Edelman

What Edelman does

Edelman is the world's largest independent strategic communications and public relations firm, founded in 1952 by Daniel J. Edelman in Chicago and operated as a private, family-run business under Daniel J. Edelman Holdings, Inc. The firm serves multinational enterprises, governments, healthcare organizations, and NGOs across more than 60 offices in 65+ countries with approximately 6,000 employees. Service lines span brand marketing, corporate reputation, crisis and risk communications, public affairs, health communications, ESG, digital transformation, creator marketing, and research-driven trust advisory.

The firm's product portfolio centers on the Earned Growth Engine, an AI-powered operating system combining proprietary intelligence and human-led workflows for earned-first growth, supplemented by Edelman AI (responsible AI adoption), Edelman Intelligence (predictive analytics and impact attribution), CommsTech, and specialty subsidiaries Edelman Smithfield (financial communications) and UEG (entertainment/sports/lifestyle). The Edelman Trust Barometer — an annual survey spanning 28 countries and ~34,000 respondents — anchors the firm's flagship research asset, feeding the Edelman Trust Institute and Trust Management consulting platform.

Edelman generates revenue through professional services fees from retainer and project-based engagements with enterprise and government clients. Reported fee income was $950 million in 2025, down 3.6% from $986 million in 2024 (which itself was down 4.9%), reflecting market-wide pressure on PR budgets. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with sector-specialized account teams across verticals including technology, financial services, health, consumer goods, and government. Pricing is customized per engagement and not publicly disclosed; multi-year contracts are typical. The firm has 6,000 employees with 2025 revenue of approximately $950 million.

Name

Edelman

Legal name

Daniel J. Edelman Holdings, Inc.

Website

https://edelman.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Edelman is the world's largest independent strategic communications firm, serving multinational enterprises, governments, and NGOs across 60+ offices with AI-powered platforms and proprietary trust research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategic Communications & Public Relations

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (541820)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Relations & Press Office Services (BPAFADAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate & Financial Communications PR (MPAAADAA)

Keywords

• Strategic communications
• Public relations
• Brand marketing
• Crisis management
• Reputation management

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices24 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Strategic Communications and Public Relations: Edelman generates revenue through providing strategic communications consulting services to businesses and organizations. The firm offers expertise across brand marketing, corporate reputation, crisis management, public affairs, and digital communications. Revenue is derived from retainer fees and project-based engagements with enterprise clients.
2. Agency Services Revenue: As the largest independent PR firm, Edelman's primary revenue comes from fees for communications services. In 2025, the firm reported approximately $950 million in revenue, down from $986 million in 2024, reflecting challenging market conditions in the PR industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Edelman is a global strategic communications firm that delivers public relations, brand marketing, corporate reputation, crisis management, public affairs, and digital communications services to enterprise clients, governments, and NGOs. Its portfolio is anchored by proprietary research products (Edelman Trust Barometer, Trust Institute, Trust Management) and an AI-powered operating system (Earned Growth Engine) that combine data intelligence with human-led creative and earned media execution.

Product overview

Edelman is a global strategic communications firm offering a portfolio of integrated communications services. The core offering includes the Earned Growth Engine (AI-powered platform for earned-first growth) and Edelman AI (responsible AI adoption solutions). Supporting these are specialized research products including the Edelman Trust Barometer (annual global trust survey), Edelman Trust Institute (research institute), and Edelman Trust Management (consulting platform). The Edelman Intelligence service provides predictive analytics and attribution modeling. The firm operates specialty subsidiaries including Edelman Smithfield (financial communications) and UEG (entertainment, sports, lifestyle). The firm offers communications capabilities across Brand Marketing, Corporate Reputation, Crisis & Risk, Creator Marketing, ESG, Digital Transformation, Public Affairs, and sector expertise spanning Technology, Health, Financial Services, and more.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Earned Growth Engine AI-powered operating system for earned-first growth combining connected AI solutions, proprietary intelligence, and streamlined human-led workflows to help brands detect signals earlier, validate ideas faster, optimize paid and earned media together, and prove commercial impact.
• Edelman AI Solutions AI solutions helping businesses and organizations adopt AI with transparency, reliability, and explainability, ensuring systems are ethical and aligned to business goals.
• Edelman Intelligence Predicts, powers, and proves the impact of earned strategy on business outcomes by connecting narratives to trust-building, risk emergence, and culture shaping through AI and human expertise.
• Edelman Trust Barometer Annual global trust survey tracking attitudes on trust in business, government, media, and NGOs across 28 countries with nearly 34,000 respondents, used as a thought leadership and client engagement asset.
• Edelman Trust Institute Research institute and learning laboratory that publishes data-driven insights to inform leadership, strategy, policy, and sustained action across institutions.
• Edelman Trust Management Trust consulting platform that interprets trust research insights to help clients plan, make decisions, and take action on reputation and stakeholder engagement.
• Edelman Smithfield Specialty company focused on financial communications, serving as one of Edelman's specialized offerings.
• UEG (United Entertainment Group) Entertainment, sports, and lifestyle specialty company, operating as one of Edelman's specialty subsidiaries.
• Longevity Lab Research and advisory practice focused on longevity trends, the 55+ consumer demographic, and the 100-Year Life phenomenon reshaping markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 46K engagements on selected campaign work
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• IKEA CanadaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 17 April 2026Edelman handled earned media and creator partnerships for IKEA Canada's Earth Month 'Fridge Refresh Contest' sustainability campaign, promoting food waste reduction through social media engagement.
• Reynolds Consumer Products/HeftycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 February 2026Edelman developed 'Strong Choice' campaign for Hefty brand extension covering trash bags, food storage, and tableware. Campaign involved McCann and Hearts & Science agencies, running nationally across linear TV, CTV, digital and social channels.
• Singapore Tourism BoardflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 16 February 2026Edelman appointed as PR agency following competitive pitch for a two-year two-month mandate (extendable by three years) to support Tourism 2040 roadmap. Edelman will handle strategic planning, issue and crisis counsel, digital amplification, and earned-led communications spanning leisure, business, and MICE sectors.
• SamsungcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 January 2026Edelman executives participated in Samsung-hosted CES 2026 panel 'In Tech We Trust? Rethinking Security & Privacy in the AI Age' alongside Google and Microsoft, discussing trust, security, and privacy in the AI era.
• CyabracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 October 2025Collaboration between Cyabra, Schillings, and Edelman to offer digital reputation protection services. Combines legal strategies and real-time reputation management for high-profile individuals facing disinformation threats.
• CyabracoreTechnology or Integration · 8 May 2025Edelman and Cyabra partnership addresses brand disinformation risks through advanced detection and response tools, helping clients protect their reputations from manipulated narratives.
• DeloittecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2025Deloitte and Edelman research collaboration on building trust in AI, exploring how businesses can navigate AI adoption while maintaining stakeholder trust.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hill+Knowlton: WPP-owned global PR firm with strong public affairs and crisis practices, competing for similar multinational corporate and government clients as Edelman.
• MSL Group: Publicis-owned global PR and public affairs network with sector specializations that overlap Edelman, particularly in consumer, healthcare, and technology.
• Ogilvy PR: WPP's PR arm offering integrated communications within the broader Ogilvy creative ecosystem; competes for many of the same global brand and corporate reputation clients as Edelman.
• FleishmanHillard: Major global PR agency within Omnicom, offering integrated communications across sectors that closely overlap with Edelman's brand, reputation, and public affairs practices.
• Weber Shandwick: One of the largest global PR networks, part of IPG; competes head-to-head with Edelman for enterprise communications, brand, and public affairs mandates across similar sectors and geographies.
• Burson: WPP-owned global PR firm (formed from the merger of Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe) with comparable scale, public affairs, and corporate communications capabilities.
• BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe / Global): Global PR agency offering integrated communications and public affairs, comparable in scale and service mix to Edelman across corporate, consumer, and technology sectors.
• Ketchum: Omnicom-owned global PR agency offering brand marketing, corporate communications, and public affairs services that directly overlap with Edelman's core offerings.

Broad incumbents

• FTI Consulting (Strategic Communications): Larger professional services firm with a strategic communications segment offering public affairs, crisis, and financial communications that overlap with Edelman's enterprise practice.

Emerging players

• Brunswick Group: Specialist communications advisor focused on financial communications, M&A, and critical situations; comparable in sector and prestige to Edelman's Smithfield subsidiary but narrower in scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@edelman
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edelman
• Instagraminstagram.com/edelman
• Xx.com/EdelmanPR
• Facebookfacebook.com/edelman

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Edelman