Revolution Messaging is expanding its offerings following its widely lauded consulting work for Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign.
The digital firm, which helped Sanders raised some $220 million during the primary, is moving into advising on overall media strategy having announced a round of new hires and promotions this week.
It’s an indication that major digital content firms are quickly evolving past only creating content online and raising money and could soon compete with traditional media firms with producing TV ads. While digital consultants are quick to point out the audience for television is shrinking while online video is growing, TV remains the most lucrative sector of the industry.
During the campaign, Revolution handled digital creative, text-to-donate fundraising and email fundraising while Tad Devine’s Devine Mulvey Longabaugh Media handled Sanders’ TV. Since the campaign wrapped, Revolution launched a progressive jobs board website. Now, they’re expanding into public relations.
On Wednesday the firm announced that Arianna Jones is joining as senior vice president of public relations. Jones, a former TV producer, recently served as the deputy communications director on Sanders’ campaign. Revolution also announced that Eden Joyner was being promoted from VP of advertising to SVP of business development.
Scott Goodstein, Revolution Messaging's founder and CEO, denied his progressive shop has immediate plans to enter the TV market.
“With the addition of PR services to our online ads, fundraising campaigns, web development and rapid response creative we are adding another vital tool to help campaigns to reach voters and get their message heard,” he said in a statement to C&E. “We are proud of our firm's work for the Sanders campaign and we are continuing the revolution by helping down ballot campaigns and issue campaigns push a progressive agenda into November.”
Sanders, who reported more than $8 million cash on hand in his presidential campaign account in July, has hinted at plans to maintain a post-2016 organization, which could certainly give Revolution an opportunity to further stretch its wings. To wit, Sanders has shown an appetite for pushing the envelope of media strategy and could draw from his robust email and cellphone lists to raise a stream of money.
Meanwhile, other digital firms are showing ambition beyond their current purview. DSPolitical recently established an office in San Francisco and unveiled Ryan Fanning, formerly the digital director at Washington Media Group, as the West Coast lead with the title of VP of advertising operations.