APCO Worldwide
APCO Worldwide is a global advisory and advocacy firm providing strategic communications, public affairs, crisis management, and geopolitical advisory to multinational corporations, governments, foundations, and non-profits across more than 35 countries, supported by proprietary research platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1984
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What APCO Worldwide does
APCO Worldwide is a privately held global advisory and advocacy firm headquartered in Washington, D.C., founded in 1984 by Margery Kraus as a one-person operation and now employing more than 1,200 professionals. The firm provides strategic communications, public affairs, crisis and issues management, geopolitical advisory, financial communications, and creative execution services to multinational corporations, governments, foundations, and non-profits across more than 35 countries, with offices in Washington, New York, Brussels, Beijing, Dubai, Tel Aviv, Frankfurt, Denver, and beyond. Its core technology stack consists of proprietary research and measurement platforms — APCO Geopolitical Radar, Agenda 360, Reputation Insight, Agility Indicator, and the newly launched Global Bureaucracy Perception Index (GBPI) — that underpin advisory engagements and generate thought leadership. Revenue is generated through professional services engagements: retainer-based and project-based advisory, integrated communications campaigns, and specialized geo-commerce, trade, and crisis advisory, with quote-based pricing negotiated per engagement and multi-year contracts common among enterprise clients.
APCO Worldwide firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- APCO Worldwide
- Legal name
- APCO Worldwide LLC
- Website
- https://apcoworldwide.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1984
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- APCO Worldwide is a global advisory and advocacy firm providing strategic communications, public affairs, crisis management, and geopolitical advisory to multinational corporations, governments, foundations, and non-profits across more than 35 countries, supported by proprietary research platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where APCO Worldwide is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
APCO Worldwide business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Strategic Advisory Services: Professional consulting services provided to corporations, foundations, and governments for strategic communications, public affairs, crisis management, and geopolitical advisory. Revenue generated through retainer fees and project-based engagements.
- Integrated Communications Campaigns: Creative and digital communications services including media campaigns, content creation, and multi-channel engagement strategies.
- Geo-Commerce Advisory: Specialized advisory on trade, tariffs, sanctions, cybersecurity, and geopolitical risk management for multinational businesses.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Enterprise advisory and consulting services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels9 records
APCO Worldwide product offering
Product offeringCore offering
APCO Worldwide is a global advisory and advocacy firm providing strategic communications, public affairs, crisis and issues management, and geopolitical advisory services to corporations, foundations, and governments. The firm delivers retainer-based and project-based engagements that combine strategic counsel with creative execution, supported by proprietary research and analysis platforms such as the APCO Geopolitical Radar and Agenda 360.
Product overview
APCO Worldwide is a global advisory and advocacy firm offering strategic consultancy services. The portfolio consists of core service lines (Geo-Commerce & Risk, Crisis/Issues & Litigation, Executive Positioning, Creative Strategy & Design) complemented by specialized research products (Agenda 360 analysis platform, APCO Geopolitical Radar intelligence tool) and proprietary measurement tools (Reputation Insight, Agility Indicator). The firm also develops proprietary research indices such as the Global Bureaucracy Perception Index (GBPI) created with Horizon Group, and produces content series like the 'Let Go & Lead' podcast. Services span corporate communication, public affairs, government relations, and sector expertise in health, financial, technology, media, telecom, and government.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- APCO Center for Trade, Investment and Market Access: A specialized center focused on trade, investment and market access advisory services
- Agenda 360
- APCO Geopolitical Radar
- Reputation Insight
- Global Bureaucracy Perception Index (GBPI)
- Let Go & Lead
Products and services
- Geo-Commerce & Risk Advisory Strategic advisory service that helps multinational businesses navigate asymmetric risks, competing national interests, trade tariffs, sanctions, and political agendas by combining global geopolitical insights with on-the-ground knowledge across markets.
- Crisis, Issues & Litigation Communications Crisis communications and issues management service covering preparation, activation, modeling, and recovery strategies to help clients navigate threats such as product recalls, litigation, and multistakeholder crises.
- Executive Positioning Reputation management, employee engagement, thought leadership, and corporate responsibility service that helps executives earn and maintain trust with marketplace and employees.
- Creative Strategy & Design (.Pomelo) Full in-house creative capability including media campaigns, digital ads, commercials, and multi-camera productions delivered through a dedicated media studio for content creation.
- APCO Center for Trade, Investment and Market Access Specialized advisory center focused on international trade, investment strategies, and market access services for clients operating across borders.
- Global Bureaucracy Perception Index (GBPI) World's first benchmark measuring how citizens and businesses experience government services at point of delivery across 13 countries, providing actionable insights across Transparency, Time, Affordability, Predictability, and Accessibility indicators.
Companies that use APCO Worldwide
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
APCO Worldwide technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature5 records
APCO Worldwide partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Horizon GroupflagshipAPCO partnered with Horizon Group to develop the Global Bureaucracy Perception Index (GBPI), the world's first benchmark measuring citizen and business experience with government services. The partnership combines APCO's policy expertise with Horizon Group's research capabilities to produce comparable evidence on bureaucracy performance across 13 countries.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
APCO Worldwide competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Edelman: Largest privately held global public relations firm with comparable full-service communications, public affairs, crisis, and advisory offerings to corporations and governments, overlapping directly with APCO's core service portfolio.
- Brunswick Group: Global strategic communications firm specializing in corporate, public affairs, and financial communications — directly overlapping APCO's crisis, M&A advisory, and geopolitical advisory practices with a similar senior-advisor-led model.
- FTI Consulting (Strategic Communications segment): Publicly traded advisory firm whose Strategic Communications segment offers public affairs, crisis, and corporate communications directly competitive with APCO's advisory service lines.
- Hill+Knowlton Strategies: WPP-owned global public relations and public affairs firm offering crisis communications, government relations, and corporate advisory, providing near-direct competition to APCO in nearly all service lines including EU regulatory work.
- Weber Shandwick: Interpublic Group-owned global PR firm with public affairs, healthcare, and crisis practices, frequently co-bidding with APCO on integrated communications mandates for multinational clients.
- FleishmanHillard: Omnicom-owned global public relations and public affairs agency that competes with APCO on public affairs, healthcare communications, and corporate reputation mandates.
- Ketchum: Omnicom-owned global PR firm with strength in public affairs, corporate communications, and sector-specific campaigns, overlapping with APCO's enterprise communications service line.
- Teneo: Global CEO advisory and strategic communications firm with strong public affairs and crisis practice, frequently competing with APCO on executive positioning and high-stakes reputation engagements.
- Burson (BCW): WPP-owned global communications agency providing public affairs, crisis, and corporate communications — directly comparable in scale and capability mix to APCO across multiple geographies.
Emerging players
- Portland Communications: Independent EU-focused public affairs consultancy (part of Portland/NN-group) whose Brussels and public-sector work directly competes with APCO's Brussels public-affairs practice, particularly on EU tech and competition mandates.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
APCO Worldwide social profiles
Digital presenceAPCO Worldwide financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
APCO Worldwide leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles25 records
APCO Worldwide subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
APCO Worldwide funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
APCO Worldwide M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A5 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about APCO Worldwide
What does APCO Worldwide do?
APCO Worldwide is a global advisory and advocacy firm providing strategic communications, public affairs, crisis and issues management, and geopolitical advisory services to corporations, foundations, and governments. The firm delivers retainer-based and project-based engagements that combine strategic counsel with creative execution, supported by proprietary research and analysis platforms such as the APCO Geopolitical Radar and Agenda 360.
Is APCO Worldwide a public or private company?
APCO Worldwide is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was APCO Worldwide founded?
APCO Worldwide was founded in 1984. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is APCO Worldwide based?
APCO Worldwide is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does APCO Worldwide make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Strategic Advisory Services are the primary driver. The others are integrated Communications Campaigns and geo-Commerce Advisory.
Who are APCO Worldwide's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Edelman, Brunswick Group, FTI Consulting (Strategic Communications segment), Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Weber Shandwick, FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, Teneo and Burson (BCW). Portland Communications is listed as an emerging player.
Does APCO Worldwide have an API?
No public API is recorded for APCO Worldwide.