Best PR Firms in 2026: Top Agencies for Startups, SMBs, and Enterprise
Last reviewed: March 2026
Justin Mauldin | Founder, Salient PR | 20+ years in tech and enterprise PR | Past campaigns include Imprint, Vanta, and Campaign Monitor.
Short Summary
Public Relations Firms are essential for strategic communication, offering specialized services and expertise.
Evaluate companies based on their track record, transparency, industry specialization and client testimonials. Consider key factors such as specialization in technology, adherence to ethical standards, crisis management capabilities, and the intersection of public relations and digital marketing.
Explore the largest public relations agencies like Edelman, Weber Shandwick, Burson, and FleishmanHillard, highlighting their unique specializations and successes.
Learn more about specialized PR firms in tech, healthcare marketing, and crisis management, such as Salient PR, We. Communications, Airfoil Group, Kite Hill PR, Antenna Group, Ogilvy Health, Inizio Evoke, Real Chemistry, and Edelman's Connected Crisis solutions.
Understand how top pr agencies work, including reviewing needs, strategizing tailored plans, executing tasks, and monitoring success.
Get tips for working effectively with a public relations agency, including establishing clear objectives, maintaining effective communication, budgeting appropriately, and being receptive to their expertise.
We've worked alongside, competed against, and evaluated dozens of PR firms over the past 20 years. This guide ranks the top agencies by specialty — from crisis communications to tech PR to corporate affairs — based on client results, industry reputation, and our direct experience.
How We Compiled This List
The Salient PR team built this list based on four inputs.
Years of experience. With 20+ years running PR campaigns for enterprise and tech clients, we have direct exposure to how agencies perform across different mandates, budgets, and industries. Firms on this list have demonstrated consistent execution, not just strong new business pitches.
Client referral network. When clients come to us operating outside our core specializations, we refer them elsewhere. The agencies on this list are ones we have evaluated in that context, based on outcomes reported back to us by those clients.
Industry event observations. We track agency positioning, leadership changes, and strategic direction through consistent participation in the PR and communications industry.
Media coverage analysis. We analyzed trade coverage across PRWeek and PRovoke Media to assess which firms are earning recognition for work quality rather than just size or revenue.
Agencies are ranked within categories, not against each other across categories. A financial PR firm and a small business PR firm serve fundamentally different needs and cannot be meaningfully compared on a single scale.
Top PR Firms at a Glance
Top Public Relations Firms in 2026: A Curated List
In our experience working with enterprise clients and referring outside our specialization, these seven firms consistently deliver across the broadest range of mandates.
Edelman is the world's largest independent PR firm, covering corporate reputation, crisis, public affairs, healthcare, technology, and social impact at a scale most firms can't match. When a Fortune 500 company needs a firm that can run a coordinated global campaign across dozens of markets simultaneously, Edelman is usually the first call.
Weber Shandwick performs consistently across corporate reputation, brand marketing, employee engagement, technology, and healthcare, with genuine strategic depth in each. If you're a global enterprise that needs both reach and integrated capability under one roof, they belong on your shortlist.
Burson formed in 2024 through the merger of BCW and Hill & Knowlton, Burson is now one of the two largest PR firms in the world, with clients including Bayer, All Nippon Airways, and Levi Strauss. They're positioning as the most technologically forward of the global full-service firms, with proprietary AI suites for risk sensing, narrative intelligence, and content creation — a credible claim at their scale.
FleishmanHillard has been around since 1946 and built its reputation in corporate communications, public affairs, and B2B — their client retention record, with relationships like Emerson and Johnson & Johnson spanning decades, reflects how seriously they take the work. For companies navigating complex reputational or regulatory challenges, they bring seniority and staying power.
Tech PR Agencies
The top tech PR firms operate in a rapidly evolving, highly competitive landscape. When we work on tech mandates or refer clients who need a different specialist, execution speed and media relationship depth are the two factors that separate good agencies from average ones.
Salient PR is one of the top PR agencies in tech according to Business Insider, and the model is deliberately different from the traditional agency playbook. Founder Justin Mauldin runs a senior-only team no junior staff, no account coordinator handoffs and works directly with founders and marketing leads on everything from strategy to media pitching. The firm focuses exclusively on B2B tech: AI, cybersecurity, SaaS, and venture-backed companies from Series A through growth stage. If you're a tech company that's been burned by an agency that sold you senior talent and delivered a B-team, Salient is worth a serious look.
We. Communications built its reputation over four decades as Microsoft's primary PR agency and has grown into one of the largest independent technology communications firms in the world, with clients including Intel, SAP, Cisco, Amgen, and Volvo. For enterprise tech companies that need a firm with deep media relationships and global infrastructure, We. is one of the strongest independents in the market.
Airfoil Group has been doing tech PR since 2000, working with companies including Microsoft, NVIDIA, and eBay, with a particular edge in automotive and mobility tech that most coastal agencies can't replicate. They're a smart choice for mid-market tech companies that want senior attention without paying for a name-brand firm's overhead.
Kite Hill PR has carved out a specific niche in B2B tech, media, and AdTech, with clients like Tripadvisor and Trusted Media Brands. Founder Tiffany Guarnaccia also founded Communications Week, which reflects how seriously this team thinks about the media industry and how it actually operates.
Healthcare Marketing Agencies
Antenna Group has spent more than two decades in sustainability, cleantech, and health, with the regulatory and media knowledge that comes from staying in those sectors for the long haul. They've done notable work in virtual care, including with client Roche, and are a natural fit for health-adjacent companies where purpose and performance both matter.
Ogilvy Health brings the creative firepower of the broader Ogilvy network to healthcare, working with GSK, Pfizer, Sanofi, Roche, and Johnson & Johnson. For healthcare brands that need earned media campaigns that actually build commercial momentum rather than just generating awareness, they have the creative depth to do it.
Inizio Evoke works across pharma, biotech, medtech, and nonprofit clients including AstraZeneca, Amgen, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis, and Pfizer, backed by proprietary HCP and patient data that drives precision in both targeting and messaging. PRWeek named them the #1 healthcare PR agency in the UK, and they've ranked in MM+M's Agency 100 top ten for three consecutive years.
Real Chemistry has grown into one of the most significant forces in healthcare communications, operating less like a traditional PR agency and more like an integrated health intelligence platform with serious AI and data infrastructure behind it. For healthcare companies that need a firm operating at genuine scale across communications, advertising, and analytics, Real Chemistry is in a category of its own.
Crisis Management Services
Crisis management PR firms provide organizations with the resources and expertise needed to navigate and mitigate potential damage from unforeseen events, safeguarding their corporate reputation and brand image.
Edelman stands out as a premier public relations firm providing Connected Crisis solutions to assist in the prevention, preparation, response, and recovery from crises in a digital-first crisis landscape.
Most Effective PR Firms for Corporate Affairs
Corporate affairs is not a rebranded term for traditional PR. It is a broader discipline that sits at the intersection of government relations, regulatory strategy, stakeholder engagement, and corporate reputation. Where traditional PR focuses primarily on media coverage and brand perception, corporate affairs manages how an organization is positioned with legislators, regulators, advocacy groups, employees, and the public simultaneously.
What makes corporate affairs different:
Policy and regulatory exposure. Companies operating in regulated industries or those facing legislative scrutiny need communications that account for the policy environment, not just the press environment. Messaging that plays well in the media can create problems in a regulatory proceeding if it isn't coordinated.
Stakeholder complexity. Corporate affairs programs manage audiences that have competing interests and different information needs. An investor, a senator's staff, a union representative, and a journalist require different messages around the same issue, all of which need to remain consistent with each other.
Long-term positioning over news cycles. Traditional PR is often campaign-driven. Corporate affairs is an ongoing function, building an organization's standing on issues that may take years to resolve.
When we have referred clients with complex regulatory or stakeholder exposure, these are the firms that consistently come up:
APCO Worldwide is built specifically for work at the intersection of government relations, stakeholder engagement, and corporate reputation — they're not a generalist firm that also does public affairs. For companies navigating complex policy environments or operating across international markets where regulatory dynamics vary significantly, APCO brings depth that full-service firms rarely match.
FleishmanHillard earns a second spot here because corporate affairs is one of their genuine strengths — they've built teams that can manage complex stakeholder programs across government, media, employees, and investors simultaneously. For companies that need a firm experienced in the long-term, multi-audience work that defines real corporate affairs, they're a reliable choice.
Edelman's Connected Crisis practice, public affairs infrastructure, and global policy expertise make them one of the few firms that can manage corporate affairs mandates at a truly global scale. When the stakes are high and the stakeholder map is complicated, Edelman has the bench to handle it.
Teneo is a CEO advisory firm where communications sits alongside management consulting, financial restructuring, geopolitical risk, and executive search — which makes them uniquely equipped for situations where the communications challenge can't be separated from the legal, financial, or regulatory one. They represented Nippon Steel in its attempted acquisition of US Steel, a transaction that sat simultaneously at the intersection of M&A communications, geopolitical risk, and government relations.
Best Financial PR Firms
Financial PR is a distinct discipline from general communications. The stakes, the audiences, and the rules are fundamentally different, and the firms that do it well are specialists, not generalists who occasionally handle an earnings announcement.
What separates financial PR from general PR:
Regulatory sensitivity. Communications around earnings, M&A activity, or investor relations operate under SEC disclosure requirements. Messaging carries legal exposure. Financial PR firms work alongside legal counsel to ensure that nothing released to the public creates liability.
Investor relations integration. Beyond press, financial PR firms manage how a company communicates with institutional investors, analysts, and shareholders, positioning the company's narrative consistently across earnings calls, investor presentations, and financial media simultaneously.
Earnings call preparation. Quarterly earnings cycles require precise messaging, anticipated Q&A preparation, and rapid response capabilities if results diverge from expectations.
These are the firms we have seen execute consistently in high-stakes financial communications situations:
Joele Frank is the gold standard for shareholder activism defense and M&A communications in the US, with involvement in major transactions including Kansas City Southern's sale to Canadian National Railway. For public companies facing activist pressure or navigating a high-stakes transaction, Joele Frank is the first name most advisors mention.
Brunswick Group focuses on complex, high-stakes corporate communications — M&A, investor relations, and reputation management for large-cap companies — with client relationships that tend to be embedded at the board and CEO level. For major corporations managing consequential transactions or reputational challenges, Brunswick brings the seniority and discretion the situation demands.
ICR is founded by former Wall Street analysts and communications professionals, ICR works the full cadence of investor relations activity — earnings cycles, analyst days, investor presentations, and financial media. For public companies that need a firm that genuinely speaks the language of the capital markets, ICR is one of the best in the business.
FGS Global is the dominant force in M&A PR globally, ranked #1 by both deal count and value in 2024, advising on transactions including DICK's Sporting Goods' acquisition of Foot Locker and Union Pacific's bid for Norfolk Southern. Now majority-owned by KKR and operating as a fully independent firm, they're what happens when the best financial PR talent in the world ends up under one roof.
Best PR Firms for Small Business
Most PR agency lists are built around enterprise clients with six-figure budgets. Small businesses operate under different constraints, and the firms that serve them well look different too.
What to look for:
Retainer range. Small business PR retainers typically run $2,000 to $7,500 per month. Be cautious of agencies that won't discuss pricing upfront or push you toward annual contracts before demonstrating results. Month-to-month or quarterly arrangements are more appropriate when you're still establishing fit.
Industry fit over agency size. A boutique firm with genuine expertise in your sector will outperform a large generalist agency that treats your account as a training ground. Ask specifically which team members will handle your account and what relevant clients they've worked on.
Measurement from day one. Define what success looks like before signing anything. For small businesses, meaningful metrics include share of voice against competitors, media placements in outlets your customers actually read, and direct traffic or lead attribution tied to coverage.
Salient PR is built for tech and B2B companies that need real PR results without the traditional agency experience of being handed off to junior staff after the contract is signed. Founder Justin Mauldin works directly on every account — strategy, pitching, media relationships — and the firm's focus on venture-backed and growth-stage companies means they understand the specific pressures and timelines founders are working against. Their track record spans AI, cybersecurity, and SaaS, with coverage in outlets like Forbes, TechCrunch, and the Wall Street Journal. For small tech companies that want a firm that treats their account like it matters, Salient PR is a strong starting point.
Salient PR works with Series A through growth-stage companies. See our approach.
Axia PR is one of the few boutique agencies on Forbes' America's Best PR Agencies list, with particular strength in healthcare, real estate, financial services, and nonprofits. For small businesses getting into PR for the first time, they're a trustworthy entry point with a track record to back it up.
Big Fish PR specializes in product launches, consumer electronics, and trade show PR — especially CES — with more than 25 years of experience and clients including Ring and Formlabs. Clutch has named them a Top 10 US PR Firm for three consecutive years, which reflects consistent client satisfaction rather than one good year.
Disrupt PR is a micro-boutique staffed entirely by former journalists, focused on healthcare, SaaS, and technology companies that want earned media without the overhead of a larger agency. They launched in 2021 and have already earned a perfect Clutch rating and recognition as the #1 Best Boutique PR Agency nationally in 2025.
| Category | Typical client | Monthly retainer |
|---|---|---|
| Large & Full-Service | Fortune 500 / global enterprise | $25K – $50K+ |
| Corporate Affairs | Large-cap, regulated industries | $20K – $50K+ |
| Healthcare | Pharma, biotech, medtech, health systems | $15K – $40K+ |
| Financial PR | Public companies, PE-backed, M&A |
$15K – $30K+
M&A fees billed separately
|
| Tech PR | Series A through enterprise tech | $10K – $25K |
| Small Business | Startups, SMBs, founder-led companies | $5K – $20K |
Best PR Agencies to Work For
Agency culture directly affects the quality of work clients receive. High turnover means junior staff handling accounts that were sold by senior leadership. Low retention signals something about how the agency actually operates day-to-day.
PRWeek's Best Places to Work program, now in its 13th year, is the standard benchmark for agency culture in the industry, evaluating agencies and in-house teams on employee well-being and professional development. The program breaks honorees into size categories, which matters because a great culture at a 600-person firm looks different than at a 30-person boutique.
Consistent honorees across recent years include Golin, M Booth, Havas PR, and Ruder Finn in larger agency categories, and Candor, Litzky PR, and Chamberlain among smaller firms.
When we evaluate agencies on behalf of clients who are also weighing culture fit, we ask directly about average account tenure, promotion timelines, and whether the people who pitched the business will actually be working on it.
Summary
Public relations agencies play a crucial role in shaping a company's image, voice, and reputation. Whether it's a technology-focused firm helping a startup navigate a competitive landscape, a healthcare marketing agency promoting organizations while adhering to industry regulations, or a crisis management service helping a company navigate an unforeseen situation, the right PR partner depends entirely on your industry, budget, and goals.
Use the rankings above to match your needs to a specialist, not a generalist.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a public relations firm? A PR agency, also known as a PR firm, is a group of public relations experts that specialize in managing public image and engaging with a client's audience to help reach business objectives.
2. What is the largest PR firm in the US? Edelman is the largest public relations firm in the US and the world's largest PR agency.
3.What do celebrity PR firms do? Celebrity PR firms focus on developing and carrying out strategies to secure media coverage for their celebrity clients. These strategies include crafting press releases, pitching stories to journalists, and creating content for social media.
4.What does a PR professional do? PR professionals are responsible for shaping and protecting the image and reputation of their clients or organizations.
