About
What we're about
Big Swing Communications drives aggressive marketing and PR programs for technology companies. Offering a unique blend of strategic counsel with hands-on execution, Big Swing is known for helping clients develop compelling messaging and getting the word out through highly creative, integrated marketing and PR. Agency principal Michelle Goodall Faulkner has 30+ years’ experience, on both the client and agency sides, helping technology companies swing for the fences.
To see coverage we’ve secured for clients, see Twitter and Facebook.
How we're different
- All staff is very experienced (20+ years in tech PR) – we don’t pass you off to the interns after we win the account.
- We actually like to roll up our sleeves and do work (writing and pitching stories), rather than talking about strategy all day.
- Aggressive follow up – we don’t just email a huge group of reporters and hope someone responds.
- Proactive – we come to clients with ideas, instead of waiting around for the client to tell us what to do.
- We are not completely news dependent – we’ll leverage newsjacks, data, surveys, trend pitches and case studies.
- Focused on what matters – high-impact programs; top-tier, on-message press coverage.
How we do it
- Start with crisp, concise messaging that differentiates.
- Pick a few things and do them really well.
- Focus on the media that matters.
- Keep SEO in mind in everything we write.
- One great staff-written article in a top-tier media outlet is better than 50 automated news release pickups.
- Our job is to make our clients look good.
Our team
Michelle Faulkner (she/her)
Michelle Faulkner (she/her)
Michelle Faulkner (she/her)
A 30-year veteran of tech media relations, marketing and investor relations, Michelle Goodall Faulkner is principal of Big Swing Communications, where she performs PR and marcom work ranging from top-level strategy to roll-up-your-sleeves execution.
The name Big Swing Communications derives from advice Michelle frequently gives to clients
A 30-year veteran of tech media relations, marketing and investor relations, Michelle Goodall Faulkner is principal of Big Swing Communications, where she performs PR and marcom work ranging from top-level strategy to roll-up-your-sleeves execution.
The name Big Swing Communications derives from advice Michelle frequently gives to clients when brainstorming marketing ideas: “Don’t be afraid to take the Big Swing!”
Michelle’s experience spans both the agency and client sides. She’s held senior-level PR and marketing communications roles at several software and hardware firms (including Exchange Applications, PRI Automation and Empirix), and is also a former vice president at Schwartz Communications (now part of MSL Group) – at the time, one of the nation’s largest high-tech PR firms.
Michelle is well-versed in many areas of B-to-B technology, has significant experience with M&A and financial communications, and is skilled at crafting integrated communications for investor, customer, media, analyst, partner and employee audiences. She earned a B.S.B.A. from Boston University and an M.B.A. from Boston College.
Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn.
Kerry Metzdorf (she/her)
Michelle Faulkner (she/her)
Michelle Faulkner (she/her)
Kerry has 25+ years of public relations and marketing communications experience both in-house and at agencies with a strong knowledge of software, marketing and e-commerce industries. She has worked extensively with technical and business press, and some of her key high-profile placements include The New York Times, WSJ, MSNBC, CBS Market
Kerry has 25+ years of public relations and marketing communications experience both in-house and at agencies with a strong knowledge of software, marketing and e-commerce industries. She has worked extensively with technical and business press, and some of her key high-profile placements include The New York Times, WSJ, MSNBC, CBS Marketwatch, USA Today, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, BusinessWeek, Mashable, The Boston Globe, The Associated Press, Good Housekeeping, Inc., Entrepreneur, NBC News, and Washington Post as well as leading IT trade and vertical publications.
Kerry previously worked as an independent consultant and associate of Red Javelin Communications, managing public relations for technology companies such as TripAdvisor and Infowave.
Kerry also held senior positions at Greenough Communications and Schwartz Communications where she successfully launched start-ups and managed public relations activities for clients.
She was also the Director of Public Relations for Adsmart, a CMGI company that was acquired by Engage. Kerry ran marketing communications for Engage’s Business-to-Business Division and for Strong Numbers (acquired by Intuit).
Gina Rezendes (she/her)
Michelle Faulkner (she/her)
Gina Rezendes (she/her)
In her current role at Big Swing Communications, Gina manages day-to-day public relations activities for a variety of emerging technology clients.
Prior to joining Big Swing, Gina was Director of Communications for start-up REON Broadband. Working together with company founders, Gina successfully helped launch REON into the telecommunicat
In her current role at Big Swing Communications, Gina manages day-to-day public relations activities for a variety of emerging technology clients.
Prior to joining Big Swing, Gina was Director of Communications for start-up REON Broadband. Working together with company founders, Gina successfully helped launch REON into the telecommunications industry.
Gina started her career at Boston-based Brodeur Worldwide. As Group Manager, she designed and executed hundreds of effective programs, product launches, announcements and events for clients and product divisions.
With over 20 years of marketing and public relations experience in the technology industry, Gina’s areas of expertise include: program development, branding/messaging, press materials, media/analyst relations, speaking programs and customer reference programs/case studies.
Gina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of San Diego.
Clients (past and present)
Case studies
Taking Instacart National
Getting Sense in front of 1B+ eco-conscious consumers
Getting Sense in front of 1B+ eco-conscious consumers
“We started working with Big Swing when we were a small startup, only serving San Francisco. We really appreciate their hard work and dedication to help put us on the map.” – Apoorva Mehta, Founder and CEO, Instacart
In June 2013, Y Combinator referred Instacart to Big Swing. Instacart had recently launched its on-demand grocery delivery service in San Francisco, and wanted to ramp up PR in advance of fundraising and geographical expansion. Instacart’s user base was growing quickly, and company founder Apoorva Mehta was looking for high-profile media coverage to stave off the expected entry of well-funded competitors including Amazon Fresh.
On the day of the Big Swing-Instacart kickoff call, Amazon Fresh announced its expansion into LA. Within an hour, the Big Swing team wrote and sent its first pitch for Instacart – a newsjack on the Amazon Fresh news. It resulted in immediate interviews for Mehta with Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Fortune, Seattle Times, Reuters, the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and more.
Over the course of that summer, Big Swing helped refine Instacart’s messaging and continued to introduce Mehta to both local and national media outlets. In the fall of 2013, Big Swing handled Instacart’s first city expansion – the first of 18 cities the team would launch for Instacart over two years. The company received coverage in top-tier publications in each city, and often national publications, for every launch.
Big Swing also worked with closely with retail and grocery trade publications such as Supermarket News, pitching stories that would appeal to Instacart’s retail partners – a growing source of revenue for the company.
Other highlights of the Instacart PR program:
- Securing Instacart’s recognition as “America’s Most Promising Company” (Forbes)
- Getting Instacart named as one of “America’s Most Innovative Companies” (Fast Company)
- Standalone profiles on Instacart in the New York Times, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, the Wall Street Journal and many more.
Getting Sense in front of 1B+ eco-conscious consumers
Getting Sense in front of 1B+ eco-conscious consumers
Getting Sense in front of 1B+ eco-conscious consumers
“When we started working with Big Swing, we had already launched the company and now needed broader, more consistent exposure. I was impressed with how Big Swing brought fresh thinking to the assignment and reached out to a whole new set of reporters and a much broader audience. They’re the best!” - Carol McGarry, Director of Communications and Earned Media, Sense
In 2019, Sense was looking for a way to raise its profile in the smart home device market and energy and utility industry.
Big Swing immediately jumped in to help with messaging and reaching media across consumer, environmental, energy, personal finance, home improvement and utility trade press. The team pitched product reviews, data studies on energy use, news jacks on climate reports, seasonal gift guides and Amazon Prime and Earth Day day round-ups, money savings tips for personal finance reporters, and thought leadership articles across trade media.
Over the course of almost 3 years, Big Swing secured more than 260 press hits, with a total audience of 1.3 billion.
Full feature coverage of Sense and its home energy monitor were included in top tier outlets like The New York Times, CNBC, MarketWatch, USA Today, US News & World Report, Washington Post, Architectural Digest, Digital Trends, TechHive, Wired, VentureBeat, This Old House, Bob Vila, Dwell, Kiplinger and The Boston Globe.
Other highlights of the Sense PR program:
- Regular coverage in environmental media like CleanTechnica, Earth 911, EcoWatch, and Green Builder.
- Ongoing coverage and bylines in energy and utility trades such as Solar Power World, Renewable Energy World and PowerGrid.
- Coverage in real estate press such as Realtor.com, Brick Underground and Inman.
- Broadcast media placements with Cheddar ‘Your Future Home’ and radio interviews.
- Pepcom Digital Experience at CES and Home Now events - secured media interviews with top consumer tech press.
- Secured industry awards including BostInno’s 50 on Fire, AI TechAward and AI Excellence Award.
Putting Standard AI on Equal Footing with Amazon Go
Getting Sense in front of 1B+ eco-conscious consumers
Putting Standard AI on Equal Footing with Amazon Go
"We engaged with Big Swing during our YC days to help us establish Standard as the leading challenger to Amazon Go. Thanks to all the air cover, within a year, we were in discussions with nearly every major retailer in the U.S. and had the attention of the investment community. Hire Big Swing!” – Michael Suswal, Cofounder and COO, Standard AI
In 2017, just before YC Demo Day, Standard AI (formerly Standard Cognition) hired Big Swing to help promote its upcoming seed round, create a new category (for autonomous checkout), and help Standard distance itself from the pack of startups challenging Amazon Go.
The Big Swing team jumped right in, helping craft a narrative around autonomous checkout, newsjacking Amazon Go announcements, and writing contributed content that helped establish Standard executives as leaders in this emerging space.
When Standard began landing retailer customers, Big Swing worked to promote those customer wins and eventually store implementations in online, print and broadcast media. The team also worked to promote several acquisitions and funding rounds, culminating in a 2021 Series C round that catapulted Standard into the unicorn realm.
Over the course of four years, Big Swing secured nearly 900 press articles featuring Standard, many in top-tier outlets such as Forbes, Fortune, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, Bloomberg, Business Insider and the San Francisco Chronicle.
Other highlights of the Standard PR program:
- Secured multiple awards including the Forbes AI 50, Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas and Most Innovative Companies, and the CB Insights AI 100 and Next Unicorns lists.
- Articles in dozens of key trade publications in the retail, convenience and grocery space.
- Secured speaking slots at industry events such as Fortune Brainstorm and GroceryShop.
- Made key introductions to industry analysts at Forrester, Gartner and specialty retail tech firms.