By now, the impact of the digital world on public relations is well-documented. Beyond the obvious media implications, however, is the power of new technologies to help PR practitioners bring real insight into client programmes and strategies. Boston tech PR firm March PR is one of many to be making strides in this regard, via the March Insight platform that combines monitoring tools with predictive analytics. The agency employs analysts to organize the data into easy-to-understand information, and then using the findings to monitor competitors, market forces, emerging trends and key influencers. In this way, March PR hopes to “take the guesswork out of PR”, mapping comms plans against competitive forces and emerging media cycles.

March was founded in 2005 by Martin Jones and Cheryl Gale, both Band & Brown veterans who led the latter firm’s launch in the US after departing London. Jones is something of an online pioneer, while Gale is a tech PR veteran. Since its inception, the firm has grown steadily amid Boston’s fertile technology sector, averaging 25 percent growth, and adding seven new staff over the past couple of years. The launch of March Insight last year, the culmination of 12 months work, was a particular highlight, as was burgeoning industry recognition, including a 2011 SABRE Award.

Revenues at the end of 2010 reached almost $1.4m, are expected to hit $1.6m by the end of 2011. Client growth includes new business from CPALead, ExtraHop, G Data, Martin Dawes Analytics, MDS and Versant; joining a roster that features Comptel, Interxion, TuneUp and Zeus.

“With our team distributed from Europe to San Francisco, March serves as a bridge to give us coverage during time gaps,” says Beth Schapira, marketing manager at Zeus. “They also work closely with our customers to develop case studies that showcase the power of Zeus’ solutions. March has captured the attention of the market and demonstrated its value to our bottom line.”

Campaign highlights included supporting comms around Zeus Technology’s acquisition of Art of Defence, and helping Interxion’s recent IPO.

March works beyond Boston through a network of partner agencies, which includes GlobalCom in Germany and UK firms Octopus and Rocket.—AS
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