Shift Communications

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.{{cite news|title=Sterling Hager Now Named Shift After Owner's Departure|date=May 13, 2003|newspaper=PRWeek|url=http://www.prweekus.com/pages/login.aspx?returl=/sterling-hager-now-named-shift-after-owners-departure/article/47104/&pagetypeid=28&articleid=47104&accesslevel=2&expireddays=0&accessAndPrice=0|first=Melanie|last=Shortman}}{{cite news|title=Sterling Hager returns to PR, and Shift Gets in Gear|first=Sheri|last=Qualters|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2003/11/10/newscolumn1.html?page=all|newspaper=Boston Business Journal|date=November 10, 2003|accessdate=October 30, 2013}}{{cite news|title=Sterling Hager closes; 3 principals move|first=Sheri|last=Qualters|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2003/05/12/story4.html|newspaper=Boston Business Journal|date=May 12, 2003|accessdate=October 30, 2013}} In 2005, the firm developed cutting-edge and market leading lead-tracking software called LeadSensor, which was licensed to Vernier Networks.{{cite news|title=New Shift Offering to Establish Value of PR in Sales Wins|first=Keith|last=O’Brien|date=April 4, 2005|newspaper=PRWeek}}

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.{{cite book|author=CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations)|title=Share This: The Social Media Handbook for PR Professionals|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FBrvbaaznYcC&pg=PA104|date=9 July 2012|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-118-40485-0|pages=104–}}{{cite book|author1=Deirdre K. Breakenridge|author2=Brian Solis|title=Powerful PR Strategies for Success (Collection)|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ndapVyuk-24C&pg=PT808|date=20 April 2012|publisher=FT Press|isbn=978-0-13-308730-7|pages=808–}}{{cite book|author=Jon Wuebben|title=Content is Currency: Developing Powerful Content for Web and Mobile|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sQFIwCWmvD4C&pg=PA122|date=8 December 2011|publisher=Nicholas Brealey Publishing|isbn=978-1-85788-573-6|pages=122–}}

In 2016, Shift Communications was acquired by National Public Relations, a Canadian-based public relations firm.{{Cite web |title=NATIONAL Public Relations acquires SHIFT Communications {{!}} NATIONAL |url=https://www.national.ca/en/newsroom/detail/national-public-relations-acquires-shift-communications-inc/ |access-date=2022-04-08 |website=www.national.ca |language=en}}

Shift Communications provides public relations, content marketing, web development, email marketing and social media marketing services among many other services.{{Citation|url=http://www.shiftcomm.com/what-we-do/services/|title=Services|publisher=Shift Communications|accessdate=October 30, 2013}} Its primary practice areas are for the consumer, technology and healthcare sectors. It refers business for marketing communications in Europe and Asia to its affiliate, The Hoffman Agency.{{cite news|title=Shift and Hoffman Team up on Global Client Referral Deal|date=March 22, 2004|newspaper=PR Week|first=Andrew|last=Gordon}} The company is owned by its employees in an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Ownership of the company passed to its staff in 2012.{{citation|publisher=Shift Communications|title=PR Agency Profile|url=http://www.shiftcomm.com/about-shift/agency-profile/|accessdate=October 30, 2013}}

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. It helped the RSA Conference promote new events in 2005{{cite news|title=RSA Secures Shift to Trumpet Events Across the Nation|newspaper=PRWeek|date=August 1, 2005|first=Andrew|last=Gordon}} and helped the cycling components manufacturer, Shimano, promote bicycling.{{cite news|newspaper=PRWeek|title=Shift to Promote Bicycling as New Agency of Record for Shimano|first=Keith|last=O’Brien|date=March 14, 2005}}

Shift became the agency of record for the travel club, Club Med, in 2009{{cite news|title=SHIFT to Run PR for Club Med|date=November 8, 2009|url=http://everything-pr.com/shift-pr-club-med/24077/#.UnGZXiRymJI|first=Genesis|last=Davies|accessdate=October 30, 2013|publisher=everythingpr}} and helped sleep monitoring device manufacturer, Zeo, promote “sleep wellness”.{{cite news|title=Shift, Zeo promote a good night's sleep|date=April 6, 2012|first=Tanya|last=Lewis|url=http://www.prweekus.com/shift-zeo-promote-a-good-nights-sleep/article/235414/|newspaper=PRWeek|accessdate=October 30, 2013}} It started supporting a documents, packaging and mail services provider Pitney Bowes the following year.{{cite news|title=Pitney Bowes Selects Shift Communications|url=http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/pitney-bowes-selects-shift-communications_b5570|publisher=PRNewser|first=Tonya|last=Garcia|date=October 1, 2010|accessdate=October 30, 2013}}{{cite news|title=SHIFT Scores Pitney Bowes Business Insight|date=October 1, 2010|first=Liliana|last=Dumitru-Steffens}} It became the agency of record for Sony's gaming division in 2010,Maul, K. (2010). Sony's gaming division appoints Shift as AOR. Prweek (U.S.), 13(7), 7. for The McDonald’s Advertising Cooperative and AOL in 2011{{cite news|first=Chris|last=Daniels|date=December 20, 2011|url=http://www.prweekus.com/mcdonalds-advertising-cooperative-hires-shift/article/220113/|accessdate=October 30, 2013|title=McDonald's Advertising Cooperative hires Shift}}{{cite news|title=AOL names Shift its AOR|first=Alexandra|last=Bruell|date=March 17, 2011|accessdate=October 30, 2013|url=http://www.prweekus.com/aol-names-shift-its-aor/article/198615/|newspaper=PRWeek}} and was recruited to support content marketing for H&R Block in 2012.{{cite news|title=H&R Block turns to Shift for content strategy|url=http://www.prweekus.com/hr-block-turns-to-shift-for-content-strategy/article/230925/|newspaper=PRWeek|date=March 7, 2012|first=Beth|last=Krietsch}} It also started doing work for Toyota in 2013.{{cite news|title=Toyota taps Shift, Jackson Spalding in regional strategy|url=http://www.prweekus.com/toyota-taps-shift-jackson-spalding-in-regional-strategy/article/280282/|first=Lindsay|last=Stein|date=February 13, 2013|accessdate=October 30, 2013}}

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Category:Public relations companies of the United States

Category:Companies based in Boston

Category:Privately held companies based in Massachusetts