Across seven offices and many work-from-home setups, Padilla team members and SHIFTers alike are anxiously awaiting the formal addition of SHIFT to Padilla’s roster of operating brands.
As we count down the days until that happens on January 1, 2022, we thought we’d check in with Rick Murray, managing partner at SHIFT, and Matt Kucharski, president at Padilla, for a deeper dive on what this means for our employees and clients. The overarching theme: more opportunity.
How will clients benefit from SHIFT and Padilla teaming up?
Rick: Although we will continue to operate as the SHIFT clients know and love, this partnership provides ongoing and seamless access to tremendous resources across all our programs. In addition to partnering with creative and channels, we’re now able to weave in digital, analytics, research, branding, employee engagement, crisis communications, investor relations and every other type of communications expertise we have across Padilla. For clients, this means we can better serve their total communications needs with the kinds of highly integrated programs that are now essential to connect with our target audiences in this ever-evolving media landscape. We’ve already seen successes with Blurb, Citrix and Evite, among others, and we’re looking forward building on those in 2022.
What does this announcement mean for Padilla?
Matt: The agency’s goal is to help clients Transform With Purpose – and that also means transforming ourselves -- the value we deliver to clients, how we work and career paths for our teams. How can any of that not be stronger when we integrate with SHIFT, a brand with a great reputation in technology PR that’s been at the center of social and digital transformation for almost 20 years? I’m thrilled to welcome SHIFTers to the team!
What advice did you give SHIFTers about the integration with Padilla?
Rick: That this is an opportunity to accomplish more together, in our careers and for our clients. It’s a chance to do more of the kind of integrated work our team is excited about. We’ve had some informal collaborations for client programs across Padilla and its operating brands, pulling together “ensemble” teams to make sure all the skills and expertise necessary to achieve our clients’ goals are present. Now SHIFTers will formally be part of Padilla and be able to tap into that incredible breadth of expertise far more frequently as well as offer their own. This will really accelerate their career trajectories.
From a cultural perspective, we add to one another’s diverse set of experiences, backgrounds and opinions. That’s something else I’m excited for SHIFTers to get to experience, from one-off connections to more formal initiatives.
What role does company culture play in making this a successful transition for all employees?
Matt: Change is nearly constant. And while change that appears random can be stressful on employees, change with purpose is exciting. This integration between SHIFT and Padilla is change with purpose and full of opportunities for our talented teams and client partners. We can think of no better way to kick-off 2022 than to welcome SHIFT into Padilla’s family of brands alongside the food and nutrition experts at FoodMinds, the brand consultancy of Joe Smith, and the research authorities at SMS Research Advisors.
