The Key PR

Storytelling that connects vision to visibility

465 California Street, #475, San Francisco, California 94104, United States

www.thekeypr.com

The Key PR Overview

Year Founded: 2017

Employees: Under 49

Minimal Budget: $1,000 - $10,000

Average Hourly Rate: $200/hr

The Key is a boutique public relations agency headquartered in San Francisco, built to serve companies at pivotal moments from early-stage startups to venture-backed scale-ups and public companies navigating growth, launches, or reputation shifts.

Our model is deliberate. We operate as a boutique agency with big-agency experience: senior leadership stays hands-on across every account, with no hand-off to junior staff after the sale. The people shaping strategy are the same people executing it faster decisions, deeper institutional knowledge of each client's business, and communications counsel that holds up under pressure.

We bring deep sector fluency to AI, fintech, energy, and health-adjacent industries partnering with a breadth of clients across each sector, from early-stage startups to established platforms. Whether the work involves translating emerging A.I. technology for investors and customers or building trust for a fintech disruptor entering a new market, we ground every narrative in genuine curiosity about the business behind it.

Our capabilities span the full breadth of modern communications work: refining messaging and branding into clear, compelling narratives; sharpening positioning through competitive analysis and market insight; aligning media programs to the right audiences and journalists; coaching spokespeople through top-notch media training; and helping teams shine from creative brand moments through crisis. We build strategic plans that underpin business goals, elevate executive thought leadership, secure validation through awards, and amplify brand through influencer and social campaigns.

The Key's approach is guided by a shared set of internal values Play a Team Sport, Stay Curious, Speak Truth, and Go Beyond that shape how we run every single account, from kickoff through long-term strategy. We believe great PR starts with genuine curiosity and ends with narratives that hold up well in the market after each pitch meeting ends.

The Key PR Portfolio

Public Relations

Capturing and Communicating the Beauty of Community

Social Networks

$20K - $100K

12 Months

2021

Public Relations

The Key Launches NestGen Accelerator

Real Estate

$20K - $100K

12 Months

2024

The Key PR Services

Industries

AI
Fintech
Consumer Goods
Corporate Services
eCommerce
Education
Media & Communications
Entertainment
Hardware & Networking
Energy & Mining

Client Types

Startups
Small Businesses
Medium Businesses
Enterprise / Corporate

Branding Expertise

Brand Messaging
Brand Positioning
Brand Strategy
Employer Branding

Creative Expertise

Creative Copywriting
Editing

PR Expertise

AI Public Relations
B2B PR
Corporate Communications
Crisis Management
Digital PR
Investor Relations
Online Reputation Management

The Key PR Clients

Ensemble Health Partners

Renew Home

Quo

Boldin

Robot.com

MediaAlpha

PayJoy

The Key PR Team Bios

Martha Shaughnessy

Founder

Martha Shaughnessy is Founder & CEO of The Key, a boutique San Francisco PR agency. Drawing on years of experience across corporate and agency communications, she leads a team of curious, driven PR people committed to sharp strategy and real partnership with every client.

Jodi Maroney

Principal

Jodi Maroney is Principal at The Key, bringing 25 years of agency leadership across technology clients from Series A startups to Fortune 100 brands. She's a trusted strategic counselor to C-suite executives, driving growth and senior-level client partnership at The Key.