Public Relations

The US public relations industry includes about 7,000 companies with combined annual revenue of about $6 billion. Major companies include divisions of Omnicom, WPP Group, and Interpublic. The industry is fragmented: the top 50 companies account for about 35 percent of industry revenue.

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 PR industry is labor-intensive: average annual revenue per employee is less than $150,000.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

About three-quarters of PR agencies provide a full range of services including media relations, crisis management services, lobbying services, event management, and fund-raising services. The remaining agencies specialize in one or more of these services. PR agencies manage the communication between clients and their audiences. PR specialists work with various media to educate, correct mistakes, and build or improve the image of an organization, person, or product.

PR agencies consist mainly of a staff of professionals with various levels of expertise, and support personnel with technical and clerical skills. PR specialists interface with clients and media outlets to communicate their clients’ messages. PR agencies work with ...