PRovoke Media is making significant changes to its Agencies of the Year research in an attempt to provide a more comprehensive and meaningful evaluation of the public relations agency business around the world.

The new approach will impact the way agencies submit for Agency of the Year recognition, the way in which submissions are evaluated, and the way in which finalists and winners are announced and profiled.

Submissions for our Agency of the Year awards will be just one part of our Agency Research process, which includes:

  • The PRovoke Media 250: Our annual ranking of the largest public relations agencies in the world, which provides us with a treasure trove of critical data for measuring the growth and size of the global PR business;
  • Agencies of the Year: Our new approach will enable us to identify and honor the best agencies in every region, and will culminate in our 100 Best Agencies in the World list at the end of the year;
  • Best Agencies to Work For: Our annual survey of PR agency employees, which enables us to identify those agencies with the happiest, most loyal employees—and what makes them stand out.

The most significant change will see us move away from the existing categories (such as Consumer Agency of the Year, Creative Agency of the Year, Healthcare Agency of the Year, and in EMEA and Asia our regional categories). Instead we will be publishing profiles of the 30 Best Agencies in the UK, the 30 Best Agencies in Europe, the 50 Best Agencies in North America, etc. (The number of agencies on each of these lists might vary depending on the volume and quality of submissions.)

We will be selecting the agencies that appear on these lists based on criteria that may vary from agency to agency, reflecting the different dimensions of “greatness” in our business:

  • Some agencies will be on the list because of their performance over the past year, in terms of new business success, or growth relative to their peers. Submissions to our Global Agency Rankings, which include revenue numbers, will be taken into account fo these agencies.
  • Some agencies will be on the list because of the quality of their creative work. Entries to our annual SABRE Awards competition will be taken into account, as will success in other awards competitions, or examples of successful campaigns submitted as part of the Agency of the Year process.
  • Some agencies will be on the list because of a great workplace environment. In most cases, these will be firms participating in our Best Agencies to Work For research, through recognition in other employer-of-choice research will be taken into consideration.
  • Some agencies will be on the list because of their demonstrated leadership in their market (whether that market is a practice area, industry sector, or geographic region). For these agencies, evidence of thought leadership, stature in the marketplace, local recognition, and/or client endorsement will be key factors.
  • And some agencies will be on the list for some combination of the above factors.

All agencies appearing on our “Best Agencies…” lists in each region will be considered finalists for the Agencies of the Year, with the trophy winners (usually the top 10-20% of firms on each list) receiving Agency of the Year trophies at our annual awards ceremonies in each region.

At the end of the year, PRovoke Media will publish a global list—the Best 100 Public Relations Firms in the world—that will serve as a comprehensive overview of the world’s leading PR agencies.

Submissions for any of these lists can be made in one of two ways. Agencies can provide us with the relevant information via an online form, as part of our Global Agency Research information gathering, or via a document summarizing the case for inclusion. Or they can contact PRovoke Media editors in each region to request an in-person briefing or a Zoom meeting. We will try to honor as many of these requests as we can.

PRovoke Media’s Agency Research will be open for submissions by January 1, 2025. If you with to approach our editors about setting up in-person meetings, you may do so directly, or via [email protected]. If your firm wishes to participate in our Best Agencies to Work for Research, please reach out to [email protected] to receive a username and password for our survey.

Our 2025 submissions deadlines are as follows:

EMEA deadline (including UK, Europe, Middle East and Africa: February 14. 2025

North America (including US and Canada): March 14, 2025

The deadlines for Asia-Pacific and Latin America submissions will be announced early in 2025.

However, submissions for inclusion in our Global Rankings need to be submitted by March 14, 2025 regardless of region.

We have created an FAQ about our new Best Agencies/Agency of the Year process here.