BowerBird is a Two-way Street

Why we’re opening up to architecture journalists

When we launched the first version of BowerBird (formerly MediaMap) in 2014, it was a real one-way communication channel. Architects would create their media kits, then send them out – via email – to journalists and publications in our ‘database’. It was a very traditional method of distribution, playing into the hands of smoke-and-mirrors ‘PR folk’. It’s a system we rapidly concluded was broken.

To truly innovate, and to really help creatives and journalists alike, we knew we had to make a genuinely collaborative tool, one where communications could flow back and forth with ease and where journalists could find and follow the work of talented architects and designers.

That’s why, when we launch the new BowerBird in a few weeks’ time, journalists will be invited to create accounts, follow architects, designers and photographers and get alerts when new media kits are added.

It’s now a two-way street.

Key Features for Journalists

• Journalist Accounts: Journalists, writers and other media professionals will be able to create and maintain their own accounts, keeping contact details and interests up to date
• Follow Kits: as media kits are being created, journalists can follow their progress, being instantly alerted once kits are activated
• Make Contact: media professionals will now be able to contact architects and designers directly through media kits, making it possible to ask extra questions and request further material from right within the app
• Messaging: The new BowerBird features a dedicated messaging system, so journalists can keep conversations grouped by project. Working across countless projects and any number of publications, journalists will have all the information they need at a glance.

If you’re a journalist wanting to use BowerBird, please send us a message here so we can send you an invitation to join as soon as we’re ready to launch.

If you’re an architect or designer looking for a particular journalist or publication, send us a message here with a name and we’ll make sure they’re on board for launch.