Public Relations Services Industry Overview

Excerpt from Public Relations Services Report

Companies in this industry design and implement public relations campaigns on behalf of clients, which may include lobbying and political consulting services. Major US companies include divisions of Interpublic, Omnicom, and WPP (headquartered in Ireland).

Competitive Landscape

Demand is driven primarily by the health of the US economy and corporate profits. The profitability of individual companies depends on the value of the creative services delivered and efficient use of personnel. Large companies have advantages in having multiple subsidiaries that offer different marketing services to large customers and some economies of scale in marketing. Small companies can compete successfully by specializing in a particular industry or geographic market. The industry is fragmented: the top 50 companies account for about 40 percent of industry revenue.

Products, Operations & Technology

About 70 percent of PR agencies provide a full range of services including media relations, crisis management services, lobbying services, event management, and fundraising services. The remaining agencies specialize in one or more of these services.