Global PR Agency Rankings 2023

Fast Movers 2023 

Global

In terms of geographic spread, this year’s ranking is again dominated by the global PR industry's traditional powerhouses, with the US and UK again accounting for 10 of the 15 fastest-growing agencies in the world, exactly the same proportion as last year. That includes new US data consultancy Salient Global in first place, after almost six-fold growth to $4.9m, which includes the acquisition of ICX Media in 2022 and further deals in 2021 and 2023. 

Indeed, the overall growth narrative that characterised this year's Rankings is reflected in the fact that eight of the top 15 fastest-growing PR firms reported triple-digit growth, even if most of that group expanded from a relatively small base. Even for smaller players, though, acquisitions also played a key role in terms of fuelling growth — reflecting how the M&A market is now dominated by independent PR firms, rather than publicly-held holding groups.

In second place, for example, is perennial fast grower Redhill from Singapore, which more than doubled its fee income to $21m, after making two acquisitions in 2022. Meanwhile, three out of the top five spots go to relatively new firms with US player Ascend (+173%) and the UK's Boldspace (+148%) both benefiting from specific focus areas: media partnerships for the former and data/analytics for the latter.

In between that duo, fourth place belongs to Pomillio Blumm (+167%) — a much bigger Italian firm that is best known for its focus on public sector EU contracts. And another European heavyweight takes sixth position, with Farner up 123% to $86m after making a string of acquisitions in recent years. 

Four more UK firms feature in the top 15, all of whom can credit specific sectoral or practice area expertise for their rise. In seventh spot is digital consultancy The Digital Voice (+122%), ahead of entertainment and arts specialist Premier (+114%) in eighth, fast-rising technology player Fight or Flight (+86%) in ninth, and B2B newcomer 3Thinkrs (+85%) in 11th place. 

After taking top spot in 2021, US firm Spool (+86%) continues to expand thanks to its disruptive agency offering, ranking 11th this year. In 12th position is SEC Newgate (+84%), the European corporate and public affairs firm that has grown rapidly in recent years via acquisition, most notably adding US player Global Strategy Group and Mexico's Another. 

The top 15 is rounded out by US public affairs firm Firehouse Strategies (+83%), Asia-Pacific's second representative in the rankings, Sandpiper (+82%), and blockchain-focused player Wachsman (+82%).

Above $30M

Because rapid growth rankings tend to favour smaller, newer boutiques, we also look at the fastest-growing larger PR firms with revenues of more than $30m. This year, the geographic spread is considerably more distributed than previous editions, with the US providing only three firms, compared to six last year, and none in the top five. Europe matches that tally, but dominates the upper reaches of this table, accounting for the top four places.

Italy's Pomillio Blum retains top spot after ranking first in this table last year, benefiting from its ability to land large EU public sector contracts — which helped fuel 167% growth to $175m. Another European heavyweight comes in second, with Switzerland's Farner up 123% to $86m after making a string of acquisitions in recent years. 

The UK's Premier (+114%) ranks third, ahead of another Italian firm in SEC Newgate (+84%), which has grown considerably in recent years via some notable acquisitions, including US public affairs player Global Strategy Group. And Japan makes a rare foray into this table in the shape of Vector (+69%), a giant communications firm that houses numerous services under its sprawling brand portfolio. 

The US finally makes its debut on this list via Spectrum Science (+64%) in sixth spot, with PRovoke's Healthcare Agency of the Year aided by a string of acquisitions. Another US player takes seventh, in the shape of consumer and healthcare focused independent Lippe Taylor (+48%).

Sweden's H&H Group (+45) comes in eighth, while Brazil's Grupo FSB (+43%) is ninth after buying two agencies in 2022. Multiple acquisitions also helped the most storied firm on this list, with Ruder Finn rounding out the top 10 after growing 43% to $160m. 

USA

Once again, the fastest growing agencies in the US in 2022 were on the newer and smaller side of the scale. The top three firms grew by triple digits. Top-seeded agency group Salient Global wasf ar ahead of the pack having grown by 559% during the year. Second on the list: Ascend Agency which capped 2022 up 177% from the year before.

From there, the list includes a mix of specialty agencies, all of which registered impressive high-double digit growth. Chicago’s Spool Marketing & Communications saw business expand by 86% while Firehouse Strategies, a Washington public affairs firm, grew 83%. Wachsman ended 2022 up 82%, having benefited from its expertise in blockchain and cryptocurrency.

Healthcare agency Cura Strategies ranked sixth on our list, having grown 66%, ranking ahead of Spectrum Science, which grew 64% to $80m — making it by far the largest agency on this ranking. Orangefiery, a combo comms and consulting firm, rose 61%, while Caliber Corporate Advisors, which grew 55%, took ninth. Rounding out the top 10 is travel and property specialist Zapwater, up 53% after a year to remember. 

Americas (Excluding USA)

For the second consecutive year, Latin American firms dominated our Americas (excluding the US) table, accounting for seven of the 10 firms on the list. Canadians occupy the other three spots.

Mexico City-based Another, in which SEC Newgate bought a majority stake in November, was the region’s fastest-growing firm in 2022, with fee income up 69%. Brazil’s Grupo FSB ranks second; the firm’s revenue rose 43% to $79.5 million, making it far away the largest agency on this year’s list. Approach, also a Brazil-based firm, rounded out the top three after seeing revenues rise 21%.

Toronto-based Argyle was the year’s fastest-growing Canadian firm and fourth fastest growing in the region, up 20% from the year before. Brazil-based Grupo Inpress’s income rose 14.6%.

The remaining five fast movers in the Americas saw business grow by single digits. Those include Costa Rica’s CCK (+9%) and Argentina’s Urban Grupo de Comunicacion (+8%), Canada’s Craft Public Relations, which saw income rise 8%, was the region’s eighth fastest grower, outpacing Brazil’s Race Communications (+7%).

UK

After a stellar performance from new UK agencies in 2022, which saw the threshold for inclusion in this table jump from 22% fee income growth in 2021 to 67% last year, the slowdown in the market is exemplified by the lower entry point for the top 10 fastest growing agencies, down slightly to 55%.

There’s also a much-reduced level of growth at the top end compared to last year: in top spot for the UK is the fifth fastest-growing agency in the world, tech agency Boldspace, which grew 148% to $3.8m (compared to last year’s fastest-growing agency, Lynn, which had grown six-fold).

In second and third place, respectively, are The Digital Voice, which grew by 122% to $1.5m and also sits in seventh place in the global table, and entertainment, arts and culture-focused Premier – the only much older agency in the table – which grew 113.5% to $38.2 million, making it the eighth fastest growing agency in the world.

Two of last year’s top four fastest-growing UK agencies, both founded in 2020, are again in the table this year, with tech agency Fight or Flight – again in fourth place in the UK table, but also making an appearance in the top 10 globally – growing by nearly 86% to $4.2 million (compared to 236% growth the previous year) and data specialist Hard Numbers in seventh place, growing by 70% to just shy of $2 million, after more than tripling in the 2022 table.

Fifth place this year goes to another technology agency, 3Thinkrs – PRovoke Media’s New EMEA Consultancy of the Year for 2023 – which grew by 85% to $1.2m, earning it 11th place in the global table, while in sixth place we find inclusion-focused Folk, which grew by 73.5% to $1.3m. In eighth place, it’s pharma and biotech specialist Arc Bio – the only healthcare agency in the table – which grew by 65% to $6.2m.

One more agency from last year’s top 10 is featured: Milk & Honey – which last year was in tenth place after being the fastest-growing UK agency in the 2021 table – is this year in ninth place, with fee income growth of 56% to just under $5m. Rounding out the top 10 is yet another technology specialist, With, which grew by 55% to $2.3m.

Europe

This year’s European table features agencies from six countries, up from five last year. Germany accounts for three of the top 10, more than any other country, but the top spot goes to Italy: Pomilio Blum is in first place this year with growth of 167% to $174.5m, after being in second place last year with growth of 139%. As well as being the only agency in the European table that was also listed last year, it’s the fourth fastest-growing agency in the world for 2023.

The continental European table is also dominated by much larger agencies than the UK table: the other Italian agency featured is SEC Newgate, in third place, which after a year of expansion and acquisitions grew by 84% to $196m – also putting it at 12^th in the global fastest-growing league. Nestled between the Italians in second place is Swiss-headquartered Farner Consulting, which grew by 123% to just shy of $87m in fee income, and is placed sixth in the global table.

Germany’s highest placed firm is fourth, with full service agency iFok growing by 58% to $19.7m, and the other two German entries bring up the rear of the table: Palmer Hargreaves is in ninth place with growth of 31% to $16.7m, and komm.passion is in 10th place, up 30% to just under $11m.

Sweden’s communications agency group H&H Group is fifth in the table, growing by 45% to $73m, and the only French agency this year – after France dominated the European fast-growers last year – is crisis communications specialist LaFrenchCom, which grew 33% to $2.6m, putting it in eighth place.

Sixth and seventh place both go to Spanish agencies at different ends of the size spectrum, with independent Canela Public Relations growing by 43% to $1.85m, and Madrid-headquartered global agency LLYC up 36% to $77.8m.

Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa

The threshold for inclusion in the top 15 for fast growers across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa drops to 28% in 2022 from 41% in 2021, reflecting the overall slower pace of agency growth across these regions. But there are still several eye-catching performances, none more so than Redhill (+238%), the Singapore-based global firm that takes top spot after making two acquisitions in 2022. 

Another homegrown Asian firm takes second place, with Sandpiper up 82% in 2022, ahead of Japanese giant Vector (+69% in fourth). Perennial Indian contender On Purpose is fourth after growing by 65%, while South Africa's Razor (+60%) rounds out the top five after taking top spot on this table last year. 

India's Kaizzen (+59%) ranks sixth, ahead of Africa's second representative on this table — Nigeria's Blackhouse Media (+56%). ERA Communications bounces back to take eighth spot after 55% growth, while Australia's Icon Agency (+54%) ranks ninth after being named PRovoke's Australian Agency of the Year in 2022.

Rounding out the top 10 is Southeast Asia specialist Vero (+47%), while Korea supplying three of the remaining five firms in Hahm Shout Global (+33%) and Hahm Partners (+31%) in 12th and 13th, respectively, and KPR & Associates (+28%) ranking 15th. Breaking up that group is another Southeast Asia's PRecious Communications (+40%) in 11th place and Australia's Rowland (+29%) in 14th.