NextUp Solutions, a Virginia- based Agile and Scrum training company, is the newest addition to Butin’s diverse client roster. 

1. What is NextUp and what does the company do?

NextUp Solutions offers two distinct services, both focused on transformative learning experiences in the tech space. The first is our Agile training company, called NextUp Solutions, which has trained and certified thousands of people from myriad industries in Scrum, Kanban and more. The other is Exelaration, our software development center, which has the No. 3 tech internship program in the United States. While training the next generation of technologists, Exelaration also delivers world-class software to innovative organizations.

2. What role does PR play in NextUp’s overall marketing mix?

While we have been providing Agile training and world-class software solutions for more than a decade, our recent spinoff and rebrand has us also operating in “startup mode.” PR has been essential for solidifying our new brand and establishing our trainers and mentors as experts in the Agile and software development spaces. Butin amplifies NextUp’s successes by reaching unprecedented audiences. For example, when we pivoted our internship program to be completely virtual within a matter of days, Butin turned this into a PR opportunity that would not have been possible within the scope of our day-to-day marketing commitments.

3. How does NextUp differentiate itself from others in the industry?

There are very few, if any, tech education companies that do what we do; in fact, we coined the term “professional internship organization,” in reference to Exelaration. Exelaration’s software development model is unique and gives back to the workforce: We leverage the untapped talent of top undergraduate tech students while training them to be prepared for the “real world” upon graduation. This closes the tech talent gap while providing top-notch software solutions to clients at a reduced cost. On our Agile training side, there are just 270 Certified Scrum Trainers in the world, and NextUp is known for having two of them on staff. These are the only types of people qualified to teach certified Scrum courses. Our training is a premium experience; we offer unparalleled customer support and encourage students to stay in touch with us. In addition, we offer regular support and touch points to our alumni. We also pride ourselves on making Agile accessible and useful to any industry. During the COVID-19 crisis, we quickly pivoted our in-person classroom courses to live online training, so people could continue achieving their professional development goals safely from home.

4. What has the experience of activating a PR plan been like for NextUp?

It has been incredibly smooth, undoubtedly thanks to Butin’s dedication and know-how. When looking for a PR partner, we were searching for a company that not only understood our product and its goals, but also had a certain fire within it. When we got off the phone after our first call with Butin, we had an inexplicable feeling of palpable excitement. Butin has made the process of activating a PR plan easy for us by having a dedicated system in place. It’s quickly brought them up to speed on our product while providing us value throughout that introductory process, thanks to their implementation of items such as a brand narrative. With such a small team at NextUp, it has been essential for us to put all of our trust in Butin for our PR needs.

5. What is NextUp’s brand vision for the coming months?

We plan on focusing on our learning-centered missions while transforming the production methods of the tech world and beyond. We want to continue expanding awareness of our brand across industries and organizations; every business can be Agile, and companies of any size can achieve their technology dreams if they’re willing to consider unconventional, revolutionary methods.

To learn more about NextUp, visit nextupsolutions.com.