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A Proud TRADITION… And A New Beginning

A Partnership announcement

After almost 40 years, Serafin & Associates is embarking on a new venture. We are partnering with Mercury Public Affairs, a leading national strategy firm with a bipartisan network of talented partners and team members. This partnership provides strategic reach and resources throughout North America, giving us an opportunity to enhance our capabilities in the Midwest and scale our reach nationally for Serafin’s clients.

 Our merger with Mercury is an exciting new chapter for me in what feels like a magic carpet ride from a tough blue-collar neighborhood in Milwaukee to reporting from Springfield, managing high profile political campaigns and a radio network to building a bipartisan public affairs firm that assisted top Illinois business leaders, non-profit and labor unions. 

 I am humbled by the trust of so many friends and partners who counted on us to make “the Serafin difference” for their communications needs.

 We have been and always will be guided by a straightforward approach: Putting our clients' needs first, treating adversaries with respect, working across the political spectrum, valuing integrity, never trading an old friend for a new one, and knowing everything you talk about, but not talking about everything you know. 

 I am excited to build on that legacy with former Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, a Partner at Mercury whom I've known for years. Both of us learned valuable lessons from her father Gene Callahan, Springfield's legendary political strategist, top counsel to U.S. Senators Paul Simon and Alan Dixon and adviser to Major League Baseball.

I will close with a note from Cheri: "Mercury-Illinois is fast becoming the premier public affairs firm in the Midwest, and joining with Serafin & Associates will accelerate that. Our clients require strategic communications counsel and execution, and Serafin has been a leader in this space. Mercury-Illinois will be full service in every sense in the public affairs world.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Peace,

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Communications for
a world of change.
1987

2024

Nothing is out of reach, when you have the right team!

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What's your story?

Let's Tell It

You’re here for a reason — and it’s not because you typed “Chicago public relations firms” into your browser. You have a story to tell. A project to launch. A media issue to address. A crisis to face. At Serafin, every engagement starts by listening to our client’s needs and goals. Then we craft unique communications strategies to ensure your audience hears just what you have to say — nothing more, and nothing less.

Communications for
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Nothing is out of reach, when you have the right team!

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1987

2024
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Nothing is out of reach, when you have the right team!

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1987

2024
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a world of change.
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The fast-evolving world of public affairs, public relations and crisis communications in Chicago and beyond demands an agile partner. Serafin works 24/7 to help our clients in the private, public and nonprofit sectors demonstrate value to their customers, their stakeholders and the public with clarity and authenticity. Whether it is City Hall, the state Capitol, the C-suite, a community hearing or a digital conference call, we’re at your side wherever you need us. Because no matter how complicated the world gets, we know that human relations are at the heart of every communications need. Connecting people has never been more important, and we do it with vision, passion, tenacity and integrity. That’s the Serafin Difference.

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Strategy Meets Tactics.

We are a full-service firm specializing in integrated communications management that extends each client’s reach to key audiences and stakeholders, enhances and protects their brands and creates new opportunities to fulfill their missions. Our expertise includes:

Message & Media

The who, what, where, when and why of establishing your story.
Communicate Effectively

Image & Reputation

Controlling the narrative in good times and bad, managing the unexpected, positioning individuals and brands for success.
Prepare Purposefully

Engagement & Advocacy

Growing solid relationships, creating events that resonate, reinforcing your perspective in the public affairs environment.
Engage Meaningfully
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The Serafin Power Poll: Valuable Insights For Tumultuous Times

Launched in 2020, the Serafin Power Poll is an interactive polling platform that surveys business, civic, media and political insiders to produce valuable insight into what some of the Chicago region's most influential citizens think about pressing civic issues.

While it's not a scientific poll, it is a fascinating, non-partisan and strictly anonymous glimpse into the attitudes and opinions of those individuals who essentially run the city.

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OUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY GATHERING

The Serafin Party is a toast to our friends, new and old, a celebration of the holiday spirit and an expression of thanks for the gift of togetherness. And for three decades we’ve celebrated that togetherness in the cozy corners of Butch McGuire’s, elbow to elbow and cheek to cheek.

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