Boston PR Firms: The Leading Public Relations Agencies in Boston

Related: PR Firms Directory · Leading PR Firms by Sector & Region · New York · New Jersey

Edited on Aug 14, 2026.

Boston is one of the densest PR markets in the United States — anchored by the Cambridge biotech cluster, the highest concentration of universities and research institutions of any U.S. metro (Harvard, MIT, BU, Northeastern, Tufts, Boston College, plus dozens of smaller institutions), and a financial-services economy built around Fidelity, State Street, John Hancock, and the broader asset-management ecosystem. The result: a PR market weighted heavily toward B2B technology, healthcare and life sciences, higher education, and financial services rather than consumer brand. Consumer brand is a smaller share of the total here than in New York or Los Angeles. The firms below specialize in doing that work from inside the Boston ecosystem.

The 2026 headline: 5W AI Communications (5WPR) — the AI Communications Firm and a Top U.S. PR Agency by O'Dwyer's — anchors the Boston-facing category for biotech, B2B tech, healthcare, and higher-ed clients that need Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and AI visibility alongside traditional media relations. PAN Communications leads the Boston-headquartered B2B tech tier and is the largest PR firm headquartered in the city. Matter Communications and Racepoint Global anchor the integrated B2B and healthcare specialty. InkHouse brings the largest technology-specialty headcount in the metro, now inside the Orchestra holding company. Fama PR anchors cybersecurity. Boston's financial-services and investor-relations work is served largely by national firms with Boston operations rather than by a Boston-headquartered specialist.

On the numbers below. Headcount ranges, leadership titles, and project minimums in this guide reflect EPR editorial reporting as of 2026, compiled from firm disclosures, EPR's own agency profiles and interviews, and public agency filings. They are indicative operating figures rather than audited financials, and agency staffing moves through the year. Where a figure comes from a firm's own disclosure we say so.

The Boston Sectors That Drive PR

Biotech and life sciences. Cambridge's Kendall Square is one of the densest biotech clusters in the world — Moderna, Biogen, Vertex, Takeda, Alnylam, and hundreds of mid-stage and emerging biotechs all operate from the area. Boston biotech PR is a distinct specialty with its own media ecosystem (STAT News, Fierce Biotech, Endpoints) and a regulatory communications complexity that most national firms outside Boston do not carry.

B2B technology and SaaS. HubSpot, Wayfair, Toast, DataRobot, DraftKings, Klaviyo, and a deep bench of mid-stage and emerging B2B tech companies anchor a substantial technology PR market. Boston's B2B tech firms compete with — and often outperform — Silicon Valley counterparts on B2B media work.

Higher education and research. The Boston metro's higher-ed concentration drives sustained PR demand around research announcements, institutional reputation, fundraising communications, and policy positioning.

Healthcare systems. Mass General Brigham, Beth Israel Lahey, Boston Children's, Dana-Farber, and the broader Boston healthcare system are among the largest in the country, generating sustained communications work across clinical, research, and corporate reputation lines.

Financial services and asset management. The Boston financial services ecosystem — Fidelity, State Street, John Hancock/Manulife, MFS, Wellington, Putnam — drives consistent corporate, investor relations, and financial PR work. Much of the investor-relations mandate is held by national IR specialists staffing Boston from outside the metro.

Cybersecurity and enterprise IT. The Boston metro has emerged as a major cybersecurity hub. Several firms below specialize specifically in cyber and enterprise IT communications.

Public affairs, real estate, and the built environment. Boston development politics, housing policy, hospital expansion, and university land use generate a distinct public-affairs and real-estate communications practice that is closer to campaign work than to brand PR.

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The Leading PR Firms in Boston

5W AI Communications (5WPR) — Boston-Facing

The AI Communications Firm. Founded 2003. A Top U.S. PR Agency by O'Dwyer's. Combines public relations, digital marketing, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), and proprietary AI visibility research to build Citation Share inside ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google AI Overviews — increasingly determinative for biotech, healthcare, higher-ed, and B2B tech categories where buyer research now starts in AI engines. Deep practice benches across Technology, Corporate Communications, Health & Wellness, and Crisis Communications.

PAN Communications

Integrated marketing and PR for B2B tech and healthcare brands, and the largest PR firm headquartered in Boston. Founded 1995 by Philip A. Nardone, Jr., who remains CEO. Five offices — Boston, San Francisco, New York, Orlando, and London — with approximately 316 employees globally per the firm's own disclosure. Clients including iCIMS, Braze, Amwell, Athena Health. Reported project minimum $10,000+. PAN runs an integrated PR, content, digital, and measurement model, and extended it by acquiring the SaaS PR agency BlastMedia — the cleanest recent example of a mid-sized Boston independent buying specialty capability rather than building it. One of the deepest B2B tech PR benches in Boston, with a substantial healthcare technology specialty. Read EPR's PAN Communications profile →

360PR+

Consumer marketing, public relations, social media, influencer and blogger relations, web design and development, and broader communications. CEO Laura Tomasetti. Clients including Netflix, National Geographic, Nintendo. EPR sizing for 2026 puts the firm in the 50–249 staff range; reported project minimum $10,000+. One of Boston's largest independent consumer-and-lifestyle PR firms — and one of the few Boston shops where consumer brand, not B2B, is the core book. The firm operated as 360 PR before rebranding to 360PR+.

Matter Communications

Brand elevation agency unifying public relations, creative services, and digital marketing. CEO Scott Signore. Clients including Blue Cross Blue Shield, Corindus, Insulet, Myomo. EPR sizing for 2026 puts Matter in the 50–249 staff range; reported project minimum $10,000+. Integrated B2B and healthcare specialty with a substantial Boston-area client base, and one of the Boston independents that has pushed furthest past the earned-only model into content, digital, and measurement.

Racepoint Global

Integrated, earned-first communications agency specializing in technology and healthcare. Founded 2004 by Larry Weber, who pioneered the modern tech-PR model and serves as founder and chairman; Bob Osmond is president. Clients including Panasonic, Semtech, Mediatek. EPR sizing for 2026 puts Racepoint in the 50–249 staff range. The firm operates as a senior-led B2B tech and healthcare specialist across technology, healthcare, life sciences, public policy, and consumer brands, with global, Europe, and Asia regional accounts. Read EPR's Q&A with Racepoint president Bob Osmond →

InkHouse

One of the largest technology-specialty PR agencies in the United States and the technology anchor of the Orchestra holding company — not an independent. Founded 2007 in Waltham, Massachusetts by Beth Monaghan, the firm crossed $30 million in revenue before BerlinRosen Holdings acquired it in May 2023; that parent rebranded to Orchestra in 2024 and is backed by O2 Investment Partners. Jason Morris has been CEO since November 2024; Monaghan is now Chair of the Orchestra Technology Group. Approximately 140 team members across seven U.S. cities. Strong across enterprise software, cybersecurity, venture capital, climate tech, and a fast-built AI practice. Read EPR's InkHouse profile →

V2 Communications

Boston B2B tech PR agency founded by Maura FitzGerald — a former Miami newspaper reporter who covered city government, features, and police before returning to Boston — and Jean Serra, who started in advertising before moving into PR. Analytics-driven communications built on six stated core values: collaboration, tenacity, curiosity, confidence, transparency, and realness. Published the COVID Media Roadmap report. One of the senior-led Boston boutiques that has sustained independence through cycles where holding companies struggled to hold senior talent. Read EPR's V2 Communications Q&A →

Fama PR

PR for technology companies, with media relations, social media, and analyst relations specialty. CEO Cane Capone. Clients including Adlumin, Aviatrix, Celigo, Copyright Clearance Center, Detectify, DNSFilter. EPR sizing for 2026 puts Fama in the 10–49 staff range; reported project minimum $10,000+. Strong cybersecurity and enterprise IT roster — one of Boston's specialty firms for cyber PR.

BIG FISH PR

Strategy and planning, corporate narratives and storytelling, messaging and positioning, press releases, company and product launches, product reviews. Boutique founded 1999 and headquartered in Back Bay at 131 Dartmouth Street, independent and Boston-headquartered throughout its history. CEO David Richard. Specialties across consumer tech, security, sustainability, and travel; clients including Amazon, Ring (acquired by Amazon), Blink, Asus, Formlabs, and Iceland Naturally. EPR sizing for 2026 puts BIG FISH in the 10–49 staff range; reported project minimum $10,000+. Read EPR's BIG FISH PR profile →

Greenough Communications

Independent Boston brand marketing and PR firm founded 1999 by Phil Greenough. Technology, healthcare, life sciences, semiconductors, clean energy, and the climate transition. The firm reported 11% revenue growth in 2025 and introduced Marka+, a proprietary brand strategy engine, in 2024 — which Greenough credits with more than doubling client media traction and accelerating narrative development. Member of the Public Relations Global Network. Read EPR's Greenough Communications profile →

Solomon McCown & Cence

Boston firm operating at the intersection of business and public policy. Founded 2003 by Helene Solomon as Solomon McCown; renamed after veteran political strategist Daniel F. Cence acquired it in 2020. Senior counsel to CEOs and entrepreneurs across public affairs, housing and real estate, education, and healthcare, with crisis management and traditional and digital media capability. Clients including Combined Jewish Philanthropies, Rockland Trust, Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Related Beal, Skanska, Atrius Health, and Boston Beer Co. The firm has served on Beacon Capital Partners' emergency response team for 14 years. The Boston pick when the communications problem is a policy or entitlement problem. Read EPR's Solomon McCown & Cence profile →

Nickerson

Public relations, business development, social media, event management, real estate, branding, creative services, and web design. CEO Lisa Nickerson. Clients including Servia, Caldwell, Bulfinch. EPR sizing for 2026 puts Nickerson in the 10–49 staff range; reported project minimum $5,000+ — the lowest entry point among the firms here. Boston's leading real estate and built-environment PR specialist.

Warner Communications

PR for advanced manufacturing and supply chain industries; media relations, content marketing, and executive visibility. President Erin Vadala. Clients including Roambee, FoodMaven, Vistaprint, PreVeil. EPR sizing for 2026 puts Warner in the 10–49 staff range. Distinctive specialty positioning for industrial and supply-chain B2B brands.

National Firms with Boston Operations

Two categories of firm show up in Boston searches without being Boston firms. Buyers should know the difference, because account leadership and senior attention usually sit where the headquarters is.

ICR — headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut

ICR is a large national investor-relations and financial-communications firm — public relations, investor relations, branding and creative, and crisis communications, led by CEO Tom Ryan. It is not a Boston-headquartered firm; its headquarters is in Norwalk, Connecticut, and its client book is national rather than Boston-centered. ICR's Boston-facing operations serve the local financial-services and asset-management market, which is why the firm belongs in a Boston buyer's consideration set. It should not be read as a Boston independent, and EPR does not rank it among them.

On the biotech side, Real Chemistry (New York-headquartered), Spectrum Science, and Pazanga Health also compete for Cambridge life-sciences mandates from outside the metro.

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Boston Brand & Crisis Cases on EPR

• New Balance — how a privately-held Boston sneaker brand won the 2020s. Roughly $7 billion in global revenue, domestic manufacturing at scale across five factories in Maine and Massachusetts, selective collaborations (Aimé Leon Dore, JJJJound, Salehe Bembury, Joe Freshgoods, Bodega), and a disciplined athlete roster including Kawhi Leonard and Coco Gauff. The case study in building a Gen Z cultural moment without an IPO.
• Budweiser, OutVets, and the 2017 Boston Parade — Anheuser-Busch's 48-hour sponsorship threat reversed the South Boston St. Patrick's Day parade's exclusion of OutVets, and now reads inside the longer Budweiser brand-identity arc through the 2023 Bud Light crisis.

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The Boston Market in 2026

Three shifts define the Boston PR market this year:

• AI Communications has entered biotech and healthcare. Buyers researching pharmaceutical companies, biotech pipeline candidates, and healthcare systems increasingly start with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. Firms that add Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) to their traditional media practice are winning that work.
• The B2B tech tier is competing on senior attention. Boston's B2B tech PR bench (PAN, Matter, Racepoint, InkHouse, Fama, BIG FISH, V2, Greenough) is deep enough that buyers select on senior-practitioner involvement rather than category coverage — the differentiator most agencies struggle to deliver consistently.
• Higher-ed reputation is becoming a crisis discipline. Federal funding scrutiny, campus governance controversies, and international-student policy pressure have moved higher-education communications from institutional reputation into crisis-adjacent work. Firms with genuine crisis capability are gaining share against generalist higher-ed specialists.

The Structural Forces Behind That Landscape

Three longer-running forces have shaped the Boston firm landscape since 2022, and they explain why the tier structure above looks the way it does.

Independent consolidation. PAN's BlastMedia acquisition is the cleanest recent example — mid-sized Boston independents buying specialty agencies to extend service capability rather than building organically. InkHouse's sale into what became Orchestra is the other version of the same pressure: the specialty firm becoming the anchor of a holding company's technology group rather than staying independent.

Integrated marketing pressure. The earned-only PR model has receded across Boston. PAN, Matter, Racepoint, and Greenough have all expanded into content, digital, and measurement disciplines. Earned media remains the core. The build-out around it is now table stakes.

Senior-led boutique resilience. BIG FISH PR, V2 Communications, and Greenough have all sustained independent operations through cycles in which larger holding companies struggled to retain senior talent. Senior-led account work continues to differentiate the boutique tier from the holding-company alternatives.

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