Overview
Marathon Strategies is a communications firm founded by political veteran Phil Singer with offices in New York and Washington, DC. Our services include overall strategic communications services, rapid response and crisis management, media campaign direction, political communications strategies, competitive research, and online brand protection. Our strategies have helped clients advance corporate goals in New York and the Beltway, navigate public relations crises, develop earned media plans for political and public relations campaigns, and achieve a variety of other complex objectives that benefit from our particular experience and judgment.
Marathon has devised strategies for a number of global brands, including Walmart, DIRECTV, IBM, The College Board, and the Motion Picture Association of America. Singer and Marathon have served nationally recognized public officials, including Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senator Charles Schumer, Senator John Kerry and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as well as private individuals of means and advocacy organizations such as Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Phil Singer
With fifteen years of experience working for some of the most demanding campaigns and active political figures of the past two decades, Phil Singer is a veteran political strategist and public relations expert. Phil served as a senior adviser and consultant to Andrew Cuomo's winning 2010 campaign for Governor, and he worked for Senator Chuck Schumer in a variety of capacities from 2000 to 2006, counseling Schumer on all media-related matters. Phil was part of the team that orchestrated the 2006 Democratic takeover of the Senate, serving as the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee's communications director under Schumer during the historic campaign cycle. He was also a top official for Secretary Hillary Clinton's presidential bid, running the war room from within the senior group that directed her campaign. In 2004 during the previous presidential election cycle Phil was the Kerry-Edwards Campaign's national spokesperson. Phil has also worked for Congressman Steve Rothman and former Senator Robert G. Torricelli. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago.
Peter Ajemian
Peter Ajemian specializes in generating original content for client media strategies such as op-eds and speeches, and helps oversee Marathon’s research operations, compiling in-depth intelligence on political candidates, corporations, and advocacy organizations. Additionally, he plays an active role in Marathon’s media outreach, responding to reporter inquiries on behalf of clients as well as pitching stories and placing op-eds in national and regional newspapers. Peter has experience tracking, analyzing, and responding to the actions of various opponents, most recently as a member of the research and rapid-response team for Andrew Cuomo's 2010 gubernatorial campaign. He is a graduate of Boston University and The New School in New York.
Kyle Sklerov
Kyle Sklerov specializes in securing media coverage for clients and managing complex communications crises. Prior to joining Marathon Strategies, Kyle was an Assistant Vice President at the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC), where he devised and implemented media strategies for major citywide initiatives, including the revitalization of Coney Island, the redevelopment of Seward Park, the highly successful East River Ferry and the City's critically important industrial sector. Kyle also worked for New York State Senator Liz Krueger as her Director of Communications, helping her advance a good government legislative agenda and working on campaigns that resulted in the first Democratic majority in the State Senate in over four decades. Kyle was also an organizer for NYPIRG where he advocated for improving transportation and environmental protection. He is a graduate of New York University.
Eric Schroeck
Eric Schroeck has experience in political and policy research, writing, and messaging. Most recently, he served as a research editor at Media Matters for America, a progressive D.C.-based media watchdog, where he specialized in rapid response research and messaging. Previously, he worked as an editor for The News Leader in Staunton, Va., and The Saratogian in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Eric is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University.
Helen Zhang
Helen Zhang is a writer, editor and media enthusiast. A graduate of New York University, she studied journalism, politics and urban studies. Well versed in content strategy and social media, Helen has worked at organizations such as Federated Media and ABC News. Her blogging has also appeared in The New York Times Digital and Serious Eats: New York.
Dylan Anderson
Dylan Anderson has experience in opposition research, Internet advocacy, and targeted messaging. Most recently, Dylan worked as a member of the United Farm Workers Internet Communications Team, where he managed research and constituent outreach. With two successful campaigns under his belt, Dylan served as Deputy Research Director on Andrew Cuomo's winning 2010 gubernatorial campaign and as a Research Associate on Michael Bloomberg's 2009 mayoral campaign. He is a graduate of New York University.
Simon Vance
Simon Vance has experience working in political communications and data, with an eye for both qualitative and quantitative solutions. During the 2012 presidential election, Simon worked as a Deputy Data Director for Obama for America in Ohio, where he helped manage and execute an advanced voter targeting program. Previously, Simon interned in the offices of Senator Charles Schumer and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. He is a graduate of Boston University.
Strategic Alliance: Singer Bonjean
For certain engagements, the firm enjoys a strategic partnership with Ron Bonjean, a former top aide to Trent Lott, Dennis Hastert, and Jon Kyl. Together, Singer and Bonjean have represented the NFL Players’ Association, South Korea, the Export-Import Bank, the American Maritime Partnership, SmarterSafer.org and others.
Strategic Alliance: Terakeet
Marathon works with Terakeet, a technology firm based out of Syracuse, to provide soup-to-nuts e-strategy services that include managing online reputations as well as maximizing visibility on the Internet. They have worked together to rehabilitate online profiles for public figures and to disseminate information across the web in an effort to promote the messages of corporate and political campaigns.