• Matter’s Precision Team Announces Over 25% Growth in Revenue and Staff Through 2021

    Matter’s Precision Team Announces Over 25% Growth in Revenue and Staff Through 2021

    Agency’s Dedicated Team for Brands with Highly Focused PR Goals Rides Powerful Momentum into 2022, Supporting New and Expanded Client Programs.

    BOSTON – November 9, 2021 – Matter Communications — a Brand Elevation Agency specializing in PR, creative services, digital marketing and strategy — announces over 25% revenue and staff growth for its Precision team in 2021.

    Precision combines full access to Matter’s myriad agency resources with neatly defined scopes of work that support growing brands’ most important business drivers. The team has spent the year supporting a number of new and legacy clients with critical developments including major product launches and initial public offerings (IPOs) as they emerge from the COVID-19-driven challenges of 2020.

    “Precision was established as a dedicated resource for the same kinds of businesses that gave Matter its start in 2003 – those with targeted PR goals,” said Vanessa Taylor, General Manager of Precision. “In the near-decade that’s followed, we’ve developed deep expertise with brands across B2B tech, professional services, architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), consumer markets and beyond. We’re proud of how we’ve leveraged our experience of elevating brands through laser-focused PR programs to help amplify their major 2021 accomplishments and strengthen their industry footholds. We can’t wait to continue these paths in 2022.”

    Client partners that worked with Precision on large initiatives this year include:

    • Commaris, an unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provider for commercial operations, which launched both its new brand and flagship product, the SEEKER – an innovative, electric, fixed-wing/VTOL hybrid aircraft designed explicitly for autonomous commercial aerial applications.
    • DxO, the internationally renowned photo editing software provider, which announced new products PureRAW, PhotoLab 5 and FilmPack 6 – a powerful suite of photo editing software harnessing AI and other technologies to promote creativity and efficiency for photographers at any level.
    • Evenflo, a leading innovator of infant and children’s products headquartered in Canton, MA, which launched the Evenflo® Gold Revolve360™ Rotational All-in-One Car Seat, the first 3-in-1 car seat developed by an American brand that turns a full 360 degrees.
    • FarEye, an intelligent delivery management platform, which announced a $100 million Series E funding round led by TCV and Dragoneer Investment Group that will enable the company to accelerate the development of Amazon Prime-like delivery experiences and redefine how products are delivered globally.
    • Sleep Cycle, Swedish developer of the world’s most popular sleep tracking application, which announced its IPO in Sweden and launched its first celebrity sleep story with actor Alexander Skarsgård.
    • WS Game Company, which is engaging its first-ever proactive media relations program to position the company as the preferred custom and premium board game provider to B2B audiences, as well as bring further awareness of its products to general consumers.

    To learn more about Precision’s targeted PR programs, visit our Precision page and reach out today.

    With 225+ professionals across offices in Boston and Newburyport, MA, Providence, RI, Pittsburgh, PA, Boulder, CO, and Portland, OR, Matter is one of the fastest-growing PR, creative services, digital marketing and strategy firms in the country. Recently named to Forbes List of America’s Best PR Agencies for 2021, Matter has won 14 “Agency of the Year” accolades and has been consistently recognized as a top place to work.

    About Matter Communications

    Matter is a Brand Elevation Agency unifying PR, creative services, digital marketing and strategy into content-rich communications campaigns that inspire action and build value. Founded in 2003, with offices across North America, Matter works with the world’s most innovative companies across healthcare, high-technology, consumer technology, professional services and consumer markets. For more information, visit https://www.matternow.com.

    Contact
    Matter
    Greg Amaral, 401-330-2800
    [email protected]
    www.matternow.com

    Matter

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  • CyberSide Chats, Episode 4: JC Raby

    CyberSide Chats, Episode 4: JC Raby

    A Conversation with JC Raby

    Welcome to CyberSide Chats, our video interview series in which we talk about timely trends, what’s new and what’s next with business technology thought leaders in the cybersecurity industry.

    In Episode 4, Matter Executive Vice President and cybersecurity lead Tim Hurley sits down with JC Raby, co-founder and managing partner of Boston Meridian, a venture M&A and investment banking firm with a major focus on cybersecurity. They discuss recent M&A deals in cybersecurity, compelling investment areas in infrastructure and security, the importance of brand, buzz and positioning to tech buyers, advice for cyber entrepreneurs, 2021 predictions and more. 

    Ready to watch more episodes of CyberSide Chats? Check out all of the episodes here.

    Tim Hurley

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  • Out of Office with Senior Copywriter, Rory Nolan

    Out of Office with Senior Copywriter, Rory Nolan

    When he’s not writing copy for various clients, Rory Thomas Nolan spends his time going back in time — as a Revolutionary War reenactor. Rory is the senior copywriter at Matter and has been at the company for over a year. Take a look inside the world of Revolutionary War living history in this installment of Matter Out of Office.

    Q: Tell us about what you do at Matter: 

    A: I’m the senior copywriter for our digital and marketing teams, which means I write for a wide range of creative assets — from websites and emails to conference displays, videos and more.

    Q: What are your passions outside of work?

    A: I try to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Whether it’s hiking New England or traveling out West to explore our National Parks, I’ve always felt most at home in the woods. I also enjoy canoeing/kayaking and ripping around town on my bike. 

    Lately, between sewing projects, I’ve been tinkering with my antique moped. It’s the bane of my existence, but I love it so. 

    Q: What about reenacting excites you? 

    A: I’d say the best part about reenacting is the people. You get to meet all these wonderful, supportive folks from all walks of life — it really opens you up to a diverse array of people you’d never have met if not for the hobby. Everyone’s so eager to share their knowledge and help you grow as a reenactor, which has really helped me learn and evolve so much in the decade I’ve been doing this. Also, I’ve always enjoyed sewing since my halcyon punk rock days. So I get to do that a lot now. 

    Q: How often do you do reenactments? 

    A: I do about one event a month, except in the winter. And I’m traveling to events from New Hampshire and Vermont down to Maryland and Delaware. But if I wanted to, I could do a living history event every weekend. There’s so much going on in the community, you can really do as much or as little as you’d like. But sometimes, it’s nice to hang around town for a weekend. 

    Q: Did you picture yourself doing this as a hobby? 

    A: Honestly, it wasn’t until I participated in my first battle reenactment that I’d ever even considered doing living history and reenacting. But I’ve always had a knack for history, costuming and making my own clothes, so I suppose it was only a matter of time. 

    Q: What does a typical reenactment consist of? 

    A: Most of the largest reenactments are battles — though there are plenty that focus on civilian life and non-combat aspects of the period. But for the battles, the American forces are in one camp, and the British have their own. Throughout the first half of the day, everyone’s busy drilling, mending clothes, cooking, eating, etc. Then, in the early afternoon, we hold the large tactical battle reenactment. Depending on whether it’s a recreation of a real event or a mock battle at a historic site, we either follow a guided timeline of the real battle, or test each other’s tactical abilities to see who will win the day. Afterwards, everyone heads back to camp, cleans their kit, runs guard duty, and preps for dinner. After dinner, we get together to socialize, which often involves music, dancing and…. erm…. merriment. 

    Q: What has been your favorite reenactment experiences? 

    A: That’s a tough call, because most every event has something truly special to love about it. But many of the most memorable events have been run by friends — including stand-out events this year in Rhode Island and New York. Not only did I get to spend wonderful time with some of my favorite people, but each event left me feeling very excited and lucky to be a part of this community. 

    Normally, I do British impression, but the event at Stony Point, NY, was my first time participating as an American. And that crew was so wonderful and helpful, I rode home with a big smile afterwards. 

    Also, shout out to Fort Ticonderoga, which is just a spectacular site with some great people putting on wonderful events. And Hubbardton, Vermont, which is easily the most beautiful site in all of Rev War reenacting. All you can see are the Green Mountains — not a house in view. It really helps carry you to that time and place.

    Matter

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  • A Day in the Life of a Matter Public Relations Intern

    A Day in the Life of a Matter Public Relations Intern

    Being an intern is risky business. Will you be going on coffee runs or producing valuable work? Luckily for me, Matter provides the latter of the two experiences.

    I spent my summer as a Public Relations Intern at Matter and have loved every moment of it. Whether you are part of the public relations, digital marketing or creative team, Matter is sure to provide you with a supportive learning environment, opportunities to participate in meaningful work and, as you may have heard, some fun!

    Here is a taste of what my day-to-day as a Matter intern looks like:

    Matter interns work 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. From there I settle in, crack open my laptop, read all my unread emails and catch up on any client news that may have broken while I was gone. Being on one of Matter’s largest accounts means I often have a lot to catch up on.

    By 9:15 a.m. I’m ready to jump into my daily tasks and, most days, for a caffeine pick-me-up too. My daily tasks range from media list building and editorial calendar curating to social media content creation and article writing. As much as I’d love to share a typical day of task, no two days are the same here at Matter or in public relations. When you work so closely to the media things are always changing, and they change fast.

    It’s now 11:00 a.m. and I’m either on my way to a meeting and gearing up for one. On any given day there are typically a handful of both client-facing and internal meetings on my calendar – and if I’m lucky there will be donuts waiting for me in one of them. While in meetings, I always make it a point to jot down any notes or questions that may be helpful for me later.

    12:30 p.m. comes around and it’s time for lunch! Though most of my day is sedentary, working on a computer all day can still take a lot out of you. I love using my lunch time to get up and moving. Sometimes that’s a quick walk after eating my lunch in the kitchen and sometimes that’s treating myself to lunch out.

    I’m back at my desk and ready to get into the groove by 1:00 p.m. With only an hour and a half left in my day it’s time to tie up any loose ends and deliver any work that is needed by the end of the day. I may not have deadlines to meet at the end of every day, but certainly have personal goals I aim to reach every day. I often break up my bigger tasks into smaller more manageable tasks in order to stay organized and on top of my deadlines.

    2:15 p.m. arrives, often faster than I’d like it to, and it is time to wrap up any projects I’m working on and update the project owner.

    And just like that it’s 2:30 p.m. and I’m headed home for the day.

    As my internship winds down, I’ve begun to reflect on the experience I’ve had. Which has led me to four key takeaways to share with future Matter interns:

    • Ask a lot of questions
    • Actively work to sharpen your skills
    • Stay curious and open minded to new experiences
    • Have some fun!

    Hannah Martin

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  • Marketing Mojo: Wisdom from Nerdio Chief Revenue Officer Joseph Landes

    Erin Brooks, marketing & communications specialist at Matter, recently spoke with Nerdio’s Chief Revenue Officer, Joseph Landes, to discuss his transition from 23 years at Microsoft to the startup world. Brooks and Landes explore the role of the CRO, trends in marketing, best practice and more. Check out the video from the interview and read the full conversation below.

     

    Erin Brooks (EB): Joseph, tell us a little about yourself and Nerdio.

    Joseph Landes (JL): First and foremost, I’m a father, a son and a husband. I joined Nerdio about five months ago after working at Microsoft for 23 years and I’m the Chief Revenue Officer leading sales and marketing. Nerdio is an IT automation platform and our entire mission is about empowering managed service providers (MSPs) to build successful cloud practices in Microsoft Azure.

     

    EB: What is it like going from a big role and company like Microsoft to an aggressively growing startup like Nerdio?

    JL: First of all, let me say Nerdio is an unbelievable company. Moving from a big company like Microsoft to an incredible startup like Nerdio was scary at first but has proven to be quite fulfilling. When you’re at one company for 23 years, you not only learn a lot, but you get used to a certain way of doing things. You ask yourself, “am I going to be able to take all of this learning and apply it to a completely different scenario? To a completely different company?” As my former CEO, Satya Nadella, says, you always want to be a learn-it-all person rather than a know-it-all-person. Since arriving at Nerdio, I’ve committed to becoming a learn-it-all person: To spend time with as many partners as I can, ask questions, learn about the ecosystem and talk with my team about what we could be doing better.

    Certainly, any time you move from a company like Microsoft to a company like Nerdio, there’s just going to be different ways of doing things. But one of the things I love about Nerdio is we move fast – we’re an exciting place to work, and everybody’s empowered to do amazing work every day on behalf of our partners. We have a tremendous founder and CEO, Vadim Vladimirskiy, who bleeds Azure every day, and we’re all doing the best we can to empower MSPs to build successful practices in Azure.

     

    EB: Why is integrating sales and marketing important? How does this help the sales teams?

    JL: In the old days, sales would always complain about marketing, saying marketing’s not bringing enough leads. Marketing would complain and say sales isn’t doing much with the leads. In my role, as the CRO overseeing both sales and marketing, there’s no room for that. Everything we do is coordinated between sales and marketing as one team with one mission to help MSPs be successful. The attributes of a good marketing team, and quite frankly, any team, is togetherness. A team has to come in every day, and feel as if they’re together headed towards one common mission. We have a set of very talented marketers at Nerdio, supplemented by a set of very talented folks like Matter, and others that we work with which helps us be number one in our space and provide the best service possible to our MSP partners.

     

    EB: On that note, how have you seen the CRO role change over the last few years? How does this position, being in charge of both sales and marketing – and ultimately responsible for the voice of the customer – impact the bottom line?

    JL: Only within the past couple of years has there been this role called CRO, where organizations combine sales and marketing into one. That’s been the evolution of the CRO, having one person who’s accountable for not just driving the numbers every day when it comes to new customers, units and revenue, but really thinking through how the marketing is going to be the fuel for that engine. The goal as chief revenue officer, and as a company like Nerdio, is to look not just at what’s going on in the cloud space and figure out who’s doing great things that you can emulate, but to look outside your space and see where can you be inspired with great ideas.

     

    EB: What marketing initiatives at Nerdio will you invest more heavily in over the next year? What will become less of a priority and why?

    JL: One of the big initiatives that we’re moving forward with is a robust content marketing strategy to make sure that every MSP has what they need to implement Microsoft Azure and build a robust cloud practice. Another area that’s incredibly important to us at Nerdio is going to where the MSPs are, such as events and conferences. Finally, you’ll see us much more active in our digital and social strategy, as we know MSPs get their information through those channels.

     

    EB: Are there any companies or marketers you admire, in terms of their approach and/or marketing strategies?

    JL:  The best marketer I have ever had the opportunity to work with was a former manager of mine, Bob Vicee, who’s sitting somewhere in Eastern Washington on a ranch. Bob, if you’re read this, I hope you’re enjoying what it is you’re doing. Bob was the first marketer that encouraged me and my team to go to the edge of the cliff – where you feel like you’re about to fall off, but you don’t. That’s where I believe the best marketing happens. Great marketing happens when you’re willing to take risks, and try things that others have not tried, as opposed to just continuing to use the cookie cutter. Bob was an advocate for me personally, encouraging me to take risks and break the mold.

     

    EB: Speaking of risks. What has been one of the biggest marketing risks you’ve taken either in your career or at Nerdio? How did it play out? And, what did you learn from it?

    JL: One of the biggest marketing risks I took in my career was at Microsoft India. Our goal was  to get local developers in India to build more apps for our Windows platform. We ended up renting out a big cricket stadium in India, called the Guinness Book of World Records in the UK, and made it our mission to set a record for the number of developers coding for 24 hours straight under one roof. I had no idea if that was going to work. Within 24 hours of promoting the event, we had about 2500 developers wanting to participate. It was certainly a big risk – I didn’t know if it was going to work at all. But it turned out to have huge reward at the end, because it was something that nobody else had done in India, or in the ecosystem, and it garnered us a lot of respect in the industry for trying something new.

     

    EB: Wow, that’s amazing. Have you encountered risk like that at Nerdio?

    JL: I’ve only been at Nerdio for five months, and I can’t honestly say that we’ve taken enough risks in the time that I’ve been there. Becoming much more precise around our target audience was not a risk, more like stating the obvious. We can be number one in that category, and stating it out-loud drove a lot of clarity in the company around what we do best within the industry.

     

    EB: How do you leverage a big name like Microsoft in your own marketing strategy?

    JL: Microsoft is an incredible partner of ours. It’s very different to be outside of Microsoft than inside Microsoft. When you’re outside, and you’re looking in, you realize that it is a tremendous company with a tremendous set of resources. You find that that if you’re smart and if you know how to leverage it, you can really benefit your company. Our mission aligns perfectly with what Microsoft wants to do, which is to get more and more customers onto Azure. This is something that we can help Microsoft do, particularly with small and midsize customers who rely on MSPs for guidance and for help on implementing their solution.

     

    EB: What KPIs are most critical to your executive team and board? How are you measuring the effectiveness of your marketing and PR programs?

    JL: The KPI that is most important is to be number one in the Azure space. We believe we’re uniquely positioned in the market to have a solution for MSPs that allows them to provision, price, manage and optimize an Azure environment in a way that nobody else in the market has today. Between marketing and PR, there are many things that we’re going to do to ensure that the world knows that we have this unique offering. You’re going to see us drive that fact very hard as we move forward, whether it’s PR metrics, social metrics, digital or the number of partners we work with. At the end of the day, we want our client MSPs to be successful and happily working with Nerdio.

     

    EB: Why is PR an important part of your marketing strategy? What are some of the benefits of working with an agency like Matter?

    JL: You can never do too much PR, and I’m someone that would love to be in front of people talking about what Nerdio has to offer MSPs every single day. When you work with an agency like Matter, you gain a certain amount of structure to your PR efforts. You know who you are going to be speaking with and that these people are influential. PR is an indispensable tool for any marketer, and quite frankly, for any company like Nerdio. Having an agency that partners with us like Matter is a blessing .

     

     

    Matter

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  • Join Our Team! Five Reasons Matter Is a Best Place to Work

    Join Our Team! Five Reasons Matter Is a Best Place to Work

    If you’ve heard of Matter, you’re likely aware of our strong employee culture. It’s one of the standard questions we’re asked about during interviews and it’s our employees’ favorite question to answer.

    Sure, we’ve won numerous awards throughout our 15-year tenure, have amazing office locations, and we’re growing like crazy, but do you really know why Matter is a great place to work and why we stand out amongst the rest? Here are the top five reasons (in no particular order) that Matter is continuously recognized as a Top Place to Work and why you should consider a career with us:

    The People

    Our culture would not be what it is today without our people. Within Matter, you will find backgrounds in journalism, liberal arts, business and economics, marketing, design and more! Our employees are smart, collaborative, hard-working, creative, fun and we truly like each other!

    Helping Hands

    This is our volunteering program that officially launched a few years ago. Matter encourages employees to give back to our local communities and our employees look forward to our monthly volunteering events across all offices. We’ll hit our 2018 goal of 1,000 hours by the end of October! Since its inception, the program has been recognized as a Bell Ringer award recipient and a finalist in PR News’ Agency Elite Awards.

    Flexible + Summer Fridays

    Throughout the year, Matter gives our employees the option to work from anywhere on Fridays – whether that be the office, their home, a coffee shop, it doesn’t matter (no pun intended). In addition, during the summer we also have Summer Fridays, which lets our employees duck out early to get a head start on their weekend. 

    Employee Wellness Activities

    Matter cares about the well-being of our employees, so we offer several wellness options throughout the year that include: weekly yoga and barre classes, basketball, golf, running club, hiking club, and so much more!

    Career Growth and Defined Career Paths

    Matter knows that providing career growth is vital to recruiting and retaining talent. Maybe you’re in PR, but want to know more about digital, or vice versa, you have those options within Matter. With our integrated model, you can have a successful career in PR, social, creative services, digital marketing and even HR.

    We’re currently hiring in all of our offices. If you are considering a new job or want to know more about Matter,  check out our current job listings and apply! https://www.matternow.com/careers/

     

    Matter MKTG

  • Leaders Matter: Announcing an Agency President

    Leaders Matter: Announcing an Agency President

    Today, Mandy Mladenoff was promoted to President here at Matter. In her new position, Mandy will guide our agency’s strategy while managing our dynamite people, and she will be even more active in planning for our future growth. She will provide teams with direction, clients with counsel, and lead our offices with the smart, savvy and engaging professional demeanor that has been a constant throughout her career.

    The decision to announce Mandy as the agency’s first president was not taken lightly. I’ve spent countless hours with Mandy in the trenches, and time and again she’s proven she’s made of the stuff of leaders. But she’s also a spectacular advocate for our staff’s success, pushing them when necessary and yet unequivocally supporting and encouraging their professional development. Most true leaders I know are quick to praise others and reluctant to draw attention to their own achievements. She chooses not to bark orders, but rather shows you how it’s done and encourages you to be the best you can be. She’d rather shine the spotlight on a talented junior staffer than take credit for the amazing work she does here every day. That’s just one of the many reasons why she’s so well-liked and well-respected across our agency. She inspires people to be their best, me included.

    If your own career includes a chapter working with or for Mandy, then you already know what caliber of professional walked into our office six years ago. She came to Matter from SHIFT Communications in San Francisco where she spent years leading teams and helping to put that business on the map. She joined us as a General Manager, spread her wings, and has delivered results without interruption ever since. While a new title is noteworthy, it’s a modest recognition for a job incredibly well done since her start.

    We’re planning for our future by moving and shaking, so stay tuned for more news in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, please join me in tipping a hat to our agency’s new President, the most capable, credible and experienced communications professional who deserves a tremendous round of applause. I couldn’t be any happier – nor proud – to have such a well-rounded professional in this position at such an exciting time in our agency’s history.

    Scott Signore

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  • BBJ: Matter 3rd Largest Boston PR Agency

    BBJ: Matter 3rd Largest Boston PR Agency

    I’m thrilled that the Boston Business Journal recognized Matter as the third largest PR and social media firm in the Greater Boston area, and that we’ve enjoyed a steady upward trajectory for each year of our existence. It’s a testament to our tremendous staff and our agency’s enterprising spirit. But the story of our success is also intertwined with Boston’s emergence as a true innovation hub, and with a battery of entrepreneurial companies hell-bent on trying to make the world a better place. Matter shares this vision – that a rising tide raises all ships, and that together we are Boston Strong.

    We have clients all over the country, but nowhere do we have more insight and penetration into the local economy than in Massachusetts. And what I’ve seen over the past decade, in Boston in particular, is a sustained determination to seize the mantle as one of the world’s truly great centers of technology excellence. The energy is palpable. The optimism is abundant and the opportunities for startups to find a foothold have never been greater.

    Our Lunchspotting networking events in Boston are truly kinetic, with executives across myriad industries sharing success stories and forging new relationships. We can’t hire fast enough to fill our Boston office, which is barely a year old and bustling. While nothing is certain, here’s what I truly believe: Boston’s future has never been brighter, and Matter has never been more excited to be an integral part of the storytelling apparatus of this region’s outstanding companies.

    Scott Signore

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  • Matter Reaches 500 Hours of Volunteerism!

    Matter Reaches 500 Hours of Volunteerism!

    “From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.” – Arthur Ashe

    I am excited to share that the talented professionals here at Matter have reached their objective of dedicating more than 500 hours of volunteer time to worthy entities and initiatives across five offices nationwide.

    Since the start of the year our dynamite staff served meals at homeless shelters in Boston, Boulder and Newburyport, provided books to needy children in Portland, worked with the Ronald McDonald House in Providence, and all offices walked in “awareness events” for a worthy cause. And that’s just the beginning: on a monthly basis our team has been a force of goodwill by delivering on their promise to give back – and having their time as working professionals be even more meaningful. They’ve rolled-up their sleeves and got things done, and I am tremendously proud.

    We launched our Helping Hands initiative at the end of last year, and it has been embraced with gusto by employees who want to collaborate outside of the office in the spirit of making a meaningful impact on the world around them. In most cases, the monthly event in each office has a waiting list of participants from so many generous volunteers eager to participate. I am so grateful for the willingness the staff has shown to sacrifice both professional and personal time to give back to the communities that we care so much about. Please join me, in tipping my hat to this kind and tremendously generous crowd.

    People in need matter. Helping hands matter.

    Scott Signore

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  • Why Collaboration is Essential for Innovation in Boston – and PR

    Boston has had quite the 2016, so far. Over the past six months, the city has experienced incredible milestones, further raising its notoriety as “The Hub” of innovation. Not only has Boston been ranked No. 1 among the top 25 startup hubs in the U.S. (over Silicon Valley, ask Sergey), it was named the future home of GE, witnessed Salesforce’s high-value acquisition of Demandware, and will welcome both AmazonFresh and Google Fiber—just to name a few highlights.

    Boston is clearly a top spot for anyone in tech, PR pros included, and the No. 1 ranking is just the beginning. When this was announced, I promptly toasted a frothy UFO Hefeweizen to my adopted city and set out on a tour of Boston tech events to discover the people, organizations and trends that contribute to Boston’s innovation economy. As a member of Matter’s Precision group, designed for companies with focused budgets, we are all about collaboration with our clients and with each other. What I found on my tech tour is that collaboration is key to Boston’s success as well.

    Here are a few ways collaboration benefits both Boston’s innovation economy and PR.

    1. Collaboration between organizations
    “You create two great research institutions, wait 200 years and see what grows up around it.” – Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker on Boston’s original economic policy at BostInno’s 2016 State of Innovation (BOSSOI).
    Today, Harvard and MIT are collaborating with promising local startups in medical devices, wearables and big data; the nation’s best hospitals; leading venture capital firms, incubators and accelerators; and government entities to make digital health Boston next, pioneering endeavor. Even Fiona Murray, associate dean of innovation at the MIT Sloan School of Management, called “inclusion, collaboration and contribution” the “blueprint” of Boston’s innovation ecosystem at Xconomy’s INFLUX Boston (shout out to my colleagues Emily and Diala for attending the event). Likewise, collaboration between PR, media and community organizations is vital for generating awareness of great companies, doing great things.
    2. Collaboration between big and small companies
    “If we fail to innovate, we almost certainly will not exist.” – Rob Biederman, co-founder and CEO of HourlyNerd at BOSSOI.
    “We” means everyone, big companies and small. And (surprise), collaboration is key. From small companies, big companies can learn to stay lean and adopt an experimental mindset, while throwing fear of failure out the window. From big companies, small companies can learn to create and maintain a company culture as they scale. Collaboration between big and small client teams is just as important for good PR, and we do it well at Matter. Knowledge sharing between Precision and larger agency accounts allows everyone to maintain a culture of innovation, with stunning results for clients.
    3. Collaboration between companies and their customers
    “Sounds like you’re in our target demographic. What would you think of…” – A local startup founder at Boston TechJam 2016.
    This was a fashion tech founder’s response to my introduction as a tech and Ann Taylor LOFT-loving, 20-something transplant to Boston. Spoiler alert: I thought the product was great. I also loved the way the founder paused his routine (handing out swag and drink tickets) to ask my opinion as a potential customer. But this only scratches the surface of collaboration between companies and their (potential) customers in Boston. Microsoft just hosted a public HoloLens Hackathon. Local entrepreneurs are using crowdfunding and crowdsourcing to generate capital and ideas. Likewise, PR collaborates with clients and customers of clients to generate customer profiles, case studies and third-party quotes for effective media relations. The talented Vanessa Boynton discussed why building a customer profile is essential to creating a “collaborative” brand in a recent Matter Chatter blog post. Read it if you haven’t.

    Collaborate to innovate is the name of the game in Boston and in PR. Put me in, coach.

    Matter

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