Managing media relations is no task for the unprepared. You've got to know who's who, where's where, and who gets what when. And you've got to get it right the first time. That's why the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art keeps its media contacts in order with the PressFile, built around FileMaker Pro, the award–winning database software application from FileMaker Inc.

Business Challenge

Located in a striking building in San Francisco's burgeoning SOMA district, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art prides itself on its creative and innovative approach to the presentation of art, showcasing outstanding modern painters, sculptors, photographers, and architects in a continuing series of focused exhibitions. And all of these exhibitions require careful attention to publicity — before, during, and after the events. 'We work with a very wide range of media,' comments communications manager Polly Winograd. 'Local, regional, national, international, in many areas of specialty — art, lifestyle, travel and technology. We needed a database system that would give us the flexibility to update, mix and match, export, import, email and track histories. Additionally, we are a team of six users who need to be able to access the database simultaneously, while keeping records — and each other — completely up–to–date.'

Successful Solution

The solution required a bit of experimentation — but a clear answer soon emerged: the PressFile, developed by Florida–based Small Company around the solid foundation of FileMaker Pro. 'After trying several different software packages on various platforms,' recalls Polly, 'the PressFile offered us the depth of functionality and versatility we needed.'

The PressFile uses the power of FileMaker to eliminate the most tedious parts of a publicist's job: coordinating many hundreds of individual contacts, keeping track of what's been sent and to whom, and ensuring that all the information in a file is current. Furthermore, it keeps track of who made the contact and with whom, how many times they've been contacted, what's been sent to them, and how it was sent. All tasks that take hours of time when done by an individual, and just moments with the PressFile. With a click of a tab, a push of a button, the PressFile ensures that the right materials get sent to the media contacts most likely to make the best use of them. As Polly puts it, 'We are now able to target our press announcements much more specifically, achieving greater reach and more economical use of mailing resources.'

After trying several different software packages on various platforms the PressFile offered us the depth of functionality and versatility we needed.

— Polly Winograd, Communications Manager, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art