CASE STUDY (Pick-Roll): PR for a sports tech brand

THE CLIENT.

Pick-Roll (https://www.pick-roll.com/app/), founded by Dario Ferretti in 2014, is an innovative sportsech startup born with thegoal of fostering connection among basketball fans and facilitating the organization of games. Through its geolocated app, it allows users to quickly locate nearby playgrounds, gyms, arenas and specialty stores, share their presence and take part in amateur matches.

It became a startup in 2018 and launched the official app in 2019. For five years, it has been the official app for 3X3 tournaments organized by the FIP (Italian Basketball Federation), and over time, has forged partnerships with major brands in sports and beyond - including RedBull, Decathlon, Puma and Ferrero - contributing to projects and events aimed at the basketball community.

Recently, Andrea Bargnani, first Italian in history to be selected as the first pick in the Draft NBA, has joined the project as a Global Brand Ambassador. An internationally prominent figure in the sports scene - and in basketball in particular - Bargnani has taken an active role, supporting the team in various strategic and institutional activities.

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE COLLABORATION

The collaboration between Pick-Roll and Disclosers began in June 2024, from a shared values, goals, and a strong passion for the sports industry. The intent was to chronicle its development, initiatives, growth and ambitions With focus on the discipline of 3X3.

Pick-Roll felt the need to:

• Strengthening its positioning in the sportech landscape, both Italian and foreign.
• Bringing out one's role as community activator.
• Growing at the media level, aiming to reach out to trade media and basketball fans in some strategic countries (Italy, the US, the UK and the Philippines for example).

To address these needs, a tailored PR and media relations strategic plan was designed, which included the ongoing support of the Disclosers team.

PR & MEDIA RELATIONS STRATEGY IN ITALY AND ABROAD

The first step involved a'Thorough analysis of the editorial landscape and key journalists in the sports, tech, startup, marketing and business sectors.

The goal: to generate valuable and diverse media coverage-from national and local newspapers to specialized magazines-while also involving radio channels for exclusive interviews and insights.

The main activities developed include:

1. Corporate-style communications (partnership releases, new appointments, personnel searches...);
2. Releases of various initiatives (such as events in which Pick-Roll would participate);
3. Releases with a more pop/lifestyle slant;
4. Proposals for one-on-one interviews with the founder or other spokespersons.

For the international press, thorough analytical work was carried out, with specific focus on media specializing in sportech, innovation, entrepreneurship, and sports culture. This phase involved mapping influential publications in the target markets and identifying key journalists already active in the storytelling of projects related to Pick-Roll in terms of themes and values. 

The medialist did not limit herself to a quantitative approach, but included a reasoned selection of relevant contacts useful for capturing the full potential of the startup and its increasingly international positioning. 

With the scope of action defined and press releases finalized, a customized pitching plan was initiated to highlight content and angles tailored to each market and journalist.

In this way, it has been possible to present the brand in a credible and consistent way, building media relations based not only on newsworthiness but also on sharing a common vision regarding the future of sports and its digitization. The work has brought increasing attention from the foreign press, laying the foundation for an increasingly solid positioning outside Italian borders as well.   

Quantitative analysis is essential for measuring the breadth and scope of media visibility, offering a first, fundamental assessment of the volume of interest generated. Numerical data provide an overall picture of performance, measuring success in terms of volume and, crucially, distinguishing between high-profile publications (Tier 1) and other releases.

General Summary

Qualitative distribution of outputs (Tier 1 vs. Other)

PR activity generated a total volume of 138 releases, with a clear prevalence of national coverage. Qualitative analysis of positioning reveals significant strategic insights: in Italy, one out of three releases (32%) is high-profile, indicating a mature and well-established strategy capable of consistently penetrating the most prestigious media. Internationally, the 1:1 ratio of Tier 1 exits to others (50%) suggests a "spearhead" strategy, focused almost exclusively on the highest impact media to maximize efficiency and credibility in new and competitive markets.

This quantitative overview sets the stage for a more in-depth analysis of the specific issues that drove the campaign.

Thematic analysis of national coverage

The launch phase of the app generated a total of 18 articles dedicated. Of these, well 5 have been published in Tier 1 newspapers, immediately demonstrating the ability to capture the attention of high-caliber media.

- Prestige coverage: Gaining visibility in influential publications such as Forbes, Quotidiano Sportivo, Il Resto del Carlino e StartupItalia gave the project solid credibility from the earliest stages.

- Effectiveness of narrative: the story of "two Italian guys" creating the "Playtomic of basketball" resonated positively, providing an effective narrative angle for journalists.

- Basis for future visibility: this initial coverage built a solid base of awareness, facilitating the subsequent communication of corporate announcements and partnerships.

Announcements about team expansion and key appointments have proven to be a powerful communication tool, especially in the mainstream press.

Summary of exits related to appointments and hiring.

These ads generated significant impact, particularly in national Tier 1 print newspapers. Coverage in newspapers such as Italia Oggi, Quotidiano Nazionale, Il Resto del Carlino, Il Giorno e The Nation not only reached a wide and qualified audience, but also gave Pick-Roll a specific corporate legitimacy. This kind of visibility positions the company not only as an innovative app, but as a serious and structured business entity capable of attracting top talent.

Turning to the sphere related to partnerships, although the partnership with LIFT Sports Management gained industry coverage, it was the announcement of the entry of Andrea Bargnani as a partner and brand ambassador to represent a real media turning point, propelling the brand onto a world-class stage.

- Volume and quality: the campaign generated 17 exits in Italy, of which 6 on Tier 1 headers, a high-quality conversion rate of 35%.

- Key headers: Visibility has been gained in Italy's leading sports and generalist newspapers, including. Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport, Affari Italiani, Sportweek e Motorcyclesports, ensuring widespread penetration in the target audience.

- Strategic evaluation: Associating Pick-Roll with a figure of international stature like Andrea Bargnani solved the newsworthiness challenge that a tech startup typically faces, providing the media with a narrative hook of immediate interest. This move acted as a very powerful credibility accelerator, legitimizing the brand in the eyes of media, users and potential partners.

While the partnership with Bargnani represented a figure-based spike in visibility, the strategy of attending events proved another effective way to generate high-level coverage, as will be seen below.

Participation in industry events and the creation of thought leadership content helped strengthen Pick-Roll's positioning as an innovative player in the Spor-Tech world. The presence at "Rome Startup Week" generated initial visibility in the startup circuit. However, it was the Streetball Summit Milan (SSM) to represent an outstanding case of success, with 20 articles generated. Of these, well 8 were on Tier 1 warheads such as La Stampa, Il Messaggero, Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica e Sports Courier, demonstrating how a well-orchestrated event can become a high-impact media catalyst.

In parallel, interviews with the founder helped build his profile as an industry expert, adding depth to the brand narrative. This solid domestic performance provides the ideal context for analyzing the expansion of media coverage abroad.

For an app with global ambitions like Pick-Roll, expanding media visibility beyond national borders is a key strategic step.

Summary of international media coverage by theme

Analysis of the data reveals a very clear picture: the figure of Andrea Bargnani has been the main catalyst to gain visibility in high-profile international publications. His credibility as a former NBA star has opened doors that would otherwise have been difficult to access, generating as many as 12 Tier 1 releases. This success is not only quantitative, but strategic: the association has unlocked access to both B2B media of reference for the global sports industry (e.g., the Sports Business Journal, Front Office Sports) both to very high-traffic B2C platforms (e.g. Sports Illustrated, HoopsHype), simultaneously penetrating business and consumer spheres of influence.

Comparing this result with the other initiatives, there is a clear difference. The initial overseas launch of the app and interviews with the founder, while gaining coverage, struggled to achieve the same level of Tier 1 penetration. This highlights how, at an early stage, association with a globally recognized personality was the key to overcoming background noise and capturing international media attention.

RESULTS.

The work done has led to a number of concrete and significant results for Pick-Roll. First, there has been a Brand consolidation within the industry media, with increasing coverage by influential publications that recognized the value of the mobile app and the project. This has contributed to strengthen the visibility of Pick-Roll and to Position it as one of the most interesting realities in the sportech scene Italian. 

In parallel, through interviews and interventions, it is CEO Dario Ferretti also emerged., who was able to tell not only the entrepreneurial story of Pick-Roll, but also a broader view of how sports can be a tool for aggregation, social impact and cultural growth, thus becoming a Expert point of contact between the sport and the community.

The strengthening of the brand reputation, also favored The expansion of business opportunities: presence in quality media generated new opportunities for contact and expansion of the professional network. In addition, there has been a growth of the target community: the interest generated by the published content and the media echo together have stimulated registrations, increased participation, and a solid sense of belonging, especially among young enthusiasts and amateur players.

Among the Tier 1 publications obtained in Italy we point out:

• Forbes;
• The Sports Gazette;

• Sports Courier;
• StartupItalia;
• Becoming;
• Engage;

Among the publications Tier 1 obtained In international media we report:

• Sports Illustrated;

• Sports Business Journal;
• Front Office Sports (NL);
• BasketballNetwork (Website; YouTube);
• DesignRush;
• TechAcute;
• Manila Bulletin;

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