AI-Driven Media Engagement Platform for a Leading Journalism and PR Marketplace

Our client, a new marketplace for journalists and PR professionals, faced the challenge of outdated technology that couldn’t effectively handle the massive flow of data and pitches, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities. SmartDev addressed these challenges by implementing an AI-driven solution within the platform. This solution upgraded the user interface and enhanced API functionalities, enabling AI-generated content suggestions and personalized journalist-PR matches based on profiles and expertise. This strategic update provided a scalable and precise platform to meet the evolving demands of the media and PR industry.
Headcount

5 headcounts (1 AI Architect, 1 AI engineer, 1 Full Stack PHP developer, 1 QA, 1 Project Manager)

Industries

Journalism and Media

Products and Services

AI-Driven PR Platform

Timescales

2 months

Country

United Kingdom

Business Overview

Our client operates a high-demand digital platform serving media professionals, where uninterrupted access is critical. The challenge lies in maintaining full platform availability while simultaneously developing a new website without compromising the user experience in a fast-paced, real-time environment.

This balancing act is further strained by limited budgets and the constant pressure of a 24/7 news cycle. To move forward without disruption, the client needs a strategic and risk-aware approach that ensures both operational stability and future growth.

The Challenge

  • Challenge with legacy technology: Our client’s platform struggled to handle the large volume of data generated by PR pitches due to outdated infrastructure. This led to inefficiencies and a poor experience for journalists, who were overwhelmed with irrelevant content.

  • Communication barriers: The lack of effective filtering obstructed meaningful interactions between journalists and PR professionals, reducing opportunities for impactful storytelling.

  • Need for AI integration: To improve relevance and personalization, the client aimed to integrate advanced AI capabilities into its PHP-based platform—specifically for content recommendations and journalist-PR matching.

  • Technical complexity: Updating the user interface and enhancing API functionalities required careful planning to ensure system robustness, responsiveness, and ease of use.

  • Balancing innovation and user experience: The organization had to manage significant technical enhancements without disrupting the overall user experience, making it a complex yet essential transformation for redefining engagement in the media and PR sectors.

The Solution

  • Targeted AI-driven development: SmartDev addressed our client’s challenges through focused development of AI-powered functionalities, allowing the team to define and refine project requirements with clarity.

  • User-centric interface redesign: Prioritizing user experience, SmartDev invested in redesigning the platform’s interface to make it more intuitive and visually engaging, improving overall user interaction.

  • Flexible and scalable architecture: To overcome integration challenges with the existing PHP framework and multiple third-party systems, SmartDev built a modular and scalable codebase.

  • Enhanced data handling capabilities: This new foundation enabled seamless integration of AI features and significantly improved the platform’s capacity to manage and analyze large volumes of data efficiently.

Technology Stacks

Python
Open AI
MySQL
PHP
ChromeDB
Docker

Application Core Functions

AI-Powered Pitch Tracking

This feature enables PR professionals to track the performance of their pitches in real-time. AI analytics provide insights into the acceptance, relevancy, and engagement of pitches, such as click-through rates and the likelihood of securing coverage. Automatic alerts also inform users if a pitch has been declined, creating transparency and reducing uncertainty.

AI-Driven Journalist Discovery

Our client employs AI-driven filtering mechanisms to help PR professionals find the most relevant journalists based on factors like sector, region, and media type. This feature tailors search results to match client expertise and story focus, making it easier to build a niche list of journalists and increase the likelihood of successful outreach.

AI-Enabled Media Requests Monitoring

With AI-powered media request monitoring, PRs can receive real-time updates about journalists’ requests for expert insights, allowing for timely and targeted responses. The platform streamlines the process of reacting to media inquiries, potentially increasing PR coverage opportunities by giving PR professionals a competitive edge in securing relevant stories.

Client Achievements

Enhanced User Experience Through AI-Driven Redesign

SmartDev's focused development of AI-driven functionalities and the redesign of the platform's interface resulted in a more intuitive and visually engaging user experience. This improved interaction fostered greater user satisfaction and engagement.

Scalable and Flexible Codebase

The development of a robust and scalable codebase addressed the integration challenges with the existing PHP framework and third-party systems. This foundation enabled the seamless integration of advanced AI capabilities, empowering the platform to efficiently handle and analyze large volumes of data.

Strategic Approach to Project Development

SmartDev's strategy of starting with a narrowly defined scope and strategically expanding allowed for a focused and effective solution. This approach addressed the immediate technological gaps and positioned out client for future growth and innovation in the competitive media and PR landscape.

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