Cision LTD began trading on the New York Stock Exchange today under the CISN symbol, following the completion of its merger with Capitol Acquisition III, a publicly traded investment vehicle.

The Chicago-based operation, which is focused on incorporating data-driven strategies into the earned media sphere through its Cision Communications Cloud software, is hoping to use the funding raised to support its growth in a variety of areas.

Kevin AkeroydKevin Akeroyd

CEO Kevin Akeroyd told O'Dwyer's that Cision include greater innovation in emerging media, more intensive data measurement, greater integration of the platform’s components and a drive to increase the company’s global reach.

All of this is part of what he calls Cision’s mission of “bringing the strategies that marketers have used for years into the PR world.”

The company says the need for data-driven PR strategies has become greater recently, with earned media and communications execs being pushed to show the same kind of documentation of ROI that advertising and marketing professionals routinely provide.

In addition, it notes, the dwindling effectiveness of paid ads is casting ever more attention toward earned-media platforms.

Akeroyd said Cision's Communications Cloud is transforming the ways that companies communicate with reporters, influencers and consumers by applying data-driven technologies to enable targeted and measurable earned media campaigns.

Cision is trading at $10.50 per-share.