Chantel Cassar (pictured top left) and Lauren Arnold (pictured top right) have left their VP roles at Talk Shop to launch Category Communications, a PR agency specializing in the technology, real estate and retail industries. Services include media relations, thought leadership, social media management, influencer marketing, event planning, and crisis communications.
After spending their careers working for both startups and mid-sized PR agencies, Arnold and Cassar said they saw a need for a boutique agency capable of providing a more tailored, relationship-based approach to PR. “To us that means truly working closely with our clients to provide them with the communication solutions that are driving business impact,” Cassar told The Message.
“The media and communications landscape in 2024 has changed drastically from 10 years ago, and leaders are asking how they can get more out of their storytelling efforts and communications campaigns to attract customers, build trust, and ultimately positively impact the bottom line,” said Arnold in a release.
Category aims to provide the solution through a more personal approach to data-driven storytelling. Its client list at launch includes six "change maker" brands, although Arnold and Cassar declined to identify them ahead of official announcements.
Category is also being supported by an advisory board of seasoned industry leaders, including Lisa Kimmel, co-founder of Lantern Media and former chair and CEO of Edelman Canada and Latin America; Erin Bury, CEO and co-founder of estate planning company Willful; Fatima Zaidi, CEO and founder of Quill; and Sarah Berman, founder and president of The Berman Group.
The founders said that Category represents an opportunity to redefine the relationship between agency and client, as well as the relationship between agency and team. “We’re really passionate about building that next generation of business leaders and not just PR leaders,” explained Cassar.
