Public relations firms

Public relations firms work for a wide range of clients - corporations, trade associations, governments and even some non-profit advocacy groups.

Some PR campaigns could genuinely be characterised as being in the broad public interest, such as campaigns against smoking or crisis communications aimed at minimising the impact of natural disasters.

However, as PR skills don't come cheap PR firms gravitate towards those with the deepest pockets which are generally corporations.

Some PR campaigns are designed to boost the public profile and sales of products. The most controversial however, are those aimed at shaping public opinion to defeat or delay government regulatory moves designed to protect the environment or public health and safety.

While corporations fuelled the growth of the industry in more recent times governments and political parties have come to rely on PR companies to sell controversial policies and win election campaigns.

While not all PR campaigns are manipulative and deceptive, many of the world's largest PR firms have been involved in disinformation campaigns.

Most public relations companies have staff or teams of people that specialise in particular skill areas - commonly referred to as practice areas - or groups that support a particular industry sector.

For a list of public relations professionals, see public relations professionals.

List of PR firms

 * McKinley Reserve Media Group ]
 * L.E.R. Public Relations (LER PR) ]
 * 3Point Communications
 * 5W Public Relations
 * 919 Marketing
 * a.s.a.p.r.,inc.
 * AbelowPR
 * Academic Network LLC
 * Access Communications Group
 * Adam Kluger Public Relations ]
 * Adam Smith International
 * Advocacy Ink
 * After50 Marketing
 * Ailes Communications
 * Airfoil PR
 * Aker Partners
 * Allyn & Company
 * Alston & Bird LLP
 * Alpaytac Marketing Communications/Public Relations
 * Aman & Associates
 * Anderson Kisner Fallon Public Relations
 * APCO Worldwide
 * Ardent Communications
 * Aristo iletisim
 * Ashton Partners
 * ASI Communications
 * AXIA
 * Bacisin/Tkac
 * Bader-Rutter
 * B&C Associates
 * Barbour Griffith & Rogers
 * Belsito & Company
 * Benador Associates
 * Bell Pottinger Public Affairs
 * Bender/Helper Impact, Inc.
 * Berman & Co.
 * Bernardo Public Relations
 * Biz360
 * Bitesize PR
 * BlabberMouth PR
 * Bliss, Gouverneur & Associates, Inc.
 * Bolt Public Relations www.boltpr.com
 * Brandman Agency
 * Breakaway Communications
 * Brown Lloyd James
 * Brucato & Halliday
 * Burson-Marsteller
 * Butera Andrews
 * Campaign Parnters
 * Capstrat
 * CARMA International
 * Cassidy & Associates
 * Catalina Marketing Corporation
 * CauseCommunications
 * CBR Public Relations
 * Cerrell Associates, Inc.
 * Chandler Chicco Agency
 * Chrome Consulting
 * Circulation Expertí­
 * Citigate Dewe Rogerson
 * CLS
 * ClarkeGoward
 * Clark & Weinstock
 * Colle & McVoy
 * Cone
 * Connors Communications
 * Consolidated Communications
 * Cooney/Waters Group
 * Corporate Communications
 * Corallo Media Strategies
 * CorpComm
 * Countrywide Porter Novelli
 * Coyne Public Relations
 * CraigGroup Inc.
 * Creative Response Concepts
 * Cubitt Consulting
 * Curve Communications www.curvecomunications.com
 * D.C. Navigators
 * Dave Barrows & Associates
 * David & Garcia PR
 * Davies
 * DCI Group
 * Decision Management
 * Development Counsellors International
 * Dezenhall Resources
 * Diermeier Consulting
 * Dittus Communications
 * Direct Impact
 * Dolphin Group
 * eNR Services
 * ePublic Relations
 * Eamon Bates Europe
 * E. Bruce Harrison Company
 * Echo Media Group
 * Ecos Corporation
 * Edelman
 * Edward Howard
 * Elevator Communications
 * EMSI Public Relations
 * Environmental Relations
 * EQ Management
 * Equals Three Communications
 * Euro RSCG
 * Faraone Communications
 * Fenn Communications
 * Fenton Communications
 * Firedog Public Relations & Marketing
 * Fishburn Hedges
 * Fleishman-Hillard
 * Forde and Mollrich
 * French West Vaughan
 * Freud Communications
 * Frontline Corporate Communications
 * Futureye
 * Garlic PR Russia
 * Gavin Anderson & Company
 * GCI
 * GC Strategic Advocacy
 * Gehrung Associates
 * Gibbs & Soell
 * Glover Park Group
 * GMMB
 * Goldstein Communications Ltd.
 * GolinHarris
 * Gordon C. James Public Relations
 * Gordon Reyes and Company
 * GPlus Europe
 * Graham Williams Group
 * Gray and Company
 * Grassroots Enterprise, Inc.
 * Greenberg Public Relations
 * GreenTree Communications
 * Hall Strategies
 * Hardiman Consulting
 * Harrison Consulting
 * Hawker Britton
 * HealthSTAR Public Relations
 * Hill & Knowlton
 * Hispania Public Relations
 * Hoffman Agency
 * Home Front Communications
 * Hope-Beckham, Inc.
 * Horn Group
 * Hunter Public Relations
 * Icon Communications
 * Impact PR (Fleur Revell)
 * Imre Communications
 * Integrated Corporate Relations
 * International Trade and Development Agency
 * Iraq Policy Information Project (IPIP)
 * Issue Dynamics
 * Jackson Spalding
 * Jackson Wells Morris
 * James S. Denton Consulting
 * James Savarese and Associates
 * Jasculca/Terman and Associates
 * Jefferson Government Relations
 * Jefferson Waterman International
 * Jericho Communications
 * Jeschenko MedienAgentur Köln GmbH
 * JohnstonWells
 * Kamber Group
 * Kaplow
 * KCSA Worldwide
 * Dan Klores Communications
 * Kekst and Company
 * KDM & Associates
 * Kestrel Communications Ltd
 * Ketchum
 * Kick Ass Public Relations
 * LawMedia Group
 * LCO
 * Lee Andrews Group
 * Levick Strategic Communications
 * LEWIS
 * Lincoln Group
 * Lindahl Political Consultants
 * Linden Alschuler & Kaplan
 * Lippert/Heilshorn & Associates
 * LOGOS Consulting Group
 * Lopez Negrete Communications
 * Lou Hammond & Associates
 * Luther Pendragon
 * M Booth & Associates
 * M+R Strategic Services
 * MacWilliams, Robinson & Partner
 * Makovsky & Company
 * ManattJones
 * Manning Selvage & Lee
 * Mariposa Communications
 * Marx&Trotsky
 * Marx Layne & Company
 * Matthews Media Group
 * McCahill Communications
 * McCarthy Marcus Hennings
 * McEwan Purvis
 * McNeely Pigott & Fox
 * McRae Agency
 * MCM Research
 * Media Manoeuvres
 * Medialink Worldwide
 * Mercury Group
 * Merritt Group
 * MGP & Associates PR
 * Michels Warren
 * Mike Vasilinda Productions
 * Mintwood Media Collective
 * Mmd
 * Mongoven, Biscoe & Duchin
 * Mosaic Reputation Management
 * Moss Creative
 * MWW Group
 * National Public Relations
 * NettResults
 * NEWSTAGE media, Inc.
 * Newsvend
 * NMC Partners
 * North American Network, Inc.
 * NovoMedia
 * NYPR
 * OneWorld Communications
 * Padilla Speer Beardsley
 * Pac/West Communications
 * Pagan Communications
 * Pagan International
 * Paul Marotta Communications
 * Penman PR
 * Peppercom
 * Percepture
 * Perfect Pitch Public Relations
 * PilmerPR
 * Pirozzolo Company Public Relations
 * Placebrands
 * Policy Communications
 * Policy Directions
 * Polina Fashion LLC
 * Porter Novelli International
 * Potomac Communications Group
 * Pozitiv Communications
 * Promedia Public Relations
 * Pro-Media Communications
 * Public Communications Inc.
 * Public Relations Depot
 * Public Strategies, Inc.
 * Publicity Agency
 * Puklich Public Relations
 * Purple Communications
 * Qorvis Communications
 * Raffetto Herman Strategic Communications
 * Rasky Baerlein Strategic Communications
 * Read-Poland Associates
 * Reason, Inc.
 * Regan Communications Group
 * Rendon Group
 * Reputation Measurement
 * RF Binder Partners
 * Ripple Strategies
 * Riptide Communications, Inc.
 * Risdall McKinney Public Relations
 * Roberts Buchanan Associates
 * Rock Creek Creative
 * Rogers Group
 * Rose & Allyn Public Relations
 * RLT Consulting Group, LLC
 * Rubenstein Associates, Inc.
 * Ruder Finn
 * Russo Marsh & Rogers
 * Saatchi & Saatchi S
 * Schubert Communications, Inc.
 * Schwartz Communications
 * Shazaaam Marketing Public Relations Specialist
 * SheaHedges Group
 * Singer Associates
 * Sloane & Company
 * Smith & Harroff
 * Smithfield Financial
 * Solem & Associates
 * SML Strategic Media
 * Spaeth Communications
 * Sparkpr
 * Spector & Associates
 * Spectrum Science Communications
 * SSPR
 * Stanton Crenshaw Communications
 * State Affairs Company
 * Sterling International Consulting Corporation
 * Stoorza, Ziegaus, Metzger & Hunt
 * Stratacomm
 * Strategic Communication Laboratories
 * Strauss Radio Strategies, Inc.
 * Sugerman Communications Group
 * Summit Communications
 * Susan Davis International
 * Tasmin Harris Public Relations
 * Taylor
 * Tele-Press Associates
 * Text 100
 * The Biegel Group
 * The Bivings Group
 * The Dittus Group
 * The Lewis Group
 * The Livingston Group
 * The Lukaszewski Group
 * The Maitland Consultancy
 * The Moriah Group
 * The NewsMarket
 * The PBN Company
 * The Pollack PR Marketing Group
 * The Reputation Group
 * The Showalter Group
 * The Spa Way
 * TheWadeGroup
 * Tonic Life Communications
 * Trillium Corporate Communications
 * TRUST Collective
 * Two Up Front
 * Van Kloberg & Associates
 * Vollmer
 * Waggener Edstrom
 * Washington Network Group
 * Weber Shandwick
 * Westin Rinehart
 * White House Writers Group
 * Widmeyer Communications
 * Wilson-Miller Communications
 * Wilson Research Strategies
 * Wood Communications
 * World Monitors Inc.
 * Xenophon Strategies
 * Zeno Group

In 2001, the largest PR firms by revenue were:


 * Weber Shandwick Worldwide $426,572,018
 * Fleishman-Hillard Inc. $345,098,241
 * Hill and Knowlton, Inc. $325,119,000
 * Incepta (Citigate) $266,018,371
 * Burson-Marsteller $259,112,000
 * Edelman Public Relations Worldwide $223,708,535
 * Ketchum, Inc. $185,221,000
 * Porter Novelli $179,294,000
 * GCI Group/APCO Worldwide $151,081,645
 * Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide $145,949,285

Most of the largest PR companies are owned by international conglomerates, in particular, the WPP Group, Omnicom, and the Interpublic Group. [link titlelink title]

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Corporate social responsibility
 * Public relations firms/Australia
 * The PR industry in Asia
 * Consulting companies

Resources

 * http://www.prhistorywiki.org/ prhistorywiki.org "a clearinghouse for history sources by and for the public relations community"

External articles

 * CorporateWatch, Public relations and lobbying industry, April 2003.
 * "PR Legends Address The Industry", O'Dwyer's PR Daily, May 18, 2005. (Sub req'd).
 * "PR TALK", a top PR blog on MySpace.
 * "The public relations industry: Do we have a story for you!", The Economist, January 19th 2006.
 * Jim Boyd, "Editorial Pages: Why Courage is  Hard to Find," Nieman Reports, Spring 2006.
 * "Masters of deception", Der Spiegel, August 2006. (This is a rough translation of the article, in Word format, originating from the Hamburg office of the PR firm Edelman and posted to the blog of Richard Edelman).