25th Hour Communications

What 25th Hour Communications does

25th Hour Communications is a US-based, privately held B2B marketing agency that specializes in serving higher education institutions, with a primary focus on community and technical colleges and a secondary focus on four-year universities. Founded in 2011 by Jennifer Aries, a former California community college marketing director with 30+ years of higher education experience, the agency has grown to 20+ employees and reports serving hundreds of colleges and universities nationwide. Trish Lamantia joined as partner in 2016 and serves as CEO.

The company's core offering is a portfolio of integrated marketing services—strategic planning, branding, website development, digital and traditional advertising, public relations, creative services, social media management, research, and lead management—delivered as custom professional services engagements. Two proprietary products differentiate the agency: the Lead Management Center, a specialized CRM for higher education lead tracking and prospective student engagement offered as a staffed service or training, and Media Prefs, a student media preferences data tool acquired through the 2024 purchase of Interact Communications, Inc. that aggregates insights at national, state, and local levels.

The business model is sales-led, with direct B2B engagement of higher education institutions; pricing is customized and quote-based per engagement with no public disclosures. The company has not raised external capital, operates independently as 25th Hour Communications, Inc., and is headquartered in the United States (Boston, MA referenced in acquisition materials). The 2024 acquisition of Interact Communications signals a strategic pivot from pure services toward productized, data-enabled enrollment marketing offerings.

Name

25th Hour Communications

Legal name

25th Hour Communications, Inc.

Website

https://25comm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

25th Hour Communications is a US-based higher education marketing agency serving hundreds of community colleges, technical colleges, and universities with integrated marketing services plus two proprietary products: the Lead Management Center CRM and Media Prefs data tool.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Public Relations Agencies (54182)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital PR & Social Media Communications (MPAAADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Communications, Marketing & Government/Community Relations Administration (EDADAKAN)

Keywords

• Higher education marketing
• Enrollment marketing agency
• Lead management platform
• Student recruitment advertising
• Institutional branding services

Headquarters

HQ city

Westwood

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Marketing Services: Professional services revenue from providing strategic planning, branding, website development, digital marketing, advertising, public relations, creative services, social media management, research, and lead management services to higher education institutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

25th Hour Communications is a higher education marketing agency that helps colleges and universities build awareness, generate qualified student leads, and improve enrollment outcomes through integrated services including advertising, branding, creative, public relations, research, social media, and web development. It also operates the proprietary Lead Management Center CRM for higher-ed lead nurturing and offers Media Prefs, a data tool that maps prospective students' media habits.

Product overview

25th Hour Communications operates as a higher education marketing agency offering a portfolio of integrated services and proprietary products. The core offerings include strategic planning, branding, website development, digital marketing, and public relations services. The portfolio includes two key products: the Lead Management Center (a proprietary CRM built specifically for higher education enrollment management) and Media Prefs (a student media preferences research tool acquired from Interact Communications). Services are delivered through specialized modules including Advertising, Creative, Marketing, Public Relations, Research, Social Media Management, Web Services, and Team Support—all unified by data-driven strategies and research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Media Prefs: Student media preferences data aggregated on national, state, and local levels, acquired through Interact Communications acquisition.

Products and services

• Advertising Services Media planning and buying services that place higher-education client campaigns across paid channels to drive student inquiries and enrollments.
• Branding Services Brand strategy, identity development, and positioning services for higher education institutions seeking to differentiate in student recruitment markets.
• Creative Services Creative development including copywriting, design, and content production for higher-education marketing campaigns across channels.
• Marketing Services Integrated marketing strategy and campaign execution designed to support student recruitment and institutional awareness for higher-ed clients.
• Public Relations Services PR strategy and media-relations support to build institutional reputation and visibility for higher education clients.
• Research Services Market and audience research supporting campaign planning, persona development, and message testing for higher education recruitment.
• Social Media Services Social media strategy, content, and community management across platforms to engage prospective students on behalf of higher-ed clients.
• Web Services Web strategy, design, and development services supporting higher-ed client digital properties and landing experiences.
• Lead Management Center (LMC) Proprietary higher-education-focused CRM that captures, scores, and nurtures prospective student leads generated through the agency's campaigns, sold alongside agency services.
• Media Prefs Proprietary data tool that maps media consumption and receptivity data, enabling more precise audience targeting and media planning for higher-education recruitment campaigns.

Quantifiable outcome

• Minneapolis College reverse 10-year enrollment decline with over 6% enrollment increase
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

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.

• Interact Communications, Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Acquisition of Interact Communications, Inc. by 25th Hour Communications. This acquisition brings together two highly respected agencies with more than three decades of combined service to higher education. Interact, founded and led by Dr. Pamela Cox-Otto, brings the innovative Media Prefs tool providing student media preferences data at national, state, and local levels. This strategic acquisition expands 25th Hour's product portfolio and further positions the company as a leader in higher education marketing.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• EducationDynamics: Higher education marketing company specializing in adult learner and online program enrollment marketing. Comparable target audience (adult learners) and digital advertising capabilities.
• Carnegie Communications: Higher education marketing and communications agency serving colleges and universities with enrollment marketing, branding, and creative services. Direct competitor to 25th Hour in the same vertical with overlapping service modules.
• SimpsonScarborough: Higher education marketing firm focused on branding, research, and enrollment marketing for colleges and universities. Highly comparable client base and services to 25th Hour.
• Stamats: Higher education marketing agency providing research, strategy, creative, and media services to colleges and universities. Direct peer competing for the same community college and university RFPs.
• mStoner: Digital-first agency specializing in higher education websites, content strategy, and digital marketing. Comparable in serving colleges with web, social, and digital advertising services.
• Parker Philips: Higher education marketing agency providing branding, advertising, and enrollment marketing services to community colleges and universities. Direct competitor with overlapping service modules.
• Ologie: Specialized higher education branding, marketing, and creative agency serving colleges and universities. Closely comparable in vertical focus, service mix (branding, advertising, web), and target buyer.

Broad incumbents

• EAB: Large-scale research, technology, and advisory firm serving higher education with enrollment, marketing, and student success solutions. Functions as a broader incumbent with overlapping enrollment-marketing capabilities.
• BVK (Brogan Vucich Khrystyna): Independent marketing and communications agency with a higher education practice serving colleges, universities, and systems. Broader incumbent with overlapping services including branding and digital.

Emerging players

• Niche (formerly Niche.com): College search and data platform serving prospective students with rankings, reviews, and advertising products for higher ed institutions. Comparable higher-ed audience with data-driven marketing products similar to Media Prefs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/25thHourComm
• Facebookfacebook.com/25thHourComm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/25th-hour-comm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 25th Hour Communications