Hearst Newspapers announces strategic investment in The Martin Group

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Hearst Newspapers has announced a strategic investment in The Martin Group, an award-winning integrated marketing communications agency with offices in Albany, Buffalo and Rochester, New York. The announcement was made by Hearst Newspapers President Jeff Johnson and Times Union President and Publisher George R. Hearst III. Terms were not disclosed.

Founded in 2001, The Martin Group provides research, strategy, analytics, creative services, public relations, digital marketing, paid media and advertising and social media solutions to help brands effectively differentiate and tell their unique stories. While the investment formalizes The Martin Group’s partnership with the Times Union (Albany, New York), the entities first aligned in 2018, when the agency co-located its Capital Region offices within the Times Union headquarters.

Commenting on the announcement, Hearst said: “The investment in The Martin Group enhances our ability to offer customized marketing solutions and strategies that deliver measurable performance for our clients across several key service verticals, including sports, healthcare, food and beverage, financial services, education and nonprofits.”

“In the last five years The Martin Group has doubled in size and revenue by staying focused on our core values and agency culture while providing the highest level of service to our clients,” Tod D. Martin, chairman and CEO of The Martin Group, said. “We look forward to further integration with the Times Union and to providing best-in-class services to the Capital Region’s expanding base of businesses and beyond.”

The Times Union is widely respected for its focus on local news and watchdog reporting, particularly on state government and politics. It has won numerous state and national awards for its work on both print and digital platforms and has repeatedly been named New York’s Newspaper of Distinction by the state editors association. The Times Union also created Women@Work, the area’s fastest-growing network of businesswomen; it publishes several weekly papers and hosts numerous community events at its affiliated Hearst Media Center, as well as major regional events, including the Times Union Home Expo.

Hearst Newspapers is the operating group responsible for Hearst’s newspapers, local digital marketing services businesses and directories. With more than 3,000 employees across the nation, Hearst Newspapers publishes 24 dailies and 52 weeklies, including the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. It also operates digital marketing services and directories businesses under the LocalEdge brand.

The Martin Group, Hearst