March Communications, tech PR specialist in Boston, has launched its consumer innovation group that will be focused on delivering consumer-centric strategy to brands.

Jodie Petrie has been named executive VP to lead the new offering.  Petrie was most recently at Cone Communications, where she developed and led their planning and insights group.  Prior to that, she led the digital consumer practice at Racepoint Global.

The core of the new group is to better understand the audience most likely to buy what the client is selling and get them to buy, click, download or share.  The idea is to tell a story that the customer not only believes, but reflects who they are and how they live their lives, according to a video March posted on YouTube.

“We have always been deeply entrenched in technology, with a rich history working with B2B companies ranging from innovative startups to established global enterprises,” said Martin Jones, CEO at March Communications. “The Consumer Innovation Group will act as a shop within a shop, allowing us to pair our technical acumen with an insights and audience-driven approach to PR campaigns for consumer brands.”

March, founded in 2005, is headquartered in Boston, with offices in Chicago and San Francisco.