Paul Werth Associates

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.

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

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

• Public relations services
• Strategic communications consulting
• Public affairs advocacy
• Integrated marketing communications
• Crisis management communications

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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

Core 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

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gongwer News ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Werth 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 AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Werth 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.'
• CelebrateOnecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013In 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012The 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)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011OBDC 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.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009A 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)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Werth 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 CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVersiti, 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)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChemical 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/werthpr
• Facebookfacebook.com/werthpublicrelations

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Paul Werth Associates