French/West/Vaughan (FWV) — Independent PR Firm Profile

Part of the EPR PR Firms Directory · PR Leaders Directory · Related: Leading PR Firms by Sector & Region · Rick French, founder Q&A · David Gwyn, President Q&A

French/West/Vaughan (FWV) has stayed independent for nearly three decades in a Southeast PR market where most firms of its size sold to a holding company years ago. Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Tampa, the roughly 100-person agency runs public relations, advertising, digital, and social media work for clients including Honda, the Carolina Hurricanes, Jack Daniel's, and Coca-Cola. Rick French founded the operation in April 1997; the firm took its current name in 2001 when Richard French & Associates merged with West & Vaughan. French remains Founder and Chairman; David Gwyn runs day-to-day operations as President.

Leadership and Clients

FWV operates as an independent PR firm serving clients across the Southeast, Northeast, and West Coast markets. Notable clients across the firm's history include Honda Motor Company, the Carolina Hurricanes, Jack Daniel's, and Coca-Cola, alongside a broader roster spanning consumer brands, professional sports, and hospitality. Under Gwyn's operational leadership the firm has run long-standing programs for Wrangler — including virtual product line reviews and the "Can't Stop Country" concert series on The Wrangler Network — and supported the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's pandemic-era relocation of the National Finals Rodeo to Dallas.

Services

FWV's practice covers public relations, communications strategy, advertising, and integrated marketing. Capabilities include press relations, behavioral marketing, creative and design, digital development, content creation, and account planning. The firm operates on a modular client model — services are selected against the client's specific communication objectives rather than delivered as a fixed package.

Independence and Industry Position

FWV is a long-standing member of IPREX, the global network of independent public relations and marketing agencies. IPREX comprises roughly 75 member firms operating from approximately 100 offices across 30 countries — including presence in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. Membership positions FWV to service multinational client mandates without operating inside a holding-company structure.

The independence position is the defining strategic choice of FWV's history. In a Southeast and Sunbelt PR market where most substantial firms have been acquired by holding companies over the past two decades, FWV has remained privately held.

Careers

FWV recruits across its four offices — Raleigh, New York, Los Angeles, and Tampa — for roles across PR, advertising, digital, and creative disciplines. Candidates can direct inquiries to the firm's HR office at hr@fwv-us.com.

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