Cision
Cision | |
Company type | Private |
Industry | Technology |
Predecessor | Cision AB Vocus |
Founded | 1867 |
Headquarters | , |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
Products | Marketing and public relations software & services |
Services |
|
Number of employees | 6,300 (worldwide) |
Subsidiaries |
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Website | www |
Cision Ltd. is a public relations and earned media software company and services provider. The company is incorporated in the Cayman Islands[1] and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois; with clients worldwide. The company went public via reverse merger in June 2017. In addition to its web-based PR and earned media software as a service (SaaS) suite the Cision Communications Cloud, the company owns online publicity and media services PRNewswire, PRWeb, Bulletin Intelligence, L'Argus de la presse , Help a Reporter Out (HARO), CEDROM-SNI, Prime Research, and Canada Newswire. The company operates in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.
Company is led by Brandon Crawley, Interim CEO & Managing Director Platinum Equity.
Products and services
Cision provides public relations services to businesses, using a cloud-based, or software as a service (SaaS) model.[2][3] The company offers social media monitoring and engagement and media publicity services.[2][3][4]
Cision's software is distributed in seven languages. As of June 2014[update], it is used by more than 16,000 annual subscribers worldwide,[4] including commercial businesses and governmental, educational and non-profit organizations.[2]
Software
The company offers three web-based packages: the "CisionMarketing Suite", the "Public Relations Suite" and a "Government Relations and Political Action Committee Suite".[4] The Cision "Public Relations Suite" allows users to distribute press releases, access a database of bloggers and journalists, and monitor and analyze news and social media sites.[5] The company's "Government Relations Suite" manages government contacts, analyzes lobbying activity, facilitates communication with elected officials and provides PAC compliance software for filing reports to the FEC and state elections commissions.[6]
Services
Through a series of acquisitions, the company provides services in PRWeb, HARO, North Social, Eureka, and Media Insight Suite which Cision has continued to operate under the existing brand names. Vocus also offers consulting services to support the use of its software products.
PRWeb is an online press release service.[7][8] PRWeb services are available through the "Vocus Marketing Suite," the "Vocus PR Suite" or as a separate service.
History
In 2011, Cision AB sold its Finnish subsidiary Oy Cision Finland AB to M-Brain Group.[9]
On September 15, 2014, Cision announced the acquisition of Visible Technologies, a social media analytics company.[10]
On October 14, 2014, Cision AB and Vocus announced a "friendly merger" of the two public relations companies.[11] Cision based in Sweden will relocate its headquarters to Chicago and so will Vocus from Maryland, United States.[11] The company will be based out of Chicago and the combined entity will be known as Cision.[12]
During 2015, Cision also acquired UK company Gorkana. Gorkana offered monitoring, journalist database and analysis services.[13]
On December 15, 2015, Cision agreed to acquire PRNewswire from UBM plc for $841 million (approx. £575 million).[14]
On June 29, 2017, Cision went public via its reverse merger with special purpose acquisition company Capitol Acquisition Corporation III.
On December 26, 2017, Cision agreed to acquire PRIME Research.[15] The acquisition was completed on January 24, 2018.[16]
On January 31, 2020, Platinum Equity Completes $2.7 Billion Acquisition Of Cision Ltd. Cision is privately held company again.[17]
In September 2020, Cision named Abel Clark as CEO, replacing interim chief Brandon Crawley. Prior to the appointment, Clark was CEO of TruSight.[18]
Cision announced the acquisition of Brandwatch in February 2021 for $450 million.[19]
Brandon Crawley returned as interim CEO in February 2022.
See also
References
- ^ 3rd quarter 2018 10-Q filed with the SEC
- ^ a b c Brad Kelly (16 September 2008). "VOCUS INC. Lanham, Maryland PR Software Helps Companies Polish Their Image With Efficiency". Investor's Business Daily. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
- ^ a b Gus G. Sentementes (13 October 2012). "Vocus tackles digital marketing, hires hundreds". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
- ^ a b c Susan Payton (8 July 2012). "Vocus: Small Businesses Shouldn't Have to Piecemeal Their Marketing". Small Business Trends. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
- ^ Tanya Lewis (30 April 2012). "Vocus' PR suite info is user friendly and easy to export". PRWeek US. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
- ^ "Vocus Inc. Company Information". Hoovers.com. Retrieved 9 April 2013.
- ^ "Vocus pays $28M in cash and stock for PRWeb". Washington Business Journal. 8 August 2006. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
- ^ Kate N. Nichols (September 2006). "Pioneering company takes its next step Ferndale's PRWeb sold to national company". Business Pulse Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 September 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
- ^ "M-Brain Group's Corporate History". Archived from the original on 2013-03-02.
- ^ "Cision and Vocus Announce Acquisition of Visible Technologies". Cision. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Cision and Vocus Unite, Ushering in the Future of PR and Social Software | Cision". www.cision.com. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
- ^ "» Cision to Retire Vocus Name". Capitol Communicator. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
- ^ Odell, Mark (22 October 2014). "Media monitoring group Gorkana acquired in £200m deal". Financial Times. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- ^ "» Chicago-based Cision to buy PR Newswire for $841 million". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
- ^ "Today's Stock Market News and Analysis from Nasdaq.com". NASDAQ.com. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ "Cision Completes Acquisition of PRIME Research". StreetInsider. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- ^ Ltd, Cision. "Platinum Equity Completes $2.7 Billion Acquisition Of Cision Ltd". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2021-09-22.
- ^ "Cision names Thomson Reuters' Abel Clark its new CEO". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
- ^ Butcher, Mike (26 February 2021). "Brandwatch is acquired by Cision for $450M, creating a PR, marketing and social listening giant". TechCrunch. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
External links
- Business data for Cision Ltd.:
- Companies based in Chicago
- Marketing companies established in 1867
- Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange
- Public relations companies of the United States
- Multinational companies headquartered in the United States
- Press release agencies
- News agencies based in the United States
- Special-purpose acquisition companies