Shift Communications

Shift Communications is a public relations and marketing firm based in Boston with offices in New York and San Francisco. The company was founded in 2003, when the clients and assets of former public relations firm Sterling Hager was acquired by three of its top executives. In 2006, it created the first world's first Social Media Release. The firm's primary practice areas are in the healthcare, technology and consumer markets.

Shift Communications
PredecessorSterling Hager
FoundedApril 13, 2003
FounderJim Joyal, Todd Defren and Ed Weiler
Headquarters
Boston
,
United States
Number of locations
3
Key people
Todd Defren, principal
Jim Joyal, principal
ServicesMarketing
Revenue$12 million (2012)[1]
Number of employees
91[1]
Websiteshiftcomm.com

History

Shift Communications was founded in May 2003 out of a technology PR firm, Sterling Hager. Sterling Hager sold the firm's assets to three of his executives, Jim Joyal, Todd Defren and Ed Weiler, who renamed and re-launched the firm as Shift Communications.[2][3][4] In 2005, the firm developed cutting-edge and market leading lead-tracking software called LeadSensor, which was licensed to Vernier Networks.[5]

In 2006, Shift created the industry's first Social Media Release a few days after a blog was published by former Financial Times journalist Tom Foremski titled “Die! Press release! Die! Die! Die!". The template Shift created for a modern press release was based on the feedback Foremski published in his blog post, which is now cited in college courses on public relations.[6][7][8]

In 2016, Shift Communications was acquired by National Public Relations, a Canadian-based public relations firm.[9]

Services and operations

Shift Communications provides public relations, content marketing, web development, email marketing and social media marketing services among many other services.[10] Its primary practice areas are for the consumer, technology and healthcare sectors.[1] It refers business for marketing communications in Europe and Asia to its affiliate, The Hoffman Agency.[11] The company is owned by its employees in an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Ownership of the company passed to its staff in 2012.[12]

Notable clients and campaigns

Shift Communications started serving technology clients it inherited from its predecessor, Sterling Hager. During its first year as Shift Communications it organized the Woman's Heart Day Health Fair for the non-profit Sister to Sister: Everyone has a Heart Foundation, in an unusual partnership with its competitor, The Castle Group.[3] It helped the RSA Conference promote new events in 2005[13] and helped the cycling components manufacturer, Shimano, promote bicycling.[14]

Shift became the agency of record for the travel club, Club Med, in 2009[15] and helped sleep monitoring device manufacturer, Zeo, promote “sleep wellness”.[16] It started supporting a documents, packaging and mail services provider Pitney Bowes the following year.[17][18] It became the agency of record for Sony's gaming division in 2010,[19] for The McDonald’s Advertising Cooperative and AOL in 2011[20][21] and was recruited to support content marketing for H&R Block in 2012.[22] It also started doing work for Toyota in 2013.[23]

References
  1. "Shift Communications: Agency Business Report 2012". PRWeek. May 1, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  2. Shortman, Melanie (May 13, 2003). "Sterling Hager Now Named Shift After Owner's Departure". PRWeek.
  3. Qualters, Sheri (November 10, 2003). "Sterling Hager returns to PR, and Shift Gets in Gear". Boston Business Journal. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  4. Qualters, Sheri (May 12, 2003). "Sterling Hager closes; 3 principals move". Boston Business Journal. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  5. O’Brien, Keith (April 4, 2005). "New Shift Offering to Establish Value of PR in Sales Wins". PRWeek.
  6. CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) (9 July 2012). Share This: The Social Media Handbook for PR Professionals. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 104–. ISBN 978-1-118-40485-0.
  7. Deirdre K. Breakenridge; Brian Solis (20 April 2012). Powerful PR Strategies for Success (Collection). FT Press. pp. 808–. ISBN 978-0-13-308730-7.
  8. Jon Wuebben (8 December 2011). Content is Currency: Developing Powerful Content for Web and Mobile. Nicholas Brealey Publishing. pp. 122–. ISBN 978-1-85788-573-6.
  9. "NATIONAL Public Relations acquires SHIFT Communications | NATIONAL". www.national.ca. Retrieved 2022-04-08.
  10. Services, Shift Communications, retrieved October 30, 2013
  11. Gordon, Andrew (March 22, 2004). "Shift and Hoffman Team up on Global Client Referral Deal". PR Week.
  12. PR Agency Profile, Shift Communications, retrieved October 30, 2013
  13. Gordon, Andrew (August 1, 2005). "RSA Secures Shift to Trumpet Events Across the Nation". PRWeek.
  14. O’Brien, Keith (March 14, 2005). "Shift to Promote Bicycling as New Agency of Record for Shimano". PRWeek.
  15. Davies, Genesis (November 8, 2009). "SHIFT to Run PR for Club Med". everythingpr. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  16. Lewis, Tanya (April 6, 2012). "Shift, Zeo promote a good night's sleep". PRWeek. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  17. Garcia, Tonya (October 1, 2010). "Pitney Bowes Selects Shift Communications". PRNewser. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  18. Dumitru-Steffens, Liliana (October 1, 2010). "SHIFT Scores Pitney Bowes Business Insight".
  19. Maul, K. (2010). Sony's gaming division appoints Shift as AOR. Prweek (U.S.), 13(7), 7.
  20. Daniels, Chris (December 20, 2011). "McDonald's Advertising Cooperative hires Shift". Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  21. Bruell, Alexandra (March 17, 2011). "AOL names Shift its AOR". PRWeek. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  22. Krietsch, Beth (March 7, 2012). "H&R Block turns to Shift for content strategy". PRWeek.
  23. Stein, Lindsay (February 13, 2013). "Toyota taps Shift, Jackson Spalding in regional strategy". Retrieved October 30, 2013.
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