HelloSociety Acquired by The New York Times Company from Science Inc.

The New York Times Company and Science Inc. announce today that the Times Company has acquired HelloSociety, a digital marketing agency and portfolio company of Science Inc., which builds and funds disruptive mobile, media and marketplace companies. The acquisition was an all-cash transaction that closed on March 11, 2016.

Launched in 2012, HelloSociety leverages a vast network of social media influencers across Instagram, Pinterest, Vine, YouTube and popular blogs, among other social channels, to drive engagement for branded content campaigns. The acquisition will integrate HelloSociety’s tools, talent and approach into the service suite of T Brand Studio, the Times Company’s content agency.

Mark Thompson, president and chief executive officer, The New York Times Company, said, “T Brand Studio has become the industry leader in creating digital ad innovation and branded content, and it has been a great success story for the Times Company, doubling revenues in 2015 from the year prior. We now want to accelerate its development and broaden the range of creative and marketing services that we offer clients from content ideation and creation to distribution. The reach and results-driven tactics of HelloSociety are the ideal complements to our strategic vision for the future of T Brand Studio.”

“We believe the best digital advertising will increasingly take the shape of high-quality visual programming, and we are building out T Brand Studio’s services and capabilities to deliver on that promise. We expect HelloSociety will help contribute to our future success,” said Meredith Kopit Levien, executive vice president and chief revenue officer, The New York Times Company.

“We are thrilled to be joining The New York Times and to add to T Brand Studio’s creative, distribution and social media capabilities,” said Kyla Brennan, chief executive officer, HelloSociety. “We’ve spent the last four years building relationships with thousands of top influencers across Pinterest, Instagram, Vine, YouTube and emerging social platforms, and our technology will make it easier for The New York Times’s advertisers to create customized campaigns and content to resonate across any social channel.”

“When Science envisioned creating a premium content creation agency for social media, we set out to build something that married the scalability of a technology platform with the service and skill of an agency. We’ve been thrilled with the reach HelloSociety has gained across the top social media platforms under Kyla’s leadership, and couldn’t imagine a better home for their future endeavors than The New York Times,” said Michael Jones, founder and chief executive officer, Science Inc.

Some of the statements included in this press release, including those with respect to the integration of this business and strategic goals, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those predicted by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include risks detailed from time to time in The New York Times Company’s publicly filed documents, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2015. The New York Times Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About The New York Times Company

The New York Times Company (NYSE:NYT) is a global media organization dedicated to enhancing society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news and information. The company includes The New York Times, International New York Times, NYTimes.com, INYT.com and related properties. It is known globally for excellence in its journalism, and innovation in its print and digital storytelling and its business model. Follow news about the company at @NYTimesComm.

About Science Inc.

Science Inc. builds, buys and invests in disruptive media and ecommerce companies. Science uses its centralized technology and marketing platform, along with its operational leadership to create category-leading digital companies. Science systematically scales Internet brands and media companies into market leaders through a proven process. Since 2012, Science has backed more than 18 startups, and internally built more than ten companies across commerce, marketplaces, media, and mobile sectors. For more information, visit www.Science-Inc.com or follow us @ScienceInc.

About HelloSociety

HelloSociety is a full-service Influencer marketing and technology firm that helps brands optimize their efforts through strategic partnerships with influential users across multiple social platforms like Pinterest, Instagram, Vine and YouTube. Services include robust analytics, content creation, creative consulting, and more. Since its inception in 2012, HelloSociety has executed more than 1,000 campaigns for hundreds of brands. For additional information, please visit http://www.hellosociety.com.

This release can be downloaded from NYTCo.com.

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