Shift Communications
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| Predecessor | Sterling Hager |
|---|---|
| Founded | April 13, 2003 |
| Founder | Jim Joyal, Todd Defren and Ed Weiler |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of locations | 3 |
Key people | Todd Defren, principal Jim Joyal, principal |
| Services | Marketing |
| Revenue | $12 million (2012)[1] |
Number of employees | 91[1] |
| Website | shiftcomm |
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 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]