Hill+Knowlton Strategies

What Hill+Knowlton Strategies does

Hill+Knowlton Strategies, founded in 1927 and headquartered in New York, is a global strategic communications consultancy that delivers integrated services across five practice areas: Strategic Communications, Public Affairs, Advisory, Intelligence & Technology, and Innovation & Creative. The firm serves large enterprise clients — including Mozilla, adidas, Li-Ning, Reckitt (Durex and Air Wick), Deloitte, and GSK — across consumer goods, technology, healthcare, and professional services, addressing business transformation, risk management, reputation building, and stakeholder engagement. A sub-brand, Ideal, targets disruptive technology companies with positioning and communications support. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; revenue is generated through enterprise retainer-based consulting agreements and project-based engagements delivered via the firm's global office network.

The company's underlying technology layer is described as an integration of intelligence, data-driven tools, technology solutions, creative strategy, and senior advisory capability, rather than a proprietary software platform. There are no disclosed APIs, SDKs, patents, or AI/ML products. The firm monetizes professional services through enterprise field sales and direct advisory relationships, targeting senior corporate communications decision-makers. Operationally, H+K maintains offices across North America (US, Canada), Europe (UK, Finland, Norway), and Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile), the latter following the 2022 acquisition of JeffreyGroup.

Hill+Knowlton operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of WPP, the London-based multinational communications conglomerate. In 2024, WPP executed a major restructuring that merged Hill+Knowlton with BCW into a new combined entity called Burson, consolidating the parent's PR operations under a single brand. Prior to that, H+K executed a sustained inorganic growth strategy, completing 15+ disclosed acquisitions since 1999, including JeffreyGroup (2022, Latin America), 3K Agentur für Kommunikation (2023, German-speaking markets), Group SJR (2013, digital content), and Ascentum (2012, public affairs). The company's headcount is reported in the 1,001–5,000 range, and specific revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Hill+Knowlton Strategies

Legal name

Hill & Knowlton

Website

https://hkstrategies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Hill+Knowlton Strategies is a global strategic communications consultancy founded in 1927 that serves large enterprise clients across technology, consumer goods, healthcare, and professional services with integrated strategic communications, public affairs, advisory, intelligence, and creative services, operating as a subsidiary of WPP.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategic Communications Consulting

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy & Corporate Development Consulting (BPAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Data, Analytics & AI Consulting (BPAHAEAF), Organization Design & Operating Model Consulting (BPAHAGAB)

Keywords

• Strategic communications consultancy
• Public relations services
• Corporate reputation management
• Public affairs advisory
• Crisis communications consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 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 Consulting Services: Hill+Knowlton generates revenue through professional services engagements with enterprise clients, delivering strategic communications, public affairs, advisory, creative, and intelligence solutions. Revenue is driven by retainer-based consulting agreements and project-based engagements across its global office network.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Hill+Knowlton Strategies is a global strategic communications consultancy that delivers integrated services across five core areas: Strategic Communications, Public Affairs, Advisory, Intelligence & Technology, and Innovation & Creative. The firm helps enterprise clients manage risk, build reputation, and drive business transformation through messaging, stakeholder engagement, government relations, crisis management, and data-driven communication campaigns. Engagements are delivered on retainer or project bases across a global office network spanning North America, Europe, and Latin America.

Product overview

Hill+Knowlton Strategies is a global strategic communications consultancy offering an integrated suite of five core services: Strategic Communications, Public Affairs, Advisory, Intelligence & Technology, and Innovation & Creative. The company positions itself as a strategic partner for transformation, helping clients communicate to lead across growth, risk, and reputation challenges. Services are delivered through its global network, with additional focus on disruptive technology companies through its Ideal sub-brand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ideal: A brand focusing on disruptive technology companies, expanded to a global market under new leadership.

Products and services

• Strategic Communications
• Public Affairs
• Advisory
• Intelligence & Technology
• Innovation & Creative
• Ideal

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• JeffreyGroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2022Hill+Knowlton acquired JeffreyGroup, a leading Latin American communication firm, in September 2022. The acquisition significantly enhanced H+K's regional presence in Latin America and created the largest global agency footprint in the region. This represents a core strategic expansion of Hill+Knowlton's geographic coverage and client service capabilities in Latin markets.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Weber Shandwick: IPG-owned global communications firm with similar strategic communications, public affairs, and advisory capabilities, regularly competing with H+K on enterprise transformation engagements.
• Brunswick Group: Specialist strategic communications and advisory firm focused on C-suite counsel, M&A, and critical situations—directly overlapping with H+K's Advisory and Public Affairs offerings.
• Edelman: The world's largest independent PR firm, offering strategic communications, public affairs, and advisory services to global enterprise clients—a near-mirror competitor to H+K's integrated five-pillar model.
• BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe): Former WPP sibling agency now merged with H+K into Burson; historically a direct global competitor in strategic communications and public affairs.
• FGS Global: WPP-adjacent strategic communications firm (with KKR taking a 50.1% stake), operating in the same high-end advisory and public affairs space as H+K and serving similar Fortune-level clients.
• FleishmanHillard: Omnicom-owned global PR and communications agency with a comparable integrated service portfolio and multinational enterprise client base, competing directly for the same strategic communications mandates.
• MSL (Publicis): Publicis Groupe's strategic communications and engagement network, offering public relations, public affairs, and advisory services that compete head-to-head with H+K across enterprise clients globally.
• Ketchum: Omnicom-owned global PR network offering strategic communications and brand marketing services to large multinational clients in a directly comparable service mix.

Broad incumbents

• Burson: The combined entity formed in 2024 by merging Hill+Knowlton with BCW under WPP. Direct inheritor of H+K's operations and the most comparable global strategic communications firm.
• Ogilvy PR: WPP sibling network within Ogilvy, offering integrated communications and influence services as part of a broader advertising/PR portfolio, frequently competing for the same enterprise clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hkstrategies
• Facebookfacebook.com/HKStrategiesGlobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hill-knowlton-strategies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A15 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Hill+Knowlton Strategies