Articulate

What Articulate does

Articulate is a New York-based strategic communications agency that delivers brand communications, campaign creative and execution, media relations, influencer engagement, celebrity partnerships, and experiential event services. The firm is narrowly specialized in the premium spirits and drinks industry, serving globally recognized legacy European Houses, Maisons, and American classics including Maker's Mark, The Glenlivet, The House of Suntory, Perrier-Jouët, Roku Gin, Heineken, and Maestro Dobel Tequila. Articulate positions itself around helping alcohol brands transition from regional leaders to global icons through cultural relevance, A-list talent, and high-impact earned media. Campaign output documented in source material includes work that has generated 443.9 million to 14.7 billion media impressions, and the firm is recognized as a PR Net Next Gen Award winner in 2023.

The firm operates as a privately held, for-profit professional services business and is a subsidiary of Catalyst MXE, which provides the strategic and operating parent context. The team is small and senior-heavy, with approximately 20 members including founder and Managing Director Moira Breslin, SVPs of Client Services and Strategy & Planning, a Head of Global Partnerships, a Group Director, and dedicated account, media, and talent functions. The agency's headquarters is at 45 West 21st, Suite 5D, New York, NY, and its service delivery is global in scope despite a single New York base, executing campaigns such as Roku Gin worldwide, Hibiki x Hiroshi Senju global, and Courvoisier at Selfridges.

The business model is professional services revenue: retainer and project-based agency fees billed to enterprise brand clients for brand strategy, campaign execution, media relations, influencer and celebrity partnerships, and experiential activations. Distribution is direct, appointment-based enterprise sales, with the agency typically engaged by brand owners as their global or campaign-specific communications partner. There is no disclosed pricing, no public revenue, and no external institutional investment, consistent with a founder-led agency held within a strategic parent.

Name

Articulate

Legal name

Articulate

Website

https://toarticulate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Articulate is a New York-based strategic communications agency that provides brand communications, campaign execution, media relations, celebrity partnerships, and experiential events for premium spirits and drinks brands, including Maker's Mark, The Glenlivet, and House of Suntory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategic Communications Agency (Premium Spirits & Drinks)

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brand Activations & Experiential Campaign Design (MPAAAGAA), Activation/Experiential Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAO)

Keywords

• Strategic communications agency
• Premium spirits marketing
• Media relations services
• Experiential brand events
• Influencer partnership campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Communications Agency Services: Articulate generates revenue through service fees for strategic communications, PR, brand communications, campaign creative and execution, media relations, influencer engagement, celebrity partnerships, and experiential event services for premium spirits and drinks brands. Revenue model is likely retainer-based or project-based agency fees.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Articulate is a strategic communications agency that delivers brand launch strategy, campaign creative and execution, media relations, influencer and celebrity partnership management, and experiential event production for premium spirits and drinks brands. The firm works on an agency-of-record basis with globally recognized legacy European Houses, Maisons, and American classics in the beverages sector, providing both ongoing brand communications guidance and discrete campaign execution.

Product overview

Articulate is a strategic communications agency specializing in the drinks and spirits industry, not a software product company. Their offering consists of professional services including brand launch and communication strategy, campaign creative and execution, evergreen brand communications guidance, media relations and reputation management, influencer engagement, celebrity partnerships, partnership and sponsorship activation, and experiential marketing creative and execution. They work with globally recognized legacy European Houses, Maisons, and American classics in the beverages sector. Their portfolio of service offerings is unified under their communications agency model—there are no distinct software products, platforms, or modules to enumerate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Communications Services Integrated strategic communications services for premium spirits and drinks brands, including brand launch and communication strategy, campaign creative and execution, evergreen brand communications guidance and guardianship, media relations and reputation management, influencer engagement, celebrity partnerships, partnership and sponsorship activation, and experiential event creative and execution. Delivered on an agency-of-record basis to enterprise alcohol beverage clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 443.9 million media impressions and 5.2 million social impressions for Star Hill Farm Whisky launch
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Maker's MarkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2023Maker's Mark appointed Articulate as its Global Communications Agency in November 2023. Articulate contributes to Maker's Mark's journey to achieve global icon status, handling brand communications, campaign strategy, and execution for the iconic American bourbon brand.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Edelman: World's largest independent PR firm with a dedicated food and beverage practice. Competes with Articulate for global spirits mandates but operates at much larger scale across all industries and geographies.
• Weber Shandwick: Global communications network within IPG with extensive consumer brands and beverage experience. Competes for the same enterprise spirits clients as Articulate but offers full integrated marketing communications at holding-company scale.
• FleishmanHillard: Omnicom-owned global PR network with deep consumer and corporate practices. Often competes for global spirits and lifestyle brand mandates that Articulate also targets.
• Ketchum: Global communications firm within Omnicom PR Group with significant food and beverage category work. Comparable in serving multinational brand clients with PR and influencer programs.
• M&C Saatchi PR: Global creative and communications group with a consumer and lifestyle PR practice. Competes with Articulate for premium brand assignments while operating across a much broader portfolio of clients.

Direct peers

• Purple: Global lifestyle communications agency with a strong drinks, hospitality, and luxury practice. Comparable in serving premium brand clients with PR, partnerships, and experiential campaigns.
• Sopexa: Marketing and communications agency specialized in wine, spirits, and gastronomy. Comparable given its category-exclusive focus on alcoholic beverage marketing for international brands.
• Exposure: Consumer and lifestyle communications agency working with premium drinks, hospitality, and entertainment brands. Comparable for its mix of earned media, partnerships, and experiential campaigns targeting culturally engaged audiences.
• Taylor Herring: UK-based entertainment and consumer PR agency known for high-profile campaigns and celebrity-driven storytelling. Comparable in its ability to translate cultural moments and A-list partnerships into earned media outcomes.
• The Communications Store: London-based communications agency focused on luxury, premium spirits, and lifestyle brands. Directly comparable to Articulate given its similar vertical specialization, retainer relationships with global spirits houses, and integrated communications model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Articulate