The communications industry is facing a perfect storm of converging forces, from COVID-19 to the rise of influencer marketing and even AI. At Forrester, we research around 10,000 global technology vendors that utilize indirect sales and often get asked about the value of PR in the channel.

A trend that is affecting many channel leaders is the convergence of PR, marketing, and advertising. The line between them is blurring, as many channel vendors review budgets collectively. In response, today’s PR professionals have been forced to become brand ambassadors, content marketers, influencers, social media experts, and market analysts themselves.¹

Analyzing channel partners in terms of what they read, where they go (physically or digitally), and who they follow shows somewhat of a walled garden of different communities based on business model, product focus, geography, industry, sector, and size of customer. In our partner community research, we have previously identified 54 global channel magazines, 64 podcasts, 150 trade shows, 100-plus LinkedIn and Facebook groups, superconnectors, and dozens of associations, peer groups, and dedicated micro communities.

As COVID-19 has changed the marketing and advertising calculus for every vendor, the value of finding a strong channel-focused PR person (or firm) is more important than ever. Having someone jump into this walled garden without a nuanced knowledge of partner influence and visibility is bound to fail and not deliver ROI.

In our conversations with channel vendors, many have pointed to the diminishing consumer trust in media, and they have valid questions on whether this extends to industry-specific media, as well. The stories that PR people share with the media need to be timely, robust, accurate, and relevant. Moreover, they also need to be supported by reputable stats, expert opinion, and solid facts.²

The media isn’t interested in puff pieces (especially during a pandemic) and thinly veiled marketing content.

Journalists are under increasing pressure to produce results and get digital content out there at a rapid rate. PR needs to be a valuable content provider for the media, providing assets they can use to develop quick and meaningful stories. Agility is becoming one of the most important metrics for rating PR agencies.³

We hear from partners as well as media executives that short-form, or “snackable,” content is growing, as social media has become the No. 1 source for eyeballs. This has replaced development of long-form, in-depth narratives. Either way, it is about storytelling directly to a partner audience comprised of very busy, small businesses.

Channel leaders need to develop compelling and persuasive narratives that fit into these new content formats.

There are an estimated 25,000 pure-play PR firms in the world (according to Statista), with tens of thousands more marketing agencies and consultants also offering PR services. After narrowing down for channel media-specific focus and expertise, we didn’t see many that had enough focus to benefit channel-focused vendors. To research this, we went to the source directly via social outreach and email — touching base with the media companies (editors, journalists, publishers, and owners/principals) and channel consultants that correspond with PR people everyday — and asked them about the good, the bad, and the ugly.

In total, there were 85 channel PR firms that stuck out from the rest. The most recommended people were Marie Rourke from WhiteFox (far and away the most popular), Amanda Lee from ARL Strategic Communications, Khali Henderson from BuzzTheory, Nikolett Bacso-Albaum from Market Impact, Suzanne Collier from Collier PR, and Mark Waite from Cohesive in the UK. Check out the list here:

 

Top 13 Channel PR Firms (Alphabetical Order):

 

Firm Contact Location
ARL Strategic Communications Amanda Lee United States
Bass PR David Bass Australia
Bella Vista Communications Sacha Arts United States
BuzzTheory Khali Henderson United States
Cohesive Mark Waite United Kingdom
Collier PR Suzanne Collier United States
CommCentric Lynette Bohanan United States
Edelman Richard Edelman United States
LEWIS Global Communications Brian Hayes United States
Market Impact Nikolett Bacso-Albaum United States
TGPR Kevin Wolf United States
Touchdown PR Emily Gallagher United Kingdom
WhiteFox Marketing Inc. Marie Rourke United States

 

Top Global Channel PR Firms (Geographic Order):

 

AUSTRALIA

 

Firm:                      Bass PR

Contact:               David Bass

Title:                      Owner

URL:                       http://www.basspr.com.au/about

 

Firm:                      Einsteinz Communications

Contact:               Emma Keen

Title:                      Senior Consultant

URL:                       http://www.einsteinz.com.au/

 

Firm:                      prdeadlines

Contact:               David Frost

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       https://www.prdeadlines.com.au/

 

Firm:                      Watterson

Contact:               Oisin Ocallaghan

Title:                      Director

URL:                       http://www.watterson.com.au

 

 

CANADA

 

Firm:                      IT World Canada (ITWC)

Contact:               Fawn Annan

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       https://www.itworldcanada.com/

 

Firm:                      Mercer-MacKay Solutions Inc.

Contact:               Gail Mercer-Mackay

Title:                      CEO, Founder

URL:                       http://mercermackay.com

 

Firm:                      Provident Communications

Contact:               Wojtek Dabrowski

Title:                      Managing Partner

URL:                       http://www.providentcomms.com

 

Firm:                      Veritas Communications

Contact:               Sachin Persaud

Title:                      Senior Consultant

URL:                       https://www.veritasinc.com/

 

 

FRANCE

 

Firm:                      Cymbioz

Contact:               Aurélien Rouby

Title:                      Director

URL:                       https://cymbioz.com/

 

Firm:                    Georges Antione Gary

Contact:               Antoine Gary

Title:                      Owner

URL:                      https://www.linkedin.com/in/georges-antoine-gary-78847/

 

Firm:                      MyNtic PR

Contact:               Franck Tupinier

Title:                      Owner

URL:                       https://www.myntic-pr.com/

 

Firm:                      Oxygen

Contact:               Pauline Moreau

Title:                      Senior Consultant

URL:                       https://www.oxygen-rp.fr/en/

 

 

GERMANY

 

Firm:                      100zehn

Contact:               Timm Caspari

Title:                      Managing Director

URL:                       www.100zehn.de

 

Firm:                      Akima Media

Contact:               Volker Schmidt

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       www.akima.de

 

Firm:                      H zwo B

Contact:               Michal Vitkovsky

Title:                      Managing Partner

URL:                       https://www.h-zwo-b.de/en/agency/

 

Firm:                      Janet Spacey PR

Contact:               Janet Spacey

Title:                      Owner

URL:                       https://www.spacey-pr.de/welcome.html

 

Firm:                      PR13

Contact:               Sabine Reinhart

Title:                      Owner

URL:                       www.pr13.de

 

Firm:                      punktgenau

Contact:               Evi Hierlmeier

Title:                      Owner

URL:                       www.punktgenau-pr.de

 

Firm:                      TransPRent

Contact:               Detlev Henning

Title:                      PR Consultant

URL:                       https://www.linkedin.com/in/detlev-henning-672087a3/

 

 

POLAND

 

Firm:                      InPlusMedia

Contact:               Marcin Salanski

Title:                      Senior Public Relations Consultant

URL:                       http://www.inplusmedia.pl

 

Firm:                      SAROTA PR

Contact:               Piotr Sarota

Title:                      CEO, Public Relations Consultant

URL:                       https://sarota.pl/en/

 

Firm:                      Ultimedia

Contact:               Artur Kostrzewa

Title:                      PR Account Manager

URL:                       http://www.ultimedia.pl

 

 

SINGAPORE AND ASIA PACIFIC

 

Firm:                      Manning & Co.

Contact:               Gemma Manning

Title:                      CEO, Founder

URL:                       http://www.manningandcogroup.com

 

 

SOUTH AFRICA

 

Firm:                      Eclipse PR

Contact:               Cheryl Reddy

Title:                      Managing Director

URL:                       www.eclipsepr.co.za

 

Firm:                      FCB Joburg

Contact:               Thabang Skwambane

Title:                      Managing Director

URL:                       www.fcb.co.za

 

Firm:                      Meropa

Contact:               Peter Mann

Title:                      Chief Executive

URL:                       www.meropa.co.za

 

Firm:                      The Riverbed Agency

Contact:               Monalisa Sibongile Zwambila

Title:                      CEO, Founder

URL:                       www.theriverbedagency.co.za

 

 

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

 

Firm:                      OAK Consulting

Contact:               Nirmala Dsouza

Title:                      Managing Partner

Location:              Dubai

URL:                       http://www.oakconsulting.biz/

 

Firm:                      Procre8

Contact:               Colin Saldanha

Title:                      Managing Director

URL:                       http://www.procre8.biz

 

 

UNITED KINGDOM

 

Firm:                      Brands2Life

Contact:               Giles Fraser, Sarah Scales

Title:                      Cofounders

URL:                       https://www.brands2life.com/

 

Firm:                      CCgroup

Contact:               Katie de Cozar

Title:                      Head of Enterprise Tech

URL:                       https://www.ccgrouppr.com/

 

Firm:                      Cohesive

Contact:               Mark Waite

Title:                      Cofounder, Chief Story Officer

URL:                       https://wearecohesive.com/

 

Firm:                      Context Public Relations

Contact:               Craig Coward

Title:                      Director

URL:                       https://contextpr.co.uk/

 

Firm:                      CubanEight

Contact:               Sian Gaskell

Title:                      Managing Director, Founder

URL:                       https://cubaneight.com/

 

Firm:                      Kaizo

Contact:               Gemma Smith

Title:                      Senior Account Director

URL:                       http://www.kaizo.co.uk

 

Firm:                      The Marketing Communications Company

Contact:               Gina Hough

Title:                      Owner

URL:                    https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-hough-101/?originalSubdomain=uk

 

Firm:                      NSPR

Contact:               Gino Mainolfi

Title:                      Codirector

URL:                       http://nspr.co.uk/

 

Firm:                      Octopus Group

Contact:               Jon Lonsdale

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       https://www.octopusgrp.com/

 

Firm:                      Proactive PR

Contact:               Brian Dolby

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       http://proactive-pr.com/

 

Firm:                      Touchdown PR

Contact:               Emily Gallagher

Title:                      EVP

URL:                       www.touchdownpr.com

 

 

UNITED STATES

 

Firm:                      10Fold Communications

Contact:               Susan Thomas

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       http://www.10fold.com

 

Firm:                      APCO Worldwide

Contact:               Brad Staples

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       https://apcoworldwide.com/

 

Firm:                      Archetype

Contact:               Helena Maus

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       https://www.archetype.co/en

 

Firm:                      ARL Strategic Communications

Contact:               Amanda Lee

Title:                      CEO, Founder

URL:                       http://www.arlpr.com/

 

Firm:                      Avista

Contact:               Steve Sturgeon

Title:                      SVP, Media Relations

URL:                       http://www.avistapr.com

 

Firm:                      Bella Vista Communications

Contact:               Sacha Arts

Title:                      Principal

URL:                       http://www.bellavistacommunications.com/

 

Firm:                      BLASTmedia

Contact:               Kate Johnson

Title:                      PR Manager

URL:                       https://BLASTmedia.com

 

Firm:                      Bospar

Contact:               Laura Ruark

Title:                      Account Director

URL:                       http://www.bospar.com

 

Firm:                      BuzzTheory

Contact:               Khali Henderson

Title:                      Senior Partner

URL:                       https://www.buzztheory.com/

 

Firm:                      Channel Impact

Contact:               Laura Bergerson

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       http://www.channel-impact.com

 

Firm:                      Channel Maven

Contact:               Heather Margolis

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       https://www.channelmavenconsulting.com/

 

Firm:                      Clement | Peterson

Contact:               Kyle Peterson

Title:                      Partner

URL:                       http://www.clementpeterson.com

 

Firm:                      Collier PR

Contact:               Suzanne Collier

Title:                      Principal

URL:                       https://collierpr.wordpress.com/

 

Firm:                      CommCentric

Contact:               Lynette Bohanan

Title:                      President

URL:                       https://www.commcentric.com/

 

Firm:                      Communication Strategy Group

Contact:               Arthur Germain, Karen Franse

Title:                      Principal, Account Director

URL:                       https://communicationstrategygroup.com

 

Firm:                      Compass Integrated Communications

Contact:               Rhianna Daniels Hile

Title:                      Chief Strategy Officer

URL:                       http://www.compassintegrated.com/

 

Firm:                      Connect Marketing

Contact:               Mike Bradshaw, Sherri Walkenhorst

Title:                      Partner, Senior Partner

URL:                       http://www.Connectmarketing.com

 

Firm:                      Edelman

Contact:               Richard Edelman

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       https://www.edelman.com/

 

Firm:                      Finn Partners

Contact:               Shelby Armstrong

Title:                      Associate VP

URL:                       http://www.finnpartners.com

 

Firm:                      FleishmanHillard

Contact:               Elizabeth Kohen, Samirah Swaleh

Title:                      Senior Account Executives

URL:                       http://fleishmanhillard.com

 

Firm:                      George Cohen Communications, Inc.

Contact:               George Cohen, Laura MacSweeney, Elyse Familant

Title:                      President, Consultant

URL:                       http://gccpr.com/

 

Firm:                      Hill+Knowlton Strategies

Contact:               Jack Martin

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       https://www.hkstrategies.com/

 

Firm:                      Hughes Agency

Contact:               Velda Hughes

Title:                      CEO, Founder

URL:                       https://www.hughes-agency.com/

 

Firm:                      InkHouse

Contact:               Beth Monaghan

Title:                      CEO, Founder

URL:                       https://inkhouse.com/

 

Firm:                      JMRConnect

Contact:               Mostafa Razzak

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       https://jmrconnect.net/

 

Firm:                      JPR Communications

Contact:               Judy Smith

Title:                      President

URL:                       http://www.jprcom.com

 

Firm:                      Lages & Associates

Contact:               Beverly Lages

Title:                      President, Founder

URL:                       http://www.lages.com

 

Firm:                      LEWIS Global Communications

Contact:               Brian Hayes

Title:                      Senior AE

URL:                       https://www.teamlewis.com/

 

Firm:                      Market Impact

Contact:               Nikolett Bacso-Albaum

Title:                      CEO, Founder

URL:                       https://www.marketimpactnow.com/

 

Firm:                      Marketopia

Contact:               Terry Hedden

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       https://www.marketopia.com

 

Firm:                      MRB Public Relations

Contact:               Michael Becce

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       https://mrbpr.com/

 

Firm:                      Offleash PR

Contact:               Cathy Wright

Title:                      Director

URL:                       http://www.offleashpr.com

 

Firm:                      Ogilvy

Contact:               David Ford

Title:                      Chief Communications Officer

URL:                       https://www.ogilvy.com/

 

Firm:                      Padilla

Contact:               Amy Fisher

Title:                      VP

URL:                       http://www.padillaco.com/

 

Firm:                      Parallel Communications Group

Contact:                Glenn Goldberg

Title:                      President

URL:                       https://www.parallelpr.com/

 

Firm:                      Parallel PR

Contact:               Lauren Young

Title:                      Founder

URL:                       https://www.parallel-pr.com/

 

Firm:                      Pinstripe Marketing

Contact:               Ginger Galloway Reichl

Title:                      President

URL:                       http://www.pinstripemarketing.com

 

Firm:                      Porter Novelli

Contact:               David Bentley

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       https://www.porternovelli.com/

 

Firm:                      Racepoint Global

Contact:               Anna Halstead

Title:                      Account Supervisor

URL:                       http://www.racepointglobal.com

 

Firm:                      Sparkpr

Contact:               Alan Soucy

Title:                      CEO

URL:                       https://sparkpr.com/

 

Firm:                      Suzanne Mattaboni Communications

Contact:               Suzanne Mattaboni

Title:                      President

URL:                       https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzanne-mattaboni-94032410/

 

Firm:                      TGPR

Contact:               Kevin Wolf

Title:                      Founder

URL:                       https://www.tgprllc.com/

 

Firm:                      VisiTech PR

Contact:               Kendra Westerkamp

Title:                      VP

URL:                       https://visitechpr.com/

 

Firm:                      Walker Sands

Contact:               Chelsey Omoerah

Title:                      Media Relations Specialist

URL:                       http://www.walkersands.com

 

Firm:                      WhiteFox Marketing Inc.

Contact:               Marie Rourke

Title:                      Founder, Chief Channel Strategist

URL:                       http://www.whitefoxpr.com

 

Further Channel-Related Reading

What I See Coming For The Channel In 2020

Channel Software Tech Stack (2020)

Channel Marketers Need To Become Community Marketers — Here’s How

Partner Relationship Management (PRM) Comes Of Age

Through-Channel Marketing Represents The Third Stage For Sales And Marketing Leaders

Channel Data Is A Competitive Differentiator

Measure What Matters: Unlocking The Power Of Partner Ecosystems Demands Powerful Measurement

Time To Rethink Channel Incentives And Program Management (CIPM)?

Channel Automation Becomes Table Stakes For Partnership Success

Can You Deliver A Great Partner Experience Without Great Onboarding?

The 64 Best Channel Podcasts Of 2019

 

 

¹ Read the SiriusDecisions report, The Role of Public Relations in Demand Creation (subscription required).

² This insight is based on hundreds of inquiries and advisory sessions with technology vendors and conversations with media executives globally.

³Read the SiriusDecisions report, Public Relations Agencies: Questions to Ask Vendors (subscription required).