Red Flag

What Red Flag does

Red Flag Global is a privately held strategic communications and public affairs consultancy founded in Dublin in 2013 by Karl Brophy. The firm serves multinational corporations, trade associations, and organizations across sectors including technology, energy, health and pharma, food and beverage, and consumer goods, providing strategic counsel, reputation management, government relations and advocacy, risk monitoring, coalition building, research, and digital campaigning. Operations span over 52 countries across five continents, delivered through owned offices in Dublin (headquarters), Brussels, Washington DC, London, and Cape Town, with a workforce of 51–100 employees.

The firm's core technology is its human capital: a senior team drawn from media, politics, business, and diplomacy, including former ambassadors, government ministers, senior diplomats, and tier-one media executives. Service offerings are professional consulting rather than software or platform-based, structured around retainer and project engagements. Notable capability assets include the Washington International Business Council (WIBC, founded 1974), a 50+ corporate-member forum providing off-the-record engagement with senior US executive and legislative branch officials, and deep trade-policy expertise built through a 2021 acquisition of a US trade policy consultancy.

Red Flag's go-to-market is direct enterprise sales through its five global offices, supported by content marketing (newsletters, policy reports, blog), social media (Twitter, LinkedIn), and a password-protected client portal. Revenue is generated via professional services fees under quote-based, engagement-scoped contracts. In February 2025, Red Flag was acquired by Ankura, the global expert services and advisory firm, and continues to operate under the Red Flag brand within the Ankura group, with continued senior-level hiring through 2025 including a Brussels-based Head of Policy and a former Irish government minister as senior adviser.

Name

Red Flag

Legal name

Red Flag Consulting Limited

Website

https://redflag.global

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Red Flag Global is a Dublin-headquartered strategic communications and public affairs consultancy serving multinational corporations and trade associations across 52+ countries through five offices in Dublin, Brussels, Washington DC, London, and Cape Town, providing counsel, advocacy, risk monitoring, and reputation management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Strategic Communications Consulting

NAICS

Public Relations Agencies (54182), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Public Relations Agencies (541820), International Affairs (92812)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Treaties, International Law & Boundary Affairs (BPAIAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trade, Export Controls & Customs Compliance (BPAHAFAN), Conformity Assessment, Testing, Inspection & Certification Cooperation (BPADANAD)

Keywords

• Strategic communications consultancy
• Public affairs advisory
• Government relations services
• Reputation management consulting
• Political risk analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Strategic Communications Consulting: Red Flag provides strategic counsel, communications campaigns, government relations, risk monitoring, reputation management, and digital campaigning services to multinational corporate clients and trade associations. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements and retainer arrangements for ongoing strategic advisory services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Red Flag Global is a strategic communications and public affairs agency that delivers counsel, communications campaigns, government relations, risk monitoring, reputation management, and digital campaigning to multinational corporations and trade associations. The firm operates across more than 52 countries from offices in Dublin, Brussels, Washington DC, London, and Cape Town, with a senior team drawn from media, politics, business, and diplomacy.

Product overview

Red Flag Global is a strategic communications and public affairs agency offering a unified portfolio of consulting services rather than a software platform. The core offerings include Strategic Counsel, Compelling Communications, Government Relations and Advocacy, Risk Monitoring and Analysis, Coalition Building & Grassroots Activation, Research Data & Evidence, Reputation Management, and Digital Campaigning. The company also operates the Washington International Business Council (WIBC) as a premium membership service in Washington DC. Red Flag Global was acquired by Ankura in February 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Washington International Business Council (WIBC): Established in 1974, WIBC provides strictly off-the-record engagements with decision makers at senior levels of the U.S. executive and legislative branches, as well as foreign embassies and international organizations. WIBC comprises senior executives from more than 50 leading corporations across a wide variety of sectors.

Products and services

• Strategic Counsel Expert strategic advice and counsel provided to multinational corporate clients and trade associations on regulatory, reputational, and communications challenges, delivered by a global team drawn from media, politics, business, and diplomacy.
• Compelling Communications Development and execution of communications strategies and messaging campaigns for corporate clients, including message development and narrative design.
• Government Relations and Advocacy Political engagement and advocacy services that influence legislation, regulation, and government policy at national, EU, and global levels for multinational corporations and trade associations.
• Risk Monitoring and Analysis Monitoring and analysis of political and regulatory risks affecting clients' business operations and reputation across multiple jurisdictions.
• Coalition Building & Grassroots Activation Building coalitions and activating grassroots support to amplify campaign messages, influence public opinion, and advance client policy objectives.
• Research, Data & Evidence

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Portland Communications: Strategic communications and public affairs firm with strong EU and UK policy credentials. Closely comparable in serving corporate and association clients on regulatory navigation, advocacy, and political engagement in Europe.
• FTI Consulting (Strategic Communications): Global advisory firm with a large Strategic Communications segment covering public affairs, crisis, and change communications. Comparable in serving multinational corporate clients on regulatory and reputational challenges, but with much broader consulting scope.
• Brunswick Group: Global strategic communications and public affairs firm advising CEOs and boards on critical issues including M&A, crisis, and policy. Closely comparable to Red Flag in offering breadth, client profile (multinational corporations), and international footprint.
• APCO Worldwide: Global public affairs and strategic communications consultancy with deep government relations and policy advocacy capabilities. Directly comparable to Red Flag in offering government relations, risk monitoring, and reputation management to multinationals.
• FGS Global: Strategic communications and advisory firm formed from the merger of Finsbury, Glover Hering, and Sard Verbinnen. Direct peer to Red Flag in public affairs, crisis, and policy advisory work for corporates and boards.
• MHP Group: UK-headquartered strategic communications and public affairs consultancy. Comparable in serving corporate and policy clients on regulatory engagement, reputation, and political communications across UK and EU markets.

Broad incumbents

• Edelman: World's largest PR firm with global public affairs and policy capabilities. Comparable offering profile to Red Flag but at much larger scale, serving multinationals across all major geographies and sectors.
• Burson (BCW): Global communications agency formed from the merger of Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe. Direct overlap with Red Flag in public affairs, crisis, and corporate communications for multinational clients at a much larger scale.
• Hill+Knowlton Strategies: Global public relations and communications firm with substantial public affairs practice. Comparable to Red Flag in offering crisis, government relations, and reputation management to corporate clients, with broader geographic reach.

Emerging players

• GPlus Europe: Brussels-based public affairs and communications consultancy focused on EU policy and advocacy. Comparable to Red Flag's Brussels offering on policy monitoring, advocacy, and stakeholder engagement, with a narrower geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thisisredflag
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/red-flag-global

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Red Flag