What Jacobson Strategic Communications does

Jacobson Strategic Communications is a privately held, full-service strategic communications agency founded in 2010 by Sue Jacobson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The firm delivers media relations, digital and social strategy, thought leadership positioning, crisis management, positioning and messaging, and community outreach to major corporations, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies. Its core differentiator is a boutique staffing model that places three to four senior-level professionals on every account, drawing talent from diverse disciplines rather than relying on a traditional junior-heavy agency pyramid. Named clients span the Philadelphia Eagles, Comcast, PwC, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Jefferson Health, the University of Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Orchestra & Kimmel Center, SEPTA, and PennDOT, among others.

The firm operates from four physical offices (Philadelphia headquarters, West Palm Beach, Harrisburg, and Boston) and generates revenue through custom, engagement-based professional services contracts, often structured as multi-year retainers. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. No external institutional funding, M&A activity, or productized technology offering is present; the company is wholly founder-controlled and bootstrapped. Underlying technology is limited to standard agency productivity tooling plus third-party AI assistants, with no disclosed proprietary AI product, API, or data asset.

Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with senior-led direct outreach, supplemented by CEO-driven thought leadership through Forbes contributor content, SXSW and PRSA panels, the in-house "Empowerment Project" interview series, and accumulated industry awards (three consecutive Inc. 5000 appearances, 2024 Paradigm Award, Gold Stevie, Brava Award). Customer concentration is moderate, anchored by long-tenured enterprise relationships across at least eight distinct industries. The firm also benefits from affiliated brand activity through CEO Sue Jacobson's parallel leadership of the Praxtera AI Institute, an AI education venture, though that entity is distinct from the agency.

Name

Jacobson Strategic Communications

Legal name

Jacobson Strategic Communications

Website

https://jacobsonstrategic.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Jacobson Strategic Communications is a Philadelphia-based, founder-owned boutique strategic communications agency founded in 2010, serving major corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies with senior-led media relations, crisis management, and thought leadership services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Relations / Strategic Communications

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (541820), Public Relations Agencies (54182), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate & Financial Communications (BPAFADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

PR, Corporate Communications & Crisis Management (BPAFAAAL), Corporate & Financial Communications PR (MPAAADAA)

Keywords

• Strategic communications services
• Public relations consulting
• Crisis communications management
• Media relations agency
• Thought leadership positioning

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Strategic Communications Consulting: Full-service communications agency providing media relations, digital development, thought leadership, positioning/messaging, crisis management, and community outreach services to corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Jacobson Strategic Communications is a full-service strategic communications agency providing media relations, digital development and strategy, thought leadership positioning, positioning and messaging, crisis management, and community outreach and issue advocacy services. The firm serves major corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies across healthcare, transportation, higher education, finance, sports, and entertainment, deploying three-to-four senior-level professionals on every client account.

Product overview

Jacobson Strategic Communications is a full-service strategic communications agency rather than a product-based company. The firm offers a comprehensive suite of communications services including Media Relations, Digital Development & Strategy, Thought Leadership, Positioning and Messaging, Crisis Management, and Community Outreach & Issue Advocacy. The agency differentiates itself through its unique organizational model that emphasizes senior-level talent on every account, collaborative team structures, and a balance of professional freedom and accountability. The firm also produces "The Empowerment Project," an interview series hosted by CEO Sue Jacobson that spotlights influential leaders. Services are delivered as a unified offering drawing on diverse expertise rather than as modular or standalone products with separate pricing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Empowerment Project: A Jacobson Strategic interview series hosted by CEO Sue Jacobson, spotlighting influential leaders and their stories of empowerment, resilience, and growth through thoughtful conversation and strategic social storytelling.

Products and services

• Media Relations Proactive and reactive media relations service that secures earned media coverage in local, national, and international outlets for enterprise clients, nonprofits, and government agencies.
• Crisis Management Crisis preparedness, response, and mitigation service that helps organizations navigate reputational threats and high-stakes communications challenges.
• Thought Leadership Strategic service that positions executives and organizations as authoritative voices through contributed articles (including Forbes), conference panels (SXSW, PRSA), and podcast engagements.
• Digital Development & Strategy Digital and social media strategy service that develops online presence and engagement plans for client audiences using established platforms and AI-enabled tools.
• Positioning and Messaging Strategic service that develops organizational positioning and core messaging frameworks to align communications with business objectives.
• Community Outreach & Issue Advocacy Service that designs and executes community outreach programs and issue advocacy campaigns for nonprofits, government agencies, and corporations engaged in public-affairs initiatives.
• The Empowerment Project Interview series sub-brand hosted by CEO Sue Jacobson that spotlights influential leaders and their stories of empowerment, resilience, and growth through strategic social storytelling.

Quantifiable outcome

• Three consecutive appearances on Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Gregory FCA: Philadelphia-area strategic communications and public relations agency of comparable size serving enterprise, financial services, and technology clients. Most direct geographic and size comparable to Jacobson Strategic.
• Tier One Partners: Mid-sized strategic communications and PR agency competing for similar enterprise accounts with a senior-talent-led model. Closely comparable in service mix and target buyer profile.
• PAN Communications: Mid-market B2B tech and healthcare-focused PR agency of similar headcount, competing for overlapping enterprise communications mandates with integrated media-relations and digital offerings.
• Inkhouse: Mid-sized strategic communications agency serving technology, healthcare, and consumer brands. Comparable in size, integrated communications model, and senior-led account staffing.
• 5W Public Relations: Mid-sized full-service PR agency offering media relations, crisis communications, and digital strategy to enterprise consumer and B2B clients. Directly comparable service portfolio and account size.
• Brownstein Group: Philadelphia-based integrated marketing and PR agency of similar scale, serving enterprise and consumer brands in the same Northeast market with comparable communications offerings.
• M Booth: Mid-sized creative communications and PR agency with similar senior-talent positioning and consumer/enterprise brand client mix. Comparable in scale and service breadth.
• RF|Binder: Independent strategic communications firm of similar size offering media relations, public affairs, and crisis communications to enterprise and nonprofit clients. Closely comparable business model.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman: World's largest independent PR firm with global reach and full-service communications. Overlaps with Jacobson across all service lines and enterprise clients but operates at vastly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Weber Shandwick: Top-tier global public relations firm competing for the same Fortune 500 and major-institution communications mandates. Provides the scale benchmark against which mid-sized agencies like Jacobson are measured.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/jacobsonstrategiccomms
• Xx.com/susan_jacobson

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Jacobson Strategic Communications