Peter Shankman's Classy Exit From Vocus (March 2013)

Cite as: EPR Editorial Team. "Peter Shankman's Classy Exit From Vocus (March 2013)." Everything-PR, March 2013.

Part of EPR's Industry Leaders, Digital PR, and Media Systems coverage.

"I can't say enough good things about Vocus," Peter Shankman wrote in a classy departure note that went live on his blog yesterday. For those who follow Vocus closely, Shankman's exit comes shortly after Frank Strong's departure — which went unannounced by official channels.

Shankman Leaves Vocus

According to the note, Shankman is leaving Vocus to focus on new work — consulting for Fortune 50 companies, evangelism for established consumer brands, advisory work for startups, and occasional consulting back to Vocus itself. He hinted at ideas for new startups without revealing specifics. Given the value proposition HARO created — connecting reporters to sources at zero marginal cost — anything Shankman builds next is worth watching.

There's no telling exactly why Shankman decided to leave Help A Reporter Out (HARO) behind in a day-to-day sense, but his calendar is full. His new book — Nice Companies Finish First: Why Cutthroat Management Is Over and Collaboration Is In — is out April 2, 2013. His first child is due in late April. He has plenty to fill the year.

"I can't say enough good things about Vocus, and I know my original baby (HARO) will continue to grow in the good hands of the great gang down in Maryland."

— Peter Shankman, "Saying Thanks and Moving On" (March 2013)

To paraphrase: we can't say enough good things about Shankman. We can only hope HARO stays classy and helpful without him.

Context: Where This Sits in the HARO Timeline

This 2013 note marks the end of Shankman's direct operational involvement with the platform he built.

• 2008 — Shankman launches HARO as a Facebook group out of his apartment.
• 2010 — Shankman sells HARO to Vocus for a reported $4 million.
• March 2013 — Shankman exits Vocus (this note).
• 2014 — Cision acquires Vocus, taking HARO with it.
• June 2024 — Cision shuts HARO down, replacing it with Connectively.
• End of 2024 — Cision discontinues Connectively.

The model Shankman built ran for sixteen years across three owners. Nothing has replaced it at the same scale.

Where this fits

For the canonical Shankman career profile, see Peter Shankman: The HARO Founder Who Rewired How Reporters Find Sources. Also in EPR's Industry Leaders archive: Jim Weiss WCG Interview (2011) · Jim Weiss: The Founder Who Built Real Chemistry · Rick French of French/West/Vaughan (2011).

Part of EPR's Industry Leaders archive.