PIO PERSPECTIVE SURVEY

What Email Distribution Platforms Are PIOs Using?

Public information officers and communications professionals rely on email distribution services to share news releases, media advisories, newsletters, public announcements, and other important information.

But which platforms are being used, and how well are they meeting the needs of communications professionals?

This PIO Perspective survey explores the email distribution services currently used by public information officers and communications professionals, including their strengths, limitations, and cybersecurity or procurement considerations.

This survey is intended for PIOs and communications professionals who currently use an email distribution service as part of their professional responsibilities. This includes dedicated platforms such as Constant Contact, Mailchimp, and GovDelivery, as well as organizations that use Microsoft Outlook or similar email systems for distribution to multiple recipients.

By participating, you’ll help fellow communications professionals better understand available options and make informed decisions about the tools they use.

11 Questions | Approximately 4 Minutes | Anonymous

The survey will remain open for 21 days. Aggregate findings will be published on The PIO Calendar after the survey closes.

Participants may optionally request an email notification when results become available.

Audience: PIOs that use an email distribution service.
Estimated time: 4 minutes
Closes: November 5, 2026

Your answers are collected anonymously. Optional notification emails are stored separately from answers.

Start Survey

Question 1 of 11

Which email distribution platform does your organization primarily use?Required

Select the platform your organization uses most frequently to distribute news releases, media advisories, newsletters, or other mass email communications.

Other (optional)

What does your organization primarily use its email distribution platform for?Required

Select all that apply.

News releases and media advisories Public newsletters Internal employee communications Emergency or urgent public notifications General community outreach and announcements Event invitations and announcements Stakeholder or elected official communications Other (Please Specify)Other (optional)

Overall, how satisfied are you with your current email distribution platform?Required

Consider its reliability, usability, features, and overall performance.

Very Satisfied Somewhat Satisfied Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied Somewhat Dissatisfied Very Dissatisfied Not Sure

Has your organization experienced cybersecurity, procurement, or vendor compliance issues involving its email distribution platform?Required

Select the option that best describes your organization's experience.

Yes — Cybersecurity or information security requirements Yes — Procurement or vendor approval requirements Yes — Both cybersecurity and procurement requirements No Not Sure

If yes, please briefly describe the issue and how your organization addressed it.

For example, did your organization encounter difficulties completing a vendor security review, obtaining approval, or meeting procurement requirements?

Does your email distribution platform provide features that help make your communications accessible to people with disabilities?Required

Select all that apply.

Accessible email templates and formatting tools Alternative text (alt text) for images Built-in accessibility checking or warnings Automatic accessibility improvements for uploaded PDFs or other documents Tools to help meet ADA, WCAG, Section 508, or similar accessibility requirements Language accessibility features, such as multilingual content or translation Other accessibility features (please specify) No accessibility features that I'm aware of Not sureOther (optional)

Would you recommend your current email distribution platform to another public information officer or communications professional?Required

Based on your experience, how likely would you be to recommend the platform to a colleague?

Definitely Probably Not Sure Probably Not Definitely Not

What is the primary reason for your recommendation? Is there anything another PIO should know before selecting this platform?

Consider features, pricing, reliability, customer support, implementation, or other factors that influenced your experience.

Review and Submit

You may go back to change any response before submitting.

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