Paul Werth Associates
Paul Werth Associates is a Columbus, Ohio-based strategic communications consultancy founded in 1963, serving enterprise, government, healthcare, education, and nonprofit clients with integrated public relations, public affairs, marketing, and digital services under third-generation family ownership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1963
- HeadquartersColumbus, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Paul Werth Associates does
Paul Werth Associates, Inc. (operating as Werth PR) is a Columbus, Ohio-based strategic communications consultancy founded in 1963 by Paul Werth and now led by third-generation family member Julie Granillo as President and CEO. The firm delivers an integrated portfolio of media relations, public affairs, integrated marketing and advertising, digital strategy, issues and crisis management, thought leadership, writing, branding/design, video/photography, and coalition building services to enterprise, government, healthcare, education, and nonprofit clients. Its proprietary asset, the Gongwer-Werth Legislative Opinion Poll (launched 2021 with Gongwer News Service), provides ongoing insights into Ohio state lawmaker thinking and anchors the firm's public affairs authority.
The firm operates a traditional professional services revenue model, earning fees through ongoing retainer engagements and discrete project-based assignments; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated per engagement. Its core technology is its integrated communications methodology, combining research-driven insights gathering with PR, public affairs, marketing, and digital execution. The firm maintains a senior-only hiring policy (minimum 10 years of experience) and supports a Washington, D.C. federal affairs office in addition to its Columbus headquarters. Notable multi-decade clients include Worthington Industries, Anheuser-Busch, Nationwide, White Castle, and Advanced Drainage Systems, with high-profile recent engagements involving Intel Ohio and TourismOhio. The company has completed three tuck-in acquisitions (The Haunty Agency 2004, MMD Research 2005, huber+co. 2010) and remains privately held under family ownership with no disclosed revenue or funding rounds.
Paul Werth Associates firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Paul Werth Associates
- Legal name
- Paul Werth Associates, Inc.
- Website
- https://werthpr.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1963
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Paul Werth Associates is a Columbus, Ohio-based strategic communications consultancy founded in 1963, serving enterprise, government, healthcare, education, and nonprofit clients with integrated public relations, public affairs, marketing, and digital services under third-generation family ownership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Paul Werth Associates industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Strategic Communications and Public Relations Services
- NAICS
- Public Relations Agencies (541820), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Thought Leadership & Executive Visibility (BPAFADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Public Sector & Policy Consulting (BPAHACAN)
Keywords
Where Paul Werth Associates is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbus
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Paul Werth Associates 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 Retainer and Project Fees: Werth operates as a professional services firm generating revenue through ongoing retainer engagements and discrete project-based assignments with clients across government, business, healthcare, education, and nonprofits. Services include public relations, public affairs, marketing, advertising, digital strategy, crisis management, and coalition building.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Paul Werth Associates product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Paul Werth Associates is a Columbus, Ohio-based strategic communications firm offering an integrated portfolio of public relations, public affairs, research, marketing, advertising, digital, and crisis management services. The firm serves enterprise, government, nonprofit, healthcare, and education clients through retainer engagements and project-based assignments, combining traditional PR with coalition building, thought leadership, and proprietary public policy polling.
Product overview
Werth is a strategic communications firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of public relations, public affairs, research and marketing services through an integrated approach. The firm's core service offerings include Media Relations, Public Affairs, Integrated Marketing & Advertising, Digital & Web Strategy, Issues & Crisis Management, Thought Leadership & Brand Storytelling, Writing & Editorial Services, Branding & Design, Video & Photography, Coalition Building, and Strategic Counsel. Additionally, the firm offers specialized products including the Gongwer-Werth Legislative Opinion Poll, a first-of-its-kind public policy poll of the Ohio state legislature launched in 2021. Services are delivered through integrated campaigns that combine traditional and digital channels to build brands, shape policy and enhance reputations for clients across government, business, education, workforce development and social services sectors.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Media Relations
Quantifiable outcome
- Blood donations increased 50% from 2021 and nearly doubled from 2020 for Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center's Blood Battle campaign, resulting in Ohio State's first victory over Michigan since 2017.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Paul Werth Associates
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Paul Werth Associates technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Paul Werth Associates partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Gongwer News ServicecoreWerth launched the Gongwer-Werth Legislative Opinion Poll in 2021 — a first-of-its-kind public policy poll of the Ohio state legislature providing regular insights into lawmaker thinking. Gongwer Ohio is Ohio's home for policy and politics, and this collaboration is a key differentiator for Werth's public affairs practice.
- Ohio Opioid Education AlliancecoreWerth has served as the strategic communications partner for the Ohio Opioid Education Alliance since 2018, coordinating a statewide coalition to combat opioid addiction. The Alliance includes the Nationwide Foundation and other central Ohio leaders, and has launched campaigns including 'Denial, OH' and 'Beat the Stigma.'
- CelebrateOnecoreIn 2013, Werth helped develop, design, and launch CelebrateOne, a program to reverse infant mortality death rates in central Ohio after convening the Greater Columbus Infant Mortality Task Force. This was a major coalition-building effort addressing a stubborn community health issue.
- Insurance Industry Resource Council (IIRC)coreThe Insurance Industry Resource Council partnered with Werth on an ongoing public relations and marketing campaign to promote insurance careers throughout Ohio — the Insuring Ohio Futures initiative, which addressed a projected 17,000-employee shortfall in the industry.
- Ohio Business Development Coalition (OBDC)minorOBDC became a client in 2005, with Werth and OBDC winning an American Business Stevie Award in 2006 for the nation's best business-to-business ad campaign.
- White Castle Systems, Inc.coreA long-standing partnership beginning in 2009, with Werth executing national earned media strategy, creative content, and brand campaigns for White Castle to engage 'Cravers' across restaurant markets and retail frozen food aisles nationwide.
- Council of Public Relations Firms (CPRF)minorWerth was a founding member when the national trade group Council of Public Relations Firms was launched in 1998. Sandy Harbrecht Ratchford later served on the CPRF Board.
- Versiti / Ohio State University Wexner Medical CenterminorVersiti, the blood supplier to Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, engaged Werth to develop a strategic communications campaign to boost blood donations for Ohio State's annual Blood Battle rivalry with the University of Michigan.
- Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS)minorChemical Abstracts Service (CAS) became a client in 1994, one of the firm's many Fortune 500 clients over its history.
- Ohio Insurance Industry Coalition (IIRC)coreThe IIRC coalition includes major insurers such as Nationwide, State Auto, Grange Insurance, Cincinnati Insurance, Liberty Mutual, and others. Funded by these organizations, Werth developed the Insurance Innovators video series and broader Insuring Ohio Futures initiative to attract talent to the insurance industry.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Paul Werth Associates competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BIGfish Communications: Boston-based integrated public relations firm of comparable size. Offers similar integrated services across PR, content, social, and brand strategy, serving technology, consumer, and professional services clients.
- Gregory FCA: Philadelphia-based public relations and public affairs firm of comparable scale. Overlapping services in media relations, public affairs, and crisis communications, with similar mid-market positioning serving enterprise and association clients.
- French | West | Vaughan: Raleigh, NC-based integrated communications agency of comparable size with similar public relations, public affairs, and marketing capabilities. Both firms serve enterprise, government, and nonprofit clients with a senior-talent model and have won national industry recognition.
- Lambert: Grand Rapids, Michigan-based integrated communications firm with similar size and a comparable Midwest-rooted, multi-service offering spanning PR, public affairs, marketing, and digital. Both firms operate regionally with national reach for select enterprise clients.
- Pierpont Communications: Houston, Texas-based integrated PR and public affairs agency with comparable scale. Similar multi-service model serving enterprise, energy, healthcare, and government clients in a regional center.
- Landis Communications (LCI): San Francisco-based PR and communications agency of similar size and senior-talent model. Comparable integrated service offering spanning PR, digital, social media, and content strategy for B2B and B2C clients.
- rbb Communications: Miami-based integrated PR and marketing firm with comparable size and similar enterprise, consumer, and nonprofit client base. Both emphasize senior-staff service delivery and integrated campaign execution.
- The Reis Group: Washington, D.C.-area healthcare and public affairs-focused communications agency of comparable scale. Overlapping public affairs, public relations, and coalition-building offerings with similar senior-staff service model.
Broad incumbents
- Padilla: Minneapolis-headquartered, larger full-service communications agency with deep public affairs, PR, and brand practices. Comparable client mix and integrated offering, but with significantly more headcount and national presence.
Emerging players
- Walker Sands: Chicago-based integrated B2B marketing and PR firm with similar size but more tech-sector focus. Comparable integrated service model but with a younger, tech-forward positioning versus Werth's traditional public affairs heritage.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Paul Werth Associates social profiles
Digital presencePaul Werth Associates financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Paul Werth Associates leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Paul Werth Associates funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Paul Werth Associates M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Paul Werth Associates
What does Paul Werth Associates do?
Paul Werth Associates is a Columbus, Ohio-based strategic communications firm offering an integrated portfolio of public relations, public affairs, research, marketing, advertising, digital, and crisis management services. The firm serves enterprise, government, nonprofit, healthcare, and education clients through retainer engagements and project-based assignments, combining traditional PR with coalition building, thought leadership, and proprietary public policy polling.
Is Paul Werth Associates a public or private company?
Paul Werth Associates is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Paul Werth Associates founded?
Paul Werth Associates was founded in 1963. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Paul Werth Associates based?
Paul Werth Associates is headquartered in Columbus, United States, in the North America region.
How does Paul Werth Associates make money?
One revenue line is on record: strategic Communications Retainer and Project Fees.
Who are Paul Werth Associates's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BIGfish Communications, Gregory FCA, French | West | Vaughan, Lambert, Pierpont Communications, Landis Communications (LCI), rbb Communications and The Reis Group. Padilla is listed as a broad incumbent. Walker Sands is listed as an emerging player.
Does Paul Werth Associates have an API?
No public API is recorded for Paul Werth Associates.
What industry is Paul Werth Associates in?
Paul Werth Associates's product category is Strategic Communications and Public Relations Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFADAG, Thought Leadership & Executive Visibility, with a secondary code of BPAHACAN, Public Sector & Policy Consulting. Its NAICS code is 541820 and its SIC code is 8742.