In March 2011, Grayling strengthened its digital and North American capabilities with the acquisition of Atomic PR. Atomic has offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and London and provides Grayling with an enhanced US presence from which to manage global client accounts.

Atomic uses ComContext, a proprietary communications analytics application, to support and manage client programs. ComContext will be rolled out and integrated into Grayling's global network. Grayling has been working with Atomic since 2009 through a joint venture relationship.  The two companies share an understanding of Atomic's proprietary software and have developed a strong cultural fit.

Atomic mixes traditional PR with digital, social media, video and search engine optimisation, enhanced by the use of communications analytics, to achieve significant improvements in the effectiveness of client PR programs.
The company has implemented numerous breakthrough campaigns for progressive technology, consumer and entertainment brands.  These include start-ups such as Bebo, Mint.com and Smule, mid-stage companies such as LinkedIn, Ingres and LivingSocial, as well as leading publicly traded companies and global brands including Verizon, Intuit, NETGEAR, Pioneer Electronics and Polaroid.

In its campaign to introduce the Sony Tablet officially to the U.S. market, Grayling created the #CatchTheTablet campaign - a fun, interactive and highly engaging social media campaign to increase awareness, build anticipation and generate excitement among consumers. The objective was to build buzz and consumer awareness around the new Sony Tablet, get the it into the hands of consumers and engage fans on a personal level and increase interactions by .5%.

The agency worked with Sony Electronics to design and create the #CatchTheTablet social media campaign which combined Facebook, Twitter and gaming elements to give participating fans in important, high engagement markets across the United States the opportunity to win a Tablet and increase brand awareness for Sony. The team built a Facebook tab, which acted as a central hub for campaign efforts.

Grayling's US operations (and indeed elsewhere around our global network) have grown through acquisition, based on best of breed agencies. The company has grown up differently from competitors, and its people come from a wide variety of backgrounds giving a true collective intelligence from which clients can draw. This means it claims not to look at issues and problems in a standard and predictable way. but rather tailor–make solutions and deliver the unexpected, the different and, the effective.

This difference is also reflected in working cultures and ethos, which varies according to market, helping to provide clients with adaptable thinking.

During the last 18 months, Grayling has successfully built a global operating platform. On this foundation it has already started working with a number of new and sizeable global and multi-country clients. As it has increased in scale and enhanced our presence in North America, through the acquisition of Atomic PR in 2011, Grayling is working to ensure full integration with current teams and services across its already broad range of clients and sectors. 

 
The acquisition of Atomic not only adds to Grayling's scale but also brings a unique competitive advantage through use of Atomic's proprietary analysis tool, ComContext technology, and associated methodology. Grayling believes this will help accelerate growth and add unique analytics and additional social media capabilities for the benefit of all clients.