Edelman leads O'Dwyer's ranking of PR firms again, posting $874.9M in 2016 net fees, up 2.4 percent. There was some jostling though at the top with W2O Group ($122.7M, +33 percent) bumping APCO ($120.6M, +1 percent) down to third place.
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Finn Partners ($76.7M, +7.3 percent), ICR ($55.6M, -1.0 percent), and Padilla ($42.4M, -1.9 percent) are joined in the top ten by newcomers Prosek Partners ($31.2M, +28.1 percent), Racepoint Global ($29M, +7.8 percent), Coyne ($27.3M, +26.9 percent), and Fahlgren Mortine ($24.4M, +18.9 percent).
Eighteen of the top 25 firms posted year-over-year gains with 12 showing double-digit growth. Overall, 90 of the 121 ranked firms had a positive change.
O'Dwyer's has the only rankings by PR specialty: agriculture, beauty & fashion, entertainment, environmental & PA, financial & investor relations, food & beverage, healthcare, home furnishings, professional services, sports, technology, and travel & economic development.
Firms are also ranked in 13 key cities/regions such as New York, D.C., Southeast, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Rankings participants were required to submit the top page of the latest corporate income tax return and W-3, establishing them as PR firms rather than ad agencies or other types of businesses. O'Dwyer's is the only ranking that requires this documentation.
Even though a majority of consumers are turning to social media as their preferred source of breaking news, issues surrounding trust and the quality of social media content remain a concern for many of them.
While PR pitches play a major role in shaping what stories journalists cover, Muck Rack’s “State of Journalism 2026” report says that there are several ways PR pros could improve the chance of their pitches making it on to a media platform.
Internal communications have become a key element in how well organizations are able to negotiate change, according to a new report from Gallagher Communications Limited. That makes change communications targeted at employees more important than ever. 
The deadline for O'Dwyer's 2026 rankings of PR firms, a benchmark study of the growth of the industry since 1970, is Mon., Mar. 16. Show your expertise in 23 PR specialties. Rankings are also tabulated by 14 cities and regions.
Zeno Group releases a report showing that while communications are a bigger factor than ever in strategy, growth, risk and workforce decisions for companies, most communications leaders don’t think they are totally ready for what lies ahead.
