Who are the 5 Largest PR Firms in the World?
With such high competition in the public relations field, it often becomes hard to say just who does what best. Here are whom are believed to be the five largest PR firms in the world – Edelman PR, Weber Shandwick, FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, and the MSL Group in that order.
Only Edelman is independent, the others are owned by large holding companies. Read on to see just how much revenue each of these firms bring in.
MSL Group
The only top five PR firm headquartered outside of the U.S., MSL Group has its headquarters in France. The firm runs over 100 offices in 26 countries, and its 3000+ employees work with 25 percent of the world’s biggest brands. Formed in 2009, the MSL Group came about after Publicis Groupe joined its PR and events agencies. In 2015, MSL Group brought in US$490 million in fee income, which was 5.8 percent lower than the year before.
Ketchum
Ketchum PR is based in the United States – and the firm features 90 years of experience in the field and boasts the title of the winner of more Silver Anvils than any other agency. Ketchum also boasts a global reach which covers North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. This international reach earned the company US$515 million in fee income, which shows a 5.1 percent increase from the year before. Some of Ketchum’s clients over the years included FedEx, IBM, Delta Air Lines, Chase Bank, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
FleishmanHillard
Formed in 1946 by Al Fleishman and Bob Hillard, FleishmanHillard brings several decades’ worth of experience to the field and the confidence that comes with it. During this time, the company changed leadership only three times, which shows true stability and leadership commitment. The firm’s extensive list of offices span across the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
For 2015, the firm earned US$580 in fee income, which represents only a 4.7 percent increase.
Weber Shandwick
Headquartered in the Big Apple, Weber Shandwick boasts an international reputation which reaches into 81 countries. The firm fosters a strong culture of corporate responsibility, and takes on many clients which reflect this. Some of these include the United Nations Foundation, Colorado Education Association, and the American Cancer Society.
This year, the company landed the most significant growth in the top five, recording an almost 15 per cent increase. This brought revenue up to US$800 million from the year before.
Edelman
Not surprisingly, 60-year-old Edelman PR, lead by PR great Richard Edelman, takes first place as the largest public relations firm in the world. The firm’s team of 5500 employees brought in US$812.3 in 2015 fee income, which shows an impressive 8.8 percent increase from the year before. The household name of PR firms, Edelman is also the go-to benchmark for agencies operating in virtually any region. Edelman is the only large, privately owned public relations firm remaining. Some of Edelman’s key clients include other household names like Lipton, Starbucks, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, UPS, and MTV.
