PR Agencies

For most people working in PR and communications, 2020 will forever be known as a crisis. That’s it. Continual crisis. And while crisis stymied many industries this year, it made communication more essential. When clear delivery of information becomes a necessity, the communication industry should grow. While the advertising world watched agencies shrink due to client losses and budget cutbacks, some PR shops expanded. We look at several examples of growth.

We jumped at the chance to interview Michael Monahan, a veteran brand communicator who’s now on the agency side. In addition, he and his team have been working in their offices for months. He tells us what’s on his mind.

With so many companies deciding to stay with virtual work arrangements, what you used to budget for office costs/overhead now is available for other uses. How should communicators spend this new-found money? Our author, a veteran of remote work, has several ideas.

Many PR firms, media companies and advertising agencies have noticed the Department of Justice (DOJ) increasingly is targeting these sectors for enforcement under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). A trio of attorneys tells communicators what they need to know about this statute.

We asked our financial and M&A expert Rick Gould about what PR firm owners should be considering finance-wise during the pandemic. Gould argues that previous financial goals should apply during the pandemic.

Agencies on the list represent a wide range of both industry specializations and core capabilities. They specialize in crisis communication, media relations, reputation management and public affairs to digital communications, social media, content creation and everything in between.

PRNEWS has learned exclusively that APCO Worldwide will announce Monday that Arthur W. Page Society chair Charlene Wheeless will join its International Advisory Council as a senior counselor. The veteran communicator most recently was principal VP of global corporate affairs for Bechtel Corporation.

For many, it’s difficult living through an economic downturn. No doubt, times are hard, but there are signs that despite the chaos, some communication and marketing executives continue to look ahead with a positive attitude. We bring you several examples of PR and media pros who are confounding the naysayers and establishing new businesses in the midst of the pandemic and its economic morass.

Weber Shandwick did a very good thing last week. It released diversity data for its senior levels. The data were dismal and the agency said as much. It also made the correct point that benchmarks are needed before you can make improvements. Though the agency needs to offer detail about how it will improve, Weber has taken a bold first step.

Here’s a column that you should make time to read. What? You’re too busy? Seriously, PR pro Jamie McLaughlin had the same problem. That’s before he resolved to become less busy. His story offers hope to harried PR pros everywhere. And smile. This is a very quick read.