Our third annual Agency Elite Top 100 spotlights the most innovative PR and communication firms.
To compile our list, we looked at a range of features and asked candidates about new products, services and expertise offered during the past 12 months. We wanted to better understand how the most innovative and flexible PR agencies work in an increasingly fast-paced, ever-changing world.
The list is designed to demonstrate the wide range of industry specializations and core capabilities that PR and communication encompass. This year’s list highlights firms of all sizes (from boutique to global conglomerates), ages (our oldest agency, HDMZ, was founded in 1936; the youngest, Agean Public Relations and Victorious PR, were founded in 2020) and regions of the country.
Key specialties and represented industries are wide-ranging, reflecting the depth and breadth of PR.
“This year’s Agency Elite Top 100 re-emphasizes the fact that innovative ideas and successful campaigns come from a wide range of organizations, large and small,” says Erika Bradbury, editorial director, PRNEWS. “In addition to their campaign work, the agencies on this year’s list stood out for their internal initiatives, community relationships and other business pivots they took in response to the changing world.”
Many on this year's list expanded employee benefits and/or launched or grew departments and client offerings, particularly in DEI, ESG, content creation and digital integration. To support diversity and inclusion, many expanded pro bono initiatives, developed more inclusive hiring practices, evolved their internship programs and/or signed pledges with organizations such as the Diversity Action Alliance.
We asked applicants to don their “futurecast goggles” and tell us about trends the industry will talk about during the next five years. We’ll explore many of these in our future coverage.
Click here for the 2023 Agency Elite Top 100.