Rational 360
Rational 360 is a Washington, D.C.-based full-service strategic communications and digital agency serving Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, advocacy organizations, and government entities, operating proprietary Pinpoint Targeting and Pinpoint Health platforms for precision decision-maker advertising.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rational 360 does
Rational 360 is a full-service strategic communications and digital agency headquartered in Washington, D.C. Founded in 2020 by Patrick Dorton, a former Special Assistant to President Clinton and Communications Director for the White House National Economic Council, the firm serves Fortune 500 companies, national trade associations, advocacy organizations, government entities, and nonprofit coalitions. Its client base spans healthcare, energy, defense, financial services, technology, and entertainment, with notable engagements including an advocacy campaign that helped pass the NOPAIN Act in the 117th Congress, a six-month physician-targeted campaign that reached half of all physicians in a specialty field, and state-level tax incentive campaigns on behalf of the Motion Picture Association.
The company's product portfolio centers on two proprietary digital targeting platforms: Pinpoint Targeting, a decision-maker-targeted advertising solution that direct-matches individuals to their phones, computers, tablets, and connected TVs for cross-device precision campaign delivery with named audience transparency; and Pinpoint Health, a healthcare-vertical variant that targets patients by condition, physicians, executives, and policymakers with healthcare-compliant advertising. These are complemented by a broad Digital Services offering (social listening, social media management, email/SMS, website development, SEO, video production, paid advertising across channels) and Strategic Communications services (grassroots, grasstops, public affairs, crisis communications, earned media, thought leadership, event management). The firm's intelligence stack includes a custom-built social listening and relationship mining analytics platform whose outputs have been featured on Fox News and Meet the Press.
Rational 360 monetizes through professional services engagements and multi-year retainer arrangements on quote-based pricing for enterprise clients, with Pinpoint Targeting emerging as a distinct growth driver positioned toward subscription/recurring economics. The firm projects $70M revenue in 2026, following 60% year-over-year growth in 2025, with revenue principally generated through direct enterprise sales led personally by senior partners. Distribution is exclusive to direct enterprise channels; no resellers, distributors, or self-service models are used. The firm adopted an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) in May 2024, making it employee-owned under the continued leadership of CEO Patrick Dorton, and in February 2026 relocated to an 18,000-square-foot flagship office at 1666 K Street NW.
Rational 360 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rational 360
- Legal name
- Rational 360, Inc.
- Website
- https://rational360.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Rational 360 is a Washington, D.C.-based full-service strategic communications and digital agency serving Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, advocacy organizations, and government entities, operating proprietary Pinpoint Targeting and Pinpoint Health platforms for precision decision-maker advertising.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rational 360 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Services
- NAICS
- Public Relations Agencies (54182), Advertising Agencies (541810)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)
- akta.pro primary industry
- PR, Reputation Management & Earned Media Platforms (BPAMALAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Nonprofit & Cause Communications (BPAFADAK), Marketing Automation & Lifecycle/Drip Campaign Management (MPAAAIAC)
Keywords
Where Rational 360 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Rational 360 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Strategic Communications Services: Full-service strategic communications including public affairs, crisis communications, earned media relations, and integrated campaign development. Revenue generated through project-based engagements and retainer arrangements with enterprise clients.
- Digital Advertising and Campaign Services: Paid digital influence campaigns, micro-targeted advertising, social media management, email/SMS marketing, and website development services. Billed as part of integrated campaign packages with transparent, insight-driven reporting.
- Pinpoint Targeting Platform Licensing: Pinpoint Targeting is positioned as a differentiated digital targeting product driving significant growth. The company expects $70M in revenue in 2026, with Pinpoint Targeting cited as a key growth driver.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise Professional Services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Rational 360 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rational 360 is a full-service strategic communications and digital agency that delivers integrated campaign services spanning public relations, public affairs, crisis communications, earned media relations, digital advertising, grassroots mobilization, and grasstops outreach. The firm sells professional services alongside proprietary digital targeting products (Pinpoint Targeting and Pinpoint Health) that deliver precision advertising to decision-makers by matching individuals to their personal devices.
Product overview
Rational 360 is a full-service strategic communications and digital marketing agency offering an integrated campaign approach. The core product portfolio centers on Pinpoint Targeting and Pinpoint Health, two digital targeting solutions that provide precision advertising to decision-makers across devices. Pinpoint Targeting is a general B2B/B2C solution for decision-makers and influencers, while Pinpoint Health is a healthcare-specific vertical targeting patients, physicians, executives, and policymakers with compliant advertising. These targeting products are complemented by Digital Services (social listening, social media management, email/SMS, website development, SEO, video production, virtual events, paid advertising) and Strategic Communications Services (grassroots, grasstops, public affairs, crisis management, earned media, thought leadership). The company employs a data-driven approach using AI-enabled analytics, social listening tools, and message testing to deliver measurable outcomes for clients across industries including healthcare, defense, telecom, energy, finance, and technology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Pinpoint Targeting: A precision digital advertising solution that delivers content exclusively to decision-maker screens seven times per week by direct-matching individuals to their devices.
- Pinpoint Health
Products and services
- Pinpoint Targeting
Quantifiable outcome
- 60% year-over-year revenue growth in 2025
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Rational 360
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Rational 360 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability8 records
Feature4 records
Rational 360 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- PeakMetricscorePartnership with AI-driven narrative intelligence company PeakMetrics to demonstrate the capabilities of its Smart Categories product. Rational 360 serves as a demonstration partner, using the platform to analyze trust dynamics in healthcare policy discussions affecting the industry. The collaboration revealed that over half of healthcare industry conversations among policymakers and influencers in Washington D.C. were skeptical of industry perspectives.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Rational 360 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Brunswick Group: Specialist communications advisor focused on critical issues, M&A, and public affairs for global corporations. Comparable in its premium positioning on integrated, advice-led strategic communications for large enterprises.
- Finsbury Glover Hering: Global strategic communications and public affairs firm serving corporates, boards, and investors on critical issues, M&A, and crisis. It is highly comparable in client mix and senior-led engagement model.
- DCI Group: Public affairs and communications firm focused on coalition building, advocacy, and corporate reputation for Fortune 500 clients, particularly in regulated industries. Comparable in advocacy, public affairs, and earned media capabilities.
- Beekeeper Group: Mid-sized strategic communications and digital agency with strong public affairs and association clients, and an in-house creative practice. Direct comparable in size, mix of services, and DC-based K Street positioning.
- Forbes Tate Partners: Bipartisan public affairs and strategic communications firm focused on Fortune 500, trade associations, and advocacy clients, with a strong digital and data offering. It is one of the most direct K Street comparables to Rational 360 in client mix, services, and senior political talent.
- BerlinRosen: Fast-growing US strategic communications and public affairs firm with strong tech, public affairs, and advocacy practices. Comparable in its integrated, digitally-led campaign approach to Fortune 500 and advocacy clients.
Broad incumbents
- Edelman: The world's largest independent PR firm with deep healthcare, public affairs, and digital practices. It is a direct competitor for Fortune 500 strategic communications, public affairs, and digital campaigns, though it operates at a much larger global scale.
- Hill+Knowlton: Global public relations and public affairs firm with deep healthcare, energy, and technology practices. Competes with Rational 360 for enterprise strategic communications and public affairs engagements, with substantially broader international scale.
- Burson (BCW): Global communications agency formed from the merger of Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe, with strong public affairs, healthcare, and corporate communications practices. It competes for the same enterprise public affairs and corporate reputation engagements.
Emerging players
- Racepoint Global: Integrated communications agency combining PR, digital, content, and creative for technology, healthcare, and B2B clients. Comparable in its digitally-led, integrated communications approach and mid-market positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Rational 360 social profiles
Digital presenceRational 360 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rational 360 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Rational 360 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rational 360 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rational 360
What does Rational 360 do?
Rational 360 is a full-service strategic communications and digital agency that delivers integrated campaign services spanning public relations, public affairs, crisis communications, earned media relations, digital advertising, grassroots mobilization, and grasstops outreach. The firm sells professional services alongside proprietary digital targeting products (Pinpoint Targeting and Pinpoint Health) that deliver precision advertising to decision-makers by matching individuals to their personal devices.
Is Rational 360 a public or private company?
Rational 360 is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Rational 360 founded?
Rational 360 was founded in 2020. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Rational 360 based?
Rational 360 is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Rational 360 make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Strategic Communications Services are the primary driver. The others are digital Advertising and Campaign Services and pinpoint Targeting Platform Licensing.
Who are Rational 360's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Brunswick Group, Finsbury Glover Hering, DCI Group, Beekeeper Group, Forbes Tate Partners and BerlinRosen. Broad incumbents are Edelman, Hill+Knowlton and Burson (BCW). Racepoint Global is listed as an emerging player.
Does Rational 360 have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rational 360.
What industry is Rational 360 in?
Rational 360's product category is Strategic Communications and Public Affairs Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMALAO, PR, Reputation Management & Earned Media Platforms, with a secondary code of BPAFADAK, Nonprofit & Cause Communications. Its NAICS code is 54182 and its SIC code is 7311.