NEW YORK — PRovoke Media is today launching its first list of the 80 Best Public Relations Agencies in the United States. The list features agencies of all sizes, from networks to independent boutiques, and across a full range of sectors and specialist practice areas, based on extensive research by PRovoke Media editors.

The best US agencies list will be followed in the coming days by the 10 Best Agencies in Canada, and the 6 Best New Agencies in North America, as part of our new approach to celebrating the best agencies across North America. 

Says PRovoke Media founder and CEO Paul Holmes: “This list is different from other rankings and more authoritative than other lists because it is based entirely on the knowledge and judgment of our experienced editorial team, who conducted thousands of discussions with PR agency leaders and their clients over the course of year and have an unparalleled understanding of the.PR agency landscape.

“There is no fee for inclusion, the lists are entirely merit based, and we select only those firms that have earned a strong reputation based on one or more of our five key criteria: rapid growth and financial performance; a track record of exceptional work; an outstanding workplace culture; thought leadership and the development of new knowledge; or innovation in the technology and tools of the profession.”

The 80 Best Agencies in the United States are selected based on reputations and quality developed over many years, but 16 of those agencies—one in five—will be selected as our “Agencies of the Year” based on their performance in financial and creative terms over the past 12 months and will be announced at our upcoming North American SABRE Awards dinner.

Those Agencies of the Year will receive trophies at the dinner. Tables and tickets for the event are available now.

This inaugural lists of the Best Agencies in the US follows the earlier announcement of the 50 Best Agencies in the UK, the 50 Best Agencies in Continental Europe, and the 10 Best Agencies in the Middle East and will be followed later in the year by equally authoritative lists of the Best Agencies in Africa, the Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

The Best Agencies lists are an evolution of the Agency of the Year process that PRovoke Media has undertaken for many years in all regions of the world. Holmes explains: “We looked at the process we have used for years and came to the conclusion that it was unnecessarily rigid and based on criteria that excluded many fine agencies. Our sole objective in reinventing the submission and selection process was to ensure that we were truly celebrating the best firms, recognizing that great firms are great for a variety of reasons.”

In addition, the reasons for each firm’s inclusion—performance, quality work, culture, thought leadership, and innovation—are made clear in the reviews, as are the areas of expertise that make the firm great, and the markets in which they are being recognized. “We believe the transparency around selection criteria will make it easier for prospective employees and client to select the firms that best meet their own needs,” says Holmes.

The Best Agencies in each regional list will be selected based on overall excellence—as well as performance over the past 12 months—rather than on a market-by-market, discipline-by-discipline.

“That ensures that the best of the best are recognized, so great agencies don’t miss out just because they are in a highly competitive region or sector. What this means is that we have 50 firms competing for 10 trophies, rather than five agencies competing for one—so the ratio of trophy recipients remains unchanged," said Holmes.

Details of our assessment criteria and a key to our new icons showing why each agency stands out can be found here.