SHIFT Communications: Boston PR Agency Founded in 2003

SHIFT Communications is a Boston-founded PR agency, created in 2003 by Jim Joyal, Todd Defren and Ed Weiler, that issued what is widely cited as the first social media press release in 2006. NATIONAL Public Relations acquired it in 2016, and AVENIR GLOBAL now describes it as a performance communications agency and part of the Padilla family of brands, with offices in Boston, New York and San Francisco.

Originally published November 7, 2020. Updated November 4, 2026.

What are the key facts about SHIFT Communications?

SHIFT Communications is a Boston-founded agency that now sits inside the AVENIR GLOBAL network, with offices in Boston, San Francisco and New York. The table lists the facts readers ask about most, with the source for each.

Topic	Detail	Source
Founded	2003, Boston, by Jim Joyal, Todd Defren and Ed Weiler	Wikipedia
Offices	Boston, San Francisco and New York	AVENIR GLOBAL
Leadership	Rick Murray, managing partner. Amy Lyons took over running the firm in November 2017 when co-founder and CEO Todd Defren stepped down.	AVENIR GLOBAL; Holmes Report
Ownership	Acquired by NATIONAL Public Relations in May 2016. Part of AVENIR GLOBAL, a privately held Montreal group, and listed as part of the Padilla family of brands.	NATIONAL; AVENIR GLOBAL
Size	About $20.4 million in 2015 revenue	PRovoke
Specialty	Integrated PR with a focus on B2B technology, healthcare and consumer brands	SHIFT release, March 31, 2026
Last verified	November 4, 2026, against AVENIR GLOBAL's website, SHIFT's March 2026 release, NATIONAL's May 2016 release, the Holmes Report, PRovoke and Wikipedia	EPR

What is SHIFT Communications?

SHIFT Communications is a Boston PR and marketing agency that built its name on early adoption of social media and on data-driven PR that ties programs to measurable business results. In a March 31, 2026 release, SHIFT described itself as an integrated PR agency with a specialization in B2B technology, and AVENIR GLOBAL's site calls it a performance communications agency.

How did SHIFT start?

Jim Joyal, Todd Defren and Ed Weiler took over the clients and assets of the former PR firm Sterling Hager in 2003 and relaunched it as SHIFT, according to Wikipedia. The firm grew to offices in Boston, New York, San Francisco and Austin before settling on its current three-city footprint.

What was the social media press release?

The social media press release was a structured, multimedia-friendly news release template that SHIFT published in 2006, days after journalist Tom Foremski wrote a blog post calling for the end of the press release. It is widely cited as the first from any agency, and Wikipedia notes the idea is now used in public relations courses.

Who owns SHIFT now?

AVENIR GLOBAL owns SHIFT, and the group lists SHIFT as part of the Padilla family of brands. NATIONAL Public Relations announced the acquisition on May 4, 2016. PRovoke reported that SHIFT's revenue rose 10.8 percent in 2015 to $20.4 million, against about $67 million for NATIONAL.

In November 2017, the Holmes Report reported that Defren was stepping down and managing partner Amy Lyons would take over running SHIFT. The same announcement unveiled AVENIR GLOBAL as the holding company for NATIONAL's brands.

AVENIR GLOBAL's history page lists "Padilla adds SHIFT to its portfolio of operating brands" under 2021. In a separate AVENIR GLOBAL announcement, Rick Murray, a PR veteran with more than 20 years of agency leadership in the U.S. and Canada, was named managing partner of SHIFT. AVENIR GLOBAL's 2025 corporate responsibility report puts the group at close to 1,000 staff across 22 locations in Canada, the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. For Padilla itself, see EPR's Padilla profile.

What has SHIFT announced recently?

SHIFT announced four new AI-focused technology clients on March 31, 2026, which is the most recent client news found on the firm's own channels. The release said the companies partnered with SHIFT through its Performance Communications programs in the first quarter of 2026.

Client	Announced	Program
Leia Inc.	March 31, 2026	Performance Communications and PR
Symbotic	March 31, 2026	Performance Communications and PR
Signifyd	March 31, 2026	Performance Communications and PR
Exol	March 31, 2026	Performance Communications and PR

Client lists change over time, so SHIFT's own site at shiftcomm.com is the best source for current relationships.

What is the SHIFT timeline?

The SHIFT timeline runs from a 2003 relaunch to a 2026 round of technology client wins. Each date below comes from a named source.

Date	Event	Source
2003	SHIFT founded in Boston from the clients and assets of Sterling Hager	Wikipedia
2006	Social media press release published	Wikipedia
May 4, 2016	NATIONAL Public Relations announces the acquisition	NATIONAL
November 2017	Lyons succeeds Defren, and AVENIR GLOBAL is unveiled	Holmes Report
2021	Padilla adds SHIFT to its portfolio of operating brands	AVENIR GLOBAL history
March 31, 2026	SHIFT announces four AI-focused technology clients	SHIFT release

How does SHIFT compare with Padilla?

SHIFT is a technology-focused agency inside the group, while Padilla is a broader communications agency. Both belong to AVENIR GLOBAL, and AVENIR GLOBAL lists them as sister brands.

Factor	SHIFT Communications	Padilla
Self-description	Performance communications agency	Award-winning U.S. communications agency that helps brands transform with purpose
Brand family	Part of the Padilla family of brands	Family includes SHIFT, FoodMinds and Joe Smith
Offices	Boston, San Francisco, New York	Seven U.S. offices across its family of brands, per a January 2026 release

For more firms to compare, see EPR's PR agency profiles directory.

How should a technology company evaluate SHIFT?

A technology company should evaluate SHIFT by testing whether its performance communications approach matches the company's own measures of success. EPR suggests five checks, which apply to any agency in this category.

1. Ask which business outcomes, such as pipeline, demand or investor attention, the agency ties PR programs to, and how it reports them.
2. Ask for current clients in the same stage and sector, and compare them with the March 2026 announcements.
3. Ask who leads the account day to day, since leadership at SHIFT has changed since 2017.
4. Ask how the agency's group ownership affects pricing, conflicts and shared resources with Padilla.
5. Compare two or three agencies from the directory before shortlisting.

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Related: PR agency profiles directory · Padilla · 5W Public Relations