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The deadline for O'Dwyer's 2025 rankings of PR firms, a benchmark study of the growth of the industry annually since 1970, is Mar. 14, 2025.
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New to the rankings for 2025 is "Crisis Communications" and "Adult Beverages/Spirits" bringing total number of PR specialties ranked to 23.
| O'Dwyer's first ranking of independent U.S. PR firms based on 1969 net fee income |
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| Click to enlarge & save as a PDF |
| 50 largest U.S. PR operations, independents and ad agency affiliated based on 1969 net fee income |
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| Click to enlarge & save as a PDF |
The unique nomenclature and regulatory activity with alcohol communcations separates this work from the food and beverage fees already tracked by O'Dwyer's rankings.
"Crisis communications is an increasingly important element of many firms, so it made sense to showcase those excelling in this specialty," O'Dwyer's publisher John O'Dwyer said.
Show your expertise in areas such as healthcare, technology, finance, environmental, professional services and purpose/CSR, to name a few of the specialties tracked. Only O’Dwyer’s does such rankings, which are usually at or near the top in Google searches for those specialties.
Rankings are also tabulated by 16 cities and regions, including New York, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, D.C. Regional rankings showcase firms in the west, southeast and midwest.
A total of 147 firms took part in last year's rankings.
Rankings Rules
PR firms have distinctive financials—at least half of income is used for staff pay. Therefore, O’Dwyer’s requires the top page of the latest corporate income tax return and W-3 to verify legitimate PR firms rather than ad agencies or other types of businesses. The ranking measures counseling and media contact services, not advertising or production expenses.
"Even if the tax return is on a cash basis and financials on accrual, we like to see the return as an added check that a CPA has been used," O'Dwyer stressed.
Net fee income by location and specialties should have been accumulated all year, by month and presented to a CPA.
The CPA firm should have minimal work to do, just a topside review. Ranking instructions disclaim responsibility for the numbers by the CPA firm.
“PR firms looking to reach out to prospects who visit O’Dwyer’s website every day to research outside PR counsel should consider joining the rankings,” O’Dwyer said.
Deadline to submit is Mar. 14, 2025.
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