Dubai public relations agency POP Communications has launched an on-demand media relations platform for startups, founders and small businesses, offering fixed-term campaigns instead of traditional PR retainers.
Press Identity, which is now accepting applications, provides media relations through three campaign options: a 30-day package priced at AED 8,400 ($2,287), a 45-day package at AED 12,600 and a 60-day package at AED 21,000.
The platform was developed after POP Communications identified demand among businesses that needed professional media support around specific events, such as product launches, funding announcements, market entries, company milestones and founder stories, but did not require an ongoing agency relationship.
The agency, which was founded in 2017, said it has worked with more than 200 clients ranging from startups and founder-led businesses to regional and international brands.
Press Identity does not require retainers or long-term contracts. Applications are reviewed before campaigns are accepted, POP Communications said.
The packages include a minimum media coverage commitment, although individual publications remain subject to editorial discretion. The company said it would provide a full refund if no media coverage is secured during the agreed campaign period.
“Press Identity came directly from what we were seeing at POP,” said Zainab Imichi Alhassan and Sarah Curtis, co-founders of POP Communications.
“We were meeting founders with strong businesses and genuinely interesting stories, but an agency retainer wasn’t necessarily the right solution for what they needed at that point in time,” they said.
The platform has already worked with several businesses ahead of its official launch, including Dubai-based AI startup Aradus, which engaged Press Identity before its public launch.
“Early-stage founders need credibility before anyone takes the first meeting, and PR always felt like something for later-stage companies,” said Omar Daouk, co-founder of Aradus.
“One month in, we had regional coverage, interview requests, and a media presence we simply did not have before,” he said.
POP Communications said the new platform is not intended to replace its traditional PR agency model, but to provide an alternative for businesses whose communications needs are concentrated around specific stages or events.
The company said Press Identity was designed to provide access to editorial judgment, storytelling and media relationships without a long-term agency commitment.
Applications are open through the Press Identity platform.
