STOCKHOLM — Cision has named its US CEO Peter Granat global head of the company as it expands to provide content marketing and analytics services.

Since 2008, Granat has led the divesting of Cision’s print monitoring business and taken a “digital first” focus. Carrying on with this approach, Granat says the company plans to unveil new products related to content sharing, content creation and analytics this year. This includes tools that allow brands to share multimedia content across news and social channels.

“We also want brands to be able to share content that is less about their brand and more about the issues that are topical for their industry,” Granat told the Holmes Report. “But we need to ensure copyrights are being cleared, so we’re putting in place a new licensing model that makes this easier.”

The PR software company is also building a new analytics platform that tracks traditional PR metrics, like circulation and reach, within the social sphere. For instance, tracking how content travels once it has been posted on a website, Granat says.

While this move could open new opportunities for Cision within marketing departments, Granat says the company will continue to focus on its core customer segment and help “PR get a bigger piece of the marketing budget.”

Cision is best known for its media database that has recently expanded to include lists that track the most influential media in 40 industries.

Overall, the marketing tech space has become increasingly crowded as traditional competitors, such as  Vocus or Meltwater continue expanding; point solutions like Traackr or Klout emerge; and big companies, including Salesforce and Oracle, move into the arena. Granat says Cision will continue to evaluate the landscape to make decisions whether to build, acquire or partner to expand its capabilities.

Cision’s subscription services make up 64 percent of its revenues and will continue to be a key focus, says Granat. Last year, subscription revenue grew by seven percent, driven in part, by customer growth on CisionPoint, the company's integrated PR solution.

Hans Gieskes, who had been with the company since 2008, stepped down from the global CEO role this month.