Symend: Bold Storytelling, a ‘Gold Rush’ of Results

Symend faced the complex challenge of introducing a completely new approach to debt recovery while coming out of stealth mode. The company needed to educate the market about how behavioral science and AI could transform an industry traditionally associated with aggressive collection tactics into one focused on empathy and customer retention.

In our discovery process with this client, our PR professionals identified a critical market positioning challenge: The debt recovery industry had a reputation problem, and the client needed to differentiate itself as a solution that helped both companies and consumers. The company’s scientific approach to treating over 10 million at-risk customers required sophisticated messaging that would resonate with financial institutions, utilities and service providers while highlighting the positive social impact.

Additionally, the client needed to establish credibility in both the fintech and AI sectors while positioning its Calgary headquarters as a major tech hub, competing for attention in a crowded funding landscape during the height of the pandemic.

Bospar – the Politely Pushy® PR agency with deep experience in fintech and AI – created acomprehensive strategy to launch this client from stealth mode while positioning the company as a transformative force in debt recovery.

Our PR strategy involved comprehensive spokesperson training for all key executives, strategic media outreach conducted several weeks in advance to local, financial, technology and business media and positioning the client’s approach as “science-driven digital engagement” rather than traditional debt collection.

The team developed compelling narratives around the client’s mission to treat customers with “empathy and dignity at the time when they need it most,” emphasizing the company’s goal to help 100 million at-risk customers by the end of 2020. We crafted messaging that highlighted how the client’s platform combines behavioral science, AI and machine learning to create treatment strategies that positively engage customers rather than “talk at” them.

To maximize visibility, we executed strategic media outreach targeting the announcement’s timing with broader industry trends around digital transformation and customer experience during the pandemic. Our approach emphasized how companies could realign their objectives from short-term recovery to long-term customer relationships.

We also leveraged the impressive investor consortium led by Inovia Capital, including participation from Ignition Partners, Impression Ventures, BDC Capital’s Women in Technology Fund, Mistral Venture Partners and angel investor Markus Frind to demonstrate market validation and credibility.

A critical component of our strategy involved positioning Calgary as an emerging tech hub, working with local economic development officials to amplify the broader narrative of Alberta’s tech sector growth and recovery.

Bospar’s strategic thinking, fintech expertise, media relationships and Politely Pushy® approach empowered us to secure over 70 pieces of coverage and achieve more than 1 billion impressions for this client.