Winner: GolinHarris
Al Golan had recently started his own PR firm when he made a cold call to an aspiring businessman with a couple of hamburger joints. The man was Ray Kroc and the business was McDonald’s. More than 50 years later, McDonald’s remains one of GolinHarris’ core clients, along with a bevy of the top global brands such as Johnson & Johnson, General Mills and Walmart.
Historically known for its consumer marketing expertise, GolinHarris, which is owned by the Interpublic Group, is now able to provide clients with a full suite of PR and marketing services. Last year, for example, the agency rolled out g4, a new program for delivering integrated communications and ideas for audience engagement. The model has contributed to the agency’s strong financial performance in 2012, with revenue up nearly 17%.
GolinHarris also introduced Bright Collective, a media platform designed to create multi-channel marketing campaigns. The agency’s talent pool also reflects the tremendous changes engulfing the PR industry, with the company bringing in former journalists, producers and creative directors to join the team and spark more changes.
Honorable Mentions:
- Cohn & Wolfe
- Hill+Knowlton Strategies
- Waggener Edstrom Worldwide
- Weber Shandwick