MSL
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1960
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
MSL firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MSL
- Legal name
- MSL
- Website
- https://mslgroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1960
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where MSL is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
MSL 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 Communications Consulting: Core retainer-based consulting engagements providing strategic communications counsel to corporate and government clients. Revenue is primarily recurring through annual or multi-year retainer agreements.
- Public Relations Services: Media relations, press release development, spokesperson training, and earned media coverage generation. Typically billed as retainers or project fees.
- Digital and Marketing Services: Social media management, content creation, influencer partnerships, and digital campaign execution. Often bundled with PR services or sold as standalone engagements.
- Training and Events: Communications skills training, crisis simulation workshops, and event management services. Provided as discrete professional services engagements.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
MSL product offering
Product offeringCore offering
MSL is a global public relations and integrated communications firm that delivers strategic communications counsel, media relations, digital and influencer marketing, crisis preparedness, and reputation management services to large multinational corporations, governments, and consumer brands across more than 40 countries. The firm operates a network of 100+ offices and supplements its service work with proprietary tools including MSL Fluency (influencer marketing platform) and MSL Belief Stack (behavioral science insights tool).
Product overview
MSL is a global public relations and integrated communications agency network offering strategic counsel, creative thinking, and earned-first storytelling. The agency provides services across corporate communications, consumer brands, health, sustainability, and digital/influencer marketing. Key named offerings include MSL Fluency (end-to-end influencer marketing service with proprietary technology and database of 5M+ influencers), MSL Belief Stack (data-driven beliefs and values measurement tool), and various research offerings including the Influencer Pay Index. MSL operates as a services-based agency rather than a software product platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MSL Fluency: End-to-end global influencer marketing service that leverages human intelligence, best-in-class technology and machine learning to supercharge influencer marketing.
- Born Blak
Products and services
- MSL Fluency An end-to-end global influencer marketing service that leverages human intelligence, best-in-class technology, and machine learning to power influencer identification, campaign management, and business-driven measurement. Features a database of more than 5 million influencers with follower fraud detection, offered to enterprise brand marketers.
- MSL Belief Stack A data-driven insights tool that measures audiences' deep-held beliefs and values with over one million data points provided by GlobalWebIndex (GWI), used to inform communications strategy for client campaigns.
- Influencer Pay Index A benchmarking tool to determine and track influencer pay through MSL's Fluency platform, intended to establish industry pay standards and drive equity in influencer marketing.
- Where's Your Water Cooler? Study Proprietary research study examining the effectiveness of internal communications and identifying key sources of influence for desk-based and deskless workers in the U.S.
- Women's Forum Barometer Research partnership with The Women's Forum producing the Asia Pacific Edition of the Women's Forum Barometer, examining gender equity in the workplace across 10 countries.
- MSL Graduate Fellowship Summer fellowship program providing recent graduates hands-on client work experience in account management (consumer brands, corporate reputation, health) and digital disciplines.
Quantifiable outcome
- Client campaigns have generated billions of earned media impressions and social reach
Companies that use MSL
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
MSL technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
MSL partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Publicis GroupeflagshipMSL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Publicis Groupe, the global leader in marketing and communications. This parent company relationship provides MSL with access to the broader Publicis ecosystem including technology platforms, data capabilities, and cross-brand collaboration opportunities.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
MSL competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Edelman: The world's largest independently-owned PR firm, with global presence across multiple markets and similar enterprise client base including Fortune 500 companies. Directly competes with MSL for global PR and integrated communications mandates.
- Weber Shandwick: A top-tier global PR network within IPG (Interpublic Group), offering public relations, digital, and integrated communications services. Direct competitor for enterprise clients seeking global PR and reputation management.
- FleishmanHillard: A major global PR and communications agency owned by Omnicom Group, with comparable global footprint and similar enterprise client base. Competes directly with MSL in integrated communications engagements.
- Ketchum: Omnicom-owned global PR and communications firm with similar service offerings in corporate communications, consumer marketing, and digital. Direct competitor for PR retainers and integrated campaigns.
- Burson: A global communications firm (formed from the merger of Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe under WPP), offering PR, public affairs, and integrated communications. Direct competitor for enterprise reputation and corporate communications work.
- Hill & Knowlton: WPP-owned global public relations firm offering corporate communications, public affairs, and crisis management. Directly competes with MSL in corporate reputation and government relations work.
- Brunswick Group: Global advisory firm specializing in critical issues and corporate communications for C-suites and boards. Overlaps with MSL's senior advisory and corporate reputation offerings for enterprise clients.
- Kekst CNC: Global strategic communications consultancy with deep expertise in M&A, crisis, and investor communications. Competes with MSL's strategic communications and corporate reputation practices.
- Finsbury Glover Hering: Global strategic communications and public affairs firm competing with MSL in corporate reputation, crisis, and financial communications engagements for enterprise clients.
Broad incumbents
- Ogilvy PR: Public relations arm of Ogilvy (WPP), offering integrated communications alongside advertising and digital. Overlaps with MSL's integrated communications offering but operates as part of a broader creative agency portfolio.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MSL social profiles
Digital presenceMSL compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
MSL financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MSL leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles23 records
MSL subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries10 records
MSL funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
MSL M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A11 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MSL
What does MSL do?
MSL is a global public relations and integrated communications firm that delivers strategic communications counsel, media relations, digital and influencer marketing, crisis preparedness, and reputation management services to large multinational corporations, governments, and consumer brands across more than 40 countries. The firm operates a network of 100+ offices and supplements its service work with proprietary tools including MSL Fluency (influencer marketing platform) and MSL Belief Stack (behavioral science insights tool).
Is MSL a public or private company?
MSL is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was MSL founded?
MSL was founded in 1960. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is MSL based?
MSL is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does MSL make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Strategic Communications Consulting is the primary driver. The others are public Relations Services, digital and Marketing Services and training and Events.
Who are MSL's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Edelman, Weber Shandwick, FleishmanHillard, Ketchum, Burson, Hill & Knowlton, Brunswick Group, Kekst CNC and Finsbury Glover Hering. Ogilvy PR is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does MSL have an API?
No public API is recorded for MSL.