Clarion Capital Partners Completes Investment in Narrative Strategies
New York, NY – February 15, 2024 – Clarion Capital Partners, LLC (“Clarion”) has completed a strategic investment in Narrative Strategies, LLC (“Narrative”) – an integrated public affairs and corporate reputation agency. The new partnership will facilitate Narrative’s M&A opportunities and expand its geographic reach. Narrative’s executive partners will maintain a significant ownership stake in the company and continue leading operations, with founding partner Ken Spain serving as CEO.
Clarion has a long and successful history of investing in the media, entertainment, and technology space. With Clarion’s deep industry knowledge and focus on creating long-term partnerships, Narrative will diversify its offerings, enhance existing capabilities, and expand into new markets.
“The Narrative team and the business they have established fully aligns with our investment approach, market interests, and the value we place on collaboration, creativity, and discipline,” said David Ragins, a managing director at Clarion. “Narrative’s best-in-class team and exceptional growth trajectory – especially in the financial services, healthcare and life sciences sectors – attracted us to the business. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Narrative and bring additional resources to fully own the strategic communications process for their clients, from inception to execution.”
Founded in 2019 by a team of former corporate communications professionals, journalists, political operatives, and PR agency leaders, the firm is now home to more than 65 practitioners working on behalf of Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, nonprofits, and law firms. Narrative’s founding partners include Patrick O’Connor, Ed Mullen, Ken Spain, and Katie Mitchell, with Rosemarie Calabro Tully and Andrew Fimka named partners in 2023. A full-service agency, Narrative’s services include strategic communications, media relations, content development, creative design, video production, digital marketing, coalition management, and research and analysis.
“In today’s complex media and political environment, a company’s ability to maintain its license to operate requires a more sophisticated approach than it did even two years ago,” said Ken Spain, founding partner of Narrative Strategies. “As businesses face increased challenges to their reputations, the existing public relations firm model simply isn’t built to navigate competing interests and audiences. Before, companies had the luxury of worrying primarily about a single audience – customers. Today, they must balance the interests of politicians, regulators, activists, employees, and investors. This partnership with Clarion will accelerate our ability to navigate this new terrain successfully with additional capabilities, talent, and geographies.”
Narrative Strategies was represented by BrightTower, a New York City-headquartered investment banking and M&A advisory services firm, which served as the exclusive financial advisor to Narrative Strategies in this transaction. Williams & Connolly LLP represented Narrative Strategies on all legal matters. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP represented Clarion.
About Narrative Strategies, LLC
Narrative is a full-service strategic communications firm creatively solving today’s most demanding reputational and public affairs challenges at the convergence of business, media, and politics. Narrative is a premier partner for the world’s most influential brands by building upon our deep experience synthesizing complex issues and executing public affairs, media and public relations, crisis response, and other mission-critical initiatives. Our expertise spans industries and issue sets, including biopharmaceuticals, consumer products, energy, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, tax, trade, technology, and more. We are powered by an award-winning team of senior strategists, detail-oriented practitioners, and imaginative creators who provide premium-level counsel and integrated service offerings that shape the ever-evolving communications landscape. To learn more, visit www.narrativedc.com.
About Clarion Capital Partners, LLC
Founded in 1999, Clarion is a New York based investment manager operating two primary business segments: Private Equity (launched in 2000) and Structured Credit (launched in 2018). Clarion’s private equity business seeks to make primarily control investments in a diversified portfolio of lower middle-market companies generating $7.5-30.0 million of EBITDA. Clarion focuses on growth companies in industries such as Media, Entertainment and Technology, Business and Healthcare Services, Financial Services and Consumer. Additional information on Clarion can be found at www.clarion-capital.com.
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