups and SMEs.

PingGo offers a do-it-yourself, automated PR service designed to improve visibility for small businesses through earned media coverage.

Lee, founder and CEO at PingGo, said: “My vision is to democratise the PR industry so that lack of budget and experience are not barriers to a company getting media attention. It is the strength of the story that should determine whether the media picks up on a story and reports news.

“Media coverage cannot be bought. It has to be earned. When a company is just starting out it is critical that it establish credibility, but traditional PR is out of reach to most.”

The online service offered by PingGo includes a press release writing tool, a media distribution and messaging service and a planner to schedule news milestones. The business is the result of a 12-month research and development project co-funded by Innovate UK, the UK Government’s innovation agency, which completed in February.

Matt Brown, creative programme lead technologist at Innovate UK, added: “PingGo really stood out as a great concept that our expert assessors thought would bring a lot of benefits to micro and small companies looking for PR services. It’s just the kind of early-stage project that we are looking to co-fund.

“PingGo made it through a rigorous selection process designed to identify the most interesting digital media businesses in Edinburgh.”

Based in Edinburgh, PingGo will initially be run out of the offices of Hot Tin Roof. The company has plans to hire a full team over the next 12 months. PingGo plans to release new features and enhancements regularly in response to feedback from its customers.

The product was designed and built by digital product studio NEU, which is based in Glasgow and specialises in creating products aimed at disrupting traditional industries.